[crazy4cats]

Hi stacy 4-
I’m very familiar with soft mushy poop too! Lucky us. LOL! My dogs do better with a more moderate protein and higher fiber kibble. The one they do very best on is PureVita’s grain free turkey formula: http://purevitapetfoods.com/dog-recipes/grain-free/turkey-and-sweet-potato. I only buy it when I can find it on sale, however, due to it’s price.

They also do well on Whole Earth Farms, Nutrisource, 4Health and Victor which all have a little higher than average fiber and are much more budget friendly.

I also add toppers to some of their meals, which I think help as well such as tripe and frozen commercial raw.

Here is a link to a website which was very helpful when my dogs were going through that stage: http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

I used some of the supplements on that site, but am pretty much supplement free now, except for occasional probiotics.

Best of luck to you and your furries!

[Shannon D]

I am so glad I found this thread!!! I have a 1.5 yr old American Staffordshire Terrier named Lola. In January I noticed she wasn’t looking/acting normal so I took her to the vet. She always drank a ton of water. At first the vet kinda touched her back and said she may have pulled a muscle and that they could do a panel to check her cell count. Or he said they could do a full panel to get more information. I opted to do the full panel. Come to find out it was a good thing I did. Her results were:

BUN 130 mg
CREA 7.5 mg
PHOS 15.7 mg

They weren’t sure if she had got into toxins or what. I left her at the vet so they could give her fluids and antibiotics. That was on a Monday. They re-tested her on Wednesday.

BUN 90 mg
CREA 5.2 mg
PHOS 8.2 mg

So, she stayed. They re-tested on Friday:

BUN 85 mg
CREA 7 mg
PHOS 10.7 mg

At this point they weren’t sure what was going on. So they did an ultrasound. The vet said her kidneys were abnormal and it was probably something she was born with. They also told me there isn’t anything else they could do at this point, take her home and re-test in a week.
They offered me nothing. Just told me to take her home and make her happy. Put her on the Hills K/D diet and make sure she gets water. I asked about subq fluids and the vet told me they only do that for cats. That it would be too much fluid under the dogs skin.

I researched on my own and found an internal medicine specialist. I was able to get an appointment within a couple days. They re-tested everything and re-did the ultrasound.

BUN 85 mg
CREA 7.0 mg
PHOS 10.7 mg

She is also has alot of protein in her urine and high blood pressure.

He agreed that she was probably born this way and diagnosed her with Stage 4 -Chronic kidney disease (CKD)- most consistent with congenital kidney disease. He said she won’t make it to 5 years old. That we are on borrowed time. He told me that he wasn’t sure how she was up walking around with the numbers she has. She acts completely normal! To look at her you would think there is nothing wrong with her. They advised to keep her on the Hills K/D. They put her on blood pressure medication, along with a probiotic Azodyl and a phosphorus binder, and Epakitin. Said to re-test in a week.

Re-test after adding everything:

BUN 80 mg
CREA 8.6 mg
PHOS 11.4 mg

They then added another phosphorus binder and we know do 500ml of subq fluids a night. She doesn’t drink nearly as much water as she used to. If she starts to drink everyone stops and is really quiet to make sure we don’t bother her. Like watching an animal in the wild. 🙂

Fast forward to her latest test results as of 3/16/16

BUN 72 mg
CREA 8.3 mg
PHOS 8.8 mg

They wanted us to recheck in a month. But my husband and I discussed it and decided to wait because if her numbers are better they will say continue what you are doing or if they are worse or the same, they will say continue what you are doing. I pay about $200 every time they test.

They offer no hope, no suggestions of supplements or anything else we can do. Just take her home and keep her happy.

She has good days and some bad days where she doesn’t want to eat. But most of the time she looks and acts normal. You would never know she has kidney disease. Expect that she is now alittle aggressive toward our other dogs and we can’t have them together anymore. I’m not sure if that is because she doesn’t feel good or just being moody.

I have tried to research foods, supplements etc. It is so overwhelming!!! I don’t want to give up hope for our pretty little Lola.

Thank you for listening.

[Anand V]

Hi there,

I’ve been feeding my 9 1/2 y/o Alaskan Malmaute a dehydrated raw diet….she was already on it when I adopted her 3 years ago. She eats Honest Kitchen Thrive – Chicken and Quinoa. It has done her well but she does have some skin issues and it was suggested I try a raw diet from Big Country Raw (BCR). They’re not too far away from me towards the Niagara region. I haven’t found any reviews that you have done on this product under your rating system. I have read some others mention that supplements may be needed. Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated. It sounds like a great product and is also budget friendly versus Honest Kitchen. That’s not the main reason I want to switch…doing it more to help my dog have healthier skin and fur….that means more than the $$$ I spend on her food.

http://www.bigcountryraw.ca/index.php

Thanks.

[anonymously]

What is his diagnosis? It might make sense to take him to a dermatologist, especially if this has been going on for a while.
Otherwise, how do you expect people on the internet who may or may not have any veterinary experience and who have not examined your dog or reviewed his medical history to give you any meaningful advice?
Coconut oil and supplements do not help, imo.
PS: Has he had a senior workup? If not, he is due, lab work and some testing could reveal the cause for his dry skin/hair loss condition.

Coconut Oil for Pets?

[Bobby dog]

I would suggest you contact Balance IT to see if they might have some recommendations for you. I have never contacted them by telephone just e-mail; they have always responded quickly.

I really like the Carnivore Blend and decided to try it for a few reasons. I was afraid my dog might not take to a supplement if I needed to use a large quantity. So I played around with the recipes before I ordered. I plugged what he liked into the recipe generator to find recipes that required the least amount of supplement. The recipes I came up with are very simple and are mostly animal protein. I also intended to use it for my cats; they are the most finicky eaters ever. Their recipes don’t require much of it either.

