[wallyworld]

Hi,
I’m worrying myself to death and don’t know where to turn. I have a 70lb. Goldendoodle that will be 1 yr this month. I have been very careful about the food I feed, watching calcium, calories etc. I am aware of HDM’s LBP food list. Since he was a few months old he has clicking sounds from either his hips or knees and his feet make a popping sound sometimes when walking on carpet. Taken him to 2 diff vets and both say he seems fine, don’t worry unless he shows serious problems and X-rays can’t be ‘verified’ until 2 years of age. I worry about everything with him and notice the slightest changes whether they are anything or not. I will be starting a joint supplement and fish/coconut oil. I don’t have the money to get comprehensive testing done or to keep taking him to vets that tell me the same thing. He seems to walk fine but today I thought I noticed he was laying on one side more than the other and I thought I noticed him walking with a straighter left rear leg. I may be worrying over nothing but I’m not sure. I lost my little dog last year suddenly to syringomyelia and was traumatized by the whole event. I just need some reassurance or advice!

[Tambourineman]

Since my other thread was hijacked I am starting a new one.

Can anyone recommend any tasty (prescription) joint health dog food with high glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6′s but no corn, rice, gluten and other bad stuff?

Alternately a tasty supplement with glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6′s. My dog used to eat such a pill (NaturVet hip and joint) thrown in with his kibble, but no longer. He won’t eat them even coated with peanut butter or the like.

[theBCnut]

I’m pretty sure I know that none of the OTC joint foods even have close to a therapeutic dose of joint supplements and all the prescription ones I know of are junk.

Jefferspet dot com may be another place to look for different options.

I give my old lady turkey necks and chicken necks, because they have a lot of cartilage and connective tissue in them.

[FreeholdHound]

I’m sure some of the more knowledgable posters will reply but in the meantime go over to the “Dog Supplements” topic on the forum menu. There are several discussions there on what you’re looking for. I just started using Liquid Health’s K9 Glucosomine which was reccomended at my local feed store. My Greyhound doesn’t like pills & nothing agrees w/ him, so far so good with this stuff. I also use sardine & anchovy oil since salmon oil makes things ugly with him.

[Tambourineman]

Can anyone recommend any tasty (prescription) joint health dog food with high glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6’s but no corn, rice, gluten and other bad stuff?

Alternately a tasty supplement with glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6’s. My dog used to eat such a pill (NaturVet hip and joint) thrown in with his kibble, but no longer. He won’t eat them even coated with peanut butter or the like.

[Mom2Cavs]

Thanks, Pattyvaughn! I hope it works, too! It can’t hurt, though. I wonder if the bladder mass that could not be easily surgically removed due to its location caused her to have this cancer appear? Who knows….everything I’ve read says vets don’t know what causes it. I misspoke earlier, it’s called Cutaneous Epitheliotropic T-cell Lymphoma (CETL). Certainly a shocker for us. She seems to be taking it in stride atm thank goodness. I’m not changing her diet except to add supplements. She’s always had such a beautiful coat and it’s sad to see it looking like it does. She doesn’t seem sick at all and I’m dreading that time, although these dogs don’t die a natural death from this disease. It’s usually a matter of the owner deciding to put down due to the skin lesions becoming so prevalent and the comfort and quality of life for the dog.

Btw, I’m sorry for hijacking this thread…..

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

[Mom2Cavs]

Well….you are not alone in this. There are many dogs that seem to “enjoy” doing this. I had a Cavalier (at the bridge now) that has been known to partake. What I did with her and it seemed to work was I added enzymes to her food. In her case I used a supplement called Solid Gold Seameal. I think sometimes it can be a behavior, attention getting problem. Sometimes it can be the food, I believe. In Stella’s case I’m not sure what it was because she was eating a high quality food, but the Seameal worked. A little while after I started adding it to her food she stopped doing it. I added a canned topper to her dry so put the Seameal in that. As for the Science Diet kibble being the cause, who knows….I do know that you could probably find a little higher quality food for her. I’m not a Science Diet fan, myself, sorry. But if you don’t want to change her food at least adding enzymes or a probiotic/enzyme supplement can’t hurt.

[Mom2Cavs]

