[Nancy M]

My daughter got a 6 week old mini-Aussie puppy, just 3 days ago, from a “breeder” who had just weaned this puppy, that day. The pup was starting to eat kibble (Diamond, small breed puppy formula), to which some supplement has been added to guard against coccidiosis.The puppy had received 3 days of wormings and then the first puppy shot on the day she got him.

Not an ideal or even recommended situation to begin with, but as it has gone, I now have the puppy for the next 4 days, while my daughter works as a nurse, because he wakes up every 2 hours with what has progressed from loose, semi-formed stools, to bloody, runny stools.
Looks and sounds like the supplement didn’t work! He is currently being fed the kibble, 3-4 times a day, last feeding around 8 or 9 p.m. He’s so small, he’s maybe eating a scant tablespoon each time, at most. Trying not to over feed him. Offering water frequently.

I will be taking him back into the vet as early as possible today (even though getting a clean bill of health/fecal the day she got him), as I’m quite sure coccidiosis is the culprit here……or it could be something with the food as well. Hopefully the vet can start an effective treatment immediately.

In the meantime, what can all/any of you suggest as a feeding routine and diet for this little fella. I’m not an advocate for any Diamond foods, or raw (especially right now) but I especially feel there is something that would be much easier on his very delicate system right now (besides mama’s milk, I know).

Please give recommendations as soon as you can, please! It would be much, much appreciated!

Thanks very much!

[RescueDaneMom]

Does anybody have experience using Nature’s Logic All Food Fortifier? I bought this to replace my current whole food supplement: Fillin N the Wholes formulated by The Great Dane Lady. http://www.firstchoicenaturals.com/Index/showroom.php?pid=2

INGREDIENTS: Cereal Grass (Barley), Organic Sprouted Flax Seed, Dried Whey Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid (source Vit C), Arabinogalactin, Dried Milk (source of Colostrum), MSM, Brewers Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiac), DMG-L, Carnitine, Humic Shale (source of extracted trace minerals), Lethicin, Chicken Cartilage (source of Glucosamine Sulfate),Type IV Collagen & Type II Collagen, (Direct Fed Microbials) & Digestive Enzymes) Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Extract Product, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Enterococcus Faecium, Bacillus Subtilis, Silicon Dioxide, Dried Yucca Schidigera.*Ascorbic Acid (Vit C) min 25mg/lb

The directions for Nature’s Logic say to give 1 tsp per 10 pounds of body weight. My dog weighs 154 pounds. I can’t see giving him 15 tsp per day. Any thoughts on this? I was thinking about giving him 1 tsp per meal. I feed 3 times per day.

Thanks!
-Caroline

[pugmomsandy]

I ended up mixing foods because I couldn’t decide what food I wanted to use since there’s a million kinds out there! So after 3 years of trying things out, my staples are Nutrisource (grain free and small/med breed puppy), Nature’s Select (local) only the grain free or Hi-Pro formulas, Brothers Complete, Merrick (local), occasionally Nutrisca (some issues with their chicken from China and possible farmed salmon) so I just get their Lamb food, Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets and I’ve thought about Victor because they are local too (made in Texas). For cans, I use Merrick, Wellness Stews, Weruva, Nature’s Logic, Hound and Gatos and sometimes Nutrisca lamb. Dehydrated foods I use are The Honest Kitchen, Addiction (with Big Dog Natural), Sojo’s (with Big Dog Natural) and I make my own raw food with duck, goat, tripe and organs and supplements and they eat whole raw sardines and sometimes RMB (raw meaty bones) like necks, pork ribs and chicken legs. All foods have their pros and cons and not all dogs do well on certain foods. For me, these work. I am thinking of boycotting Dogswell though. Too many issues with their treats and they use chinese chicken. Actually, I think I’ll scratch them totally off my list now… and Sojo’s uses some dried veggies from China so that’s going to have to go too when my bag is gone. It is frustrating sometimes trying to find good foods with good ingredients. I’ve probably used about 20 different kibbles in the past 3 or 4 years (my dog is 6 now). He’s such an inspiration for me to make homemade!! I lub him so much!! He has his own freezer full of goodies!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

I have several dogs. I have 2 or 3 bags open at once. So technically, they are eating 2 familiar foods when I open a new bag. I used to only have 2 bags at once, but with fosters, they allow me to open 3 bags (I use about 300 cups a month). Even using only 2 foods, you wouldn’t need to transition since one of them will always be something “old” when you add food #2 because I’ve never had 2 bags of food go empty at the same time, there’s always one “old” food in there. I usually make a “mixture” so I can make it how I want – the amount of “old” food and the amount of “new” food. It’s like always being in transition, I guess. When I’m too busy to make a “mixture”, they get a scoop directly out of one bag so that would be just that food, no mix. I also have fosters so they don’t get a food transition at all. I give probiotics/enzymes, ground psyllium for loose stools and they just have to eat what I give them which is 4.5 to 5 star foods. I just don’t want you to be discouraged if there is tummy troubles. A switch can be done, quickly or slowly. And poor quality foods can have sugar and MSG or other addicting ingredient which can make transitioning difficult when they refuse to eat the new food! You can do a mix of our old food with some new food until they can get off of the old food. I can’t seem to give up Ramen noodle with at least 5 sources of MSG in it!! Bad, I know!! My dogs have been eating mixes for at least 2 years so they can eat single foods any time. They actually eat different kibbles, different canned foods, raw food, dehydrated food, anything, no problem. That is (hopefully) what you can achieve by starting to rotate. I even got a 13 yr old foster that was eating Hill’s W/D when I got him and I put him straight to my regular food, supplements and he’s fine. He’s 14 now and still eats 4.5 to 5 star kibbles and wet food (canned, dehyrated). Seniors should get more wet foods BTW. Sometimes I give ground psyllium or chia seed with canned foods to make the stool more formed (solid formed vs soft formed). I have 5 fosters right now who did fine with no transition. BUT some dogs do have trouble with it.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by pugmomsandy.

