[Atlas T]

Thanks, all, for chiming in and for your support and optimism.

As of yesterday, I put him back on the Sweet Potato and Fish LID food exclusively. Hopefully that will work well for him for the time being. I’ve also stopped the kefir for now. Once his poo is good for 3-5 days, I’ll start adding kefir in to see how he does. I only want to add one new thing at a time so as to understand what is causing him issues.

It sounds like most of you are suggesting that once his gut heals and gets more good bacteria, he should be able to process other foods. I’m just curious…what makes you think that later on he will be able to transition? Versus there just being things in the other foods that he is permanently sensitive to?

Bobby dog – how long did your pups have to be on the Rx diet before they could transition back to regular food?

And Joyce B – I just don’t think there is another food that has as few ingredients as that LID one and that is cheaper. If you have any suggestions though on how to find it, that’d be great.

And yes to everyone who mentioned getting more vet opinions – I will take him again next week.

My other challenge is that since he is young, we are trying to do lots of training. And to do training, you need to use VERY TASTY treats. And because of his tummy issues, I’ve had to just use the LID kibble as treats, but it’s not very enticing. I’m not sure what else to do!

[Susan]

Hi Dana,
Scroll up to the 2013 posts, read “Hound Dog Mom” post, she recommends cheaper joint meds that are good..
Go on Chewy site & get some “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels 50g, they’re freeze dried excellent given as treats 1-2 mussels a day, the shell in the mussel has Glucosamine & Chondroitin, the mussel meat is high in Omega 3, low fat & wont cause any stomach pain/acid reflux like alot of these joint meds can cause… If you ask vet or vet nurse they may know of a human grade supplement that has same ingredients as Dasuquin Advance, read ingredient list to the Dasuquin Advance write it down then take to a few Pharmacist/Chemist & ask the Pharmacist is there a joint supplement that has these ingredients….. Green Lipped Mussel are excellent to give especially when your dog has Panreatitis IBD stomach problems….

[Dana B]

I love that you are so willing to help. I see your comments from WAY back. I wonder if you have your answers on a .doc so you can copy and paste, and save yourself some typing time… HAHAHA But, THANK YOU so much for your help. I hope your doggies are well.

I am looking for specific answers of Dasuquin ADVANCED (not the kind I can order online)… and a less expensive alternative in human form… like the actual product. My girl is almost 14, a pit/lab/pointer mix, best we can tell. Started with joint pain a year ago mainly in winter. Dasuquin Advanced helps, but it is so expensive. I will pay it, but if there is an equivalent, less expensive… it only makes good sense.

We also have a 9 year old Yorkie who gets pancreatitis abut twice a year. Since I have put him on strict RX ProPlan diet, he is better and less than 4% fat treats… But, he is a little spoiled and would like a variety of at least treats. Any suggestions?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Dana B.

[Cherie G]

My dog Bischon/poodle is a rescue and is now @ 4 1/2 yrs old. I have had her for about 1 1/2 year. She had a bladder stone the size of an egg (REALLY!) and had to have surgery to have it removed. The vet said she “thought” she had a Struvite bladder stone. The Vet put her on Royal Canine SO by prescription. She has been on this about 1 yr. Now reading about the ingredients from this site, I am very worried about the food ingredients which start out with Brewers rice, corn, chicken by product meal, chicken fat and more. She is a dog that is starving at all times. I give her 1/2 C in morning and 1/2 C in evening. Make her own dog treats. Does ANYONE have experience with the bladder stones and possibly recommend a dog food that is better??? I’ve been buying it at Chewy and is less expensive than the Vet……but…….?……..now am confused.
Thank you so much……..Cherie (the human)…..Sophie (the dog)….

[Virginia D]

I have an almost 2 yr. old lab who bloats and farts daily. Sometimes the farts stink bad, sometimes they don’t at all. I have tried different foods; sometimes they work for a day, then we’re back to square one. He is now eating California Naturals Limited Ingredient dry dog food, and his treats are SportMix Grain Free dog biscuits. He takes Beano before every meal, per my vet; my vet is not a nutritionist & has run out of basic ideas for us. Pal is a rather timid guy & sensitive emotionally, we feel; our household is busy & that’s got to be part of it, we think (adult children complain about his farts & slobberiness, which is understandable). Would a probiotic help? I’ve heard, ‘they work/they don’t work.’ Any ideas or suggestions are much appreciated!

[Atlas T]

Wanted to share an update: we are now on day 5 of the Nature’s Domain transition. I am up to 2/3 cup twice a day + approx .5 cup that I feed as treats (in addition to 1.5 cups of the LID food and chicken and potatoes). His poo is definitely much softer. It’s still “formed,” but now coming out more like narrow “sausages” rather than bigger rounder “balls.” He is also still going about 5 times a day. How do I determine if this is ok and part of the transition or if he has a sensitivity to something in the food?

I started adding Kefir, but I’m reconsidering this. Considering the poo is softer, it’s hard to know if it’s the new food or maybe he is sensitive to dairy? Maybe I should only alter one thing at a time so I can pinpoint the issue.

Thanks!

[zcRiley]

Is his Lymphoma in remission for the first time? I’m really sorry to hear about it, can’t imagine.

Is he taking any meds that would cause weight gain or bloating? I wouldn’t lower the quantity of food, it’s the correct amount or he’ll constantly feel hungry. Stop the probiotic, as it can have bad side effects for a those with a weakened immune system. Stop the oil (i.e. Calories in Sardine Anchovy oil? Calorie Content: 10 calories per 1 gram. 1 Litter (33oz) =10,000 calories). Get low calorie treats and bones.

My pit mixes are around 78 lbs at 4.5 yrs old. They eat 2.5 cups of food total in two meals per day. They also get Dasaquin MSM, broccoli and meat toppers, treats, bully bones and they love Pasta and pizza!

I feed Zignature Zssentials dog food because they have a lot of food intolerances. The brand also makes limited ingredient formulas.

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
slow & steady in the beginning with Patch, I used the new kibble as treats for 2 days then on the 3rd day I only added under 1/4 of a cup for 3 days to 1 cup old kibble then if poos looked good then I started to add 1/4 of a cup, I gave 1/4 cup with each meal for 3 days, the I added 1 heaped 1/4 of a cup for 2 days & just kept look at his poos making sure poos were good, then I stay on 1/2 new kibble & 1/2 old kibble for 1 week before I introduce any more of the new kibble… 3-4 years ago 1 year after I rescued Patch he was having skin problems from the vet diet kibble he was eating for his IBD his poos were firm but it wasnt grain free & he must of been sensitive to an ingredient causing itchy yeasty smelly paws & skin so I tried a vet diet Eukanuba FP Fish & Potato, all I added was under 1/4 of a cup for 2 days to his other kibble then 2nd night Patch was up all thru the night with really BAD diarrhea every 2 hours the vet & I thought he cant eat potatoes & for 2 yrs I couldn’t try any kibbles that had Potato, then one day I was at a pet shop & the lady at the pet shop said why can’t he eat potato, I’ve never heard a dog getting diarrhea from potatoes, I’m a breeder I breed Border Collies & show them, I had a dog with IBD & potato firmed up his poo’s, she was a very pushing lady lol then I told her what had happened & she said it could have been the fish or a supplement in the Eukanuba FP kibble you dont really know, she said start adding a little cooked boiled potato with Patches meal cause he might be able to eat potato & he was fine, so I went back to the pet shop & tried the TOTW & Patch did really good firm poos the first time in 2 yrs his poos stayed firm & didnt go soft some days, like they were doing on teh vet diet the vet wanted him on & now after seeing Clean Label Testing I think it could have been the fish, it was probably high in toxins or something else was wrong with the Eukanuba FP kibble, I have never seen Patch that bad since he had pooed blood all night & vet said stop all food for for 24-36hrs & let his stomach bowel rest, then he was put on another vet diet with Metronidazole for 21 days that made his skin itch & smell.. Sometimes some vets don’t have a clue & just put the dog on vet diets & meds (steriods) I didnt have a clue & thought they’re a vet they’d know more then me about diarrhea, now finally Patch has 2 really good vets one the lady vet is more a holistic vet & the other vet he specializes in the stomach/bowel & does Endoscopes biopsies & few other things..

My vet told be it’s OK if their poos are softer some days as long as they don’t stay sloppy/diarrhea… If Patch is eating the same brand kibble & I’m not introducing a new kibble & he’s was doing well on his old kibble then all of a sudden his poos startéd to go sloppy I wait 2 days & see if poos go good again & if on 3rd day Patches poos still look sloppy smelly awful I put him back on the Metronidazole tablets for 14-21 days, something has put his good bacteria out of wack & he has more bad bacteria then good bacteria….

[Susie]

No changes. Don’t worry, I am not wanting people here to diagnose my precious girl. If it happens again I will be at the vet asap. I’m just looking for information so I can perhaps piece it together and figure out what hers could be. If anything. She did start eating the Honest Kitchen Seal about 3 weeks ago and had a couple of their new treats, Cuddles. But she’s been on THK for a year now and her transition to the fish type was slow. She has been tolerating it well. The only other thing was she had 2 new treats yesterday. They are human grade and we’re made of fish and coconut.

[Atlas T]

Thanks again to everyone for all the info! I hear both of you on the reasons to choose the Salmon food (continuation of the current protein) or the Turkey food (the fish one might have more toxins). I’ll have to weigh the good and the bad and make some decisiosn. A few quick responses:

-Susan, on the bones – I have some raw beef bones that I gave him about 1.5 months ago. It sort of coincided with his belly issues, so I have some hesitation whether raw bones could have contributed. What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s ok to give raw bones to a 7mo old puppy with some tummy issues? Or should I wait until we’re totally in the clear? And in regards to Rodney Habib, I’ll check him out. As to the healthy treats/toppers, shall I wait to give him those until his tummy is more sorted? I wonder if raw carrots or things like that may do more harm than good at this point.