Prior to buying Carnivore Blend I used another mix for a month. My dog liked it, but I did not feel it was as precise as the Balance IT supplements. It required the same amount of mix no matter the protein. The weight range for the amount of supplement used was 20 lbs. so a dog weighing 20 lbs. more than Bobby would get the same amount. I felt if I was taking the time to make his food it should be tailored to my dog. He did like the mix so I created a Balance IT recipe that is similar. He seems to enjoy eating this recipe most. Good luck, I hope my info helped.

[donald f]

I can tell you from years of personal experience with a mini schnauzer who had calcium/oxalate (CaOx) stones, that if your dog has CaOx stones, you can completely eliminate them and prevent them by searching on the internet for the FuzzerFood diet created by Leslie Bean, and feeding it to your dog. It is a combination of home cooked, low oxalate food (typically chicken, broccoli and rice, and certain inexpensive supplements), easy to prepare in advance and even freeze individual meals. My holistic vet gave me an article out of the Whole Dog Journal that explained all. This protocol gave my Max many years of fun life after already having stones removed surgically by another vet. Going further, join the K9KidneyDiet yahoo group. Leslie posts on that frequently. It is a huge source of support and knowledge by people who live and breath canine chemistry. Its topic are limited to kidney/renal issues and bladder stone issues- both CaOx and struvite stones. I am happy to pdf a copy of the WDJ article to anyone whose dog has an issue with stones. oulalaw13@aol.com
Oh and BTW, the K9Kidney group is ultra critical about commercial “vet” sold foods purporting to be for dogs with stones, and recommends none for stone issues due to other chemicals in the food. Home cooking your dog’s food does take a little more work, but it is SOOO worth it for a dog with recurring stones.

[Susan]

Hi, have a look at Dr Judy Morgan, http://www.drjudymorgan.com/articles/food-therapy/
Dr Judy has cooked meals on You-Tube & sells the supplements to balance meals, she also uses the Honest Kitchen Base Mixes to add to her meat loaf for one of her sick dogs…have you tried adding some sweet potato or boiled potato & some boiled broccoli instead of the rice, swap them around a bit…after you stop the Prilosec if Patch seems to have acid reflux give some Liquid Mylanta about 4mls in a syringe, I found the Mylanta seems to help the best… cause when they are on an acid reducer some days they don’t have acid reflux, so they don’t need to be taken an acid reducer all the time also look up “Hypochlorhydria” is lack of Stomach Acid, as we get older we start making less Hydrochloric acid & have trouble digesting foods & an ant acid can make it worse, so I like to use Mylanta when Patch gets his acid reflux…..low fat diet is best …..Good-Luck with Patch, I hope Patch starts feeling better soon… 🙂

[Oceans11]

Does anyone have experience with either of the supplements? I have two Coton de Tulears. One is a picky eater and the other eats most food. We have been feeding them chicken or ground beef as the picky eater won’t eat most highly recommended canned food. I know this all protein diet is not good. We ended up cooking it for them in order to get them to eat. Now they don’t like that. I purchased Balance It which is a supplement to add to their menus which you prepare. They absolutely don’t like it. Their stools are blackish and runny. I have no idea what is causing this and running out of ideas of what to feed them. I feel like I am at my wits end and would really appreciate your thoughts on the supplements and on the stools.

[anonymously]

Have you checked the search engine at this site for “bladder stones”

Example: /forums/topic/crystalstone-in-bladder/

Often when the infection is treated (antibiotics) and water intake is increased the condition clears up, unless they have another type of stones, also. They can have more than one type. Often there is a genetic component.

The best thing you can do is to increase water intake and offer frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate. Sure, dogs can hold it, but that’s not good for this condition, You want to keep the bladder flushed. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to stone formation.
PS: Has your dog had an x-ray to rule out calcium oxalate stones?
I use a potassium citrate/cranberry supplement I get from Chewy.com. It depends on the type of stones.
It is best to get approval from the veterinarian that is treating the dog before adding anything, and I would go along with the prescription diet for now. PH levels fluctuate and it takes a while (sometimes weeks) to see changes, at least that is what my vet told me.

you may find this site helpful: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/ Recent blog about cranberry supplements.
I don’t know what you are talking about “So Index”. I would listen to the vet and use the prescription food, just a a bite of something tasty, pre-soak it overnight, a spoonful of plain chicken broth…he’s right, cranberry will not clear up crystals. Antibiotics will, but they will come back if you don’t make necessary changes.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by anonymously.

[Susan]

Hi, Patch 7 yrs old suffers with IBD, Helicobacter-Pylori (bad Acid Reflux) & Pancreatitis sounds like the Pepcid isn’t working anymore or he doesn’t need it any more or what are you putting in the Kongs ?? its not Peanut Butter? or his kibble needs changing its making him feel sick …..IBD can make them feel sick especially after they eat…Patch wakes up feeling good he eats breakfast then from 9am to 12pm he doesn’t feel well some mornings. Grass seems to be the only thing that makes him feel better, I have stopped giving the ant acids now…. only use as needed..

