[Z B]

9 yr old female spayed
pit-boxer mix,43 lbs, at ideal weight and in good shape
Diet: Kibble (most recently Dr Tims Kinesis grain free & Natures Variety LID Duck) topped with 5 star canned
Heartguard every 6 weeks
Frontline or other topical flea treatment every 2 months
Flea bath once every 1-3 months

She has never taken steroids, painkillers, or antibiotics except for 2 courses of amoxicillin in the past year for a skin infection. To my knowledge she has not eaten any poisons, poisonous plants, etc. She’s an inside dog and walked on a leash. I don’t have a fenced yard so she’s never outside unattended.

Last week her water intake increased dramatically and she peed large volumes on the floor several nights in a row. Other than that she appears to feel fine, eating well, enjoys her walks, is not showing urgency to pee nor peeing frequently. Urinalysis showed signs of infection so she’s now taking antibiotic Zeniquin.

Yesterday I received the results of her bloodwork and her liver enzymes are OFF THE CHARTS.

The doctor recommends I give her SAM-e and Milk Thistle to support liver health. Is there anything else I can do, diet-wise, supplements, etc. I see Science Diet and Royal Canin have liver support diets but I hope not to feed those foods if I don’t have to. I’m willing to do homemade if I need to (commercial raw is not in my budget) but would prefer to stick with a high quality kibble and canned if possible.

Should I be concerned about the foods I’m currently feeding? Contamination????

[Anonymous]

And, the allergies may be seasonal. The specialist I saw said he didn’t recommend skin testing unless the symptoms had been going on for 4 seasons without any significant periods of relief. Despite diet changes, etc.
Bathing once or twice a week with Malaseb helps my dog, daily fish oil supplements are good for dry itchy skin too.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Dawn R- I am very sorry to hear about your struggles with Bella. My dogs had a similar start. First of all, I’m pretty sure you have done this, but I just have to ask. Has she been retested for Giardia? It is a difficult parasite to get rid of at times and I’m wondering if it is active again. Have you wormed her lately? If not, I’d try either Panacur or Drontal Plus in case she had some dormant giardia lurking.

My pups had a bad case and struggled with diarrhea off and on for a few years. I think the parasites and the over use of antibiotics caused them to have a leaky gut or some form of colitis. Check out this site for some great info: http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

My dogs are having issues right now because I think I got too confident in their tummies being better and they are not. I am feeding them the Merrick Classic Chicken formula and it is not going too well. However, when I fed them the Merrick grain free duck and turkey they did fine. My suspicion is maybe there are just too many ingredients in the classic formula. My dogs do fine with peas, sweet potatoes, and rice as a binder. I’m now suspicious of rye and barley as no no’s.

So far, my best kibbles for them have been Victor grain free and California Natural Pork and Peas. I try to add some fresh, frozen or canned to their kibble every meal. Your best is to try to keep their kibble as simple as possible. Shoot for just one protein and one carb with low fat and slightly higher fiber. I think the California Natural Pork formula might be a food one for you. I ordered it from Pet Flow when it was 30% off to give it a try!

The supplements that I have used with success are:
Seacure, Phytomucil, Vetri Pro BD, Gastriplex, Perfect Form and Pro Flora probiotic
chews. I still rotate them.

Oh, and also, plain canned pumpkin doesn’t work wonders for us either. But the Fruitables Pumpkin digestive canned supplement does. It has a few other goodies in it that seem helpful. Of course, it costs at least twice as much as the plain pumpkin.

Please write back if you have anymore questions!

[Dori]

Hi Akari. I just read your posts on the comments side and wanted to tell you that Denamarin IS a combination of Sam-e and Milk Thistle which is why the vet has Ginger on that particular medication. Hannah has been on it once a day since beginning of last Spring. She takes the chewable version. She thinks they’re a treat. She gets 225 mg daily as per her specialist. I also give her 1/4 teaspoon of canine immunity by Standard Process. All of this is for her liver which is now on the lower range of normal. I also give her daily a vitamin E capsule once a day. The vitamin e I poke a hole in the capsule with a pin and squirt it on her food. She’ll be on this routine for the rest of her life. The Denamarin I give her one and a half hours before her p.m. Meal. Easier for me and her than having to get up so early to give before breakfast. Of course she gets a ton of other supplements and essential oil and aromatherapy but those are for her cancers. She’s doing remarkably well on the cancer issues. She also only eats raw.

Anyway, I haven’t been on DFA in a while and probably won’t be again but I did see your discussion with crazy4dogs where she was telling you to add milk thistle and I wanted you to know that you already are. It’s one of the components in Denamarin. If I can help any more regarding Ginger either email me or go to my FB page. One more thing. Amazon has better prices on Denamarin than the vets do. That’s where I buy mine. It’s the same exact product. My vet is the one that told me to buy it on Amazon. Night!

[Stacy H]

I definitely agree with seeing a vet ASAP.

My dog Sisko has unfortunately has had grand mal seizures ever since I adopted him in November 2012. He would have them every several weeks.

Tried removing toxins, good diet, natural supplements, no more heartworm medicine… unfortunately he still ended up being put on phenobarbital.

I wish I had thought of it sooner, but we’ve actually had tremendous benefit with a hemp supplement. (The one I use is called Canna Companion.) On phenobarbital alone he was having seizures every 16-19 weeks. After adding the hemp supplement, we’re now over 30 weeks and counting seizure-free. His mood also has been improved greatly, more energy, playing with toys again. Just my own little story and something to think about.

Also, I have personally found this website to be quite valuable to me in dealing with seizures, even if it hasn’t been updated in quite a long time:
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/site_map.htm

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Stacy H.

