[theBCnut]

I like Springtime products, but this strikes me as kind of limited. If you are going to give it for a while then move on to something else, then I like it. Which really is what you should do with joint supplements anyway.

[MaggieM]

Hello,

I have a question about using vitamins and green super food supplements. I just started feeding raw and I think I have the meals balanced between the raw meaty bones and the other half muscle meat, organs and some vegetables, eggs and dairy. I am hoping that this puts the calcium/phosphorus ratio is in a balanced range. I have been adding fish oil for the omega 3s and now I am a bit confused as to what else I should be adding. I know E is needed with the fish oil but I have been debating between just adding the E or just adding a simple multi-vitamin or one of these vitamin/mixes.

Berte’s Daily Blend
EarthOrigins
Dr. Harvey’s Multi-Vitamin
SpiruGreen Superfood

The Berte’s and the EarthOrigins seem to be more of a cross between a vitamin and green blend compared to the others. I have heard so many different opinions I am no longer sure what is really needed. Does any one have any thoughts?

Please help.
Thanks,
M

[pugmomsandy]

1. Is it better to get a premade mix of raw food online or buy meats from the supermarket or meat market? Or is it better to have a mix?

As a newbie to raw, I think it would be better for you to feed a food that is complete and balanced whether that is commercial frozen raw like Nature’s Variety, Primal, Bravo, Stella & Chewy’s, Darwins, and others, or dehydrated/freeze dried raw (but more expensive) food like Orijen freeze dried, Primal, Stella & Chewy’s. Meat by itself is not a good diet. For beginners, I would buy a commercial raw or use a Premix such as Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer, Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen. You add meat and some oil and that’s usually it. No additional vitamins needed. You can make these in advanced in big batches and freeze in serving sizes or a couple days worth in one bag/container. You can feed up to 20% of an unbalanced food without having to worry about additional vits/minerals. For example, topping kibble with some meat or scrambled egg (but not more than 20% of the meal). As you become more comfortable with raw you can give homemade a try but be sure to use a recipe book.

2. Is ground or whole better? Your dog might like the texture of some chunks, versus ground. But in any case, raw meat has enzymes that also helps keep teeth clean. The ripping of the flesh and tendons from the bone cleans the teeth too. I have small dogs so I use a coarse ground. My dogs don’t have a preference for meat sizes. They eat it all.

3. I keep seeing people talking about feeding bones, including chicken bones… I was always told that chicken bones are dangerous? This is going to be the one that the hardest to get my wife on board with.

Raw bones are edible. The cooked bones are dry and splinter. Also there are recreational bones versus consumable bones. Most small animals can be consumed whole (chicken, rabbit, quail, turkey). But dense, weight bearing bones from larger animals are for gnawing only (marrow bones/leg bones). For heavy chewers, they can break teeth. For instance, my small dogs eat chicken legs, turkey and duck necks and feet and pork baby back ribs. They gnaw on beef/bison rib bones and marrow bones/femur for the enjoyment and it keeps their teeth clean. I feed these outside and don’t worry about cleanup when the weather is nice. You can train your dog to eat bones in the house on a towel, blanket or tarp. This winter, I’ll be feeding my small dogs in a crate or I could feed them on the bathroom tile and mop.

4. Do you need to add supplements to these meals? If so are they included in the premade mixes or am I adding them?

If you use a complete and balanced commercial premix, no additional supplements are necessary. Although there are a lot of people who give whole food supplements like supergreen foods (chlorella, kelp, barley grass, etc), bee pollen, and herbs, a complete vitamin E.

5. What is the best site for ordering?
I’ve heard Chewy.com is good. I’ve always used Petflow and amazon.

6. Does someone have a schedule or process I can literally follow to the letter?
Sorry, I am sure this has been answered over and over again but I would really appreciate the help. I am not too concerned about the cost as Wellness and Core are not cheap, however if I can pre-make these and feed her in the morning because we are often in a rush and it’s so hard to get her to eat kibble before we leave.

At my house, they eat raw if I have it thawed out. If not, they get other foods (kibble, canned, freeze dried). Darwins comes in convenient packaging and serving sizes and most commercial products come in patties or small bite sizes or chubs (which are the least convenient for me). You just have to remember to thaw! You can put 3 days worth out to thaw in the frig. I also use dehydrated foods (The Honest Kitchen, Addiction) where I just add water and let sit. I make some ahead of time and put it in the frig. But these are not raw.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Chuck]

I know I am breaking forum etiquette here as there is a post from April that seems to be asking basically the same thing, however at this point I am just overwhelmed with information that I just can’t skim through anymore articles or blogs. So please explain it to me like I’m five!
I have a 6 month old Brittany that I have been feeding Wellness Core and TOTW kibble since we got her at the end of April. She is a super picky eater and it has become progressively harder to get her to eat her kibble without starting to “spruce” it up with other foods. We had originally thought she would just become distracted so we started taking it away after 20 minutes or so but I think she really just doesn’t like kibble.
So I started researching other foods and I came across all of this information about Raw Feeding, however there is a ton of information and I really do not know where to start. I am hoping someone can give me some good links or straight to the point help, I addition to knowing I am also going to have to sell this to the wife.

1. Is it better to get a premade mix of raw food online or buy meats from the supermarket or meat market? Or is it better to have a mix?

2. Is ground or whole better?

3. I keep seeing people talking about feeding bones, including chicken bones… I was always told that chicken bones are dangerous? This is going to be the one that the hardest to get my wife on board with.

4. Do you need to add supplements to these meals? If so are they included in the premade mixes or am I adding them?

5. What is the best site for ordering?

6. Does someone have a schedule or process I can literally follow to the letter?

Sorry, I am sure this has been answered over and over again but I would really appreciate the help. I am not too concerned about the cost as Wellness and Core are not cheap, however if I can pre-make these and feed her in the morning because we are often in a rush and it’s so hard to get her to eat kibble before we leave.