Try stopping the Pepcid for a couple of days & see if he feels better, Patch vomited when he took the Pepcid & was put on Zantac (Ranitidine) instead given 30mins before breakfast & dinner given every 12 hours, then after 3 months it didn’t seem to work anymore, he still had bad acid reflux & was still grinding his teeth & vomiting yellow acid some mornings but he was eating a vet diet that had fish oil & Beet Pulp in kibble that made his acid reflux worse…
I now only give liquid Mylanta 4-5mls in a syringe kept in the fridge only when he needs it, the Mylanta seems to work the best…..
I started to realise Patch wasn’t making enough stomach acid & some days he wasn’t getting acid reflux & I was still giving him ant acid medication, so stomach wasn’t working properly…. as we get older we make less hydrochloric acid it’s called “Hypochlorhydria”

Vet didn’t want Patch on Losec (Omeprazole) cause its a Pump Proton Inhibitor (PPI) & you can not just stop taking a PPI Losec after you have taken it for more then 3 weeks but vet did say I can give Patch the Losec 10mg for 3-4 days then I stop but only when Patch has bad acid reflux…Zantac & Pepcid can be stopped at anytime…So be careful if vet puts him on a PPI…

I have found I have to keep changing Patches kibbles & rotating them & no vet diets, if he stays on the same kibble for more then 2 months, his acid reflux starts to come back also I read when they have acid reflux they need a low fiber kibble 3-4% fiber & no Beet Pulp, Does the kibble he’s eating have “Beet Pulp” ?? it makes their poos look beautiful & firm, so everything looks OK cause poos are firm & look good, its the beet pulp making the poos firm…most vet diets use Beet Pulp….
When the Kibble has beet Pulp it made Patches acid reflux bad again, I started doing so much research & read low fiber diets are best when they have Acid Reflux thru IBD & if you can start feeding a balanced cooked diet will be better then eating a kibble, feed lean meats boil some potatoes, sweet potato & green vegetables, Google Dr Judy Morgan she has easy to follow recipes on You-Tube & she uses the Honest Kitchen Base Mixes in some of her meals you just add the meat & the Base Mixes balances the meal, she also has supplements to balance the cooked meals also have a look at the Honest Kitchen Zeal its low in fat & excellent for dogs with Pancreatitis & IBD…you just add warm water..
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal
I started feeding cooked chicken breast, sweet potato & broccoli & replacing 1 kibble meal, I’m feeding “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain now, I’m going to try Canidae Pure Land you cant have too much high fat in a kibble with acid reflux so I normally stay around 10-14% for fat but in Australia we have 1 low fat grain free kibble & the fiber is high 5%….I’m waiting cause Canidae has 4 new grain free formulas, Pure Meadows, is for seniors & is 10% fat & limited ingredients & grain free, if you live in America you can get the Canidae Pure Meadow.. I also want to try the Pure Wild its boar & Pork…
I was feeding Patch Salmon & Sardine kibbles but I think the fish gives him his acid reflux also certain kibbles he starts getting his pain right side pancreas/stomach area & wants me to rub the chest area, he starts his whinging when he has his pain again & doesn’t really want to eat so I change his food, I have to introduce the new kibble over 1 week……I make sure the kibble doesn’t have fish oil & has limited ingredients…. I wish they could talk….. if you can cook & freeze meals give it a try cause kibble is hard to digest especially on the pancreas….

[Susan]

Hi Tamara change vets, I went thru 3 vets before I found Patches good vet, she’s into natural healing, feeding fresh foods as well….
I can’t see how boiled vegetables will kill your dog, they have no fat in them at all… have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis” Face Book Group?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
The ladies in the Canine Pancreatitis group are very helpful. Look in the files… click on “Non RX foods” all wet tin foods that you can feed your dog will come up that are feed to dogs with Pancreatitis……Your dog can’t just live on boiled chicken, he needs his vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acid etc he’ll start to get dry itchy skin & loss weight…
The Honest Kitchen Zeal is low in fat-8.5% & is for seniors & dogs with Pancreatitis, IBD……all you do is add water, don’t add too much water, some people say its a bit sloppy, so add less water then is recommended….
Dr Judy Morgan uses the Honest Kitchen “Base Mixes” you just add your lean meat, Judy makes a few meat loaves for her sick little girl… you can find Dr Judy Morgan recipes on You-Tube she also sell supplements & has a Face Book page & answers all post & msg…. The Honest Kitchen sell samples, so you can try a few Zeal samples first, your dog will probably love it & its balanced & human grade ingredients … http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

[Howard J]

Hi Tamara!

I have a similar dog as you and she also suffered with pancreatitis. For our Carine Terrier we had to do a lot of trial and error to figure out what was best for her. Firstly, she was overweight, 19lbs; 4.5lbs overweight in November of 2015. She is now 14.6 and staying steady. One reason she might of lost so much weight was because she had EPI from the pancreatitis episode in 2015. So she wasn’t absorbing as many nutrients. We also focused on exercise a lot more.

In regards to PANCREATITIS, we put her on a strict diet for about a month after her episode. Chicken boiled twice, white rice, sometimes a starchy food like Yam or sweet potatoes steamed and/or boiled. We should of supplemented with vitamins at this time but we were a little ignorant. Anyway, after this we bought HONEST KITCHEN Zeal Meal fish formula and HONEST KITCHEN veggie formula which is just a topping if you feed her protein such as fish boiled or chicken boiled. For 5 months we have been on a regime feeding her twice a day, either the zeal meal, ground up in a blender for a sec. Or the Honest Kitchen veggie topping dehydrated one. Both need hot water and let sit for 5min. The veggie one is mixed with fish, chicken or 95% lean twice boiled beef. We introduce more fat like coconut oil which doesn’t require the pancreas to work like other fats in small amounts.

NO TABLE SCRAPS PERIOD!! Supplements are what saved our dog. She has more energy than she did when she was 7. For every meal and what I think is the most important for dogs suffering with pancreatitis is an enzyme replacement. You can get them from your vet but we just use the vegan powder formula on amazon. Not too much money and lasts a year. We sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon on her food for nutrient absorption and so her pancreas doesn’t have to work as hard. The brand is called Nusentia Enzyme Miracle.

