[Pitlove]

Chris- I completely understand the budget thing. I feed canned food as well as dry to supplement the lack of moisture in the dry food and I have to go as cheap as I can with the canned without stooping down to Pedigree etc. So I use some 4 and 5 star canned foods from Tractor Supply and Walmart.

Natural Balance is a big seller at my store as well. Personally I dont like the food and I dont like the company now that it was sold to Del Monte. They dont have the greatest track record and I personally feel their food is way to high in carbs and they over use white potato as a main ingredient leaving their protein far too low for my taste.

Being that I feed canned as well I only need a 5 or 6 lb bag of dry food as he only gets 1/2 cup of dry with his can of wet, so even though for some of the Orijen I’ve paid 26$ for it, it didnt really bother me. But i understand that buying their largest bag usually at over 100$ is not something most people can do.

I used to buy Nature’s Variety as well. I really liked the brand but back when I bought large bags I only bought NV because we were getting 40% for the whole year as employees lol!

[LexiDog]

Check out Dr. Beckers video on yeasty dogs…it talks about diet, supplements and disinfecting the yeasty parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gl_X1I1GJ1Q

[Pitlove]

My dog also once had a sensitive stomach and couldnt handle change in food. I give him a digestive health supplement made by The Honest Kitchen in the morning and a probiotic (kefir, you can use yogurt as well) with his dinner. I do it for the cat too. Now he’s able to eat a different food every bag without blending his food and no upset stomach.

Btw, I have an American Staffordshire Terrier. Not exactly the same as a Bull Terrier, but sometimes still considered similar.

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

[c-monkey]

Hi Heather, my Buddy has Osteosarcoma (not Mast Cell). We just found out that the cancer spread to his lungs. He’s on a second round of “chemo”, and believe it or not, he’s feeling better than he was before starting the chemo (chemotherapy is very different for dogs, they seem to tolerate it far better than we do). I feed him FreshPet grain-free slice and serve on top of good dry food which I vary from month to month. I don’t worry as much about the treats (I did at first, but grain-free treats start to get expensive, and many of them he wouldn’t eat).
I strongly recommend a curcumin supplement. I use Curcuvet, found on Amazon. Buddy was given 1-3 months to live last October after his amputation surgery, and he’s still happy, jumping around and enjoying life today. I also give him “k-9 Immunity plus” treats, about 6 per day (he’s approx. 71lbs after the surgery).
I understand about being “in his face” too much, LOL! I am forever fretting if Buddy behaves in any way different than usual. Just don’t forget to relax and enjoy your time with him too (that’s what everyone tells me too, sometimes we forget when we are all bunched up with worry).

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Anonymous]

I have never used that product. I have used Wysong dry foods, and have noted no adverse effects. I use potassium citrate tabs, as I have mentioned before.
So far, so good.
A lot of these items are acidic (leading to nausea, stomach upset) to lower the urine PH.
Maybe lower the dose? Some dogs tolerate these supplements better than others.
I would put in a call to the vet, have him call you back when he has a minute. Don’t bother discussing the matter with the vet tech (just my opinion).

[DogFoodie]

Hi Chris,

I’ve used, for myself and my dogs, Thorne Research and Standard Process supplements. My vets, both of whom are integrative, recommend their products as well.

Thorne Research: https://shop.thorne.com/products/veterinary/all-veterinary-products
Standard Process: http://www.standardprocess.com/Veterinary-Formulas

[Sean]

Hi Chris, this site (https://labdoor.com/rankings/fish-oil) is pretty useful. They analyze supplements for accuracy and rank them.

[Pitlove]

I just wanted to point out how similar the ingredients in these 2 Science Diet formulas are. One is the prescription your dog is on and one is a food you can find at any pet store without a prescription

http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-canine-id-canine-gastrointestinal-health-dry.html

vs

http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-adult-sensitive-stomach-and-skin-dry.html

both meant for “sensitive stomachs”

None of the ingredients that are in your dogs food need a prescription at all, but you are paying the premium price for a prescription food only meant to aid in disgestive health..

Point being, there are many budget friendly ways to help your dogs tummy. Amy A made a great point about adding the supplement/pre and probiotics. Your dogs stomach is sick which is why she has digestive upset. Putting healthy bacteria back into her gut will allow her stomach to become healthy and be on any food she wants without the runs.

You can defintely start with something LID to ease her off the prescription diet. I would really consider adding the some type of probiotic like kefir or plain yogurt and a supplement because when you take a dog from a food like Science Diet to a higher quality food that has biologically appropriate ingredients (not corn and brewers rice) they need all the help they can get adjusting to the better quality food.

Nature’s Variety makes a really good LID food. Natural Balance while I dont like the food does as well. LID diets tend to be a little lower in protein and other things as well which is what Susan mentioned about keeping the levels similar as to not shock the system. If your dog has been on the same food for the better part of her life that is also contributing to the sensitive stomach.

This video from holistic vet Dr. Karen Becker might also help you too

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

[LexiDog]

When you do get her switched over, try adding a digestive enzyme/probiotic/prebiotic supplement to help aide digestion.

I use Herbsmith Micro Flora Plus.

[Sean]

Hi, I was just curious if anyone has used this and has any feedback? I’m mainly looking to add it to my boston terrier’s breakfast. We usually use wet food as a topper but this seems like an interesting alternative.

Here are the ingredients:
Bison Liver, organic beef liver, beef liver, organic beef heart, beef heart, cold milled chia seed, dried organic spinach, dried organic pumpkin, dried organic carrot, ascorbic acid (natural preservative and source of Vitamin C)

Analysis:
Crude protein (min): 50%; Crude Fat (min): 18%; Crude Fiber (max): 3%; Moisture (max): 10%; Carbohydrate (max): 15%; Perfectly Balanced fatty acid profile: Omega 3: 2.7% Omega 6: 2.7% DHA + EPA (min): .10%

[Anonymous]

Contact dermatitis is atopic dermatitis (described in the article above).
I got incorrect information from the regular vet, I know you want to minimize the symptoms and find a solution, food, medication, shampoos, supplements, dehumidifier, air purifier…..