Betsy Greer….thanks so much for your kind words. Lucy is actually doing quite well, except for the lesions she has on her skin and the baldness that comes with them :(. Lucy has never had skin problems, at all, so this was a shock to see these places on her. I first noticed places by her mouth and under her chin. Then the groomer noticed one on her back when he was blow drying her. Looked like nothing I had ever seen before. My first thought was an allergic reaction to something!? It all started about 2 weeks after I began feeding TOTW Pacific Stream so I actually considered it might be the food, but she had never had allergies in the past…though I know they can come on anytime. It just seemed so odd. I took her to my holistic vets and they really weren’t sure what it could be, either. We took a blood test and it showed slightly elevated kidney levels and slightly low thyroid levels. So….we kinda expected the kidney values with her bladder tumor (she’s had for a year now) and we thought she might be having a skin issue due to thyroid. But the vets had never seen skin problems like hers with thyroid before which is why we opted for biopsies to be sure. They took from 3 lesions, which had worsened and multiplied since the groomer found the one on her back. It came back as canine epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma or CETL. Very rare cancer, happens to mostly older dogs. Can happen out of the blue, no known cause. Prognosis is poor usually and generally no treatments help. Dogs can live a few months to up to 2 years with it. It all depends on their comfort level and the seriousness of the lesions. She wears a T-Shirt around the house so she won’t bother them. Thankfully, she’s accommodating with that. She still eats great, plays more than the Cavs and is her usual self right now. In fact, Lucy’s is the first case in all the years my vets have been practicing that they’ve seen! So….we are taking it one day at a time. My vet gave me a supplement from Vetri Science called Maitake DMG Pro. They’re chews, which she readily takes (and this is a dog that’s very picky with her treats lol). It is an immune supplement. They’re very new, I can’t even order them yet. I can get it in liquid form right now, though, so I ordered that and I’m hoping she likes it mixed with something. Safflower oil has been known to help some dogs, so I have started with that, too. I’ll keep everyone posted on how she does. Again, thanks for the kind thoughts!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jan,

I did see that Lucy has been diagnosed with a rare type of skin cancer. I was trying to post on your Facebook page from my new Kindle, but I’m having a heck of a time trying to use that keyboard. I’m so, so sorry to hear about Lucy’s diagnosis.

I have recently been researching supplements quite a bit the last few days and came across Dr. Harvey’s E-Mune support: http://www.drharveys.com/products/show/15-emune-boost-for-dogs; and Nature’s Logic All Food Fortifier: http://www.natureslogic.com/products/cat-products/canine-and-feline-all-food-fortifier-supplement-3/. I picked up some for my dogs for general well-being, but wondered if either, especially the Dr. Harvey’s product, might be beneficial for Lucy right now.

I know this must be very hard for you. You and Lucy are in my prayers.

[Mom2Cavs]

Since I’ve taken Laverne (all 3 dogs) off poultry she’s been doing 100% better. Since I last posted here in August we’ve gone through different dry foods (can’t even remember what all), but currently they’re eating Fromm Salmon a la Veg. It does have some chicken cartilage in it and grains (which don’t seem to be a problem). I’ve been using only canned foods without poultry, as well. I’ve used Wellness a lot, especially their 95% and stews. I have on hand some Simply Nourish Fish & Potato, Weruva Cirque de la Mer, Fromm 4Star Pork and some others that I’ve fed. Also, I’ve noticed that when a food has a lot of peas Laverne has issues, too. I also have been adding in probiotics/enzymes. They get 2 treats a day. One in the morning, Wellness Lamb grain free biscuit, and one during the day, Wellness Pure Rewards Beef. Lucy, who you may have heard has CETL (skin cancer) gets some other supplements. Anal glands and itching have been gone since I’ve changed to this regimen. It might not work for all dogs, but has been good for mine. 🙂

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

[theBCnut]

The calcium level in your current food is really high enough, maybe too high. I wouldn’t add more. A good joint supplement is much more likely to offer some help.

[Tambourineman]

I have a 14 year old lab with bad arthritis. An xray disclosed he also has a lesion on his vertebrae. So he has a lot of trouble getting up and around.

Due to his age we have not opted for surgery for his spine as we think it would be too much for him.

We give him EVO Senior which does have some calcium (2.10%). I regret to say he also gets a strip and a half of bacon which is used to hide the many meds he takes (Gabapentin, 3 tramadol, Rimadyl, and Amantadine) He now rejects pill pockets which he used to gulp like dog treats (we have tried peanut butter, cream cheese, bread, swedish meatballs, turkey hot dogs, a pill popper tool, etc., etc.) Bacon is the only thing that works and at his age not getting his meds would be worse than having some bacon.

Anyway, I am wondering if some more calcium would help with respect to building the bone in his vertebrae back up. As an experiment I ground up some Citrical and put it in his food and unlike when other meds are mixed with food he will eat it. (He no longer chews bones so he does not get any calcium that way.) I’ve read that some add ground up egg shells.

the dog food project says this about calcium: “. . . The correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus and magnesium is very important for a dog’s health and needs to be carefully balanced – this is not something you would want to do without doing your research on the topic!” . . .

“Excess intake of calcium results in growth retardation and severe bone and joint abnormalities. [Presumably this applies to puppies] When feeding a quality pet food, supplementation of calcium *** during growth *** is unnecessary, and potentially very dangerous.
Note: Excess calcium causes decreased phosphorus absorption (and vice versa!). Lack of magnesium in the diet renders calcium useless, because the body needs magnesium to properly absorb calcium. If adequate amounts of all 3 of these minerals are present int he diet, the body can regulate the balance according to its needs.”

Citrical includes 20% magnesium (80 mg) and also Vitamin D

Any thoughts?

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi all,

I’ve been looking for cheaper ways to feed raw for awhile now. I just found a co-op that I can buy from. I don’t have extra freezers for cases of product so I was looking at a grind/mix that they have called Performance Dog (link: http://tarrahlabs.com/tt/pd.html). I would like the thoughts/opinions of experienced raw feeders. Does this look like a good product? Is it complete and balanced? I like to feed half Honest Kitchen. Would this be ok to mix with it?