[LeAnn]

We have 3 pitbull rescue dogs–two of our own and one foster. We recently noticed an increase in their food allergies (and yes, they are allergies with hives, swelling, skin lesions, induced secondary infections, congestion, and more) from commercial dog foods. One dog is so severe he has had to be put on steroids and an elimination diet.

I found sources for what ingredients are safe for foods, and obviously this website has info on beneficial ingredients by extrapolation from the reviews.

But where can we get the nutritional values that are accessible to dogs from these ingredients? Are caloric, vitamin, mineral, fiber, and other nutritional content in foods equally accessible to dogs as they are humans?

What exactly are the nutritional requirements for dogs?

Where can we find that info?

Once we find out the allergies from the elimination process, we would like to either partially use limited ingredient commercial foods or supplements to make sure the dogs get what they needed. But without knowing the impact of the home prepped food we give them, we won’t know what they need.

Suggestions or reference resources?

Thanks!
Le’

[Justin F]

We recently took our 5 year old boxer/collie mix to the vet for a screening and they noticed his urine had a ph of 5.5 and that there was some crystals. The x-ray showed no sign of any stones and so we are just trying to prevent and manage his ph and gravity.

The vet wants us to use Prescription Diet U/D food which seems horrible its pretty much just brewers rice and other by-products.

Instead I’m hoping to find a food that doesn’t have Vitamin C and D supplements and also supplement with potassium citrate. Maybe add some wet food to for more moisture.

Has anybody else tried doing this before or any thoughts?

Google “Minnesota urolith center calcium oxalate” and they have some good info.

[Kathy J]

Thanks for the advice about THK. I continue having trouble with the digestibility aspect of THK or any other dehydrated foods (or raw for that matter). I would not cook it because it would probably dilute the supplements that are added in.
So, right now I will stick with Fromm – or Acana and maybe Nature’s Variety or Wellness and some canned and my added in home cooked things while I study cooking for him.
I need to figure out what supplements to add, etc. As I am “older”, I definitely did not want to do the cooking thing but after that horrible video “Pet Food – A Dog’s Breakfast” my solution may be to cook most of the meals and fill in with “quality kibble and canned”.

[Anonymous]

I told you, the ph levels will fluctuate. They may never be perfect.
I agree with what you said in previous posts, water, water, and more water. And, don’t forget the potassium citrate supplements I mentioned, I think they help, big time.
I don’t bother with testing, I have other things that need my attention more, right now.

It’s sometimes a genetic thing, the diet will only do so much.
Just my opinion….if your vet tells you something different, ignore me, lol

[Jennifer H]

Sooo…this is the menu I’ve drawn up for next month for Toby’s raw diet. Would anyone care to check it over and see if I’m good for calcium/phos, vits/mins? I try to stick to the meat being in the PMR range, but I add veggies and supplements as well to balance everything out.
Toby weighs 13lbs, although I think he should weigh a bit less. The morning mixes consist of ground whole prey (Hare Today), with added cooked/pureed veggies (varies according to season availability, but usually consists of a base of pumpkin, spinach, parsley, sweet potato, berries and I add an 8oz can of Oyster for manganese) and added egg. I mix up as much meat as I would need for all 4 weeks, then add half that amount in veggies, and then 2 eggs w/ shells from my backyard flock.
He also gets .5oz of veggies in the evening. (I make a big batch and then portion into ice cube trays.)

His organs consist of 2lb beef liver, 1lb chicken liver, 2lb beef kidney, and 1lb beef pancreas that were ground and mixed together and then portioned into ice cube trays for ease of use.

AM
Monday – 2.5 oz Tripe Mix
Tuesday – 2.5oz Llama Mix
Wednesday – 2.5oz Rabbit Mix
Thursday – 2.5oz Tripe Mix
Friday – 2.5oz Llama Mix
Saturday – 2.5oz Rabbit Mix
Sunday – 2.5oz Mutton Mix
PM
(Meals total roughly 3oz)
Monday – Skinless Chicken Neck, Chicken Gizzard, .5oz Organ
Tuesday – Chicken Foot, Beef Heart
Wednesday – Goat, Sardine, Beef Gullet
Thursday – Duck Neck, Turkey Gizzard, .5oz Organ
Friday – Chicken Back Piece, 1oz Organ
Saturday – Cornish Hen Wing, Goat, .5oz Organ
Sunday – Goat, Sardine, Beef Gullet

His supplements are as follows –

MORNING – 1/2 TSP Missing Link Skin and Coat – Daily
15 IU Vit E – Daily
Carlson Low A Cod Liver Oil – Daily
2tsp Kefir – Daily
Fish Oil – Mon, Wed, Fri
Coconut Oil – Tues, Thurs

EVENING – 1/2 TSP ONP Daily Greens – Daily
15 IU Vitamin E – Daily
2tsp Kefir – Daily

I’m also looking at adding k9 Natural Health Skin and Coat to his evening meal as well….but only at half dose or less (their doses seem extremely high).

Does this look okay? I’m learning all the time, and hoping to create a nice varied but balanced diet for Toby. He loves his raw, and he’s done so well on it.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Jennifer H.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Jennifer H.

