[Raquel A]

Hello everyone!

My name is Raquel Astacio and I run Doggy’s Digest along with my boyfriend, Alexis. We are a site dedicated to thoroughly covering the topic of probiotics for dogs. I originally reached out to Dog Food Advisor to see if we could contribute a post; unfortunately they do not accept any but did say we can post in the forums.

Many dog owners are not aware about canine probiotics and our mission at Doggy’s Digest is to help increase awareness. I am posting the original article that I was going to contribute to Dog Food Advisor. If this is an inconvenience or violates guidelines, please do let me know. If you find the content informative and have questions, please let me know and I will be more than happy to answer! Thank you.

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The Benefits of Canine Probiotics

For years now, we as humans have been learning the many health benefits of probiotics. Just like humans, dogs need healthy food, plenty of exercise, vitamins, and probiotics in order to be in optimum health. Probiotics are bacteria and live yeasts that improve overall health, especially in regards to our digestive systems. We usually think of all bacteria as being harmful and causing diseases. When we hear the word “bacteria” we think of antibacterial products and antibiotics that we use to destroy unhealthy bacteria.

So why would we want to willingly ingest or feed something to our dogs that has live bacteria in it? The answer is that digestive systems naturally consist of a correct balance of both “good” and “bad” bacteria. Illnesses, diet, medications, and our environment can upset this balance that is needed to stay healthy. The bacteria from probiotics is healthy bacteria. The microorganisms in probiotics are actually alive. They produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which inhibit the growth and activity of harmful bacteria. They can greatly improve a host’s gut and overall health when ingested in the proper amounts.
Probiotics are a relatively new, healthy trend in the dog and pet industry. People are realizing how essential it is to provide their pets with healthy supplements to their diet. Probiotics promote a healthy gastrointestinal system and intestinal balance in your dog. The healthy bacteria can also build up the immune system.

Veterinarians prescribe probiotics for many different conditions. They are recommended for dogs who suffer from SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), chronic diarrhea, auto-immune disorders, skin problems, irritable bowel, and intestinal infections like Giardia and Clostridia. They may even reduce allergic reactions and prevent urinary tract infections.

Once you have decided to provide your dog with probiotics, how do you choose which kind to use? It is first important to make sure that you are getting a quality product. New canine probiotics are being advertised all the time and dog food brands are adding probiotics to their foods. The challenge is that dog probiotics, like all probiotics, are live cultures that are unstable in their active states (yogurts or liquid-containing products). When exposed to extreme conditions, much of the bacteria can die off and lose their beneficial properties before reaching the intestine. This is the case for a lot of canine probiotics. This means that you need to choose a quality brand that has taken these things into account and are not just cheap probiotics added to a brand for marketing purposes.

It is first important to check the kinds and amounts of probiotic strains and amount of CFU in the probiotic. Look for 2-4 billion CFU and 8 or less strains of bacteria. Significantly less CFU may not provide any added benefits to your dog’s diet, and much higher CFU and a high number of strains may be indicators of possible harmful combinations.

Probiotics come in various forms: maintenance, intermediate, and concentrated. Maintenance probiotics are usually in powder or granule form and are used to combat everyday stress such as changes in environment or being left alone. Intermediate probiotics are usually powders and fed to your dog daily to deal with chronic stress and digestive issues. Finally, concentrated probiotics come in pastes or liquids and are temporarily used for the duration of a pet’s illness.

For everyday uses, probiotics in dry form are good options to consider. These provide a healthy and convenient option for dog owners. They contain stabilized strains of bacteria that will come back to life once they have reached the dog’s stomach. They then move to the intestines and multiply hundreds of times. Since they are not in an unstable, liquid form, they do not require refrigeration. It is simple to sprinkle these probiotics on your dog’s food.

Freeze-dried probiotics are another viable option. These probiotic microorganisms do not lose any of their potency or viability until they are mixed with water. This will happen naturally during digestion.

Whichever probiotic product you choose, you must be sure to store and use them properly. If you are using powder or granules, keep them closed and dry until feeding time. You may freeze dried forms once, but they may not be repeatedly frozen and thawed. If you choose a paste or liquid form, it must be refrigerated but cannot be frozen. Lastly, follow label instructions for proper dosage. Canine probiotics can be a wonderfully healthy addition to your dog’s diet and improve their vitality for years to come.

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Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoyed the post!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Raquel A.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Raquel A.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Raquel A.

[Allison A]

Hi all, I need input. I adopted a 4-year-old, 65-lb English Pointer a few months ago. He is the second Pointer I have owned. He has always had very loose, unformed stools (like Motts applesauce or unset pudding), regardless of the food or supplements I have given him. He has a clean bill of health, and no medical reason for the loose stools that the vet has been able to find. He does have formed (still soft) stools on Hills Adult Light, which has about a 13% fiber content. The vet thinks he is fiber responsive since the high fiber food give his stool some consistency. I hate feeding him Hills; all my previous dogs have done great on 5-star foods. He is an “ears and rears” dog, and both seem to bug him when he eats the Hills. At the moment, he’s getting half Hills and half Orijen Regional Red with a couple Primal freeze-dried nuggets (lamb) and a hard-boiled egg on top. I think the Primal freeze-dried actually firms up his stool a bit. I can’t afford to feed him freeze-dried exclusively.

The freeze-dried contains ground bone, and I am wondering if that’s what is helping. It’s a very minor improvement, as I’m just topping his kibble with these nuggets, but there is a slight difference (mashed banana consistency). Any thoughts on giving him supplemental bone meal? There are human grade options on Amazon, and several reviewers mention it firming up their dog’s stool.

Any and all ideas are welcomed!! Below is a list of things we have tried, and that have failed miserably.
– Limited ingredient diets – fish-based (Merrick, Natural Balance)
– Oat bran
– Canned pumpkin
– Diggin’ Your Dog (dried pumpkin fiber powder)
– Yogurt
– Probiotics
– Ground flaxseed (Missing Link supplement)
– Psyllium (aka: Metamucil)

Thank you in advance!