[hickorycreekchesapeakes]

Hi,
We have several Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, and I am searching for the best dry dog food for them. I want a really good food, but since I am feeding several dogs, economics comes into play as well. Our dogs are active, as we have 200+ acres and five ponds at our home. If we ever have a sick dog, I supplement with a homemade dog food of chicken fat, beef, long grain brown rice, peas, carrots, and eggs. Yet, I need a good everyday food for them. I work full time, and have two very active children, so making their food everyday is not an option.

Thanks,
Leah

[dzdubz]

Hi,

I have a beautiful 5 month old German Shepherd puppy, that has consistently had very soft stool/diarrhea since I got her. I was feeding her Orijen large breed puppy formula, and recently switched to Acana LBP, with no noticable change to her stool.

I’ve searched for advice but have not found an answer anywhere. My dog walker thinks her diet is too high protein and that Shepherd’s have sensitive stomachs. On her advice I’ve tried adding white rice and carrots, but neither has shown any effect.

Could you please help me with any suggestions for food or some kind of supplements that I can give her? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Dave

[Mom2Cavs]

BRT….Sounds like you have a good plan. Mine don’t seem to like the taste of pumpkin lol. I tried ACV years ago with my 2 mixed breeds and Lucy WOULD NOT take it in any way, so I gave up. Haven’t tried it since. I used to have to give my boy mixed breed, Desi, a joint supp. due to both rear luxating patellas. I gave Springtime Joint Health chews and they worked great for him. I like all Springtime supplements. But, Lucy doesn’t like Longevity at all lol. So I just use their chews and their Omega 3-6-9 (when I use an omega supp., that is). I started adding a little of the Beef Frittata in and so far, ok. But I am so worried it’s not gonna go as well as I hope with the Fromm. They really do well with the Pacific Stream, though I think Lucy is not doing as well as the Cavs with it. It could be the fish protein with her. My cat, Princess, does really well with Earthborn, Fromm, Tiki Cat canned food and loves Instinct, Orijen and/or Acana dry. I just bought a bag of Fromm Gamebird for cats and she is loving it! She is fed canned am and pm and the dry is left out for her to graze on.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Mom2Cavs.

[BRT]

Mom2Cavs – I’m going to check out the probiotics your recommended. I incorporated more of his kibble into the food this morning. My plan is to get them off of canned food and just use a teaspoon of pumpkin in their food daily as a topper. They love pumpkin!

I tried the Fromm Beef Frittata grain free with them and my maltese/toy poodle did not have a good reaction to the beef. His bottom was very itchy and his poops not so good, so that’s how ended up on the game bird.

I actually looked into Fresh Factors, but haven’t tried it. My older boy get a glucosamine supplement and they both get an Omega 3 vitamin. Will definitely look into a probiotic.

Have you tried apple cider vinegar with your dogs?

[pugmomsandy]

If you want to incorporate some raw into the diet, then adding 20% of it is ok without worrying about added vitamins and such. If you’re dog eats 2 meals and day then 2.8 meals (or 3) can be a RMB and maybe some organs (heart/gizzard/a little bit of liver). More than that, you’d need to balance the raw meals better. Make them closer to 80% meat/10% bone/10% organs (5 of that liver) and added supplements or give a premade raw. There are some sample recipes in the Raw Food topic. Another option is to make sure he eats a whole chicken (with heart/gizzard/liver), not just the back.

[AliScooter]

I have a 14 year old Jack Russel girl. Over the past few years she goes through bouts of sensitive stomach issues. She is currently eating Precise Lamb meal & rice sensicare. (I have another dog with food allergies, so I feed them both with this). My gir (Ali) can go for weeks with no stomach problems, then have a flare up for seemingly no reason. One vet told me that frequent small meals may help this so the stomach doesn’t build up too much acid. If I remember, I try to give her a small snack before bed so she doesn’t have an empty stomach over night… It seems to help some. I also wonder about the glucosamine that is in a lot of dog foods now a days. I know that I took a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement for awhile and developed terrible acid reflux. When I researched it, I found that reflux is a possible side effect. The reflux went away after I stopped taking the gluc/chon supplement. Anyway, it is something all the pooches with stomach problems now a days.