View post on imgur.com

[Hound Dog Mom]

Why are you feeding a multivitamin? If the dog is eating a balanced commercial food a multivitamin isn’t necessary and, in fact, I wouldn’t suggest giving one. I would instead opt for a whole food supplement such as Nature’s Logic All Food Fortifier, Wysong’s Wild Things, Dr. Harvey’s Whole Food/Herb Supplements, etc. If you’re using a multivitamin to balance a homemade diet I’d opt for a human multivitamin.

[somebodysme]

How long has she been on Nutrisca? It will take a while on a new food for the crud to get out of their system. I’ve been dealing with an allergy dog too. Your story sounds a lot like mine and my dog started off in a low end type food Pro Plan and I wanted a better food so bought Blue Buffalo and then all he(( broke loose. I kept trying new food changing the proteins and she just got worse and worse with rashes and red ears and raw paws etc. We are on NB potato and rabbit for three weeks now and things are improving but not perfect yet. She also will break out suddenly out of the blue. I’m telling myself it is what they call a “healing crisis”. Supposedly that’s all normal. I will tell you that she looks better now than she has since I switched her off Pro Plan. I’m assuming you took her off the Rachel Ray stuff because you wanted healthier? Or was she having problems on that? On Pro Plan, my dog was scratching a little but had a watering eye and that was pretty much all. Then we finally realized that all the foods she was allergic to had only one common ingredient and it is PEAS. I know she is allergic to other things too though like rawhide and cow bones.

I would suggest that you give her only one food until you find that it is OK. I would also suggest to not give any of those supplements you mentioned because right now you have no idea what she’s allergic to. My dog reacted badly to spirulina! If she has yeast then keep the probiotic. Then once you know the food is OK, add ONE new supplement at a time until you know it’s OK and no reaction. Any of these things can cause problems for a sensitive dog. She could easily be allergic to salmon oil or coconut oil or that glucosamine. Honestly the only thing that I can give my dog without it causing a problem, that I have tried, is her human grade probiotic.

If your dog was NOT allergic to the Rachel Ray food then look at the ingredients and try and find a better quality food with the same basic ingredients. Like if it has chicken then you know that chicken was not the issue. What I have learned from having a dog with allergies is that you can’t just say “oh that food has 5 stars it great for my dog”. It just doesn’t work like that. These dogs have a whole new set of rules when it comes to what to feed.

[Codex]

I’m worried about people saying that fish oil supplements can cause vitamin A surplus over time.

It made Codex’s coat turned shinier and absolutely no dry skin–fingers crossed it’ll stay like that.

I’m wondering if the fish oil is not a long term solution to keeping her skin and coat silky. I suspect it might be masking food allergy symptoms(surf and turf makes her scratch)?

Any suggestions of a supplement I can use instead of fish oil?

[Duke The Boxer]

^^ to sara i had my puppy on welness core and he enjoyed the food a lot and his coat was always very nice and soft. I recently just finished the bag so i rotated to the nature’s variety rabbit meal and my boy loves it even more! He absolutely devours all the food and his stools have been very good. Im no expert but id say start giving your guy some coconut oil supplements and maybe look into a turmeric supplement. Maybe HDM can further chime in

[treizi]

Thanks for everyone’s responses so far!

So when you mention low fat, are there certain #’s he should be staying under when looking for food? I’m not sure where Lotus falls on the calorie scale, I generally have just been concerned with grain and recalls. I’ll add that he’s a good weight, no concerns have ever been stated by the vet either and he doesn’t get additional treats beyond the occasional item off the cutting board from a salad dinner or dried sweet potato pieces about once a week.

Is there a digestive enzyme that you’d recommend as well? And is there a supplement that might assist with a reoccurring slipped disc or aggravation?

Just as an update, his stools are back to normal and he’s mostly in nice shape as well. All bulging in his belly seems to have gone away, though his back does seem to randomly bother him. He’ll go up on his hind legs without complaint (on his own, I’d keep him on all 4’s if I could) but he seems aware of back pain at times as his ears will drop and he’ll tense if you rub back there. He has reinjured himself in the past (much worse than how he acts now) and we’ll crate, prevent jumping, keep him quiet for about 2 weeks (per vets instructions) and that works, but if I can help build him up in any way with supplements, I’m more than willing to do so.

[gsdmommy89]

Hi there everyone. I know this is a puppy thread, and I do have a GSD puppy ( with monstrous paws so I knew he’ll be large!), but I do have a question that maybe someone here could answer. Aside from my puppy, I also have his mom, a 3 yr old GSD. She’s been eating the Earthborn Coastal Catch, but I can’t seem to get her to put weight on. During gestation and nursing, I fed her Earthborn Puppy Vantage. She used to be around 68 lbs. I weighed her yesterday she’s down to 59 lbs. I spoke to my vet, which also monitored her during pregnancy, and she told me that maybe I need to try something with grains in it. She’s been fed a grain free diet pretty much all her life, except when I fed her the Puppy Vantage. The vet told me she’s probably just taking longer to recover from nursing, as she didn’t find anything abnormal. She also told me to try adding Missing Link, to add vitamins or something like that. My dog isn’t bony, but you can tell she is underweight. I was thinking of switching both my GSD’s to Fromm Large Breed puppy. Maybe the puppy formula has more calories and fat so she can gain her weight back? I don’t know. If anyone can give me some advice, I’d really appreciate it. Food? Supplements? Thanks a million!