-CockalierMom, thanks for the recommendation of calculating calories. I took some time to do that yesterday, and seems like I’ve been feeding him exactly the right amount, maybe even a bit on the high side. Given all that, he still seems super hungry. Should I give him more food? He does get quite a bit of exercise. We are on day 5 of the LID food, and he is getting 2.5 cups of that per day, as well as 1.5lbs potato, and .5lbs chicken (more info below). Great point about the LID not being All Life Stages, I hadn’t considered that.

——————————————–
General updates:

We are on day 5 of the LID food, and he is getting 2.5 cups of that per day, as well as 1.5lbs potato, and .5lbs chicken (more info below). Maybe this week, I’ll start incorporating some of the Nature’s Domain into it and seeing if his poop continues to be ok. One thing to me that seems strange about his poop is that in the morning and early afternoon, he has great solid poop. Towards the end of the day, the poop gets much softer (though never to the point that I’d call diarrhea). I’m not totally sure what to attribute this to. Maybe he processes food more quickly during the day and it doesn’t get fully processed by the time he poops it out? Also, (sorry if this is TMI) when his poop starts coming out, it’s quite solid, but towards the end of the poo, it is much more soft. Also, he is pooping very frequently still, about 5-6 times per day. It’s not like he urgently needs to go, but we take him on lots of walks, and he always takes advantage of being outside to poop.

On a different note, we’ve run into another problem. Before, his food used to be out all day, but now that it’s perishable because I’m cooking it, he gets specific feeding times and amounts. He’s become a bit possessive of his food, which he’s never been before :-/ He allows us to touch and move his bowl without a problem, but he starts growling if we pet him while he’s eating, especially if we touch his paws or tummy. I am trying to combat this by doing some handfeeding so he understands the food comes from us, as well as holding his bowl while he eats and stroking him, even if he growls. I have zero fears about him actually biting, but I welcome more feedback on whether I’m addressing this correctly, and what else I should be doing to combat this behavior. He doesn’t do this with anything else…not bones, not his favorite toys, etc.

[InkedMarie]

Michele,
I believe you have created a picky eater. It’s time to practice “tough love”: put food down, leave it for 15 min. Whatever she doesn’t eat gets saved for the next meal. No treats, no people food, nothing.

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
I would feed the Natural Balance Fish & Potato for 4-6 months to let his Gi tract settle & heal or start him on the the brand that is cheaper, the Kirklands Natures Domain Turkey Sweet Potato formula this way you have some of the Natural Balance Fish & Potato formula to introduce with the kibble & just feed that kibble for 4-6months then once he seems stable rotate between a few different brands with a different protein source… & make sure they do not have Chickpeas & Lentils..

He’s probably growing it’s called “growth spurt” it happens between 8-12months old, google Growth Spurts in dogs….
You could give him a meaty raw bone, no cooked bones, this way he chewing & keeping busy & he’s eating something & you could feed him 3 smaller meals a day instead of just 2 larger kibble meals a day, that will keep him feeling fuller.
I follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page watch his videos, his vidoe’s are quick & to teh point & really good, he recommends blueberries, apple, healthy whole foods added as a topped to kibble fed dogs I give the toppers as a treat instead, if your dog likes cooked food instead then feed him cooked meals & try & feed less kibble he’ll be healthier….

The only problem I have with fish kibble they are higher in toxins & contamintes.
Have a look at Clean Label Project 2nd test study on kibbles, wet foods & treats, alot of the expensive brands some of their formula’s came back very high in Toxins & Acrylamides & BPA & BPS… Kirkland had a few formula’s, so did TOTW & I think Nature Balance had a few brands high in toxins, you’ll have to look thru & see which formula’s only got 1-2 stars
here’s the link below click on it, read thru then scroll back up & look to your left & click on “Dry Dog Foods” you’ll see all the 5 star foods then go to pages 11 thru to 16 is teh start to all the bad 1 star brands & the formula’s that tested very high in toxins. Just stay away from these formula’s if you can…..
The last 2 Summers I’ve been rotatating Patches kibbles to a fish kibble cause he has skin allergies in Spring & Summmer months & fish formula’s are higher in Omega 3, my vet & I couldn’t work out why poor Patch was doing really well thru the Winter months then after I started feeding him new fish formula’s that didnt have any ingredients he is sensitive too “Wellness” Complete Health, White Fish & Sweet Potato, he got sloppy poos & was unwell, so I put him back on his TOTW Roasted Lamb formula he was good again then I introduuced & tried “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean Fusion after 1-2 months later he became ill again, same with “Holistic Select” Salmon it took 3 months he became sick & wouldnt touch his food if ever your dog wont eat a kibble dont make him, take the food back, I keep all my recipts, then I tried the TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon formula which is the Kirkland Nutures Domain Salmon & Sweet Potato formula, he kept vomiting up the TOTW Salmon, then last April CLP released their first ever pet food testing & I was shocked there were 3 of the foods I feed Patch in the top 10 worse pet kibbles all these formula’s tested very high in toxins, now CLP has just relesed their 2nd test 1 week ago join & get their emails click on link below also on your left click on “Brand Report Cards”
Some people say CLP is this & that, all they want is money, yes they need donation to test pet & baby foods that’s how we get it for free.
My dog & other people dogs have been very sick after eating these 4 & 5 star brands that DFA gives & they have tested very high in toxins, when you go & look at these brands up in the DFA “Reviews” section, read all people’s post, my dog is sick, my dog died, my dog has diarrhea, I know some dogs may have health problems but there’s some foods like TOTW’s High Prairie formula where a heap of dogs became very sick all of a sudden after eating the TOTW High Prairie & Pacific Stream formula’s these formula’s both tested very high in toxins in CLP 2nd testing…
I’d rather be safe then sorry & when you have a dog with a sensitive stomach & bowel these’s are the dogs that become very sick first, Purina rated good with some of their formula’s but some of Purina’s formula’s didnt rate good at all, like Purina’s Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach formula it rated 3rd worse formula with the higest amount of Toxins.. there’s more information on different pet foods on Clean Label Project F/B page…
Im staying away from fish pet foods, I buy human tin salmon in spring water give that as a small meal with sweet potato for Patch
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food-study-2-0/

[Jaclyn B]

Hi DogFoodAdvisor,

Clean Label Project is a national non-profit with the mission to bring truth and transparency to consumer product labeling. We do this by using data and science to reveal true product quality and purity and empower consumer to make their own choices. Through the resulting shifting economics, we aim to serve as the catalyst to change the definition of food and consumer product safety in America.

Given the humanization of pet food over the past several years coupled with the scandals and recalls, we were especially interested in what was truly behind all these “Feed them like Family”, “Natural”, “Human-grade”, etc. claims. For us, it was about seeing past the comfort and security that pet food brands marketing departments sell, and get right to the data and science about the true ingredient quality. This impartiality only comes through testing. When we began this pet food study, we assumed that these companies were regularly screening for environmental toxins alongside more conventional foodborne contaminants (like salmonella). Our results clearly indicate otherwise. We believe consumers have a right to know what’s in the products they buy.

When we initially started this project, we utilized Nielson reports to pull the products that made up 90% of the overall retail sales of pet foods. From there, we visited specialty pet food stores and spoke with consumers and team members to ask what people were buying. Our approach to the sampling was simple and why Clean Label Project is unique is clear- we simulate the consumer shopping experience. We went to grocery stores, pet food stores, and online retailers and purchased products just like any consumer would. We tested over 1000 of America’s best-selling dry and wet dog foods, cat foods, and treats for over 130 environmental and industrial contaminants and toxins like heavy metals, pesticide residues, antibiotic residues, plasticizers, melamine, acrylamide, and mycotoxins. We amassed over 130,000 data points, benchmarked them, and put the findings on our website in the form of a 5-star rating system. The products that we personally purchased and tested are literally the exact same products that are in pantries across America. For us, we don’t trust label claims, we trust analytical chemistry because gas chromatography and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry doesn’t lie.

We agree that sampling error is a risk in any scientific study, and you have correctly pointed out that random sampling of sufficient size is essential to minimizing the risk of sampling error leading to a false positive or false negative result (so-called “Type I” and “Type II” errors). However, there are two important distinctions here that we would like to stress as to why we chose the sampling strategy that we did.

First, at the product level – while you make a valid point that sampling repeatedly from different batches for an individual product would result in a more accurate representation of the “true” contaminant level of a single product this, in our opinion, misses important quality and supplier assurance implications of our results. If these companies, as many of them have repeatedly assured us, are conducting rigorous supplier assurance and quality assurance programs, single “fluke” high values should be exceedingly rare. While sample variability does occur, a robust quality program should severely limit the variability (and the levels of these contaminants). This is particularly important given that there is no maximum tolerance level for these contaminants in the pet food space. As a side note, the argument that “the product is only loaded with known carcinogens occasionally” doesn’t reassure us very much. Consider the analogy of food borne pathogens like salmonella, e.coli, or listeria – certainly there is variability as to how much of these bacteria are present in raw ingredients, but rigorous quality assurance programs or kill steps bring the variability in finished products to almost zero. This is why the presence of these bacteria cause headlines when they occur in finished foods – we have systems in place that should prevent them. This is not the case for the contaminants we measure in the pet food space—but it should be. All brands, regardless of their score, should be vigilant regarding these contaminants and should take proactive steps to improve the status of the industry.

