[Karen J]

I’m hearing vitamin C and Cranberry. What safe delivery device for Vit C – 500mg? Cheese, cottage cheese or? I used boiled chicken today.

I saw these on Amazon: Cranberry Comfort Soft Chews, are they good?

Also I saw on Amazon strips to measure ph balance of her urine…she hasn’t developed an infection or stones as yet and I’d like to prevent it.

I’ve been getting overwhelming advice to stay away from fish but eHow recommends it – I think I’ll stay away from it.

Karen for Trixie

[Dog_Obsessed]

Just found this thread, and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for taking in a senior pup! I have volunteered with a local senior dog rescue, and I just love the oldies. There is also a great Facebook page called Susie’s Senior Dogs, that posts senior dogs up for adoption along with success stories and resources: https://www.facebook.com/susiesseniordogs

One question for Dori about the glucosamine supplements, I give the stage 1 version to Lily for mild luxuriating patella. I did not know that it was good not to give it with food, is that only for advanced care? Thanks!

[theBCnut]

Lucky you!! Dogs need calcium in their diet, that’s what they were talking about with the egg shells. You can either feed consumable raw bones(which are great for teeth) or eggshells with each meal. For bones, they need to be 10-15% of the animal portion of the meal. For eggshells, it’s 2 shells for every pound of meat.

They also need organs. About 10% of the animal portion of their food should be organs. Half of that should be liver and the other half should be other secreting organs. Heart coulnts as muscle, but kidney, spleen, etc. count as organs.

They need a regular source of omega 3s. The salmon should cover that as long as it isn’t too overcooked. Or add an Omega 3 supplement, 100mg of DHA and EPA combined per 10 lbs of body weight daily.

They need vit E and D, zinc and selenium, manganese, and a whole food supplement would be good.

If you want an easier way to do it, they sell premixes for boneless meats. Look for The Honest Kitchen Preference, See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix, or Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl fine ground.

[pugmomsandy]

You’ll probably get several different answers from us as well! And we’re not vets. But, these are some suggestions. (1) increase moisture intake (canned food, freeze dried/dehydrated foods (rehydrated), fresh/frozen raw foods, even kibble flooded with water) to help keep the bladder flushed out. (2) avoid feeding only dry food. (3) more frequent potty breaks. (4) cranberry/d-mannose supplement daily.

If she has alkaline urine, you can also add (1) small vitamin C capsule or a methionine (amino acid) capsule daily. (2) or a commercial pH reducing product (ex: Wysong Biotic pH-) or “grass saver” type product with methionine. Purchase pH test strips so you can monitor the urine pH.

I haven’t heard of fish being a problem regarding struvites.

[theBCnut]

If you get another commercial raw and a premix or 2 to rotate between, the only thing I would want to make sure of is tripe at least once a week or a multistrain probiotic and the omegas. If you are feeding twice a day, one meal of oily fish is enough Omega 3s. Their fish was only part oily fish, so may not be enough. If you are adding a fish or krill oil supplement, then you want 100mg of DHA and EPA combined for every 10 lbs of body weight daily. Skip flaxseed oil, it has the wrong form of omegas for dogs.

[Angie]

Hi Guys!

I looking for advice from some of you avid raw feeders. I have been feeding Big Country Raw dinners to my two pups for the last 4 months. I have a Samoyed that’s just under 2 years old and a Shih Poo who is almost 8. The samoyed is 65lbs and the Shih Poo is 16 lbs.

My Samoyed had Coccidia and Giardia as a puppy and he has been treated for it a few times and since then his digestive system haven’t been the same so we tried raw for him and it was almost a miracle. He has small solid poops to where I don’t have to bathe his butt every morning before work.

Anyways the main reason for this post is that.. is there anything I need to add to their diets? They are getting a rotation diet of Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Lamb, Breeder Blend, and Fish Dinner. Is there a supplement I need to add since they will most likely been on this diet for a while. I do give them chicken and Turkey Necks once a week and Bones to chew + Brush their teeth a few times a week.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Angie

http://www.bigcountryrawstore.com/Dinners-s/1818.htm

[Kristin C]

Hi Kari-I feed both my dogs raw and have found making my own food to be the most economical, although I estimate it’s still almost twice the cost of high end kibble. Buying commercial raw or freeze dried raw is probably 3-4 times more than the kibble. My husband and I agree we’d rather spend the money on real food for them versus vet bills and potential illness. Sounds like you have a lot going on as it is, but you can probably start by making small changes. The book See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way might be a good start. I’ve started using the SSLL Dinner Mix to ensure my homemade meals are AAFCO compliant. There are other supplements and base mixes you can use as well and just add meat. Hope that helps some.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Here are the ingredients to Hills z/d:

Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Soybean Oil, Hydrolyzed Chicken, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement , Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors , Beta-Carotene.

It doesn’t look overly horrible, but it doesn’t look great. I am surprised that it contains chicken and soy, both common food allergens. I might recommend trying your own elimination by buying high-quality dog foods free of certain common allergens and seeing which ones help. I have heard that feeding raw can help with allergies, but I can’t say from experience on that. Hope this is helpful!