[Adam W]

Here’s a cool blog post on probiotics:
http://www.bdwbio.com/Blog/Probiotics_And_What_They_Do_For_Animals

And another one on the mechanisms behind probiotics:
http://www.bdwbio.com/Blog/How_Do_Probiotics_Actually_Work

Some (many…most?) supplements are bogus, especially those for pets. There’s an increasing amount of evidence that probiotics don’t fall in this category. However, any probiotic product you buy needs to have enough colony forming units (CFU) to be helpful. There is some debate about whether multiple strains are helpful, but the reality is that most products which list multiple strains really don’t have enough CFU of most of them to matter at all anyway.

[Pitlove]

Ah ok, I misunderstood. Are you planning to take her off raw? If you do not want to switch from raw back to kibble, you can buy grinds of different proteins that don’t contain bone from companies like Hare Today and work with a nutritionist to balance the meals. Wysong also makes a supplement that is said to balance a raw fed diet.

http://www.wysong.net/products/cotw-dog-cat-supplement.php

[Jan M]

Hi, no …not bones….frozen raw chicken patties with ground bones as part of the ingredients. It called for 3 patties a day for her size but I only gave her 2 as a supplement cause they are expensive. I am just praying she will eat and poop it out but she still feels horrible tonight and won’t eat! Thanks.

Red….if you see this…how long before your dog cleaned out?

[cherryl]

Hi all,
I have an 11 year old Maltipoo (Friday) who’s been battling Yeast infection for 3 years. I got tired of going to the vet having the same treatment over and over (they just prescribe her some medicine,Royal Canin sensitivity and medicated soap and shampoo) without any good results, she’s still stinky, itchy and miserable. I started researching and found out that possible cause of yeast is diet (vet never mentioned that to me) and it’s when i decided to try raw. I followed the yeast starvation diet on homemadedogfood: lean ground beef, boiled egg with shell. I live in Asia so Dinovite is not available so I replace it with supplement, fish oil and megaderm (alternate). Friday loved it. Her yeast is now coming out as expected. However, i observed that her bowel changed dramatically. Her normal schedule on kibble is after meal but once she changed to raw, sometimes it would take more than 24 hrs for her to poop. Her poop is also inconsistent, one day it would be very soft and wet but can still be picked up, the next day then it will be well formed but with mucus, then it will be tarry.. oh and its really smelly too..these changes on her bowel keeps me awake at night as well. Then the other night, her poop was tarry with fresh blood and some mucus, this worried me a lot so i sent her to the vet the next day. She was examined thoroughly and found everything is normal. Also, no vomiting and coughing occurred her movement is also normal.

So i researched again and most of what I read is that I’m supposed to start with chicken, so last night i bought chicken wings and chicken breast fillet. I cut the fillet in small portion and gave Friday half of the chicken wings (this is after 24hr fasting) . She DOESN’T like it. I had to give her the chicken meat by hand and most of it she spit, she ate the chicken wing but with so much pleading. This morning when i tried to give her meal, she did not eat the wings at all. I tried cutting the bones to small pieces but to no avail. (oh this is plain chicken not the yeast starvation diet)

I have another dog Bailey, (Wire Dachshund, normal size) she started on raw the same time with Friday, she’s also having the same bowel problems like Friday (but without the bloody poop (yet)), so now she’s taking chicken wings and no problem eating it at all.

Both dogs started raw about 3 going on 4 weeks now and I dont know if there’s any alternative recipe/food that I can give her. Oh like i said I live in Asia so Turkey, lamb and other kind of meat isn’t readily available here. Basic is pork, chicken and beef.
Should I stick with the yeast starvation diet but with ground chicken? How important is the bones for the dog? And what can i do to make my dog eat chicken?

Really sorry for the long read and I really hope you guys can give me some advice on this.
Thanks so much!!!

[Pamela S]

my question is what ingredients in ANY dog food could help a dog born without hip sockets. Here are the ingredients from their web site:

Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, 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), L-Threonine, Taurine, Soy Lecithin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Chondroitin Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

you could get the same outcome with vitamins. First ingredient is corn, how is that good for your dog. I think most vets are out to make money, they try to give unnecessary shots and scare you into buying science diet from them. Just my two sense.

[Susan]

Hi, could be IBD (Colitis) she may have a food intolerance/sensitivity, my boy was pooing blood & mucus, mucus & blood is from something irritating the bowel (Colitis). My boy cant eat boiled rice or boiled oats in cooked meals or wet tin foods, boiled rice & oats irritate his bowel causing blood, mucus poos…he also cant have any gluten & most vet diet have gluten, corn & boiled rice, so he cant eat most vet diets plus vet diets use chicken or hydrolyzed chicken….so if your dog has a sensitivity to chicken then vet diets won’t help…..

Have you tried to feed a cooked limited ingredient meals, just 1 protein & 1 carb, a protein she hasn’t eaten before, a protein low in fat is best & try adding some boiled potatoes, or sweet potatoes if you want more fiber… My boy does real well on beef, pork, lamb or fish, I have found….Elimination diets are best to feed when this is happening, then when she is stable (firm poos) then only add 1 new ingredient each week…… in the beginning less is best cause you will not know what is causing the diarrhea, if she is eating too many things or too many supplements are given… & keep a diary…I’ve been cooking this morning, to lightly boil some meat & boil some sweet potatoes doesn’t take long, I make 1/2 cup size meals. I put thru the blender it helps with digestion if you dogs gulps food, then I freeze small meals..
You may need a new vet, a vet that knows more about IBD…..

[C4D]

I have one dog that takes the 1200 mg double potency (720 omegas) human fish oil daily due to arthritis but I also have a foster that is allergic to fish and breaks out in a rash if she is given any fish in any form, not matter how little the portion. DogFoodie is right. It’s a great anti inflamatory, as long as the dog can take it. You also may need to supplement with an occaisonal dose of Vitamin E, if it’s not in the fish oil supplement you are using. There is a very delicate balance between fish oil and Vitamin E. Please research before giving.

[Anonymous]

Why not? I give my dogs 1 fish oil capsule a day, maybe it helps.

