[Susan]

Hi Natalie, here’s a link about “Vitamin C” & you make your own mind up, also my other post the bottom link was about Vitamin C doses, ingredients etc you can email the Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan on the bottom link on my other post & ask her any questions you may have & also ask about Giardia & your dog has no symptoms but is positive can they carry it?? she’ll know more then any of us, the only bad thing vitamin C can do is cause diarrhea when not slowly introduced & given too much…
I strongly believe in feeding a healthy natural diet & natural supplements, you’ve already on the right track, feeding a healthy diet as you’ve posted, Penelope has already started a healthy life, I would do as Crazy4cats has suggested, she has had a few dogs with Giardia. give another round of Panacur & Metronidazole tablet 21 day course… I think you need to do the 2 drugs to kill this rotten parasite .. Why I posted about vitamin C is its an excellent immune booster when pets are sick & a lot of people don’t realise vitamin C can be given to their pets as long as it’s slowly introduced & it’s the right vitamin C….

Here’s the beginning of the link below about Vitamin C,
*Is it necessary to supplement vitamin C since dogs produce the vitamin C in their own bodies. True-but if a dog is stressed or sick their bodies output of vitamin C can quickly be depleted…It has been found that stress both physical (eg fever & infections etc) and emotional (eg stress caused by the change in the environment) is the best known cause of vitamin C depletion in dogs…In addition it has been found that dogs supplemented with vitamin C have stronger immune systems & show greater resistance to DISEASE & better ability to recover from illness or injuries, to read further click on link…
http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/vitamin-c-for-dogs.html

* Anon101, it’s nilly 2017 not 1980, if vitamin C is so bad then how come in Australia it’s sold for dogs & cats & used as a supplement to strengthen the immune system, skin allergies, natural anti-histamine, IBD, ear infections, teeth & gums, upper respiratory problems, bladder & urinary tract infections, arthritis & other health problems…
We all know you don’t believe or use any natural health products, you prefer to give hard drugs, that fix one health problem & end up causing other health problems …Just cause you believe in medications it doesn’t mean we all have to go down that track… You mustn’t of had a real sick pet or been ill yourself cause you’d know not all medication work & sometimes it’s the natural supplements that have worked the best and helped humans, animals have less side effects & aren’t hard on the body like the hard medications can be…. The drugs for Giardia are hard awful drugs that can make you feel very ill, nausea & diarrhea, with this all happening the immune system needs to be strong….

[anonymous]

“Also, do you think that adding Vitamin C will help with getting rid of her Giardia?”
It would be best to consult your vet before adding any supplements, you have already indicated that your dog needs pediatric dosages of medication due to her size.

Risks Associated with Vitamin C
Even promoters of vitamin C recognize the risk associated with too much vitamin C. Excess vitamin C is excreted through the kidneys, but too much can cause flatulence and diarrhea. This level varies with a dog’s age, size and breed.
Critics contend that feeding a healthy dog vitamin C is equivalent to feeding thyroid medication to a dog with a healthy thyroid and predict problems with the kidney and liver associated with vitamin C overdose.
The National Resource Council ran 24 tests on vitamin C in dogs in the 1980s, and all concluded that vitamin C should not be used to supplement a dog’s diet. One of the studies linked supplemental vitamin C with skeletal disease in Labrador retriever puppies. However, the the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), designated the governing body for the pet food industry, labeled these tests invalid in 1994 on the basis that they are too old. (excerpt from https://www.vetinfo.com/vitamin-c-dogs.html)

[anonymous]

I think listening to a veterinarian that has examined and diagnosed your dog and knows the dog’s history would be wise. Bladder stones often have a genetic component.
Your dog has a serious condition that requires the expertise of a veterinary professional.
Prescription dog foods are specially formulated as part of the treatment for specific medical conditions. It’s not just about the ingredients, it’s about trying to prevent your dog from having continued problems.
Also, you may want to discuss with your veterinarian, about the possibility of medications that might help. I’m not talking about food supplements/scams.
Did you try the search engine here to look up “bladder stones”.

[anonymous]

Ask the vet if an x-ray is indicated to rule out bladder stones, they can have more than one type at the same time.
Supplements are not intended to cure, treat, or prevent any medical condition. In fact, they can sometimes cause harm.

[Lisa F]

My 25 lb Chihuahua mix has been urinating in the house. She can’t hold her urine over 4 hours. I have had urine tested a month ago and she had a UTI and bacteria in urine she was prescribed antibiotics for 14 days. She did well and stopped peeing in house for about 3 weeks then it started back up again. I brought in another sample and was told it was high in PH, contained crystals, inflammatory cells, but no bacteria. Tomorrow she is going in so they can take the urine directly from her bladder. I’ve been told she has a recessed vulva that could contribute to frequent UTI’s. She is not overweight despite her breed mix.. she was recently on a diet and went from 30 lbs back to 25 by feeding a LID diet and green beans. she is now at a healthy weight for her size. Doctor also told me probably good to put her on Hill’s prescription diet and she can NO longer have any vegetables or other food. She loves eating her veggies, apples, sweet potato etc.. I don’t want to stop that. Hill’s doesn’t look as healthy as her current food either. The vet also said she thinks that the no grain diet could be a culprit, exact opposite what I’m reading. I’m concerned for her and rather her be on natural supplements such as cranberry or vit C to help correct her PH levels.

[Susan]