[pugmomsandy]

I have. But I’ve also used (on the dogs) Spiru-Blue, Chlorella, ONP Super Daily Greens, Dr Harveys Multi-Vit green supplement. They ate the spirugreen just fine and didn’t seem to have any issues with it.

[Mom2Cavs]

Was the bacteria clostridium? Anyway, probiotics/enzymes daily can help keep the balance of bacteria in check. I would use it with the Fromm once you have him back on it. I use a few different brands of probiotics/enzymes, switching it up every now and then. Right now I’m using Wholistic Pet Digest All Plus, which I like a lot. They get it with every meal. It mixes in great with canned food or water. I’m feeding TOTW Pacific Stream topped with canned food. I’ve also started giving them a Fresh Factors chew from Springtime Inc., which is a whole food vitamin supplement. This is mainly for my Mixed Breed, Lucy’s, benefit. She has cancer. But, it doesn’t hurt the Cavs at all to get it. I have to give Lucy’s with cream cheese, but the Cavs take the Fresh Factors like treats. I actually don’t give the coconut oil all the time…I’m very inconsistent with it actually. Bad mom :). I am also thinking about trying Fromm again…the Beef Frittata grain free…and if I do, I will mix it in very, very slowly.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Mom2Cavs.

[InkedMarie]

For me, it’s not who likes what. I’ve had lots of dogs, usually three at a time. I’ve never had a dog not like a food except one dog, years ago, who wouldn’t eat a NV medallion. They eat any kibble, canned, raw and dehydrated in their bowl. All meds /supplements go in the food as well and all gets eaten. I personally think some people cause their dogs to be picky but that’s another topic.

Anyway, I have one dog with allergies, another with no teeth and the last can eat anything.

[InkedMarie]

I never did autoship either until I started using Zeal for one dog. With the price and my lack of being able to buy it local, it’s smart for me to get it from them. Might take a look at the program.

[pugmomsandy]

There’s a homemade cooked recipe at homemadedogfood.com (chicken and rice). It uses DinoVite and a fish oil supplement to make a complete diet. You might use quinoa or millet as a substitute for rice and of course decrease the fat content. There are some canned foods listed in the Low Fat Foods list. The Honest Kitchen Zeal formula is also low fat.

[RescueDaneMom]

Oh! I never did the autoship so that’s why I didn’t know about it. I’ve never been a frequent buyer until recently. I used to use it as a topper for kibble. Now I’m using it as the main food and topping it with raw and other fresh foods. Good to know! I will ask her the next time I pick up food. I think I saw the new envelopes for the rewards the last time I was in but I didn’t ask about it. My thought is if you’re going to buy it anyway you might as well get a free box every now and then. Thanks again!

[InkedMarie]

The Consierge club is what replaced their auto ship program. Because Zeal is so expensive and I can’t buy it locally, it’s cheaper to be on their autoship. It’s free shipping if you spend $95 I think, Zeal easily qualifies for that. You get a discount as well and they keep tract of your purchases for their rewards program. I know I can get autoship from Chewy but I don’t think it counts for the rewards. At the cost of THK, a free box is important. Ask your resaler about the THK new rewards. Their old one stops this week.

[RescueDaneMom]

Shawna, thank you again for the info! I will give those Bravo meats a try when we run out of Thrive. There’s a really great independent pet store 30 min drive from me that carries THK, Bravo, Primal, and other great brands.

My parents are usually the ones feeding Dozer. I don’t think they’ll go for the raw egg. I don’t know if Dozer would eat raw egg. We’ve given him eggs cooked over easy and he wasn’t overly thrilled. Max, on the other hand, LOVES eggs.

I just bought six cans of Tripett the last time I was at the store. Max loves it. Dozer does too. We gave Dozer some of the green beef tripe with duck and salmon to entice him to eat his food and pills after a rough chemo treatment.

I just started to try different supplements for Max’s arthritis. In addition to his Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin, & ASU combo, he is getting an herbal supplement that has boswellia, cat’s claw, tart cherry, and white willow. I was going to try a bromelain/curcumin combo next.

Marie, I didn’t know there was a ‘concierge club.’ I’ve ordered it from Chewy and Petflow. Recently I’ve been getting it from a reseller who also carries the Primal frozen grinds. She emails me when she’s ready to order and I give her my order and I get it the next week. It’s been pretty convenient. Plus her prices are better than the independent pet store where I used to buy it from. No overhead I guess as she sells it out of her house.

Thanks again for all the feedback. Y’all are awesome!!! 🙂

[InkedMarie]

Caroline, I’m too lazy to add meat to the food, thats the only reason I never fed the Preference! Zeal has no white potatoes but it’s costly. I belong to the “concierge club” and you get a discount and free shipping which makes it cheaper than buying online elsewhere and no one within an hours drive carries it.

[Shawna]

PS — turmeric and bromelain (bromelain fed away from meals) are also quite handy as anti-inflammatories and will not only help with Dozer’s cancer but are also good for Max’s arthritis.. 🙂

[Shawna]

Hey Caroline,

Glad the info I posted is helpful :). Another thing you could do if so inclined is to use The Honest Kitchen Preference premix and meats you purchase. Example, Bravo has a bone/calcium free venison as well as a buffalo that could be fed either raw or cooked (since they are bone free) with the premix. Might be a red meat option to the beef he doesn’t seem to do well on.