Other supplements include pancreatrophin from standard process, which also aids in her digestion, paraplex and enteric powder all from standard process. We barely use the last two.

I hope this helps a lot, we had to go through the same thing, it’s important to stay low fat, but not too low and to add in enzymes slowly.

[crazy4cats]

Oh boy, Mine also had giardia and unfortunately, it took months for their tummies to get better afterwards for some reason. I had a hard time getting rid of it though. I would think about using another round of Panacur for five days unless you are absolutely sure that he is rid of it. You mentioned using Flagyl (metronidazole) which is an antibiotic and can cause their tummies to be out of balance. Therefore, I’d definitely continue with probiotics. Forti Flora by Purina worked well for us. It isn’t one that I’d use for maintennce. But, good for when they have diarrhea.

I used a lot of the supplements that are mentioned on the dogaware link that I provided above. Mostly Vetri Science Probiotic BD, Gastriplex as well as the Perfect Form I mentioned earlier. Some of them contain both probiotics and digestive enzymes, but also some healing ingredients as well. Only use one at a time until you see if it helps at all.

I fed them as if they had colitis, (yes, I have two littermates) adding some fiber and applesauce for the pectin. I would feed a moderate protein and fat food for now. Nutrisource large breed puppy food might be a good one.

There is hope, however. My dogs are doing well now. We can switch kibble and toppers up now without any digestive upset!!!! Woo Hoo! Best of luck to you!

[Nic M]

Dear Jenn H,
I belive you make some excellent points about the use of pesticides and in showing that the possibility that someone could live their life without harming any creatures is nonexistent. However, the point of veganism/ vegetarianism is not to completely eliminate animal death and suffering but to reduce it is much as possible. Any pragmatic human being must recognize that to exist is to destroy, but that doesn’t mean that you can try to reign in your incumbent destruction. I’d also like to speak to the bulk of your argument. While by no means entirely wrong, it is a bit misleading (which I recognize may be entirely unintentional). I will readily concede that the agricultural system which you described, when practiced perfectly, would result in less overall deaths than crop production, but theven system which you mentioned is a rarity in the modern agribusiness system. The vast majority of animals used for food purposes are fed a diet consisting of corn, soy, nutritional supplements, and other grains for all of their lives ( a notable exception is ruminants like cattle which graze for the first couple of years of their lives and are later transferred onto the system which I am referring to). Livestock converts this feed into energy at a horrible rate with chickens and swine converting feed to energy at around a 50% efficiency rate and cattle at only a 10% efficiency rate. These rates can vary greatly depending on the breed of animal and other factors but no matter what an animal will always use more food energy than it produces in the form of bodily tissues because most of the energy goes to maintaining basic metabolic processes and the leftover is turned into mass. So most animals will utilize the crop production system that kills much of the local wildlife and then still be killed themselves. By eating the crop directly you are killing far fewer animals. As a matter of fact, equation for how many animals more you kill by eating meat calories as opposed to plant calories would be [ (animals killed per crop calorie/ efficiency rate of livestock) +1]-animals killed per crop calorie. All in all, if you care about animals the best way would to live would be to grow as much of your own food as possible, eating mainly a plant based diet and supplementing it with meat you raise yourself in the livestock production system you described Jenn.
Thanks for your insight. I appreciate your use of logic instead of sputtering guttural pathetic crap in all caps

[Susan]

Hi, can you cook for her, some chicken breast, some potato & some boil broccoli make a few meals & put in the fridge look up “Dr Judy Morgan” she has good easy meals on
YouTube & go on Dr Judy Morgan’s face Book page & her site she sells supplements as well, she makes certain meals for her sick dogs, she has a few sick Cavilers..she also will answer any msg you send her for help..

[C4D]

Hi Michael,

There is no food that provides enough glucosamine and chondroitin. I’ve had several dogs with joint issues for many years. I feed grain and potato free (potatoes exacerbate inflammation) and supplement with human grade fish oil and joint supplements. You have to be careful if using human joint supplements that there aren’t added vitamins. Your vet might be willing to give you suggestions. You also have to adjust the dosage. My current senior dog is doing well and still extremely active.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 12 months ago by C4D.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Michael,
Foods that have glucosamine & chondroitin aren’t generally woth it as the amount of the supplements are “cooked out” of the food. You’re better to give a separate joint supplement.
It has been said that grains are inflammatory so you’d be better to feed a grain free food.

[anonymously]

Did the veterinarian do an ultrasound/x-ray to rule out a blockage? That’s what I would have had done, going by the symptoms you describe.
Be careful reading stuff on those homeopathic sites……I find science based medicine more helpful. Supplements can cause harm.

PS: Yes, the blood test to rule out pancreatitis is important, that is how they diagnose or rule out pancreatitis. I would consider seeing an Internal Medicine Specialist and get the dog properly diagnosed as soon as possible.

[Susan]

Hi, sounds like your rescue dog was feed home cooked meals or what his owner was eating for dinner…. He’s a very smart dog, kibbles are processed & quick & easy for us, I’d take back all the kibbles & get a refund tell pet shop he wont eat the kibble he’s a rescue….Join Face Book groups like “Home Cooking for dogs” or “Cooking For Dogs” also you can start looking up balanced home made meals, here’s Dr Judy Morgan she also sells the supplements to balance the meals she’s on Face Book & will answer ur msg if you need any help…….Judy uses the Honest Kitchen Base mix in this meat loaf so its balanced… “Honest Kitchen” have samples you can buy & try.. http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food

[anonymously]

Please do not add any supplements to the diet or apply over the counter creams to the skin, especially those intended for human use. Unless prescribed or recommended by a veterinarian who has ideally examined the dog. You could irritate his condition and make things worse.

