[Jane L]

You are wasting your breath obviously once Cameron referee to Snopes 😜 That is quite funny for some talking science!

For anyone interested Snopes have not updated their unproven statement from June 2015 on Duncan’s death in spite of being provided with his MSD cases number, letters to owner from Merck and paid vet bills on the owners surviving dog. This case was the first to hit the news and another 4000 odd cases / 900 approx. deaths have followed on. If these reported cases are just 1% as they say is the norm then obviously this is a massive issue. I think with groups now in so many Countries anybody with half a brain can see there is a big problem here. So be aware if you dog reacts there is no antidote and so far there are no clues why some are react so violently and others days after dose 3 or more and others appear fit after over two years. If you love your dog why take the risk especially as it does not even prevent tick disease and works by your dogs blood feeding parasites? Surely a deterrent to prevent the bite is preferable?

Unproven does not mean it did not happen it means there is not 100% proof of the cause. It’s the 100% conclusive scientific proof that appears impossible but if you feed you dog one of these so called ‘tasty treats’ and within minutes on many occasions it starts seizing I think you know the cause. The intelligence of someone referring to Snopes as the fountain of all knowledge is laughable 🙄😫

Anybody interested in reading facts just apply to the EMA and read the cases and see how they singled it out at the January meeting for targeted PSUR’s.

[Susan]

Hi Rich, click on this link, Clean Label Project,
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/ scroll down & read the kibbles & wet foods that had the most toxic chemicals, arsenic, lead & cadmium, most were pet foods that had fish as the main protein, last yea I started feeding Patch the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines made by Well Pet who make’s Wellness another kibble Patch did well on then went down hill after 2-3months, his stomach & bowel seems to know when a kibble isn’t right & something is wrong, now I know why after reading the Clean Label Project… all last year Patch was doing really well eating TOTW Roasted Lamb + different cooked foods that I add to his diet for dinner, then Spring come around, cause Patch suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, I start to feed a fish based kibble thru the Spring & Summer months the year before I feed an Australian made kibble “Meals For Mutts” but this year I started to feed the Holistic Select G/F fish kibble instead the man at the pet shop recommended the Holistic Select he feeds it to his 2 Staffys that also have allergies then after 2-3 months Patch went down hill after eating the Holistic Select, he stopped eating it, he was doing sloppy cow pattie poos, up all hours of the night pooing, bad wind pain, whinging, I saw his vet, she put him back on the Metronidazole & I put him back on his TOTW Lamb kibble, his poo’s firmed up within 2 days.. then 1 month ago I see Holistic Select kibble on the Clean Label Project it’s 10th, contains the highest amount of harmful environment and industrial contaminants & toxins.. I nilly died & Holistic Select is a 5 star kibble on the DFA….
This is why over time it’s best to find a couple of different brands of pet food with a different protein that agree with your dogs & you rotate between the 2 or 3 brands so if 1 brand isn’t being made any more or has something wrong like toxins or lacking vitamins, not enough omega 3 etc your dogs are not on the one food long enough, eating the same food 24/7 for years & years & suffering long term health problems…..

What kibble works for one dog may not work for another dog, if your dogs were doing sloppy poo’s with jelly mucus on them it’s normally food intolerances, or the protein may be too high, after doing a food elimination diet with my boy, it was chicken, corn, corn gluten meal, barley, boiled rice he can not eat, his IBD vet specialist said when I’m looking for any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure it has 1 single protein with limited ingredients so there’s less chance he will react to an ingredient, she said if after 9-12 months he’s doing really well on the same kibble, its best to introduce new foods into his diet, sometimes a dog will start to react to an ingredient in the food you’ve been feeding for years, so I rotate kibbles now & I add different foods to his diet for dinner or as treats but I didn’t do all this straight away it has taken over 3-4 yrs to get to this point where Patch can eat anything now as long as it’s not any foods he’s sensitive too…also sometimes a 5 star food won’t be the best food for your dog, if it’s a 3 stars food & agrees with your dog & the ingredients all look good then that’s OK, Dog Food Advisor gives less stars sometimes cause the protein is under 25%, there’s nothing wrong with the kibble, but the lower the protein the more carbohydrates that kibble will have….

[Rebecca S]

And to Anon101 I will look into those! And I have already created a budget for next year including vet visits, treats, toys, food, and everything else! I budgeted up to 1.60 per pound just in case but was looking to see if I could bring it down!

[Lora J]

Congratulations on your new dog! I have large breeds, myselfso I cannot comment on that. But I have found this dog food rating system on this website a valuable tool for finding the best food for our budget. I have found it takes some time to search through the higher rated foods, thrn shop around to price check, but worth it. Buy the highest rated food you can afford. I also supplement my dogs’ dry kibble with raw carrots and broccoli as treats for additional enzymes and antioxidents. I am sure you will get additional helpful comments here. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Peter, I live Australia & Garlic is in a lot of our Australian made dogs foods… Garlic is very healthy for dogs, it repeals worms, fleas & diseases….. When you read the ingredient list to the treats the garlic should be near the end of the ingredient list, the further down the ingredient list an ingredient is then there isn’t much of it….
When your bored Google “The Oldest Dog in the World” & watch the video made by Rodney Habib, Rodney Habib is good to follow on face book if your on Face book…

[anonymous]

Regarding the treats mentioned, I don’t see the sodium content?
Whenever you see “powder” such as garlic powder, celery powder etc…..I question the amount of salt mixed in.
At least I do with stuff I buy for my own consumption. I stopped buying chili powder for my vegetarian chili for that reason.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by anonymous.

