[Sadie’s Mom]

@ BC do you use the liquid or powdered Cortaflex? I am also looking for a budget friendly glucosamine supplement for my dachshund.

[Sadie’s Mom]

@ Dog Obsessed Have you used a glucosamine supplement before? I’m looking into GNC Ultra Mega Superfood Complex Plus Joint Health Dog Formula. I like it because it’s a powder formula and relatively inexpensive. After being on steroids for so long my dog refuses to take any pills and is picky about chewables because she doesn’t do crunchy treats. I was think a powder would be easy to mix into her food, especially if I add a tablespoon of wet in with it.

[Sadie’s Mom]

@ Nut – I guess I could do that. She always ends up on steroids in the winters because her back flares up. My parents probably couldn’t afford them year round. My dad got a new job a took a significant pay cut, so nice things are somewhat unattainable. Would the regular glucosamine chondritin supplements work? And if so what strength?

@ Dog Obsessed – All four were actually on Victor Grain Free Yukon River formula, but it ended up being too expensive. My parents went back to Beneful, but I’ve just about talked them into buying Evolve from the local HEB. It’s a 4 star food with no corn, wheat, or soy, which seem to trigger one of the dogs allergies. The dogs won’t eat Merrick for some reason. I haven’t looked at the Pure Balance though. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks Dori! It is usually about 2 hours after her dinner, but sometimes I do it earlier. I won’t from now on. What about the stuff in the supplement, is it dangerous to overdose it? I posted the active ingredients above.

[Dori]

Hi Dog Obsessed. As I stated earlier to Akari, Glucosamine/chontroitin can be given one hour before meals or two hours after a meal. Not one hour after a meal. Also, I give Hannah her Glucosamin/Chondroitin twice a day. Denamarin only once a day sometime mid day (at least a couple of hours after breakfast) but you can give it in the evenings at least a couple of hours after dinner. Doesn’t make any difference. Try not to miss any doses, it does make a difference.

Akari. There are really very good glucosamine/chondroitin supplements that are chewable and also Denamarin chewables. There’s no way that I could get Hannah to eat a supplement without food that wasn’t a chewable. If you need any suggestions I can give you a list of the glucosamine/chondroitins that I give Hannah. As the the Denamarin, I buy the chewable type. I look on line for the list expensive site and that’s where I buy it. Denamarin is the brand name and that’s the one I use. Let me know if you need suggestions on the Glucosamine/Chondroitin.

Akari. As far as weight is concerned, Hannah’s ideal weight would be 8 lbs. for her size and height and age. I keep her at 7.3 lbs. as best I can. If she weighs more than that then she starts having a bit more of trembling in her back legs and a bit of a limp. At the 7.3 lbs. her legs do not tremble and she doesn’t limp. Weight is a big issue for the arthritic be they animals or humans.

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Dori.

[theBCnut]

I can’t help with brands, but just a piece of info. She is more likely to have issues in the winter with the colder weather, so leave her food the same next summer and save the money for joint supplements for winter. Could your parents afford a joint supplement, which is usually cheaper than changing to better foods anyways?

[Dog_Obsessed]

Just on the topic of glucosamine, I used to give Lily her supplement right after dinner, but after reading something Dori posted a while back I moved it to 1-2 hours afterward. Is that enough? Also, is it possible to overdose in anything they put in the supplement? I sometimes miss a day, and I’m wondering if I should give double the next day.

Edit: Just checked and the serving size for a 1-10 pound dog, which is what Lily gets, contains 350mg Glucosamine HCL, 125mg MSM, 50mg “Tart cherry and dark berry proprietary blend,” 6,000mg Linolenic acid omega 3(flaxseed), and 1,300 Linolenic acid omega 6(flaxseed).

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Dori]

Hi Akari. Sorry, I don’t know how I missed this entire thread other than to say life gets crazy around the holidays.

You mentioned that Ginger weighs 11.2 lbs. Has you vet told you what her optimum weight should be? It is very very important to keep dogs that have musculoskeletal problems on the thin and trim side. Every added ounce overweight adds to their pain and discomfort.

But this is really what I wanted to tell you. You say that you are dumping the glucosamine/chondroitin in her food. Glucosamine/Chondroitin should never be given with food. It most definitely needs to be given either one hour before food or two hours after. Otherwise it WILL NOT WORK! That is one of the main reasons why foods that are marketed as being good for dogs with arthritis and contain glucosamine/chondroitin don’t work. They also don’t put enough in to be beneficial but even if they did, the supplement must be given one hour before meals or two hours after twice a day or more often if indicated. That could very well be the reason you are not seeing any improvement with Ginger even though you are giving her the supplement.