Hi I don’t know why your vet only put your poor dog on the Metronidazole antibiotic for 7 days?? they need to be on the Metronidazole for a good 21-28 days especially for S.I.B.O Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth.
My boy Patch is also a rescue he just turned 8yrs old, he has IBD, Helicobacter pylori, nausea, vomiting sometimes, acid reflux, seasonal environment skin allergies, red itchy paws, itchy ears, food sensitivities, eating grass, yellow sloppy poos that smell bad, pain in stomach/pancreas area….. the best thing I did was have an Endoscope + biopsies done (camera down throat to stomach) sometimes they can go into the small bowel as well & do a biopsies but only if their pyloric sphincter is open, Patches wasn’t open but the 2 Biopsies told us what was wrong finally Helicobacter Pylori & IBD, when the vet looked into Patches stomach everything looked excellent, so you need to do the biopsies…
Patch starts reacting after eating the same kibble for 2-3 months, sloppy yellow poos, gets his pain, it can take from 1 day to 6 weeks to show food sensitivities, after trying so many kibbles, the only kibble that he hasn’t reacted too after being on it for 8 months is “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb. I don’t know if is cause TOTW uses Purified Water, or all the ingredients he isn’t sensitive to any of them & TOTW don’t change their suppliers?? some kibble companies buy their potatoes from whoever, that’s been a problem in the past for Patch, he was eating Earthborn Holistic, Ocean Fusion he was doing really well while on the small 2.5kg bags, so I bought the 13kg bag it’s cheaper, it was a new batch number & different use by date then Patch was farting doing sloppy smelly poos again, so I emailed earthborn told them what has happened & the lady said we use, rustic, white, red, brown potatoes whatever we can get & I think when the potatoes are green & rotten batches Patch gets his sloppy poos & bad gas problems …
Taste of the Wild has been the only kibble a few dogs with IBD, EPI, S.B.I.O & IBS don’t react too after eating it for a while…
Your best to feed a cooked balanced diet, instead of any processed kibbles, you know what they’re eating, join groups on Face Book like “Rodney Habib” “Canine Nutrition & Natural Health” run by Cat Lane, “K-9 Kitchen” run by Monica Segal, you can also book an appointment with Monica or Cat Lane or another dog nutritionist, they may be cheaper there’s also Judy Morgan DV, she also has the supplements to balance the meals & Judy has cooking videos on You Tube that are so easy to follow & she adds the Honest Kitchen Base meals & you just cooked & add the meat & veggies but I think the Honest Kitchen is dehydrated & Patch can’t seem to handle dehydrated kibbles foods…
I live Australia & I contacted Jacqueline Rudan to put Patch on a raw diet about 2 yrs ago, Jacqueline said I need to heal his stomach & bowel & balance his gut flora his pH is probably tooo high…so I give him some of my Yakult, it’s a pink probiotic drink sold in supermarkets, there’s also Kefir but start real slow when introducing any probiotics, some probiotics made Patch very nausea, Jacqueline wanted me to keep giving Patch the probiotic capsules but they made Patch ill so I stopped & now I give the Yakult drink & he does good I don’t give him much maybe 3 spoons in a bowl..
Cause they are rescue dogs we don’t know what has happen when they were pups & growing up, did they drink dirty contaminated water? were they starved & not feed proper diets, what 1 vet thinks has happened with Patch & when he came to me & I started to feed him a healthy cooked diet he couldn’t handle eating good healthy foods, I’ve had him 4 yrs now & finally in small amounts, I can give him anything to eat as long as I’ve introduced that food to him & it’s not high in fat, where before he’d wake up 2am 3am or 4am with his bowel making loud rumbling noises, it was gas/wind going thru his bowel, 1 vet said Colitis, Food Sensitivities, so I started an elimination cooked diet & worked out what he cant eat, also feed foods that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, the omega 3 helps their skin, coat, stomach, bowel, heart, joints & brain, Patch doesn’t do well eating a kibble with fish or salmon oils, he gets acid reflux, so I feed other foods high in Omega 3 like raw almonds, 3 raw almonds a day given as a treat & I have a few almonds myself, you should see his coat it’s so shinny, just feeding foods high in omega 3, tin sardines in spring water are excellent but you must start real slow, feed 1 spoon mashed sardines for 1-2 weeks watch poos if still firm then then increase to 2 spoons of sardines a day, I feed salmon or tuna instead it’s not as greasy…
My recipe I make for Patch, Rissoles + Sweet Potato, it’s so easy & you do not have to cook every day, I cook every 8 days but if I made more it would be every 16 days..
I buy Lean Pork mince or the Lean beef mince, it say 5% fat on the packet, I think in America you call it grounded meat, make sure the mince is lean, some minces have a lot of fat, Patch can’t eat turkey, he gets diarrhea also boiled rice irritates his bowel, something that took me 2 months to realise it’s the boiled rice…
I get 2 x 500gram packets lean pork that’s 1 kilo, I think just over 2 pounds, I whisk 1 egg in the bowl, I buy a small broccoli head, Patches Nutritionist said feed green veggies when it’s their skin, stomach & bowel, food sensitivities, I cut up say 1/3 cup chopped broccoli, then I grow parsley & kale & spinach, it grows forever in the veggies Patch, I finally cut up about 1 teaspoon parsley add too bowl, then I add some cut up spinach & cut up kale but only 1 small leaf, then I add the pork mince & mix all thru, I was adding 1 small grated carrot but Patch has food sensitivities & gets red paws, itchy skin & ears, then he starts to smell real yeasty, “Malaseb Medicated Shampoo” bathed weekly is the best when they have itchy paws & skin, so I’ve stopped adding the carrot to his rissoles…
I had too slowly add all these ingredients, at first it was just 1 kg pork mince with a little bit of cut up broccoli, then when I made a new batch of rissoles, I added 1 whisked egg saw how he went, if all was good I added 1 new green cut up veggie & the veggies seem to heal his stomach & bowel, you have to be careful, certain veggies ferment in the stomach so stay away from foods that ferment cause they sit in the stomach & cause gasses…. just Google “what veggies ferment in the stomach” & what veggies, grains don’t digest easy” lentils, chick peas don’t digest easy… you mix all the finally cut up greens with mince & make 1 cup size rissoles, I have scales & weight at 130-136 grams & I make the rissoles the length of my middle finger & flatten them a bit they look like a small sausage then I put on baking tray that has foil on the baking tray, I get around 8 rissoles from 1 kg mince, I bake in oven then about 15-20mins I take out baking tray drain any water/fat & turn over the rissoles & bake till cooked they don’t take long maybe 30mins don’t over cook or you’ll have a leathery rissole, I also boil sweet potatoes & I cool & freeze, same with the rissoles cool & wrap in cling wrap individually, I take out a cut piece of sweet potato & 1 rissole put on a small plate cover with cling wrap & thaw then put in fridge then for dinner I cut up the rissole & mash the sweet potato, for breakfast & lunch Patch has his “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb Kibble, I’m slowly introducing the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines grain free kibble so I have another kibble just in case + I rotate his kibble now we just finished trying “Canidae” Life Stages Platinum kibble, too many ingredients & the carbs are too high at 50% in the Canidae Platinum & his poos started to go sloppy & smell again, so now introducing the “Holistic Select so far all is good poos are still firm they don’t smell but its mixed with his TOTW kibble but he’s not farting like he does when I’ve introduced a new kibble that doesn’t agree with him, so hopefully the Holistic Select will be fed in the Summer months, I like to fed a fish kibble in the Summer months for his skin allergies & in the Winter months I feed a lamb kibble “Taste Of The Wild” + his rissoles & raw almonds & I forgot I also feed peeled apple pieces as treat, K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels, tuna or salmon with boiled potato rissoles….
You need to make his gut strong again, if he has a set back give the Metronidazole, I have scripts the vet gives me & I just go & get from the chemist, Patch goes back on the Metronidazole for 10days 1 x tablet 200mg at night with a meal, but your dog may need a 21 day course Metro to start with to rest & heal his bowel & a diet that’s very easy to digest & the omega 3…
Good luck, I hope something in this small book, helps