Second, at the brand level: It is important to note that decisions about a brand (for example, the brand report cards released September 18, 2017) are not based off single product ratings, instead they are based on the average performance of multiple products within a brand. When data is aggregated across a group, the “true” value being estimated is that of the brand, not the product. As such, when we give the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to a brand, this is based on the weight of evidence from multiple products. This means that our brand ratings, and the conclusions we draw about the performance of brands, are arguably the least likely to be impacted by sampling error.

For us at Clean Label Project, we refer to ourselves as the environmental and industrial contaminant and toxin people. That’s who we are, the mission we hold, and the conversation we are looking to have with consumers. To us, so often we hear about food safety issues happening at burrito restaurants and cruise ships (e.coli, listeria, salmonella, etc.), but what people don’t talk about is the long term adverse health effects associated with chronic exposure to industrial and environmental toxins and contaminants with links to diseases like cancer- for ALL living things. To us, first, it’s do no harm, start with high quality – not harmful ingredients – and then dive into how to formulate the most nutritious foods. This should not be a novel concept.

To us at Clean Label Project, there is no such thing as healthy poison. You can read more information about our position here. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/white-paper/

[anonymous]

Below is an excerpt from http://animaldentalspecialist.com/safe-and-appropriate-chew-toys-for-dogs/
Click on link for full article. Hope this helps.

Fractured pet teeth are one of the more common dental problems encountered by veterinary dentists. Broken teeth, more often than not, have exposed pulp tissues that subsequently become infected.  Just like for humans, apical infection (apical periodontitis, dental “abscesses”) will occur in a matter of time. They are painful and cause exposure of the body to chronic bacteria infusion and inflammation. In most cases, the problem is caused by dogs being allowed to chew on objects that are just too hard for their teeth. These objects may actually be harder than the teeth.  It is important to remember the evolutionary function of carnivores…they are meat eaters. The function of carnivore oral behavior is to grasp, pull and hold prey. This is followed by cutting and tearing meat before crushing and gulping. Carnivore teeth are not designed to chew bones or other objects harder than the teeth.  Starving wild animals often have only bones to eat, however, they also break their teeth, which places them at a survival disadvantage (survival of the fittest). Wild carnivores that do eat bones are usually doing so from freshly killed prey.  Fresh bones are softer, however, they still can lead to traumatized and fracture teeth. Dental treats and chew objects should be considered as only part of preventative dental health care (please refer to information on dental diets, chews and antiseptics).  In conjunction with daily tooth brushing, dental diets and regular professional cleanings, toys and treats can play an important part of oral health care maintenance.
Strictly avoid bones (cooked or uncooked), cow hoofs, pig ears, hard & thick rawhides, plastic or nylon bones, and large ice cubes. Tennis balls and other objects with abrasive surfaces should also be avoided as these have a sandpaper-like effect on tooth structure that damages and may expose the pulp. The flatter, softer rawhide chews have been shown to be safe and effective in reducing the rate of plaque accumulation. C.E.T. Hextra rawhide chews contain Chlorhexidine which enhances their effectiveness.
When trying to select safe chew objects for your pet, there are two good approaches:
General rules of thumb.
Use products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC)
A. Rules of Thumb
You want to be able to indent the surface with your finger nail.  Surface has some “give” to it.
“Knee Cap Rule”: If you hit your self in the knee with the object and it hurts, it’s probably too hard/heavy for your dog.
“Hammer Rule”: If you can drive a nail with the product, don’t allow your dog to chew on it.
Also avoid objects with abrasive surfaces like Tennis Balls and Frisbees.
If you cannot flex or break the product with your bare hands, it’s probably best to avoid it.
Please take note: you should always monitor your pet when they are chewing on anything.  Verify they’re not gagging, trying to ingest too much at one time or attempting to eat an inedible product.
B. VOHC approved products
Although not all safe products have VOHC approval, using products with the VOHC seal of acceptance is recommended as these products have successfully met pre-set requirements for veterinary dental efficacy and safety.  A complete list of VOHC approved products can be accessed at http://www.vohc.org.

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
the 6 month mark is time to let his bowel heal & get healthy again from having diarrhea & a irritated bowel from having food intolerance, the Metronidazole helps heal the bowel, Metronidazole is an antibiotic & an anti inflammatory excellent when the stomach & bowel is inflammed. Once you find a kibble you want to feed just feed that for 4-6months, my vet recommends 9-12 months, that was after Patch had diarrhea blood…. I dont think his food intolerance/sensitivities will go away, Patches haven’t, I ended up doing an Elimination food diet to work out what Patch can eat, he has a few food sensititivies…
Hopefully your boy will get better now you, just read labels what is in treat biscuits as well & use the dry kibble as treats for training…
Oh there’s 1 thing the Natural balance Fish & Sweet Potato he’s eating at the moment has NO peas or probiotics, so when you try Kirklands Nature Domain Turkey & Sweet Potato formula, his poos may go a bit soft then maybe they won’t, just introduce over new kibble over 10 days he might be OK with peas my boy is & there’s probiotics in Natures Domain to keep their gut healthy, if his poos start going a bit soft just add less new kibble & more of the old kibble & stay on that amount of new kibble a few days longer & add more of his old kibble…..
Good-Luck

[Atlas T]

Hi everyone,

This is a long story, but I’ll try to be concise: we adopted our 7mo old lab mix puppy 1 month ago. Before that, he was fostered by my brother, so we know his history. He has had very soft stools for a long time (I’d say slightly more firm than emoji poop), that vary from slightly softer/harder, but never truly hard, and he was pooping about 5 times/day. There tend not to be any pieces of unprocessed food in them. All of this was on Instinct Large Breed Puppy food, provided by the rescue.

With help from the rescue, we put him on several different dewormers, several probiotics, and finally an antibiotic (metro), but nothing helped the poop. The vet took a fecal sample and found no problems. About 3 weeks ago, he actually started having diarrhea, so I put him on a bland diet (pumpkin, rice, chicken) and it got BAD: became explosive diarrhea. I completely limited his diet (no treats, no peanut butter for pills, nothing else) and it was still bad, even when it was chicken and rice (no pumpkin). After about 4 bad days like this, I decided to try a different bland diet – just chicken and potatoes, and once or twice, egg + potato. This firmed things right up (conclusion = he may be intolerant to rice, but does great with chicken and potato). Within a day, his poop was actually formed and semi firm. He stayed on this diet for about 4 days. Then I decided to try to transition him to dry kibble – Nature’s Domain Puppy (I decide to try this one because it doesn’t have rice). I’ve done this transition veeeery slowly (we are on Day 5 now) and his poop is gradually getting worse again.

The rescue has suggested that while he is not intolerant to chicken (as proven by the chicken and potato bland diet success), he may be intolerant to whatever preservatives are used in chicken kibble. They suggested trying Nature’s Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato. This will be my next attempt, but I’m feeling a bit hopeless. And while I’m hoping this is the answer, I wonder if something else could be going on? The vet has not been helpful, so I’m hoping folks here can provide some suggestions of what to do! And I do want to note that cost and affordability are a definite consideration, so I’d rather not go to expensive limited ingredient foods unless absolutely necessary.

Also, he has not had gas, vomiting, itchyness, lethargy or any other symptoms as far as I can tell – just the soft stool. One more thing to note – diarrhea has somewhat coincided with when he was given topical Revolution, but I’m not sure there is causation there.

[Robert S]

Thanks for the comments. I have looked at a lot of dog foods on Dig Food Advisor and was going to use EVO dry morning EVO 95% Evening. I just learned that EVO is or has stopped manufacturing the canned dog food.Of course you can purchase until supplies run out.

I ordered a case of Dave’s 95% beef and will see how my dogs like. I am going to try Wysong Epigen starch free. I will mix with EVO until all. 1/4 cup dry mornings and 1/4 cup wet evenings. It is pretty much high fat, high protein, low carb diet. during the day we give treats like Earthborn Holistic grain free.

I don’t know how this will work out but I am going to try. I have another miniature smooth coated dachshund, 13, that has mass on or near spleen. I am trying to feed both the same.

like I said we will see.

Blessings,
bob

[haleycookie]

There are thousands and thousands of dog treats out on the market. Unfortunately the maker of this site just doesn’t have the time to review all of them. But home cooked treats are the best. You have control over what goes in them and you can pick the ingredients your dogs like. There are many online recipes you can find for meaty treats or buiscuit treats.

[Kelli S]

I see that dog treats are added to the forum. Only, it would be very helpful it treats were reviewed as the food is. Going through the forums can be helpful, but need a place to look for the best treats reviewed and rated. Thank you for your consideration.

[Susan]

Hi Meghann,
Stop feeding the Wellness Core, cause he has had Giardia his bowel would still be inflammed & needs to heal & rest & he needs a very easy to digest kibble, did the vet recommended feeding him “Hills I/d Digestive Care” dry kibble? it has everything he needs B-12 to heal his bowel & is very easy to digest, my boy had to stay on a Intestinal low fiber vet diet for 9-12months as soon as the 9 months was up & Patch had done firm poos every day, I started to introduce a new kibble that wasn’t too high in protein & not too high in fiber or fat around 25%-protein, 15%-fat & under 4% for fiber, & under 370 Kcals per cup, he needs to stay on the Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 21-28 days, the first 14 days he has to take Metronidazole twice a day every 12 hours with a meal then reduce to just one tablet a day at night with a meal for 10-14 days…..

