[Nora S]

Have these foods been reviewed and I am just missing it or have they not been reviewed yet? Has anyone tried it? I love the concept, kind of like Tom’s shoes, for every bag or treat sold, one is donated.

The only food my dog consistently does well on is what I cook – would love to be able to supplement his home cooked food with a high quality kibble, but so far the ones I have tried have not worked out, he either hated it or got an upset stomach. Purina One Beyond has been the only one he did well on, but after researching it I became concerned and took him off it. If Dogsfood is decent quality and they are actually doing what they are saying, I would love to try it!

[Bobby dog]

Marie: For ticks you use it like a flea powder

Akari:
I used to buy Shoo Flea by the Natural Vet, really liked it but just didn’t fit into the budget anymore. The main ingredient in Shoo Flea is food grade DE and it is scented with a capsule of herbs and essential oils. I began using plain food grade DE several years ago as a flea powder and for treating pet beds, floors etc with good results. Keep in mind it does not kill them immediately.

I have seen warnings about DE clogging vacuums, it has never happened to me. I just make sure I take their bedding outside to shake them out then throw them in the washer. I have only had to use DE on the floors in my basement so I swept the floor well before vacuuming.

Be careful not to inhale the dust or let your pets inhale the dust.

I have never fed it to my cats or dogs.

The one drawback I found using it as a flea powder is that it can dry their skin. I always use organic unrefined coco oil as a food supplement when using it. Fish oil would probably be a good choice also. I use CVS 1000 mg fish oil capsules for Bobby and the cats. The good thing about coco oil is it can be applied externally. As a flea deterrent I had the best luck using coco oil applied directly to the skin, but it can be messy for your furniture. Coco oil does very well at soothing skin irritations like flea bites. I apply DE first, then coco oil if needed in certain areas. I used coco oil daily on Bobby last summer. Hopefully I won’t have to treat flea bites this year because his yeasty smell is gone and his skin is healthy since I have improved his diet. So far so good!

Good thing I checked the links I saved on DE, some of them no longer existed.

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/benefits-diatomaceous-earth/
http://www.vetinfo.com/using-diatomaceous-earth-to-worm-pets.html
http://www.diatomaceousearth.com/?gclid=CJ2Dt8S5p74CFaQF7Aod5g4AcA
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html&sa=U&ei=9l5xU7PaKPLHsATEvYCQCA&ved=0CB0QFjAA&sig2=DCYxeQKLHzMoXm6BYZtcxw&usg=AFQjCNHLDmVU6sLMs22UbzqWxC0OnCzAVw

[crazy4cats]

Yes, I use slippery elm for my dogs. I think it works very well. I’ve never used it by itself, however, always in a supplement. Right now I’m using Gastriplex made by Thorne. Also, ive used Perfect Form made by The Honest KitcheN and Phytomucil by Animal Essentials that also contain it. I think it really helps with loose stools with my two lab mix dogs. I’m not sure if they have leaky guts or IBS due to giardia parasites and many treatments of antibiotics to get rid of them. It’s funny you asked about it because I was thinking of starting a thread about it also. Only becasuse I worry about the long term usage of it. Also, I’ve read that plantain, DGL, and marshmallow root are also helpful. Dogaware.com has much info on the subject.mgood luck!

[Kayley L]

Anything you can recommend from this selection?

http://www.renspets.com/dogs/health/supplements.html

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Kayley L.

[LexiDog]

W/D is a low fat glucose management dog food by SD that is supposed to be for diabetic dogs. The ingredients are: Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Caramel color, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Flaxseed, L-Lysine, 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, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Iodized Salt, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, L-Threonine, Beta-Carotene, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors.

[Shasta220]

Ironically, I was just on the subject of Hills myself! It was a different forum, someone had asked what’s good kibble for their cat – said they were feeding Hills. I suggested DFA for some head starts on good brands, and warned about the gross junk in Hills.

What happened? A bunch of people chewed me out how “…if your dog needs a prescription diet, you have no other choice.” I still said that I would never feed such useless fillers to my dogs, and would rather look into home made diets for the “prescription” benefits. They said, and I quote, “…you just don’t understand, do you! THERE IS SIMPLY NO OTHER OPTION!!!!!” – eek! They tried to caps me to death! Ohhhhh the pain!

Eeeesh! I’m sorry, I don’t care how bad my dogs get and how “absolutely necessary” a prescription Hills or RC kibble is needed, I would never feed it to my dogs! I’d rather take time to find some sort of home made diet and supplements that had the benefits without that added trash.

Okay, my vent is over too 😉

(I use shudder for the description as well, I almost never use shiver except to describe when I’m cold lol)

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Shasta220.