[lizbethc41]

Hi,
My dog will be 10 in Nov. He had a malignant fibrosarcoma removed in ’09. Since then he’s had issues with intermittent diarrhea.
His food history:
He has always been an extremely picky eater, going ‘on strike’ often
Fed Iams until he was 3.5 (My first dog & I didn’t know any better, mea culpa)
As a blood cancer survivor myself, I switched our household to an organic one.
Switched to Castor & Pollux Organix dry that I added a small amount of organic chicken, turkey or beef w/occasional wild caught salmon or duck to entice him to eat it. He did great on this until his health issue arose.
After his surgery I started adding pumpkin & probiotics (from Only Natural Pet) to his meals, but he still would get colitis type diarrhea every now & then. So I decided to try cooked homemade.
I had a vet nutritionist diet done up for him (Dr Susan Wynn). I use only organic foods, either turkey, chicken or beef w/either oatmeal, quinoa or sweet potato & then some kind of veggie, usually carrots, cauliflower or green beans. The individual supplements worry me because of the fish oil which he’s never done well on so I use flaxseed oil plus bone meal, choline, canola oil, lite salt & Centrum.
I decided to keep a commercial organic canned food to make sure his nutritional needs were met & for the times where I may not have a homemade meal available. I started w/ByNature Organics canned turkey until I realized it has carrageenan (sp?). I switched to Party Animal grain free organic. I’ve tried the 2 chickens & the turkey.
Problem is he still doesn’t like commercial dog food, sometimes he’ll eat it, sometimes not & he still has some soft poos. So started adding Animal Essentials digestive enzyme/probiotics & Metamucil (on the vet’s advice) I had a second diet done up for him from Balance It, but I haven’t used it yet because it seems like it has a LOT of carbs compared to his other vet diet (2.5 cups of quinoa to 6 oz of turkey) & 6 5/8 tsp of Metamucil! That’s over 2 TBS! I had been gradually increasing the Metamucil again on the vet’s advice as she said there would be Metamucil in the Balance It diet, but 2 tsps bound him up for over a day, so there’s no way I’m giving him over 2 TBS (which is more than the max for a human adult). He’s not a big water drinker, another concern for the Metamucil.
I’m sorry this is such a long post, but I really am trying to find the right diet for my fur baby. I’m thinking of cooking his Dr Wynn diet w/out the individual supplements, adding ONP’s senior multi-vitamin, the Animal Essentials & mixing it in w/the Party Animal, keeping the proteins the same (turkey w/turkey, beef w/beef etc).
Any thoughts, opinions & advice would be appreciated!
Btw, he’s a German Shepherd mix, 48 lbs, body score of 5/9 I don’t use chemical pesticides on him, just Heartgard monthly.

[HilaryFarmer]

I have been feeding Orijen Regional Red ($90 per 29#) for about 2 months now and I’m very happy with it, I feel I can trust the company and my dogs are doing well on it, but I cant afford to feed enough of it to my pit mix (60# 2 yr old). He is eating 2 cups (900kcal) plus a half can of EVO (230kcal) wet food and feels a little too bony for me. I was thinking about adding RMB’s like chicken leg quarters to cheaply boost the amount of food he is getting.

My questions is would a leg quarter a day add a substantial amount of calories and is there anything I can add to boost the calories. I only have a small fridge being that I stay with my mom, but I can do things like eggs yoghurt etc along with the meat.

Although I would love to feed raw exclusively to all three of my dogs I work 8-16 hour days 5 days a week and have my younger brother walking and feeding and I dont trust his ability to feed anything other than my pre-set up bowls of kibble/supplements ;)So I would feed the raw meal in the morning before I go to work and he would get his kibble mix in the evening.

I have no problem keeping weight on my neutered dachshunds and they are actually slightly heavier than I like to keep them.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Anonymous]

FYI Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae are species of fungi that are used as source organisms to derive enzymes from. Many digestive enzyme supplements come from fungal sources. Fungal enzymes are often stable over a much wider pH range than, for example, the animal-sourced enzymes. The enzymes may be on your labels as something like “Dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract” because of AAFCO labeling requirements. http://enzymesolutionsforanimalhealth.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/dried-aspergillus-what/

[treizi]

So I’m coming here in hopes for some suggestions to perhaps adding in some supplements for my pup that isn’t doing well. Koda is a 9yr old Papillon that suddenly started showing signs of a very bloated, tight, painful tummy the other day. He also had runny yellow/orange stools. We went to the vet who cleared him of any signs of blockage, but he’s also outruled any extra gas, inflammation and isn’t quite suspecting pancreatitis because he’s not vomiting though blood tests weren’t done this time. He’s been prescribed a bland diet, add in some probiotics and wait for improvement. He’s slowly improving but I’m suspecting he might be having some digestive trouble so I’m considering making some additions to his diet. Now several months ago he went in to the vet (I was living elsewhere so it wasn’t my regular one) because he was once again in pain, but this time hunching over as if he was in a bunch of discomfort and quite lethargic. Needless to say, I’m a bit sick of the very large vet bills no answers and being sent home to boil some chicken and rice and wait a week or two.

He’s also had a slipped disc in his back which required surgery and that’s been suspected to be a possible cause of this pain currently, though no bulging or issues appeared on the xray confirming this. I’ll also mention that a few months ago, Koda would somewhat randomly get extremely loud belly “gurgles”. We’re talking loud enough to hear from another room, coming out of a 8lb dog. It’s only happened 2-3 times and doesn’t accompany any signs of lethargy or pain. He was completely normal at these times.