That’s what I did too, if you read my posts, you’ll see that nothing worked until my dog saw the specialist and started allergy specific immunotherapy.
Most allergens are airborne, impossible to avoid.

Now she can roll around in the grass! Eat a variety of things, in fact she has cooked chicken several times a week.

It’s so frustrating to watch people go through this with their pets. They don’t want to spend the money to go to a specialist and yet they end up spending much more than that going back and forth to the regular vet and buying all kinds of things that don’t work.

Not to mention all the discomfort the dog goes through.

PS: The supplements and diet and frequent baths have their place, in fact I still bath my dog once a week with Malaseb or a GNC antifungal shampoo for dogs. But they are not strong enough (alone) the stop the symptoms.

Some good info here http://www.allergydogcentral.com/

Also, allergies get worse with age, not better. My dog is so much more relaxed now, it’s like a different personality. They can become snappy and neurotic with all that pruritus.

The symptoms you describe sound worse than what my dog had, and she was suffering.

[Pitlove]

I cant really diagnois what the issue would be, however i think making a change to his food is a really good start. You’re paying a premium price (50$ at Petco for the largest bag of the Large Breed Light) for corn, rice and by-products. I certainly think you could find a better food for that price or perhaps a little more that has better ingredients.

Not sure what your bugdet is so it would be hard to recommend a food for you.

/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-dry/

The Large Breed Light falls under this rating.

A lot of people believe that their dog has a “sensitive stomach”. What a sensitive stomach actually is, is a lack of healthy bacteria in the gut which allow the dog to change brands and proteins frequently without digestive upset. Just like a human a dog should be able to eat any type of dog food (unless they have a known allergy to a certain protein or carb etc) and not have digestive upset at all.
The stomach becoming unable to adjust to diet change, is due to eating the same food for many years or even months.
My dog used to be the same way. If i did have to change his food and did it too fast, he would get diaherra for a few days. Since adding digestive supplements to his diet and a probiotic (i use kefir, you can use plain yogurt too) I have been able to switch what brand he eats every bag without blending his food and he has no diaherra at all. Quite a few people on this site are actually able to do that with their dogs too.

Just because you see no reason to change the dogs food, it doesnt mean your dog wouldnt enjoy variety in his diet. I highly doubt you would be happy eating chicken and rice for every meal of every day for the rest of your life. Your dog isnt happy doing that either.

Companies will tell you not to change your dogs diet. However its not because its in the best interest of your dogs health, its because they will keep you spending your money with their company. My dog eats a different brand every bag of kibble and a different canned food as well each meal. If i could afford to buy X amount of bags of kibble and change that every day I would do that too.

L M gave you some good advice about determining what the root cause of the itching and hair loss etc is, but diet is the foundation of good health, so starting there never hurts!

GL, keep us updated!

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

[Anonymous]

They don’t give a price? I saw it at http://www.entirelypets.com/ansalmonoiljoint16oz.html
but it’s been discontinued by the manufacturer, no explanation.
Plus, it doesn’t look like there is very much glucosamine in it…compared to the supplements I use.

I like GNC supplements, they also have some dog items I use.

[Stefanie K]

My dog is a 10.5 year old male chihuahua-mix, about 12lbs.

I’m considering adding a supplement to his diet. Our vet briefly mentioned we could add glucosamine to his diet, but I didn’t follow up on it.

Let me tell you more about my dog: I adopted him and his brother when he was 3. He was pretty fat, but over the years he’s gotten nice and trim. He was very active, we a lot walk every day (but not in winter!), and up until last summer he would come jogging and hiking with me. He always ate kibble, but usually the better quality “holistic”/”grain-free” kind. He was eating Acana the past couple of years. And then, just as I had switched to a “senior” formula, we found a bladder stone 🙁 Since his surgery a few months ago, he’s been on a vet prescription diet (Urinary S/O).

Though he’s made a great recovery, a couple weeks ago he injured his paw, and while the vet did not find anything serious, he suggested adding glucosamine to his diet. I’m scared of taking him hiking until I can be sure he’s not in any pain.

Issue number 2 is the shedding. This dog takes shedding to a whole new level. Its not caused by any health problems according to the vet, he just sheds. I’m wondering if omega-3 might help?

So- I’m looking for any recommendations for a supplement that might combine glucosamine and “joint-stuff” with omega-3 “fur-stuff”. And of course, it has to not interfere with his prescription diet which he needs to continue, so no food changes, just an additive. Does such a thing exist? Or will it have to be two separate products? Or maybe a product that has a lot of good things including glucosamine and omega-3?

[JeffreyT]

Check out Dr. Karen Becker’s articles on yeast. I do her povidine foot soak for itchy paws and it’s helped.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

The fresh and frozen raw are probably the healthiest and most cost effective but the bulk of my pups’ diet is a variety of freeze dried raw, with water added to rehydrate. They are Stella and Chewys, Primal, Orijen, and Stewarts Bison. Their favorites are Trudog, Only Natural Niblets and Vital Essentials…I soak these overnight.

For a quick meal I give the air dried raw from Real Meat Food Co or Ziwi Peak and rotate between brands and proteins.

Be prepared for a cleansing reaction, like loose stools, which could happen as you go to better foods. You may want to consider adding digestive enzymes and probioitics to help with potential digestive issues when changing…I use in most meals, it also supports the immune system and overall health.

Also consider having Perfect Form on hand from Honest Kitchen or canned pumpkin, and give during transition for stomach issues. But first check to see if it’s ok to give to yeasty dog, not sure.

Fish oil can help itchy skin and also good for heart, joints, brain, etc. Good brands for these supplements include Mercola Krill, Animal Essentials, Dr. Peter Tobias, Wholistic Pet Organics and Natures Farmacy.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

“This is so confusing….the more research I do, the less I know what to feed my itchy baby”.