If you decide to give the eggs a try, don’t whip or blend or otherwise disturb the egg as doing so breaks down the glutathione precursor (will still be beneficial just not quite as much). Just crack the egg open and put the whole thing on top of his HK (decreasing the amount of HK to compensate for the egg calories of course). You can add the egg shell back in if you wish (calcium source). Some will say not to feed raw egg whites because they bind with the vitamin B called biotin.. It is true that they do BUT if you include the yolk you will be okay as it is HIGH in biotin and will offset what is bound up in the white.

Green tripe (either canned or raw) is a food that most dogs can’t turn away from — they LOVE it.. It is high in protein and has lots of nutrients (especially the raw) and can make a wonderful topper for the HK Thrive etc. I like the Tripett canned product and raw can be found locally in many cases or online. Most tripe is sourced from beef but dogs with issues with beef muscle meat are usually very tolerant of beef tripe. If not, Tripett also makes a lamb and a venison canned tripe.

Thank you Cyndi and Marie!!! You guys ROCK!!!!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Shawna.

[RescueDaneMom]

Thank you for the input! I’ve tried Preference. Dozer was on that before the Embark and Thrive. I think we went through about 3 boxes before we started trying others.

I did get a small box of Force for free with my UPCs. I used half the box before I knew Max had arthritis. He loves it but I don’t want to add to his inflammation so I’ve stopped feed it.

I filled out the THK survey too and said the same thing!! I would love if Max would eat the Thrive because it doesn’t have white potatoes but he doesn’t like that one. It’s weird too because he likes quinoa when I make it in homemade food. I think it may be because it’s not cooked in the Thrive. That’s the only thing I can think of because he likes and has eaten all of the individual components in that food yet he turns his nose up at it.

[InkedMarie]

I currently have Thrive, Zeal and Embark opened here. The only ones I’ve never fed is Verve and Preference. I don’t like Force, too low in protein, IMO. You mentioned arthritis; keep in mind that potatoes can be inflammatory so Max might not do as well on that as it has white potatoes.

I just filled out a survey by THK on FB about what ingredients we’d like to NOT see in future foods. White potatoes was one I chose.

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Marie-

For Dozer I rotate between Embark and Thrive. He has had a box of each so far and we just started another box of Thrive. I’ve been hesitant to add Love because he doesn’t tolerate beef well. He’s fine with pieces of meatball but he’ll throw up pieces of steak. He turned his nose up at some homemade food I made with ground beef but I think that could have been because of the tomato I put in it. However, I just ordered a box of Love for my Dane, Max, and I was going to give Dozer a little to see how he does with it. Max used to eat Keen but I’ve switched him to Embark as well and want to rotate with Love. I just found out he has arthritis so I’m keeping him lean and on a grain free diet. So far so good!

-Caroline

[InkedMarie]

I have no horse in this race but thanks for helping, Shawna!

Caroline, what Honest Kitchen do you feed?

[RescueDaneMom]

Thanks Cyndi! We’re going on 9 months and Dozer is still responding very well to the chemo. He is also loving his Honest Kitchen and whatever else I make him! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Awesome! 😀 Thanks Shawna! Good luck with Dozer, Caroline!

[RescueDaneMom]

WOW! Thank you so much for the detailed response, Shawna! Great information and very helpful!

-Caroline

[Beach Dog]

Hello. I live on an island in the Caribbean, and have a 4 year old, 75lb, female mutt. Two days ago she was diagnosed positive for heartworm…and yes, I cried. Luckily, she is in the early stages with no obvious symptoms of coughing, weight loss etc. I sought the advice of different vets and have been presented with 3 options. (1.) Do the 2 day adulticide treatment. (2.) Do a split treatment, where one dosage is injected and then a second and final dosage is given 3weeks after. (3.) Give her heartworm ‘preventative’ medicine over the next year, and assess if that reduces the quantity of adult worms present. While I make my decision, we started her on the “Pet Life Endolav Plus” pills. (She had not been given any heartworm pills prior).The pills were also given to my other dog, which is a 5 month old male mastiff. So my questions are:

1. Which option is the safest, while being most effective (I’ve gotten different responses from different vets).

2. For those living in climates where mosquitoes thrive all year round, what are the best heartworm preventative medicines and also methods? (I’ve noticed comments on this forum that advise against topical bug repellents, but mosquitoes are rampant here.)

3. Is there anything I can do to help prep my dog for treatment? Whether through addition of vitamins or a special diet? She currently doesn’t take any supplements. She was rescued as a puppy, and for the past 3 years has been fed Alpo/Pedigree/Beneful along with occasional cooked meals of rice and meat. I wasn’t aware this was potentially bad until recently, and have luckily found someone on island that distributes Sportsmix, ProPac and Earthborn Holistic Primitive. I went with the propac because it had lower calcium levels, which is seemingly better for the puppy. (Getting foods rated higher than 2 star here is challenging). I’ve started cooking meats and muscles to add to the kibble, and when I have the time on the weekend I cook full meals, including organs. (Still experimenting, as this is still new to me, having only just ditched the supermarket brands a month ago).