Latest Review Finds Fish Oils Don’t Help Dementia

Read the comments, you may find some helpful information.
PS: It is a food supplement, not a medication….not sure how accurate the dosages listed would be anyway.

[Luisa P]

I have done so much ready and I am exhausted!! Bottom line is, I wish I could just cook fresh food for my Dalmatian but realistically I know I can’t. All the information online is overwhelming because some sites do talk about fresh food, but then you need to add vitamins, etc. to make sure they are getting a balanced meal. My biggest challenge is that not only do I feed my Dalmatian, but I have 7 other dogs. So to make fresh food every day is not realistic for me. So I decided to meet in the middle. I am currently giving
one of the highly recommended grain free formulas from this website, but I give 1 cup less and then I supplement that with fresh homemade food. The biggest thing that I have learned from the Dalmatian diet is that you need to make sure you float their food with water. If your water source is high in minerals, then I would use distilled. I am attaching something important that I have found and do follow with my daly.

Traffic light system:
Green Light Purines – These foods are virtually Purine free they can be fed as often as you like and to stone forming dogs. Food stuffs
Whole grain yeast free bread
Whole grain yeast free cereals
Most vegetables (see high purine exceptions below) Not onions or Garlic.
Fruits (some fruits are toxic to dogs see list below)
Nuts (except Macadamia nuts)
Peanut Butter
Pasta
Eggs
Cheese
Yellow light Purines – The following foods are considered to contain a moderate level of purines and are acceptable in diets for stone-forming dog breeds. Most or even all of your Dalmatian’s protein sources should come from this list as opposed to the “Red Light” purines listed in the next section Most Poultry including Chicken and Turkey
Fish and Shellfish (see exceptions below)
Lamb
Pork
Beef
Oats and Oatmeal

Red light Purines – The following foods contain the highest levels of purines and should be avoided as much as possible to help prevent stone formation: Kidneys
Hearts
Brains
Liver
Sweetbreads
Venison
Duck
Goose
Sardines
Mackerel
Muscles
Scallops
Cauliflower
Spinach
Peas
Mushrooms
Legumes (kidney beans, lentils)
Yeast (including brewers yeast)
Gravy

If you have a FB account, you could join a private group called Dalmatian Addiction, there are a lot of great people there who share great info and pictures of their dogs.

[Anonymous]

“So what I’m wondering is what can I do to improve all my puppies health? Should I start making homemade puppy food? What supplements and flea medicines should I be giving them? They have to be on a leash outside so do you have any fun exercises I can do with them? Any other advice you want to give me, especially towards the new puppy”?

I think you should ask your vet these questions when you see him. He looks like he may be a small breed mix, dachshund? There is a dog dna test you could try when things get settled, if you must know.
Puppies do well with 3 or 4 small meals a day, soft and dry mixed with water. They sleep, play and eat…..see if he will play fetch? Carry him to the area you would like him to use as the bathroom every 2 hours so he will get the idea.

[Cody G]

So, about a week ago we found this adorable puppy that our neighbors abandoned and left our on doorstep when they moved.

He was so little and cute! His eyes still weren’t even open 🙁 The worst part was he had these bumps all over his body which I assumed were either chigger bites, or *gasp* Mange.

Of course, when the vet opened my wife and I carried him to get checked out. Sadly, Rambo did have Mange and worms (goes back next week to get vaccinated, he was just treated for Mange and to remove the worms this time). Luckily we kep’t him isolated from our other dogs (both lab mixes, one is husky the other is border colly).

Looking at this puppy (picture included) and seeing how he looked made me really want to step-up on keeping all my dogs healthier. The puppy is *I think* just a few weeks old maybe a month, my Husky is 1 year, and my Border Colly is 2 years.

So what I’m wondering is what can I do to improve all my puppies health? Should I start making homemade puppy food? What supplements and flea medicines should I be giving them? They have to be on a leash outside so do you have any fun exercises I can do with them? Any other advice you want to give me, especially towards the new puppy?

Btw I think the vet said hes mixed with Pomeranian but hes too young to really tell what else he is mixed with maybe you can help decide, I honestly can’t tell what kind he is at all 🙂

[Ryan K]

My dog has a pretty strong intolerance to Brewer’s Yeast. She gets really rough yeast infections in her ears even after a couple days of ingesting something with this ingredient in it. Does anyone know a good, reliable, ADVANCED quality Glucosamine-Chondroitin supplement that would work well for my 14 year old Old English Sheepdog that does NOT have Brewer’s Yeast in it? I can’t seem to find a decent one without it in it and my dog reallllllllllly needs this in her system. Her arthritis is so bad now. Any advice would help! 🙂

[Tammy A]

I’ve read all the comments and am amazed at how judgemental some of the comments are when expressing dissatisfaction for Dinovite. I wasn’t going to leave a comment, but decided I would because there may be someone who has experienced the same issues I had with Dinovite. I have two Cairn Terriers and there’s nothing I would not do for my babies.

After much research, my husband and I decided to start feeding our dogs the cooked homemade dog food recipe on the Dinovite website. Things were going great for three weeks, then the intestinal problems started. Both dogs had stools covered with mucus and then diarrhea. Since the only changes were in the diet, we started backtracking. We stopped putting Dinovite in the food, and their stools started to get back to normal. We knew we shouldn’t continue to feed the homemade food without supplements, do we started researching dog foods.

After a 24 hour fast, we started feeding our dogs Wellness Core. They love it, and everything is back to normal. Thank goodness!

So, Dinovite may work for many of you, but it did not work for me.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Tammy A.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Tammy A.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Tammy A.

[Anonymous]

NuVet Supplement=Same Old Snake Oil

below is an excerpt, click on link for full article and 111 comments, as of today.