Ingredients: Beef, Tripe, Trachea, Finely Ground Bone, Salt, Egg & Trace Minerals
Meeting AAFCO Specifications for Maintenance & Reproduction

Guaranteed Analysis • No Preservatives
Protein 14%
Fat 10%
Fiber 0.85%
Calcium 0.13%
Phosphorus 0.14%
Ash 1.30%

They also add a vitamin/mineral mix.
Ingredients: calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, copper sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, ferrous sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, d-biotin, vitamin D-3 supplement, cobalt sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, sodium selenite and mineral oil.

Thanks,
Caroline

[InkedMarie]

Caroline: I have used bug off garlic for years; it works great for me!

[Melissaandcrew]

Thanks! I started them yesterday and will report how they seem to be doing.

[RescueDaneMom]

I’m currently using the Joint Health powder for dogs. So far so good. I don’t see any miraculous improvement with Max’s arthritis but I know it’s helping some as his joints don’t pop all the time like they do when a supplement is clearly not working. I’m going to try Cortaflex next.

Marie- how did the Bug Off Garlic work for you? I was thinking about trying it.

-Caroline

[Mom2Cavs]

I’ve used the regular joint health chews and the advanced joint chews when they came out. With Desi, my now deceased Shih-Poo who had both rear luxating patellas that were bad, I used the regular joint health and they kept him surgery free all his life. Of course, I did curtail his jumping a little. Once Lucy apparently pulled a muscle in her leg (or something?) and I immediately started giving her the advanced chews. She was better in no time! I love Springtime supplements and have used them for many years for my dogs.

[Melissaandcrew]

Thanks Marie..I am hoping these work as well as the horse products I used in the past.

[InkedMarie]

Sorry, all I’ve used is the Bug Off Garlic.

[theBCnut]

Wow! Yogi is already almost 1 y.o.?

Angel will be 12 on 2/24 and has just recently started jumping less, so I’ll be thinking about if she needs something more soon. Gideon will be 3 on 2/13 and Micah will be 2 on 3/3. I have a couple 13 year old cats that are starting to show their age too, but I don’t think I can get anything extra into these two.

[Melissaandcrew]

Thanks Patty : ) I can’t believe another year has come and gone-Yogi will be 1 yr old on the 4th and another will be turning 15 on the 3rd. Since I have so much of the longevity, everyone over 10 will be getting some, lol.

[theBCnut]

I’ve used loads of Springtime on my horses and dogs, just not those, so I’m only bumping this up to the top.

[Melissaandcrew]

I have used springtime products in the past for my(then) older horses with wonderful results. One of my 15 plus year olds is starting to show arthritis/mobility issues so I placed an order with them that I just received today. Just curious-has any one tried the Longevity or the Advanced Joint and Hip chewables? Since they have a sale going on, I bought two bottles of the human joint product(for me and hubby) got 1 free, and bought two bottles of the Longevity powder, and received one free. Then, they threw in another bottle of the Longevity for free as well as the Advanced Joint and hip. Just started Murphy on it today, but wondering if any one had any specific experiences with these particular products?

[pugmomsandy]

What supplements in particular?

[mellowmutt]

I got Amiga at 8 weeks old, back on June 1st. Her breeder recommended Nutro LBP Lamb & Rice, so that’s what I fed her at first. I wasn’t happy with her gas or her stools, so I did some research and decided to mix Orijen LBP and NV Prairie LBP with the Nutro. Did some more research and discovered that I was feeding her way too much calcium. So I added two other foods to the mix in mid-July, NV Instinct Rabbit and CC Open Sky, had to set up a spreadsheet to keep CA, CA:K, calories & protein in order. I did the calculations based on the max-CA values, not averages or the tested values of a specific batch, to be on the safe side.

Ran out of this mix a month ago, at 8 months apparently she can regulate her CA herself, so I quit worrying about it. Now I have her on a mix of Orijen Regional Red, NV Instinct Rabbit, and NV Prairie Venison & Barley. It seems reasonable to me to feed her a red-meat diet in winter, and switch to a fish-and-fowl diet come summer (ancestral-wolf feeding pattern). In a few months the mix will be Orijen Six Fish, NV Instinct Rabbit LID, and NV Prairie Duck & Oatmeal. Both supplemented with the occasional topper of Orijen Tundra freeze-dried. LID Rabbit doesn’t have turkey, which is in the Duck & Oatmeal formula, so Turkey’s on the menu all year, too. Protein content of these blends is 33%.

The Prairie kibble’s mixed in to lower my cost from $3/lb to $2.75/lb, which adds up with a large breed. Rabbit is in the mix year-round, because I read some research (I’ll post the links if I find them again) about how wild/feral canines/felines primarily eat bunnies. The missing “meat group” in the prepared foods is rodent, so I’ll also occasionally feed raw beaver meat as a topper. I’d like to add a third brand into the mix instead of the Prairie, unfortunately I haven’t found anything that doesn’t have either the “wrong” grains or is loaded with potato (a no-no for malamutes as white potato is known to trigger bloat in this breed), or is too expensive to serve the purpose.