Grateful for any advice. She’s honestly the sweetest dog we’ve ever owned, and I badly want her to survive this. I would hate to have rescued her, only to have this as her fate. I also want to ensure that the 5 month old remains healthy.

[Shawna]

Oops, meant to add this… I’d also consider adding a few high quality organic “raw” eggs to Dozer’s diet every week. Raw eggs have a precursor to what is referred to as glutathione. Glutathione is the “master antioxidant” of the body and helps the liver remove toxins from the blood. The below linked research article discusses how glutathione helps after the toxicity of chemotherapy. In the research they are discussing glutamine supplementation but raw egg is even better than glutamine (an amino acid found in protein) alone. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1234593/

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Shawna.

[Shawna]

Hi Cyndi and RescueDaneMom,

Usually I’m not able to log in to the forums but it let me today so….. 🙂

I REALLY like Dr. Dressler but really don’t like grains in a dog’s food.. I’d much rather see you feeding THK and adding high protein meat or canned toppers. If you want to add extra vitamin E I personally would use red palm oil as it has a form of vitamin E that is been researched to be more cancer fighting than alpha-tocopherol. You can buy the oil or can buy a supplement that utilizes the oil. HOWEVER, I’ve also read that high amounts of vitamin E can be detrimental in certain types of cancer. UGHHH Lymphoma seems to be one that supplemental vitamin E provides benefits for though (those that may read this dealing with other types of cancer need to check for their specific type of cancer) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8272150

There are foods that are known to kill cancer cells as well — garlic, turmeric and the enzyme bromelain from pineapples induce apoptosis and causes rogue cells to commit suicide as an example (because of the sugar content of pineapple, I would give bromelain as a supplement (away from meals) instead of pineapple itself). Turmeric is inexpensive but do use ONLY organic turmeric if you decide to use it as many spices are irradiated damaging the benefits. Turmeric can be added to other powdered supplements and sprinkled right on the food.

Certain foods also are known to cut off the blood supply to cancers and thus starving the cancer to death (this is called antiangiogenosis). Turmeric, garlic, blueberries, apples, certain mushrooms and more can all do this.. The more foods you feed that are antiangiogenic the better the outcome as they are believed to be synergistic and work better together. This is a list of foods that cause antiangiogenosis http://blog.ted.com/2010/02/10/dr_william_lis/ (some are not appropriate for dogs (like grapes)).

If you are interested at all in more data on antiangiogenosis, human oncologist Dr. William Li has an EXCELLENT Ted TV video on it. The title of the video is “Can we eat to starve cancer.” It can be found here http://www.ted.com/talks/william_li.html

PS — I’m in the group that think “synthetic” vitamins have minimal positive affect on the body. I’d much rather see foods high in nutrients and, if needed, whole food vitamin supplements be used. I don’t think the supplement your vet gave you will hurt, just don’t think it will help as much as those found in food. I would also give an enzyme supplement with each meal.

Dozer is certainly in all our prayers and thoughts for a speedy and full recovery!!!!!!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Shawna.

[Cyndi]

No problem at all. I don’t believe Shawna “comes into” the forum section and Hound Dog Mom, one of the other experts, has been really busy with school and doesn’t come online much anymore. There are a couple other people on here that may be able to help, Pattyvaughn being one of them, but maybe one of them will see and help you out. Good luck! 🙂

[RescueDaneMom]

Thank you very much Cyndi! I really appreciate it. 🙂

[Cyndi]

I posted a link to this thread in the review section for Shawna. She is one of the very knowledgeable people on here that could probably help.

[RescueDaneMom]

I know this is a long post with a lot of information, but does anyone have any feedback for me? My vet is pretty useless when it comes to food advice/nutrition.

[Embodz]

My 8 1/2 year old labradoodle Boe was diagnosed with a Hepatic Carcinoma this past summer. It was operable so they removed the tumor and the right lobe of her liver (the left side of the liver was not yet impacted by the tumor). It’s been nearly 4 months since the surgery and she has recovered well, although her energy level is not quite where it was prior to her illness. I have two concerns. First, I am concerned that the food we are now feeding her is not the best option for her. Her vet has prescribed Hills Prescription L/D for hepatic health. Are there better, more wholesome options for her? I am concerned about the quality of ingredients and it doesn’t seem that the prescription food is satisfying her hunger. We feed her the recommended amount based on her ideal weight but she is constantly hungry. She is also experiencing some joint stiffness, probably associated with age but I am afraid to give her joint supplements because I don’t know if they may impact her liver function. Prior to her surgery, she was a very active dog. She would run on average 3 days per week (only 3-4 miles ea.) with us but she is too stiff and sore to really run any distance at this point. Any suggestions would be appreciated

[Whitney]

I want to get my puppy off of Proin. Does anyone know if cornsilk is good? She has spay incontinence.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Aleksandra,

Make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did. I bought this big, beautiful jar of lovely organic coconut oil, only to find out that it’s refined and as a result, basically worthless.