IMO, you are over thinking it. Just find a limited ingredient food that agrees with her, keep it simple. And make an appointment with a dermatologist….that is what I would do.

Food and supplements are not cures, chronic conditions need the expertise of a specialist.
Especially a senior dog (over 7 years old).

[jakes mom]

Well, somebody ate the raw I put out for their dinner. Don’t know who or how many. I put a spoonful on each plate along with their usual canned. They all looked at it and sniffed, then looked at me very suspicious! lol! I didn’t see anybody even take a nibble. I left them alone and went to look again later on. The raw was gone!
I agree with their logic, too. But as I told them in my email, I don’t want to pay for something they won’t eat. Don’t mind giving something from the sample pack to Jake if the cats don’t like it but certainly won’t waste money buying it again. We can always supplement the raw with occasional cans for variety if necessary.
BTW in case you didn’t notice, the site has tips for transitioning to raw. Pretty much common sense, but worth a read so you’ll be ready to go when you get your samples.

[Carrie K]

Thank you to everyone, again, for your advice! After thinking about how much pain she must be in and the size of the stones, I ended up calling another vet a couple hours’ drive from here for a second opinion. I explained the situation with the size of the stones and the vet’s recommendations (rx foods for life, dissolve with rx food, etc), and the new place was surprised at that. They thought she should come in for surgery instead, and they echoed my fears that trying to dissolve stones that big could cause a blockage if/when they tried to pass. I preferred the surgery route because it could take two months for them to dissolve, which is two more months of my girl being in pain. No thanks. My other thought was monetary – it would cost around $400 for the rx food for the time it would supposedly take to dissolve the stones, and there wasn’t a guarantee that they still wouldn’t have to do surgery. I’d rather just get it taken care of quickly and pay for the surgery.

In the meantime, at the recommendation of the new vet, we’re adding yogurt to one meal a day and feeding the Hills rx as a topper/supplement to the Orijen kibble for the other two meals a day until the surgery next week. And of course keeping her water topped up as we always do, and letting her out every half hour or so. Apparently they send the stones away to a lab for analysis to determine if she does in fact need to be on a special diet the rest of her life, or if the stones were just caused by an infection.

It was really interesting to hear another vet’s interpretation of the situation, and I felt like they were more open to a discussion about our options. And it was nice to hear that I wasn’t the only surprised by my current vet’s blanket “rest of her life” statements without knowing exactly what we were dealing with.

[jakes mom]

I don’t know that you HAVE to send the cooler back. They give you a return label and a spiel about helping them be environmentally responsible. You can also leave it for the UPS guy to take next time he delivers.
Have you tried giving her some ground meat from the grocery store? Just to see what she thinks about the idea, the texture? My guys like it plain, but I tried one of the supplement mixes and nobody would eat it. However, the mix smelled kind of like dry soup mix, so maybe it was too strong a flavor for the cats. Just remember if you decide to try some ground meat from the store, pork needs to be frozen for at least a couple of weeks to kill any parasites. Beef or poultry you can feed right away.

[Carrie K]

I wrote before about an issue with my shepherd mix having with frequent UTIs, and I just brought her back to the vet after seeing yet more blood in her urine. They did an x-ray and found that she has four large stones in her bladder, and the vet said she had to have a prescription food (Hills, of course, which I’ve always blasted against) to dissolve them. If it will help her get better and not be in pain anymore, I suppose I’d be willing to feed it for a VERY short time. However, the vet also mentioned that she’d “have to be on a prescription diet for the rest of her life,” which I can only take to mean that they’re hoping to continue selling this crap to us for the foreseeable future.

My question is this: is there a resource where I can get a second opinion on this sort of thing (all vets in my area carry Hills, and I have a suspicion they’d all give us the same answer)? I read the ingredients/feeding instructions, and from what I can see, this food is going to starve her of everything she needs to thrive. The first four ingredients are water, corn starch, egg product, and chicken fat, for goodness sake! It also has an AAFCO statement that it’s only intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding. So what now??

[MaggiesDad]

Give the guys at Allprovide (www.allprovide.com) a call (678-585-1606) – they had a dog with horrendous skin/yeast issues and switching to a raw diet saved her life. They’re always happy to talk about canine health issues and advise about diet and possible causes of problems. Their food has supplements in it such as coconut oil, salmon oil, turmeric etc all of which are good for coat and skin issues.

[DogFoodie]

Have you ever tried a limited ingredient food, Karen? I’m not a fan of Blue Buffalo at all and guaranteed, your girl is eating chicken if she’s eating Blue Buffalo products. But, keep in mind, food sensitivities like your girl has can be the result of exposure to problem ingredients far beyond chicken and grains. For example, one of mine can’t have fish (including fish oil), flax, chickpeas, lentil, tomato, garlic, barley or millet. Right now, he’s eating Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Duck. He’s doing well, but has recently developed what appear to be seasonal allergies – which yours could be as well. I’m using some supplements (Quercetin with Bromelain and Papain), but something as simple as a foot rinse each time he comes back in from outside helps eliminate the pollen that he tracks into the house.

How old is your pup and how long has she been having sensitivities? How long has she been eating the food she’s eating currently.

Even if the vet thinks it’s not the food, it’s worth a try and easy enough to change.

[InkedMarie]

Karen,
What are you feeding your dog? What treats & supplements does she get?

[DogFoodie]

If you don’t remove the offending ingredients, regardless of what supplements you add to your dog’s diet, the reaction isn’t going to stop. Also, keep in mind that sensitivities can also be environmental.