Take back the Wellness Core it’s too rich, very dense kibble, high protein & probably high in fiber, no good for dogs when their stomach & bowel isn’t working properly & is inflammed, get refund & buy either “Taste Of The Wild”, Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb or look at “4Health” Duck Meal & Potato, Pork Meal & Potato or the Turkey Meal & Potato read ingredient list & get the kibble with the least ingredients, I think the Pork formula has the least ingredients like the TOTW Lamb formula & has only 332Kcals per cup, look for kibbles with Sweet Potato & Potato, if you can get the TOTW Roasted Lamb formula try this formula first, within 2 days poos will be firm again… 4Health is sold at Tractor Supply

I don’t know if it’s the lower fiber, low Kcals per cup, or the probiotics they use or cause they use purified water ?? maybe all these things put together is what makes TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb really work & help dogs with EPI, IBD, IBS, Diarrhea, after you change his food & he’s finished the course of the Metronidazole & he’s been doing really well for a while then all of a sudden you see him doing sloppy poos for 2 days straight put him back on the Metronidazole for 10-14 days give Metro twice a day every 12 hours with a meal then reduce to 1 Metronidazole at night with his dinner for another 10 days, my vet writes me a few repeat scripts & I can get out at the Chemist when I need it….but since feeding the TOTW I haven’t needed to give the Metroniazole only when I have rotated a kibble that didn’t agree with him & put his stomach/bowel bacteria out of wack again or he starts getting his bad acid reflux (Helicobacter-Pylori) he gets put back on the Metronidazole…
Then once your boy is doing really well for 9-12mths start rotating & change brand & look for a different protein source with a few different ingredients & slowly introduce the new kibble with his regular kibble over 1 month peroid, this way he’ll have 2 different brands that agree with him with a different protein source, I rotate between Lamb, Pork & Turkey, rotating between a few different brands is good to do just incase the brand your feeding has toxins or is not balanced properly your changing his kibble & he’s not eating the same brand formula 24/7 year after year… but you only start Rotating his kibbles when you get his bowel healthy again, I rotate between 3 different brands, I always feed TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula Patch always has very firm poos on his TOTW Lamb & I rotate with a Australian brand MfM Turkey & I just started to try Hills pork meal formula cause I was given a Hills Voucher…
Rotating will strengthen his gut/bowel, just make sure when you pick a new kible you stay around the same fat, protein & fiber % & Kcals per cup as the brand of kibble he does really well on…
Wellness Core could be too rich & the protein % is probably way too high for him at this stage, “Wellness Core”, Ocean fish & “Wellness Complete Health” White Fish were both on the “Clean Label Project” bad list for kibble with high contaminates & toxins.. Which wellness Core formula are you feeding?
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

My boy is a rescue & has IBD & Environment Allergies & every Spring Summer Patch gets bad itchy skin so the beginning of Spring his vet said try & feed him a fish kibble that’s salmon higher in Omega 3, so spring 2015 came & I rotated with a fish kibble I feed an Australian made MfM Salmon kibble Patch was fine no diarrhea no waking me up 1am 4am with diarrhea etc, the next year in Spring I feed a new fish kibble Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fussion then around 2 months later he got his diarrhea back same with the next fish brand Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & sweet potato, then I tried Holistic Select Salmon & Potato poos were excellent he was doing good then 2-3 month later he became very ill his vet kept shaking her head & couldn’t work out what was wrong, he was fine eating the Australian made Salmon MfM kibble & he had no diarrhea, we couldn’t work out why my boy was doing really well, no diarrhea no vomiting then he ate the different American fish brands & he was really unwell, then I saw Clean Label Project in May/June & the brands I was feeding him were on the worse contaminates & toxins list, “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean Fusion Whitefish-7th, “Holistic Select” Salmon -10th & “Wellness” Whitefish I don’t know where teh WellnessComplete HealthWhitefish came but Wellpet who makes Wellness has a lawsuit against them now cause of the finding from the Clean Label Project testings..
It’s best to stay away from any kibbles that have fish in them especially when they have a sensitive stomach/bowel. I rather add fresh human tin salmon as a topper & give the K-9 Natural freeze dried Mussels as treats now to up his Omega 3 in his diet for his skin…

Your boy will get better but it just takes time, even if you have to put him on a vet diet, the Hills I/D Digestive Care dry for 6 months it can be given to puppies, then rotate & feed a limited ingredient kibble, my vet said it takes a good 9-12 months for their bowel to heal & recover, Probiotics are best given inbetween meal when their Hydrochloric acids are low in the stomach & the live cutures in the probiotics make it past the stomach into the small bowel & make sure you change his water twice a day, as soon as Patch drinks out of his water bowl I change it, I see bits of food down the bottom of his water bowl..
keeps us up dated with what worked..

[Kathy B]

What a horrible experience for you. We adopted a rescue in January and although her stools weren’t as loose as what you are describing they were pretty bad and every time she went! A member on here mentioned NutriSource dog food (dry) and we switched her a couple of months ago… end of problem. We believe it was just because of a sensitive stomach…. we are cautious about what we give her as treats, absolutely no rawhides….. I know you don’t want to keep switching foods because that is rough on them as well but it’s my only suggestion/experience. I assume you already tried cottage cheese/rice mixture and/or boiled chicken? Hope he gets feeling better!

[Jeri H]

Susan – Thank-you for replying. After comparing the ingredients in all of the foods we have tried with Axel, we noticed common ingredients that you mention (beet root, dried peas, etc). Therefore, I have started to transition (75%, 25%; then 50%,50%) Axel’s food from Rachael Ray Nutrish to the 4Health grain free Duck&Potato and he began to have firmer stool for about a week then diarrhea again. The diarrhea lasted for about 3 days so I added one antibiotic to his food mix for 3 days, which had brought him back to solid poop. I now have him on only 4Health brand food and I have stopped with the antibiotic. So, for the past 2 days Axel has not had any diarrhea. Another possibility to the recent bout with diarrhea could be the water…we recently moved from the city water to well water and I am not sure if this could be a contributing factor; but, anything is possible…
I also add 3oz of boiled boneless skinless chicken breast to my dog’s food as a “treat” (they do not get any other treats) so this is the next variable which I will change if the 4Health food seems to not work.
Thanks again for your help!

@pitlove – Thanks for the reply. Axel is not a purebred, he is a husky/terrier mix and he does have border terrier in his lines (I have had a DNA test done). I do not claim to be a vet; but, the vet did not witness the episodes nor is there a blood test to determine the syndrome; therefore, my gut tells me to “guess” on how to prevent further episodes from occurring. Since changing Axel’s diet to grain-free I have not witnessed an episode. I have been trying foods to no avail for over a year now (ONLY since chef michaels was discontinued). I am keeping my fingers crossed that the 4Health brand food will do the trick!

[Susan]

Hi Croeber,
I think it is really important to rotate between diiferent brands & feed a diffferent meat protein source & different ingredients, a rotational diet allows a beter chance of providing a more complete & balanced diet, while most dog food sold has been balanced to meet nutritional guidelines there’s always a chance that one brand might be a little deficient in a nutrient compared to another brand, by rotating a variety of foods your pet is less likely to suffer any deficiencies & rotating helps strengthen the dogs immune system & may reduce the risk off allergies or sypmtoms developing later on as teh y age this is very important for young animals…
You know your girl does well on Merrick so now look for another brand with a different protein source & different ingrdients but stay around the same protein % & fat % it doesnt have to be exactly the same fat & protein 1-3% higher or lower… some people rotate with the same brand that’s not a good idea, say that brand has toxins or high contaminates in their fish formula then the other formulas may also have the fish meal or whatever is in that brands meats etc so best to look for another brand it doesn’t have to be real expessive to be really good, look at “Clean Label Project” pet food testings some of the very expensive brands had the highest toxins & Purina got 4-5 stars ause of the lean meats tehy buy, Turkey & Chicken are suppose to be very clean meats….

I can’t be too fussy with what I feed my boy, I have to feed him what agrees with him, he was a rescue I rescued at age 4, he suffers with IBD, Skin Allergies & food intolerances, vets & his nutritionist said he probably was feed the same cheap Aldis dog food & when he was reacting with diarrhea & vomiting the owner didn’t bother changing his food or the owner changed & feed another poor quality brand that had the ingredients he was sensitive too & was reacting too, he is a prime example of a dog feed a very poor diet & was never introduced to a lot of different foods…probably why he ended up at the pound cause of his IBD, when I got him he was pooing blood & weeing blood, vet said the weeing blood would have been from being used for breeding..
I’m feed “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb grain free with Lamb meal, sweet potato, potato, peas, egg, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, formula, TOTW Roasted Lamb is Patches go to kibble that he does the best on so far…
I’ve just finished introducing Hills Science Diet, Sensitive Skin formula it’s a grain formula with rice, corn, pork meal & egg formula, I’m trying this in my rotation cause it has Pork Meal & Hills gave me a free voucher-$140, my IBD boy does really well on his cooked Pork rissoles & Sweet potato, so when I saw Hills had a Pork meal formula I had to try it & see how he does on it & he’s doing really wll he gets bad acid reflux so its very hard finding foods that agrees with his stomach & he doesn’t grind his teeth & doesn’t swollow & swollow & lick his lips, I was rotating & feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar & I tried the Pure Meadow Senior, “Canidae has some really good grain free & grain kibbles….
I have to give treats instead of adding foods to his kibble, he gets 1-2 freeze dried, “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels, the mussel shell is high in Glucosamine & Chondroitin for his joints & bones.
“Love Em” Mini Cookies Chicken Liver & Cranberry with DHA for immune support biscuits an Australian Brand, I’ve just started these, he was getting peeled apple pieces, he gets his Yakult probiotic drink, he gets about 1/4 of the Yakult probiotic drink in between feeds when his stomach acids are low so they dont kill the live bacteria in te probiotic & I drink the rest of te Yakult drink, he gets his yogurt ice cream only about 1 teaspoon after his dinner & if I’m running late or on the computer he tells me about his ice cream yogurt he whinges & barks at me till I get it out of the freezer. I can’t remember what else he gets at teh moment, I’ve had him 5 yrs this November & he has tried heaps & different brand kibbles & foods the Australian kibble brands are really good but some are way to high in protein & fat for him, no vet diets have worked for Patch, TOTW has been the best dry kibble so far that covers all his health problems, I’ve strengthen his gut (immune system) heaps since I got him 5 yrs ago he was always very sick before, but now he has a beautiful shinny coat, he is very healthy runs, jumps acts like a puppy doesnt seem to have any arthritis yet, (fingers X) he’ll be 9 years old on the 20th Novemeber & it’s the same day I rescued him 5 years ago his “Got You Day” he was being Put To Sleep on his birthday..