I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Swanson’s Dr. Langer and Probiotic Miracle, as well as a mention of Mercola, though I’m not sure which people are using? I’d also like to add in some type of joint supplement, to assist with his previous back issues. I should mention that I’m currently feeding Lotus grain free duck (switched after the vet trip from several months ago – previously on Natural Balance Sweet Potato & fish..suspected originally that this was an issue because it was a new bag, now I’m not so sure). Also, when he’s up and being his normal self, he’s a very healthy and happy little dog that isn’t showing any signs of age.

Sorry for the novel – I’m somewhat hoping that maybe someone else has gone through a similar situation as well!

[albertboh]

We only use raw-food with our bulldog now. She was having a ton of issues with the grain-filled dog foods that my mom typically bought her (gas, bloating, infections/rashes). I tried all sorts of stuff to change it up too, like adding probiotic supplements to her diet, as well as digestive enzymes. There are a few brands out there are specifically for pets and not just human-grade stuff. We also mixed yogurt in with her dog food helped to help with some yeast issues issues we had. It’s our own special “cocktail” but it seems to work for her brilliantly. It took us forever to find the right mix, but now we are thrilled and she seems much happier. :O)

[mdbd]

So we have adopted a wonderful senior (12-year old) mini poodle. (I’ve always been allergic to cats but had a dog years’ ago). She was in a kill shelter for about a week then with a large dog rescue facility for 2 months. She had been on a generic kibble (apparently) with her original home. and the rescue. Our first day yesterday was absolutely fine, but today she had her first hair-cut and I noticed just what dry, flakey skin she has and her hair is quite dry. She has many flakes coming off and, of course, with all the flakes coming off – I’m now sneezing and my eyes are watering like crazy – as are my son’s. Other than the skin and coat, she is in wonderful health.

I am absolutely NOT going to give up on this old lady so I really need some helpful suggestions for foods and supplements as they have come a long way since I last had a pet.

a) What is the best dry dog food for a senior (does this equate to grain free or something else)? Cost is way less important than quality.
b) Are there any particular ingredients that are really bad for senior poodles and/or any that are really beneficial?
c) Should she stay on kibble given she has always had it or would you suggest wet?
d) Is there any dog food or supplement that will alleviate her dry skin and prevent the flaking? If so, liquid or tablet form?
e) This may sound crazy – but is there any food or supplement that helps decrease allergens in a pet to assist an owner who is reacting badly to the pet?
f) Is there anything (food or supplement) to assist in helping the dog become less smelly?
g) Is there any topical cream or bath wash that would assist her?

We’re an allergen-free house generally because of my allergies so wood floors, no drapes, etc.

Any help/advice would REALLY be welcome! Thanks!

[pacer1978]

Patty: Then should I discontinue with the Langer’s FoS probiotic? I’ve been giving it to my dogs every 2-3 days. They weren’t having any digestive issues before..but, I started giving them supplements based off what I’m reading here. The enzymes make sense when feeding kibble and I started both over the last month.

I’m also not sure if this is coincidence with the supplements I’ve been giving over the last month, but wanted to run it by everyone on the forum that may be reading. Mia started to get a bit of diarrhea last night. I also noticed what appeared to be a little bit of blood in her stool this morning. I’m not as worried now as I was this morning after googling some causes. Some are as minor as a change in diet, which I just switched them from Solid Gold MMillenium to Earthborn Holistic. Perhaps I switched too fast because it stated that could be one of the causes. My other two seem fine, however. I know blood in stool could be a minor or serious issue, so I will keep an eye on her and see. But, now I’m concerned with reading that the Langer’s FOS may not be a good brand? Everything they get daily is below. Since this just started happening recently, the only thing that has changed in the last few days (since Sunday/Monday) is the food.

Swanson’s digestive enzymes
Coconut Oil
Dasuquin (joint/hip)
Fish oil (Pure Alaska Omega™ Salmon Oil) sold at Costco
Langer’s 15-strain FOS probiotic

[Jagger2012]

I have my 14 month old lab “Jagger” and my 15 week old German Shepherd “Keesha”. Keesha was taken in a few days ago for her last set of shots and I was discussing with my vet that Keesha is a poop eater! Bad! She will not eat her poop but my labs. I have watched her out the window following him around and when he hunches up to poop she will stand right there and eat it as it hits the ground or catch it as it falls and eats it! I am not kidding! I know the whole dog eating cat poop thing but I have never had a dog eat anothers or their own. I try to be outside when they go out to potty but it does not always happen. I do pick up the poop several times a day. My vet suggested getting something “I can’t for the life of me remember the name” to feed them both so his poop is not so appetizing.
I feed them Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast and Coastal catch. I did order some of the Darwins to try but I can’t afford to have them on that only. I would like to give them Darwins as a lunch and then the kibble for morning and night.

So to my questions: My thought is that she is lacking something as to why she is eating his poop? I was reading on the supplements. Should I try doing some kind of supplementing? And if so what? I have no clue on a lot of this so am needing pointed in the right direction.

Please ask any questions you may have to help me out! 🙂
Tammy

[robertdee]

There are quite a few supplements for dog colitis supplements. I’ve tried quite a lot of time, but the one that has worked the best for me was Bionic Biotic from Pooch & Mutt.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I would make sure the formula you’re feeding is grain-free as grains are inflammatory. GO has three sensitivity and shine formulas – two are grain-inclusive (salmon, duck) and one is grain-free (turkey), I’m not sure which you’re feeding. If you suspect a food intolerance I’d suggest looking for a grain-free food with a single novel protein source. For her joints, I’d look into a joint maintenance supplement that contains at least two or three of the following: glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, hylaluronic acid, eggshell membrane, green lipped mussel, sea cucumber, velvet antler, shark cartilage or esterified fatty acids. I’d also recommend giving a natural anti-inflammatory such as turmeric/curcumin, omega 3’s, boswellia, yucca, bromelain or tart cherry. Human joint supplements are generally cheaper per dose and higher quality so I’d go with those over a pet specific joint supplement – I’d give an 80 lb. dog 1 1/2 times the recommended human dose for a week or two for loading then drop it to 3/4 of the human dose for maintenance as long as you’re still seeing results. It sometimes can take a bit of trial and error to find out which supplements your dog responds best to. Good luck.