[Kari L]

Hi, I am considering doing a raw food diet with my two dogs. They are old and have no real health problems but do have big lumps forming on their skin for the past 1-2 years. Fatty tumors I am guessing. I haven’t taken them to a vet in a very long time.
My daughter has autism and is obviously my priority. We eat 90% organic diet as a family and spend most of our money doing so among many of her supplements.
I am kind of sick of buying crappy dog food for them. I buy them a grain free dry dog food now which is mostly meat then followed by sweet potato which I know they don’t need.
I am not so worried about these two ( I love them but realize they are on there way out of this world and the damage of their teeth wont be repaired) but when they go would like to ditch the crappy dog food for sure.
So sorry for the long introduction but my question is how much does this all cost and how much preparation is involved? I have been buying what I thought was raw dog food at Whole Foods lately but realized it was lightly pasteurized. It was lamb and many lamb organs with many synthetic vitamins/minerals.
Do most people use synthetic vitamins/minerals on this diet? Again total newbie but do love nutrition.
BTW my dogs now are 11 and are 10 and 15 pounds. My next dog I plan will be bigger like a golden retriever.
Thank you much!

[Bobby dog]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write your experience with these products. The beets caught my eye a few months back. I have a healthy pup at this time, but was checking it out for his skin and coat. A year ago his skin and coat was a mess. I have since resolved his issues with diet changes and other supplements, but I am always on the lookout for any natural supplement.

What a time you have had with your guys! Nice to read you had the patience and knowledge to find a diet that works for your IBS dog, that’s half the battle. Your Sr. fellow sounds like he has benefitted from your care as well! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Sounds like you’re doing great so far!

Bichons are prone to bladder crystals so I definitely think adding canned food for the additional moisture is a great idea.

I’d suggest adding fresh, whole foods to get diet as well. Canned sardines are a great way to do that. Here’s an awesome download that’s worth every penny of the $1.95 it costs. It’s Steve Brown’s ABC method of supplementing any diet with fresh, whole foods.

http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41_1

[Jude s]

Hey! I was going to make a thread on this topic, but I saw this one….I hope it’s ok if I can ask my question on here 🙂
My 2 month old puppy has really soft stool, foul smelling, some mucus, and always seems to push kind of hard. He doesn’t whimper, he still eats and plays just fine.
I checked for worms, or any white specs, but he’s clear. I’m thinking he’s just having some irritation. I was thinking on putting him on some digestive enzyme supplements, I saw the suggested ones above, but not sure if those are ok for my puppy. I also saw the honest kitchen had supplements as well (Perfect Form & Pro Bloom).
Also if this helps he is a pitbull/chihuahua mix and about 7.5 lbs. He is eating Wellness puppy kibble, but I will be introducing raw foods sometime this month.

[H&N]

Hi everyone! I’m thinking of switching to Manitok Red Meat formula (from Zeal, a New Zealand brand). I have some doubts though. My concerns lie with monosodium phosphate, oligofructose & salt listed in the ingredients.

From Wiki, oligofructose is a sweentener extracted from fruits and vegetables, and that list include onion and leeks, which are off-limits to dogs. Should I be concern that this is added to the kibble?

Monosodium phosphate, from what I find from the web, is a combination of the synthetic forms of phosphorus and sodium. Phosphorus can be found in many foods and it’s rare for humans to be deficient in this, and usually doctors would make the recommendation if a supplement is needed. I have no idea if dogs need it in supplemental form, but surely additional sodium is not necessary, right?

And the salt, should I worry that the manufacturer add salt to the dry food? I don’t see it mention in the review and discussions. Am I being too paranoid? Any help is much appreciated!! Thank you!!

[HEATHER M]

I’m thinking of switching from Wellness Core Reduced Fat to Kahoots Grain-Free Beef and Boar. My dogs have been doing well on the Wellness for a while, but I think it’s a good idea to switch foods every so often to make sure their is nothing they are lacking. Wellness is rated 5 star on this website. Would Kahoots also be 5 star? Here is the ingredient list:

Ingredients:
Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas, Beef Fat (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Pork Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed (Source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Yeast Culture, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Natural Beef Flavor, Vegetable Pomace (Carrot, Peas, Tomato, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach), Dried Egg Product, Montmorillonite, Salt, Cranberries, Blueberries, Pumpkin Seed, Monosodium Phosphate, Yeast Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin Supplement (Source of Vitamin B3), Vitamin A Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate (Source of Vitamin B5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Source of Vitamin B1), Biotin ( Source of Vitamin B7), Riboflavin Supplement (Source of Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplment, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Ascorbic Acid, Folic Acid (Source of Vitamin B9), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Carbonate), Dried Chicory Root, L-Lysine, Selenium Yeast, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (Preservatives), Rosemary Extract.

[Kristin C]

Jan-I feed my girls raw meaty bones on the weekend and split a can of sardines between the 2 of them at the same time. I also split a can between the 2 girls mid-week as a snack. I prefer to feed whole food versus a daily “supplement”. Have you explored yeast overgrowth for the skin allergies?