I say this because I made this mistake and was told the above by the emergency vet….that’s where we ended up.

[gina m]

It’s been more than a year ago that i posted on here regarding my terrier mix Dolly’s gulping. I don’t know what we did but she stopped having her panic/gulping/eating grass frenzy. We still don’t know what was the issue but i wanted to post what we did.

Dolly is 8 years old and we adopted her along with her brother a year and a half ago. She came with the gulping issue and super allergic to seasonal pollen and allergic to any bug bites (ticks, flea, mosquito, etc). Her teeth were ground down and causing irritation so some of her teeth had to be removed. She had a few lumps on her body which one was cancerous so we’re glad we were proactive and removed it.

After all these issues: we stopped giving her any chicken, beef, pork (mass produced meat) but stuck with venison & rabbit wet food – Royal Canin from the vet, and anchovy dry food from Forza. Additional supplements of enzyme and probiotic. Cosequin for her joints. Famotidine for heart burns (though i’m thinking of stop giving this to her to see if she still needs this daily). Zyrtec in the morning and Benadryl at night for her allergy. We give her Sentinel and Bravecto for fleas and ticks and heart worm. And we shampoo her once a week.

After continuing this for a year, her gulping has stopped since last summer. A small gulping happened few weeks ago but I realized we gave her a lot of cheese the day before (she loves cheese) so no more cheese for her. I think dairy might be causing it as well, as I remember giving her yogurt thinking that it will help with the gulping but may have been causing it.

Hope this helps someone or gave them a clue for a cure.

[Susan]

Hi Carlene, I feel for your poor dog, your story reminded me of my Patch that I rescued 3 years ago, I also have tried all the ant acid meds until I read about not making enough Hydrochloric acid, its called Hypochlorhydria low stomach acid, this year I stopped any meds on Patch the end of 2015 all I used was liquid Mylanta & the Metronidazole for 7 days in October 2015, the ant acids seemed to make Patch worse not better & his mouth started to smell like food was fermenting in his stomach & not digesting, after he took Losec the Moltium you have Reglan in America made his breath smell like food was fermenting vet didn’t want him on the Moltium…
2016 all I gave Patch was grass, grass growing out the back yard, i’d wash grass under cool water dry in a tea towel & feed Patch 1 blade of grass at a time about 5-6 pieces, then he’d either spew up un-digested kibble or he’d feel better & want to play,no more Mylanta nothing, then a lady told me LOW FIBER diet, I was lowering the fat% always feeding kibbles from 8% fat to 13% it made no difference then I saw on a EPI F/B group their dogs were doing really well on the “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream, the fat is 15% & the fiber is 3%, I live Australia & we still have the old formula with no peas & no garbanzo beans, its just Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Canola Oil, Salmon, Smoked Salmon Meal, probiotics… finally Patches acid reflux, grinding his teeth, all stopped, no waking up grinding his teeth, another thing I have found I have to do is change his kibble every month if he eats the same kibble or cooked diet for more then 5 weeks, he gets food sensitivities & all his symptoms come back, so now I’m feeding the “Taste of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb in 1 month I’m trying Canidae Pure Lamb limited ingredients then going back to the TOTW Pacific stream smoke Salmon & going to rotate his kibbles, Becareful with the Prilosec its a Pump Proton Inhibitor you can not just stop taking it after taken a PPI’s for 1 month, my vet said NO to the Losec & I was to only use it for 3-4days then stop also I use Metronidazole for 7-10days that’s what I did in October & January 2016 & after I stop the Metronidazole Patch does real well as soon as I see him have his acid reflux grinding his teeth for more then 3-4 days I’m giving the Metronidazole again, have you tried any Calming supplements??
Since the grass works the best now with Patch I’m going to buy some Chlorophyll liquid, look at what is in the kibble she is eating now write down everything protein% fat% fiber% ingredients, & look for another kibble that’s the same BUT a different protein & start rotating in 3 weeks, I also feed 4 small meals a day, 7am I give 3/4 cup TOTW Roasted Lamb, 12pm under 1/2 cup TOTW Roasted Lamb, 5pm the TOTW Smoked Salmon & 8pm 1/2 cup cooked chicken & sweet potatoes or a low fat wet tin food, 2% fat but I have just started that this week…. I don’t know why Patch has finally gotten better & gained weight I don’t know what I did but something has fixed his IBD, all I’ve done is changed his food every month & feed something different for breakfast & dinner & the grass & the Metronidazole when the acid reflux doesn’t go away, Patches vet wanted Patch on a low dose of the Metronidazole 200mg a day for 6months she said the Metronidazole works for her IBD dogs with stomach problems, I just gave for 21 days then stopped, I hate giving any tablets they seem to make Patch worse, I hope everything you’ve been thru you find the answers for your poor girl…..I really believe stress plays a big part..

[crazy4cats]

Hi Georgia-
One of the most important things you can do for your dog is to add as much moisture to her diet as possible. Are you feeding the Hill’s canned or dry Urinary food? If dry, see if your vet oks adding some of the Rx wet food to the dry. Also add water to her meals and make sure she gets plenty of bathroom breaks. Water will keep her urine diluted and flush the crystals away. Often there is an infection involved when a dog is producing urinary crystals. Did you get an antibiotic for the infection?

Also, please be careful feeding supplements to a pet who is on prescription food. They can over acidify your pup’s pH and cause a different type of crystal in the urinary tract that cannot be dissolved like the struvites can. Check with your vet first.