Steve Brown was asked if you had to pick 1 food to add to your dogs diet to make it healthier what would you add & Steve said, “Mussels” you can buy them in the freezer section or buy freeze dried mussels, Mussels are very healthy they have Manganese, Iodine, Fats, Vitamin D he said alot of raw diets are short of Manganese, Iodine fats & Vitamin D so add about 1-2 mussels a day + 1 tablespoon salmon & a pinch of Kelp to your dogs diet….

Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page, you’ll learn heaps about adding really good healthy fresh whole foods to your dogs diet…
Sounds like your doing a pretty good job already….

[Susan]

Hi gee you’ve been thru a lot so has your poor boy, the vets would be stumped they rely on test result, they probably haven’t see anything like this before, so go with your gut if they recommend to try news drugs if it doesn’t feel right don’t give the drugs cause your dog is being a guinea pig for them to learn on, try to contact other dog owners that have been thru the same thing.
I looked & there isnt any face book groups “yet” but you could start a “Dog or Canine with IMPT group” & just wait & see if a few dog owners join & talk about what they have been thru, especially if they live in another country (Australia) they may treat with different medicines, I read that there’s been no studies done on Canines with IMTP vets only know what owners have been thru & it has been documented…

Did the meds they prescribe for IMTP make him worse & sick?? he’s probably better off with no drugs if he seems OK…..I found this site it was written by Cold Coast Verterinary Services Australia, I wonder if you contact email other pet owners who have dealt with IMTP ?? you learn so much from other pet owners what they did, what worked, what didn’t work.
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/imt.htm

The Royal Canne Low Fat Gastro he’s eating has Pork as the only protein, it has rice flour instead of the boiled rice & corn, if he’s doing OK on the R/C Low Fat Gastro then that means he does OK with pork, rice & corn, the fat in the R/C low fat Gastro is 2.5%max when it’s converted to dry matter (kibble) it’s 10.45% max fat.., so if you want to cook something you can add some fresh lean cooked pork meat, you can buy some lean pork & mince thru the mincer yourself that’s what my vet does & told me to do the same for Patch, then you know what he’s eating, I was buying the human lean 5 star pork mince but Patch started to get pancreatitis symptoms, vomiting bad pancreas pain, I had bought the pork mince from a different supermarket & the fat said 5% but it must of been higher & had more fat then the other lean pork mince I was buying & Patch became real sick…

“Canidae” make their “Pure Wild Boar” dry kibble.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

there’s “Walk About” made in New Zealand & Australia they import to California, they only make Jerky & freeze dried treats & wet tin foods-Wild Boar, Wild Kangaroo & Goat, fat is 2%min when fat is converted it’s around 15%max fat.
http://walkaboutpetproducts.com/

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
TOTW does not make their wet tin foods, TOTW & Kirkland Signature wet tin foods are made by Evangers, so if your dog was eating & enjoying his TOTW wet tin foods its not a diamond product…..
I bought the 1 x TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb about 1 month ago & on the TOTW site it said the fat is 4%min but when the tin food arrived it said 4.5%min fat on the can, so I converted the 4.5% fat to dry matter & it was 25% fat, a bit high for Patch but I did give him 2 tablespoons for lunch & he ended up with his acid reflux afterwards so the cat ended up eating the rest of the TOTW Roasted Lamb wet tin food & she loved it…it’s a bit expensive at $4.99 a tin in Australia…
If you live near Costco’s try “Kirklands Signature, Nature’s Domain canned food, if you click on the “Reviews” up the top of your post then scroll down & look for “Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain (canned)” click on link then scroll down & there’s a photo of the Turkey & pea Stew, its looks pretty good…

There’s “Walkabout” Walkabout treats & wet canned food is made in New Zealand & Australia, there’s Wild Kangaroo, Wild Boar, Goat all are low in fat 2% when fat is converted to dry matter they are around 14-15%max fat & there’s Bushtail Possum & Duck, it’s higher in fat 5%, when converted to dry mater is 22.27% max fat… good for dogs with food sensitivities..

Here’s the link calculator so you can save & convert the wet tin foods so you know how high the fat is, I never normally buy a wet tin food that’s over 4% in fat cause I know the fat % will be high over 20% in fat when it’s converted to dry matter (Kibble). http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator/php

There’s also “4Health” wet tin food sold at Tractor Supply very good price around $1.19,
I don’t know if Evangers also make 4Health wet tin foods, someone else might know but it’s not hard to email the pet food companies & ask do they make their own canned foods or who does makes them… they need a cannery on site to make the canned foods..

[Susan]

There is no miracle cure when a dog has skin allergies unless your dog never had envrionment allergies to begin with cause environment allergies don’t get better with time, allergies get worse as the dog ages, you can use medications, weekly baths in a medicated shampoo to wash off the allergens on the dogs skin & paws will relieve the dogs itchy skin, paws & apply creams, there’s a new drug called “Cytopoint” injections seems to work really well but you can never eliminate & fix envrionment allergies…
If the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances the owner can do an food elimination trial & work out what foods are causing itchy, yeasty paws, skin & ears gas/wind, sloppy poo’s etc once foods are removed that the dog is sensitive too then you can eliminate food intolerances, like my vet has told me, food sensitivities & environment allergies normally come together the dog normally has both & it becomes a vicious cycle, you remove all the foods your dog can’t eat & the dog is better thru colder months (Winter) then Spring comes around & the dog start to itch & reacts again from environment allergies…. as the years pass the weather is becoming warmer, some days we have 4 seasons in 1 day, more & more dogs & cats are suffering with allergies now….

There’s allergy shots or oral drops known as immunotherapy, the injections seem to take longer to work & need to be given every 3-6 months, the oral drops are given every 1-3 months & seems to work quicker then the injections, immunotherapy only reduces symptoms, immunotherapy can not eliminate symptoms… Immunotherapy is very expensive, first you need to work out what in the environment your dog is allergic too by having an Intradermal Skin test then the Hyposensitization treatment is done, so best to get pet insurance before you visit your vet to get a referal to see a Dermatologist, it’s time consuming & expensive……

I choose to use NO drugs on my boy, I have found baths given twice a week or weekly baths have relieved my boy itchy skin & paws, I had to work out what foods he was sensitive too by doing a food elimination diet & work out what was causing his yeasty itchy ears, itchy paws & smelly skin, I use creams, apply “Sudocrem” before leaving home of a morning, I apply on his paws & where his skin is itchy or red, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects his paws, pink skin on head & body, then of a night I check out his whole body, I wipe him down with those baby wipes, I buy the Huggie Coconut Oil baby wipes, I wipe his body then get new wipe & wipe each paw with a new baby wipe, then a new wipe & wipe his head etc down, I do this the days I haven’t bathed him, then I use “Hydrocortisone 1%” cream where the skin is red & itchy… Once you work out what works best for your dog stick with the routine & make your dog comforable….also feed a diet high in omega 3 fatty acids, give 1-2 mussels a day I buy the “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels freeze dried treats, buy tin Sardines in olive oil or spring water, add a couple sardines to 1 of your dogs meal a day or 4 times a week or Tin Salmon add 1 spoon to 1 of your dogs meal a day… you will see a big difference in your dogs skin after doing the things I’ve have written above…..

[joanne l]

I make treats for my dog, I use 2 cups of oatflour (you can use any flour you want) and I use beef baby food (infant ones) it only has beef and broth for ingredients, and 1 teaspoon oil and 4 ounces of water., mix the tough and roll and cut with bone cookie cutter. bake at 325 for 30 minutes and lower to 300 bake for 30 more minutes.

[Taek K]

I have changed my dogs diet since my last post but the foundation is the same. No kibbles. Do your best to stay away from processed foods. Feed your baby real food.

Just to give you an idea, my dog is 45lbs and hes not too active anymore. He’ll go on a 5 mile hike with me once a week and hes done for the week. When I did feed him fish, I would give him about half a can of salmon (wild caught), handful of veggies, dynovite, organ meat, and during the winter, some berries. The berries were only after a few years of no sugar/starchy foods. The organ meat of choice was liver. Full of goodies. His treats were and still are jerky or liver. If you cant read the ingredients, dont give it to your dog. If its made in China dont give it to the dog.

The most important thing you have to assess is the dogs protein intake. Monitor her energy level and weight. If shes active, add more protein. Veggies are just healthy fillers. It takes a lot of work, but I promise you, it works. My dog is not 100% but hes closer to 100 than ever before. Bath regularly during heavy allergy season. Use gentle organic hypoallerengic shampoo. Cool baths are life savers. Let me how she turns out. Good luck!!

[carol w p]

Generations of our Rhodesian Ridgebacks have been given “regular’ size Greenies as a special treat all their lives. Our vet has been ok with it as long they’re supervised, and never given to a dog that tends to gulp or swallow things whole. The regular size isn’t very big for a large breed, but it’s enough to lodge in the trachea if not chewed into pieces before dispatch.