[Karen K]

My shih-tzu constantly licks her paws and she has frequently recurring yeast infections in her ears. I was so excited to try Dinovite, but after three months of daily use, as well as using the omega oil supplement Lick-o-Chops, she is still licking and still getting the infections. It is absolutely not worth the money in my opinion. They have done a great job at marketing, but it has made no difference whatsoever. Save you money.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kirsten-
Sorry about the troubles with your pup. I also have experienced a blockage due to struvite crystals with one of my cats. It was terrifying and expensive! They gave him only a 50% chance of surviving due to bladder damage. I have probably read 50 to 60 articles regarding this issue since. The most important thing is like the others have said, add as much moisture as possible. I read on another thread where you said your dog wouldn’t eat the Hill’s C/D canned. Right after my cats blockage, I fed him a variety of Rx canned that included, Hills Iams, Purina and Royal Canin. Your doc will need to give you a prescription for these, if you want to give them a try. Pet Smart carries a lot of Rx food as well as chewy.com. He also got a little Royal Canin S/O kibble. I have gradually transitioned off the Rx canned over a 6 month period to just regular canned food, but still feed the prescription kibble. He gets about 75% canned food now and forever! I also read that frequent small meals help to keep their pH level more balanced. So, I now feed three times per day instead of two. He also is now on an anti-anxiety meds and is wearing a calming collar to help keep his stress level down.
Sometimes these flare ups can be brought on from stress due to changes in routine, new family members, etc. . We made too many changes in our household too quickly for him to handle. It’s been about 7 months and he’s doing much better so far.
So, in my opinion, try out the other prescription canned foods until you get the crystals under control and then transition to as much regular canned, fresh or dehydrated food as possible. Regular bathroom breaks, smaller meals more frequently and keep the stress levels down. There are also supplements that help with Ph level as LM mentioned. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by crazy4cats.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cathy-
Glad things are getting back to normal as possible. A pure white, deaf and blind dachshund, huh? I didn’t know they came in white! Lol! Hasn’t your vet given you any advice on supplements to use for the liver? Check out dogaware.com, dogsnaturallymagazine, and Dr. Karen Becker’s Mercola articles. Maybe they have some helpful recommendations. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Ask your vet if Wysong (urinary prescription) is an option. http://www.wysong.net/veterinarian//rx-diets/urinary.html
In the meantime, frequent bathroom breaks are a good idea, the more she urinates (normal amounts) the better.

Add H20 to her food , keep the bladder flushed.
Also ask your vet about potassium citrate supplements.

/forums/topic/recipe-for-royal-canine-so/
/forums/topic/amonium-urate/ /forums/topic/struvite-crystals/

This subject comes up frequently.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cathy-
I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been. I do not know anything about liver disease, but thought I’d reply to your post to help get it noticed by someone who does.
I do know that Pedigree is not a great choice of kibble to feed when you do not have time to feed the raw. Have you checked out the 3 to 5 star rated kibble on the review site? I can help you with some more budget friendly if you are interested, that may not even cost much more than the Pedigree.
Are the raw meals you are feeding properly balanced? Are you giving any type of vitamin supplements with them?
I’m hoping somebody can chime in and help you with the liver disease as well. Good luck to you and your furry friends!

[MaggiesDad]

Hi, why not give the guys at http://www.allprovide.com a call – 678-585-1606 – they do a range of raw meals in convenient 1lb pouches, and even have a feeding guide/cost calculator on their website if you’re stuck working out how much to feed. With four dogs, they also offer a number of different discount options which you may find makes the food even more affordable (it includes natural supplements such as coconut oil etc so you don’t have to add anything to the foods, which makes serving very easy and convenient.) They deliver for free to most of the USA and do a Starter Box too if you just want to try a small amount to see how your dogs take to it.

[Pitlove]

Linda- Rotties! i love them. we also have a Rottweiler along with our Pitbull a chocolate lab and an English springer spaniel. Sam, our Rottweiler (technically he is my boyfriends parents dog, so I dont get to control what he eats unfortunetly but i still think of him as my dog since I give him the most attention as hes the outside dog) is 2 probably almost 3 years old now. The bf’s parents have had all the dogs on Purina ONE lamb and rice since forever. The family dog has always been Rottweilers and unfortunely all but maybe one passed away at around 8 years old. Cancer, e-coli poisoning, you name it its happened to our Rottweilers. If it were up to me and I got to choose his food I would feed him the way I feed my Pitbull who is also prone to the problems that large breed dogs have as he is 66lbs at a year old. I do what is called a rotational diet with my dog. I certainly have him on Orijen’s Adult Dog and after that bag is through i’ve got EVO lined up next for him to try. I also feed him wet food. Now that your Rottie is far past the point where you have to worry about the calcium levels not being too high or too low to prevent rapid growth thus causing many different skeletal related disorders, you can kinda give him a nice variety of foods. If you are on a budget as someone who is retired and need to stick with kibbles, definitely go for the 5 star rated ones. I know a lot of people on here have issues with Taste of the Wild. I BELIEVE its manufacture by Diamond which has a long recall history and a terrible reputation. You want to make sure that the kibble is as species appropriate as you can get if you, like myself, can’t feed a raw diet, which would be the healthiest way for any dog to eat. Species appropriate for ANY dog of any breed being high in animal protein, at least 30% or more, moderate in fats, and low in carbs. Foods that I like and have and will use in my rotation for my pitbull are Orijen (all of them), Wellness CORE, Nature’s Variety, Merrick (GF only), EVO, Grandma Mae’s GF. I’m still working on my list but that is what I have so far.

As for raw, if it is something you are interested in, PLEASE make sure you do A LOT of research before feeding raw because it is possible to make your dog very unhealthy by not feeding a COMPLETE and BALANCED raw diet.

Also to help with the transitions to the food, you can add probiotics to their diet, like canned pumpkin and kefir. I also use a supplement thats premade in a power form made by a very great company called The Honest Kitchen. They use human grade ingredients and make their food in a human grade factory. Its called Perfect Form. Probiotics help build healthy flora(bacteria) in your dogs gut to make transitioning to a new food pain free for you and your dog. Just like with humans dogs should be able to eat a different food or protein every meal if not every couple months without digestive upset. Dogs whos stomachs are already sick and lacking those bacteria that make their gut strong due to being fed the same food day in and day out are the ones who get loose stool and vomitting when you switch their food. Instantly the owner blames the food and switches them back and never switches the food again under the claim that their dog has whats commonly called a “sensitive stomach”.