[JAN E]

Kristin C, what do you suggest for an oil supplement? I tried a fish-based oil, but her breath and the smell of her toys was awful!! 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

Kathleen,

Have you tried giving some probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement with meals? My pup used to have such baaaaaad gas but after giving the supplements for a while, the gas is gone no matter what kind of food they eat. I used to give it everyday, but now just a couple times a week.

[Jude s]

Wow, Thanks everyone! I’m going to try SSLL dinner mix 🙂 I’ll experiment with different meats, and the sardines little by little. Also I was thinking of adding enzyme pro-biotic supplements , one of my pups is having really soft stool, and a lot of it. I’m going to be taking them both to the vet, but I’m hoping the supplements will work.

[theBCnut]

As growing puppies, large and giant breeds have very specific calcium requirements, which most large breed puppy foods don’t even meet, but once they are grown, you can feed them whatever. Just concentrate on feeding a correct amount of good quality food so that they don’t become overweight and more prone to joint issues. You may also want to add a joint supplement to help ward off damage to joints.

Some large breed formulas have joint supplements added in, but they are never actually at a therapeutic dose unless you over feed by quite a lot. Some restrict one nutrient or another based on old outdated research.

[pugmomsandy]

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_5170952x1024_zpsec466d4d.jpg

This site has a demo video:

http://northcoastpets.com/barf_hardware.htm

Other raw feeders have told me they have the 3/4 hp Cabela brand grinder and it’s worked just fine on chicken and turkey parts and it was less than $200. And adding in the lean ground meat and decreasing the beef organ mix would balance it out better (the meat and bone portion), but also check out the supplement section at dogaware. And you can also find hearts, tongues, cheek, even uterus at ethnic grocery stores as well.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Dori]

Hi cindy q. I went on their site and, actually, the food looks pretty decent. I put a call into them and have been told that all ingredients with the exception of the lamb which is sourced from New Zealand are locally sourced and absolutely nothing is from China. She is getting back to me either today or tomorrow because I wanted to know what she can tell me about the vitamin e supplement. She is double checking to make sure that the vitamin e contains no soy. She wasn’t sure. Personally I avoid feeding as much as possible soy for Katie. Autoimmune issues. Web site also states that it meets AAFCO standards. I’m going to assume that it meets AAFCO’s standards but has not actually gone through AAFCO feeding trial. I’ll post more on the vitamin e went she gets back to me. Hope all goes well with the new food.

[Laura B]

sorry, i keep being unclear. he can also eat barley and oats.

this is what is in pro series:

Fish Meal (Herring & Anchovy), Brewers Rice, Whole Barley, Whole Oats, Fish Oil (Herring), Dried Brewers Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, DiCalcium Phosphate, Kelp Meal, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Malted Barley Flour, L-lysine Hydrochloride, Inactivated Yeast, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C Activity), Vitamin E Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Zinc Methionine, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Selenite, Manganese Methionine, Copper Lysine, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione, Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid. – See more at: http://proseriespet.ca/dog-food/holistic-fish-and-rice/#sthash.LLGpRtYI.dpuf

[TheNaturalDog]

Or, Zignature Triut & Salmon Meal Formula

Ingredients
Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Chickpeas, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Natural Flavors, Salmon Oil, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Salt, Chorine Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Poteinate, Cobalt Proteinate), Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Blueberries, Carrots, Cranberries, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols.

[TheNaturalDog]

Holistic Select Grain Free Adult & Puppy Health Salmon and Anchovy & Sardine Meal

Ingredients:
Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Dried Ground Potatoes, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Menhaden Fish Meal, Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Pea Fiber, Pumpkin, Natural Fish Flavor, Cranberries, Apples, Brewers Dried Yeast, Papaya, Salt, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Choline Chloride, Blueberries, Pomegranate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Inulin, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Fennel, Ground Peppermint, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma reesei Fermentation Product, Dried Rhizopus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.
This is a naturally preserved product.

[Laura B]

Hello All,

I have a 12 year old dog that is probably a lab mix who has been having problems with hair loss. a year ago he was losing hair in patches on his face and the tips of his ears. also some dry cracked skin on the tips of his ears, that i picked off, and swollen ears from tips almost to base. i took him to the vet many times and eventually another vet suggested that it could be allergies.

I had been feeding him pro series hypoallergenic food in canada, but i have since moved to the states with him and i can’t get it here. the hair on his face had completely grown in and his ears were getting better as well. i just switched to pure vita salmon and potato, which he greatly prefers, but his ears are swollen again and no more signs of improvement with the hair coming back. i’ve been reading about this and it seems that ear infections are often triggered by food allergies, and this is a sign of the allergy (though the only problem with the ears is swelling, hair loss, and maybe some purple marks on the skin). i have looked everywhere for a food with similar ingredients but i can’t find anything that is just mostly herring, anchovies, and rice. i also supplemented with canned tuna to make the pro series more appetizing, and that seemed fine. if anyone can offer any suggestions of what to try or how to interpret this i would appreciate it so much.