You want extra virgin or unrefined coconut oil.

Here’s some good reading on coconut oil and some other “alternative” supplements from what will be in the November issue of Whole Dog Journal, starting at page three (3): http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_11/features/alternative-treatments-updated_20861-1.html?pg=3

[RescueDaneMom]

My mom has a 7 year old neutered male rottweiler (Dozer) with lymphoma. He has been undergoing chemo treatments and is doing well. He was diagnosed in February and here we are 8 months later. He has been eating The Honest Kitchen Embark and Thrive. I’ve been making homemade food for a topper so he doesn’t get bored on the two formulas. His last chemo treatment was a little rougher than the others and he didn’t want to eat his THK. I found the cancer diet by Dr. Dressler and made that for him. He loved it! We’ve been feeding him that for the past two weeks because he had one treatment that only lasted for a week and then needed another treatment that will least 3 weeks before he needs to go back to the vet. He’s doing much better now so I’m thinking about reintroducing THK to see if he’ll eat it again.

The vet put him on a multivitamin that they make to make sure he was getting enough iron. My question is: Is the multivitamin from the vet adequate for making the homemade food complete and balanced?

The Cancer Diet Recipe:
2.5-3 lbs lean meat, simmered with water on low heat
1-2 lbs cooked brown rice or oatmeal
0.5-0.75 lbs veggies cooked and pureed
0.5-0.67 lbs chopped, cooked liver
1-1.5 cups cottage cheese
2 skinless chicken necks, chopped and boiled (I used gizzards because I had them on hand)
0.75 tsp salt substitute
4-5 grams oyster shell calcium (I’ve been using calcium acetate at 800-1000mg Ca/lb of meat)
16,000-18,000mg EFAs (krill or fish oil)*

*Note: he hasn’t been getting any additional EFAs. My mom gets flustered having to add so many things to his food but I’ve convinced her he needs them. I ordered Carlson’s Salmon Oil Complete from Swanson’s per HDM’s recommendation. How much should he be getting per day? I’ve read differing opinions. He weighs 110lbs. I also just started giving him canned sardines in spring water with no salt added (New Brunswick brand). How many times per week do you think I should give them to him? I mixed in a 3.75oz can with his dinner last night and he loved it!

I’ve also been adding 1 tsp of flax oil per pound of meat because all Dozer will eat is chicken or turkey. He doesn’t tolerate beef well. He throws up if he eats too much of it.

He is also getting 2 capsules of Dr. Langer’s probiotics daily because he is getting 2000mg of cephalexin (2-500mg capsules 2x day). He has been on antibiotics for the last two weeks and will be on them until we see the vet again in two more weeks.

Analysis of the Multivitamin: per 1 soft chew. Dozer gets 2 per day.
iron (amino acid chelate): 3mg
copper (copper acetate): 0.1mg
manganese (manganese sulfate): 0.25mg
zin (zinc oxide): 1.4mg
vitamin D3: 150 iu
vitamin A (as acetate): 1500 iu
vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopherol): 15 iu
vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate): 0.24mg
vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.65mg
pantothenic acid (calcium d-pantothenate): 0.68mg
niacin (niacinamide): 3.4mg
vitamin B6 (pyroxidine): 0.24mg
folic acid: 50mcg
vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin): 7mcg
choline (choline chloride):40mg
biotin: 15mcg
vitamin C (ascorbic acid): 3mg
vitamin K1 (phytonadione): 4mcg

I think I should be giving him more vitamin E right? Anything else I should add supplement wise? He shouldn’t need anything else if I start feeding this with THK again, right?

Thank you in advance for the feedback. I appreciate it.

-Caroline

[2dogmom]

Scott is great about returning emails too. He explained so much to me, I’m confident I made the right choice in picking Nature’s Logic for my new puppy.

Don’t feed added supplements and watch any other foods you introduce into their diets. It’s that combination along with combining certain minerals that throw off the chemical balance that cause levels to spike or exceed “standards”. I am glad there is no added D3 in NL which as stated above could result in over absorption. I get it.

Thanks everyone.

[Noggin]

Hi Jilty,
In my experience, transitioning between dog foods is generally not a problem unless the dog has been on only one food for a long time, or has special needs. A fresh rescue should be put on a high quality food at first, with perhaps an Omega 3 supplement or canned salmon (people food). Acana for instance, or Wellness or any of the good foods you can get in your area. We found food with grain makes for loose poops, and here in the city we have to pick-up after him… A quality food will be fine for puppies or adults.

Transitioning from rescue food should be a non-issue, since it’s probably cheap and low quality, and he/she likely hasn’t adapted to it anyway. If you’re really worried, use what you have over a few days and mix the old with the new.

nogginblog.tumblr.com

• This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by Noggin.