[anonymously]

Has your dog had a chest x-ray? Mets to the lungs? Golden Retrievers are #1 for developing cancer.
Check The SkeptVet blogs , nutrition, herbs, supplements…..I was unable to post the link.

[anonymously]

Have you tried soaking the kibble in water overnight in the fridg?

You may find some helpful information here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/
And here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

Did the vet do a chest x-ray? When my dog had symptoms similar to what you describe, it turns out she had tumors (mets to the lungs).
Golden Retrievers are #1 on the list for developing cancer..

[Garry D]

Our golden boy Connor went to the vet this week for coughing/gagging and hard swallowing symptoms. They did an abdominal ultrasound and found nothing scary. They also performed a fluoroscopy (esophagram) and found that he had some esophageal dysmotility with dry kibble. They feel that the acid reflux is what caused the dysmotility. So he’s on Prilosec for the reflux, canned food so that his esophagus has time to heal and FortiFlora probiotic to help with diarrhea and stomach issues. We were given cans of Science Diet i/d to help with digestion. Science Diet i/d is quite expensive and I’m wondering if anyone here can recommend a good canned food that isn’t so expensive? Also, are there other home remedies or supplements that we can try to help with the acid reflux? The Prilosec seems to work but I think it’s also the reason he has diarrhea. Thanks in advance.

[Dog Pack Mom]

Hi theBCnut

It sounds like you feed pretty much the way I would like to feed. Could you go into more detail of how often you feed each food form? What supplements you add? Are the supplements also rotated or only given when feeding certain meals, etc? I currently rotate a couple of different lower carb kibbles from each Orijen, Nature’s Variety, Merrick, EVO, and Dogswell. I tried raw full time and it became too much for me timewise. I can’t afford premade raw full time so I’m looking at how to incorporate more fresh foods or other food forms into my kibble rotation and trying to find a method that keeps it on the simple side.

[Dog Pack Mom]

I’m not sure what type of joint supplements I will try yet. The glycoflex 3 seems to be causing GI issues with my little pom, Rooster. I think I may try the Joint Power Rx recommended by Hound Dog Mom. I do know I won’t be trying FidoActive ever.

[Primed P]

All dogs are different, and some need a little more help than others when it comes to making sure they have enough vitamins in their diet. Dog dietary supplements are prescribed by veterinarians to compliment the diet and maintain optimal health.

[Andreina G]

Hi!
I don’t know if you found your answer but this happened to my dog and all the problem was a food sensitivity or allergy caused by CORN, corn is everywhere including enzymatic supplements – most of them – and in most of the calcium supplements as well. Is an ingredient in a lot of pills – medicines, and has many derivatives – http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php. If you want to know about this – and other – food sensitivity the only cientifically proved test for that is Hemopet – Nutriscan Test. It is expensive but well worth it! Good luck!

[Marjorie M]

There are 2 foods that we purchase. The moist food is ordered directly from the Robert Abady company which makes a low phosphorus/lower (but good) protein foods for both dogs and cats. For my 7 year (recently adopted) Lab with kidney disease we use Beef-based formula for maintenance & stress for adult dogs.
The kibble we use is a Blue Basic Limited Ingredient Senior which is also low phosphorus/low protein. That is not the only food he gets but the rest is a meal regimen which is all fresh food.
Yes, aside from baby carrots and lettuce, he is given 2 different dog treats which are seem to be within the acceptable range.
He is also given supplements daily as well as probiotics and occasionally digestive enzymes along with certain protein in an attempt to keep the BUN levels withing normal range. BTW, his last CBC showed everything in the normal range!

[Susan]

Hi Kevin, I’d start with home cooking first while your boy stomach & bowel heal, when their immune system is low & they have stomach/bowel problems, its not a good idea to start raw feeding also I wouldn’t mix kibble, feed kibble for 1 meal & the cooked meal for the other meal also if you feed raw don’t add the kibble, just feed the raw & the kibble for the next meal… go to Dr Judy Morgan F/B page
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/
you can watch her or her partner make easy simple meals, Judy also sells supplements …… Judy cooking- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB3bd84gwmA
“Balance It” has recipes & supplements http://secure.balanceit.com/ there’s F/B group called “Cooking For Dogs” also…

[JeffreyT]

Hi Jenn, theoretically I think you are correct. However, soil depletion, food and environmental toxins and issues with absorption can all cause nutrient deficiencies.

https://www.bulletproofexec.com/why-you-need-supplements/

[JeffreyT]

C4D, it depends on what kind of supplements. Pharmaceutical companies generally use isolated, synthetic vitamins in their studies, as opposed to whole food supplements. This is very misleading but not surprising.

The author of the article you posted, Dr. Paul Offit, is on the board of trustees of the American Council on Science and Health – they describe themselves as a consumer education group – but they are a front group for corporate interests. Their funding is from pharmaceutical, oil and chemical companies, and they’ve defended DDT, asbestos, agent orange and various other pesticides, saying they do no harm.

Here is an excellent article on the difference between synthetic and whole food supplements.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/19/whole-food-supplements.aspx

[kevin k]

I acknowledge it was wrong for jumping into this process without enough research and the vet said my dog wasn’t getting the right amount nutrients (I thought I was doing it right the whole time). He told me about the website balance it and I plan to order the supplements they sell. As far as diet goes he just told me about using balanceit because that site is detailed.

Another favor, since I am pretty bad at this stuff can anyone recommend me a meal to give to my dog for tonight that is balanced in nutrition. I must get to class soon and I can run to the market afterward if someone gives me a good recipe! My dog is 10 pounds.. Thanks. And if not, is it wise to mix alittle bit of kibble with cooked chicken or beef?

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by kevin k.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by kevin k.