[AJ A]

Thanks for all your opinions and experiences, I am glad I received replies.
I won’t ever go back to kibble EVER.
And I don’t run to the Vet all the time. I am organic myself since 15 yrs and haven’t seen a doctor since. Not even once!
I use common sense and needed to see if my case was only happening to my pup. As I can see it is definitely the water in the meat. Thats why they dont need to drink as much water as they do with kibble. Today I controlled a little the water intake and he pees less often, but still bigger spots than before and specially after feeding the chicken. He is doing just fine and has top energy, his coat started shining and it is growing faster than it was 1 month ago.
Before I switched to raw I did a deep education to be prepared, asking raw feeding breeders all over from Australia to Germany, checked everything online and started to understand that raw diet should not contain veggies neither grains like the BARF diet.. Wolves dont get a complete balanced diet everyday, neither do we and certainly they wont be searching for carrots, spinach and grains in their habitat. They receive the fermented enzymes from the digested food of their prey’s tripe, thats the good stuff, thats what they will eat first, thats where lots of balanced nutrients are.
When starting a raw diet with puppies (especially small breed) you best start with chicken, because low fat and easier digested than ground beef. Because I tried both, beef (grass fed 95%lean) and chicken. He regurgitated the whole ground beef everytime he ate it. He never did with the chicken. The wing helps cleaning his teeth and he gets supplements from the core of the bone and calcium.1 egg a week for breakfast. I give bone meal since he does not yet get enough bones in his food yet. Once he is used to the chicken and wings/necks I will start to join some liver and heart and green tripe little by little to not upset his digestion. Than we will do the same with duck, lamb and rabbit including organ and muscle meat as well. Of course a meaty bone everyday or 3 times a week.
Once established his likes than we can start feeding 1 day chicken, next duck and so on. I forgot the fish. Some fresh fish once a week is important as well.
I think probiotics , enzymes and clay are a must have in the kitchen. So is ionic silver and therapeutic grade essential oils like geranium, peppermint, frankincense and lemon. When they get lose stool some clay with enzymes/probiotics and diarrhea is cleared.
I use ionic silver to disinfect drinking water, once in a while internal against parasites and to clear my Shih Tzu’s eyes (14yrs). He suffers dry eyes and since he is on raw diet as well since 2 weeks his dry eye symptoms are already totally gone!! Yeahhhh! Now I hope to see changes in his coat like color and softness. His constant fear should disappear as well and his appetite should get better and better. I really hope to gain some more years of his company. I love him so much and hope we can gain back as much health as he has lost due to those bad kibble diet. He lost some of his hair on his back and I truly hope the high protein intake will fix most of his problems.
I stopped using vaccines on my Shih Tzu since 10yrs, neither I believe in spaying/neuter dogs. My pup received vaccines from her Vet, he won’t ever receive any other vaccines in his life. I dont believe it does any good, not for pets and neither for humans. Build up a healthy immune system and eat organic food and you will be fine!!! Same for dogs. THEY ARE DOGS NOT HUMANS!!! THEY DESERVE TO EAT HOW NATURE DESIGNED THEM TO.

[Anonymous]

I use k9Advantix II (topical monthly) on my dogs, but only during the summer. Heartworm pills every 6 weeks (not 4) during warm months, yearly testing, careful checking and avoidance of all tall grass, brush and woods.
I also use Brewers yeast/garlic supplements as they are supposed to deter bugs, plus natural spray repellents.
I would not use an oral agent, wish I didn’t have to use anything, but the ticks are bad in my area. They all are pesticides/poisons.

I have heard terrible things about this product http://vitalanimal.com/trifexis-hoax/

[aquariangt]

I read the first one, and the 2nd one I couldn’t find any information on Diamond. The first one was posted a year after the most recent Diamond mega recall.

While I applaud them for attempting to get things turned around, I still am leary and won’t be feeding their foods anytime soon. In a few years, if they’ve cleaned up their act…maybe, but still unlikely. There are plenty of foods out there that I like more than the majority of Diamond products anyway. I like that they have some affordable lines of decent quality, but for me, it’s not really worth the risk-and like I said, they still have to be clean for a few more years before I could even in good conscience recommend them.

As far as the probiotics and glucosamine you are looking for-there are other foods out there that add that, or you can add them yourself (I use supplements all the time with the dogs)

[MaggiesDad]

Have a look at http://www.allprovide.com – although a commercial food, it is raw with all natural ingredients and supplements to give your dogs all they need. Its a good place to start whilst you get the hang of DIY 🙂

[Naturella]

For me too there is a distinction between big box stores like PetCo, PetSmart, PetSupermarket, and PetLand, and small, “boutique”-type stores. My expectations also differ between the 2 categories, similarly to aquariangt’s.

From big box stores I actually would like some knowledge on food rotation and not encouraging customers to stick with ONE food for the lifetime of their pet. Also, to piggy-back off of aquariangt, I feel like they have poor knowledge of different foods’ kibble sizes is because employees themselves stick with one food only so they don’t get to experience what other foods’ size or consistency is like. Knowledge on when their “natural” cow ears, etc. have been chemically treated (bleached) would also be helpful – Bruno got sick on a “natural, non-treated cow ear from PetCo that smelled so chemical and I should’ve trusted my gut than to give it to him… He had like 1/4-1/3 of the ear and vomited it up. Never again have I shopped for natural chews from big box stores. Antlers and healthier chews like bully sticks are severely overpriced also.

Boutique stores – I also hope for up-to-date, more detailed knowledge about manufacturers and ingredients/ingredient sourcing would be much appreciated (I have gotten conflicting info from 2 separate stores on where NVI sources their rabbit from), as well as good knowledge on adequate healthy supplements for whatever issue the client comes in with. Not vet-level knowledge, obviously, but good product knowledge on whatever the store carries, and what it can be used for.

I think that’s about it. Overall, I am pretty happy with the knowledge level of the boutique associates that I have encountered.

[crazy4cats]

Puppypiles-
Thanks for the info on slippery elm. I rotate supplements, but I think they all contain SE. Your reasoning sounds correct so I think I need to give my pups a break from it. They have struggled with loose stools for some time now and slippery elm seems to help. But, getting all of their nutrition is a little important too. Lol!