[Akari_32]

I’m not sure how cleaning her teeth would go. Perhaps once the antibiotics are done, and her mouth isn’t as painful I will try with one of the human tooth brushes laying around in the bathroom (before buying all the doggy stuff). I’ll see how a plain toothbrush goes over, but I don’t have very high hopes LOL

I did find a glucosamine supplement that I really think is doing very well for her. Its just the Publix Greenwise brand, but its 1000 mg of Glucosamine and 500 (?) of MSM per three pills. I’ve breaking one pill a day open for her. She’s definitely got more spunk in her, and seems to be less grouchy when getting picked up. I took Bentley to get his rabies shot today (yuck!) while I was doing my internship, and forgot to bring my money so I brought him home and switched him out for Ginger and walked back to pay, and she basically ran and bounced the whole way. She was literally acting like a puppy most of the walk, its was so cute lol At one point, she stopped to sniff something that must have been extra good because it took several calls and leash tugs to get her attention, but once I got her attention, she did that crazy everything-is-just-so-exciting-I don’t-know-what-to-do-with-myself sideway bouncey gallop that puppies do LOL Crazy dog XD She’s still limping and sore, but she’s in really good spirits. Most of the time she sleeps, but when she’s awake and moving, half the time she’s running (which is actually an awkward little hoppy thing LOL).

Oh, and I was really mean and tested her today. I was eating mac and cheese on the couch (you know, like an adult *roll eyes*) and she hobbled up the stairs and was trying to get a treat out of me. I told her no, and she stayed over on the far end, so I put my empty bowl down, right in front of her, and wouldn’t let her touch it. She was so good, just waiting patiently, looking at me like “can I lick it yet?” I didn’t let her have any, because she either pukes, almost pukes, or gets explodey butt after eating people food, but you know lol

[USA]

Hi Kristin C,

I use See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mixes as my main supplement. I also use Balance IT Carnivore Blend. For Omega 3’s I use canned sardines in water and I dehydrate calamari and salmon fillets with skin. I alternate digestive enzymes and probiotics (100 billion). For fiber I use psyllium husks, sprouted flax seeds, dehulled hemp seeds and ground chia. I use ground chia instead of whole chia seeds because I’m worried about the tiny seeds getting caught in their digestive tracts.

[Kristin C]

USA-what supplements do you use?

[USA]

Hi cindy q,

I feed my guys a homemade diet of fresh pasture-raised meats, free-range poultry and wild-caught fish. I do not feed them any foods that contain ground bone because I lightly cook everything. Their diet is about 80% meats and 20% vegetables. They occasionally get organs and fruits. I lightly cook everything and I use supplements to make sure their diet is balanced and complete.

[Dori]

I have never seen any bone or bone pieces in the food. I agree with cindy q on the issue of bones.

USA and anyone else interested. I just spoke to someone at Big Dog Natural. They air dry their food at 80 – 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours.

I decided that instead of guessing, I would just pick up the phone and call. My call was returned within 20 minutes. I have never once been given the run around with any question I have asked. They have been nothing but forthcoming with me. I choose to have the food in rotation with my three dogs everyone else can make up their own minds. As I have said often in the past…..these issues that are being questioned back and forth may very well not sit well with some if this is the ONLY food you are going to feed your dogs. Most of us on DFA rotate foods, supplements, within the brands and different brands. Anyway, my dogs love the food and they have absolutely no issues with the food. No diarrhea, gas, no constipation, no itchiness, no bad breath, no tear stains, no gurgling stomachs, their poops are exactly the way they should be for dogs that eat raw-small well formed not too hard don’t stick to the ground no smell whatsoever.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.

[Liz S]

Been using Dinovite on and off for almost 10 years. Did wonders on my pug. And chihuahuas. The only treats our dogs get is their freeze dried beef treats. Have been getting the treats for many years but when certain health problems arose we did find the supplements helpful.

[Kristin C]

Hey Cindy-if your dogs love BDN then stick with it but consider adding a supplement and some variety, maybe some real raw here and there, and some novel proteins. Check out the See Spot Live Longer website.

[theBCnut]

From my understanding, there is no harm, but you can just give them a couple time a week. Some probiotics come with a prebiotic in with them. If you need to stick with one food, I would add the prebiotics too, just in case the food is not supporting them well enough. Fiber supplements that contain inulin are a good cheap prebiotic and a little goes a long way.

[Wendy E]

Thank you, Mom2Cavs! I am just now getting a chance to google some of this stuff. When you say you are doing a rotation of base kibbles, do you mean you buy a different bag each time, or you rotate the three kinds with a different one each day, or what? And then you also add the canned stuff to it each time? My girl will think she died and went to heaven! LOL

And you supplement with Standard Process Cardiac Care, CoQ10 and fish oil? Any others?