[LexiDog]

Yeah, I think the Merrick Classics would be a good place to start! I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but remember to do the transition slowly over a period of several days. Fruitables makes “Switch” to help transition that is just pumpkin. I used their Pumpkin & Ginger digestive supplement because it has other ingredients like ginger to help calm upset stomachs.

Good luck! Let us know how it turn out!

[Gloraidy R]

I’m also looking for a free of synthetic vitamins and minerals, grain free/good for sensitive dogs to allergies, and i can make it into a rotational dry kibble diet(cans are too expensive to feed to large dogs and i dont have the fridge space for a raw/home made diet). I recently heard of different studies (done with humans, not dogs so it might/not apply) where the researchers compared the health of people who took synthetic vitamins from pills and those that took their vitamins from their diet(vegetables, fruits, meats ect.). They found that those that took synthetic vitamins had higher occurrences of cancer than those who ate their naturally occurring vitamins in foods. Here are two sources where you can get this info from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/selenium-vitamin-e-supplements-increase-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk-201402287059 , http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-diet-cancer-questions
“Can nutritional supplements lower cancer risk?
There is strong evidence that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods may reduce the risk of cancer. But there is no proof at this time that supplements can reduce cancer risk. Some high-dose supplements may actually increase cancer risk.”

so please help me find one >.< for my very special adopted senor furbabies.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Gloraidy R.

[InkedMarie]

Bandits mom: yes, it works great for her. There are various supplements:

Neutricks: overall improvement in sleep, disorientation and especially house training. Very
Few side effects & no known side effects with meds. Improvements noticed with
In days.

Novifit: favorable response seen within one month & increased in second month. Reduction in
Problem behaviors including improvement in playfulness, less house soiling and
awareness. Moderate improvement in sleep patterns, disorientation & confusion.
Showed improvement in attention & cognitive process.

Senilife: significant improvement in sleeping problems, playfulness, apathy, response to
Commands & disorientation.

Cholodin: one study showed 9/15 client owned dogs had moderate to significant
Improvement in clinical signs.

That’s a little from the November 2012 Whole Dog Journal.

[SandyandMila]

Oh good. So it’s be better to break it up into several balanced meals during the week than having just the one day , like Sunday, with a big balanced meal (large turkey necks, large leg quarter, or even a whole prey) with organ/muscle/supplements.

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

[pugmomsandy]

SandyandMila,

The 3 meals a week is approximately 20% if your dog eats twice a day. That 20% could be anything unbalanced like just a RMB, a whole sardine, some leftover table food, etc. Or if you like, a RMB + muscle/organ/supplements, or 2.25 lbs or raw for one week split up however you like. You could even split up a 2.25 lb whole chicken with gizzards over the course of one week.

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

[SandyandMila]

I’m actually thinking of doing the same at the moment. I was doing just raw (commercial and RMBs) for awhile but because of availability or cost I am now back to canned and dry with a periodical commercial raw (Answers recently). My dog is about the same weight and activity level as the dog above. If I make a meal from the RMB (adding organ/muscle meat, chicken feet, green supplements, fish oil, eggs, etc. ) would I have to feed it for the same 3 meals a week as the person mentioned above or is that if it’s not balanced? If I use a bigger RMB like a turkey neck or chicken leg quarter and make a meal of it would that be a one meal day, with her eating about 1 1/2 lbs a day? Would that be enough to fill her up for the whole day? Since chicken is easily available and usually on sale I wanted to start feeding RMBs again and eventually feed her more homemade raw. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Rudy –

I wouldn’t recommend Blue Buffalo products for a large breed puppy. Proper calcium levels are crucial during the first 8 months or so in order to minimize the chances of developmental orthopedic disease and Blue won’t disclose their calcium levels.

There’s a large breed puppy forum here. There’s a list of appropriate 4 and 5 star foods somewhere in that forum, I’m sure there’s something you could find at Petsmart.

I wouldn’t recommend adding vitamins to an already balanced food unless done so at the recommendation of a veterinarian. However, there some nutraceuticals that can be beneficial – such as probiotics, enzymes, omega 3’s, wholefood/superfoods (i.e. kelp, spirulina, bee pollen, etc.), coconut oil, glandular supplements, garlic, etc. I like to keep several of these types of supplements on hand and rotate around.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[LexiDog]

I am curious as to why everyone seems to love Dr. Tim’s. Is it the price point? I am not sure. When reading the ingredients for their Kinesis GF formula, it seems to have a lot of ingredients that I would not want to give to my dog. Most of the ingredients are dried. It has beet pulp, salt and canola oil. It has a very long list of added vitamins and minerals at the bottom…I understand that some vitamins and minerals have to be added to make a complete and balanced diet…but it just seems like this food has more supplements added to it than good ingredients in the food with the natural occurring vitamins and minerals.