[theBCnut]

My best suggestion is to buy a good joint supplement instead of trying to find a food with it in it. The joint supplements in food are never at a therapeutic dose at an amount anyone would feed a real dog. To get a therapeutic dose you usually would have to feed double or triple the recommended amount, then your dog would be terribly obese and have all the joint issues that go with that, and need an ever increasing amount.

[dsrogers]

I have a 1 year old Bernese mountain dog. She has suffered from both a leg fracture and was in a cast then suffered from torn Acl and is 6 weeks post TPLO surgery. The fracture and tear have caused her to have muscle loss and hip problems to her one side. tShe needs a diet to support joint health. Currently she is on Go renew and shine with glucosamine supplements along with some dehydrated beef and vegetables. I notice that she has a red snout, reddened eyes and one reddened paw after eating so thinking probable allergy. Vet suggested royal canine mobility or hills j/d but I don’t see them rated highly here. She weights 80 lbs and should maintain this weight to alleviate further joint problems. Suggestions?

[somebodysme]

I would absolutely just feed one thing until you are sure that’s OK and then just add one new thing at a time. That’s what you should do for an allergic dog, it’s called an Elimination Diet. It’s the only way to be sure what he’s allergic to. Do NOT discount the idea that the vegetables can be the issue. I just discovered that my dog is HIGHLY allergic to peas and I’m pretty sure green beans too! I had tried to give her some garden fresh green beans and she had a reaction the next day. They are both Legumes.

I would not give any vitamins or supplements etc during your Elimination Diet either because they can also be allergic to those!

[weezerweeks]

He’s on honest kitchen zeal and canned merrick. I have honest kitchen invigor would that work as a wholwe food supplement?

[scottNY]

To SadieGirlsMom, I am so sorry to hear Sadie is suffering. She is very lucky to have you, though.

I have a 7-month old pit mix rescue and although he doesn’t have those issues, he is a very picky eater and I have been told that is somewhat typical of pits. I regularly add shredded cheese, green bell peppers or carrots to his food just to get him to pay attention to it. It hasn’t mattered what brand or flavors I have given him – he just seems to be picky. I will say, though, he is more likely to eat after a walk then before. [Make sure you don’t feed her right after strenuous exercise, though!]

There are quite a few other pits at the dog park we go to regularly and we always swap stories. A few things we all seem to agree on are that pits do better with a good, grain-free food. [Since at 7-months my puppy is already at 60 lbs, I just switched to one of HoundDogMom’s 5-start large breed recommended foods.] At the first sign of any stomach issues, we also mix in varying amounts of cooked, plain white rice, depending on how severe the issue. If it is really bad, we just use rice, some shredded, boiled, unseasoned chicken breast and some no-sodium chicken broth added for flavor and smell. I also have been giving my puppy a probiotic daily since he was 2-months old. He also gets a good, canine multivitamin. At the advice of others on this forum I intend to add enzymes and likely green food supplements.

Once you get the right food and the probiotic in her, hopefully the problems will begin to fade. I also found the grain-free food helped the stools and the gas tremendously.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree with Patty on human omega 3 supplements versus pet omega 3 supplements. I just wanted to point out that omega 3 supplements are not something you want to look for a bargain on. Even most human fish oils have been found to be rancid by the time they’re sold. If you splurge on any of your supplements let it be omega 3’s. I’d recommend Carlson brand or Nordic Naturals (I use Carlson).

[scottNY]

Thanks, Patty. A few follow-up questions for you and/or others:

1 – Can you recommend any good, not too expensive Omega-3 products? I know human supplements are often cheaper, but not necessarily okay for a dog.
2 – I just ordered a coconut oil I use on my skin in the winter time. It is edible, so I assume that will be fine to give my puppy a little here and there.
3 – Again, can you recommend any good, not too expensive “green food” products?
4 – Same as above. I would appreciate suggestions.
5 – As I said in my post, I ordered the Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic I read about here and he starts it tomorrow. Can I open it and give it every other day? Is every day too much?

Thanks Patty!

[scottNY]

Hi all and thanks for all the info. I am a little overwhelmed, but hopefully my “summary” question will help others.

I am the proud parent of a 7 month, 60 lb pit mix puppy who came from a rescue. After following this thread, I have just switched his food from TOTW grain-free puppy to the 5-star Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit. Thanks, HDM, for the Recommended Large Breed Puppy Foods spreadsheet. It was a wonderful tool!

Now here is where I am confused. I am trying to not go overboard on supplements [limited income] but want to make sure my puppy grows in to a very happy and healthy dog. Now that he is eating five star food, what else does he need? He already takes the Vetri-Science Laboratories Chicken Canine Plus Supplement for Pets, which he loves. He will also be taking the Vetri-Science Glyco-Flex for joints since when he plays and jumps very rough, he sometimes limps a little for a few hours – better safe than sorry. I want to make sure his joints have what they need as he grows.

Also, since following this thread [or a similar one here] I ordered the Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, which amazon.com will deliver today and he will begin it today. So here are my questions, although comments on what I wrote previously are more than welcome, too!

1. With the Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, does he get one capsule daily? Open and sprinkled on food or closed?