I’m looking forward to checking out the cavalier websites too! Thank you SO much!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jude-
Welcome to DFA. I saw your pups on the review side. They are adorable! I also took in two male littermates at the same time, and it was quite an adventure. Mine are lab and golden retriever mix. Both weighing about 80 lbs. I also have been on an adventure learning how to feed them more appropriately! I feed them mostly kibble, but I do add toppers to every meal. What I add is changing over time. I started out with canned, but while I’ve been on this site, I’ve incorporated other toppers as well. I wanted to give you this link to the See Spot Live Longer website as others have mentioned they have a premix. Here it is: http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/ I started with downloading the SSLL the ABC way for @2.95. It is a guide for people who feed kibble and want to supplement with various raw meats, fruits and vegggies. It is a pretty informative little download. I use his guide for supplementing kibble. Now, in addition, I feed one kibble free meal a week with the See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix. So far, I’ve just added lightly cooked ground turkey to it. He also has a book available on the site that has home made recipes. I don’t see me doing that in the near future. But have at it if you are so inclined! Another good site is http://www.dogaware.com. It has recommendations for books, premixes and even recipes on that site. Good luck and have fun with those pups! They grow up REALLY fast!

[DogFoodie]

Hi SunnyD,

Looks like the NVI raw duck bites are a good choice with sodium at .27%.

The product also includes heart, which is excellent glandular therapy.

Here’s a couple of threads you might also be interested in:
/forums/topic/food-and-supplements-for-my-cavi-with-heart-murmur/; /forums/topic/dry-dog-food-with-low-salt-and-low-fat/

[SunnyD]

I have 2 yorkies that are 11 years old. Last fall my female yorkie was diagnosed with a heart murmur and Congestive Heart Failure. At the time both dogs were eating Nature’s Variety Raw duck bites. The vet had me switch her to a low sodium diet of prescription HD wet food. I hate the corn and other fillers in the prescription food. Currently, she is on enalapril, furosemide and vetmedin. I have to give her her pills twice per day (all in one Allergy formula Pill Pocket). She gobbles it right up. I try to give her as little of the pill pocket as possible because I have no idea how much sodium they have. I would love to switch her back to the Nature’s Variety Raw duck bites. Is that a safe low sodium diet for CHF? Any supplements she should be taking? Or other recommendations? Thanks.

[Naturella]

Kayla – I am loving all your posts and questions!

I think from my reading this is how it goes, best to worst:
Balanced raw
Freeze-dried/air-dried balanced raw
Balanced dehydrated
Canned
High-quality kibble
Low-quality kibble

Even the best kibble is in the bottom as far as “good” for dogs. As C4C said, if you can, go ahead and mix kibble and canned for each meal; heck, throw a few teaspoons of water in there too. Kibble can lead to a constant state of low-level dehydration, so making it wet is better, plus it is supposed to help with nutrient absorption.

That said, I feed kibble – I never go below 4-star foods and I rotate brands and protein with every bag now. Thank goodness my guy is small, so foods last him a while. But, I supplement with a heaping teaspoon of raw, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil every other day or so (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday at breakfast), 2 heaping teaspoons of plain yoghurt/plain kefir Monday and Friday at breakfast, a raw egg once/week (Wednesday at breakfast), a half can of sardines in water once/week (Saturday at breakfast), and a raw meaty bone once/week (Sunday for dinner always – no other food for that meal). Also, for all meals that do not include the above additives (the dinner meals), I add 1-2 teaspoons of The Honest Kitchen (THK) dehydrated food and I add water to make it soupy. Sometimes I would use canned, and still add a tad more water. And I just got green tripe from Big Dog Natural (BDN; air-dried), so you add that and water to the kibble, let it rehydrate as with THK, and serve. So far so good, Bruno is happy, lean, and healthy. 🙂

Please let us know if you have any other questions! 🙂

P.S. If you have a Costco membership, they have the best prices on good coconut oil, as well as cheap, good food – Kirkland Signature brand is 4-star and $26/40lbs (4.5 stars for Puppy and Mature dog, and small breed), and Nature’s Domain (grain-free) is 3.5 stars and $30/35lbs!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Naturella.

[theBCnut]

WHOA!!!!! EVERYONE!!!!!

A dog that has been starved will have its system completely overwhelmed just by getting regular food. PLEASE!!! Slow down!!

Start with something bland like chicken and rice and only feed about half of what you think she should be getting, for about 3 days. Feel free to add probiotics and digestive enzymes at this time and keep feeding them until all her issues are worked out. After a few days, increase her food to about 3/4 of what she should be getting and then a few days after that increase it to the full amount. Then after a few more days, start adding in some quality dog food, just 1/4 of a meal or less at first. Slowly transition her to full dog food. After that, if you find she still needs different supplements then add them in one at a time every few days.

Your poor girl cannot physically handle all the good things you are trying to do for her. Her body has to have time to adjust to just getting regular meals.

[Bobby dog]

The supplements the Vet suggested should help with her anemia, poor thing.