I haven’t fed my dog this brand but don’t really see why I would want to. I have seen people suggest this food to others as a good quality dog food and can’t figure out why.
****this is NOT an attack on Dr. Tim’s****I just want to know why it is so highly recommended. Am I missing something?

I feed my girl Orijen, ACANA, Primal and Stella and Chewy’s. I know that a rotational diet is good for dogs so I have been trying to find another brand that I think is as good as Orijen.

What are your thoughts?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cindy q-

First of all, have you had a fecal test at the vets yet? Sometimes parasites and worms can be the cause of loose stools. So, please rule that out first. Also try cutting back on the food a little. Maybe her growth has slowed down and does not need quite as much food any longer. Then… Have you tried adding any type of supplement to help? If neither one of the two first recommendations work, you could try to add supplements. I’ve used Perfect Form made by The Honest Kitchen, Gastriplex made by Thorne, Vetri-Pro BD made by Vetri Science, Fruitables Pumpkin Digestive Supplement and other digestive enzymes and probiotics that have helped. A website that was helpful to me when I was having these issues is dogaware.com. I wish you luck!

[Shasta220]

I love Kirkland food, but some dogs get all gross on it (diarrhea, hair loss, itching) even though other foods with similar ingredients are fine. I’m considering trying Hyperion GF variety just for the heck of seeing if my lab does any better and has a possible allergy to rice. She’s doing fine on the grain-in stuff, but has been having some dandruff. Luckily no itching.

Anyway, back to the rave: I love Costco. Wish there was one closer (have to drive 2hrs)…. Coconut oil is a fave supplement, but I wouldn’t feed it as it was SO spendy (a little tiny jar is about 20$). Found it at Coscto! A jar about 5-6x the size was only 24$. Boo-yah!

[arwyru24]

Hey all, I am new here, have been lurking around this site for a little while for dog food because my parents just added a new puppy, but feeding cats on a budget happens to be my specialty. I have 2 pretty big guys (12 and almost 14lbs) The 12lb guy has a really sensitive system, but his body condition is ideal, and the 14lber tends towards the tubby side and so I have to really pay attention to his weight (they are both indoor only). I have tried most of the higher end foods on the market at one time or another. I subscribe to the idea that cats need the moisture in their diet and ideally should be on all wet food, however I supplement with dry to help meet my budget.
I primarily feed wellness grain free canned food, the 12.5oz cans are really cost effective, I primarily feed the turkey and salmon (purple can) it seems to be their favorite and the one they eat the most consistently without turning their noses up to it. I also rotate in the chicken (orange can), turkey (green), and chicken and herring (royal blue) and the minced turkey, chicken, and turkey salmon. I like wellness for a number of reasons and they have done really well on it. I rotate in a number of other brands: Evo (again those big cans save money), california’s natural salmon and sweet pea, (I am a little wary of Natura but I havent had any bad experiences) natural balance LID can’s, HALO pate, Instinct all work and are tolerated well.
The cat that loves crunchies isn’t picky at all really. He never met a kibble he didn’t like….. that is until I bought a 6lb bag of what I am feeding now: Wellness Core Indoor formula. I just bought a trial size bag of Orijen yesterday for $3.99 and am mixing it in with the Wellness. Its the first I have tried Orijen, because it is so expensive, but with the Orijen mixed in I am feeding less than 1/2 a cup of kibble a day total so it is affordable. Dry food lasts me forever it is the canned that really breaks the bank.
Sorry to chime in uninvited to this forum but am glad to have a place to share my experience 🙂

[Caroline M]

I have been home cooking for my dogs for a little over a year now and they are doing wonderfully on it. It is as economical as buying a good quality kibble if you look for sales. They have beautiful coats, are healthy, and the chronic itching one of my dogs used to have has now completely disappeared. I follow Dr. Pritcairn’s recipes and recipes on dogaware.com, and have been adding my own calcium in the form of ground eggshells.

However, one of my dogs had calcium oxalate in her urine at her annual check-up. Not crystals, just the presence of calcium oxalate. She has no symptoms. I am now worried that the ratio of calcium/phosphorus may be contributing and ordered a supplement from Just Food for Dogs to add that is designed for people who home cook. It was recommended in a recent issue of The Whole Dog Journal. But…the company does not supply information on the ratios of calcium and phosphorus, and there is not even an ingredient list. It just says it’s proprietary. That worries me and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this company? They are not reviewed on Dogfoodadvisor.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Jakes mom:
Then you will really appreciate the download if you, like me, are not looking to dive into a full or partial raw diet. Commercial raws are expensive for both cats and dogs. My hypothyroid kitty likes NV medallions, but won’t eat it regularily. The cost of feeding all five cats commercial raw is something I could not afford.