Bottom Line
This product is a hodgepodge of nutrients, herbal ingredients, and nutraceuticals thrown together with no clear logic or rationale. The claims that many pet diseases are due to toxins or other deficiencies in commercial diets and to oxidative damage are unsupported by any real evidence. Only a few of the specific claims for the ingredients in the mixture are backed by research evidence, and the quality of this is generally poor and only available for humans. The advertising of the product contains many of the hallmarks of snake oil marketing, but it does not contain any research evidence at all concerning the safety or effectiveness of the product, because none appears to exist.While I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of the manufacturer of this product, I believe it is unethical to sell a product with no research establishing the safety or efficacy of the product for any disease and with little to no research even into the safety and efficacy of its constituents. Promoting the product with unproven or outright false claims about pet nutrition and disease designed to instill fear in pet owners and with wild and ridiculous claims about the effectiveness of the product for numerous unrelated diseases is wrong regardless of how sincerely the manufacturer believes in their own pseudoscientific theories. Any responsible manufacturer of a medical therapy should be expected to demonstrate their claims through rigorous science before profiting from the desperate need of people with sick pets.

[Sheryl P]

Has anyone used the NuVet vitamins and/or joint health supplements? I have been giving them to my almost 15 year old Aussie and my 5 year old Golden Retriever for about 3 weeks now. The Aussie’s joints seem to be not quite so stiff now. He had actually stopped swimming with my Golden about 6 months ago and has just in the last week started getting back in the water. My Golden is prone to hot spots because he practically lives in the water year round (we live on a farm surrounded by ponds and creeks) so his fur stays damp pretty much all day until I dry him off to come in at night! I can honestly say he has not had a outbreak since he started on these supplements. Just wondering if anyone else had used them and what kind of results they were having. I also have a 16 week old Aussie pup and was wondering at what point I should start joint supplements on him. He is on a premium puppy food (4.5 rated at DFA) so I’m not sure if he needs any supplements yet.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Chuck,
I have a brittany who is 5! I buy grinds from Hare Today, Reel Raw Dog and a new england meet up. I feed ones with bone & organ, tripe too for most. They’re complete. I add minimal supplements: salmon oil 3x weekly, eggs 3x weekly, Bug off Garlic & joint supps for my older dog. All you do is put the bowl on a scale, tare it, scoop it then feed. I do use some beef rib bones & necks as well for dental care.

[Pitlove]

Pamela gave you great info. I’ll add to it by saying that rotational diet means different things to different people. Some people rotate proteins within the same brand (like you were talking about), others switch not only the protein, but the brand like myself and Pamela do.

Switching within the same line, you don’t need to blend food. The only reason they SHOULD get GI upset is if they were intolerant to an ingredient in the food. Other than that they should be fine.

How I started my pitbull on a rotational diet was, I added Kefir (very popular milk type drink in the Jewish community that contains strains of healthy bacteria which allows dogs to digest different foods) to his food for the 7-10 day window where you would be tranistioning foods. I also added a digestive supplement from The Honest Kitchen called Perfect Form. I did this for a few switches, however now, I no longer have to do that. I can switch every meal to a new food (I don’t except for some samples of different foods here and there) without GI upset. Veterinary Nutritionists like Dr. Susan Wrynn are even recommending rotational feeding to make sure your dog is not nutritionally defeciant in anything on just one food.

My experience with rotational feeding has been fun and it’s made my dog interested in food again. I used to feed lots of different brands, however now, because of skin conditions he has I need to feed 1-2 foods to see if the food is making a difference or not. Thats just my situtation though. If your dog is completely healthy I think rotational feeding is excellent.

[theBCnut]

I get grinds from Hare Today. If I’m feeling lazy, I feed just the grind. If I’m doing my usual routine, I add fish oil, coconut oil, a supergreen supplement, and a little of a blanched fruit/vegetable puree that I make from colorful fruits and veggies.

[C4D]

Hi Kevin,
THROW THE GREENIES AWAY! They are loaded in wheat! If you must do a chew like that, pick one that has no grains and minimal potato. These are difficult to find. You might try something like a bully stick or venison ear. Here’s the ingredient list:

Wheat flour, wheat protein isolate, glycerin, gelatin, oat fiber, water, lecithin, natural poultry flavor, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, potassium iodide), choline chloride, dried apple pomace, fruit juice color, vitamins ( dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate [vitamin B5], niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], folic acid), turmeric color.

Link:
GREENIES Pet Products for Dogs

Many dogs react to grains of any type. My own dog did, even though they were the “good grains”. This alone helped for many years until she developed a specific allergy to only 1 protein.

Red, I realize that you are all about skeptvet. HOWEVER, I really am not happy with how he dismisses alternative treatments.

I treated an older demodex mange dog (confirmed by my vet) with feeding her echinacea in her food daily for 7 days and shampooing her every 10 days (3 times) with a natural mineral based shampoo that included neem oil. My vet was aware of what I wanted to try before using the “traditional methods”. It worked completely. I also changed her from a fish based diet, (which I confirmed was the cause of allergy through my own trials) to a limited ingredient diet. She was completely cured. She is now able to eat all but fish in her diet. The fish was the cause of all of the allergy issues which in turn triggered the demodex. I treated a dog with high liver enzymes (vet diagnosed) with milk thistle and sam-e. Within 6 months, I brought the ALT down from over 300 to under 65. I had another dog with a bacterial skin infection that my vet thought was environmental. I switched the protein and we have not had an issue since. I did experiment and found that in fact the specific protein was the cause. I truly believe there must be a melding of both western traditional methods with some alternative holistic methods. That’s my $.02 worth! I will forever choose a combination of the 2.

P.S. I don’t use topicals either. I pull any occaisonal ticks that are on my dogs and have never had fleas, but have found that many of the natural methods repel fleas and ticks do help. I wouldn’t treat my children with flea and tick topicals even though we have had ticks on them over the years of primitive camping. I’ve kept all various worms/parasites at bay (even with fosters that are infected) with Diatomaceous Earth. It’s worked for me.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by C4D.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by C4D.

[Anonymous]

Please check the search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/
Lots of information that you may find helpful, come back if you have more questions.

This is from one of the SkeptVet’s blogs, an excerpt from a response to a comment about allergies. Hope this helps.