[Judy P]

What about The Honest Kitchen dehydrated food? There are numerous choices including at least 3 grain free and including numerous minerals and supplements. Also, for kibble, what about Great Life and Pioneer Natural (made by Great Life)? I prefer to feed raw and dehydrated but the ingredients in these two grain free kibbles certainly seem far above the norm.

[Cecile R]

Hi Doglovers and forum members,

I live in Sri Lanka and feel that it is very difficult here to get quality advise on dog nutrition (or on dogs in general). I have a 4 months old Ridgeback/Great Dane mix (Tequila) and have done some research on the internet about how I should feed her and feel like the info is very different to what the vet here has recommended me to feed my puppy, so I was hoping that somebody could give me some feeding advise? It is fairly difficult to get proper pet food here, basically the only thing that is available is Pedigree and Eukanuba dry food and this is also really expensive.
We have 4 more dogs who are all strays in different ages which I have picked up from the street and adopted and they are happy to eat almost anything and don’t like the dry food much also, so I would cook for them brown rice with pumpkin or carrott and in the mornings chicken liver and in the afternoon the same with fish filet, sprats, or meat off-cuts form the butcher.
For Tequila I’m a bit more concerned as in no case I want her to get any hip problems later (especially as I feel the vets are differently qualified to Western ones)
Our vet has given me 3 different vitamin supplements with high Calcium content, but from what I have learned can a diet with high Calcium be harmful for large breeds – alright, I just stopped giving her those.
Up to now I have been feeding her the Pedigree Puppy dry food (Calcium approx. 1.1%) but will change this now to the Eukanuba Puppy for large breeds (Calcium approx. 0.96%). So far I have been feeding her 2 smaller servings of this in the morning and always mixed this with milk powder as advised by the vet and chicken liver. In the afternoon she’s getting the same food as the adult dogs as described above. Any opinions if this makes sense?
Tequila was fairly small and skinny when we got her (32cm and 6kg at 8 weeks), but looks healthy now to my opinion. She’s approx. 55cm high now and weighs about 16kg (she’s a bit more on the Ridgeback side, so I think this is okay for her age?)
Since she’s my first large breed I’m very concerned of doing anything wrong as I just want her to grow up healthily and would appreciate any comments and advise of people who are more experienced!
Thanks a lot in advance

[Anonymous]

Any medications and supplements tend to make the kidneys and liver work harder, therefore the lfts and bun/creatinine may become even more elevated and also increase the risk of nausea and vomiting. The antibiotics are just for pre-op preparation.

Once she’s stable and the infection is cleared up (dental surgery), she may benefit from diet changes and supplements as aids.

My dog with kidney damage (complication of Lyme) had higher values than that.

The potential for complications from the dental infection, sepsis are greater than the risk of going under anesthesia, imo. They do these procedures quickly now, the meds are less harsh.
I hope the vet can explain things in more detail and put your mind at ease. Good luck with your decision.
My last post on this subject as I am repeating myself.

[Anonymous]

What does the vet that has examined the dog recommend? That is who I would listen to.
Did he say he wouldn’t do the dental surgery? Did he advise you of the risks? Do you need another opinion? They have specialists for dental procedures and geriatric care.

There is no over the counter med that will reverse kidney disease

The anesthesia drugs they use nowadays are not as harsh as back when….but then again, there are no guarantees with anything in life.

BTW: You might make things worse by adding supplements, run it by the vet first.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Anonymous.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Anonymous.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Also, I would refrain from using supplements without your vets approval while your dog is receiving treatment with antibiotics, prescription medication. Some supplements can interfere or have interactions with the current regimen.

[Mike Sagman]

Bioavailability is a term more commonly used in the science of pharmacology (drugs).

However, when used to discuss dietary supplements and nutrients, as long as the chemical structure and digestive environment of a particular nutrient is chemically identical to that of another, it would make no difference whether that nutrient is sourced from a plant or an animal.

The bioavailability of any mineral (like magnesium or selenium) would be expected to be nutritionally identical to any other pure form of the same mineral — whether or not it had been derived from a soybean or a chicken. It makes absolutely no difference from where it is sourced.

However, when that same mineral has been chelated — combined with an amino acid, for example — it would become more bio-available for the animal.

So, in our ratings, we do tend to slightly favor recipes that contain chelated minerals over their standard inorganic counterparts.

In the case of whole foods like eggs or corn — not individual nutrients — the biological value (or nutritional completeness) of a food can vary significantly for any particular species.

For clarification, it may help to read this article about biological value published elsewhere on our website.

Or the Wikipedia articles about biological value and bioavailability, too.

Hope this helps.

[Bobby dog]

Here’s a site with info on supplements for digestive upsets and other dog stuff:
http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html#diarrhea

[Anonymous]

I have been using GNC dog multivitamins and a glucosamine supplement for my pets, so far so good.
I use some of their supplements (human) for myself.
Sometimes I buy drugstore stuff because it is cheaper, such as fish oil….but who knows? They are all considered food supplements and don’t have to be checked by the FDA.
I like Endurance products too and they have a dog multivitamin I have used and may go back to.

[Chris S]

I have been using GNC vitamins & supplements for my 7 yr. old Cavalier. I wanted to find out if anyone knew if this was a reliable & consistent brand, or if there were any other brands that would be better, especially as far as vitamins are concerned.

I have, in the past, used 21st Century & something called VitaPet (I think that’s correct).

Thanks!

[Chris S]

Oh yes, the Cavalier is about top of the list of breeds that get this heart problem. My dog, Archie, has held off any problems for about 7 years. So I am thankful for that.