Just trying to help.

If you do decide to go with the Purina JM you still need to give the supplement one hour before her meals or two hours after. I don’t have an opinion on the food. Obviously you know it’s not a great food by anyone’s definition but you have financial constraints and are doing the best your pocket book will allow. She’s a senior dog that you don’t have a lot of history about. If you can find one single food that she does well on, give her the supplement the way it is suppose to be given, then I would do that for the remainder of her life. The object is to find some quality to her life. It’s not about how many years you can add to her life, the concern is how well she gets to live the time she has left in her life. She obviously has musculoskeletal issues, she’s had them since you got her and since there’s no way to really know what happened to her before you got her to know what exactly is wrong with her or to do expensive CT scans, X-rays, MRI’s, surgeries, if they are indeed called for, you do the best you can through a food that doesn’t upset her digestive system and give her supplements. My advice to you would be, for right now, to keep her on the Wellness that you are feeding her before you switch her food since her tummy seems to be doing better and start the supplement as it’s suppose to be given and see it it makes a difference. I think it will. Another supplement that you can give her, if money allows you to, is Sam-e. Though it’s marketed as a liver support supplement it is a great anti-inflammatory. You would still need to give her the glucosamin/chondroitin. Sorry my post is so long I was just upset with myself for not noticing your thread on this issue and just happened to catch the sentence where you mention putting the supplement in her food bow.

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Dori.

[theBCnut]

Um, I hate to say this, but you must be way overfeeding her for her to gain 4 lbs in 1 week, and that alone can cause diarrhea. With all dogs, but especially large and giant breed dogs, it is very important for them to have slow even growth. Fast growth means that their joints are forming too fast and not necessarily well, which means hip and elbow dysplasia. Feed her to keep her athletically lean, no extra weight. Keep her on probiotics until she has had normal stools for at least 2 weeks.

You may want to look into a supplement by the Honest Kitchen called Perfect Form. A lot of rescue dogs have had really bad cases of worms that have damaged the gut lining and it may take months for the damage to heal. Perfect Form has some really nice ingredients to soothe irritated intestines and firm up sloppy stools.

Have you looked at the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition thread?

[USA]

HI Nancy M,

I think it’s a great idea to make your own dog food!! That’s what I do. A very good book on the subject is “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet: Healthier Dog Food the ABC Way” by Steve Brown

Any dog food recipe that does NOT contain ground bone can be cooked. You will also need a supplement to balance the meals unless you follow the recipes to a T. Steve Brown also made a supplement but it won’t be available for a while. The supplement I use for a mostly meat diet is “Balance IT Original Blends® – Carnivore Blend® for Dogs & Cats”

https://secure.balanceit.com/marketplace2.2/details.php?i=23&cc=

I also add sardines in water to their food once or twice a week. And probiotics and digestive enzymes 2 or 3 times a week.

Good Luck!!!

[crazy4cats]

If you google Victor dog food, they have a dealer locater link. I’m on my iPad right now and don’t know how to copy and paste the link. How embarrassing! I only have one store in my area that carries a limited supply. I have to call a week in advance so they can order it for me if they don’t have it in stock. Otherwise, yes, Amazon, Sport Dog and RocketPetz carries it. The supplements, I have ordered both from Amazon. I have fed Blue Wilderness a few years back with pretty good results, but was a bit too expensive for our family. Besides, after reading ingredients, they all are mostly chicken anyway. I have fed my kitties Wellness, but not the dogs. It’s pretty expensive for two 80 pounders.

You didn’t mention if you have had a fecal test done. Worms and/or parasites can cause loose stools as well. Make sure you rule those out as well.

The Firm Up is dehydrated pumpkin and pectin and the Perfect Form contains some enzymes and slippery elm which are very helpful for unhappy intestines. Also probiotics can be helpful as well. Such as Vetri-Pro BD by Vetri Science is recommended.

Oh boy, good luck. I remember how overwhelming this advise can be. Just try one new thing at a time to see if it is helpful. I often change a couple of things at a time and I never know what caused the improvement or the decline.