The Veterinary Oral Health Council website has lists of approved dental chews and treats: http://www.vohc.org/index.html

[Jody K]

I have given these treats to my healthy 70 pound Great Dane puppy and they make him violently ill! The first time I gave him just one treat and a couple of hours later he vomited all over the house, it was soo much he had to of completely emptied his stomach. I was horrified, he had never vomited before. Because I was unsure of what caused the vomit for sure I waited a couple of weeks and then gave him a small piece of one of these treats. Again he was violently sick this time with vomit and diarrhea. These treats are terrible! Please do not give them to your pets!

[LuckyLab]

The stools are on and off loose. More soft serve then true diarheea. We’ve had his stools tested and he’s clear from that end. Its so strange he’ll be fine 2-3 days (solid stools) then bam, loose and frequent. I know our vet has said they see more issues from Fromm in regards to it being rich for sensitive tummies.

As you’ve all said, with so much conflicting information out there its hard to know whats right. We are going to stick with the Fromm for another week and cut out all extra training treats and things to see if we can’t identify it as a problem with those.

[Susan]

Hi a c,
I buy the “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels” freeze dried treats, I also give 1 to my cat as well she loves mussels but sometimes I think Patch gets his acid reflux after he has eaten a couple of the Mussels, he does his mouth thing & starts grinding his teeth, he’s nilly 9 yrs old & not showing any signs of arthritis or slowing down not yet, but his vet did an X ray a couple of months ago cause she thought he had a blockage (urinary crystal) but instead she found this weird looking bone with all nerve endings, it was coming out of the top of his left back leg towards his spine, she said she has never seen anything like it in the 35 yrs she’s been a vet, she showed me & it was weird, she did say she has seen something similiar before but it was growing out of dogs top of front paw into his shoulder bone, she went & showed the X ray to the Osteo vet & asked him what he thought it was, he asked was Patch slowing down, can he jump up onto the bed, up into the car etc & is he’s fine walking up & down stairs, Patches vet said, he seems fine & not showing any pain in his back end, then the Osteo vet said he may have been born with this defect & it’s not bothering him at all, at first my vet thought it might be what has been causing Patches pain he gets sometimes when he whinges & whinges, drinks & drinks water but I said no that pain is more around the stomach & pancreatitis area the pain is further up near his rib cage, then she said but nerve pain can travel & be thrown in a different area & go further up the spine, then she wrote him a script to try “Gabapentin” for nerve pain + his IBD pain, we had talked about it before on his last visit to be given twice a day with his meals, vet said it doesnt affect the stomach like NSAID & other pain meds can do & she has a few older dogs on the Gabapentin who have IBD & they can’t take NSAID for their Arthritis pain & they are doing really well on the Gabapentin it also reduces stress & stops anxieties, yeh cause they’re drug up I thought, I’ve only ever given him the Gabapentin 100mg capsule twice now, when he’s been whinging & whinging all day & I don’t know what’s wrong with him & it makes him OK, he’s not drug up like I thought he’d be, he just settles down & stops the whinging the Gabapentin relaxes him & he has a good night sleep, it does stops what ever was wrong with him but I don’t give every single day with his meals cause some days he’s fine there’s no whinging, no drinking & drinking his water…

[Vito M]

My dog loves Shep sausage treats. Ingredients sound fine. Would like some
feedback as to thoughts, here is description:
Made with real chicken, turkey & pork.
No artificial colors or flavors.
Guaranteed analysis: crude protein min 28%, crude fat min 22%, crude fiber max 4%,
moisture max 32%
Ingredients: turkey, pork, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium sorbate (a preservative)
sodium hexametaphosphate, garlic extract, rosemary extract.
I’m a fairly new dog owner and would like thoughts.

[haleycookie]

Whatever food you feed I would just use the suggested feeding chart while he’s a puppy. Start at the lowest for his weight and adjust as you feel is needed. If you give lots of treats. That means a little less food at breakfast and dinner time. If you mix 6 oz of wet food in then that’s usually a half cup of food maybe a 1/4 depending. But most dry food bags will have an indicator of what to do when adding wet food in and the wet food cans also sometimes have a guide on mixing with dry.

[Susan]

Hi Jeri,
out of all the grain free formula’s you have tried what are the common ingredients in all these brands you have been feeding when he has had diarrhea?? is there always tapioca, chicken, peas, beet pulp, potato, chickpeas, fish?? do you feed teh same protein source? go thru all the brands & formula’s you have feed & write down the first 12 ingredients…. do you give any treats, is he eating anything else outside, are you using a flea product, did you change anything the times he’s had diarrhea??
Start keeping a diary & write down every single thing that goes in his mouth & on his skin if the flea meds are spot on’s, when he has diarrhea or starts doing sloppy poo’s…..I have a diary & it sits on loungeroom table & I write down what Patch ate, times, what his pos were like on walks, firm, soft, sloppy, yellow, condom over poo etc when he eats any treats, he’s eating the Hills Vet Diet treats at the moment & doing really well, so if he does get diarrhea I can look back thru his diary & see what has happened or it might be his IBD & he needs his Metronidazole tablets for 14-21 days again….

When you buy a new bag of kibble always read the “Use By Date” & I try & keep getting the same Use By Date Batches, this is what I do when Patch is doing really well, stick with the same Use By Date bags of kibble they always have 12-18 months on the bags of kibbles…..When the diarrhea has happened did you start a new bag of kibble?
also do you store kibble in a cool place, in air tight container?

My boy has IBD & this happens with Patch I’ve given him a food or started introducing him to a new kibble when he gets the rumbles (diarrhea sloppy poos) & I’ve just found out this year he can’t have barley tapioca & chickpeas, or he’s having an IBD flare too much bad bacteria….
Patch does the best on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb grain free gluten free formula, it just has 1 meat protein Lamb meal, sweet potato, potato, peas, egg, blueberries, raspberries, Costco sells Kirkland Signature, Nature’s Domain, made by TOTW but cheaper….Kirkland Signature Salmon & Sweet Potato is the same as the TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula, or there’s the Turkey & Sweet Potatoes aswell, the Beef formula has garbanzo beans, you want a kibble with the least ingredients…
Have you tried “4Health” sold thru Tractor Supply, I’ve read alot of dogs with stomach sensitivities do really well on “4Health” grain free limited ingredient formula’s…look at “4Health, Duck & Potato”, it has the less ingredients, it has no beet pulp, no tapioca, no chicken, or there’s
4Health, Special care Sensitive Stomach or Special Care Sensitive Skin, sometimes in certain brands the Sensitive Skin is better then the Sensitive Stomach formula’s, read ingredient list to both formula’s, I think the 4health Sensitive skin is better it has Hydrolyzed Salmon, potato free (he might be sensitive to potato??) & it has less ingredients & it’s higher in Omega 3 what you want for his Skin, Joints, Stomach, Brain, Heart. you can always try both & see which one works best, rotate between the 2, they both might be good…Google “4Health” Tractor Supply also have the wet tin food $1.19c a 13 oz. can
When you rotate foods it helps with food sensitivites & strengthens their immune system..

If after trying either the Kirkland Signature, Natures Domain, Turkey or the Salmon + sweet potatoes formula’s or the 4Health Duck Meal & Potato or Sensitive Skin formula & the same thing happens you might have to ty a limited ingredient grain formula & see does it happen as well?? if it does happen then he might have small intestinal bowel overgrowth S.I.B.O, stop feeding kibbles with Beet Pulp, is poo yellow, is it just a one off diarrhea? or do you need Metronidazole (Flagyl) from the vet to stop the diarrhea & get rid of the bad bacteria in stomach & bowel ??
I had to use the Metronidazole (Antibiotic) maybe three times a year to fix Patches bacteria & kill the bad bacteria cause it takes over the stomach & small bowel when he was eating kibble with Beet Pulp… S.I.B.O…..
Pick a new kibble with different ingredients to what he’s eating at the moment..
Good Luck keep me posted..

[Therese M]

Thank you guys so much for your help. She’s doing so much better. She scarfed down a couple cans of purina one smartblend and a can of Costco stew. She even ate the Costco stuff with pumpkin mixed in. Plus some dry with wet mixed in. Zignature is sending me samples and coupons- super helpful and so nice. I’ve also had great customer service from muenster which is the local brand the rescue feeds. I’d love to get her on that to support them but I’ll take what I can get now. Puking stopped, diarrhea is still going on but hoping the antibiotics ending will clear that up. So much less stress right now and she’s obviously happier too. Found some high cal treats to help get her bigger for her next treatment too. Still trying for at least 5 lbs, vet said some extra would be better bc she’ll lose a few during treatment. Funny I can put on 10 lbs overnight but she doesn’t seem to share that genetic disposition.

[Jill T]

Hi! Just wondering if they have checked the dog for pancreatitis and have done any bloodwork? Also has anyone checked the dog for intestinal parasites? Since we are positive for heartworm, which is a very expensive, and long, drawn out treatment, it would not surprise me if we are positive for giardia, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworm, or any other intestinal parasite. Bland diet is the best choice for her right now, such as boiled, skinless, boneless chicken and white rice. If she has pancreatitis it my take a couple days for her to want to eat. The pancreas needs to rest, and if she does have it Caesar’s and Mighty dog are high in fat, which is the worst thing you can give your dog with pancreatitis. I’ve worked with animals for 15 years and have a dog prone to pancreatitis. She will always have to be on a low fat diet for the rest of her life. Her only treats she is able to have with no issues is pieces of her regular diet or it sends her into a bout of pancreatitis. Good luck with your dog and I really hope she recovers from this. If she is this nauseous from the antibiotics, I would sincerely hope the veterinarian would recommend changing it to something else. Hope this helps a little.