I have read that both fish oil & Coq10 were both good for this, but can’t seem to find out dosages. And what brands of supplements are reliable & consistent.

I am looking for what foods would be helpful as well.

One question I have had for a long time is…why don’t the manufacturers make their food taste good to the dog. I have tried numerous 5 star dog foods & none seem to make an impression on Archie. This is just a short rant. Sorry.

Thanks for your response. It verifies what I have been reading.

[Anonymous]

http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I use this as a guide, for supplements I add a dog multi vitamin, fish oil supplement, and other things depending on the dogs individual needs
I also use a quality dry food as a base, tried to get away from it, but they seem to like a little kibble here and there.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Anonymous.

[Melissaandcrew]

Any breed can have a heart murmur. What grade is the murmur, and did the vet say it was indicative of a specific disease? Fish oil is one of the best supplements you can use. Coq10 is said to be effective for certain types of heart disease as well.

[Chris S]

A year ago the vet a heart murmur in my 7 year old Cavalier. In searching for help, I have found a few websites that recommend certain supplements & food for him that are suppose to help with this health issue. All of the info seems to make sense, but I am looking for other dog owners that also have dogs with this problem to see what they have found to help.

I know there a several other breeds that have the same problem…such as dachshund, terriers, chin, etc. So I am assuming there are many owners dealing with this problem.

I would like suggestions as to good food & supplements that have had some positive effect on dogs with this problem. Also what brands of supplements to use. Its difficult to find objective reviews & recommendations for natural supplements for humans…so finding the same thing for animals is even more difficult.

Thanks for any help!!

[Barbara M]

I read that people have rid Struvite with supplements alone, but I trust my vet and took his preferred course of action and then did my own research for after. That’s how I found Solid Gold. I started her on the solid gold right after the crystals dissolved. I believe the s/d food has a higher level off salt which is why they drink more and wet food has more water in it as well. Keep us posted Nate. You are a good pet parentnfor exploring what’s best and not what’s easy!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nate-
If you do decide to go with the prescription food, I think I’ve read not to give any of the acidifying supplements. Definitely check with the vet on that. I believe it would be harmful to do both. So many opinions. Good luck!

[Laurie B]

I used all supplements to get rid of my girl’s struvites. So saying that supplements are preventative, and not curative, is incorrect. I’m not a vet, and what I did may not work for all dogs. I used a high protein food (and yes, it was kibble!) along with D Mannose (a highly concentrated cranberry) and 500 mg of vitamin C with every meal. Lots of distilled water available. I tested her pH once a week, and when we got it down to 6 and held for a couple of weeks, retested. Crystals were gone. First, what the vet recommends to feed makes them drink/urinate more, which flushes the crystals out. I’ve never heard that the C/D food actually dissolves them. Might be true, but in my research, I never heard it. It’s also made of crap ingredients, which I’d never feed my dogs. Acidifying actually does dissolve them. She’s been crystal free since then, and every couple of months, I supplement her for about a week again. Just my two cents.

[Nate D]

crazy4cats thanks for the reply to my post. Although I do agree that the Science Diet works for most I can see why because of it’s ingredients which are just fillers. I just don’t believe this is the route to go nor the only solution like my vet said. I think of it more as a temp. solution since Dachshund’s are crystal prone. I haven’t decided if I want to use it for 2 weeks, but corn, wheat, soy, etc. that is in it is imo not healthy at all regardless of it if works or not and I feel I’ll be depriving my dog of other nutrients. I may try the supplements for 2 weeks then retest and go from there. I am however going to be switching to a holistic vet or at least one that doesn’t just push science diet as every solution is just for their profits. I have been to another non holistic vet in the past who didn’t believe in Science Diet at all and said they would never feed it to a pet, but they are a bit of a drive. I am looking into switching to wet food instead of dry, but of course wet food is much more expensive. I think highly of Fromm so I’ll have to look into their wet food selection.
I have been feeding them more frequently lately instead of just twice a day. As far as stress levels nothing different or changes….besides going to the vet. lol
I won’t totally rule out the S.D., but will look at other options before and the S.D. will be last.
We had the urinalysis done along with a blood profile because our male has been on and off of Rovera (Carprofin) for his back so for him it was to mainly to make sure he’s doing ok from having been on NSAID’s. My female didn’t do well on it for her back as she has back issues as well, but do give her aspirin rarely when needed.
Since I was having my male tested I thought I might as well have both tested. I’ve never had a blood profile done on her before anyways, just him so that was another reason to have it done. Over all though the vet said they are both very healthy and am amazed at how well their teeth are, etc…
Just the ph issue and crystals I have to work on which I will.

weezerweeks, also thanks for the reply. I will defiantly look into wet food.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nate-
The good news is that Struvite crystals are dissolvable. The other types are not. The bad news is that Hill’s Science diet has been proven to dissolve them. The Hill’s s/d is to be fed only short term to dissolve them and the c/d can be fed long term to prevent them. My cat had Struvite crystals as well and I wish that I had fed the Hill’s when I suspected a problem. It may have saved him from a blockage.