The joint supplements are a great idea. Glucosamine is a great supplement for joint and hip problems. Cancer, I feel, and I think others do too can have a lot to do with a poor diet. A lot of poor grade dogs foods do contain ingredients that are carcinogenic even for humans and without variety in their diet they are being fed those toxins for years and eventually is catches up with them. The rotational diet helps prevent that and the build up of allergies as well. If your Rottie is already allergic to a protein source like chicken, you are going to want to be very careful with the food you choose as many have chicken meal or chicken fat hidden in the list of ingredients. Its all about reading ingredients but more importantly HOW to read the ingredients and the GA, which is why this website is so helpful. But like many here including Dr. Mike will tell you, its a jumping off point. Once you find a good food, you want to look further into the company that makes it, the co-packers, the recall history etc and make sure that you’re not being fooled into thinking its a good food based on the ingredients. Also knowing where the company sources from is important, what with all the problems we have been having with China lately. Avoid China. Thailand on the other hand is ok.

I really hope that I’ve helped a little and that others will contribute or correct me if I’m wrong about any of my points. I love Rotties so I’m glad to be able to give you some direction with his health!

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

[Catherine M]

Hi everyone!
I have an 8 year old long-haired mini-doxie named Sweet-Pea. She was recently diagnosed with fatty liver disease when tested at a visit for glaucoma. I am feeding raw meats (various kinds) mixed with rice and sweet potato. She had been off of the raw diet for several months, eating dry pedigree food since I had lost my husband and just taking care of things was overwhelming to me. But I went back to the raw after he diagnosis, and also am giving supplement of milk thistle for her liver. She has voracious hunger and thirst, and pees an ocean, sometimes not making it outside. I know this water drinking and peeing are related to the liver disease.

So what do you recommend to feed her? Red meat is not the best for her, although I feed other meats when I can, and doing the raw diet seems to be too much work for my 4 dogs, including her. I’m looking for something easy to digest, easy on the liver (low ammonia-producing), and easy on the budget and to feed.

Thanks for any suggestions you have!
Cathy

[Bobby dog]

Hi Jamie F:
I can understand a busy life with family obligations! Making sure your dogs are eating properly can certainly add to the already stressful routine of taking care of your family. However, I also hope you re-consider eliminating canned foods. Here is a post with information about the benefits of canned foods:
/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/

It’s possible the canned food does not agree with them or maybe you are over-feeding a little. When you add canned or fresh foods reduce the amount of kibble to compensate for the added calories. You could even alternate between fresh foods and canned. If you still decide to eliminate the canned I suggest you continue to add boiled chicken or other dog appropriate meat to their diet. Fresh foods are a healthy addition to a kibble based diet. To keep your dogs’ diet balanced when feeding unbalanced foods, such as boiled chicken, be sure to keep the amount to no more than 10% of their daily caloric intake. Here’s info on adding fresh foods to a kibble diet:
http://dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html
You can find info on food calories here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

As pitlove has already mentioned, consider feeding a rotational diet for variety. Look for several kibbles with different protein and carb sources. Check out the four and five star rated foods on DFA. If you buy from pet stores take the lists with you to help narrow down your choices.
/dog-food-reviews/dry/4-star/
/dog-food-reviews/dry/5-star/
Here’s some info on rotational feeding:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

L M’s suggestion for soaking the kibble and adding broth would be another option if you decide to stop feeding canned.

The Honest Kitchen Perfect Form is a supplement that contains ingredients to help with digestive upsets and firm loose stools, however it’s not a probiotic. Canned plain pumpkin helps with both loose stools or constipation.
3.2 oz Perfect Form Herbal Digestive Supplement
http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/nutrition/3-health-benefits-pumpkin-dogs

Probiotics contain helpful live bacteria that may help with digestion. Adding a probiotic to their diet may also help with their gas and with transitioning to new foods. You could try something as simple as plain yogurt that contains live cultures or plain kefir; be sure they contain no artificial sweeteners. Here’s some info on feeding yogurt & kefir:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html
Here’s some info on probiotics:
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/suppsdigestive.html#probiotics

I have used yogurt, kefir, and Swanson’s Ultra Soil Based Organisms when my dog had skin and fur issues in the past. He is doing well now so I don’t supplement with any at this time. I currently feed Actipet Ultra Probiotic to my cat for his skin and digestion issues. It has helped him a great deal. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Linda K]

Hi Jake’s Mom, Pitlove and InkedMarie. Thanks for your responses.

Pitlove, thanks so much for your follow-up questions. I have a Rotweiller who is 3.5 yrs old. I am very upset with myself for feeding him Purina Puppy Chow until he was a year old and feel I did not given him the best chance in his formative year to be as healthy as he could be over the course of his lifetime. But he seems to be healthy so far with just a few normal problems….allergies, gas, etc.

The things I am concerned about are bloat (one of the girls from his litter died from it), hip dysplasia, which I know is common to many large breeds, and in particular, I am concerned about cancer. I recently researched brands to change him off of Science Diet, which I moved him to after Purina, but it turns out that Science Diet is not very good either. I read some reviews about Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula which gets 5 stars from DogFoodAdvisor. I also read some reviews for this brand and within the first 5 or 6, two of the people were Rotweiller owners and they both said it was excellent. One said that his Rotweillers usually die fairly early due to cancer, but this food has kept his new ones healthy. It really scared me because I did not realize that Rotties were genetically predisposed to certain types of cancer. So I got it immediately…..but I wanted to see if there might be anything even better since I apparently have not given him the benefits of great nourishment up to this point. I want to make up for lost time, and I will spare no expense (even though I am retired). So far, he seems to be doing well on the new food but has loose stools. I am doing it very gradually. I am also giving him a supplement for hips and joints that was recommended by his vet.