[Acroyali]

Lovelybear we must be out of the same mold. We recently dragged out an old crate for one of our dogs to eat in and she acted like she was being put in jail, and like I threw away the key! This dog hasn’t had the need to be crated (other than in the car) for quite some time, so she’s none too thrilled with our newest and brightest idea. She has no self preservation and I’m constantly worried she might get hurt. It occurred to us that if she DOES injure herself, crate rest will be in order and it might be a good idea to re-acclimate her so she doesn’t stress.

I keep the crate in a high traffic area (our kitchen is bustling) so she’s in the action (so to speak), and we started playing little crate games. I’d take a treat, have her sit and wait, and toss the treat into the crate and release her. We put a few old blankets in there one night, made a big show of burying some really high value treats IN the blankets and shut the door and released. She wanted in that crate so bad! We opened the door and she flew in, nudging the blankets aside and hunting those treats down. We left the door open so she could exit whenever, and she was so into the game that she didn’t even think about leaving the crate until she was 100% sure there wasn’t a crumb left.

Be creative! If you’re into clicker training, a clicker can come in really useful in situations like this and you can choose a word to send her into the crate. (We use “load up”, a friend of mine simply says “In you go”!) Play crate games with her. When I crate train a new dog I don’t leave the door open when I’m not actively training it, it’s like reverse psychology–the crate = games = fun = not always available. Some people have better luck leaving the door open 24 hours a day and letting the dog explore at their own pace. Assess your dog and do what you feel would be best for her. Be creative! 🙂

I’ve fed raw for a lot of years. A few dogs eat out of bowls, a few on plastic washable mats (no bowls). When it’s nice we do feed some dogs outside, but the yard isn’t treated with anything. The bowls and mats go in hot, soapy water and are easy to wash and rinse. They air dry.

It’s great that your dog is a good, slow eater and not a gulper! Crate feeding is great because it IS so easy to clean. If absolutely necessary, it might be possible to take the crate bottom pan out and let it be free-standing in the room, and use it as a place for her to eat until she’s used to the actual crate again. Once she’s happy walking in and out of the crate for a treat, maybe jackpot reward her with a few gizzards or something really high value.

Yes, there are risks concerning raw feeding, but unfortunately there are risks concerning ANY feeding, for pets or humans. The presence of penobarbitol in some “high end” brands lately have really made many people suspicious of the idea that commercial food is automatically safe and raw food is automatically dangerous.

[Peter H]

Switching treats from Puperoni to Zuke’s…..which has garlic powder listed as the 4th ingredient listed. Vet says “not to worry”…..Fritz at Zukes says “OK”.

Raw garlic is probably a no-no……what about powdered garlic ?

Thanks

[Peter H]

Greetings….new member. I was concerned about garlic/garlic powder in dog food/treats…and Zukes.

Put both in Search Box and a lot showed up. A lot of replies are lengthy and I stopped reading after just a few….trying to pick out “Zukes” and ‘garlic” in the same black script was a bit much for impatient me.

Is it possible to highlight the Search word/term in red for old fuddy-duddys, like me ?

Thanks

[Shane C]

Hi Everyone,

Apologies if this is in the wrong section!

I’m coming to the end of my degree with university and while job hunting in the industry I’d like to start off my own little business,

I’m looking at doing pet food, but specifically starting off with dog treats / dried food. I’m also taking a interest in doing condition tailored treats, take my puppy for example, poor thing has just been diagnosed with a proneness to colitis.

I’m just wondering if anyone has any general ideas or tips to help me start off?

And before concerns come into the replies, I have access to the correct facilities to produce, completely above aboard, routinely inspected, so it’s not a spontaneous idea of a stereotypical student cooking up some biscuits in a grotty flat hoping to make a quick quid!

[Michael M]

Wow, glad to know this information about Greenies – this is part of the reason why I joined this forum. I’ve gotten them for free and hadn’t paid for them, and I rarely give my dogs any types of treats besides peanut butter. I hadn’t thought too much about the ingredients. Luckily, it was only twice that I’ve given it to mine.

That being said, they definitely didn’t do a great job of cleaning their teeth. I also switched to pig ears – stuff that won’t easily get caught in their throat but provides some good chewing action.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Robin M:
I hope you don’t leave, looks like some helpful info has been posted for you to look into.

I have a dog that tends to get chubby during hot weather (inactive time for him) and have to closely monitor his calories. When I have a moment I will post some of the weight management/Sr. formulas I feed.