[pugmomsandy]

pacer1978

Since you’ve already introduced raw into the diet, just try out a raw meaty bone and see how they do. I have small dogs and started with chicken wings and necks. And then went to chicken legs. I do have 2 that chomp their bones pretty well and one that does a so-so job at it but in 2 years of raw meaty bones, he hasn’t had any issues. You can attach a large vice clamp onto a RMB or tie part of it to a broom stick or something like that so he can’t gulp the whole thing down and hopefully learns to not gulp. If gulping is a problem, then I would feed grinds and nothing harder than chicken bones. I would say that chicken necks and duck necks and very small turkey necks (about 1 inch diameter or less) are ok to slightly gulp down. This is what my 30 lb dog does! You can always whack the neck with a hammer first. If you want to incorporate raw and still feed kibble and other commercial products, then I would suggest chicken, turkey or duck necks 3 times a week and then maybe a couple meals of just ground meats/organ/calcium supplement (or commercial raw). Baby back pork ribs are also easy to break so that might be an option too. Frankly, I don’t think there is anything “sharp” in a small poultry neck bone so that might be a good bone for you to use. You can also buy a large leg bone just for them to enjoy chewing on instead of eating it.

[Oceans11]

I am sure that once I become more confidant, I will be looking in to supplementing his natures variety with homemade meals because it will be more cost effective. I will be very interested in what you think of preparing their meals yourself.

[RescueDaneMom]

I think any incorporation of raw or fresh foods is a good thing. I’ve just started adding raw to my dog’s diet. I think it’d be easier for you if you stick with the 20% rule. You can add up to 20% (by volume I think) of additional fresh foods without throwing off the balance of nutrients in commercial kibble. That way you don’t have to worry about adding extra supplements and such to make the food complete and balanced. I think it has also been said that you can feed one meal of raw and one meal of kibble and still be ok with vitamins/minerals.

I add the following things to my dog’s food (not all at the same time): lightly cooked eggs (over easy), cottage cheese, kefir, canned sardines in water, and canned pink salmon. I will also add some canned tripe by Tripett.

I also add commercial raw, either Primal or Stella and Chewy’s. Lately I’ve been using the Primal grinds (muscle meat, organs, and bone) which are not complete and balanced. If you used more than 20% of this in a meal than you would need to balance it. You can get Primal from an independent pet store. See primalpetfoods.com for more info. Also a bonus, the bones in the grinds are ground up so small that there is no hazard of choking!

If you are interested in learning more about raw food there are two books that are always recommended: “Real food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Taylor & Becker and “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown. They have recipes for raw and cooked foods. I have made one batch of raw using Taylor & Becker’s recipe. I wasn’t too difficult but I had to go to two different stores to get what I needed. It is easier for me right now to use the Primal grinds instead of making my own raw food.

In my opinion, commercial raw food is a good compromise if you don’t want to go full raw. Yes it is still processed, but very minimally and much less than kibble. It is also convenient for those that are busy or simply don’t have or want to take the time to source raw meats and make their own raw food meals from scratch.

These are just my opinions. There are others here that have way more experience than I do such as HoundDogMom, Pattyvaughn, and pugmomsandy. They may have more feedback for you.

[Oceans11]

Your Pugs are adorable! I thank you and appreciate your comments. I made the mistake of going in and reading the comments on supplements – too much information for now! If I feed our puppy Raw Instinct Bites and alternate with an all meat kibble (Fromm perhaps??) and give him a bone every 3 days or so, won’t this be enough for a happy healthy pup? Doesn’t the Raw Instinct and kibble have the right mix of all the nutrients they need?

Also, have you any experience with using Diatamacious Earth as a preventive for ear mites?

[pacer1978]

I’m sorry if these questions were already asked. There are so many posts, that I feel it may just be faster to ask instead of reading through every topic on the forum. I am mostly a kibble type since that is convenient and fast, though I do feed my dogs premium kibble: NV, NP, Earthborn Holistic, and Fromm for instance.

Here are my questions. If I do incorporate raw into their diet, how do I go about doing that? Where do you purchase this from? Is there a butcher you go through? How much does it cost typically? I have stayed away from raw thinking it would be unsanitary and very expensive. Plus, I try not to give my dogs bones since they inhale their food and seem to cough and gag a lot after eating one. My thought is that it gets stuck in their throat. Not to mention, I will come home to a pile of bile with sharp bones in the mix and that freaks me out. I’m afraid the sharp bones will do damage to them. Sometimes I will purchase the NV raw patties and freeze dried food and sprinkle or chop that up into their food, but probably don’t do it often for it to make any difference. I’m sure that their raw food is not the same anyway since it is probably still processed in some way.
I know many of you here believe 100% in the raw diet, but I remember when I first investigated it, I had read articles that didn’t support it. One lady explained how she switched to raw and her dog ended up extremely sick with contamination. Any ideas on that? I feel right now with supplements, treats, and premium kibble I am spending so much on their food as it is. I want the best for my dogs, however. I feel you shouldn’t take them on if you can’t provide for them the best you can. Who knows…maybe the raw is cheaper than what I’m spending right now. On the other hand, I’m the main person that handles the feedings in my house. I doubt on the nights I’m at school my husband will have the patients or agreeableness to feed and deal with raw food. Anyway, just looking for your thoughts on some of these questions. I always thought raw was too difficult to feed since there really isn’t a place for me to purchase this other than my grocery store. For some reason, I figured most people purchased it another way. Thanks for anyone reading!