“In general, diet trial involve picking a new primary protein source and strictly eliminating all others for 2-3 months before any change is likely to be seen. And there are many sources of allergies besides food proteins, so diet change may not dramatically improve symptoms, in which case other causes have to be investigated. I would strongly suggest working closely with your regular veterinarian or, if it is possible for you, with a board-certified veterinary dermatologist. Allergies require lifelong management tailored to the individual needs of the particular patient, and there is no simple or quick solution”.

NuVet Supplement=Same Old Snake Oil

Anther site: http://www.allergydogcentral.com/category/symptoms/

Integrating Myths and Nonsense with Standard Advice for Allergic Pets

excerpt is from above link (click for full blog and comments)
“There is no research to suggest that the saliva testing is useful for identifying food allergies. It is sold based on questionable theory and anecdotes, which have little evidentiary value. And as far as uncontrolled testing, at least one dermatologist has run the test in dogs with confirmed food allergies responsive to diet change, and the test results were highly inaccurate”.
Other blogs that you might find helpful: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/07/no-vet-for-my-pet-veterinary-nurses-can-sell-woo-too/

Canine Nutrigenomics by Dr. Jean Dodds: Science as Windowdressing

[Kevin R]

Hi all, I just wanted to reach out as I’m looking for a good food for my 9 year old Westie. She is a very allergic dog, but I’m not certain what all to. I believe its mostly environmental and dust, but maybe some foods. We had blood allergy tests done a few years back, but I’m not sure how accurate it was. In the past, she has been on steroids a few times and then ultimately Atopica. Also, I usually bathe her about once a week with Malaseb, but sometimes I may wait a little longer if she doesn’t appear to need a bath. Anyways, I’m trying to get her off of the Atopica completely if possible. Currently, her skin is somewhat “yeasty” and she may have a vaginal infection which I’m taking her to the vet for. Currently she is eating the Royal Canin prescription food “Venison and Potato.” I recently started giving her some supplements found in this Westie diet here – http://www.westierescueca.com/diet.htm, but I’m not certain if their ingredients would be aggravating any yeast issues she’s having. I had been giving her Greenies treats as well, but I’m looking to eliminate this as well if needed. I recently got some Orijen freeze dried duck treats since its just duck in the ingredients. I guess my question is what be a good food to try if I change her diet completely and should I look for a low glycemic food? Should I add any supplements? Thanks in advance for your help.

[crazy4cats]

I have never heard of this supplement before. Wow! It has a lot of ingredients. Maybe too many? If you are feeding a aafco approved food, your pup most likely doesn’t need all of the extra vitamins and minerals. I would stick to just a joint formula. Hopefully some others will chime in with some good ideas for you.

Does your pup have a torn ligament? What’s going on with the knee?

[Anonymous]

@Melisssa S.
This is from one of the SkeptVet’s blogs, an excerpt from a response to a comment about allergies, I think it encapsulates what I was trying to say. Hope this helps.

“In general, diet trial involve picking a new primary protein source and strictly eliminating all others for 2-3 months before any change is likely to be seen. And there are many sources of allergies besides food proteins, so diet change may not dramatically improve symptoms, in which case other causes have to be investigated. I would strongly suggest working closely with your regular veterinarian or, if it is possible for you, with a board-certified veterinary dermatologist. Allergies require lifelong management tailored to the individual needs of the particular patient, and there is no simple or quick solution”.

NuVet Supplement=Same Old Snake Oil

[Kimberly W]

Hi all,

I have a puppy-mill Boston Terrier female named Lexie. I got her at 1 year old and she was in bad shape – demodex mange being one of the issues. We got rid of the mange, but she itches almost constantly still ….. especially mid-back and butt. Her tail has a spot where she’s rubbed all the hair off and now it’s like a callous there. I’ve tried all different proteins (even ground raw venison!) and grain-free foods, allergic injections, prednisone ….. even trying an immuno-therapy serum for common Florida allergens. She’s currently on Apoquel at $2 per DAY ….. it does help, but she still itches. I liked the idea of the Dinovite supplement + the raw diet they promote and switched her over VERY slowly. My first box of Dinovite lasted over 60 days. Lexie has a very touchy tummy and I didn’t want her to get sick. She seemed to do okay with the supplement and the diet, but we noticed that only the Apoquel made her scratch less. And by no means did the scratching stop ….. :/

So, into the 2nd box of Dinovite, Lexie started spitting up after eating. This had happened all along, but just once in awhile – now she was doing it after almost every meal. And it wasn’t RIGHT AFTER she ate, it was hours afterwards. Like we were sleeping at 3am and she’d vomit in the bed with us. And it was always GREEN. Like she was just spitting up just the Dinovite. We weaned her back onto the white fish based kibble she’d been on (that we were sure didn’t make her sick) and just put the Dinovite in that – thinking we’d eliminate the chance that it was the raw food. She STILL would vomit only green stuff.

I’m at my wits end here. I hate thinking she’s miserable. We have really tried a ton of stuff, but I think something in the Dinovite is making her sick. I’m wondering if all the time she was on the raw diet, it was moving the toxins from the crappy food she was fed (before I got her) OUT of her body and then, the grain (sorghum) in the Dinovite finally made her sick????

I wish I could post a picture – she looks SO good – hair is all grown in from where the demodex had her bald, so glossy she shines in the sun ….. everyone comments on how beautiful she is ….. but she itches. Almost all the time. Doesn’t lick her paws and her skin doesn’t smell at all, her ears are pretty pink inside ….. no yeast that I can see manifesting itself on her body anywhere. When I scratch her back where you can obviously tell it itches the MOST, there is some dandruff that comes out. She has no fleas and I’ve washed her with DermaBenss shampoo – as suggested by my vet – for the flaking skin ….. but when that didn’t work, I used a soap-free emu oil shampoo that’s FOR DRY SKIN and that didn’t help either.