I feed yogurt here and there as a treat; not very large portions. I buy low-fat, no particular brand. Make sure there are no artificial sweeteners added, some are deadly for dogs. I sometimes freeze it in ice cube trays for a frozen treat. I am going to be making a few frozen treats with some fresh fruit for summertime. Maybe I’ll add some sardines for another flavor too. Very important, keep track of calories don’t over do it!!

[Robin M]

Yea the only treats he gets are the pill pockets for his meds. I am a little concerned that by cutting his food intake by half it won’t be enough for him. With the carrots/green beans being just filler.

I know..I worry too much. But, as most on this site know, he’s my baby LOL.

Thanks everyone

[pitlove]

Hi Robin-

I currently have a senior Lab who needed to lose 7lbs. So far he has lost 2.

What I did that has been working was putting him on a weight control food that was both low in fat and calories. Most importantly I stopped giving him any and all treats and table food. We also increased his walks. If you want to treat your dog, pet him, play ball, fetch etc. Those are a healthy “treat” for your dog that they enjoy.

Controlling calories is extremely important for weight loss. If they are taking in more calories than they are burning they can not lose weight.

[heather s]

in looking at canidae some foods had a 5 star rating. none of the foods with 5 stars had fish in them. some of the three stars did have fish meal . the treats were all one star with no fish meal and of the actual one star canidae dog foods most if not all had menhaden meal in them

[Susan]

Hi how is your poor dog doing?? what did vet do is he on Metronidazole??
All organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea when feed too much, my boy gets diarrhea from those liver treats, Beef liver treats chicken liver treats… when I first rescued him 4-5yrs ago, I took him to the Hunter rescue second hand shop they raise money & sell worm, flea products, collars, name tag’s, toys, jackets etc everything for dogs/cats they raise money for people that don’t have the money to desex their cat & dogs, I wanted a new ID tag & a few toys for Patch & showed all the ladies my new rescue boy, the elderly ladies kept giving Patch liver treats & these were real big thick chunky black liver/beef treats, they could have been beef liver, I don’t know, anyway that night we were up all night with bad diarrhea, pain, feeling sick, I took Patch to vet next morning cause I have never had a dog get this sick, he was put on Metronidazole an antibiotic for the bowel & stomach & Royal Canine, Hydrolyzed dry vet diet just to let his bowel rest & heal, that’s when Patches new vet told me organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea, so since then I have never given him any liver, beef, or chicken liver treats again…
Years later I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet cause of his IBD & Skin allergies & he wasn’t given any organ meat or bone in his diet cause he has IBD, he was put on a probiotic & digestive enzymes & a supplement powder to balance the raw diet but the raw diet didn’t agree with Patch cause of his IBD, it cleared up his itchy skin & red paws cause we were just feeding Kangaroo with blended broccoli, apple, celery, we were starting an elimination raw diet but Patch kept feeling very sick & regurgitating the raw back up….Maybe stick with the cooked diet, I know raw is so much easier to do there’s no cooking just start with 1 lean white protein & a few blended veggies (2-3) like broccoli, apple, celery etc & only add 1-2 spoons of the blende veggies with 1 cup raw..

[caroline b]

Can anyone recommend a well balanced, healthy puppy training treat?

[Hav mom]

Wondering if any one has tried the new Mussel Green lipped freeze dried natural
treats for Dogs from The Honest Kitchen? Am considering it for my dog who loves treats and he will still get his Omega 3! (I now give him Dr.Mercola Krill Oil in his food, but treats
are nicer 🙂 )Also, I Just heard about a new food Human Grade Dog Food at cheweys called Tylee’s.
Anyone know anything about it??

[Nathan J]

New to this site so have no idea if I’m hitting right thing or not. But curious anyone would know what could be wrong with our dog. Vet visits are so high these days. But we have almost 8 year half blue heeler and half jack russel (mainly blue heeler. Very spoiled but medical alert dog to. She still eats treats and her daily vitiam but she won’t eat her food for almost two days now. Also she refuses to go outside which is out normal for her. Curious if anyone has any ideas what might be wrong or maybe she bored with food? Like I have read. She has had diarrhea some. One minute is normal bowl movements next it isn’t:

[Susan]