I set up another spreadsheet for amino acids and did yet more research; I believe she’s getting the full spectrum in sufficient quantities from all the different protein sources (also gets Orijen Tundra freeze-dried treats, used these to teach her to swim ‘cuz they float without getting soggy) such that she doesn’t need the glucosamine/chondroitin/taurine supplements typically found in large-breed-specific formulas — her body ought to be able to produce as much of these as she needs provided the proper building blocks (amino acids & cartilage). Her stools, on the “winter blend” anyway, are firm and dry, and not too voluminous or frequent and she seems to be thriving; my Vet is pleased with her physical condition and says her growth rate is right on target.

Many thanks to this site and all who contribute for helping me navigate the dog-food waters, it’s enough to make one’s head explode, but it’s also nice to have so many quality options in dry kibble. It’s been several years since I’ve had a dog (Amiga’s my 4th), Iams and even Purina just aren’t what they once were so I didn’t even consider those despite two of my dogs living to 15 (Keeshond on Eukanuba and Golden Retriever on Hi-Pro). My last malamute got Iams Lamb & Rice, but was shot (with cause) by a sheep rancher at 3 1/2 back in ’94 so I have no long-term report, there.

What got me to not trust dogfood manufacturers and do this research, leading me here, was how horrific the first month was feeding Amiga just the Nutro. Glossy, semi-soft, mucousy stools (if not diarrhea) and lotsa smelly farts — just like my friends’ dogs being fed Nutro. Enzymes, pre- and pro- biotics didn’t help, de-worming only cleared up the worms. No surprise given the ridiculously-high Zinc content in Nutro formulas, apparently since Mars bought them out — these are symptoms of Zinc toxicity, not poor digestive-tract health; no band-aid for that. Wish I’d figured that out sooner, and the calcium-level thing.

If I had the puppy-food phase to do over again, I wouldn’t touch Nutro with a 10-foot pole. These problems lessened when blended with the other kibbles, and disappeared entirely (OK, occasional fart still, probably the grains) this month after discontinuing the Nutro. I would do the four-kibble mix again, going with just the Rabbit and Duck would be lower calcium, but would also lack the glucosamine/chondroitin/taurine supplements the two LBP kibbles contain, as well as the cartilage and broad spectrum of amino acids which make these supplements unnecessary.

I did rush her to the vet after-hours back in September for bloat, but I didn’t alter her diet because of it. Sometimes she eats stuff that isn’t “on the menu” so to speak, mostly I blame my kitties because they love hunting and killing — just not eating their kills, which they leave for the alley cats. And for Amiga, sometimes she finds these before I do and accounts for occasional fur/feathers in her stools (Amiga’s also killed a mourning dove, robin, grackle, and a magpie). At least they’ve learned not to bring them in the house! I’m following all the best-practice guidelines for avoiding bloat, so hopefully this was a one-time thing, scary for both of us…

[theBCnut]

I’ve noticed the same thing with glucosamine in my horse that needs joint supplements.

[FreeholdHound]

Glad to have found this thread as I’m just now thinking of adding a Joint Supplement into my Greyhound’s diet. I was looking at options online but decided to check here to see if there was a thread & as always when needed there was 🙂 The Actiflex 4000 sounds like a good idea, and reasonable. I tried the Springtime Joint Health & Harry wouldn’t go near it now matter how I disguised it. I will have to swing by my local feed store & see if they carry it.

[KaiRyssdog]

Hello,

I signed up last night after finding this forum on a search for dog food allergies. Here’s what’s going on with my dog.

Adopted a miniature schnauzer 8 weeks ago. He had had a UTI right before we got him and so was on Royal Canin’s Urinary SO formula – we got his bag of food when we got him. Then we took him to the vet for a general checkup and bought another small bag there. Everything was fine and he had a lovely silky soft coat. Then took him back to the vet for his 2nd lepto vaccination and bought another bag of the RC, but this time a bigger bag. Didn’t open it right away, as we still had some of the small bag left over (this was about two weeks ago). A couple days after opening and starting the new bag, I noticed the following symptoms (so this was maybe a week ago), increasing in severity:

– when he’d fart (which he hadn’t really done too much of beforehand), it seemed like it hurt him as he’d turn around and look at his butt and then run away
– he got a couple small bumps on his back
– I could smell his anal glands
– small bumps increased in numbers
– licking forearms
– scratching like crazy
– small bumps turned into open, bleeding sores mostly down his back but now on his nose, in his ears, top of his butt, and I just saw one on the tip of his tail – it seems every time I look at him he has a new one!
– didn’t want to eat his food

The first sore appeared Xmas eve, then more on Xmas day. Today I took him to the vet who got a sample of the oozing on his nose and said he had an infection and so put him on prednisone and an antibiotic that is supposed to be geared toward skin infections (don’t have the bottle in front of me).

When he went off his food Xmas eve/Xmas morning, we fed him turkey (plain) and brown rice. Right after that meal he was itchy right away, so the next meal (Xmas dinner) we gave him turkey only and again gave him turkey only for today’s meals.