[C4D]

I don’t think supplementing with vitamins, especially if you are feeding a food that’s complete and balanced, is a good idea. If you must supplement for a specific condition, that would be different. An example is, in a dog with arthritis, fish oils may be beneficial to reduce inflammation. Here’s a link which shows that several studies have found that humans taking multivitamins has actually caused a shortened lifespan and some medical issues in others:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vitamin-myth-why-we-think-we-need-supplements/277947/

[Jenn H]

Jamie H I agree with your thoughts as well. Because the humans buy the food, companies market to them. They will try to make foods that follow their fads. If you notice dogs don’t fall for fads. It’s not them putting stupid dresses on themselves or trying the latest diet (not per their request anyway) or watching TV and asking for what they see in commercials.
Unless your animal has a medical reason for needing supplements, all of their nutritional needs should be met with the food they eat. Just like people.

[Cannoli]

I agree with anonymously. I don’t trust supplement companies that state their supplements are miracle wonder pills that can prevent a plethora of ailments.

These are the questions I ask myself when I rarely use supplements, hence I would ask the same questions to companies who make supplements for my dog.

1) Has the product triggered any health warnings or sanctions
Searching for a product or its maker on the FDA’s website will unearth any safety advisories or sanctions issued against them. The agency also maintains a list of all recent recalls and market withdrawals. I know this is tough but if this company makes human supplements it might be good to know if they ever had any human supplements recalled.

2) Has the product been tested by independent labs?

A reputable supplement company must have DNA testing to prove that all of there ingredients actually are what they state it has.

3)Is the product too good to be true?

For example they write “Nuvet contains those ingredients and can help strengthen the immune system to help prevent the development of allergies.” There is no supplement that can help this.

or this “Nuvet plus contains those ingredients and can help strengthen the immune system to help keep the body in balance, and less likely to develop the medical conditions that can lead to seizures.” more none sense.

4) Do I really need supplements? If so, am I taking the right amount?

a supplement may have considerably higher quantities of a vitamin or mineral than it says on the bottle. Because certain vitamins degrade over time, manufacturers often provide more than the labeled quantities, to ensure there is still the labeled amount at the expiration date

You should really be careful with giving your dog supplements. There are too many snake oil salesmen in this unregulated industry

[anonymously]

NuVet Supplement=Same Old Snake Oil

Read the comments, sometimes we learn something.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=nuvet

[Don P]

My breeder required us to have our Labrodor on NuVet Plus Wafers for her 1st year in order for her health guarantee to be valid. We fed our lab puppy Fromm Large Breed Gold puppy food and gave her a wafer per the directions. She is beautifuL, great coat, big brown eyes and no skin problems at all. I have been happy with our food and NuVet Plus Supplements.

[anonymously]

Just curious, was he diagnosed with Lyme? I had a dog that wasn’t diagnosed in time so even with the maximum antibiotic treatment she was left with kidney damage.

PS: I would consider consulting an Internal Medicine Specialist regarding an aggressive approach to treatment. Supplements are not medication.

Example: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

[JeffreyT]

Rick, I checked out your website and it does look like an excellent product. I’m always on the look out for supplements that are gmo-free, no fillers, sourced in US and not synthetic. The added enzymes, probiotics and minerals from Utah’s earth beds are a huge plus. It seems like a very pure ‘all in one’ type of supplement, and I’d consider adding to their rotation.

Thanks for posting.

[Cannoli]

Rick D,

Do you provide DNA testing for your formulas that conclusively proves what is exactly in your supplements along with the exact amounts?

[Rick Dunn]

No disrespect intended here but unfortunately Jakes_Mom “A healthy dog eating appropriate food does not need vitamin supplements.” could not be more wrong.

Even the best researched, sourced and prepared foods either commercially available or homemade (which includes raw diets) fall short in all of the essential vitamins, minerals, metals and nutrients that a dog is intended to have in it’s body by nature. Subsequently their bodies become out of balance which in turn compromises their immune systems. This is a proven fact and just can not be disputed, justified or excused away by anyone.

Proper supplementation brings the body back into balance and allows the immune system go back to its normal level. You can deny this all you wish… my statements are factual, backed by scientific research and proven in dogs for more than 30 years.

What is a Supplement?

Pet supplements are defined as either dietary or therapeutic supplements. Dietary supplements (also called dietary nutrients) are substances added to pet foods to make them nutritionally complete and balanced. Therapeutic supplements (also called nutraceuticals) are foods or food nutrients that are taken orally to provide a health benefit, either for prevention or treatment of disease. To have this therapeutic effect, a nutraceutical is usually taken in a larger dose than the daily requirement of that same food when used as a nutrient.

What is Dr Kruger Pet Supplements?

It is the only complete supplement on the market, covering all aspects of a dog’s health. Dr Kruger Pet Supplements naturally correct commercial, home made and natural pet food’s deficiencies in three crucial ways by adding essential vitamins and minerals, important digestive enzymes for complete food absorption, and beneficial intestinal bacteria to supercharge the immune system. Each formulation has additional ingredients to focus on those particular areas of the pets health that it is deficient in.

Our formulas meet the specific needs of your pet through each stage of life. Whether your dog is a puppy, adult or senior; one that is active, in show or spends most of his time indoors, there is a Dr Kruger Pet Supplements formula that is just right for his needs.

Why use Dr Kruger Pet Supplements?

Since 1986 our supplements have been alleviating gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, loose stools, vomiting and gas as well as itchy skin, hot spots, shedding and allergies. Our Supplements will help with both occasional and chronic digestive problems such as bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), toxic gut syndrome (TGS), torsion, sensitive stomach, inflamed bowel, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Other conditions helped by our supplements include allergies, arthritis, inflamed joints, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and a host of others.