Hi Emmygirl,
It’s good you have found a food that works, stick with it for now…Royal Canin vet diets also has their Potato + Venison-PV, Potato + Rabbit-PR, Potato +Salmon-PS & Potato + Kangaroo wet & dry formulas, I don’t know why but my boy seems to do better on Royal Canin vet diets then the Hills vet diets, but we don’t get any of the Hills d/d novel proteins wet & dry formulas they don’t pass our strict quarantine laws to come into Australia & why we get the all the Royal Canine vet formulas is cause the Royal Canine is made in France & passes our strict quarantine laws……
Be VERY careful feeding a raw diet, raw freeze dried or raw air dried diets, Donate the Canine Caviar if kibble bag is open a kibble only stays fresh for 2 weeks google it, the oils go rancid as soon as the oxygen/air hits the kibbles…changing diets can make your dog have another flare & put him back to square one again, your dog needs time to heal his bowel/stomach & be on the Hills d/d for a good 6 months, my vet wanted Patch on a vet diet for 1yr so everything healed….
The only freeze dried raw I give Patch is the K-9Natural or Sunday Pets Green Lipped Mussel treats as a treat after his bath but I just found out as soon as you open these freeze dry foods some have to used within 10 days, they have written it on their packaging now, I didn’t know until the lady in the pet shop told me the other day, maybe that’s why Patch became ill again about 1 month ago it could from the Green Lipped Mussel treats, I was giving him once a week every Thursday….
When your dog is doing REALLY well & off meds have a look at “Zignature” formulas the Kangaroo has the lowest fat & protein % out of all the Zignature formulas, read what the Hills d/d fat, protein% & fiber% is & when your looking for another kibble/wet tin make sure it has Limited Ingredients same as the Hills d/d has & is around the same amount of fat, protein & fiber as the d/d, you can go up a bit for the protein cause you wont find too many normal formulas that low in protein & when the protein & fat is real low that means the carbs are real high….

[Kari P]

My friend also makes her dogs frozen peanut butter and banana treats. She just slices bananas, dabs PB on top, and freezes them on a cookie sheet.

This summer I’m going to try to make dog ice cream using dog safe ingredients like peanut butter, banana, cheese, sweet potato, carrots, and blueberries. I’m just planning on putting everything in a blender/food processor then freezing it in a muffin tin. I think it would be easy to do and less expensive than buying dog ice cream for him.

[Kari P]

I LOVE this topic. I’m looking for different recipes to make homemade treats for my dog. I’ve seen dog cakes, biscuits, and ice cream that I would love to replicate.

My boyfriend makes dog treats out of spent grain leftover from brewing homemade beer.

2 cups of spent grain
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter

Spread the mixture thin and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 225 and cook for another 2 hours to dry them out. The treats must be dry otherwise they will mold when you store them.

Our dog and our friends’ dogs happily gobble these treats. Obviously they are not nutritionally balanced, but the ingredients aren’t harmful and its a great way to make home brewing more sustainable.

[Susan]

Hi Robert, what is she eating & is she gulping her meals?? I sit down in lounge room on lounge, I put patches heavy glass bowl on a little stool thing, so his stomach is level with his mouth/throat when he’s standing, then I only add about 2 kibbles at 1 time, if they’re small kibbles, don’t feed any big kibbles, they’re harder to digest, Patch has to chew the kibble, as soon as he chews the kibble I add another 2 kibbles, I put a paper towel folded & folded again cause Patch gets all spit coming out of sides of mouth & makes 1 big mess & the paper towel soaks up his spit, I also get another paper towel & wipe his mouth as he’s eating, I’ve had to teach him to chew his kibbles, treats, he just swallowed any kibbles, treats, then his vet said start sectioning the 1 cup of kibble & feed slowly & now he finally chews & doesn’t gulp & swallow….. it has made a really big difference, it takes about 20mins to feed him, then we go for a 15min walk after he eats & he does farts & poo lol…also start feeding her about 4-5 smaller meals a day, sounds like she had the pain or acid reflux before she ate her food to be running out & eating grass & after eating food it has made the problem worse, kibble isn’t good for dogs with acid reflux or any stomach problems….
“Holistic Select”, “Canidae” Pure Meadow, Life Stages Platinum & “Taste Of Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble are very easy to digest kibbles….You may need a acid reducer ask vet can you trial a 1-2 week on an ant acid med & see does it make any difference also change diet, I had to put Patch on Prilosec, 1 every morning, with the change of diet & the Prilosec made a real big difference..
Have you tried cooked meal?, feed 1 very lean protein & boiled sweet potato, feed the cooked meal when she is normally the worst?

[Krista B]

Do you guys think an added 5% from veggies are ok? It’s not throwing off the balance in my opinion because I would still be feeding the same amount of food as if I wasn’t feeding them. The total I’m feeding now is 10% from supplemental oils and treats and 5% from veggies. Does this sound balanced to you guys? I’ve decided not to add the sardines and just stick with the fish oil. I’ve read that Karen Becker says it’s ok for 15% to be from extras, but no more than that. In the article in said up to 15% but preferably less than 10%. I’ll post it below.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3634992

[Bobby dog]

Check out the info from the UC Davis link in my post. They have a good example of the 10% rule. You’ll have to do some math to figure out your unbalanced food/supplement calories.

The only unbalanced items in my dog’s diet are the fresh foods and treats. I don’t add any supplements. So far all yearly exams are good for my dog and his meals are balanced so I do not feel the need to add any vitamins/supplements to his diet.

[Krista B]

Ok thanks, so when you say 10% do you mean total? For example her supplemental oils and supplements make up 7% of he diet, treats make up 3% of the diet. I’ve been adding some veggies which make up 5% of the diet. If I added one sardine to her AM meal three times per week it would be another 5% of her diet. All of this would total to 20% extras. (Not by volume, by calories.) is this ok or should I keep it to 10% only?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Krista:
I don’t read this as a repeated question. Other forum questions “So is it ok that she just gets dry kibble with no other additions? Is this healthy?”, this forum question “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?”