[RescueDaneMom]

Soprano1-

I am by no means an expert. I would suggest checking out the dogaware website at dogaware.com/health/kidney.html. I haven’t figured out how to post links yet so bear with me.

According to my research on dogaware, dogs with early stage kidney disease only need slight diet modifications. The following text is copied from the website:
“Early Renal Insufficiency: In general, creatinine values up to about 2.0 (177 µmol/L) are indicative of mild, or early stage, kidney disease (or early renal insufficiency, as my vet terms it). In cases like these, it may still help to make dietary modifications to reduce phosphorus if blood phosphorus level is above 4.5, but these reductions do not need to be as drastic as when the values are higher, and it is probably not necessary to do other treatments at this stage, such as sub-q fluids (unless your dog is drinking so much that she is having trouble staying hydrated, such as getting up during the night to drink). Adding calcium to each meal if you are feeding a home made diet (to act as a phosphorus binder) would be advisable, and possibly antacids, particularly if your dog is showing any signs of inappetence or gastric problems. I would also give fish oil supplements (body oil, NOT liver oil), at the rate of 1,000 mg (300 mg combined DHA and EPA) per 10 lbs of body weight, along with Vitamin E (50, 100 or 200 IU for small, medium and large dogs), and discontinue any Vitamin A and D supplements (including cod liver oil) added to commercial foods. Additional recommended supplements include a B-complex vitamin and CoQ10, which may be beneficial for dogs with kidney disease.”

There is a table on the website for commercial foods with phosphorous amounts listed. There is only one blue buffalo food on there and it has too much phosphorous. See dogaware.com/health/kidneynonprescription.html

I looked up your previous food (Purina NF) on the same site. It says that food is for Late Stage Kidney Disease. The protein content is 15.9% on a dry matter basis. There are prescription diets that are better suited to Early Stage Kidney Disease. I don’t know why your vet wouldn’t have put your dog on one of those. I think Patty was right and the food was doing more harm than good in your case.

You report that your dog is doing well on Blue right now and you have a recheck in November. If it were me, I would continue to feed Blue and see what her values are at the recheck. If her creatinine and BUN are slightly elevated, I would consider switching to one of the foods on the list of non-prescription foods. My choice would be the Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Chicken Recipe and/or Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Whitefish & Sweet Potato.

I hope this is helpful. Again, I would really recommend checking out the dogaware site. There is so much information available. I would read through it before going to your recheck in November so you can be prepared.

[Dfwgolden]

I have a 16 week old purebred Border Collie puppy out of working stock lines.
He’s an amazing pup in every way, intelligent, lively, loving, and very social.

However….

Ricky has since I got him had very loose stools. We have three other dogs two Golden Retrievers and a Chihuahua (Shh, don’t tell him I called him a dog!)
None of our other three ever had loose stools, Ricky also poops a lot!
Not like 4-5 times like some puppies do but like 8-10 times a day.

His potty training has been an extreme difficulty and is not progressing as it should.
We’ve tried changing foods and adding supplements.
He just has show no signs of improvement.

I am a big fan of the raw diet but am not currently able to feed that with my finances.
He is currently on Diamond Lamb and Rice Large breed puppy.
My other dogs eat Diamond with no problems what so ever, they have a nice shiny coat and have never been in better health.

What do I do about this? I just am all over the board here and don;t understand why he poops SO MUCH and why it is so loose.
He is 100% healthy (had a blood panel done and everything) he is on Revolution for fleas and HW.
He gets feed in the afternoon around 12:00pm and at night around 6:00pm
Then gets a small snack of food before I leave for school around 7:00am of so.

He is very active and shows know underlying issues what so ever. His coat is beautiful! No smelly breath, or itching ect.

I just am baffled.

[RescueDaneMom]

Thank you both for the suggestions. I’ve never thought of using horse supplements. I found that Actiflex makes a K9 formula too. Do you think the Actiflex 4000 is better than the Actiflex K9?

[RescueDaneMom]

I rescued my Dane when he was 2 as well. He was only slightly underweight. He was 140 and now weighs 160 at 7 years old. Max is my first Dane and I followed the advice of The Great Dane Lady at first. I like the supplements that she recommends. I use the “Filling in the Wholes” and Nzymes granular supplements which can be purchased from firstchoicenaturals.com. You can also get probiotics and digestive enzymes from them. My mom’s rottweiler that is undergoing chemo treatment is on the 4 in 1 probiotics.

When I first got Max, I put him on a diet of high quality kibble (one of Great Dane Lady’s suggested) and used The Honest Kitchen as a topper. He loved it. It was also a great improvement over the Diamond food he was being fed. I have to agree that she suggests too many kibbles with grain that have high carbs. I would also agree that the licking and chewing at his butt and hips could be a food intolerance. Chicken is the most widely fed protein so it might be worth it to try a different protein. My Dane loves turkey and duck. Earthborn Holistic has affordable priced grain-free foods.

I wish you the very best of luck with Bauer. Great Danes are awesome, quirky dogs with so much personality. I think you will really fall in love with the breed. Keep us updated on his progress!