This is what a meal looks like for Lexie:

1/2 cup of white fish based kibble – NO GRAINS (no corn, wheat or soy)
3 pumps of Yummy Chummies salmon oil
baked sweet potato or canned pumpkin
2 capsules of food enzymes (opened and sprinkled on the food)
Drs. Foster and Smith adult vitamin
vitamin E capsule – 400IU
***Also, before bed, I’m giving Lexie 2 capsules of bifidophilus, to help repopulate the good bacteria in her intestines.***
***We only use one kind of treats – Yummy Chummies Grain Free treats made with 95% salmon + potato and pea flour.***

The food we are using scores a 3.5 star on the food advisory list and I’m willing to buy her a 5 star food, but am not sure that food is her only issue. Does anyone have ANY suggestions for me? I’d be very grateful for any ideas that I haven’t already explored. Another supplement? A different shampoo? Anything I haven’t thought of or don’t know how to look for? I’ve even wondered if the itching is just a HABIT and maybe she doesn’t know how to stop ….. :/

Thanks for any thoughts!!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Kimberly W.

[Melissa S]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the information. I’m going to see what I can do about the food situation. I’ll be getting special shampoo and ear stuff to bathe and clean her with. My other dog is just fine outside. She does seem to only have the skin problems in the summer.

Just to let you know, both of our dogs have plenty of shade, two houses (with heaters in the winter), two large kiddie pools that we refill every day, a mist system, water bowls, and we usually wet down the yard for them. There is grass, dirt, cement, or carpet (or they can lie down in their house). so they have plenty to choose from. It’s not my ideal environment, but our living situation will most likely change soon (this is my parents house and they’ll be renting it to us within the next few months). So, we’ll be able to bring the dogs into the house.

I didn’t know there were dermatologists for dogs. I wonder if I can just go see one instead of a vet? They might know more than a vet would maybe?

We feed both wet and dry food, so I’ll be switching to a better kibble and wet food for now (or just supplement the dry with a homemade recipe of wet). Once my partner and I are making better money, we can look into much better food options. This site is pretty overwhelming and I’m terrified of screwing anything up if I go and try to make my own food.

ps. How should I talk to my fiance? I tried talking to him yesterday about it and he has this thing – He respects his uncle and looks up to him a lot and Purina Dog Chow is the only thing his uncle has ever fed his dogs. His dogs never had any problems on the stuff (as far as I know) and neither has my fiance’s dog. But, I’ve always known it was low quality food. I guess since I buy the food, I’ll just buy what I want! lol. 🙂

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Melissa S.

[Anonymous]

Supplements, avoidance, and food are not medication or treatment.

A mild case is one thing…but to advise people not to seek professional help when an animal is clearly suffering is mind boggling to me.

PS: How does attacking someone’s comments help the OP?

[InkedMarie]

Senior dogs need higher protein, not low which is what most senior foods are. Orijen has a very good senior foods. I’d keep away from grains & potato for the arthritic one as they can be inflammatory. Add your own joint supplement. The amount in the food isn’t worth bothering with. Basically, any grain/potato/chicken grainfree food with protein over 28% at the minimum

[Anonymous]

Please check with a veterinarian before adding supplements, or over the counter medication intended for humans.
Remember, only a veterinarian that has examined your pet can make a diagnosis (animals).

[Wifsie G]

This is super helpful, Susan, thank you so much!
When we adopted our dog, she would not drink for the first few days so we got into the habit of giving her kibble in water and now I’m wondering if that my be causing the problem. I didn’t know water raised the acidity of dogs’ stomachs. I’ve ordered a new kibble. as well as 2 library books on cooking for your dog. I’m also trying an herb based supplement for sensitive stomachs.
I’m not a huge fan of canned food as they all have various gums added to them. I’m hoping for good results soon. Thanks again!

[Jenn D]

My dog has come up with a staph infection a few months after TPLO surgery. He had lameness and inflammation in his elbow which clued us in. We’ve tried to determine if it was indeed in his knee surgery site first, but lab lost his FNA. So next step for now is to get to the end of 3week/3x per day antibiotic treatment and then they will do X-rays again and maybe FNA of his knee again to see if we still have an issue. Might have to remove the TPLO plate and screw. Would love to avoid as we’re thousands into this already. I was wondering if there were any supplements I could give him to help support/enhance the antibiotic treatment? He is a 8.5 year old yellow lab, 80 pounds. Maybe probiotics? Human ones?
Also, suggestions on glucosamine and condroitin? We’ve had him on dasaquin msm. Just wondering if there is a good, cheaper alternative. Human stuff?

[Anonymous]

I like Wysong senior, or Nutrisca salmon and chickpea. I add a glucosamine supplement for dogs by GNC. But, I believe it’s not a good idea to add glucosamine if your dog is prone to bladder stones…so check with your vet first.

I soak the kibble in water overnight.

PS: I believe the Nutrisca salmon and chickpea has no chicken. Wysong has a variety of foods, some have no chicken. Check chewy.com for prices and delivery and compare.

[Anonymous]

I hope Nemo is feeling better. It could be anything, I recently took my 3 year old terrier to the vet because he vomited 3X in 24 hours. Lab work was normal, negative for pancreatitis. The vet said he had a GI virus, he responded to prn Cerenia (the Pepcid did nothing). He got some sq fluids too. Whatever it was, it passed.

In my experience, dogs are more vulnerable after the age of 10. It sounds like you are giving him very good care. Try not to worry, sometimes less is better. Anything you give him has to go through the liver to get broken down and might make him more nauseous, that includes supplements.

[Dixie W]

I have been reading a lot of good comments on Onijen dog food. My Boston Terrier has Cushing’s and I have been trying to find a food that will give him the protein he needs for his legs strength but low in carbs. He is a senior dog( 12 years) and not a puppy but you can check out Chewy.com and maybe get helpful info. I also got great information from the U of TN vet school on food and supplements. I have 3 other boston’s so they will never get any more “junk” dog food either! I’m making home cooked meals now and using supplements for the proper vitamins etc that they need. I grind up everything in the food processor to make it easier for him to chew. Good luck with you r new baby.

[Beverly O]

Has anyone used this for their pets? I well come any first hand information about this
supplement. I’m thinking of using it to help my 3yr old Cane Corso recover from a Cruciate
ligament issue.