So, I guess in a nutshell, I wrote because I wanted to be sure I am doing all I can for him and have made a good choice this time.

Sorry this is so long. Thanks!

[Amanda G]

I have a 6 year old Great Dane. He is allergic to what seems like everything. He was finally allergy tested after chronic ear infections and has been on shots for the last year. The shots do not help as much as I’d hoped. He is allergic to white potato, sweet potato, flax, peas, corn, and soy. This has left us with few options. Even high quality kibble has at least one of those ingredients. We found a few that didn’t and had horrible results. We thought we were making progress with Big Dog Natural until his neck and ears went crazy. Come to find out they use potato as a binding agent. Next we tried Sojos original and added meat. We could not figure out why his ears swelled up like pork chops. They were even worse than with Big Dog. There seemed to be no listed ingredients he was allergic to. The only thing I could figure was it had pecans in it and he is allergic to pecan trees? Now I am making his food. I am lightly cooking meat, veges, oats, and egg with shell. His coat is dull, he is tired, and still itchy. His ears are not 100% but better. I can’t continue this. I know he’s not getting all the nutrition he needs out of my homemade food. I want to try raw. We’ve attempted it before but he has no interest in raw meats especially organs. I’m thinking of trying the Dinovite recipe. It seems to be a simple place to start but I’m afraid it’s also lacking. It’s only egg, shell, ground meat, rice and their supplements. Can anyone help with suggestions or experience with anything I’ve mentioned? I feel like I’m failing my dog and all I want to do is feed him. All opinions and advice will be respected and greatly appreciated. Sorry about the book. I just want to give as much info as possible so that one of you could possibly help us. I’m begging! Lol I feel like I’m going crazy.

• This topic was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[jakes mom]

I agree with Marie, grinds would be the way to go. I have cats and a dog. I just ordered raw grinds (chix, turkey,duck) for the cats from Darwin’s. They asked for the cat’s weights and estimated the amount I needed. You just need to get yourself a scale and a calculator and do some math. The usual suggested amount is 2-3% of your dog’s weight per day. There are also premixes that you can mix into your own ground meat so you don’t need to worry about balancing supplements. Good luck, you’ll get a lot of good advice from the regulars here. I’m just starting raw too, have learned a lot.

[jakes mom]

I don’t think there is really a need for a “breed specific” food as such. I can understand a food for a small or large breed or for puppy food. For example, a pup needs something easier to chew with it’s baby teeth and needs more nutrition in a small amount of food since he has a small tummy. Same for small dogs. Large breed puppies need to grow slowly, so their food needs to be formulated a bit differently. Other than that I think the breed specific foods are just kind of a marketing tool for the dog food companies. Feed a high quality food and maybe a supplement or 2 if you have concerns about a particular problem. I think that would be fine unless you had a dog with allergies or intolerances to certain things.

[idunnowhat2callmyself]

Okay, I’m just going to throw this out here because I’ve found this to be a remarkably useful website, and if there’s anyplace I might productively ask my question, it’d be here. I apologize in advance for the length of it.

My family’s got four dogs currently: One small, one medium, one medium-large, and one large. It’s a nice range. I try to order higher-quality kibble brands to offset the lower-quality ones sometimes brought home by other people. A month or two ago, I had a two-hour phone conversation with my aunt, who’s got one small dog on a raw diet (with wet canned stuff in the mornings.) I’d hoped to simply be able to follow her precise regimen, adjusted for our pack…and got a half-page worth of notes during that convo in Microsoft Word. I should’ve figured it wouldn’t be simple, and I suppose I could start ordering some whole rabbits or tripe or turkey necks and supplements or any of the other various things I jotted down from the site she mentioned…but the whole thing still seems so overly, excessively complicated and worrisome. She said that she hadn’t even told her vet about the switch, but had been at it for about a year now.

A few benefits stood out: Cleaner teeth naturally, because no matter how much toothpaste or how many correct-ingredient-inclusive wipes I use, nothing removes the ‘icky’ stuff (which is worst on the oldest dog.) My aunt also noted that cleaning up after them is much easier thanks to the raw–and since that job typically falls to me, I’d really appreciate that. AND potential weight loss/healthy-weight management, as well…I almost always opt for the low-fat variety of everything to be on the safe side. Fortunately the hefty Brittany did recently move down to a smaller dosage of heartworm med, and can suddenly fit behind the sofa again–so I guess it finally paid off.

I’ve given the pooches everything from the raw-coated kibbles to Stella & Chewy patties to Fresh Pet to Honest Kitchen “green slop” (we’ve had that huge box for over a year now), to dozens of kibble brands that all seem essentially identical–and so on and so forth. When I try to look up which kibble or commercial raw food to try (assuming that cans would disappear far too quickly to be worthwhile), I am instantly overwhelmed and confused–I see loads and loads of brand names and packaging and shapes, but all of the food and flavors appear to be the same. I have no idea how to even tell which to buy. The sizes and portions and pricing baffle me–how am I to tell what will feed multiple dogs of various sizes and breeds for more than a couple days? We usually get a new big kibble bag about twice a month. I simply cannot tell what the raw equivalent would be…and even for dry food, I’m now kinda stumped. Every time I’m asked to order another bag, I freeze. How to choose?!?! My list’s grown so long, and we’ve tried so many…now I usually go with whichever has the best price per pound at the time, and a decent rating/reviews. I wish I could just find the perfect brand to consistently turn to, and continuously rotate through their flavors and treats. (Deciding which treat to pick up becomes a whole other can of worms, and I’m just like, “Gods, why, why, why must this be so bamboozling?! Why the hundreds of redundant choices? The dogs don’t even care, they just want our stuff!”)