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Is the vet recommending one of the hydrolyzed recipes or gastrointestinal? I know they are extremely expensive, but you may want to give it a shot at least to help heal your dog’s tummy. In the long run, it may pay off. If you continue to buy food that doesn’t work and you have to buy something else, it is also going to be expensive. You can buy Royal Canin prescription food on http://www.chewy.com. It may be cheaper than buying from the vet. Also RC is a brand that you get an additional discount if you set up an auto ship account with them. Their program is very flexible. You can change the date of delivery and products very easily, unlike some other programs I have tried.

I have used prescription food for both my dogs and cats at different times and have slowly weaned them off after about six months and all are doing fine. Obviously, I don’t know what is wrong with your poor pup and don’t know if this will work for her or not.

Here is a site that I referred to quite a bit when my dogs were having similar issues: http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html
I did use a few of the supplements recommended on this site as well with success. Several people on this forum are anti-supplements, but I feel at times some are helpful and should only be used for a limited amount of time.

It sounds like your vet may think it is an allergy or intolerance if he/she recommended an elimination diet. That is where the hydrolyzed diet would be the best place to start. If there is an allergy, you have to find out what it is before your dog will have any relief. My dogs just had very irritated intestines due to a lot of parasites and then consequently a lot of antibiotics to rid them.

How is it going now with her now?

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by crazy4cats.

[Krista B]

About 10 different supplements that dr. Karen Becker recommend in her homemade book. I believe the didn’t necessarily need it to be balanced but I felt better adding it in. I also used (and still use) fish oil, a joint supplement and currently a multivitamin. I just purcahsed a small box of honest kitchen today. I’m excited to try it tomorrow! Looks like a wonderful food. As far as fiber I talked to the people at the store and they said it shouldn’t be a problem which is good. It’s a little more pricey then kibble but well worth it!

[InkedMarie]

I used to use Reel Raw. With grinds, it was cheaper for me to buy from Hare Today even with RR’s free shipping to me.

What supplements were you using that had to be ground? I use salmon oil (just throw the pill in), Bug Off Garlic, condition specific (my senior gets a joint supp, my girl gets a urinary supp).

[Krista B]

I was going through a supplier called reel raw. Their ground party’s are pretty pricey. I was also using prey model guidelines but then adding in produce and supplements. It was time consuming for me because I would have to grind all the supplements and produce. It would take several hours plus clean up time. I was feeding 3 small dogs, one of them was mine. So it would last several months. But it also took up freezer space which was a hassle. Plus I’m starting school soon so I didn’t want to have to much on my hands. I just decided feeding commercially prepared foods was a little easier for me.

But I defiantly agree it can be pretty cost effective in some cases and its a great way to feed dogs. If I have more time (and money) I would defiantly be willing to feed it again.

[InkedMarie]

Krista: I’m a prey model raw feeder so I dont use produce. Two sometimes get a mix of some greens & other stuff; my oldest dog dos not. I buy my grinds because I won’t take the time to grind up beef, turkey, goat, rabbit, pig etc which they all get. It’s not time consuming; I put the bowl on the scale, tare it, scoop food in, add the few supplements they get and it’s a meal.

Grandma Lucy’s is technically freeze dried (I think) but not raw.

[Krista B]

I think raw is great! My dog was fed a homade raw for a year but it was very time consuming and expensive. I would grind up supplements from dr Karen backers book. And then I would also grind up fruit/veggies along with ground meat. My dog did fantastic on it. I just use high quality kibble along with the occasional meal of dehydrated raw or canned. My dog also does very well on this. I will defiantly look into grandma Lucy’s dehydrated raw!

[Ryan K]

Yes, I just actually fed him a nice bowl of boiled chicken and rice which he LOVED. It’s one of the first things he has literally chewed down on since this issue started. Glad he ate that. I hope the glandex supplements make defecating a little more comfortable for him too. I know his glands give him trouble every month so that’s something I should be looking to alleviate naturally for him through fiber or supplements.

My vet is actually going to call me soon about an email to a specialist about his slipped disc that I needed her to write as a request for a second opinion about his x rays. So, I will mention it to her when she calls. He also goes back in on Friday for another laser treatment so I can ask them when I’m there if it’s really bothering me. I think I just need to truly know what it is. The stress of not knowing what it could be is making me a mess. I get very panic attack-ish when I have to deal with the unknown with my pets health. I can’t even imagine having kids.

Thanks for the response! 🙂

[Lisa S]

Hello,

I have a 65-pound pit bull mix with a PH level of 8.5. He has already been treated twice by two different antibiotics that didn’t work. The vet also ran a bunch of other tests on him and said there were no other big issues but really the only other way to control the PH level would be to change his food to Hills prescription Urinary Care, or to Royal Canin prescription. Both of these contain chicken that he is allergic to. He said these are my only options to lower his PH. So can someone please explain what type (of the three) cranberry supplements I would need simply to lower PH (we were never told there were crystals). Or can someone explain the Vitamin C option?

[anonymous]

I would not use over the counter meds or apply anything topically to irritated skin unless a veterinarian that has examined the dog advises you to do so. That goes for supplements too.
Many allergens are airborne and are present all year round.
BTW: Environmental allergies get worse with age, not better.

[InkedMarie]

Kristen: he has occasional fruit (berries mainly) but no veggies. My holistic vet thinks the veggies may be his trigger. He get grinds (meat/bone/organ/tripe) plus eggs 2-3x weekly, salmon oil 2-3x weekly and condition specific supplements.

PS: it’s the dog in my avatar: Boone, my almost 11yr old pbgv.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by InkedMarie.

[anonymous]

I think listening to a veterinarian that has examined and diagnosed your dog and knows the dog’s history would be wise. Bladder stones often have a genetic component.
Your dog has a serious condition that requires the expertise of a veterinary professional.
Prescription dog foods are specially formulated as part of the treatment for specific medical conditions. It’s not just about the ingredients, it’s about trying to prevent your dog from having continued problems.
Also, you may want to discuss with your veterinarian, about the possibility of medications that might help. I’m not talking about food supplements/scams.
Did you try the search engine here to look up “bladder stones”.