The top of his nose was a matted mess with his whiskers so we cut some off thinking that he was rubbing his nose because the matted hair was bothering him. We’ve given him two oatmeal baths and I’ve put lavender oil on the scabs, both actions seem to soothe him and give him some peace.

So now some questions:

1) does this sound like a food allergy
2) how long is it going to take before he stops feeling so itchy
3) if he is allergic to an ingredient, how long after he eats will he have a case of the itchies (meaning, do I have to wait days before deciding that something doesn’t work or do the itchies tell me right away)
4) how often can I give him oatmeal baths
5) do I need to be feeding him anything else (something to boost his immune system or help with digestion) supplement-wise
6) how do you decide what to add and when (like potato or pumpkin or yogurt or ??)

I went out and bought him some Nature’s Variety Instinct LID in Lamb formula – does anyone have feedback on this food? I want to be considerate of his recent UTI issue, but I feel like this acute allergy reaction needs to be addressed first – is there something I should specifically stay away from?

I’m sure I have more questions that I forgot to ask but will come up later. He’s my sixth schnauzer in my lifetime and most recent dog (other two are rottiexGSD sisters) in my current family of dogs, and I’ve never dealt with anything like this before.

It breaks my heart to see him in such distress – help!

Thank you,

Susan

[theBCnut]

DinOvite is a supplement that only needs ground meat, whole eggs, and fish oil added to it. You can also add rice if you want to.

You can get Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” for help on how the balance a dogs diet. There is also Dr Karen Becker’s book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats.”

[neezerfan]

So Riley has a pseudomonas ear infection which apparently can be multidrug resistant and hard to eradicate. Luckily so far it seems to be responding well to our first line of treatment, Baytril oral and Baytril/dex liquid ear stuff. So how did this happen? Vet explained this bacterium is commonly found on the skin and usually presents no problem. Usually when it causes a problem like this it’s due to an underlying allergy. What?? Actually, she did not specifically say food allergy, but when she said “allergy” i heard “food allergy”. So yes I’m jumping the gun a bit.

The majority of his diet is Darwin’s chicken, turkey and duck. I rotate with 5 star canned foods, all grain free and give him 2-3 home prepared meals per week. Usually it’s beef, lamb and venison with the non-Darwin’s meals. Sometimes cooked, sometimes raw. I supplement with krill oil, coconut oil (human grade) and Spirugreen from Mercola.

He’s 2 1/2 years old, otherwise perfectly healthy. He has not had any vaccines since the core ones and we do titers.

What am I missing? I will admit to being obsessed with his health. Am I overreacting? BTW, his other ear is perfectly healthy.

[Jenmarlew]

Thanks for your response Patty. I’ll keep him where he is. He’s not emaciated by any means, he’s just not bulky. He does have the really bad flatulence that Bouviers are known for. Any ideas for that? I was thinking probiotics, maybe yogurt? Or is there a supplement that is recommended?
I’ll have to figure out how to post a photo.:-)

[Harpers Mom]

I know supplementing is necessary for a raw food diet, but can probiotics be a benefit to dogs on kibble? i am in the processes of starting my dog on a rotational diet and was considering adding a probiotic just to give her digestive system a boost.

What are some good probiotics?

[wiscnorthwind]

The three foods I use are Breeder’s Choice Pinnacle, Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets and Timberwolf. Natural Balance has no probiotics. Pinnacle and Timberwolf (previously Timberwolf Organics) use lactobacillus strains.

I am also immune compromised, and give my dogs human grade probiotics…Kyo-dophilus is a good one because is contains both Lactobacillus (predominant in small bowel) and Bifidobacter (predominant in large bowel) strains. I’ve used other brands as well…including Primal Defense for both myself and my dogs. Totalbiotics is brand designed for dogs that does not contain E. Faecium.

Here’s a good resource with people very knowledgeable about K9 GI issues….

http://www.epi4dogs.com/sidsibo.htm … scroll down for a list of probiotics and articles regarding Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth a/k/a Small Intestinal Dysbiosis (imbalance). And a separate page on probiotics… http://www.epi4dogs.com/probioticstrains.htm … be sure to look at the label though because some of those listed do contain E. Faecium.

I’m currently dealing with some pretty severe GI issues in my female GSD after 15 months of high doses of antifungal drugs for a Blastomycosis infection. We saved her life, but her gut is a mess. She has a great deal of inflammation and is extremely intolerant of any food variations (does not even tolerate Purina HA hydrolyzed food), as well as very touchy about any amount of probiotics. I’m using DGL, Slippery Elm, Arabinogalactan with a small pinch of Kyodophilus, NAG, a small amount of 8x Pancreatin and Tylosin as we work towards healing her GI tract. She eats Natural Balance kibble double soaked (soak to absorb water, and then add a bit more water mix in the enzymes and slippery elm, stir an allow to soak some more…sometimes overnight) along with a bit of canned mixed in.

Two ready made supplements that might be helpful are Only Natural Pet GI Support or VetriScience’s Acetylator.

A good resource on supplements is Dr. Messonnier’s book, “The Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats”.

While I can tell you that I have had repeated success treating my own dogs’ GI issues. I am not a vet, so I highly recommend that you discuss the use of these supplements with your vet.