I would rather prepare my own raw diet rather than use a commercial if I were to feed it anyway. I have been researching them and I need to gain more knowledge about the needed protein/fat/vitamin levels for dogs and cats to be sure I don’t over or under supplement and cause health problems. It is going to take much more time for me to research a raw diet to do it right and time is limited for me right now.

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, Jake likes beef liver. I have not found beef heart yet but he’s eaten everything else so I’m hopeful.
I thought the usda site was very helpful. I was surprised that they mentioned raw food, would have expected it to be food that people usually eat, but I searched “calories raw chicken” and it came up. It’s the usda nutritional database if you look for it. You can search a category like poultry or type in a specific like chicken.
No time to check the ABC thing yet. We have 3 techs out on sick leave right now so I’m working a lot of extra hours. Sounds interesting,tho. Just what I need as I really don’t think I’ll go completely raw. Can’t afford the complete raw like Darwin’s and don’t want to get involved in buying supplements and trying to concoct a healthy combo. Will count on good quality dog food to supply the specifics and add in some raw. Certainly a bit of heart or liver is a better treat than most of those things in the store!

[Suburban Gal]

As for the ingredients of Greenies being bad for dogs, just took at the ingredients for their competitors:

Nutri Dent dental chews:
Wheat Starch, Glycerin, Powdered Cellulose, Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Chlorophyll, Parsley & Soy Flour. Vitamins: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B-6, Folic Acid, Vitamin A. Vitamin E, Biotin, Choline, Inositol & PABA. Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Ferrous Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Manganese Oxide & Sodium Molybdate. Omega Fatty Acids: Omega-3 Fatty Acid & Omega-6 Fatty Acid.

Milk Bone brushing chews:
Rice, Modified Food Starch, Chicken By-Product Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Water, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Bone Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Gelatin, Animal Digest, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (Used As A Preservative), Smoke Flavor, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Yellow 6, Yellow 5, BHA (Used As A Preservative).

If you look closely enough, some of the same ingredients in Greenies are ALSO used in that of their competitor’s dental chews.

I took the liberty of checking the ingredients of Zuke’s Z-Bones. While the ingredients looked a lot better than the ingredients in Greenies, Nutri Dent and the like, I still think something like Zinc Propionate can’t be very good. Heck, I don’t even know what that is! (Would someone care to enlighten me?)

To be quite honest, it’s better to give your dog something than nothing at all and, as expensive as dental chews are, at least someone is making a good effort even if it’s not as good as Zuke’s Z-Bones.

I can’t wait for Zuke’s Z-Bones to receive the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance. IMHO, that means a little more to me as a pet owner.

[weezerweeks]

I just started my yorkie on the springtime joint supplement and the fresh factors. He had just finished a bottle of the Mercola joint chews,which I love. I noticed he has a lot of gas today,something he never has. The switching of joint chews and adding fresh factor is the only thing I’ve done different today. Do you think it could be these? I will wait and see what kind of stool he has tonight on our walk. Hope it’s not loose.I wanted to rotate his supplements because BC nut says she does and I think she’s pretty smart along with some others of you on here. Thanks

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

[weezerweeks]

I have a yorkie and he loves to eat. I did have him on kibble but I have discovered that canned is better so now he’s on just canned with supplements. Yorkies are usually small and don’t eat much if they like canned and freeze dried why do u want them on kibble?

[Shasta220]

It seems like I have heard around here that allergy tests are usually very inaccurate. You can take the same dog in for a test three different times and have each result differ. I’d try an elimination diet for a while, using these suspect foods (usually done by a home made simple diet and adding one suspect allergen at a time to see if a reaction occurs).

It’ll take a while for an elimination diet, but that’s about the only way you can tell for sure.

I don’t know too many foods’ ingredient lists. Seems like Victor uses Sorghoum instead of rice/barley as the carb source. I know a home made/raw diet is tricky to do, but it might be easier if you could possibly grind the meat/supplements and portion out daily meals in the freezer? Then when you take her to the pet sitter, you can just give her a container. This might be a possibility at least until you could find a food that works well 🙂

Also agree with aquariangt, there will probably be no easily accessible kibble that avoids all those ingredients (assuming that she really /does/ react to them all), so canned may be a better option since it’s much easier to avoid problem ingredients.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Shasta220.

[jakes mom]

Not ready, even close, to going all raw so I want to keep feeding the kibble to make sure all the bases are covered as far as nutrition. Don’t want to get involved in adding all kinds of supplements, etc. I’m thinking of the raw as healthy treats, not meals, at this point. I am in awe of the knowledge on the raw food forum!