Thanks in advance,
Pmcp

[Anonymous]

Hi Brianna-

So Sorry! I re-read your original post and I now realize that you were hoping someone would have good information on homemade raw diets, and not necessarily looking for suggestions about pancreatic issues. It is probably true that unless your dog also has SIBO or low B12 he may not need antibiotics or B12 supplementation, but it’s worth asking your vet as these things could be reducing his appetite.

When my dog was having major digestive issues (which turned out to be IBD) I came across an informative website: epi4dogs.com. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it.

Hopefully someone with more information on raw diets will respond. I do know that if not feeding bone, you must supplement calcium.

Again, so sorry for misunderstanding. Hope your vet gets back to you soon and your pup starts eating!

[DogFoodie]

The Glacier Peaks Sensitivity Assessment that Susan mentioned isn’t a traditional salvia test. It uses biofeedback energy from the DNA samples that you provide from both your dog’s saliva and hair.

I’ve done the test and was very surprised by my results. I believe my attempt at what I refer to as a modified elimination diet (only because it wasn’t a true and properly conducted elimination diet), weren’t reliable. Two friends who have conducted true elimination diets said their GP test results were spot on. And, as Susan mentioned, the test covers tons of foods and environmental triggers. I liked that it also have recommendations for supplementation.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jack- I’m sorry about your Mojo. IBD is no fun. What’s next? That depends on a lot of things, but with the right care there is hope for a good quality of life.

My boy was diagnosed with lymphoplasmacytic IBD of his small intestine and colon via endoscopy with biopsy almost a year and a half ago. He was only a year and a half old and his symptoms started when he was 4-5 months old.

One thing our internal medicine specialist stressed to us from the beginning is that IBD is a lifelong autoimmune disease and while it can be managed, it cannot (yet) be cured. Even if you get Mojo into remission, he may continue to be very sensitive and flares may happen. So be prepared for a few ups and downs.

At this point, I would do as your specialist recommends with regard to diet and supplements. The use of probiotics in this disease is common and can be beneficial, but again, ask your specialist for a recommendation. The best diet is the diet on which your dog has the fewest symptoms, maintains good body condition and energy, and needs the least amount of medication. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the right combination of everything. It takes patience and time and everyone in your dog’s life needs to strictly follow the plan.

With regard to Mojo’s weight, some dogs can take a month or more to regain after starting prednisone.

There is a yahoo group called ibdogs which is especially for people with dogs with confirmed IBD. There are a lot of caring people with lots of experience in the group and its worth a look if only to get a real sense of what this disease entails. You have to apply for membership by completing a short questionnaire.

Take care and good luck.

[Madelon H]

Susan – thank you soooooo much! This is all so overwhelming and confusing. I don’t mind the EPI but I’m sick of the darn SIBO! SO – when Doc was on RC GSD Puppy his ears always had black gunk in them but it didn’t seem to bother him so I left them alone – I didn’t write down when it all started BUT I know he wasn’t itchy in the gastro – I really noticed the itchy when on TOTW Pacific Stream – his ears were so bad he woke me up scratching and they were bleeding – so I started cleaning them at first with malicidic acid from the vet and then I switched to vinegar and water solution – I also noticed him licking the bottom of paws – thought it was an allergy so I switched him to TOTW Sierra Mountain (lamb only) – his ears have remained good no paw licking but now he’s itchy all over his body – problem is he’s had tapeworms for a while so I don’t if it’s the worms (haven’t found much about them causing itching), if it’s shedding his old coat (I’ve heard this can happen as he’s now absorbing nutrients), if it’s an allergy or if it’s from increasing enzymes – uggggghhhhhh. Doc is on his SECOND round of Droncit for the tapeworms the first two doses didn’t get rid of them all – he gets his last dose for this round Friday – I’m calling the vet today because I’m concerned about how entrenched these things are – I haven’t been able to find anything about having to be on Droncit so long. Thanks for the info on the foods to stay away from. I did more researching yesterday and am wondering if I need to be giving supplements to help his gut – do you give supplements? What food are you feeding Patch? I was staying away from rice because of the whole grain thing but then read yesterday white rice is easily digestible. You mentioned the soluble/insoluble fiber percent – what should that percentage be? OMG I cannot thank you enough for your help.

[Nate D]

Red that is not true.
Yes ph levels do fluctuate especially after dogs eat which is normal.
That is why one needs to check the first catch of the day or at least 5/6 hours after the dog has had any meal or treats and has gone to the bathroom a few times.
When a dog eats the food naturally rises urine ph levels.
I recently switched vets and the vet has a nutritionist phd. Won’t even sell the prescription foods unless absolutely necessary.
It does not take 3-4 months. You can most certainly see a a difference in ph in just a day of being 100% on a new food. I sure did.
Now if you’re giving supplements on top of it then urine needs to be checked on a regular basis just to make sure things are not going in the wrong direction. Waiting 3-4 months is to long. 3-4 months is good for checking for actual crystals if a dog comes back negative. ph checking should start right away and if a dog is prone to crystals it should never stop. I check mine weekly as long as the levels are staying steady.
So the key is to check the first catch of the day prior to feeding which will be accurate.

For those looking for ph strips amazon is the best place to get them as they are affordable for a lot of them.
Wysong also sells them.

[pugmomsandy]

I like to give probiotics and a green superfood supplement.

[Jack B]

OK, so our terrier mix (Mojo) was diagnosed with IBD (the most common type) a couple of weeks ago, after getting the endoscope. Dr. put him on Prednisone 2X a say first week and almost immediately his poop got better…firm stools, no more blood or loose stools and now he just poops a normal amount of times per day. On week 2, he told us to move down to just one Prednisone per day. And we are nearing the end of week 2.

He is still VERY thin….how long does it take to put weight back on and should i increase his food intake or supplement it with something to help him gain weight?

What will happen next? Will he have to stay on Prednisone for a while? Thanks in advance.