2. How important is coconut oil? If I give it to him, how often and how much per day?

3. My puppy now eats the recommended grain-free Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit, along with occasional pieces of allowed fruits and vegetables twice daily.
A. Does he need an enzyme?
B. I see several people commenting on the Swanson enzyme for humans. I certainly like the cost and I know it is a quality product. Should I get him that, too?
C. If so, again, how much and how often? Is it fine to take out of the capsule if he won’t swallow the capsule?

Thanks in advance HDM and others. I am trying to find that elusive middle ground and I appreciate all your help!

[sfranklin]

I am trying to figure out where to start with the whole homemade food idea. My dogs itch non-stop and I really believe it is from their commercial dog food. Any suggestions on supplements to make sure I have a balanced diet? I saw on Amazon something called Wizpet dog food supplement, I haven’t been able to find anything about it. If anyone could point me in the right direction as to where I can find out more information on supplements that would be wonderful. I am leaning towards the cooked dog food, my dogs now love all raw veggies and fruit (the ones they are allowed to have) so that I don’t have a problem with, I just don’t know if I can do the raw food personally, I may be a little squeamish. Could I do cooked (rare) protein and then raw everything else? I have been reading so much on here I think I am in information overload and am lost as to where to start. Thanks for your time!

[Anonymous]

I am passing along some sites I found quite helpful about dogs with cancer. As a note (to my previous post) I want to add that a dog on chemo is recmd to have supplements… the 1st link has lists of such… which I skipped/not aware of at the time. I am posting this before the links so it is NOT missed…
http://www.themagicbulletfund.org/NeedtoKnow.shtml
http://www.helpyourdogfightcancer.com/GetReady.shtml
http://www.acfoundation.org/faq/cancer-nutrition.php
LilyPearl (lab) was extremely sick with a rare cancer (jejunal ganglioneuroma), had tumors removed and did well for 10mths, now as posted previously having probs. Would say too that if you do the chemo routine, make sure your dog has a cancer that chemo helps… it does not help all. Unfortunately, my specialty vet missed what type of tumor LilyPearl actually had until after rounds of chemo when I opted for a smear… should have done a smear BEFORE starting chemo. Cancer loves carbs… I chose to feed Evo Turkey & Chicken… very low in carbs and great food. I know it has been recalled but my dogs never had probs with it…
Good luck to you and your sweetie…

[TmMura13]

Also keep in mind that I live in Florida and I’m surrounded my national pet store retailers. There are very few small speciality pet store retailers around. Also I would prefer not to order online unless it is supplements.

[casey]

I have a 12 year old boxer/pit mix. I have had her since she was a 6 week old tiny, runty rescue. She has always maintained an deal body weight for her, of 60 lbs. She has never had a sensitive stomach or issues with food and has eaten all kinds of different higher quality brands of kibble and canned. She has no known health concerns (other than several small lipomas on her chest and neck and one very large one on the right side of her neck. It was removed when she was about 8 years old, but since it was down in her shoulder muscle the Dr. was not able to get all of it and it slowly came back over the course of the next year and has since continued to grow slowly. It does not bother her at all and since her first surgery was so invasive her Dr. does not want to remove it again unless it starts causing her problems.) She has definitely slowed down quite a bit in the past year or so and wants to mostly sleep. She will run around in the back yard with our 2 year old doodle every morning and evening and has a blast, but only has about 20 minutes or so in her and is done. Her last vet checkup was great, her blood work was wonderful and she had no signs of arthritis or hip problems. But I have noticed she seems a little less stable on her feet lately and will occasionally fall up or down the deck stairs, but maybe this is just normal for her age ? (like when older people get weaker and more frail) I was wondering if a senior dog food and joint supplements might be better for her? I was not sure about the senior food since she is in no way over weight. Her coat has gotten a bit dull lately too. Just wondering what I can do to help my old girl age gracefully.

[gidget406]

I recently switched my 6 year old bulldog to natural balance (limited ingredient diet) sweet potato and chicken. It’s been a few months and since then his facial fold has gotten infected, his ears are bothering him, he’s constantly licking his feet and I just noticed that his chin is getting irritated and red. He’s also been eating grass every night consistently for the past week and not throwing up. His poops are regular but it seems like he’s drinking much more water. He just seems like a giant itchy ball of infection and I feel so bad for him. I need advice on what dry food has worked for sensitive dogs with allergies. What brands work? What ingredients should I be looking for? Does he need supplements?

[Mom2Cavs]

One of my Cavaliers (in my avatar pic, Laverne) has anal gland problems off and on. I attribute it to allergies with her. I have taken her, all the dogs, off all poultry. She is now eating for kibble Holistic Select grain free. It is a poultry free, fish based kibble with a pretty decent fiber content at around 6% max, I believe. It does have potatoes, but they don’t seem to be a problem with my dogs. I do top with canned foods and have been keeping them poultry free, as well. So far, I’ve been using Wellness for the majority….95% Salmon or Beef or Lamb, Beef Stew, and Simple Salmon or Lamb. This seems to be working. She hasn’t had any issues since I switched to doing this. I was using Zignature kibble, and will probably keep it in the rotation. I just bought some Big Dog Natural dehydrated raw in beef flavor that I plan on trying in the mix. I also add probiotics and enzymes to my dogs’ food. There are lots of them recommended on this site. Currently, I’m using Wholistic Pet Digest all Plus (or something like that lol!). This is all I do, no other supplements atm. Oh…I almost forgot, I do give a biscuit at night before bedtime. I’ve been using Wellness Lamb grain free or Whitefish (not grain free). Any soft treats given, usually during therapy dog visits, are Wellness Pure Rewards beef. As you can see, I like Wellness hahahaha. 🙂 I’m not saying this regimen would work for your dog, but to think about allergies….perhaps do away with chicken and definitely grains. Go from there. I’ve been battling this with Laverne for awhile now and I feel I finally have a handle on it.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[JLezinsky]

Hi Hound Dog Mom,

We have been wanting to switch our pup to a raw food diet for a while now. We have been doing tons of reading on this forum and research and decided to start with a pre-made raw mix while we figured out how to add more from scratch.