While that is much less likely to happen to a dog, they still may be painful for him because they are sharp little suckers. You want to feed as much moisture as possible to flush them out, so getting the fountain was a great start. I would also try to feed as much canned or raw food as possible. Dry kibble is not the best option.
Another helpful bit advice that I’ve learned is that feeding smaller meals more often per day helps to keep the pH more steady. I now feed him 3 times per day. Also try to keep the dog’s stress level as low as possible. I think that was one of my cat’s biggest issues. We had a lot of changes in our household. Our son moved home, we stopped kenneling the dogs in the house, his litter boxes got moved and to top it off, I switched brands of litter! Does your dog have anxiety or had some changes lately? Did you have a urinalysis because you suspected something or was it routine?
After my episode, I would definitely follow the vet’s advice and use the Hill’s to dissolve the crystals and then go from there. After using it for a month, Casper’s crystals are gone, there is no blood or infection. It has been four months now and I am slowly weaning him off the prescription food. But I still feed mostly canned. His ordeal almost killed him so I’m being very careful!
So in conclusion, 1. Dissolve the crystals with the Rx food 2. Moisture, moisture, and more moisture, 3. Small frequent meals and 4. Reduce stress as much as possible. Then maybe you can start to use those supplements rather than the yucky food. And I do agree it seems yucky, but it did work for my cat who is lucky to be alive! Anyway, you will get other ideas as well. But that is my two cents. Good luck!

[joyce h]

Hi Everyone, I’m Joyce and I am also new to the forum…ready to learn and exchange ideas. I’m a positive dog trainer that used to feed her dogs raw years ago and stopped for some unremembered reason. I’m BACK!! A lot had changed in the arena.
At another trainers recommendation I’m trying a raw food called “Tucker’s’ (www.tuckersraw.com). I looked it up on DFA and it’s not listed…so, don’t really know what that means…has anyone heard of it? It’s complete and balanced.

I also bought a 3/4 horse power grinder (that can easily grind any and all chicken bones) in hopes of making some raw ‘patties’ to freeze of my own. Bought Dr Karen Becker’s book on Raw Food , but hadn’t yet actually tired any specific recipe yet. I’ve been watching her on YouTube speaking on raw food and it’s advantages.
I noted that she was against mixing raw and kibble together as it moves thru the short digestive track at different rates which is not good for proper absorption…just an informational thought 🙂
So…is anyone grinding their own raw dog food and freezing it? I understand that if you do this you will need to add supplements for sure for it to be complete and balanced.
Looks like a great forum…thanks for any comments or help you can give…Joyce

[Dori]

Aimee. And I disagree with you. If you have an inflammatory illness, as I do, and inflammatory illness, as I do, having similar underlying attributes, as I do, the general advice is to avoid pro-inflammatory ingredients and supplements. Aimee you and I go back and forth on many issues but this one happens to be one that I am closely related to and completely informed on. I’m not only speaking of canines or animals but of all. Having an inflammatory illness since 1997 I know of what I speak. I don’t live somewhere in the boon docks and not knowing of what I speak. I have been to the best of the best around the world, not just the USA. All have told me the same thing in different languages as to their knowledge and experiences with inflammatory illnesses. Having a dog with allergies….again, I know of what I speak. I realize that you are well versed and researched on the areas of science which I will readily admit I know very little of in schooling and education. Not my interests. I know what I know from many years of experience and knowledge. Let’s leave this particular issue alone between the two of us. I’m coming from extreme personal experience, you’re coming from it from data. Very very different. I mean no disrespect Aimee as, if you know me at all from our posts back and forth, I have a great deal of respect for you and feel you are probably one of the smartest if not THE smartest person on this and other sites, but this is not an issue you want to go head to head with me. Let’s just drop it right here. I don’t want to stress myself which is not good for inflammatory illnesses and I have too much respect for Dr. Mike to put him in a position that he has to be put in the middle of this particular discussion.

[constant_lurker]

I created an account just to respond to this, because it took me a long time to learn about this same issue.
My dog has a bunch of allergies — still sorting through them — and she started having problems with supplements that had digestive enzymes in them. Long story short, a lot of what’s used in kibble and supplements comes from aspergillus, which is a mold species. If your dog has yeast or mold sensitivities, those enzymes can cause problems. I abandoned them, closest thing she gets now is goat’s milk with probiotics in it, which really seems to help with keeping her system settled.
I hope this is helpful, and please keep in mind I’m not an expert or vet so some of what I say may be wrong.

[Akari_32]

I was making up some meals for Bentley last night, and remembered I had a ton of beef tracheas in the spare bedroom (where I keep all my dog food, cat litter, treats, supplements, etc) so I pulled out the open bag with 5 pieces in it, and stuffed them with smelt, ground beef, and beef heart.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/BFA7C9FE-0F3A-4837-BE3B-00B8BA705AA0_zpspjjcylps.jpg

I’ll have to post pics of how they go over when he gets one. They’re randomly mixed in with his other meals in the freezer lol

[Bobby dog]

My mom orders human supplements from them all the time, no issues, good customer service. She’s happy with them.

[Becky]

Has anyone used any pet supplements or vitamins from Puritan’s Pride? Are they reputable?

[Dori]

Aimee.
Sorry, I must learn to thoroughly read original posts. I sometimes skim read and I just focused on the part of the dog having stones. I thought he was asking for help with a diet for a dog that has or had stones.