[Bobby dog]

C4c:
I just dug up this article, couldn’t find where I saved it earlier. Just a little more info on K3:

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-only-approved-vitamin-k-supplement-in-pet-food/

Off the top of my head Rachael Ray includes K3 in alot of her recipes but not Zero Grain, the tubs, or the two chicken wet foods. Purina adds it to most dog & cat food (wet & dry); I have found a few of their canned dog foods w/o it. Nature’s Recipe includes it in most of their recipes for cats & dogs and some of the Soulistic cat food contains it. Basically, pet foods considered lower to mid-tier quality might include K3 in their recipes.

Just another ingredient to add to the list of undesireables and another reason a rotation diet makes sense.

[Anne R]

Thank you for the advice Sandy and Amy – I am going boggle-eyed from researching possible foods for both Millie and Fonzie at this point! I will check out your suggestions though. I am also wondering if there is a supplement that would help prevent Millie from getting pancreatitis again??

[pugmomsandy]

I like to use different products. Right now I’m using Springtime supplements but I have Actiflex 4000 (horse version) and cetyl myristoleate and krill oil to use in rotation. You can give supplements all year that maintain joint health. For increased activity, you can also give the supplements that have an increased amount of anti-inflammatories/herbals that also help relieve pain/discomfort. Since she already eats some raw food, you can let her have a chicken foot or some raw trachea a couple times a week for the cartilage to maintain joint health.

This Actiflex 4000 dosing came from a raw feeding group: 50-75 pounds: 1 ½ tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days, ¾ tsp. daily maintenance dose

[Bobby dog]

Hey C4c:
K3 can be listed several ways, one way is Menadione sodium bisulfate complex. It is one ingredient that is a pet peeve of mine (among others). A few years ago in one of my anatomy classes my Professor discussed K3 and I guess it just stuck in my head. Here’s some good info about it being included in pet food recipes (they explain it better than I ever could). There are many other sites that have info too, but probably the dogfoodproject IMO explains it a little more in depth and keeps it simple.

/choosing-dog-food/menadione-in-dog-food/
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

My cats do eat some food with K3 in their rotation; Purina being one of them. If I could get them to eat better quality canned food all the time I would, but they are stubborn and we all know you can end up with terrible health problems if you starve a cat. One of the reasons I researched the food ingredients for my “grocery store list” of pet food. If they are going to be addicted to Purina, the least I can do is find the best recipes out of all of their lines.

I do feel bad about kibble ingredients, but not near as bad when I first found this site. I feel I am making more informed decisions about the quality of kibble I am feeding and now it is only half of Bobby’s diet and the cats are only getting at most 1/8 C /day of kibble. So as Jakes mom wrote, “when you know better, you do better.”

Come on the raw journey with us!! lol At least I have Bobby the garbage disposal when my raw selections don’t go over well with the cats. Me and him will be finishing up the Kefir. lol

Also, on that Little Big Cat site I found an article about probiotics for cats. My kitty is starting to turn his nose up to Kefir. So I am researching what human probiotics I can supplement him with, nice site. 🙂

[Ysabella J]

Hello all!

I have followed this forum for some time now but this is my first official post! Yay! Okay, so I am trying to do some research on Joint Supplements and Omega 3 fatty acids to give my 2 year old Golden Retriever (almost 3 on May 25th). We have her on a wonderful diet that consists of Orijen kibble and Merrick canned food for breakfast, a raw meaty marrow bone or a stuffed kong for a snack and a raw Stella & Chewy’s patty for dinner. Her diet does wonders for her health and we learned much about it from this website. As she gets older, I would like to put her on joint supplement. I notice from time to time her joints will pop when she gets up or stretches. We do live in an area that has all 4 seasons and in the winters it gets well below zero. Now that it is springtime we really enjoy taking her out for very long, extensive hikes. She loves to run and swim during our hikes and I would like to have her on some type of anti-inflammatory (omega-3’s?) and a joint supplement. Now I have been doing a ton of research but that just creates a million questions:

First and foremost – Should we give her joint supplements/anti-inflammatories year round? Or do we only give them on days when she will be more active than normal?

Secondly – Which joint/anti-inflammatory would you recommend? I have done research and am seriously considering the Wholistic Pet Organics product line. Has anyone used this and would they recommend it? http://www.thewholisticpet.com/products/canine-product-line/joint-support.html/ Also, does anyone give their pet krill oil vs. salmon oil for omega 3’s?

Thirdly – I am a big fan of holistic medicine and don’t usually like big brand dog medication distributors. Is there anything we can do for her joints, besides swimming and keeping her lean, that will help without any supplement?

And last but not least – if you do recommend a supplement and it’s human grade, what dosage would I give my 65 pound girl?

Thanks so much in advance for your help, I greatly appreciate it!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Ysabella J.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Ysabella J.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m not sure about being too high protein, possibly….but it could be anything in the food. I have a Cavalier senior that had symptoms like your dog. Adding a good probiotic/enzyme supplement and feeding a good sized biscuit before bedtime helped her. She is not eating a senior food or grain free, atm, and she’s doing great. I do rotate and I just switched the dogs from Victor to Annamaet Encore. I do also add canned toppers and the probiotics mixed with a little water at each meal. They get a Wellness biscuit at bedtime.