Only one of the four dogs eats neatly (my Saluki, who has a snood. 😉 The other three are slobs, knocking the bowls around and splashing before they even touch the floor. The little Beagle frequently flat-out refuses to eat from a bowl, insisting that the food be spilled onto the floor for him. Also, my mom’s a clean freak–and I’m a bit of one myself at times. For these reasons, I knew that any attempt to transition would be tough and drawn-out, if not impossible. I knew I’d have to discover the cleanest, neatest, easiest, least odiferous method.

Now, before I got older and started performing more research into these areas, my parents…well all right, let me just put it this way. The two Beagles we had at the time I was born ate cheap supermarket kibble and human leftovers, lived in the backyard, never once to my knowledge had their teeth brushed (the one had green teeth and rancid breath) or nails trimmed or even saw the vet…yet both lived happily & health-problem-free for 16-18+ years (we can’t be exactly certain because they were adopted from a shelter.) Thus it can be very difficult for me to convince these guys, no matter how many times I reiterate what the healthy-food brochures say, to go out of their way for “special frou-frou dog food” or anything they’re unused to.

WHEW. Ever so sorry to unload all that frustration here. Any advice, recommendations, or assistance that anybody ever feels like dropping would, of course, be most appreciated.

[Ryan K]

I just noticed a clear string of slime hanging between my dog’s legs as she was walking outside. I am in the middle of changing her food so I am not sure if this could be a side effect of that? She was just in the vet’s office a couple weeks ago for a blood test and everything was fine. I have had her off and on Proin recently because of her incontinence. I started her on a natural supplement a few days ago so I don’t know if that is effecting her at all or not. I know a UTI could pop up at any time but could discharge also just be a normal issue for a senior dog?

[InkedMarie]

I personally think raw is best. I feed ground raw which I think is easy: turn on scale, put bowl on scale, tare to zero, scoop food in, addthe few supplements I add and feed.

Kibble might be easier but I don’t think it’s best. Are the foods you mentioned pre made? If yes, buying grinds would be cheaper. Look at Hare Today & Reel Raw. Hare is in PA, if you happen to be lucky enough to pick up, you can save shipping costs. RR is in Maine. They have free shipping in the Northeast states if you get 30 pounds. If you aren’t up there, I think the free shipping starts at 50lbs. They have ten pound bags of complete mixes at a good price.

[jella]

Dear LT, Champion did get back with me right away about the alfalfa percentage. It is a very small amount 3 %. So I agree with you about they are probably careful (hopefully) about cleaning it out if it has been sprayed with pesticides. They have been really helpful and answered all the emails. The KiwiPeak company hasn’t even bothered to answer a question I wrote days ago. So I am going to try the 6 fish formula that the company rep suggested to try first. It was a lot cheaper than the freeze dried and my dog probably eats like your dog. I will try to look see what they suggest for his weight. Just ordered it from Chewy.com. So thank you for copying everything for me and getting right back to me so fast. I hope they ship fast, he is getting used to these fried hamburgers and special foods given to him each night. LOL Oh the vet said he wasn’t allergic to virgin coconut oil so maybe I can supplement this with his dry food. At least 1 Tbl. spoon full for his hair to grow back. I read where Virgin Coconut oil kills viruses, bacteria, and fungus infections in humans I am assuming it works the same way for dogs.

[Dori]

Thank you for the kind words JeffreyT. No need to give you any advice on anything. You sound like you’re doing a fabulous job for your family. Love all the companies that you are dealing with as well as the supplements you are using. My best to you and your family.

[Dori]

Hi James S. Well, first before contemplating anything relating to the cost of foods you’ll need to get the results of her tests. If it is not any type of cancer, and I sincerely pray it’s not, then I would advise you to make the leap and switch Nefertiti to commercial frozen raw diets. I think it is the healthiest and most appropriate species diets that are out in the market. I’ve been feeding them with my three for over 3 1/2 years. Yes, initially they may seem more expensive than kibble but in reality they are not. You feed less raw than kibble. They are more able to utilize raw than kibble. Vet visits have dwindled down to once a year for their physical. Hannah goes twice a year because she’s has hypothyroidism and blood has to be checked. That’s it. They always eat their meals, they love meal time and are always happy playful dogs. I feed high protein, moderate to high quality fats, and low carb diets. The easiest way to accomplish that, and the healthiest way, is with raw diets. I go the commercial frozen raw diet route rotating brands and proteins. Quite frankly, I’m too lazy to put raw diets together myself nor do I wish to. It’s also not how I want to spend my time. I sign up to all the raw food companies that I use to their email newsletter program and they email me coupons which helps a little with the cost. Oh, also with commercial raw diets in rotation the only dog that I need to add supplements to, and it’s not a need just a guess on my part, is Hannah who will be 16 in September. Things slow down and don’t quite work as appropriately as they did when they, and we, were young. Let us know the results of tests please. Praying for Nefertiti and the rest of your family.

[James S]

Hello All. My still active, not over weight, 10 and a half year old Pit/Boxer, Nefertiti, is going through some changes & I am Hoping to get some advice on what to feed her. She was on Wellness Lamb & Barley until I discovered DFA, & I have since changed her to Wellness Core Original because of it having a Five Star Rating, however, she doesn’t seem to like it as much/that much, & I would like to change it. I thought that maybe she wasn’t eating as much/as often because she was getting more nutrients from the Core, but I think that we can find a food that she enjoys & can get all the needed nutrition as well. Decisions. . . Decisions.
Recent Happenings. . .Upon taking Nef to the vet, we fear that the swollen lymph nodes under both sides of her chin, & her hind legs may be lymphoma. She had a biopsy on Friday, May 8th & we are expecting the results soon-Possibly today.
Now, I have no basis, proof, or reason to believe (really) that the swelling (whatever it may be) is a result of switching her to the Wellness Core, but in the thread of what I interpret DFA to be at it’s core, I am mentioning that the swelling occurred only AFTER doing so. Again, I don’t want to sound like I am blaming it on Wellness, I am merely stating the timeline in which these events happened.
After a lot of research, I am leaning toward a kibble that is HIGH IN PROTEINS (that are easily bio-available), but is also LOW IN CARBS, possibly supplemented by some Home prepared meals. Orijen is my first choice, but faced with the daunting reality that costly treatments (such as chemotherapy) may be in the future, I am Hoping to find something that doesn’t exceed the price range of Wellness, but will also achieve a balance of her Health & Happiness.
These are some foods that I am considering & I would Appreciate & Value any insight into this uncharted ground of mine & Nefertiti’s continuing Journey>>>
Thank You For Your Time,
-James
-Evo Grain Free Senior
-Merrick Grain Free
-Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Grain Free