[Laura M]

I find that a canned food can put weight on fast and there are many grain free, good products to choose from. I mix canned and my dry which is Orijen adult and have a skinny boy that is hard to keep weight on and that does the trick. I also supplement with chicken or hamburger, etc. and that gets him interested in his bowl of food! Not sure if you have an issue with your dogs not wanting to eat or just hard to keep weight on. Be careful when transitioning, you can upset everything if you go too fast. Good luck!

[MARK k]

Thanks crazy4cats for the info. Where can you get Victor and those supplements . . . I see Victor is at Amazon, but didn’t know if it’s available at any stores. Have you had any luck with Wellness or Blue?

[crazy4cats]

I have two lab mix dogs and have had the same issue. I have had the best luck with Victor grain free food so far. I also use various supplements that are very helpful. Such as Firm Up and The Perfect Form. Also, when I add either a couple frozen Nature’s variety Instinct raw nuggets or The Honest Kitchen dehydrated as a topper, it also helps. I think it is because of the added fiber that helps firm up the stools.

Please check out http://www.dogaware.com for some very helpful information on loose stools. It has been an extremely valuable resource for me!

Please feel free to write back with any questions or comments.

[theBCnut]

Um, what is considered a therapeutic dose of glucosamine for your dog? Does this food come close? I’ve read that the reason joint support foods are a waste of money is because they do NOT even have a therapeutic dose, so in the end, you do have to still add a joint supplement. That’s OK if you get the food at a good price and you like how your dog does on the food, but not OK at all if you have to pay more for it and then add a supplement, especially if your dog isn’t doing remarkable on it.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

@Dori I always try to click right before or during the treat, but this time I clicked a tiny bit after by accident. The trainer at the class said you should always give the treat with the click, but I have had a lot of success with the “random rewards” method of training once the dog has learned the command.

@aquaraingt No, this was not at Zoom Room.

@BCnut That’s a really good idea, if she is still scared of the muffled clicker I will try it.

The other weird thing is that last night, when I was giving Lily her joint supplement, I asked her to sit as I always do. This time though, she seemed to be kind of scared and ran off again. She didn’t shake or seem scared afterward, but she didn’t want to come back so I didn’t push her and just gave her the joint supplement. I just think something about this whole experience doesn’t quite add up. It’s really unusual for Lily to have that scared a reaction to anything, much less still be scared several hours later. I’m wondering if she’s had some passed bad experience, not with a clicker necessarily but with some loud noise. I know I might be overgeneralizing her fear, but it still seems like a possibility.

[Alexandria A]

I’m aware that some allergies could be driven tour the environment but being my dogs never had this Issue before I know it is from either the east starvation recipe or the supplements. As far as the box saying that there is customer service that our nutritional veterinarian assistance or whatever they call it it doesn’t really seem that these people have much knowledge on the product or on any type of recipes as I have called I have been getting really limited information. I honestly and going with my instincts here and I feel as though the customer service really doesn’t care about the customers or the dogs health it is a little suspicious that they have customer service from 9 AM to 5 PM that tells me that they must have a lot of people calling with issues from the supplements.

Since both my dogs never had this type of issue before I will never use this product again.

[dakcmumm]

I don’t like Dinovite. Egg shells mixed with rice and bake. That sounds weird. I did place an order with Dinovite but decided to cancel it. Their rep was not very friendly to me. After trying Better In The Raw I decided to give my babies Primal. It is the Psyllium that turns me off. Most or not all of the supplement for raw feeding has psyllium. I myself was bloated with psyllium. It makes me so sick. So, even dogs might be different, I just decided that I do not like psyllium. I rather add sweet potato or pumpkin to facilitate my babies’ pooping business than use psyllium.

Anyway, Sophie and Louis love primal. I am sooooo happy. I do add more raw veggies to their food. Trust your instinct. Only you know what is best for Your Dog. There are many good products out there but each case is different. Trust your instinct.

[Alexandria A]

I did the yeast starvation diet. Got the dinovite supplements. BAD MISTAKE. I feel terrible about this choixe. My Maltese and frenxh bulldog went from pooping 3x a day to once. The maltese has kept me up two nights vomiting. I followed instructions on proper feeding measurements as well as suppleness. Day four was vomiting all over house. Day 5 was canned pumpkins to help stomach issues. And today is 3am doggie vomiting all over our bedroom.