Best of luck to you.

[OhBichonPlease]

I am trying to find carrageenan-free canned dog foods to supplement a rotational variety of kibble [so far mainly Wellness Core, Dr Tim’s Kinesis, various Pet Pantry holistic blend samples] to add moisture, aid digestion and provide additional nutrients. She is currently enjoying homemade frozen “salmon pops” made with canned pumpkin, Wellness 95% salmon and yogurt [1-3 cubes a day depending on kibble consumption = which is spotty at best], but I would like to add some variety and ensure proper nutritional balance.
I have been looking at products available in local, independent shops as well as Pet Pantry at feedyourpets.com [because I live in their free delivery zone].
Pet Pantry offers several premium canned choices by reputable companies with high ratings on this site, but I am a bit confused about some choices…
Dave’s makes a few options available with guar gum, but not carrageenan. This company seems well-liked for their high standards, etc. But Dave’s Naturally Healthy Joint Formula contains both unnamed MEAT BY PRODUCTS and CHICKEN BY PRODUCTS. Is this just to provide natural sources of glucosamine or other joint-friendly compounds with things like chicken necks/feet and connective tissue? I would rather not feed my girl anything bad or red-flagged and was surprised to see these ingredients listed on a premium product – should I be worried?

[ECSGuy]

We switched our two ECS boys over to raw back in May/June of 2013. Since most all of the Kibble the we had tried was recalled for one thing or another, and we noted changes in the frozen variety of BilJac we had fed for years.

We are now feeding raw and rotating Duck with bone, Venison with bone, Beef, Beef with bone. I also supplement with SoJo dehydrated Vegitables 1 or 2 tablespoons/meal, fish oil for Omega 3-6 and coconut oil for their skin and coat (mornings coconut oil and evenings fish oil).

If you are going to continue to feed a raw or homemade diet, I’d suggest a book by Lew Olsen PhD titled Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs; available on Amazon. Lot’s of good information on why to feed dogs raw, why they are able to eat raw and how to supplement (you can over do the supplements if your not careful).

In my opinion, in today’s market, the worst thing to feed your dog or cat is a commercial dog food, kibble, etc. While I’m sure they try, the bottom line is keeping production cost down. I’ve been told that many buy meat meals in bulk, and really don’t know where or how the meats were sourced and or processed. Dealers are buying the meat meals and redistributing them to manufactures.

Hope something here helps, Good luck!

[cbgmom]

Unfortunately, I have yet to hear of any vet who has been able to diagnose this let alone treat it. I have heard of lots of people spending lots of $$ on testing only to show everything as normal. I’m sure there must be some vets out there who may be familiar with this — but I haven’t heard of one yet.

I’m not even sure it is the trachea but it certainly seems to be something in that area and I know many dogs and specific breeds have sensitive tracheas. It isn’t collapsed trachea but I would sort of treat it as such.

To start, maybe try to strengthen his body with supplements: an anti-inflammatory as well as a cartilage and connective tissue support (with glucosamine and chondroitin). That might be a start?

I don’t know if there would be any long term consequences. You just took his collar off so he needs some time to heal. Hopefully, he hasn’t had any permanent injury but certainly time will tell. I do believe you are on the right track now!

No apologies! I hope he is OK. It is very upsetting to watch… they do seem frantic and scared while they go through it. 🙁

[Duke The Boxer]

No I don’t add any water to the food. Just some omega 3 supplement and the probiotic and enzyme. The thing is he doesn’t throw up immediately. It will be like 1-2 hours later. And it is undigested food. I do have cider vinegar at the house so I will try that.

[ECSGuy]

I’ve fed Blue Ridge Beef products to my two English Cockers since June of 2013. I switched to a raw diet because of all the recalls and junk they put in commercial foods. I’ve seen no problem with the products, and my boys are thriving on it. I am also using SoJo dehydrated Veggies, fish oil and coconut oil as supplements.
If I were to recommend one thing, it would be to buy Lew Olsen’s book on Raw and Natural diets for dogs. I’ve was using a vitamin and mineral supplement early on that had far to many minerals that the dogs really did not need.
As far as the charcoal in the food is concerned, my dealer has checked on this. It is a law that any raw meat products sold as pet food must contain some charcoal to differentiate it from human food. Otherwise, due to the lower cost, unscrupulous people would buy it to serve in restaurants.
I’ve seen major changes in my dogs health, including my older male who, even on high quality commercial food, would vomit at least once a week and had diarrhea off and on constantly. That is “all” resolved on a raw diet. My younger fellow runs agility and while he is a high energy dog, he lost his “rather odd” skunky smell that he had on commercial foods and his eyes no longer run constantly.
Also, emailing Steve in North Carolina at Blue Ridge has always gotten me prompt and courteous responses. So not sure what Dog girl is taking about.