Also, your dog may need further testing and diagnostic procedures to determine the cause of her gastrointestinal symptoms which may have nothing at all to do with her diet.
Call the vet, communicate your concerns. That is what I would do.

[Lori J M]

My dog had a few UTIs, then had surgery for bladder stones. Even though he had no struvite crystals in his urine, the labs done on the stones came back as struvite.

So, after a struggle getting him to eat that nasty Royal Canin – he looked at me as if I were punishing him for no reason 🙁 and I refuse to feed him Science Diet, I went to another vet.

This one prescribed the new Blue Natural Veterinary Diet WU (a Blue Buffalo prescription) and both my dog LOVE it! It is protein based but low in the minerals that can cause stones. My little guy does get bored with one flavor, so when he begins to balk at his food again (he’s not very food motivated), with my vet’s blessing, I’ll give him some of my other dog’s Merrick which he goes bonkers for. He is also taking cranberry supplements and I have increased his water consumption dramatically. I also fill his bowl only with distilled water. He has had NO problem in almost 2 years now! With so many variables changing, it’s hard to know what is helping. Is it the food or the supplements or the water? Is it a combination of some or all?

So, my problem? We moved to another state and I’m trying to find a good vet who carries this product or one who will give me a prescription if I can find it sold somewhere. Blue Buffalo has no answered my email about how to find a distributor. I did find it on Amazon but the price is just STUPID. Almost $50 for a 6 lb. bag with Prime and over $50 for a case of canned (I feed both). While I was searching for this food, I came across some articles about the deceptive advertising in the past that Blue Buffalo was accused of. If it’s true that they use animal by-products but lie about it, I don’t want to use their food. However, if my dog is doing well on it now… maybe I should. I’m confused.

Since I’m not having luck finding a local vet who carries this, I’m considering keeping him on all Merrick again. Do I keep looking? Switch foods and keep him on supplements and maybe add vitamin C to be sure? Suck it up and pay the premium price on Amazon? Find a different food?

All opinions welcome.

[anonymous]

Make sure you check with your vet about those supplements, some of them can interfere with prescribed medication, some can cause gastrointestinal distress. All these things have to go through the liver to be detoxified.
I would save my money for continued vet care and the specialist (if needed)
A lot of supplements are scams, imo.
Check SkeptVet’s blog on herbs and supplements.

[anonymous]

Make sure your vet knows about and approves of any supplements, not only are a lot of them scams, but some can not only cause harm but they can interfere with prescribed medications.
Some can cause GI upset as they have to go through the liver to be detoxed.
Save your money for the specialist (if needed). Best of luck.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

[Ryan K]

Thank you for the tips and responses! I appreciate them! I am currently keeping my little guy pretty confined and rested. His legs are working again but he does slip on the floor when I put him down. He still knuckles. I have another Laser treatment appointment for him tomorrow which will be his third. I am definitely hoping rest and immobility help him. My vet said it could take a few months to heal on it’s own if it is going to heal. If it hasn’t shown signs of improvement by the end of January I might need to get him to that specialist. I definitely do not want my dog losing the ability to use his back legs. My vet made the point that dogs that are paralyzed can get carts and still have long lives but that is just a really rough perspective for me to even think of. I can’t imagine that and it makes me sick to my stomach even thinking of that. I am going to keep him on his various meds and I just bought some supplements that are supposedly good for spinal health in dogs. We’ll see what happens! I have my fingers crossed. At this point, it’s all about trying to keep him from using his back too much and DEFINITELY not jumping..which he wants to do. I am having a hard time with this since he also suffers from seperation anxiety and we just lost our Old English Sheepdog and she was the only thing that kept him calm when we would leave our house. Now he is a mess when we leave. It’s so sad. I was just considering getting another dog to keep him company but now it’s just a bad time.

[Steve S]

Hello Sharon,
The food you give your dog plays a critical role in his well-being, both on a daily basis and long-term.Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements ensure a better way to provide your dog with a daily supply of EPA and DHA.The vitamin traces and antioxidants found in these supplemental products are naturally found in salmon. It doesn’t affect your dog’s intake of vitamins that they obtain from other sources. It’s very gentle on your dog’s system as well and requires no prior conversion before the dog’s system can utilise. So in my opinion fish oils are the best supplement you can give to your dog for a promoted joint health.I personally use Daily Omega-3 Fish Oil for Dogs from Ample Nutrition. This product is value for money as it doesn’t burn holes in your pocket.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Steve S. Reason: product not updated
• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Steve S.

[Susan]

Hi Newmom, follow Rodney Habib on his Face Book page he’s a Pet Nutrition Blogger, or on “Planet Paws” F/B site, https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPaws.ca/?pnref=lhc
I’ve learnt so much about healthy feeding & Rodney has a his videos, how to make frozen Coconut oil with Berries treats & freeze also videos about kibbles being unbalanced & are very high in omega 6 & very low in omega 3, causing health problems in dogs, like skin problems, joint problems etc he has a video at the moment about chicken, “Is chicken bad for your dog” cause chicken is so cheap a lot of kibbles are chicken, the problem is chicken is high in omega 6, Pro anti-inflammatory & very low in omega 3 which is anti-inflammatory & dogs start scratching & people think my dog is sensitive to chicken, like me, every time Patch ate raw or cooked chicken, he got a red swollen back paw & started to itch & scratch his body, but when he ate a premium kibble with chicken in it, he was OK???, now I’ve realized the kibble was probably balanced with omega 3 it was 1/2 of the omega 6 what it should be & Patch didn’t get his red swollen paw & itchy skin….but when he ate raw & cooked chicken it was tooo much omega 6 causing his red hot paw & itchy skin, so now when I buy a kibble I rotate between different brands & different proteins,
I read the Omega 6% & 3 % & make sure the omega 3% is either 1/2 of the omega 6% or nilly 1/2 of the omega 6%. Rodney said if it doesn’t say on the bag of kibble or on the kibbles site then send the kibble companies an email & ask them for their omega 3% & omega 6% & tell these kibble companies what it should be & I will not be buying your crappy unbalanced kibble till you improve it… we need to stand up to these big kibble companies & show them we are not stupid & are educated about our pets diet..
I give raw almonds about 3 almonds a day for a dog a day, I eat 1/2 an Almond & give Patch the other 1/2 of Almonds I give as a treat & his coat has become real shinny, google foods that are high in omega 3, I also give some peeled apple pieces as a treat, dogs that have skin problems also need Vitamin C in their diet…. you can buy Dog Vitamin C in Australia we have Natural Animal Solutions http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/education.php
There’s a lot of good info on Jacqueline Rudans site she’s a animal Naturopath..