Tom. I agree with you completely on the ingredients in the foods that vets prescribe. I understand that there may be some animals out there that will benefit from them but I’ve had many dogs in my life and have never come across one of them needing one of those diets. Not to say that I haven’t been asked by vets to feed one or another of them through the years. I just politely let them know that I appreciate their advice and I’ll think about it. This vet that I’ve had for 13 years knows that I feed commercial raw diets so none of the vets in the practice or the techs ask me anymore what I feed my dogs. Dr. Susan Wynn is a nutritionist that has seen my 15 1/2 year old Maltese when she was diagnosed with very high liver levels, then a tumor in her bladder and then a mass on the lobe of one of her lungs. All those were discovered early last Spring. At that point Dr. Wynn suggested that I put Hannah on Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Diet because it is HPP and if Hannah’s immune system was working hard with all that was going on with her she didn’t want her to be exposed to any unnecessary bacteria. I feed a rotational diet with all three of my dogs and Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Food was already in their diets. I continued to keep with my rotational feeding of commercial raw foods as I have for the last three years. Some are HPP and some are not. Actually most are not. Typically poultry is what is put under HPP and I don’t feed any poultry because one of my girls is highly intolerant of all fowl. I also don’t feed white potatoes or any night shade plants because they are pro inflammatory. April will be a year that she was diagnosed. To the delight of all, she remains asymptomatic to bladder or lung cancer. Her liver levels are back down in the normal range. (The elevated liver levels were discovered in last Spring’s blood work during her annual physical which is what started the initial visit to Georgia Veterinary Specialists where Dr. Wynn practices and was one of her doctors). I did add a few supplements to Hannah’s diet manufactured by Standard Process. She is regularly monitored and her blood work comes back normal. Her titers are all really good also. Her vet and I decided last year that due to the cancer only titers will be done for her for the rest of her life which I pray is for many many more years. Hannah is the picture in my avatar that was taken last year.

[lovemypuppy]

I switched my puppy at 10 weeks to a commercial raw diet. She’s been on it for only a week but already appears healthier. I chose Primal Formulas because there are 8 different formula options, it’s convenient (pre-portioned into 1 ounce nuggets), it is rated for all life stages with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.2:1, and the ingredient list is commendable, IMO, with all veggies being organic and the addition of fish oil, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil. The only supplements that are added are zinc, copper, and selenium – the rest is all food derived.

[Kimberly C]

The most recent diets/supplements I’ve had him on are PetDiets.com and BalanceIt, both recommended by my vets. One of my vets suggested taking him off chicken to see if he was allergic. I took him off the white chicken for a while and it seemed to help some, and when we put him back on the white meat he seemed to itch more. I’ve also tried the “Honest Kitchen”, numerous premium canned foods, dry dog foods (which he absolutely hates) and have use some recipes from Dr. Pitcairn’s book (except I lightly cooked the meat) and Janie Knetzer’s book, “Home Cooking For Sick Dogs”. Some of the vitamin/mineral supplements I used with these have been “Vitalmix” which I bought from Purely Pets, and Drs. Foster and Smith multivitamin. The list goes on and on, but these are the main ones.

[Dori]

Hi Kimberly C. It sounds as though your dog is having food intolerances/sensitivities. First off he should be on grain free foods. Avoid corn, soy, white potatoes, rice and all poultry. That’s for starters. You also mention that your dog has seizures. Very important is to avoid any foods that contain rosemary in any form.

I have three small dogs all of which are on commercial raw dog foods. One of my girls has a multitude of food intolerances which is what led me on the road to raw feeding about three years ago. I started by eliminating all the ingredients I mentioned above. I feed commercial raw foods. I’m not inclined to make my own because, well…. truth be told I just don’t feel like doing it. Here is the list of commercial raw food companies that I have researched to death over the years and that I trust. Primal Raw Pronto, Primal Raw Formulas (these are Primal’s complete and balanced foods…you don’t have to add anything to them in the way of supplements). Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Dog Foods, Vital Essential Raw Foods, OC Raw Dog Food, Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen. I also from time to time have on hand their freeze dried foods (they’re raw and you can feed as is without hydrating). As for dehydrated foods, the only one I use is The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal formula. The others contain some type of poultry or white potatoes that I choose not to feed. I feed what is called a rotational diet. I rotate different brands and different proteins within the brands with the exception of any and all poultry. I also do not feed any commercial treats. For the most part they all contain some sort of grain and there have been way too many recalls of dog treats for me to take a chance with my dogs. For treats I feed them little pieces of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I puree them. Sometimes they’re cooked from our dinner. For the most part since I use them as treats for them I’m not particularly concerned about how much nutritional value they get from the fruits and veggies. The enjoy them, as they would a commercial treat, and that is my intent in giving them to them. If they get some nutritional value from them, even a little, that’s great; if not, that’s not the purpose I give them the treats. Of course you know you can go on google and just google what fruits and vegetables you can feed your dogs or go in reverse and type in what fruits and veggies you should not be feeding your dogs. Always, of course avoid onions, grapes, raisins. As for fruits, never feed anything that still has it’s pit or seeds. They tend to be toxic. As for apples I always don’t feed the peel. Apples are sprayed continuously to detract worms. They are also highly waxed to appear pretty for the consumer. I think I read somewhere, but don’t now remember where, that the skin of an apple has more bacteria than any other fruit on the market. That would probably hold true for cucumbers on the market due to the same reasons. I feed both but I peel them. Hope any of this has helped you. If you have any other questions, please ask.

Please remember to check any and all foods you feed your seizure dog so that you avoid rosemary in any form. Studies have shown (in people so far as no study has been done in animals as of yet) that if one has a predisposition to seizures, rosemary can trigger a seizure.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Dori.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Kimberly,

What supplements are you adding that you feel he doesn’t like? What are you feeding him currently? Where are you getting your recipes?

Have you identified his food intolerances? It sounds like he’s reacting to something.

You’re doing right by him.

[Kimberly C]

I want to try raw for my seizure dog, but am highly concerned about the quality of the commercial ones. However, I don’t want to prepare it myself. I have researched and researched soooo much and spent a small fortune on dog food, homemade diets, etc. My dog loves the homemade cooked recipes I cook for him, but hates the supplements I have to add to balance it out. He doesn’t seem to thrive on anything…..he scratches, has ear problems, chews his feet, you name it. So, the only option I seem to have left is raw, although it does scare me……guess I’m looking for support and reassurance.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Kimberly C.