[PetClubEmployee]

In my opinion anything with by products you shouldn’t feed. Tht is all the bad stuff. The beaks feathers tails what ever isn’t the clean skin of the animal.
I understand how tryin to save money is a huge issue for everyone when it comes to dog food but if you feed the right food it can help later on in life as well as now by preventing the needs of adding extra supplements as well as your dog would be able to get the items she needs, preventing her from eating her own poop. I would recommend going to a feed store as there prices seems to be way lower than pet stores. Find a dog food as party said. Where the first 1-3 ingredients are a clean meat source whether it the full protein or in a meal state.
Following by a full starch. I prefer sweet potatoes but it’s really not all that important. Grain free foods in my opinion are very beneficial for dogs
That’s just my two cents
Hope all is well

[Dutch]

Wysong has a new Omega-3 product out: http://www.wysong.net/products/omega-3-spectrum-pet.php?offer=fs but I’ve yet to test it out on my mini-schnauzer. He’s been on this for the longest time: http://www.kalahealthinternational.com/dermatrix_en.htm

[A.Sandy]

Hi,
Just make sure to monitor the amount of cod liver fed or don’t feed for long periods of time to prevent liver toxicity. And also keep an eye for any changes your pup might have with all these supplements because if you are feeding a complete balanced meal you don’t need to give so many because it actually counter acts(causes deficiencies).

-Ana
pet nutrition expert/advisor
pupcatnutrtion.com
@pupcatfacts

[dbentley]

I have a rescue that has CHF and is on Vetmedin, lasix and enalapril. I also give VetriScience supplement Cardio Strength for dogs and cats. I also have a schnauzer with a murmur but she is only on enalapril. I give her the supplement every other day. I’ve been changing foods and doing research but I need a low sodium food for them. I just bought ProPlan sensitive skin/stomach because I read it was low sodium. I mix that with science diet dental because they like that and the schnauzer’s teeth and breath can get kinda funky. I give them a small amount of canned in the evenings and am using nutro natural choice senior but bought a couple cans of science diet mature turkey because it was on one of the lists I read as low sodium. I really don’t have time or equipment to make their food, so I’m just looking for low sodium suggestions. Thank you in advance for reading.

[FreeholdHound]

This was posted a a Greyhound forum in regards to BDN (not my post)

My inquiry:
“Thank you. I found the product analysis, but need the nutrient profile, ie how much protein, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, niacin, folic acid, iodine, pantothenic acid, iodine, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A, D & E, etc, etc, etc………………..you get the idea. It’s usually broken down into three different groups: “As Received”, “Dry Matter Basis” “As Served (Hydrated)”.
This analysis is crucial for dogs with kidney or liver disease as an example. I have a dog with kidney disease and it is vital to know the calcium/phosphorous ratio.”

Their reply:
“According to our latest analysis, the ca/ph ratio of the beef is 1.1:1. The Tripe Supreme has a ca/ph ratio of 1.78:1.
The ratio of the chicken is 1.56:1. All the calcium in our products is from natural origin. You can’t compare this with the studies out there based on products where calcium is added as a supplement.
We have our analysis split up in “As received” and “Dry matter”. I really don’t understand the “As Served” part. This all depends how much water is added by the customer. Some dogs like it a bit dryer, some a bit more moist.

We are looking for the highest bio-availability possible. Most artificial supplements that you see used in all kind of different dog foods simply don’t do the job. They are not readily available. This is also the reason we ferment the vegetables. The fermented vegetables make the calcium, vitamins, and the ingredients in general, highly bio-available.
We hear excellent testimonials from our customers on a daily basis. Older dogs that start playing again, dogs that get better muscle tone, long time ear infections that disappear, etc… the list is endless. Dogs that went from one vet to another for years, and get better after being on Big Dog Natural. This keeps us going and tells us that we’re doing the correct thing.

I know what your saying but I raised and owned Mastiffs for over 30 years. We have an old school approach of dog food. Use high quality ingredients and you’re good. I never raised my kids by over analyzing their foods but they were fed well and healthy. I really don’t believe there is a need for deep analysis when the ingredients are top quality. You only need supplements and additives when crap is used. We use the analysis as a guideline to formulate the product, not as a marketing tool. We just want a healthy dog food for healthier dogs.

Hope this help

Carl Van Bael
The Big Dog Natural Team”

[DogFoodie]

I know Cyndi already bumped up your post, but I am too.

Bless your heart, you’ve really got your hands full! Just curious, has your vet checked his thyroid? Also, do you see a vet who practices traditional veterinary medicine or do you use an integrative / holistic vet? I’d visit a holistic vet; here’s a link to help you find one (it’s not all inclusive, but a good start): http://www.ahvma.org/Widgets/FindVet.html

It sounds as though, in addition to the environmental and food allergies, your little guy might have a systemic yeast infection which has evolved into a leaky gut. Someone has probably been feeding your poor little guy garbage for his entire life. I would start right away supplementing his diet with coconut oil and probiotics (you need to begin repopulating the healthy bacteria in his gut). It looks like your food allergies are: salmon, poultry mix, eggs, milk, wheat, and white potato. I’d look for something minimally processed ~ raw if possible; but if you’re choosing to feed kibble, I’d go for a grain and white potato (probably sweet potato, too) free food to switch him to as soon as possible. The first food that comes to mind is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets.