[Therese M]

No, she wasn’t. When I took her back they tried the standard stuff they’d been feeding her and she wouldn’t touch it. They said keep trying something until you find something she likes. Sigh. It’s almost definitely the antibiotics causing this. She only has 3 days left, but that’s still 3 days. I just got some dog probiotics tonight and put it on her food so now of course she won’t eat the food. She likes pepperoni and peanut butter. We can only get her to take her meds with that, but I’m guessing there’s no dog food that tastes like that by any chance??? She also doesn’t like most treats. Some weird looking marrow ones from target and some yogurt ones basically made of sugar. I have 3 kinds of zukes that she wont touch plus other random stuff. A bone here and there. At first she loved bully sticks but now she doesn’t care much about them.

[Mark M]

A couple of months ago the Nature Valley Raw Instinct dog food line. I’m on my 3rd bag since the transition and probably on my 3rd week of my dog having regular diarrhea. This has started about 3 weeks ago with inconsistency. He would have just softer than normal bowel movements when he was at home but daycare was telling me that he would have regular explosive diarrhea when he was there. I figured that it may have been other treats or the excitement of daycare, but now after several weeks and removal of the other treats until only the kibble is all that he is regularly eating for several days now, he has been having liquid diarrhea for the last few days. Is anyone else that uses this brand experiencing this?

I have put him on a bland diet to see if he normalizes, but I am concerned about resuming this brand of food if others may be having the same issue.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
My boy didn’t do well on the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Digestion, read the ingredients in the Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy, I bet you there’s a ingredient or a few ingredients that’s she is very sensitive or intolerant too & can not eat, also write down the ingrediets & the protein, fat & fiber % in the Purina Pro Plan Large Breed formula, the ingredients are not the best in the American Purina Pro Plan formula’s…
Keep a diary just in case you need it later to look back on if this keeps happening…

Can you afford to buy the Hills I/d Digestive Care dry kibble formula the matching formula to the I/d wet tin your feeding at the moment? it comes in a dry kibble as well you could buy a cartoon of the I/d wet tins & a medium size bag I/d Digestive Care dry kibble, enough to last 1 month so you can start introducing the new kibble as well that you want her on?
My boy does real well on the Hills I/d Digestive Care wet & dry formula I use this or the “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb kibble when Patch has diarrhea & his poo’s will not firm back up, both formula’s fix his stomach, bowel & get him back on track again, the Hill’s I/d Digestive care has vitamin B’s, electrolytes & antioxidents what’s needed for diarrhea, to make their Intestinal tract healthy again….
Your better off sticking with the food she is eating at the moment & doing well on, then after 2-4 weeks when she is doingreal well, then start introducing a limited ingredient large breed puppy formula with around the same protein% & fat% & fiber % as the vet diet kibble she’s been eating, but if your feeding wet tin food then your not going to really know what percentage she does best on when eating a dry kibble?? just stay around the 25 % in protein nothing over 27-28% in protein & not too many meat proteins, stick with just 1 meat protein in the new kibble, less is best..

“Canidae” has a few Large Breed Puppy formula’s with grains like the vet diet she is eating at the moment has, I would be taking back the Purina Pro Plan Large Puppy & getting a refund or exchanging with something else, then you have to slowley introduce the new kibble over 10 day period, I start with under 1/4 of a cup new kibble added to under 1 cup old kibble feed this for 2 days & use old kibble for treats for training the first 4 days, do not buy any other brand treats that have different ingredients cause the more different foods you feed then if she has diarrhea again you will not know which food has caused the diarrhea…. then you feed 1/3 of a cup new kibble added to her old kibble, you take away 1/3 of the old kibble to make 1 cup, feed for the next 2 days, if poo start to go sloppy then you go back to 1/4 a cup or what ever she was eating & doing firm poo’s on…
Here’s “Canidae” life stages, large breed puppy, Turkey meal & Brown Rice puppy formula
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey- meal-brown-rice
Another good kibble to start with is “California Nutural” Chicken & Rice or Lamb & Rice Puppy both these formula’s only has 4 ingredients…. the Californiia Natural puppy would have been good to feed when the diarrhea first started…. http://www.californianaturalpets.com/brands/california-natural

[Ashley K]

Hey all! New puppy mom here – I’ve had my 9week old lab for a week now – and I’m super struggling.

The breeder was feeding our pup Puppy Chow, which as soon as we got her on the 31st we started mixing with our choice of Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy. She loves the taste! She was fully switched over in about 2 days, as we ran out of the puppy chow. On Wednesday, she started having pudding-like stools. That evening they switched to straight liquid. For about 30hrs, she bounced between straight liquid and pudding like texture. We went to the vet, and they recommended using Hill’s Science Digestive Care wet food for a few days, then mixing her kibble back in slowly once we reached the third can they gave us. For timeline: weds the diarrhea started, Thursday afternoon we started on the Digestive Care food. Saturday Evening/ Sunday we started mixing kibble back in, and now on Monday the diarrhea has returned (pudding, now liquid.) We’ve been using her Pro Plan kibble as training treats, a training treat for potty. Sometimes she gets puppy teething rings and such but we held off on that during the upset tummy, but started them back once her poops were fine on the new Digestive Care food- she had instant improvement. Now, to be clear, the breeder never mentioned any stomach problems, and when we first got her her poop was fine. All fecal tests were normal. The vet started her on an antibiotic just in case. I believe the kibble is to blame however. Once she starts getting a fair bit, the poop gets bad again. I sent my SO to the vet to pick up some more of the Digestive Care food and we’ll just give her that til her tummy is better.

Now however, I’m trying to figure out what different food to give her!! I don’t mind spending a fair amount on this food, but I don’t want to do anything TOO crazy. I also really want to stick with kibble, not wet or raw or anything. I’ve heard a little about grain-free foods – but I’ve also heard plenty of mixed reviews about their poops on this as well as added cost, etc. I just have no idea! I was under the belief that I should try and stick with a large breed formula, but my puppy is a female…she’s 9 weeks and she’s only 8 1/2 lbs. Her mom weighs 60-70lbs and her dad is over 90+ – the breeder is expecting her to be about her mom’s size. But could it maybe be the protein amount that is upsetting her, since she was seemingly fine on cheap puppy chow?

I was going to head to my local Hollywood Feed tomorrow and see what they recommend, but I wanted to also poll a larger audience. A friend of mine recommended Fromm Large Breed Puppy so I was thinking about going that route?

Also to note- no vomit, she’s very excitable and seems to feel/act well…except for when she’s having a lot of the diarrhea, then she seems dehydrated and pees a lot less.

Please help. <3

[pugmomsandy]

I haven’t given my dogs any fancy cheeses, just American slices, Swiss and Monterrey Jack and cheddar. They haven’t had any issues. I use cheese to give them pills or as treats.

[anonymous]

I say NO.
NO dairy products. Dogs don’t need them and they can cause diarrhea.
A bite of cooked lean broiled chicken would be a better choice for a snack (IMO)

Here is an informative article, excerpts below (out on context) click on link for full article. Hope this helps.
https://dogpack.com/blog/dog-care/can-dogs-eat-cheese

The internet is divided when it comes to feeding Fido cheesy treats. One camp says it’s fine in moderation, and others forbid it altogether. As with any new food, run any questions by your vet ahead of time.
There isn’t an easy answer for this; some dogs will be fine with cheese, and others may be super sensitive to it. Even dog owners who swear by cheesy treats admit that it should be an occasional indulgence, not a regular snack. The fat and calorie content of most commercial cheeses will pile on the pounds, and smaller dogs especially may end up gaining excessive weight.
While some cheese products are better than others, there are certain cheeses that should be avoided altogether.
Like humans, some dogs are lactose intolerant. Any cheese consumption for a lactose-intolerant dog is likely to end up in:
Horrible, never-ending streams of diarrhea
Farts so foul that your indoor plants will wither and die before your eyes (along with your nasal hairs)
Vomiting, Exorcist-style
One sad puppy
And yes, I’m one of lucky few who found out my dog was lactose intolerant the hard way! It goes without saying that a lactose-intolerant dog should avoid all dairy products.
Can Dogs Eat Blue Cheese?
Blue cheeses, like Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort, and other French favorites should be added to your list of no-no foods for Fido. When blue cheese starts to get super-ripe, it can produce roquefortine, a potentially lethal toxin for dogs to consume. There have been documented cases of dogs dying from consuming old blue cheese, so keep it 100% out of your dog’s way.
All cheeses can produce roquefortine if they’re old enough, so if your dog has “rescued” any cheese from the trash and starts to demonstrate any of the following symptoms, take them to the nearest animal hospital at once:
Shivering
Spasms
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Lethargy
Neurological symptoms (i.e. confusion, aggression, etc.)

[Susan]

Hi Roger,
It will all depend on your dogs, I always gave my last dog & cat cheese they loved their little piece of cheese, now I have a dog with IBD so I have to be a bit more careful what he eats but he loves his cheese twisties he gets a few twisties every night if he goes down stairs & does a wee before bed, he flys down my stairs does his wee then he flys back up the stairs & sits & waits for a few twisties & now my new cat does it as well but she’s a bit slow on coming back inside…..some nights I give them both a little piece of vintage cheese & Patch gets 1/4 of my probiotic Yukult drink every morning….both are fine no diarrhea.