[aimee]

Hi Akari,

I found this study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22805303 in which significant improvement was demonstrated through the use of a veterinary joint support diet. This study was double blinded and placebo controlled and used force plate analysis to measure the amount of weight the dog was willing to bear on the limb, so I do think joint diets have a place in managing arthritis. I can’t tell from the abstract which company’s product was used, but I don’t think it was Hills as their Omega 3 looks to be more ALA based.

I wouldn’t rotate the diet unless to one of similar EPA/DHA content and Omega 6/3 ratio otherwise I’d think the benefits would be lost. It takes time ( 6 weeks???) to incorporate the fatty acids into the cells and if you change off you may switch before any benefit would be seen.

With a Omega 6:3 ratio of 1.7:1 it may be difficult achieve that with supplementation of a standard diet. If your vet thinks it is appropriate I’d most definitely give this diet a trial of at least 3 months. It has a nice nutrient profile and nice ingredient line up!

[InkedMarie]

I wouldn’t feed that at all. Brewers rice and the first ingredient? Corn gluten meal? Animal digest? These are the makings of a crap food. There are many supplements & drugs to use for joint issues. Grains are inflammatory, making this a poor choice.

[Bobby dog]

Yes, the end of a semester is both a blessing and a curse! 😉

If my dog was ill I would think outside of the box and certainly try different approaches to ease pain and discomfort. An Rx food would not be out of the question and I have fed them in the past! I really can’t comment on this food other than the reviews I read about it. BTW, the comments I read weren’t from the Purina website. lol I was looking into some supplements for my friend’s dog that has been a little stiff.

Deals are wonderful, but you need to consider Ginger’s health and comfort. Senior pet care can be pricey. My senior horse’s supplements are almost triple the price of my younger horse’s. That’s a decent price for Rx food IMO.

[Marta W]

hi
my dog is fighting cancer(adenocarcinoma). While i am waiting for a appointment with holistic vet in a month who is going to create personalized diet for him, i am trying to feed him honest kitchen dehydrated food. I settled on Thrive but i would like to find out if i have to ad anything alse on top of that or is that enough for him?
I am giving him liver supplement and immune supplement wholly immune, plus coconut oil with turmeric.
I know usually there is organ meat in the diet i dont think this one has it.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Akari:
I can’t get onto the sight to check it out.

At 14 rotating her food would be the last thing I would be concerned with. Finding a diet that agrees with her and sticking with it would be my priority. I hope you get her to a Vet soon for a check-up; sounds like she is uncomfortable and might need prescribed medication.

I don’t know of anyone who has used this for their dogs. However, I have read reviews from owners who have tried various over the counter supplements and foods without any improvements who fed this food with good results.

[zhiba]

@theBCnut, I know this thread is a bit old, but your comment about histamine intolerance was interesting. I looked it up, and in some cases supplementation can help. I was curious if you can tried something like this –

“Diamine oxidase (DAO) is an essential enzyme in the body that breaks down histamine.”

From Swanson’s
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/health-library/products/daosin-histamine-intolerance-supplement.html

[crazy4cats]

Hi linda h-
Congratulations on your new puppy! I’m sorry you are having some issues though. Have you had a fecal test done? My lab puppies ended up with Giardia and then Coccidia when they were puppies. That can cause intermittent loose stools and they were constantly hungry. Make sure that you have a test done that is sent out to a lab as these parasites are sometimes hard to detect. I am concerned that I/D is an adult maintenance food and would not supply the nutrients needed for a puppy.
Have you tried adding any plain canned pumpkin or any type of supplements to help with the diarrhea?
Check out http://www.dogaware.com. It has a lot of information and remedies for digestive disorders. It sounds as if you will have to feed him Hill’s brand food so I’m not really familar with all their foods and wouldn’t be able to recommend any. I sure hope you get this figured out. Good luck!

[K G]

Our 7 year-old Springer was weighing in at over 60 pounds. After researching on this site, chose Wellness Core Reduced Fat dry food + Wellness 95% canned supplement once a day (a couple of tablespoons per serving) for total of about 2-1/2 c/day. Her elimination very regular. However, she either loves the food or it’s not enough as she keeps begging for more. Occasional biscuits (5/6 per day) don’t seem to be a fill in. Any suggestions? Worried that she is not getting enough nutrients or is just loving the food.

[Barbara M]

I was giving the prescription wet food AND adding water to it to insure increase water intake. I also now make her bone broth I add to every meal (dry kibble and boiled chicken. She also get her cranberry supplement twice a day in her meals.