Go to Aldis & look for Tin Sardines in Spring Water or Olive Oil you can give 3 small sardines a day added to one of his meal, Sardines have Vitamin, A, C, D, B-12, B-6 Calcium, Iron & Magnesium, sardines are very healthy to add to your dogs food, Aldis sell tin of Sardines for 59c in Australia…I’d add Sardines to a meal instead of buying any fish oil supplements…unless they’re made in New Zealand
They did a study on Fish Oils in America & 70% were rancid they were off before the bottle was even opened, they tested a fresh just opened bottle of fish oil capsules & they were rancid off..then they tested New Zealand Fish oil supplements & the New Zealand made fish oils were fresher & hadn’t gone rancid yet….
I like giving fresh whole foods instead of supplements, also for skin problems make sure your bathing weekly baths in a good medicated shampoo I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo on my boy, the Malaseb shampoo kills any bacteria on their skin & soften their skin/fur when you bath you wash off any pollens & allergens on the dogs coat, Patch feels so soft after his bath, when Patch is real itchy cause of environment allergies I have to bath him twice a week to relieve his itchy skin & red paws…

[Susan]

Hi T.G has your girl only ever eaten just Orijen kibble have you tried any other kibbles cause of her poos are soft?
you need to try a lower protein & a lower fat kibble some dogs just do not do well on high protein high fat kibbles, I have to stay under 28% for protein & stay under 15% for fat & need a lower Kcal/per cup ME kibble, under 380 Kcals/per cup….

I would not feed a senior kibble to a large breed puppy the senior kibbles have more Glucosamine, Chondroitin & Phosphorus, supplements for older dogs joints & you have a large breed you don’t want her bones to grow too quick…maybe someone else may know more…
I’ve emailed kibble companies cause I’ve seen large breed kibbles that have ingredients that my boy can eat & the fat & protein is what Patch does well on, I’ve asked them can I feed a large breed formula to my medium size dog & they have all yes its Ok to feed my boy a large breed kibble but I don’t think it’s a good idea to feed a senior formula to a large breed growing pup…
My boy is turning 8 in a few days & I don’t feed him a senior kibble some are too high in fiber for him & all the supplements they add don’t survive or aren’t as strong as when you add your own supplement to their diet & add a healthy fresh whole food to their diet…

You have to be careful with your dog doing sloppy poos everyday that she doesn’t get thickening of the bowel as she gets older. My boy is a rescue & has IBD, his vet was very worried that Patch may have thickening of the bowel & I didn’t want Patch opened up to find out so Patch had an Ultra Scan of the bowel, pancreas, stomach etc & from what the vet could see it didn’t look like Patch had thickening of the bowel….after rotating cooked foods & different kibbles he can just be put straight onto another brand of kibble that he has eatin before I don’t have to re introduce the kibble like I use too 3 yrs ago, but I stick with kibbles that are lower in fat & lower in protein cause he just can’t handle the higher Kcal formulas.. I also fed a home cooked meal for breakfast or swap around & feed cooked meal for dinner…

I’d start rotating between different brands & proteins this way if 1 kibble isn’t balanced properly, or something else is wrong with the kibble like the omega 6 is too high & the omega 3 is real low causing health problems this way they are not eating the same kibble for too long to cause any serious health problems…
I’d start looking at other large breed formula’s where the protein fat is lower then what she’s eating at the moment also change the protein get a different protein…

There’s Earthborn Holistic, they have never had a recall, there’s “Victor” or “Sport Dog Food Elite” Sport Dog Food has similar ingredients as Victor kibble but is cheaper, there’s Ziwi Peak is air dried raw & has wet tin foods as well my cat loves Ziwi Peak…There’s Canidae there’s a few really good kibbles around, they all don’t have to be 5 stars kibble…start adding fresh whole foods to the kibble…I follow Rodney Habib on face Book he’s got a really good video this week about chicken kibbles being high in omega 6 & very low in omega 3….
Start rotating one of these brands in your rotation that is lower in fat & protein with different ingredients also look at the Kcals per cup, pick a kibble that is lower in Kcals per cup then the Orijen she is eating at the moment…I can not feed any kibbles that are over 400Kcals per cup to my IBD dog, it’s just too much for him to digest & he does sloppy big poos about 3-4 a day…
I like kibbles where he only does 2 poos a day, “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & Canidae Life Stages, All Life Stages formula, he only does 2 firm poos a day & poo’s are small….

Home Page

http://www.sportdogfood.com/grain-free-large-breed-large-bites-30-14/
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
http://ziwipeak.com/

[Cannoli]

Hi Logan and Kim,

I like your preparation. One thing that I learned early on is investing in a good blender like a Vitamix. It helps cut down on the time in preparing the veggies. Just throw all the veggies in the blender with whatever additional supplements you like. It even has a setting to cook the veggies in the blender to keep the nutrients. Heck I even cooked squash and pumpkin in my blender. I just cut the pieces really thin and small. Throw them into the blender and it steams them up and cooks them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Cannoli.

[Sharon H]

I wonder if it would be possible to have a comparison made between Nutramax Cosequin,and Nature Vet ArthriSoothe-GOLD. I have been using the Nature Vet one, but the costs are really high, and I find I cannot afford them now. But there is the Nutramax brand, which is very much less expensive. The main three ingredients, Glucosamine, Methylsulfonymethane (MSM) and Chondroitin, are more of less equal mg’s in each brand. I would be grateful if you could give me your opinion of these two brands, and whether you think it would be harmful to my dog to switch to the cheaper brand
Thank you….Shoo

[Cannoli]

Hi Sally Z,

I am not sure how much cheaper you want to get when feeding raw meat to your dog. Eventually the cheaper you go the less quality and safety you get.

Nothing wrong with store bought meat or poultry. I feed that to my dog but I COOK it first. Nothing wrong with feeding your dogs cooked protein. As long you you add the necessary supplements afterwards to balance it on a weekly basis.. I have discovered that feeding cook food is cheaper than feeding my pup raw. Supermarkets always have sales on fish, turkey, pork, and chicken.