So, back to this forum question, “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?” For balanced toppers I feed canned and frozen/dehydrated raw. Most canned recipes I feed are lower in fat on a DMB than an average kibble containing a GA of 16% fat. For unbalanced toppers I feed sardines, eggs, lean meats, and I also use the download c4c wrote about for other fresh food options altering amounts suggested a bit in order to keep meals balanced.
https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

I follow the rule of adding no more than 10% of daily caloric intake of unbalanced foods to meals. I use this site to figure out calories for my unbalanced toppers:
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

“Treats and additional food items should not exceed 10% of the daily caloric intake. The majority (90% or greater) of the calories should come from a complete and balanced food…” ~ UC Davis Veterinary Medicine. More on this topic:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/local_resources/pdfs/Treats_guidelines.pdf

Good luck!

[Krista B]

Ok, thanks so much! So 25% sounds ok to you then? I’ve read the same but I just wasn’t sure. I actually have his book! He also recommends beef heart and eggs but I like that the sardines have the calcium in them plus EPA and DHA. In his book he says 15% of the diet (one abc day) can be unbalanced but I’m not sure if he’s accounting for treats and supplemental oils given.. I do think 30% would be too high, maybe that why he just says one day.

[Krista B]

Hi,

What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble? Right now I’m using some canned dog food as a topper. I like that it’s complete and balanced and I don’t need to worry about unbalancing the diet. Are there any other toppers I could use that wouldn’t unbalance the diet too much? I was thinking of using some sardines a few times a week. Here’s the thing 15% of her diet is currently already compromised of treats, veggies, and supplements. If added the sardines it would bring the percentage up to 25% coming from extras other than kibble/canned. Is this ok to do.. or is this unlamced? I read 15% should be the maximum Amount you should have as extras…I like the idea of sardines thought because it already has calcium in it plus EPA and DHA.

Thanks!

[InkedMarie]

I’ve never heard of low protein for weight loss; this is just me but I’d do the opposite. I used Wellness Core reduced fat for a dog we adopted; I’d try Annamaet Lean now. No treats but if you must, use fresh green beans. Play games inside with them for exercise.

[BijouMama05]

Celeste…Seriously? Have you not read my posts on
this matter? This has been tested and proven by myself, several vets, and many others. The rosemary contained in these treats causes bile dumping (rosemary is known for causing this, as it is a bile exciter). The excessive amounts of bile “dumped” because of the rosemary, causes fismy yellow vomit & extreme diarrhea (often turning hemorrhagic). Continued ingestion of rosemary frequently results in colitis, dehydration, anorexia, and liver/kidney issues that are the end product of dehydration/anorexia. If your dog is having the symptoms described and it is not eating these treats, I suggest you look at the ingredients of everything it is eating, including all dog food and any human foods (many raw chicken & turkey meats for humans contain rosemary) & the majority of canned & dry dog foods also contain it (including “high end” & grocery store brands).

[Celeste P]

I feed my dog the same treats but the pork jerky one. And my puppy loves them and I haven’t been able to stock up on them yet cause I’m so busy but my pup would do the same as yours and even now I haven’t boughten then and he’s done that since he was a baby and now he’s a year old I doubt it’s the treats just like mine.

[Brittany]

Hello,

I own 2 Pomeranians, Samson and Lacey. They have both gained some weight over the last year, and I’m at a loss on how to slim them down. I already tried restricting treats and cutting back on the amount of food they get, but to no avail. Samson weighs 15 lbs when the vet thinks he should weigh 10lbs. Lacey is a mix, and weighs 21 lbs when she should weigh about 17 lbs. I feed them 2x a day. Samson gets 1/8 cup of dry food with a spoonful of wet, while Lacey gets 1/4 cup dry with a spoonful of wet also. The dry food is California Natural Venison and wet is Wervua.

I try to walk them when I can. In the warmer months, I pretty much will walk them everyday. They are both seniors. Samson is 8, and Lacey 10.

If anyone has any advice, PLEASE help! The vet recommended a low protein diet, but I heard high protein is better… I just don’t know what to do anymore.

[Susan]