[Dog_Obsessed]

If you are talking about the DreamBone chew treats, I would definitely not recommend them. Here is the ingredients list for the chicken treats:

Corn, Chicken, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Fructose, Pork Gelatin, Barley Malt Syrup, Maltodextrin, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Carrots, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Ferrous Sulfate, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Sulfate, Artificial Flavor, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Sodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Propionate (preservative), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Vitamin E, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, FD&C Red 40.

You don’t want to feed treats with Corn, or Fructose, or artificial sweeteners, or coloring. The Pure Balance treats (the freeze-dried ones anyway) are great though. Head over to the “most recommended dog treats” thread (stickied at the top of the page) to get some more treat ideas.

[Juliet C]

My border collie has skin issues. The vet was of no help and order £100’s on blood test etc. Apart from keeping him free of fleas obviously I went down the line of possible food allergies. Plus when we bath him we use ordinary dandruff shampoo. After 6 months of constant scratching, rolling and the rest an incredibly itchy dog does. We settled a cheap brand of supermarket dog food out of desperation and their also cheap mixer. It turns out our boy can’t handle all the the fancy additives and supplements that the expensive brands contain. He comes from a long line of farm dogs. That were basically fed on what was available. Table scraps, sheep pellets. Rabbits shot on the farm. So sometimes its ok to go back to the basics. We thought we were doing right by the poor dude by giving him the high life food wise. Instead we were hurting him. I threw out the stuff the farmer gave me thinking it was crap. I learnt a lesson!

[Dori]

Hi Jake. I keep my dogs on HW (Sentinel Spectrum) year round because I live in Atlanta, Georgia. Weather is unpredictable in what is supposedly the cooler (winter) months. Last week we had a couple of days below freezing, bird baths frozen, all the winter stuff. Last few days has been in the upper 60’s and a couple of days in the low 70’s. To keep my girls safe I keep them on HW meds all year every 30 days. We’ve been in Georgia for the passed 13 years. Before that we lived in the Northeast (NJ, NY, Conn. and Cape Cod). Because the winters were completely predictable and freezing all winter long I did last HW October and nothing again until May. I think you would have to judge what your weather is. If you really have consistent old time winter weather then I guess you could keep him off for the winter months which I would do just to keep some of these chemicals out of his system and give his system a bit of a break. HW test is just the one time of year. Take some really really choice treats with you to the vet that he absolutely would do anything for. Before they come in to take blood work and while they are chit chatting with you you could just get his attention with the pieces of chicken, liver, whatever you want (no actual store bought treats or kibble….that’s not special enough) and just give him little tiny pieces as the entire process goes on. Eventually he should think of it as a good experience as opposed to the nightmarish type experience he had in the Spring. It’s worth the one time experience to keep him off HW for a few months. Just my opinion.

Let me also add that I take my dogs to the vet for a yearly physical and yearly blood work anyway. I’ve done that with every dog (there have been many…I’m 66 years old). If something is going on with them I want to know sooner rather than later. Trying to catch anything serious that may not be outwardly visible and keep track of all their levels and if anything has changed since the year before so they are accustomed to having the bloodwork draw anyway. Through the years I have found that things were going on that I would never have been aware of if not for the blood work. I was then able to start working with nutrition and supplements more geared to the issue.

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Dori.

[JeffreyT]

Alicia, I’ve never heard of him but am very impressed with his website and products. I’m going to be ordering the Soulfood fermented multivitamin and the mineral supplement to start.
His video also highly recommends chiropractic…I didn’t realize what a huge impact that would have on canine health. I’ll be looking into that too.

Thank you for taking the time to post this information, it’s much appreciated.

[Alicia A]

There are a lot of questions out there about supplements, minerals, probiotics and what to feed dogs.
I have my dog on a raw food diet and add in supplements which are natural and she is thriving.
Highly recommend checking out the following website; http://www.peterdobias.com
There is some great (free!) information on taking care of our dogs naturally and some original products along with other brands that are recommended for a range of things including proactively taking care of dog’s health and also what to consider when there are issues.

[Jan T]

Hi,
I’m new here and need some help with all these ratios, etc. I have an 11 week old GSD who started out on Fromm Gold large breed puppy. She had some a bacterial infection in her gut that we had to treat while she was on this. The vet suggested we try Eukanuba large breed puppy, but she doesn’t like it so much. She is always scratching, so think she may have allergies. So question: should I get vitamin supplements, leave her on Eukanuba or go back to Fromm or something else? Whatever we do, it will be gradual. If supplements, any suggestions?