Heck I am now feeding my pup raw food once a week out of the month and the other weeks I feed him cooked proteins.

Anyway in regards to bone replacement you can use eggshells, calcium seaweed (found on Amazon-the bottle lasts for months cost is less than $20), bone meal powder (found on amazon just make sure it does not have added vitamins.

Organ is cheap to find at supermarket just slighlty braise them to kill any bacteria. Or what I like to do at times is I make liver and organ treats by putting them in a dehydrator.

Or you can buy pre-made dehydrated organ and liver treats online. Just make sure they are 100 made in America and are organic free range.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Cannoli. Reason: added more context
• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Cannoli. Reason: typo

[anonymous]

I think it would be best to ask the veterinarian that is treating your dog, dogs that have kidney disease tend to be nauseous. Food supplements often interact with prescription meds.
Your dog has a history of medical problems, plus he is a senior. Coconut oil is high in fat and calorie content. The younger dog may tolerate it, but the older one, not so much.
Hope this helps:

Coconut Oil for Pets?

[Cannoli]

My pup liked Orijen but I switched him to half raw half home cooked about 6 months ago.

I gave up on kibble. At the end of the day Orijen is expensive stale kibble that has sat on shelf for weeks. At the price you pay for Orijen you can make your own dog food

I only feed my pup raw organic meat or bison or tripe every other protein source I cook for him. Raw Chicken, pork, and fish scare me so I cook those. If you do the research there are plenty of organic supplements that you can provide to balance your meal. Heck you can even make your own organic supplements if you have a good blender.

Good luck

[S G]

maybe/maybe not depending on how bad it is, here is a story so you understand……it’s a horrible battle if the dog as inflammatory bowel disease. years ago my shitzu was so sick, his stools had mucus and were soft, he curled up in a tight ball and laid around all the time, he was restless at night, so finally i spent a ton of money an a colon and endoscopy because the vet did NOT believe me and tons of stools tests were done. The results came back and the vet was shocked – SEVERE inflammatory bowel disease. They told me he wouldn’t live more than 6 months. So i contacted a holistic vet and changed his diet to RAW and holistic supplements, what did I have to loose, it took 18 months before his gut healed and even then he still had bouts if i ever gave him a snack. All he could tolerate was RAW, it was a BIG hassle to feed raw and HUGE expense including the supplements, but it saved his life and he lived another 8 years, the first of those 8 years were NOT easy. He was my best friend, I can’t believe all i did for him, but I loved him so much. He finally passed 3 months ago (from a stroke from tooth infection, yet i scaled his teeth twice a month just not far enough under the gum line) and I’m still grieving, he meant the world to me.

[pitlove]

In my pharmacology textbook fatty acid supplements are categorized as miscellaneous therapeutic agents. The source has to be of good quality, for example, my teacher said wild caught salmon is a much better source of fatty acids than farm raised. But fatty acid supplementation definitely works! She even carries a topical fatty acid supplement at her clinic that she swears by for dogs like Labs that get localized dander etc.

[anonymous]

I have a dog with environmental allergies, the only thing that helped was going to a board certified veterinary dermatologist. I wasted a year going back and forth to the regular vet.
She has been stable for over 4 years and we see the dermatologist once a year. Initial testing can be expensive but maintenance isn’t that bad.
See my posts per the search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/

PS: I bathe my dog about twice a week with Malaseb this is just part of her treatment as prescribed by the dermatologist. Alone it won’t do much, but in conjunction with allergen specific immunotherapy, it is helpful.
I also give a daily fish oil capsule, not sure it actually does anything though. Most supplements are scams imo.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by anonymous.

[crazy4cats]

It sounds like the same Mary Straus to me. She is not a vet, but I do think she does share some valuable information on the dogaware site. She does not necessarily recommend digestive enzymes unless the dog has a digestive disorder of some kind. She states they generally can produce enough on their own.

This is taken from http://www.dogaware.com:

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzyme supplements provide a variety of benefits

Article by Mary Straus, published in the Whole Dog Journal, May 2012

All dogs need digestive enzymes in order to break down their food, making the nutrients available for absorption. In most cases, the pancreas produces ample enzymes and no supplementation is required. Older dogs and dogs with digestive disorders may benefit from enzyme supplementation. Dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), where the pancreas is no longer able to produce enzymes, require prescription-strength enzymes in order to survive. Digestive enzymes might also help dogs with food allergies and intolerances.

She continues with more information about her opinion of digestive enzymes if anyone is interested in reading more.

I don’t think she has any formal training, but a lot of experience. Here is more about her:

http://dogaware.com/about.html

[crazy4cats]

First, of course, I’m going to ask if you have seen a vet and had a fecal test done. Here is a link with some diarrhea remedies that has been helpful to me assuming that it is not due to worms, parasites or coccidia.

http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

I’ve used some of the supplements that are recommended on this site. Many of them contain slippery elm.

Good luck!

[Jenn H]

Not all kibble is created equal. That’s one reason why you should switch brands every few months.
Feeding kibble isn’t always about convenience. Sometimes it’s a food that agrees with a particular dog. Sometimes it’s the affordable option.

You can always add supplements if your pet is lacking something until you find a food that agrees with them and provides all the nutrients.

[anonymous]

Kidney damage cannot be reversed. Daily sub q fluids will act like dialysis, prescription food will help. Listen to your vet, there are no miracle cures, most supplements are scams.
Ask your vet if pain meds and anti-nausea meds would help keep her comfortable?

[anonymous]

By IV treatments I assume you mean sub q fluids. I went through this with a dog that had kidney damage due to Lyme disease that was not diagnosed in time.
Anyway, I gave her sub q fluids once a day, and it helped as it is similar to dialysis.
Kidney damage can’t be reversed. She lasted a couple of years this way, some good days, some bad days. Prescription food helped, but most supplements are a scam in my opinion.
Listen to your vet, beware of homeopathic vets, there are no miracle cures. Pain meds prescribed by the vet were helpful.
Some science based information here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

[Daisy F]

Hello All,

On Monday, of this week 10/17/16, I received the call from the vet, after determining blood results, that my beloved mini schnauzer Lily (12.5 years old – and have had her since 3 months) is diagnosed with in the beginning stages of chronic kidney disease. She has the physical symptoms of excessive drinking, excessive urinating inside, and lost of weight (stable 16.5 lbs down to 12 lbs). Her appetite is still there; however; as the vet encourages me this is still a good sign for her.