[patvl246]

Our 3 year old English Mastiff (235 Pounds) has been on a raw diet all his life. We love him dearly and wouldn’t change a thing. I wonder how some of the raw feeders are doing with the expense of raw. We use Darwins, Hare Today, a local provider in NJ called Big Dog (Dehydrated Food) and we’ll buy chicken and some organ meat from our supermarket. Our guy eats 4 to 5 pounds a day, even a 4 pound daily diet is over $10 a day. How do you guys do it?? Do you supplement with canned or kibble, is the diet homemade?? HELP

[Naturella]

Gotcha. I will feed my dogs the same too one day unless the next one has any specific issues. I just looked at Farmina and really like their GF fish and lamb formulas – I am sad that the wild boar one has chicken as a supplement – you know, in case a dog is allergic to chicken, they can’t have the wild boar either. But anyway – that one is kind of expensive, so I will feed it one day when I can afford it, lol.

And great job on the supplements! Bruno gets just about the same too, and he loves his veggies too!

You could maybe check out Victor – locally, I find the 40-lb bags of grain-inclusive for $38.99 – so, about $1/lb when you apply tax and stuff. And it’s a decent food. Online it seems to be more than $1/lb though, which is odd, but oh well. I am lucky to live close to 2 pet boutiques, and Petland, Petco, and Petsmart, AND Costco are all within 15min of me… The pet boutiques have better deals on sales though, it seems. I may ask them to see if they can get me the Farmina for less… I will look for a coupon for it too! 😀

[Dori]

Hi Aleksandra. I’m in the Vinings area of Atlanta. My dogs have been on Sentinel for years and years. I’ve never had an issue with Sentinel or I guess I should say none of the dogs have ever had issues with Sentinel. Dogs that have since passed from old age, etc were on Sentinel also. Just remember all dogs react differently to meds, supplements just as they do to different foods. One thing I would advise is to not give Sentinel the same week that your dog gets his vaccinations. Give Sentinel either a week before or after his yearly vaccines. In Bruno’s case if he were my dog I would have vet give him his vaccinations this year and if you want to do titers testing next year you can if you want to. Just remember that titer testing cannot tell you how much immunity he has to any given illness. With his vaccines, if you wish, you can space his rabies and the others a week apart so he’s not being assaulted with all the vaccines at once.

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

[Carl L]

Great discussion.

Coming full circle: We love the idea of homecooking. I will pick up Hilary’s book from the vet this week.

But if the cost of home ingredients and the supplement per month for a 60 lb, high energy our young dog – like Bunny B – turns out to be much more expensive that getting a high quality “cooked frozen” which is complete and balanced, it seems silly not to consider it.

Buddy’s Kitchen is in Ontario, and it is sold by Global Pet Foods as “Nature’s Harvest”. We could do this for under $200 a month ($6.70 a day). There is also Rayne Cooked Frozen, but I don’t have a price yet.

If Bunny B’s estimate of $16 a day is even close for a Hilary Diet, it is completely out of whack. I would be freezing some of the home cooking anyway. Could home cooking be THAT much better than a quality cooked frozen at two or three times the price?!

Maybe it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe some home cooking and some commercial frozen.

[Carolyn P]

Hi Carl L:

I feed my pack of Chi’s twice a day, and they each get approximately 100 grams twice a day.

The 700 ml jar of supplement lasts me just over a month. I cook weekly.

I haven’t ever added up the cost of using Hilary’s, perhaps I should one day. But the cost didn’t really matter to me if it meant my dogs were healthy, which in turn meant fewer trips to the Vet. After spending a year in emergency clinics with the sickly one, I didn’t think twice about the cost to feed, I only knew I was never going to feed commercial again.

I started her on Orijen and it nearly killed her, too high in protein. The Wellness, then Taste of the Wild, the ONLY thing that righter her ills was Hilary’s. I feed R12 for the most part with a transitioning recipe thrown in periodically just for a change.

My one chi is a chubby wee thing with a heart condition, so she gets an entirely different diet altogether (still Hilary’s).

I swear by it. As long as I’m able, I’ll be homecooking.

[KPC]

Hello, all!

I recently aquired a pup (Kaiser) & am feeding 4Health puppy formula. My adult dog (Jinx) is on the 4Health Salmon & Potato currently.

I was wondering if there was a distinct advantage of feeding formulated for puppies food over adult, or all stages. The caloric count is about 20 higher on the pup formula. I entered all the ingredients into a spreadsheet & there was only one notable difference (besides the different meat products) which was Chondroitin Sulfate, for joint support apparently.