[olive1015]

thank you…thank you for the great feedback. I know the Purina One isn’t so great but my neighbor gave me some when I 1st got Olive and I tried to get her to just go for the Nutrisca but she wouldn’t. Then I couldn’t find the Nutrisca at Petsmart or grocery. There’s been a recall this summer..just discovered. Have so much of both I just decided to supplement with chicken, beef and veggies on the side 🙂
Blue Buffalo was too rich and heard little doggies have sensitive tummies …so..
She loves raw carrots…so I give her as treats vs biscuits all the time. Will try the recommended shampoo…and give her bananas & blue berries. She’s a wonderful doggie. She’s now spayed and chipped and warming upto my cat. I love her so! Terriers are so entertaining I can forgive the wild temperament. I had a big lab ..chow mix that was magnificent and silky years ago but lost her to old age and Olive has filled the void. I’m childless …so she’ll be spoiled rotten like the cat when I get educated on her breed.

[sharon b]

HDM, I realize all these post’s are old, so not sure if you are still posting here. I just started feeding my two dogs raw. I like your meal plan, however wondering why so many supplements? Do your dogs suffer from any health issues? I have a Newf puppy 7 months and an 8 y/o husky and only adding coconut oil, salmon oil, and right now some Pumpkin as he is a bit constipated at the start as I am awaiting getting more meat alone from next order. he is getting a ground mix that is a 80/10/10 mix, so should be complete, yet even with a lot of water added he needs the pumpkin and stools are now good.

[aquariangt]

I use a supplement for my itchy girl from I and Love and You called My Skin’s Itchy. It works really well for the spring/summer when she gets some environmental irritation

[Eileen S]

I religiously read ingredient lists on pet foods and treats. I’ve tried keeping up with home cooking, but really, supplementation is all I’m good for. My most recent ingredient debacle is finding stuff WITHOUT Rosemary! No oil or herbal inclusion as it can set off more seizures in a dog already suffering from seizures! More pet products are going to Rosemary as a preservative. They were using Vitamin E & Tocopherols & I’m not all that thrilled with canola oils as the fat content. But I do digress. It is hard on my vision to squint the print at the stores & see all the ingredients. Sometimes I still miss things, come home in better light only to find the suspect ingredients after buying a product I cannot use. On line, the frequency of not listing ALL ingredients is rampant. Then there is the problem of finding the parent company and the actual manufacturing location of the parent company for the products. Take for instance the Whimzees or Whimz people, Paragon Products. My dogs love the chewies. But every listing of their products has them made in Holland. They are then distributed from Wilmington, DE, the UK, Holland, or other places. Distribution: what exactly does that mean? The ingredients listed on my box look fine, none of the additives I have to currently watch for. Who is Paragon Pet Products? I stopped feeding grains when wheat was the big issue in that decision when China added melamine to make wheat cheaper by the ton. And oh by the way, kill off animals (dogs primarily) and their own people, who ate products with that in it. Then what did we do with the tainted dog food? Rumor has it we gave it to our cattle! One, cattle don’t need meat by products. Two, that puts the melamine into our food chain, doesn’t it? I could really use a filter that would work on with a search engine on food ingredients. I may be wishing for the impossible. Because, as I have experienced, same company has a range of treats for example. Depending on the flavor or consistency (hard versus soft) any will have rosemary as a preservative and several will not , as least not have it listed. So what is a pet parent to do?

[Carter S]

Thanks for taking the time to reply and for sharing your thoughts!

Bamm-Bamm is 7 and has been on and off of Orijen a few times. It was the first food I fed him but when his stools failed to solidify (the best it got was something between diarrhea and soft serve ice cream), I switched him to a brand that I’m having difficulty remembering but it was much like Acana. Unfortunately, after a few years, it was bought out by one of the large companies (Hills or such) and some change occurred that I’m just vaguely remembering. I then had him on Acana for a couple years.

In the beginning he liked it. Then he’d eat it for 2 weeks and then start skipping meals. Then I’d change meats and he’d eat that for a week or two before sticking up his nose, until finally I switched him to NOW. It’s been great because the kibbles are big, the profile looks good and he loves it. Unfortunately, it is tied directly to the degree of build up in his ears.

I’ve tried a few others here and there over the last couple years but they’ve been worse insofar as the ear build up or GI distress to the point of liquid stools and constant audible stomach gaseousness prior to severe and ongoing flatulence.

As of right now, I’m thinking of going back to Acana and supplementing it with a raw frozen or freeze dried or canned equivalent for taste but will look into options you suggested.

Thanks again!

CS

[Kona]

Hi all. I have been transitioning my dog (11 years old) to raw food over the past month. I have been feeding raw for breakfast and kibble at dinner, mainly because of the costs. However, she’s doing so well on the raw I’ve decided to suck it up and go completely raw (if it means I have to eat out less then that’s what I have to do). I have her on AllProvide turkey and beef. I have a couple questions and was hoping some of the more experienced raw feeders could help:

1) AllProvide packages in 16oz pouches. According to her “ideal” weight (she’s 75 lbs now but I’d like to see her down to 68-70 lbs) the food chart says she should have 22 oz per day. I’d like to keep her on one pouch per day. Any ideas on how I can supplement the additional 6 oz? I feed raw goat’s milk so there are some calories there. She also gets a few “treats” – cucumbers, sweet potato biscuits, but maybe only 100-150 calories. I bought some grass-fed beef organs – liver, kidney, heart. Should I add some of this to her food (AllProvide already includes these though in the food so I wasn’t sure if that would be too much)? Anything else I can add to reach her 22 oz?

2) She seems to digest it too quickly, which on one hand is good since i know she’s digesting it better than kibble but the problem is by late afternoon she will throw up a little bile (ever since she was a puppy this happens whenever her stomach is empty for too long). I’ve been having to put a little kibble in her kong when i leave for work to prevent this. I’d hate to keep adding kibble to her diet since I’ll be going completely raw. Anything I can add or suggestions?

Thanks!

[bigthree]

Usually with big dogs especially when they are going to get real big it maybe best to get a large breed formula because they tend to have better supplements in them for the bigger breeds. But you might want to check with your vet. Mine I have on Buffalo Blue Large breed formula (chicken and brown rice formula). As far as giving him something else I wish I could, he has a lot of allergies and this is the only food that doesn’t make him sick.