I have a healthy, younger pup and supplement with MSM daily, kefir for probiotics, garlic 3x/wk, fish oil capsules 3x/wk when I don’t feed sardines, coconut oil 3x/wk, and vit E 1x/wk. For fresh foods I feed some vegies, fruit, lightly cooked fresh meats (he does not have a taste for raw), and a 1 minute poached egg 1-2x/week which helps keep his skin and coat beautiful. I know their are some wonderful commercial supplements out there that would help with healing her immune system, but I don’t have any suggestions for a dog with her health issues. I do recommend looking into digestive enzymes and probiotics for starters. Some probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms (I believe this might also contain digestive enzymes, not sure), and Mercola complete. Here is a link to Dogaware for a starting point that might help you find info on supplements for her and some other topics as well.
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

Info on kefir and coco oil:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

I will throw this out to you which may or may not interest/help you to improve her kibble diet if that is what you are going to continue to feed her. I follow Steve Brown’s “ABC Diet.” It is an easy menu plan that helps you improve any quality of kibble following a simple menu and according to the dog’s weight with fresh foods (raw or lightly cooked meat) you can buy at the grocery store.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

[Robyn H]

My bad, the vet did blood work and Dr says’ she’s anemic and wants to put her on an iron supplement and a fatty acid supplement as well. I’m going to put her on a green tripe diet for the time being and see how that works. Any suggestions on the supplements?

[Bobby dog]

Robyn:
I am not sure how to attach a photo, but others can help!

Has your Vet checked for giardia and coccidia? Those parasites can cause runny stools and I have read that owners sometimes have to run tests several times as they sometimes don’t detect them initially, IDK.

I don’t have too much experience with putting weight on dogs, and certainly not with an emaciated dog. I am throwing questions out to you in hopes others can offer help and to bump your post up.

Maybe you could try a lower protein/fat kibble such as Nutrisource to help with the transition to a new diet. My dog and cats do well on Nutrisource products. I always add canned, lightly cooked fresh meats, or commercial raw to my dogs kibble. I would keep offering her a canned food as well.

As Cyndi suggested, canned pumpkin might help with her stools. I feed some everyday to one of my cats so I always have a frozen bag full of ice-cube sized canned pumpkin on hand. In most cases it helps with diarrhea or constipation; good food with multiple uses! Some other products for help with firming up stools are:
• Firm up pumpkin supplement –dehydrated pumpkin
http://www.dydusa.com/firmup_p…
• Fruitables – canned fruit supplement
http://fruitablespetfood.com/f…
• Honest Kitchen Perfect Form supplement
http://www.thehonestkitchen.co…

[Bobby dog]

Hi Robyn H:
Do you know what your dog was eating previously at the rescue? Has she had blood work to rule out other health issues that could inhibit weight gain? Do you supplement her meals with anything such as probiotics or digestive enzymes? Also, I don’t have any experience with HW treatment or Melatonin do you know the side effects of these drugs?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Victoria W:
I understand your budget constraints and hopefully I can offer some more suggestions in addition to the ones you have received. You are very kind to give your relative’s dogs the extra attention they need!

It is surprising they would continue to pay for office visits and medication without trying a new diet as well. However, it sounds like she has an infection and needs antibiotics at this time.

Buying a 50 lbs. bag of food is convenient for large dog owners. Throw in a price of about 45 cents/lb. and it’s hard to talk someone out of buying it. In the future, if you are able to convince them to try another food they should expect to pay at least $1/lb. for a food with more meat protein; about $10 – $15 more per bag. If they would agree to this price point you could find some decent kibbles for them in 40-50 lbs bags.

If you decide to add a new food or supplement be sure to add slowly and in small portions building up to the desired amounts.

If your relatives will only shop at Wal-Mart for dog food and are adamant about feeding Ol’ Roy, maybe you could suggest they try adding other brands to their dogs’ diet along with Ol’ Roy. Here‘s a thread with kibble & canned foods available at Wal-Mart with decent ratings:
/forums/search/Wal-Mart/

There is a PDF download from Steve Brown, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.” It will help you improve any quality of kibble with the addition of fresh foods (eggs, tinned fish, fresh meat, vegetables) you can get at the grocery store. There is a menu that walks you through the amounts of each food to add according to the quality of kibble being fed and the size of the dog. I feed anything from a 3 to 5 star kibble and this download helps me to improve my dog’s diet very easily and affordably. I add the fresh food over several meals rather than feeding it in one day.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

I don’t always have sardines on hand for my dog and when I don’t I supplement his diet with CVS drug store 1000 mg fish oil capsules 3x/week. I also supplement vitamin E once a week regardless if I feed sardines or CVS fish oil. Here’s a link to more info on supplements, it’s also a great site with lots of other info:
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

As far as mercury or chemical contamination, smaller fish are not usually high in contaminates due to their short life span and the depth of water they live in. Herring, menhaden, and sardines are some smaller species. Here’s a site with some more info on contamination in fish and a link to a wallet card with a list of fish and the degree of contamination they may have:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/

I think adding some probiotics to her diet would really help with her skin issues; it helped tremendously with healing my cat’s skin. This would also help keep the antibiotics from destroying the friendly bacteria in her digestive system. An affordable way to do this is to feed unflavored kefir; most grocery stores sell kefir and it has a very long shelf life. I add it to my cat and dog’s food daily. Here’s some info:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

Other probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms, and Mercola complete.