I am not resorting to putting on diapers for her as, she is my baby, and has always been spoiled; and it makes me sad to have to resort to diapers in order to prevent urination on our wooden floors, but an easy 30 second clean-up I do not mind doing.

Anyway, here are her important blood results:

BUN 38 (normal range 7-25)
PHOS 7.0 (normal range 2.9-6.6)
CRE 1.7 (normal range 0.3-1.4)

Vet instructed to start providing her Hills k/d canned food diet, and as I looked on the reviews online; all are fantastic (low sodium, low phosphorus, low protein) diet, although vet said reducing her protein is not necessarily suggested at this point because her protein levels are fine. So I guess my question is what sorts of fresh homemade food am I able to still provide to her in combination of the Hills k/d diet? Keeping in mind her sodium levels and phosphorus levels need to be given in low amounts? What foods are these? Ive researched but become overwhelmed with the information given and then it feels like its contradicting to other materials and feel lost and confused and not as confident about providing the nutrition she needs; without going broke on my end. Money is not a huge issue for me; but with the prescribed canned diet; alone- it will be difficult to manage that on itself.

Lily also started taking prebiotic and probiotic supplements to aide. Any other supplements I should know about? I am taking her back to the vet today after work; since the vet also suggested starting her on fluid therapy to help keep her hydrated. She will be instructing me how to do it at home and Lily wouldn’t need it all the time; but would need to keep an eye on her.

She went in for her first IV treatment yesterday (as the first step towards her supportive care) and started her prescribed diet. Her personality is still all there; and I know she is getting much older; I would just appreciate anything descriptive resource/link that would help me in this difficult process and definitely a new lifestyle change for my babygirl.

I took the day of work yesterday, since I was still in tears finding out about her disease and how serious it could get so I was able to do my own research.

I have found this website http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneymedical.html#acidosis to be helpful as well.

If you have any questions for me about her condition; I will certainly answer them; any information helps 🙂

Momma Daisy

[T]

Hi Laura!

It’s great that you’re trying to rule out major physical diseases through diagnostic testing. If nothing is found, I urge you to find a holistic vet who is interested in nutrition. This is an area that just isn’t covered well in most conventional vet practices.

I work with dogs with similar problems often. I find that once I talk to their owners/guardians at length, there are usually a host of other minor symptoms that have been overlooked. I personally love using homeopathy and nutrition/supplements to help dogs in situations like this.

I only work with people who are local to Phoenix, AZ, but you can look for a vet near you (or one who does phone consultations) at http://theavh.org or http://www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/

There are many articles about dog nutrition and holistic health care on my blog: http://naturalalternativesvet.com/blog You might find some of them helpful in your situation.

Tabitha (Dr. Thompson)

[Renee B]

You might check out http://www.pawtree.com/arkansaspets and do a quick pet profile. They offer great natural dog foods, treats, supplements based on your dogs needs. They may have what your looking for.

[Renee B]

Check out http://www.pawtree.com/arkansaspets for a personalized pet profile. You can change up their foods, add nutritional seasonings (pawpairings) and also consider supplements. All natural products made in Texas and created for specific concerns.

[Renee B]

You can do a pet profile and list your pet concerns and this site will tell you which food will benefit your pet the most. http://www.pawtree.com/arkansaspets
Along with natural foods they have some supplements that will treat certain things. Better pet diets can decrease health problems.

[Shannon W]

Hi Shawna,
First of all, I am so so so sorry to hear about your journey with Audrey’s health issues, my heart breaks for both of you 🙁
Secondly, this is a whole new experience for me but having just returned from the vet I am of course looking for related information. My 16.5 year old terrier Brownie (I know we are so lucky to have had her this long <3 ) stopped eating and was diagnosed with renal failure. She spent 4 days on fluids, antibiotics etc. and is home with aluminum hydroxide, antibiotics, an antacid (?) and phenobarb for seizures as well as subcutaneous fluids for the remainder of her time I suspect. That is ok, I would do anything for her…

I am just beginning the research on Kidney failure and have read many of your posts so far but not all of them. In one of them you recommend the SP Canine Renal Support. I have looked at that as well as the SP Renafood tabs which people also recommend. I was wondering why you chose the Canine support as opposed to the Renafood if you don’t mind? The only other question I will bother you with now ( don’t want to wear out my welcome here 😉 is if you have had any experience using Rehmannia 8 which many holistic vets recommend… Right now we are getting through one day at a time but I would like to start her on supplements asap while I figure out her diet and other vitamins/mineral needs etc. In the next few weeks (cross your fingers and toes please) I will get her to a holistic vet in an attempt to get her on “a plan” that will be more beneficial for her. Thank you SO much for your response and know that you came here through a nightmare but you are making such a difference for the rest of us and our beloved fur babies.

[HoundMusic]

I’ve been seriously considering giving the Bright Mind a try for a dog who started having massive, uncontrollable grand mal seizures @ 9yrs old. He’s now 11 and has a notable degree of brain damage, but doing better on a home cooked diet (as opposed to raw), even without supplements, so it’s obvious diet does have an impact on cognitive health.

I don’t have a single issue with feeding any of Purina’s higher grade foods – in fact, when I was actively breeding, Purina ONE and Puppy/Dog Chow gave me outstanding results. These were hunting dogs that quickly fell apart on a feed that was even slightly lacking, and quite honestly, there’s a reason most show & field breeders don’t touch the holistic, “boutique” type foods, and it’s NOT the price. When your entire kennel is going to pot, you’re desperate enough to pay anything.

However, I haven’t fed anything Purina in close to 8yrs, since they changed their formulas back in ’08. I did just pick up a back of the Purina ONE Mature Adult tonight, since this weekend was too busy to do a raw food shopping, and the ingredients look very similar to Bright Mind. I’ll update if I stick with it and notice any differences…

[anonymous]

How long have you had him? He may be grieving his former owner and home, maybe there were other dogs there that he bonded with. It is very hard for some dogs, especially a senior.
The first month will be the worst. Just be extra nice to him but give him his space, hopefully he’ll come around.

You can presoak the kibble in water overnight in the fridg and then add a little plain homemade chicken broth (no onions) or mix with a soft topper. If you don’t see him drinking water, add a little to his food, senior small breeds are vulnerable to get bladder stones, struvite and urinary tract infections if they don’t drink enough water. Take him out frequently to urinate.