Last weekend at our local pet store the owners of Sirius Raw Dog Food (a small company from Ruby, NY) were out front talking about their product. I was wondering if anyone has heard or more importantly used their food? We decided to give it a try and start or 8 month old Catahoula (40 lbs) on it. We switched her cold turkey without any problem, in fact she went crazy for it. However, the more I read on this form the more excited I get about making good food for her, but at the same time the more overwhelming this starts to seem. Our biggest concern right now is that she is getting the proper nutrition and the correct amounts of food. Sirius told us that she will be good with 2% her body weight, about 1lb a day. And that everything she needs is in the food. We started giving her ½ lb twice a day. It has only been a few days and it is hard to tell if she’s hungry or just wants more because it is so good. Yesterday we increased her feeding to ¾ lb twice a day. Since she is only 8 months should she be giving her more than 2-3%? Sirius told us that she was considered an adolescent. I just want to get your opinion.

Also, should we be using any additional supplements while we stay on the Sirius pre-made mix? Should we be concerned about the calcium while on this?

I figured this was the best place to get answers. I appreciate any help you can give us.

Thanks,
Jon

There is not a lot of information on their site so I attached the nutritional info. that they had emailed to me. They have a few blends, a chicken, a beef, a turkey.

beef blend….Ingredients: Beef, Chicken Bones, Beef Heart, Beef Liver, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Zucchini, Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Cilantro, Parsley, Ginger Root, Garlic
Guaranteed analysis: crude protein, min 16.00%; crude fat, min 14.00%, crude fiber, max 00.30%; moisture, max 64.00%

http://www.siriusrawdogfood.com

[somebodysme]

OH yes, sounds just exactly like my dog with allergies too. She’s a “lab mix”…AKA no one knows!

The vet did the same thing. What I did was go with a limited ingredient diet. I have her on Nature’s Variety LID Turkey which is doing an adequate job of keeping it under control. Remember that everything he consumes can contribute, not just their dog food. Treats and rawhide etc. even vitamins and supplements. People food…it can all cause problems.

Really the antiboitics help heal it up but then it just will come right back because they are killing the dog’s immune system.

I chose the NV food because it had the least amount of ingredients and not potatoes of any kind. I don’t even want her on sweet potatoes either.

Does he stink like strong cheese? If so that is yeast too so you don’t want a food with too many carbs or it will get worse. You’d also want to give a probiotic.

Just out of curiosity, what are you feeding him now?

[Bill Rogan]

Hello!!! Beagleowner? Hope you feel better than before because your dog is gradually progressed.

You should bring diversification in you dog food menu. You should ensure that the diet you feed meets your dog’s requirements. It’s important that the diet you feed your dog is “complete and balanced,” meaning it meets all of your dog’s nutritional needs. It is not important, however, that every meal would be completed and balanced, unless you feed the same meal every day with little or no variation.

Following are the guidelines for feeding a raw or cooked homemade diet to get a healthy dog. No single type of food, such as chicken, should ever make up more than half the diet.

You should keep the followings in your consideration while cooking your dog food. Proper balanced dog food includes:

Meat and other Animal Products:

Raw meaty bones (optional)
Boneless meat
Fish
Organs
Eggs
Dairy

Fruits and Vegetables:

Starchy vegetables
Leafy green and other non-starchy vegetables
Fruits
Grains

Supplements:

Calcium
Oils
Fish oil
Cod liver oil
Plant Oils

Other Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamin E
Iodine
Green blends

Hopefully you be benefited. Best of luck of you with your beloved dog.

[theBCnut]

Shawna is having trouble logging on here so I’m passing on her response.

The diet should be geared specifically to the stage of the disease (aka the BUN and Creatinine values). Protein only needs to be restricted in the later stages of the disease. Restricting too early can cause more harm than good. Nutritionist Mary Straus gives values of protein and phosphorus for each of the stages of the disease on her website as well as some canned foods that would be appropriate. She also gives some dehydrated options which would be a good choice, in my opinion, for your pup. http://www.dogaware.com/health…

I wasn’t really impressed with Azodyl. I use a high quality probiotic and a prebiotic called Fiber 35 Sprinkle Fiber for nitrogen trapping. Works REALLY well for Audrey.

I mentioned some other supplements and foods I use for Audrey in this link if interested 🙂 /… Hope the link works. If not, it’s on the “Off topic” page.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your fur baby!!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Overweight dogs do tend to be more likely to develop lipomas. As Patty stated, there are several theories as to why they form. I believe it’s likely a combination of numerous factors such as diet, weight, genetics, vaccine history and environmental toxins. I’ve heard good things about the use of turmeric (or curcumin), bromelain, inositol and IP-6 for dogs with lipomas. It may also be wise to start using some general immune boosting supplements such as colostrum, probiotics, glutathione, vitamin c, astralagus, medicinal mushrooms, etc. etc.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Wait are you feeding a homemade diet or canned? I wouldn’t give a multi with a balanced food – I’d do something like the Nature’s Logic. For homemade food, if not balancing with whole foods, I’d use a multi.

[theBCnut]

These were the ones that HDM thought would be good.

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/new-chapter-tiny-tabs-whole-food-multivitamin-192-tabs

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/twinlab-daily-one-180-caps

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/country-life-daily-total-one-maxi-sorb-60-veg-caps

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/carlson-super-2-daily-180-sgels

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/solgar-formula-vm-75-180-tabs

[theBCnut]

Yes, that’s one of the ones that HDM likes. She also suggested 3 from Swansons that were low calcium and whole food based.