[CSollers]

I got lazy that last couple of days and didn’t add the green lipped mussels, Mobility Essentials, aOmega oils and other supplements to my senior Pug’s dinners and he could hardly move this morning. I feel terrible.

[Kelsi P]

Hi there- I know you posted this a while ago, but I just stumbled across this post. I had the same problem with my dog as a puppy. Unexplained chronic diarrhea, having to make a bowel movement several times per day (5+ per day!), etc. We went through tests (bacteria, parasite/amoeba, fungal) antibiotics, food changes, enteric support supplements- the whole gamut. The vet couldn’t figure it out…. He was put on a prescription diet for a short while and while it helped calm things down (with the combination of flagyl), it didn’t stop. Nothing worked until I switched my dog to raw food. Seriously- the bloody diarrhea, gastric upset, vomiting, etc., stopped within a few weeks. Maybe it’s worth a try for your dogs? I am lucky in that my vet is open to raw diets and she hasn’t said anything negative because it’s helped my dog. My dog simply cannot handle any kind of kibble, regardless of the make and recipe. Good luck to ya.

[cyndinisa]

Coconut Oil as supplement….they love this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND8doiVSLDw

[pugmomsandy]

There are several supplements I like to give to seniors (and adults): joint, greens, ubiquinol, fish oil, bee pollen, probiotics.

[InkedMarie]

Rich, a relatively healthy senior dog needs more protein than younger dogs:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

there is a good article to read. My seniors eat the same as the other dogs, they just get added supplements (I just posted in your other thread)

[Cynthia R]

My 12.5 year old boxer had advanced arthritis in his knees and began staggering. We had to put up a baby gate around stairs because he staggered and fell down them:-(.
You may want to consider adding fish oil to his daily supplements.
My vet had our boy on 3 grams of fish oil daily (helps with joints along with many other benefits, so all my dogs are given this daily), loading dose of glyco-flex lll (our vet also likes phycox), prevacox, tramadol as needed the last year of his life. I raised him on a grain-free diet(raw).

[Naturella]

Rich, I am not a pro at senior dogs, but many brands do contain some glucosamine and chondroitin, just not in high enough amounts. Supplementing should be better is what I’ve read. But other higher-protein, grain-free, and budget-friendly options are the Victor Grain-free line (the green one also has extra Glu-Chon) and the Earthborn Holistic Grain-free line. Both are for all life stages if I am not mistaken, and are affordable, quality products. I have personally fed and still have in my stash bags of both, and I can report great success with my “youngin”, almost 2-year old pup. As others have mentioned, rotation is best, so if you can get your new friend on Fromm Grain-Free, Victor Grain-Free, and Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free, you can alternate the flavors between the brands and see what she (or he) does well on.

[Sue’s Zoo]

I’m definitely not a vet and I don’t know if Doberman’s are prone to EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) but has your vet checked for it? I know is somewhat common in GSDs (but can happen in any breed) because I had one years ago. She lived a full life but required an enzyme supplement on her food to help her digest it. We had her from 8wks old but it didn’t show up enough to cause concerns until she was maybe 9 months old. First symptom is loose stools and not gaining weight normally, though appetite is good. Large stools that look like ‘cowpies’, possibly lighter in color.

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Sue's Zoo.

[USA]

Hi BC,

You wrote:
“For yeast, my favorite kibble is Brothers Complete. It was formulated specifically to help yeasty dogs.”

The ingredients and nutrient percentages for brothers venison formula are listed below (taken from DFA). Can you please explain how this formula will “help yeasty dogs.”

Any references you could present to back up this claim would be greatly appreciated!

Protein 36%
Fat 18%
Carbs 39%
Ingredients: Venison meal, dried whole eggs, turkey meal, pea starch, cassava/tapioca, pea flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), dried chicken liver, pumpkin, ground flaxseed, alfalfa, carrots, potassium chloride, sea salt, choline chloride, dried whole cell algae (pure source of omega 3 DHA), mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, green tea extract, encapsulated probiotics (dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product), enzymes [amylase (Aspergillus oryzae), protease (Aspergillus oryzae), cellulase (Trichoderma reesei), lactase (Aspergillus oryzae), hemicellulase (Trichoderma reesei), lipase (Aspergillus oryzae), prebiotic (organic, long chain, highly branched inulin), vegetable pomace (celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach), cranberry pomace, lysine HCL, dl-methionine, lecithin, taurine, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D3, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, folic acid, biotin, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, l-ascorbyl 2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C activity), zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, vitamin B12 supplement, l-carnitine