Coconut oil would be another food that would help with her skin. I add it to my dog’s food 3x/week, more if he has skin issues. I also apply it directly to his skin when it’s irritated. Unfortunately, he loves it so much I have to be sure I have time to supervise him so he doesn’t lick it off before it’s absorbed. Only use unrefined organic. The best price I have found for it was at BJ’s or Costco; Wal-Mart also has a good price just in a smaller jar. Here’s some info on the benefits and dosage:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

After a bad experience with my cat and steroids when my dog developed a skin infection I was more than willing to put in the work I needed to help him heal. Bathing with medicated shampoo and applying antibiotic cream regularly was integral in healing his infection. The active ingredients in Malasab shampoo is 2% Miconazole Nitrate and 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate. There are some generic alternatives that might be more budget friendly. Look for my post on page 3 from June 9, 2014 at 6:40 pm for info on some alternatives and for some ingredients to look for in medicated shampoos.
/forums/topic/maybe-its-time-for-a-diet-change/page/3/

I don’t have any experience with a dog that has hip dysplasia, but I think you are on the right track with a glucosamine supplement. Here are two threads that might be helpful:
/forums/topic/joint-health/
/forums/topic/budget-friendly-supplements-for-14-year-old-dachshund/

And here’s a coupon thread that might help with your pet food budget. The first page is an intro and the last page has the most current info posted.
Page 1:
/forums/topic/coupons/
Current page:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/15/

[Bobby dog]

Very nice update! So glad you got her in for an exam and to care for her teeth. You really should give brushing her teeth a try. Sometimes it’s easier than you think it would be. I used to brush this grumpy old Chi mix’s teeth for a friend of mine because she was afraid of being bitten. You would imagine she would bite your hand off as grumpy as she was, but it was just the opposite she would just try her best to taste every bit of the paste.

When my JRT reached her senior years I just gave her some of my horses joint supplement. Joint supplements are expensive and it’s cheaper that way when you have a zoo. I use mostly Uckele and the Natural Vet products, some Vita-Flex and Select the Best also. My favorite supplement for my entire zoo is MSM. Pure MSM is very cheap to buy at tack shops or feed stores. I would look for a supplement with glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid (HA). Devils claw and yucca is good too.
http://equine.uckele.com/Canine/joint

Here’s a brief article on herbs for animal arthritis:
http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/articles/top-5-herbs-for-arthritis/

[Akari_32]

Just giving you guys a little update.

I took Ginger to the vet with me this morning and we did a urinalysis on her, and the vet did an over all general exam. Despite her nasty teeth, and the good 10 or so fatty tumors, she’s in good health. We did what we could through a make-sift muzzle with her teeth (we used a bit of gauze tied around her mouth as a muzzle so we could get at her teeth with out her biting, and “cracked” off what tartar build up we could), and her pee came out looking good. The tech said one day, when I’m rich and famous, I should get her teeth done for real, but we both know thats pretty unlikely lol

I was concerned with a kidney problem because she had pee’d just straight water last week on the floor, and I can’t ever see how it looks in the grass obviously, but the tech didn’t find anything suspicious in there today, and I’m not going to pay for blood work if we don’t need to do it. If it persists, then I’ll worry about it, but she seems fine, and going off what I’ve told them, they don’t seem worried about it either.

When we were doing her teeth, she started on one of her canines, and said it was too loose for her to feel comfortable with doing much to, and that it would likely fall out some time soon. And poor Ginger just cried and cried when we were done with her teeth. Hopefully getting some of that junk off her teeth will make her mouth feel better, though. I’ll give her all canned food tonight so she doesn’t have to crunch on the kibbles.

Anyways, she’s as healthy as she’s going to get at the moment, which is good. I’m looking into some joint supplements, and hopefully that’ll help with her biting when getting picked up, once those start to kick in, and help relieve some of that pain, as well. The vet sent me home with a script for chewable amoxicillin to help with her mouth situation, and gave me two refills for when its starts getting bad again. Free antibiotics is the best I can do for her teeth and mouth at the moment and he knows it. If we were to do anything beyond that, it’d be knocking her and pulling all her teeth (or at least a good majority of them), which I can’t afford, and would like to avoid if possible, anyways lol At this point, he’s just happy to see her in a home thats caring for her, and I’m sure Ginger feels the same way.

[theBCnut]

Their recipes are like this

Brisket of Beef

Take one brisket of beef and hand it to the dog.

Goat Head

Take the goat head and hand it to the dog.

Eggs

Hand the eggs to the dog. Or you may want to feed them as a supplement to another meal.

Cracks me up just thinking about it. When I found their “recipes.” I was scouring the internet looking for recipes for balanced raw meals. They definitely made me relax a bit, quite a bit.

[Dori]

Hi Terri M. I went onto the healx.com site. I’ve never heard of them but that’s not so much my issues with them. My issue with anything I give my three dogs (or myself and husband) is they say it’s a proprietary blend. So you don’t actually know what’s in it. I don’t give them anything that I don’t know exactly what’s in a food, supplement, whatever. There are more natural ways that you can give omega 3’s to balance out omega 6’s in foods. Sardines, sardine oil, as I mentioned before. I try to go natural before I start adding pills.