[pfegan77]

I just learned that my 3 year old Sheltie is highly allergic to Brewer’s yeast. I’ve been checking all the labels on the Halo food, various nutritional supplements and treats. There are a lot of different yeast products. Do I need to be wary of any type of yeast, not just Brewer’s Yeast? Does Brewer’s Yeast go by any other name(s) which would be listed on the ingredients?

Thanks so much for your help!

[crazy4cats]

Hmmm, that is interesting, Losul. I also gave my dogs a supplement with Berberine to help rid them of their parasites. Maybe that also helped them on their way to recovery. Well, at least I hope it is their recovery finally. We’ve had a good three weeks of solid output!

[crazy4cats]

In regards to your question about Northwest Naturals, it is a raw frozen food that comes in different forms. I use the beef nuggets as well as their fruit and veggie nuggets as toppers right now. They sell them at our local feed store along with Primal and Nature’s Variety frozen raw foods. Northwest is the cheapest of the three. I feel that these add fiber as well as antioxidants to their kibble. As I said before I’m not sure which part of my new equation is helping the most as I have switched several times. Again, I’m using Victor G/F kibble along with a little digestive enzymes, Gastriplex, and probiotic chews. I hope to gradually decrease the supplements, but right now I’m so ecstatic about their poops, (I know, weird, huh?) that I’m not going to change too much for a while.
Have you checked out dogaware dot com yet? They have so much information on that site about digestive disorders. I also think that they may have some homemade diet recipes for you as well.
Good luck!

[dwil801]

I have been lurking around this site for a while and I think I am ready to feed my 15 lb Yorkie raw full time. First of all THANKS for all of the valuable infomation that I have gained from this site. I am still a little confused but I am going to give this a shot.
I will be supplementing his diet with Iceland Pure Sardine/Anchovy Oil, Vitamin E, Nature’s Logic Whole Food Supplement, Cod Liver Oil. I will also add eggs, sardines and yogurt occasionally.
I just rec’d an order from http://www.topqualitydogfood.com (local = no shipping $). I ordered:
1. BEEF Healthy Variety Mix: No Bone
HVM: 7% Veggie/Fruit mix, 10% Beef Heart, Liver and Kidney, Organic whole eggs
2. DUCK HVM: Bone content 30%
HVM: 7% organ meat and 7% veggie/fruit mix
3. Chicken HVM Bone content 26%
HVM: 7% Veggie/Fruit Mix, 10% Chicken Livers and Heart
4. Lamb HVM: Bone content 35%
HVM: 7% organ meat and 7% veggie/fruit mix
5. Icelandic Lamb: No organs Bone content roughly 20%
6. 80/20 ground Beef with 20% green tripe and 10% Beef heart and Liver, No Bone
5. Green Tripe
Some of these grinds seem to have high bone content and low in organs. Any idea how to balance the C&P ratios? Should I add any additional supplements?

[pugmomsandy]

They eat raw probably 25-50% of the time. I would like to *remember* to thaw more regularly! They ate 2-3 days of raw last week and I have a bag thawing out right now for tomorrow or the next day. My frig is really cold. They got a duck neck 2 days ago. I’ve been feeding alot of warm freeze dried/canned food toppers lately. At 50% raw, they would get about 10 oz total per day but I don’t measure anymore so they get 3 or 4 blobs of raw with a supplement stuck in them!

[losul]

Kms.
I’m really sorry I can’t answer many of your questions and I’m not qualified to give medical advice. I don’t know specifically what your vet prescribed the SMZ TMP for, if it was even for anything specific. It may not be effective against clostridium? I would ask questions of your vet, before carrying on.

c. difficile and c. perfingens are often culprits in humans. I think c. perfingens more often in dogs.

SMZ TMP (usage in humans) http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-64007-SMZ-TMP+DS+Oral.aspx?drugid=64007&drugname=SMZ-TMP+DS+Oral

“This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) due to a resistant bacteria. This condition may occur while receiving treatment or even weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have the following symptoms because these products may make them worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, or blood/mucus in your stool.”

“Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new yeast infection (oral or vaginal fungal infection). Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, a change in vaginal discharge or other new symptoms.”

About the kaolin (pro-pectin)

Kaolin Interactions

Kaolin pectin may decrease the absorption of drugs that chelate with aluminum salts (eg, digoxin, clindamycin, lincomycin). Until more information is available, avoid taking kaolin with drugs that chelate with aluminum. It may also decrease the absorption of trimethoprim and quinidine.

http://www.drugs.com/npp/kaolin.html

It looks like as long as you separate the doses enough, it may be O.K.

Trimethoprim (Proloprim) interacts with KAOLIN
Kaolin might decrease the absorption and decrease the effectiveness of trimethoprim (Proloprim), an antibiotic. To avoid a potential interaction, separate trimethoprim (Proloprim) and kaolin doses by at least two hours.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-44-KAOLIN.aspx?activeIngredientId=44&activeIngredientName=KAOLIN

The questions about the probiotics and enzymes- I don’t know, but me, I would be leery of using the enzymes at least for the time being.

By lightly cooked meat, I meant cooked only enough to kill pathogens that may be present. The rice cooked per package directions should be fine.