I’m a believer in giving my pets all types of food even my cat she eats everything, my last cat LOVED his cheese as well….
The only reasons they say don’t give your pets human food is it makes them bludge food when your eating, so just make sure when you do give any little food treats that your eating don’t give them the food while you’re eating put theirs in a bowl either before or after you eat, un less you dont mind being watched while your eating, they do give up & walk away when they work out they are not getting any food..

[Susan]

Hi,
sardines, salmon, blueberries, broccolli, also make frozen coconut oil treats in ice cube tray, there’s a frozen Golden Paste treat as well, if you follow “Rodney Habib” on his f/b page, he
has some really good post & videos on whole healthy foods same as Dr Peter Dobias DMV…
I tend to give extra healthy foods as treats instead, Green Lipped Mussel are excellent…
I’ll try & find all Rodney’s video’s links, Dr Karen Becker is in a few vidoes making healthy treats high in Omega 3… Under the Sun is a cheaper formula made by “Canidae”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
What brand of kibble are you feeding & is it grain free? have a look at “Canidae” Pure formula’s the “Pure Wild” & “Pure Land” Canidae was tested by Clean Label Project & got 5 stars so did the Under The Sun Chicken & Lamb formula’s.. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/ click on “Product Ratings” up the top the click on “Dry Dog food” on the left.
It’s good to rotate between a different kibbles with limited ingredients & single meat protein kibbles…

[Susan]

Hi Dewper,
if you live America then there’s a cream similiar to the Sudocrem sold at supermarket but I can’t remember the name, a lady posted it on the “Dog, issues, allergies and other information support” f/b group, it has the same ingredients, (I think) as the Sudocrem has.
I live Australia & the Sudocrem is sold supermarkets & chemist in the baby section with the coconut oil & aloe & cucumber baby wipes are, I’ve read people who live America buy Sudocrem from Amazon or read ingredient list & look for a baby cream sold at supermarket with similiar ingredients…..
When your boy wasnt licking his paws real bad was he eating the same food he’s eating now or a different food? it’s so hard to work out allergies cause dogs normally will have both food & envrionment alergies, I was thinking is he may be a compulsive licker?? my Patch was when I first rescued him, paw licking sets off their endorphins, especially when they lick & lick themselves to sleep…my Patch all of a sudden dissappears & I find him in my room or the spare room licking his paw, then there’s the big wet patch on the bed aaaaaarrrrhhhhh it’s always just one of his paws he’s licking not both paws, he has white paws, I have a quick look at his paw & paw will be red up & sometimes in between his toes, so if he’s due for his weekly bath in a couple of days I bath him earlier & I bath him in the Malaseb shampoo also sold on Amazon & you leave the shampoo on his paws 5-10 mins if you can, the Malaseb is excellent for Allergies, itchy skin & yeasty skin….after his bath his paws look heaps better & aren’t itchy no more, so something in the Malaseb reduces the reddness & itch, then that night I apply the Hydrocortisone cream in between the tows & everywhere that’s red by morning all reddness is all gone, when I get a bit lazy I dont keep up with his daily routine applying creams his red paws happens….
It’s Winter in Australia & this is the worst Winter Patch has had so far, he normally does real well thru the colder Winter months as long as I’m not feeding him any ingredients he’s sensitive too, but this Winter has been heaps warmer & plants are flowering so I’d say the pollen count is higher…. another thing check what the Omega 3 % is in the kibble your feeding him some kibbles arent balanced properly & are higher in Omega 6 & real low in Omega 3, the omega 3% should be around 1/2 of what the omega 6% is…..as soon as you open your bag of kibble all the oils start to go rancid from the air/oxygen, so your omega 3% becomes less, they say a kibble only last about 2 weeks once you’ve opened it google ” How long does a kibble stay fresh once it’s opened”
The best thing to do is add a few small sardines to his diet a day, start buying the tin Sardines in spring water or olive oil, Aldi’s sell cheap good sardines & salmon in spring water, just add a few sardines or spoons of the salmon to 1 of his meals or give as a treat, I make salmon cakes just boil some potato or sweet potatoes & cool then mix with the drained tin of salmon or start giving him a fish capsule if he has sensitive stomach/bowel then get the Krill Oil capsules they’re suppose to be better for senstive stomach, my boy can’t have fish/salmon oil it gives him acid reflux, he does better when he eats foods high in Omega 3, almonds are excellent I give about 3 Almonds some days but make sure he chews them or they will come back out whole, I don’t know but a lady said her dog got into the bag of almonds & it wasnt nice, I bite 1/2 an almond & give the other 1/2 of the almond to patch & say chew, even have a look at the K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels freeze dried treats Chewy sell them & other brands as well, I give my cat & Patch a couple mussels a day as treats… You just need to keep in a daily routine, 1 lady from f/b group I mentioned above said she has a water tray near the front door & her dog walks thru it to wash off any allergens on his paws but I’d rather put him in a empty bath, wet his paws & wash & leave soaking in the Malaseb shampoo this works really well then rinse & dry. another thing in the beginning after I applied cream if you know he’s going to lay down to sleep & lick, then I put on a baby socks or a cut up elastic bandage with the bandage tape around the top, this stops the paw licking & gets him out of the compulsive licking.. this is what I had to do with Patch in the beginning..
When your boy is licking his paw do you look at the paw to see if it’s red, swollon etc ?

[Susan]

Hi dewper,
have you tried giving baths twice a week in “Malaseb” medicated shampoo?? baths wash off any allergens that are on the paws, skin & fur, when I first rescued my boy he was a paw licker, now he’s been diagnosed with IBD, Environment allergies & food sensitivities/intolerances, he was put on a high omega 3 skin vet diet but it didn’t help with his red itchy paws or sloppy poo’s, it helped his skin, so I did a food elimination diet & worked out what foods he was sensitive too that were causing his red itchy paws, itchy ears where he’d shake his head, bum surfing on the carpet, & itchy skin… but when they have both environment allergies & food sensitivities it’s very hard to work out what’s causing what…so its best to do food elimination diet in the winter the colder months when all the pollens flowers etc aren’t out..
Have you joined face book group called “Dog, issues, allergies and other information support” group a Dermatologist is in the group, Dr Karen Helton Rhodes DMV, DACVD she has a F/B group called “Canine Skin Solutions”
I use Hydrocortisone 1% cream on his paws & in between toes at night then during the day before our walk I use “Sudocrem” on his paws & white sections of fur & pink skin the Sudocrem is for nappy rash, eczema & dermatitis & acts as a barrier & protects the skin it’s excellent if your dog has grass allergies, itchy bum & skin, when my boy walks on wet grass he gets his red paws also, chicken, barley, oats, corn & wheat causes itchy skin & itchy paws within 20 mins of eating these foods, carrots make his ears itch & the head tilting & shaking start… start keeping a diary..
It’s best to give baths, use creams & socks to stop the paw licking & have you looked into a raw diet?? all Patches skin problems disappeared within 1 week when he started a raw diet high in omega 3 & probiotic to strengthen his immune system also high potency vitamin C is excellent..
If I see Patch licking his paws I say NO lick & I stop him licking his paws & go & get the Sudocrem & apply if it’s in the day & before bed I apply the Hydrocortisone 1% cream you’ll get into a routine & work out what works best for your boy….baths in Malaseb shampoo twice a week will stop & relieve any itchy skin & paws. also when he looks bored & starts to lick paws give him something natural & healthy to chew on, a healthy raw meaty bone will stop any paw licking, chicken & turkey bone is the softest bone to chew & digest… read all ingredients to any treats you buy..
can I ask 1 question after he licks & licks his paws does he burp, do you hear him burp??

[Sarah G]

I have recently came across a great website, which has a variety of homemade dog treat recipes – Healthy, Organic, Treats for dogs who have diabetes etc… (www.puredogtreats.com). I was looking for new high value treats to use when I am training with my dog. I used to buy dog treats from the store, but they where becoming so expensive, which is why I now make my treats at home. I avoid giving my dog treats that contains unnecessary chemicals, artificial colors and preservatives – so I am always on a hunt for healthy treats that will benefit my dog. I found my dogs new favorite treat on this website,and she goes crazy for it – The treat is called ‘Dehydrated Liver and Oregano Strips’.

[Dewper]

Hi! Just discovered these forums, been reading all morning. I have a 2-year-old 68lb rescue dog (over half boxer, plus lab and rott according to his DNA profile–he looks like a tall, lean, shiny black lab:-). He licks his feet constantly when he’s not active. The vet has ruled out yeast, etc., and guessed allergies, but allergy meds did not seem to help. I’ve read so much conflicting info on this, but I don’t think it’s just merely a “bad habit.” I’m wondering if it could be related to his diet? I use non-toxic cleaning products, etc., so I don’t believe he is getting any irritants in our home. I don’t like that he may be uncomfortable or itchy all the time, plus the wet spots caused by his licking that he leaves all over my couch and house are really annoying!

He has been on Pure Balance’s grain free (usually the Salmon and Pea, occasionally Lamb if that one’s not available) the entire 2 years since I’ve had him. I switched my other rescue dog to it at that time as well (boxer/beagle), and the latter dog’s “sensitive” stomach issue was immediately resolved, so I’ve been happy with the food. But now I’m wondering if a change may help my licky feet doggy? I do give them regular treats/bones that are not grain-free (ok, they’re probably all crap products, to be honest. I’m working on changing that, but I do love to spoil my boys!)

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[Diana L]

In response to Regina S. The bag of Dreambones that made both of our dogs very sick and caused the death of one of them was made in CHINA, but distributed from NJ. It’s real small and difficult to find on the packaging, but definitely made in China. We had the bag of treats tested and there was stuff in them that was not on the packaging. It’s also suspected that air might have gotten into the bag of treats that may have caused them to become brittle, leading to the internal bleeding and vomiting.