Keep his diet simple, maybe a limited ingredient food, I like Nutrisca. I wouldn’t add vegetables for now, they can cause loose stools in some dogs. I wouldn’t add any supplements unless advised to do so by a veterinarian that has examined him.

[crazy4cats]

I hope he does well with the Pure Vita. Pumpkin never really worked that great for my pups. Surprisingly, unsweetened applesauce was better. I think because it contains pectin. Check out http://www.dogaware.com. It has a lot of helpful info on digestive disorders in dogs. I would try to add just one new thing at a time so you know what is helping and what isn’t.

My dogs had both giardia and coccidia when they were young and it took some time to get them back on track when we finally got rid of all their bugs. You could at least rule them out with a fecal so you won’t be switching up food and supplements for no reason like I did for a long time. Please report back on your progress!

[S G]

I bought the Pure Vita Turkey kibble and am going to try mixing it with the organic natural planet canned turkey to see if that helps firm up his stool. I also bought slippery elm supplement as it’s the main ingredient in Perfect Form that you recommended too. I really don’t think he has worms, parasites but will take him in and ask the rescue if they can over the bill IF this new diet/supplements don’t work. I’m going to also continue adding pumpkin for a while into his food and probiotics since i still have both but need to eventually simply his diet to exclude supplements, i don’t mind mixing kibble with canned if that’s what he needs to have firm stools. Thank you ALL for recommending HIGH QUALITY fiber foods. It just goes to show not all dogs are the same, where one dog could only tolerate RAW(my shitzu) and this rescue seems to need some kibble. I’m really against most kibbles, as most have LOW QUALITY ingredients and grains/carbs, but there are so many NEW HIGH quality ones on the market nowadays, it may be the way of the future for keeping a rescue dog healthy. I’ll let you all know if this works.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sara B-
I’m sorry you are having trouble getting your pup to eat. I cannot relate as I have two lab mix dogs who eat anything and everything. I mostly feed them kibble meals with different toppers such as canned food, eggs, tripe and various fresh foods. But, I also try to feed one home cooked meal every now and then. I formulated a recipe on: https://secure.balanceit.com/. It is a site where you can choose what protein, fat and carbs that you want to use. Also, can choose what percentage of the meal you want to be protein and so forth.

They sell supplements to balance the meals. The recipes are free unless your dog has a health condition and then you may need to pay for vet assistance. Good luck. I hope you can get her eating.

[Bullwrinkle]

Frani V.,

Hello, all. I finally registered but have sought all your great for a long time. As for Frani V’s question on Atopica, I can only tell you my personal experience and what I know of others I’ve spoken with and what I learned from my vet, that also applies to APOQUEL (I will note the similarities, and try to locate the link which I do have).

Atopica was suggested by by vet #1 to my English Bulldog. She had severe allergies, food and environmental, among other medical issues. My precious special needs baby girl. She was a spayed at 6 mos, so this was some time after. It was suggested that we start out 7x/week administering Atopica. The idea was to get it built up in her system then back off to 2 or 3x/week max as is recommended. She was ~47 lbs, she was prescribed the 100mg Atopica. Checking in every 2 weeks, since I was paying $170 a pop, I was told to keep it up for a few months. Forget that. I started to skip one day a week, then 2 days a week. Of course she had flares so idiot vet said back to everyday. I was still dealing with her other maladies during this time, plus 5 aging cats with their issues ranging from failing kidneys, asthma, hypertrophic cardiomyothapy, a tortoise with a collapsing pyramid shell, the usual, so time escaped me too quickly. I ended up finding a good vet because of a botched knee surgery from idiot’s referral. Blessing in disguise.

My baby started having seizures. It was sounds or over excited that set it off. I realized she had been on Atopica at 100mg every single day for a solid year. Seizures tend to be more prevalent in smaller dogs but they do happen and were documented. It has happened to all kinds of dogs. But, it has worked for many others as well although, I was not privy to those dogs histories. This was some, maybe 7 yrs ago now, at least. I pulled her off everything except for any allergy pills and only when she needed them. She had 4 seizures, when I stopped all meds and supplements, no more seizures. After a few weeks, I added her fish oil and joint supplement back one at a time and a month apart. No seizure. Atopica was the seizure producer. I lit up the idiot about it, told her she really needs to more careful or at least more informed. Told I would do the same as I was leaving her practice.

The good vet, as he described Atopica to me, and is similar to what I’ve found and read about Apoquel. It shuts off immune receptors. And when you have an immune compromised dog, or cat, to begin with the last thing you want to do is shut off receptors because you don’t know what else is being shut off or being compromised. Immunosuppressive have their place, don’t get me wrong, and I relied on the occasional 5mg prednisone in lieu of giving my girl a fistful of benadryl that would only work for a few hours when she was really bad. But only after I’d tried everything else. Pred was a last resort. So do I believe in their use? Yes. But ever so carefully and not on a regular basis like Atopica and Apoquel.

I can’t get the link to hyperlink but this has some interesting info. http://vitalanimal.com/apoquel-dog-1/

Sorry this was such a long post, but I get anxious when I see questions about Atopica. I had to let my baby go, it’ll be 2 yrs in Dec. She was only 8yrs 4mos. She taught me so much, she endured too much, her kidneys took it in the end. I became quite educated but even our own dogs are so different from each other. I still feel I didn’t learn fast enough for her. Please, please do your research thoroughly on Atopica and Apoquel. Apoquel is still relatively new. You know your pet best!

[mary s]

Wow, well, thank you all for your opinions. First, THK is on Hound Dog Mom’s list as OK for Large breed puppies, and she even mentions in a post, that before she started feeding raw it was what she fed. It sounds like some more current “suggestions” differ from what she was putting out there at the start of this list. Second, regarding research…..I lived my research regarding traditional vet med. I had two littermate brothers with IBD. They weighed 52 and 58 pounds with bloody mucus filled poop, and could have died from the IBD. 3 different vets wanted to scope them, keep them on metranidozole (sorry, I’m sure I spelled that wrong) and steroids indefinitely. The raw diet, supplements, and homeopathic remedies are what saved their lives, and they went to 85 and 75 pounds. and lived to be 12. It might be beneficial for some of you to look up true homeopathics before some of the judgements. However, I am not interested in a debate either. I just came here for some help. Anyway, while disappointed, I am more certain of what I am doing. And thank you to whomever said they were glad he was doing better, because he is…..no blood, perfectly formed poop – without the harsh medications that only suppress the symptoms anyway. I think we may be in the wrong pew, but I wish you all the very best of luck with your dogs 🙂