[weezerweeks]

Is nature’s logic all food fortifier the same thing as it’s whole food supplement that HDM was talking about? Any other suggestions patty aught?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Shihtzumom –

The pouched baby foods are fine. I actually use them when I’m short on time. I like Plum Organics, Peter Rabbit Organics, Earth’s Best and Happy Baby. 1 tbs. should be plenty for a small dog – when I give it to my girls I split the pouch between the two of them (they’re 68 – 75 lbs.). Only give the calcium when you’re feeding boneless meat – at the rate of 800 – 1,000 mg. per pound of boneless muscle meat or 1,400 – 1,600 mg. per pound of organ meat. Swanson’s has several wheat grass products available – this is what I use in my green blend: https://www.swansonvitamins.com/starwest-botanicals-wheat-grass-powder-organic-1-lb-pkg . For flax I would suggest adding 1 tbs. per pound of meat, if you can get sprouted that’s better. I order this from Swanson’s: https://www.swansonvitamins.com/navitas-naturals-sprouted-flax-powder-8-oz-pkg . For the Tripett I would suggest mixing in 1 – 2 tbs. with his meal. I’m glad you like Swanson’s – I’m obsessed. I go nuts every time I order from them – I just got a huge box of supplements in for myself! 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Nupro isn’t a bad supplement however I wouldn’t discontinue the fish oil. The omega 3’s in Nupro come from flaxseed. Plant-based omega 3’s (with the exception of algae and yeast derived omega 3’s) are in the form of alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which is a short-chain omega 3. In order to be utilized by the body the short-chain omega 3’s need to be converted into long chain omega 3’s – docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The conversion process from short-chain to long-chain is very inefficient – I’ve read some sources that state the conversion rate is less then 5%. Animal sources of omega 3’s (cage free eggs and fatty fish or fish oil) and omega 3’s derived from algae or yeast are already in the form of DHA and EPA and don’t need to be converted. Nupro also, unfortunately, only contains 1 strain of probiotic – lactobacillus acidophilus. I do the like inclusion of whole foods in Nupro though. Personally, I think you could do better and likely for cheaper. I would suggest picking either a high quality fish oil or feeding tinned sardines, a multi-strain probiotic (Swanson’s sells some very high quality, reasonably priced probiotic supplements check out https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-dr-stephen-langers-ultimate-15-strain-probiotic-fos-60-veg-caps or https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-soil-based-organisms-90-caps) and mixing up a “super food” supplement. I purchase ingredients in 1 lb. bags from Swanson’s and mix them myself, I store them in giant jars in the fridge. Doing it this way is so much cheaper per pound than pre-blended supplements and it allows you to customize the ingredients. The current blend I’m using is 1 part spirulina, 1 part kelp, 1 part alfalfa, 1 part wheatgrass and 1 part bee pollen. I do switch up ingredients occasionally for variety.

[Shihtzumom20]

Hi Hound Dog Mom, thats ok I have to wait on his supplements anyways! Thank you for suggesting Swanson’s I love them! Everything is so easy to find and pretty cheap! Plus the shipping to Canada is very reasonable.
Im glad you like my recipe! I will make sure to add in the liver and other organs, I was thinking I would give the raw glandular every other day, or do you think it should be every day? I found a baby food organic, its banana, sweet potato and blueberry puree, then concentrated lemon juice and absorbic acid. No artificial flavours or colours, BPA free package, they have many other fruits, vegetables single and combos. Would this be ok to use? Is the tablespoon enough? And the clacium citrate, I was wondering if I should only give it every 3 out of 4 days since the rmb (on the 5th day)will have bone in it? For the green supplement I really wanted to add in wheatgrass but I didnt find any on swansons, so I went with spirulina instead. For the flax meal how much/when should I give him? Oh and the tripett, how much of that would I give him? I can get the canned easily.
Sorry for all the questions, but I am very excited! I am finally doing it! When I really looked into the balancing it wasn’t too bad, but it did take me awhile! I do like feeding the ziwipeak in the am so I have some reassurance he is getting what he needs!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi pacer1978 –

The product you linked to contains green tea extract which would contain caffeine. In my experience most human green supplements (unfortunately) contain green tea extract. I make my own green supplement – I buy lb. packages of things like spirulina, wheat grass, alfalfa, kelp, chlorella, etc. and mix them. You can use as may or as few ingredients as you want, it’s cheaper than buying pre-mixed supplements as well.

[somebodysme]

bullterriermom, I haven’t had allergy testing done yet, we are just trying elimination and I’m hoping to find a good food. I put her back on NV LID the Turkey one and she is actually doing good on it and the feet are slowly but surely healing all up. Her rash on her back has magically healed up out of the blue. I really can’t help but think it was demodex and just getting healthy and taking supplements and vitamins have healed up up. I really do not know what caused her feet to flare up.

As far as diagnosis, it was just the vet that told me all her rashes and hair loss and scratching was most likely food allergies and he made some suggestions. It was just up to me to research a good food to start with. He wanted to put her on Iams.

I understand is quite pricey to have accurate allergy testing done though.

[pugmomsandy]

If you went back to kibble and still offered some raw for a couple meals that would still be better than no raw. As far a supplements go, kibbles are “complete and balanced” but I still give additional fish oil, super green foods, probiotics.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Unfortunately I had all my bookmarks wiped out but there was someone who posted a link to a study that was done of many top pet probiotic brands and it was found that many didn’t have the number of cfu’s that the package claimed or as many strains as was claimed. I’d be careful with pet products. I personally just give my dogs kefir every day and raw green tripe a few days a week rather than spending money on supplements.