As to the chicken, I don’t feed chicken, chicken fat, turkey, pheasant, quail. In other words, I don’t feed any fowl whatsoever. They are very high as a common allergen as BC noted. You’ll also note that when dog foods are recalled it’s typically, not always, some sort of poultry. If you choose to avoid fowl in all it’s forms don’t be fooled if a food says they are Venison or some other protein on the front of the food. Read the entire ingredient list. More than half the foods on the market will have some sort of chicken or turkey in the ingredients.

You didn’t ask but I will also tell you that I avoid canola oil like the plague. I don’t like anything about canola, don’t use it myself and it has a horrible allergic effect on all three of my dogs. Two of my dogs have no food or environmental issues whatsoever, they never did. Katie, 5 year old Maltipoo is the first dog I have ever had that has allergies. I adopted her at 9 weeks of age and she was a mess back then. It has been trial and error all the way with her but because of Katie I have had a wonderful experience on this forum and other canine forums and have gained a wealth of knowledge that I had never had a reason to know in the past. One benefit of Katie’s allergies and intolerances is that my other two girls have benefited from her having issues. They are all on raw food and look and feel great. Hannah, my 15 year old Maltese with multiple cancers (bladder and lung) has no idea she’s ill. No one would believe it including myself. No one that sees her or plays with her or watches her playing with the other two dogs can believe she is 15 years old let alone has cancer. I attribute all this to the raw food, fruits and veggies. I only wish I had started on raw many years ago.

When Katie was very very young vets had her on antihistamines, Atopica (horrible horrible medication that screws up their organs and lord knows what else). I’d taken her to a canine allergist who wanted to do skin testing which I refused to do. The poor baby was a real mess I wasn’t about to put her through that. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that not only does Katie no longer have allergy problems as related to foods, I can’t remember when the last time was that she had a antihistamine.

Rabbit can be one of the more expensive ones but there are so many other proteins you can use. Chicken is the cheapest but I always recommend anyone that has a dog with food intolerances to stay away from anything and everything with feathers. It’s worked for Katie who was in pitiful shape. There is a theory out there that just because they are allergic to chicken in a kibble doesn’t mean that they can’t eat chicken raw. That theory is just that, a theory. It is very possible to be allergic to the raw chicken as Katie is. I’ve asked before, I’d love to know who makes up all these theories out there. Most of them aren’t true. I guess sort of like “old wives tales”, some worked some didn’t.

By the way, as to the amounts of organic virgin coconut oil and the raw goats milk, you didn’t mention the weight of your dog. We would have to know that before advising you how much to add to your dogs food.

Unless your dog has an active infection, he should not be on antibiotics. They wreak havoc with the system. Also, steroids is only dealing with the symptoms and not whatever he is allergic to. I had been advised to put Katie on steroids but I and her vet said no, also no to the antibiotics. Her vet is very strict about antibiotics. ONLY if a dog has an infection either visually or proved by blood tests. She’s not real thrilled about prednisone either. The practice I go to has four vets. The one I see now that joined the practice last year is good with raw foods. The other three just push the garbage they sell and think you’re misguided feeding raw. The new vet that I use trained for a couple of years at Georgia Veterinary Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. Susan Wynn (homeopathic, holistic nutritionist). Dr. Wynn was thrilled when she found out who I was using as a regular vet. Said my dogs couldn’t possibly be in better hands.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Cav lover! I have 3 and all 3 of mine have murmurs. Hazel has a grade 2 that was early onset and hasn’t changed in 5 years. She’s 7 now. She is on no meds at this time. Laverne is 9 and was diagnosed with a grade 3/4 about a year ago. She is on no meds at this time. Rupert is 7 and was just diagnosed this past April with a grade 5 and MVD. 🙁 He is doing fine, atm, and is on enalapril. I do give supplements like coq10 and fish oil. I have used others in the past, in supplements like Bio-Cardio by Thorne and Cardio Strength from Vetri Science. My vet likes to use Standard Process glandular supps. and I’ve used the Cardiac care one. I do know that homecooked or raw would probably be best but I do as good as I can for them. I am feeding a rotation of base kibbles, Wellness Simple Small Breed, Fromm Salmon Tunalini. I add canned foods like Fromm 4Star, Wellness 95% or Stews, Simply Nourish and also Fresh Pet Vital. They are great eaters! You can also find tons of info. at this site: cavalierhealth.org. Good luck with your pup, they are a special kind of breed!

One more thing…..I do know that Wellness makes a Small Breed Senior (only comes in 4lb. bags, though) that is lower, controlled sodium but it’s not grain free (if that’s a concern, may not be). Actually, pretty much all of Wellness Small Breed formulas have decent salt percentages (not outlandish).

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[theBCnut]

I use horse supplements on the dogs. I really like Cortaflex, but I add MSM separately. I order from Jefferspet dot com. They have a supplement in their dog section that I have used before and liked, but I like Cortaflex better.