So, the question is, should I keep feeding puppy formula or perhaps add supplements or vitamins to an adult formula for him?

(His mother is 50lbs, father unknown; just for a size/growth reference)

Thanks, all!

[Steve K]

HDM
What do you think about glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for a giant breed puppy?

[Carl L]

Hey BunnyB, thanks for the reply.

Holy smokers. $16 a day? Really?? I hope you have a 240 pound dog. Then I can do it for $4 a day for our 60 pound guy. I had no idea homemade would be so expensive. We just got the idea about Hilary’s recipes from our vet. I had not costed it. The supplement alone is almost as expensive as a quality kibble.

We are not convinced yet to go raw. But we feel we should try to better than kibble. If the cost for home cooked is as you say, I wonder about one of the 5-star, “lightly-cooked” frozen, commercial foods. Surely it could be done for less than $16 a day, without the hours of cooking time.

Appreciate the reply from someone that has “been there, done that”.

[Susan]

You said that ur dogs itch none stop, you must start with an elimination diet, I started one about 1 month ago as my boy has Pancreatitis & enviornment allergies we dont know if he has food allergies that’s why I’d say the vet suggested an elimination diet, The vet said the first month just feed boil chicken but I knew my boy could eat boil chicken so I added cooked pumkin, then when I saw he wasnt scratching or rubbing his tummy on my beautiful white rug the next week I added sweet potato within 2 days Patch was rubbing on my carpet so I stopped the sweet potato & know he cant have sweet potato or a kibble with sweet potato…. then I added pasta another NO it made him itch then I read dogs with skin problems like yeast & bacteria shouldnt eat carbohydrates, potatos, sweet potatos etc, then I added half a boiled egg & he’s been good, Im thinking of adding broccoli next.. Im reading Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD she has help me understand alot of things & this group its a easy book to read & very easy recipes, she explains what foods aren’t good & what foods are good for certain illness, like Skin problems & what causes ur dog to itch, Pancreatitis Diabetes, Gastro problems, feeding senior dogs, getting a pup onto raw etc, she has cooked recipes & what supplements to add.. in the elimination diet you cannot give any treats nothing, just that one food for 2 weeks then 2 foods so on.. you must cook all vegetables so they are fully cooked, she even suggest to pulped vegetables as dogs digestive system weren’t meant to eat vegies, here’s one of her recipes for Skin allergies a Low Glycemic regular fats Diet..this is for a 50 pound dog to be divide into two or more smaller meals per day.
8 ounces 1 cup regular fat ground beef
2 ounces 1/4 cup beef liver or kidney
2 eggs scrambled or boiled
4 ounces 1/2 cup steamed or boiled broccoli
4 ounces 1/2 cup cooked yellow crookneck squash
4 ounces 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
Serve meat cooked or raw combined with cooked vegetables eggs & yogurt if serving meat cooked wait until meat & eggs have cooled before stirring in the yogurt…..
What I do is I cook once a fornight & freeze everything except the egg then put in fridge the night before to thaw for next day…

[Bunny B]

Carl L – I also have used Hilary’s Complete and Balanced

I have a high energy 2 year old dog and she burns lots of calories. I found I had to feed WAY more than the recommended amount than what Hilary says in her book. The supplements were $79 CDN for the big bottle and lasted me about 1 1/2 mo. It was costing me $16 a day and 3 hrs a night in the kitchen. I chose to do this anyhow because I have heard the benefits of real food for a dog and had seen the results on other peoples dogs. I did this for 5 months when I couldn’t stand the time and money anymore! I still strongly believe in real food, and that the real food has to be complete and balanced. Then I happened across NRG dehydrated food. This was the next best thing to home cooked. It cost me about $10 a day. And only 1 min in the kitchen!! She did fabulously on this for 7 months. Then she developed what I a, convinced of an allergy to grain so I put her on Natures Variety raw frozen. Which I just love, all the benefits of real food all ready made for me!

But now I am spending about $14 a day with Natures Variety and was thinking I should go back to Hilary’s…although I am a raw believer now on certain meats, but she says lots of her recipes (specific ones) can be fed raw. I happened across your post tonight out of coincidence!

I have to say Hilary’s seems to be great but I do NOT recommend her recipes that contain tomatoes or tomato sauce if your dog has a sensitive stomach or is susceptible to acid reflux. And if you are trying to find Safflower oil you may have to go to a health food store, it should be next to the olive oil. Alternately if you can’t find that I called and she actually picked up the phone which I thought was weird but she said you can use sunflower oil. And I find it hard finding cod liver oil, again I found this in a health food store. And the easiest way to pulse veggies is in a magic bullet btw.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Bunny B.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Bunny B.