Hi, Canidae has brought out a few new grain free formula’s one is Pure Meadow Senior, my neighbor just order a bag of the Canidae Pure Meadow & it smells & looks really good, she gave me 2 kibbles so I could do my kibble test to see if the kibble digest easy & yes after soaking the 2 kibbles in very warm water the kibbles were soft all the way thru in
15-minutes, so very easy to digest, my boy has IBD & can’t eat chicken 🙁 so I’m looking at the new Canidae Pure Wild Boar….
Ingredient’s Canidae Pure Meadow Senior are, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peas, potatoes, a 50-75lb dog only needs 2 & 1/2 cups per day…
There’s also “Holistic Select” Chicken Meal & Rice Senior Health, same the kibble digest real easy was soft within 15mins….
Holistic Select Senior Ingredients are, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat, Anchovy & Sardine Meal….
You could rotate between the 2 kibbles, Holistic Select Senior has grains & Canidae Senior is grain Free the fat is 10%min in both kibbles & protein is around 26 to 28% min…
Just make sure when changing from your old kibble you look for new kibble around the same amount of fat, protein & fiber %, you can go up a few percent but don’t go from feeding a kibble that was 20% protein to a kibble with 30 + % protein, same with the fat % don’t go from 10-12% fat up to 17-20% fat….You can get some digest problems but your dog might be fine & is OK..
Canidae- http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Holistic Select- http://holisticselect.com.au/recipes.aspx?pet=dog
I feed my senior boy he’s 8yrs old “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & he gets a cooked meal for dinner or lunch about 5 times a week + Yakult probiotic drink, Almonds & apple, a few peeled pieces apple as a treat, tin salmon in spring water with sweet potato, K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels treats, just make sure you give foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, & supplements for joints like Green lipped Mussel + Turmeric, Sasha’s Blend, Rose Hip Vital, there’s a few on the market, make sure you give with food they can cause stomach reflux….
Dr Peter Dobias has just brought out a new Omega 3 oil supplement, that has no mercury made from Calamari, it took him 2-3 years to make, it’s all on his F/B page Called “Dr Peter Dobias, Natural Healing For Dogs” he has a 15-16yr old dog that runs around like he’s a puppy same as my 8yr old he runs & acts like a young puppy…. Diet is the key to a healthy dog…

[pitlove]

Hi Corsomomma21-

Too many treats add unneeded calories to the diet and can result in a fat puppy. It is important to train, but not every aspect of training requires a treat. Sometimes praise and pets are the best type of reward. For the times when a treat is really needed as part of her learning an important command such as recalling to you, you can use things that are high value. Cooked or freeze dried organ meats are usually high value. Another good idea is using her food as treats if she turns out to be food driven. You can keep track of how many pieces of dry food you use as treats and subtract that from her meals so you keep the calories down.

Also congrats on the Corso puppy! Between pitbulls and Corsos those are the two breeds I’m most passionate about. I’ve already got my Corso breeder picked out for when we upgrade to a larger house.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by pitlove.

[Corsomomma21]

Hey guys!

New soon to be LBP mom here.. I pick up my 8wk old pure bred cane corso pup this week. After reading about every post on here and doing tons of research I’ve chosen Fromm heartland gold LBP food. What I’m having a hard time finding is an appropriate treat for training and good praise? I’ve heard a lot of negative about green tea extract and I need something that’s grain free. Just not sure if I should also be worried about the Ca, Calories and Protien with the treats as well??? I don’t plan on giving them to her too frequently but at least in the beginning while training! Any advice on a good brand??

[Cathy K]

Try the orijen treats they r good if you can afford
them.

[Jeanne S]

Wish I had seen this before giving my three dogs these. Shortly afterwards I could hear their stomachs making unhappy sounds followed by my lab frantically trying to get outside where she vomited profusely. Twice more inside the house after that. This is not a dog with a normally sensitive stomach. I noticed the dates on the previous reviews are over 2 years old; apparently, Full Moon has not removed rosemary from its chicken nuggets treats as it is still listed on the bag. I always cook their food, lesson learned, now I need to cook their treats as well.

[Susan]