[L T]

From the site for Tundra Freeze Dried….
FRESH AND REGIONAL INGREDIENTS

Venison (ground with bone)*, duck (ground with bone) *, Steelhead trout*, bison (ground with bone) *, elk (ground with bone) *, quail (ground with bone) *, duck liver*, duck heart*, spinach greens*, pea fiber, bison tripe*, elk liver*, elk heart*, elk kidney*, ground sunflower seeds, whole pumpkin*, Butternut squash*, Imperator carrots*, cranberries*, blueberries*, blackberries*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, Red Heart plums*, Tilton apricots*, brown kelp*, mixed tocopherols, chicory root*, dandelion root*, summer savory, peppermint leaf*, ginger root*.

* FRESH AND PRESERVATIVE-FREE

SUPPLEMENTS
Iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate.

I haven’t fed the freeze dried just the kibble…it has a feeding guide within the literature…

[Dori]

Lazaro. If you are feeding a high quality dog food from a company you trust then no, I see no reason to add any vitamin supplements to their food. If you have a dog that is a senior or ill, then the only vitamin supplement that I would recommend is from Standard Process. Canine Whole Dog Supplement.

I’m a commercial raw feeder to my three dogs. The only one that gets a vitamin supplement daily is Hannah, my Maltese. She’ll be 16 years old in September.

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

[zcRiley]

You said no “pork, milk, cheese, corn, rice, flax seed, barley, white potatoes…”

TRY ZiwiPeak Daily-Dog Lamb Cuisine Air-Dried Dog Food

Ingredients: Lamb – Meat (includes up to 3% finely ground bone), Lamb – Liver, Lung, Tripe, Heart and Kidney, New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel, Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Dried Kelp, Parsley, Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E),

Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Chelated Minerals: Iron amino acid complex, Copper amino acid complex, Manganese amino acid complex, Zinc amino acid complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate

[JeffreyT]

Hi Jakes Mom, the current companies in my rotation I trust are Mercola, Animal Essentials, Dr. Peter Tobias, Wholistic Pet Organics and Nature’s Farmacy. Mercola, Animal Essentials and Wholistic Pet Organics do 3rd party testing. Dr. Peter Tobias offers certified organic products and sells other companies products that do 3rd party testing. And Nature’s Farmacy has a Guaranteed Analysis label. All these companies focus on whole food supplements, use a lot of certified organic ingredients and limit gmo’s.

Nature’s Farmacy was started years ago by serious show people. They have an all in one product that combines joint support, multi vitamin, omegas, digestive enzymes and probioitcs for those who want easy. I also love their Cornucopia powder blend of organic veggies and fruits….great stuff for anti-cancer prevention, and can be given as part of the ground veggies in homemade diets or added to any pet food to increase nutrition.

I keep up with the peer reviewed studies in Mercola and Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletters..so I believe the supplements I give help prevent disease and increase vitality and energy. I think two of the most important ones are digestive enzymes and probiotics, given in most meals. Every day they get Mercola’s Ubiquinol for heart disease prevention and healthy gums and also fish oil every day..rotating bottles between Mercola Krill, Nordic Naturals Pet, Animal Essentials capsules and New Chapter.

They get a multi vitamin/mineral every other day, and on alternate days, light joint support, rotating brands.

My 5 year old maltese gets bladder support every other day because she is prone to stones.

As they get older I will add more of Mercola’s products like eye support, mushrooms and liver/kidney support, and Animal Essentials herbs like Cardiovascular support,etc….rotating them probably. I also wouldn’t hesitate to use Standard Process, Thorne or Orthomolecular Specialtes to target specific issues as they age.

I recently learned about a cleanse recommended on Dr. Peter Tobias’ website using Livton Medi-Herb…he suggests twice a year for two months…makes sense to me. His site is awesome. I learned about it on DFA…another awesome place for info.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Ryan K-

Here is another option for you unless no potatoes means no sweet potatoes as well as white. My dogs do very well on this food. I copied and pasted the following information from the California Natural Website. Good luck!

California Natural Grain Free Pork Meal & Sweet Potatoes Formula Adult Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

California Natural Grain Free Pork Meal & Sweet Potatoes Formula Adult Dog Food is available in 5-lb., 15-lb. or 30-lb. packages.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Name Value (units)
Crude Protein (Min) 30.0 %
Crude Fat (Min) 11.0 %
Crude Fiber (Max) 5.0 %
Moisture (Max) 10.0 %
Linoleic Acid (an Omega-6 Fatty Acid) (Min) 1.1 %
Vitamin E (Min) 300.0 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (Min) 0.5 %

Calorie Content:
3601.0 kcal/kg
431.0 kcal/cup

Ingredients:
Pork Meal
Peas
Green Lentils
Flaxseed
Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Source of Vitamin E)
Pea Fiber
Sweet Potatoes
Natural Flavors
Salt
Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate)
Vitamins (Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid)
Vitamin E Supplement
Rosemary Extract

[Terry W]

That is funny you mentioned that about the canned food. The owner of the store at Green K-9 said to make sure that I put the food in a plastic sealed container after opening the can the first time.
I also just ordered some of the Wysong Biotic PH- supplement for my dog. I think between the new dehydrated food and the supplement, I can lower the PH and eliminate the struvites. I have also ordered some PH test strips to keep an eye on things. Thanks for the information on Wysongs.