Dr Kruger Pet Supplements, when used daily provide the necessary vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, digestive enzymes, microbes and other probiotics for the health of your pet. Made from all natural ingredients, Dr. Kruger’s Supplements provide a holistic approach to your pets health helping your dog or cat absorb more nutrients from their diet. When used in combination with a healthy, organic food, Dr. Kruger’s Supplements ensure better health through better digestion… naturally!

Dr. Kruger’s approach was to address the “Whole Dog” not just a symptom, this is why our supplements work so well. Everyday Health Formula is in ALL of our Formulas as the foundation; we then add specific elements to address and make up the additional Formulas we offer. The final reason our Formulas have worked for so many years is Dr. Kruger knew that a dogs health requirements will change over it’s lifetime. He developed his Formulas to address those changes from the beginning of life through the twilight years.

Puppy & Pregnancy Formula
Everyday Health Formula
Healthy Skin & Coat Formula
High Performance Formula
Healthy Skin & Coat Formula
Healthy Joint Formula
Senior Health Formula

All of our ingredients are:

Human Grade
Non-GMO
All Natural
Sourced in the USA Only
Manufacture in the USA
There are NO Fillers in our Formulas; our Formulas are dosed by the dogs food intake as that is the only true way to know how much supplementation should be administered.

The importance of healthy digestion is critical to overall health of your pet. That is why we recommend that at least the Everyday Health Formula to be a consistent supplement to your pets food every day!

We prove this EVERY SINGLE DAY!

[Rick Dunn]

You should check out Dr Kruger Pet Supplements – Healthy Joint Formula to address hip dysplasia and arthritis. While nothing will cure your senior dog of these issues Dr Kruger Pet Supplements – Healthy Joint Formula has a 30 year track record of doing a great job of helping to relieve mobility issues. Along with the same vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and live cultures as the Everyday Formula, the Healthy Joint Formula also contains anti-inflammatory ingredients such as Glucosamine Sulphate, Yucca Root, Dandelion Root, Devil’s Claw, Kelp, Chondroitin Sulphate and extra Vitamin E to relieve chronic joint and muscle conditions, including arthritis (hereditary or traumatic), hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, (degenerative joint disease (DJD), spinal arthritis (spondyosis), sprains, or other conditions due to illness and injury. It also improves overall ligament and cartilage health..

It costs nothing to check it out!
http://www.drkruger.com/collections/healthy-joint-formula

[Jenn H]

To finally finish answering your question from yesterday…
When my pup had continued soft stool/diarrhea the probios, pumpkin helped a lot. I was also giving him about 4 oz of goat milk/day. Raw or Meyenburg. Whatever I had.
Sometimes he got soft stool from excitement. If he had a particularly busy or fun day. Sometimes he got too many treats. If he ate someone else’s food he would really get it.
Once he checked out clean I began transitioning his food. No problems since!

I would first try either a digestive enzyme or grain free food.

If neither works consider a food with a little less protein or fat. Puppies need these nutrients so try not to take them down too much. Continue with the enzyme/probio until transitioned. Then see what happens when you cut back on those supplements.

Cooked WHITE rice that can also be helpful. Save the water it was cooked in and add to food or water as well.

Some people like bone broth. I haven’t tried that. I think The Honest Kitchen also has that.

[anonymously]

Food and supplements are not medication. I would ask your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist if you are considering aggressive treatment and if you can afford it.
A lipoma could be anything from a benign fatty lump to an aggressive cancerous growth.
Best to get it properly diagnosed first and then go from there….
Best of luck.

[zcRiley]

They need lean protein and lots of it. And a whole lot more exercise. My boys walk, frisbee, fetch and swim daily. ZiwiPeak lamb formula is a complete raw diet that my AmStaffs thrived on. No mixing or freezing or adding supplements.

[Marjorie M]

Although it is a small company, I’d like to suggest The Robert Abady Company which makes a canned food which we’ve found very helpful for our recently (within the last 7 months) adopted dog with kidney disease.
As I recall, I found this food because of the contribution of someone on this site.
Although our most recent CBC results were not entirely based upon the Abady Complete Beef-based formula for Maintenance & Stress, life has been less stressful for me knowing that this food has only a maximum of 0.51% phosphorus and uses “good” protein sources.
Having both his creatinine and BUN levels fall to within normal range has made it easier to stick to a 3 meal a day schedule which includes supplements, egg, sweet potatoes, beans and probiotics.
BTW although he is only about 7, because of the kidney disease he was started on Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Senior before we adopted him. That is the kibble he is still devouring.

[Jenn H]

Olga M that is a great story. However it proves nothing. 1 dog lived that long supposedly on a vegan diet. There is no consideration to the dog’s genetics or whether the dog did get meat proteins. How do we know that dog didn’t hunt and eat whatever it caught while running free (assuming it was allowed)? Maybe this was just luck. Maybe the human is full of it and only says she fed a strict vegan diet.

My point is that there is no scientific backing of this being good for dogs long term. It’s anecdotal. That’s not enough to convince me.

There are very necessary nutrients dogs must have to survive that can only be found in meat protein. If not fed meat they must get them from synthetic supplements. If you are fine with feeding them synthetic nutrients, then have at it.

I am vegetarian. But that is my choice. My dogs (while brilliant they are GSDs) don’t have the ability to give a crap about what or where their meat comes from. They just know they need it to survive. An animal’s one & only goal in life is to just survive the day.
I do have a choice to feed them the best food possible. Whether or not I would eat a human version of it doesn’t matter. I am feeding them what is best for them within my budget.
If an animal’s dietery needs go against your ethics then that is not the pet for you.