[Naturella]

Sarah, true, I was looking at the BB Wilderness Senior Red Meat formula, which has lower protein and lower phosphorus than the Senior Chicken formula. The Red Meat one has the same phosphorus as the Holistic Select Senior. And I see about the protein. I supplement with raw and canned every once in a while, so Bruno’s protein amounts vary a bit, but he seems to be okay with it.

Also, keep us posted on how Holistic Select goes for your dogs. I would get a smaller bag first, to see if they would even eat it, and if there are any digestive issues with it before I go for the bigger bag.

[LexiDog]

She’s a 37 pound lab mix. We did the DNA test and it said that she has stafford shire terrier and rat terrier too but is probably at least 70% lab. She is black with a little bit of white with short fine hair. She is 2 years old.

I know Primal has a Turkey & Sardine formula I could try and increase the amount of coconut oil a little.

Someone said that they give their dogs the brewers yeast tabs…Would that help with her coat? I don’t know.. I’m not really into giving her too many supplements and what not.

[Naturella]

Several, actually! You could really help us out by letting us know her breed, age, weight, and maybe hair length.

Also, I know fish oil is another supplement widely used by forumers to help with skin and coat issues. So are canned (or raw) sardines. Coconut oil is a great supplement, I use it myself, but you may need to adjust the amount depending on her weight. Fish-based foods are also known to help skin/coat issues.

As for my Rat Terrier mix (13lbs), I give him a teaspoon of coconut oil every other day, a canned sardine once a week, a bath every 2 weeks, and I “condition” him while he is still somewhat damp with a mix of coconut, olive, and sunflower oils, in which there are vitamins A, D, and E dissolved. So I rub that on his coat, trying to reach the skin until he doesn’t feel greasy and it makes him super soft and shiny. Also, he is currently on a fish-based food, so that will probably be good, but he has no particular issues to begin with. I did think he was excessively dandruffy when I brushed him, but that was supposed to be normal as I elevated all his dead skin by brushing him. Otherwise I don’t see any flakes.

Excess dandruff may be due to an allergy or something too, or just be how your dog is – sometimes, even all measurements do not quite help resolve the dandruff issue.

Hope others chime in with more advice or corrections of anything I may have misspoken about! 🙂

[Carl L]

Hello Carolyn,

If you are still checking in, could you help?

I just found out about Hilary’s book and supplement, and we are considering it. We have a young Lab, and not three chihuahua’s, but I am concerned about the expense of the supplement – which would be in addition to the cost of the good, wholesome ingredients in the recipes.

On her website, I think I read that one bottle of supplement would last about a month for a 40 pound dog. Does that sound about right to you? (I have no idea how much 3 chihuahua’s weigh, ha, ha!).

Thanks,
Carl

[Bobby dog]

Would I need to add a taurine supplement if I was just feeding something raw once or twice a week at most?

[DogFoodie]

Nature’s Logic makes a whole food supplement called All Food Fortifier that contains taurine.

[theBCnut]

Hi jakes mom

You freeze things that might have parasites, They are killed by freezing. Bacteria are not. I always freeze pork, wild game, and fish.

Hi Bobby dog

Other than shooting for an approximation of a whole animal, the thing to remember with cats is their need for taurine in their diet. Taurine is water soluable, so when you freeze meat then defrost it, it is important for the cat to get the fluids that seperate out, because it may have taurine in it. Hare Today has a supplement to add to meat and bone, but I always buy whole prey grinds for my cats, because they don’t like the supplements. I also tried Darwin’s cat food, but mine didn’t like the texture.

[llynns]

My dog has also had Pancreatitis. At the same time as the pancreatitis, he spent several days in the ER with Gastroenteritis. We fed him a bland diet for 3-4 weeks. In addition to the Pancreatitis issues, he is also allergic to white potatoes. I slowly (very slowly) transitioned him over to Horizon Legacy Grain Free, Salmon. In addition to the food change I started him on digestive enzymes. He’s currently on Wholistic Pet Canine Complete. I think the combination of the food change and the supplement addition is what really worked. I don’t know that just changing the food would have given me the same results as also adding the enzymes and probiotics. I could not advise on the diabetes….I have no experience with that. Good luck on your search.

[klynnway@aol.com]

Hi Wanda,
After almost a year I have helped Jasmine with a hypoallergenic diet (Royal Canin Potato/Venison. One of the causes can be a food allergy, and it turned out to be chicken which is in a lot of dogfoods. She LOVES the food and it is possible that is an issue with your dog, but I only found out by starting a novel diet which she never had. She is still on metrodonizol and Ursodial but doing very wedll on the combo. I found that probiotics and most supplements were contrary to her disease. I also believe she is allergic to fish so fish oil also throws her off. I can almot guarantee he will love the food!
Best wishes,

Karen