Hi Shannon, food change is good place to start & weekly baths, it’s not rare for dogs to have food sensitivities & become real itchy or have smelly ears & skin, rub bum on floor, it’s rare for dogs to have “food allergies” & when a dog does suffer with food allergies they normally have IBS symptoms & Skin Problems….
Have a look at “Canidae Pure” formulas, most formulas have single proteins with only 5 to 7 ingredients & grain free, Canidae Pure Sea is a really good formula for itchy dogs, the omega 3 is nice & high, what’s need for itchy dogs, Canidae have just brought out their small Pure Petite formulas, they’re lower in fat & lower in protein then their other Pure formulas, have a look at the Petite Pure Salmon formula for your itchy dog or Pure Sea & the Pure Meadow Senior for the 2 older dogs or they can all eat the same formulas just don’t feed a new kibble that has the same protein what they are eating in the Blue Buffalo formula, try & change ingredients…
also start weekly baths, I have found Malaseb medicated shampoo to work the best, Malaseb can be used daily to wash off any bacteria, allergens, pollens & dirt off their coats & skin, relieving their itch & killing any bacteria on the skin, I bath weekly thru Spring & Summer months & as Winter approaches I bath fortnightly, Patch suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities….
Once you change diet, give no treats, unless the treats are the same brand as kibble & have same ingredients as the kibble, Canidae has matching treats & wet in food & diet is higher in omega 3 fatty acids & you start bathing twice a week, you’ll start to see a big improvement with the itchy dog, keep….
There’s no true testing for food sensitivities or food allergies, the best thing to do is a elimination food diet or feed a vet diet or a novel protein, limited ingredient kibble like Canidae, then once dog is stable & isn’t itching or smells real yeasty like a corn chip then you can start adding 1 new food to diet for 6 weeks, it can take from 1 day to 6 weeks to show any signs of a reaction to a food…..
Keep a diary, my boy starts getting itchy ears & shaking his head after eating carrot, red front paws & real smelly yeasty skin from chicken, barley, rice & oats…then in Spring he becomes real itchy from seasonal environment allergies, which ones I don’t know but there’s a skin test called “Intradermal Skin Test” where they shave a part of the skin normally the side of the dog, then they inject just under the skin the most common allergen & see if the dogs skin reacts, humans also have this test, then once they work out what in the environment your dog is sensitive too you give injections to desensitize your dog from what ever is making him/her itch.. that’s why it’s best to keep a diary & you’ll start to see a pattern, what month they itch more, was it after eating a certain food, or when Spring came, or on real windy days when the pollen count is high etc
Another good kibble brand people are feeding is “Zignature” but just check the fat & protein % in the kibble your feeding at the moment, the Canidae Pure Petite may be more closer fat protein & fiber & be around the same % to the Blue Buffalo….Zignature Kangaroo has the lowest fat, protein & fiber the other Zignature formula are higher in fat protein & fiber & might cause stomach/bowel stress especially the older 2 dogs… Your dogs may be OK when they change formulas, make sure you introduce over 7-10 day period, a lot of people do it tooo quickly then blame the new kibble when their dog has intestinal stress…
There’s a really good group on Face Book called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” a Dermatologist is in the group, Dr Karen Helton Rhodes DMV DACVC, after changing kibble & giving weekly baths in Malaseb shampoo & there’s no improvement with the itchy skin I’d join the F/B allergy group your dog may be allergic to dust mites or storage mites found in food or something in the environment, there’s a lot of new things on the market like Apoquel & CADI injections…
Here’s the Canidae formula’s… http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[InkedMarie]

Hi Kylie: I have no experience in wet food for yeasty dogs so I can’t help with that. I Tried keeping my dog away from various ingredients but no luck. I tried feeding Darwins raw but no change. My holistic vet suggested a raw with no produce and that worked, for him. All dogs are different. He had one ear infection in recent ears and we think it was due to humidity. He does groom himself often and sometimes he licks a sore in between toes. He has that now.

A grain free low carb food may be worth a shot. Keep in mind, you need to give him no treats, just his food. Keep a journal.

I dont know exactly what causes my dogs issues but a change to raw worked for him. I can deal with an occasional ear infection due to humidity and paw licking is fine, unless he’s causing damage which is happening now. I *think* that is due to heat in the house causing dry skin and boredom.

[Kevin U]

Hey guys,
I was at the pet store the other night, and I came across this treat from Earth Animal and it said “Helps your dog stay calm and relaxed.” I was just wondering if anyone has tried it and if it works.

[Susan W]

PS – we just stopped Milk-Bones ‘cold-turkey’. They’re easy but they’re really not worth the heartache caused by the low-quality ingredients. You can also do a google search for homemade dog treats if your dog needs variety.

[Susan W]

For treats, try raw carrots. Dogs seem to really like them & they’re really good for them. Green beans (even the frozen kind) are great, too. If you want to try a food that ISN’T from a vet – REALLY try it – do a google search for Verus pet food. They’ll send you free samples. They have a couple of flavors/formulas & they stay on top of doggy nutritional needs.

[Christie]

A few weeks ago I came onto the forum and posted about my 8 year old American Bulldog/Pit mix Chance’s issues with Wellness Core (Diet Formula). He seems to have issues with chicken protein food and I didn’t realize that the Wellness used it until the symptoms started. On the advice from a response I received here, I switched him immediately to Zignature lamb formula. I also had used Zymox on his ear for two days and that seemed to help with his ear itching (he had common infection like debris in his one ear, was shaking his head and licking his paws to the point where they were inflamed).

However, the big guy has been drooling like crazy the past 3 or so days. I checked his ear and while the visible portion seems relatively clear, I used a flashlight to look deeper inside and there seems to be more infectious debris. I totally take the blame because one the symptoms seemed better after the food switch, I assumed the ear issues were due to that and didn’t continue the Zymox. I put the drops in this morning and will continue to do so for the full 5-7 days. He’s still licking his back paws, though. They’ve become red and inflamed. Last night I rubbed Nu-Stock on his paws (which is sulfur based and helps to discourage dogs from licking) but Chance is undeterred and I caught him licking at the top of his front leg this morning.

The ear issues and licking issues are things I’ve dealt with for the 7 years that I’ve had him. He’s prone to ear infections/allergies. And he’s normally a drooling, slobbery mess. But the only time that I’ve seen him drool this much is when a person is eating food in front of him. It’s his ‘feed me this’ drooling. But he’s doing it without the food now. And it seems to go hand in hand with the persistent licking.

I’ve checked his mouth and I don’t see any obvious issues with his teeth or gums (other than being a wet mess). He’s still eating and doesn’t appear to be in any pain opening his mouth or chewing. He’s still playing with his little sister, play fighting in and out of the house. He seems just a bit calmer/quieter like he gets when he has his ear infections/allergy issues (unless food/treats are in play and then he’s super perky).