[Lyndel M]

Hi Gloria,

Yes, there is certainly a lot of confusion amongst the raw and the cooked dog food camps. I have been reading heaps about it. Those in the raw food camp put forward for the raw food diet. I shall do my best to summarise a few of the key points that are important to me. First, they say that the dog’s metabolism has changed very little from the wolves, the original wild dogs. They suggest that when we provide our dogs with the right proportions of meats, organ meats, vegetables, fruit matter and bones, they’re digestive systems have the best chance of exacting the nutrients they need for shiny coats, healthier skin and teeth, stronger bones, and decreased chances of modern-day ailments and diseases that dogs in the wild rarely if ever have. Some of these ailments include itching, skin irritations, including dryness, fleas, hip dysplasia and arthritis.

In the other camp, there is some criticism of the raw diet saying that giving a dog only food i.e., meats risks feeding contaminated food, that people don’t take enough care in raw food preparation, that dogs today have evolved to adjust to modern (cooked, commercial) food and that dogs are at moderate – high risk of injuries from bone which become lodged in the throat or gut.

I am definitely against using any commercial dog foods. There are some great you-tube documentaries disclosing the shocking truth about the poor quality of nutrition of kibble and canned dog foods and the associated illnesses. In addition, that most Vets receive very little real knowledge of nutrition in their veterinarian studies and are just as influenced by the unregulated marketing and commercial dog food producers as GPs are by drug companies.

Regardless, Jean Hofve & Celeste Yarnall “Paleo Dog” is one book that has been recommended provide excellent information for providing your dog with all of the information needed to provide our dogs with all of the nutrients required and how to do so, if we want to go down the raw food pathway. Also there is the BARF raw foods that you can purchase and other online info about this pathway. And there are heaps of recipes for cooking our dogs food as well. Andi Brown “The Whole Pet Diet: 8 wks to great health for dogs and cats”, which is also excellent for going down the cooked food pathway. They both recommend certain supplements and they both provide enough evidence to suggest that just like for humans, if we give our pets fresh wholesome, organic foods (either raw or cooked) we will be doing our beloved pets a great service.

Given I have been a passionate advocate of healthy, unprocessed foods for more 40years, I certainly want to extend this to my pet. People on this post have just been concerned that I was being cruel to our new puppy for placing his food into chewtoys. However, I made the mistake of saying that we would be putting all of his daily foods into chewtoys, whereas that won’t be the case. But I will definitely using chewtoys together with crate training, self-soothing, stimulation and entertainment as I mentioned in my previous post. I am definitely not an expert, but a concerned pet owner who has done lots and lots of reading in order to do the best by our new puppy in terms of nutrition and training. All the best!! :0)

[Lyndel M]

Hi again,

Thank you for all of your comments. However, can I say that I was responding to another member’s query as to how to stuff chew toys when she is using a raw food diet and I provided with options from my own my own research and provided a link.
However, given some of the confusion that, i) it is cruel to make a puppy work so hard for its food by giving all of its food in a chewtoy, ii) that they can’t get all of their nutritional needs met from a chewtoy due to the difficulty of getting all of food out, especially the raw meat out; iv) the raw food may go off or the chew toy become contaminated with raw food left in there and cleaning difficulties etc. Yes! I agree to most of those responses.
A puppy has very specific needs indeed. He/she needs a balance of 70% protein, 20% carbs !0% veg/fibre. Their protein should also include 10% organ meat, with only 5% of that being organic liver.
I am going on my own research and as most of your know there are many benefits to using stuffable chew toys and food puzzles. Dr Ian Dunbar (a UK vet and one of the first positive dog trainers) recommends that for the first few days to a week only feeding you puppy either by hand or in chew toys to teach them i) bite inhibition;ii) to teach the a chewtoy habit so they only chew on appropriate chew toys. However, in his day in the 80’s kibble was viewed as the best food for all dogs and he did feel his puppy’s chewtoys with kibble.

We do not intend to feed all of my puppy’s meals in a kong and we will not be leaving our puppy unsupervised…ever! We have used chew toys with previous pets and of course know the importance of cleaning. While our puppy is getting positively conditioned to his portable crate, his chew toys will be in there for him to chew on for entertainment and teaching him to self-sooth for those times in the future when he will need to be on his own. Outside of his crate (which by the way, will only be used in this way for the first few weeks), his food will be hand fed and given as treats in his training sessions.

I have found and spoken to a holistic vet in my area and will of course be guided by her expertise. We will also be supplying certain omega -3 & 6 rich oils for a shiny coat and skin health and other vitamin supplements. We love and have always loved dogs, however, this will be the first time that we will be introducing raw food into the diet after our growing awareness of how poor the quality (even premium) commercial dog foods are. Given the controversy around raw vs cooked food, my partner and I have decided to offer a mixture of both home cooked and raw food.

As most of you know that daily physical exercise is essential for a healthy pet, I am a big advocate of not allowing our pet just sit all day with nothing to do except sleep and wait anxiously for us to come home for his walk. So chewtoys are great for reducing anxiety and boredom and providing mental stimulation.

As our pup grows, we will of course be providing some of his meals in bowls and some in puzzles, kongs etc and some still by hand.

It is great to see though that some of you who are concerned about the issue of animal cruelty are being outspoken about this, we are all definitely on the same page there. I am passionate about preventing cruelty to all animals and humans. Have a good day!

[weezerweeks]

Get the book by Dr. Becker at Mercola products. I am reading it now. You have to have the right supplements and foods. She says if your not going to do it correctly your dog will be better off on commercial.

[pugmomsandy]

There is no official recognized category for “seniors”. Foods either meet criteria for “growth” or “maintenance” which includes all adults. For seniors, I would just pick a quality food and give additional supplements for age-related issues.