[Tammy C]

I’ve looked at the tool the one person developed. It listed everything she was allergic to plus more.
I had thought about my little dog being allergic to pheasant, being it is a fowl, and I was right. She did end up having a reaction to it.
Now I have her on a limited ingredients food, with the main item is Buffalo and brown rice. She seems to have a reaction to this food also but not as severe.
I was thinking if anyone would know. Is there a supplement, (lack of a better word) to help with the symptoms.
I already give her a generic liquid form Benadryl, (which helps) but I’m concerned with side effects of long term usage.

[BeachDogs]

Hey! I am new to this forum, but not DFA. Never really noticed the forum part, unfortunately. A HUGE thanks to Hound Dog Mom for compiling the list and for all the other amazing info members have given.

I have a 72 pound 11-month old Dane/Heeler rescue pup – have had her since she was 6 weeks old. Yep, foster failure right here! Got the ok from the vet to go ahead and put her on an adult formula. Went to a local pet boutique to buy NutriSource and ended up with Victor GF Active Dog and Puppy (ALS). I also have a 5-year old Yorkie. Concerned about the calcium, I called the manufacturer after I noticed it’s not on HDM’s list and the bag does not list calcium or phosphorus at all. They said it has 1.9% calcium and 1.23% phosphorus with a Ca:P ratio of 1.5:1.

My questions:
1. Since my large breed puppy is past 10 months, is this Victor food ok at 1.9% calcium and a 1.5:1 ratio? I am not sure if calcium percentage or Ca:P ratio is more important.
2. Is it ok for a pup this young and a 5-yr old not to have glucosamine and chondroitin? Maybe it’s better not to have those, yet. IDK. I realize I can give a supplement.
3. The kibble size is tiny, but I would like to have both dogs on the same food, so does kibble size matter?

Thanks!

[Dog_Obsessed]

Pumpkin has greatly helped Lily with constipation, and from what I know it also helps with diarrhea because of the balance of fiber. Also, I think supplements like THK Perfect Form could help.

[Mom2Cavs]

I have Cavaliers, who as a breed are known for anal gland problems. I have two that tend to have issues. I found that it is definitely food/fiber related. I am feeding grain free and found a supplement from my vet that has helped better than anything I have found, yet, even the Firm Up. It’s from Vet Classics and is their Allergy skin and coat chews. I give them 2 a day and have not had any anal gland problems since. I get them from my vet and have ordered online, but they are getting harder to find. Vet Classics is the same company as Natur Vet, though, which has the same product avaliable at Petco. The only thing the Natur Vet product is missing colustrum as an ingredient, which I think helps a lot.

[Mom2Cavs]

Steve, you really are already feeding a top-notch food. And giving her the supplements is the right thing to do, as well. You might want to switch to Fromm’s 4Star line and use their grain frees. I have 3 seniors and a new 9 month old pup and all of mine are eating Fromm 4Star, atm. I’m alternating between Lamb & Lentils, Salmon Tunalini and Pork and Peas. I’m also topping with Stella and Chewy’s meal mixers, the Salmon, Turkey and Beef. I think you are doing good things, already, for her. Maybe someone with more knowledge can post.

[Steve L]

I am giving her the following meds and supplements by Vet prescription.

Carprofen 100 mg 1/2 tab every 12 hours (anti-inflamatory??)
Tramadol 50 mg 1 every 12 hours (pain??)
Thyroxine .6 mg 1 every 12 hours (thyroid – for past 6 years)

Glucosamine/Chondroitin 1500/1200 mg per day.

Tried Fromms Senior – she likes and eats well. No wet food – but she does lick plates – a dog biscuit twice a day (lunch & bed). We used to take 1-2 mile walks every day but recent pain, and the increased staggering in rear have severely cut into walks. She has been steady at 60 pounds for the last 7 years.

[InkedMarie]

Seniors, unless they have specific medical issues, require no special diet. They need as much protein as other dogs, which is a higher amount of protein. In fact, studies show seniors need more protein than younger dogs!

At 14, she may have some arthritis. A grain free food would be best as grains are inflammatory. Are you giving her a joint supplement as well?