I called the vet and the tech thinks that maybe he put something in his mouth/ate something that’s causing the drooling. I have an appointment for first thing Friday. I know that’s 3 days away and I’m always one for getting my dogs in asap when they’re sick/injured. But I am literally the only person working at my job until Friday and I’m going to have to get someone to cover for me to allow me to come in late. The vet tech said that they’d squeeze me in if things changed and he appeared to be in pain/have a fever/stopped eating etc.

Has anyone ever had issues with normally ‘drooly’ dogs excessively drooling? He’s been drinking water like normal and I literally watched him this morning to see if he was urinating, and he is. Could it have anything to do with the Zignature food? I’m wondering if it could have anything to do with laundry detergent (I cover the couches with sheets and he’ll inadvertently lick the fabric when he licks his paws. Or if it can all stem from an inner ear infection? But when he’s “sick” he usually acts the part ( he especially doesn’t like to eat which is a big indicator that something isn’t right) and he just isn’t acting sick.

I was going to wash all the sheets and bedding in dye/fragrance free detergent, re-vacuum all the carpets and give both dogs a bath tonight and see if there are any changes. And if there’s still enough light out when I get home tonight, walk around the yard and see if there’s anything out there that the dogs might be getting into.

But what are the odds that the new symptom of drooling has anything to do with any of that?

[Kate G]

Could it be the goats milk that is causing the diarrhea? I thought milk wasn’t good for dogs and causes stomach upset. Have you asked your vet about the itching dry skin? I’ve read that oatmeal baths are not good for dogs, it causes more problems. Our dog has a chicken allergy so we make sure his treats and food are chicken free.
Our daughters rescue pup had an over abundance of mites which caused severe itching, hair loss and scaly skin. The vet prescribed a new food and medication for 6 wks. Then after frequent skin scrapings determined her cured, but she’s on the special food for life.

[samlab]

First let me begin, this website that Mike Sagman has set up is superb. As you read my experience please don’t get caught in minutia of thought..just read this and hopefully this can and will help others. I love dogs, all dogs…cats too. I have been showing and breeding top Labrador Champions for over 30 years. So with to this I will assume that my input will be really about the large breed dogs and yes you may consider all dogs for that matter. I have tried all of these foods. Many work, some results are ok and others well just didn’t go well. Many dog foods since their really are just a few manufacturers, some are private branded under that specific companies ingredients, for their specific brand. I read many posts about this or that, and raw versus X.Y.Z, form of foods. Every time I try to go to the “other side”, well I end up, rather baffled at the terrible results. Therefore, I will let all of you know, grains, corn, etc. are not the cause of your dogs allergy’s, its all about the genetics. It you have a dog that has allergies, its about, the breeding. Same for cancer in dogs, it could be environmental, but less than 1%. It is indeed genetic. The longest lived dogs in the US have been on the following foods, this is research fact direct from the Doctors that did the research: Purina, Science Diet and Eukanuba Brands. To those that profess to Raw diets and rotating foods I will mention frozen or fresh raw foods (frozen still has salmonella once defrosted and eaten) is well your on your own. Rotating foods is not good either as it completely screws up the stomach and intestinal flora in a dogs digestive tract. No your not going to get good advice from the local specialty food store as these people have no idea about the foods they sell. Zero. Every dog is different and you will need to find out what works best for your dog…I will now share what typically works for Large Breeds and especially Labradors Retrievers and many others. But beforehand I will explain. I just went with another brand of puppy food T.O.T.W. over time it did not go well..at five months old and recently the same bag, the last 1.5 weeks, it reared its ugly head. Not Giardia either. I switched that 47lb boy straight onto Eukanuba Puppy Large breed yesterday, problem over best stool in his life so far. As I write this 1X more this morning per wife, that one perfect too. Grain free is not always the best way to go…..its really marketing b.s. and has always been. Even I get lectured by the top show Veterinarians! This is not knocking you or any other brand that works for you…but the finest show stock in the US are all on those three major brands above…blue buffalo duck and potato limited ingredient, grain free may be your best bet for skin allergy issue dogs. Also chopped or baby carrots, blueberry’s, strawberries, cantaloupe and even watermelon are fat free treats that dogs love too. Will add for those following: Especially Labs and watch their weight…for older dogs drop to 28% or then even lower 26%.. the in their prime Eukanuba 30/20 add 1/2 tablespoon each of Nupro Gold Label Supplement/ and then both of each the Silver Label Container for older dogs for arthritis with 1 tablet both meals of Cosequin tablets (250 count Bottles) its the a show/wellbeing secret obviously now for all of you. Also for my older dogs they get Dumor white 5 lb container with red lid a 1/2 teaspoon of MSM at Tractor supply or online (this brand only, measuring cup is inside, use the lower line mark on the measuring cup) some warm water mixed in morning meal only and boom in two weeks your going to be very happy indeed. Also for those that have a dog with surgery the MSM will heal them in two weeks and fur already growing back. The Vet will give you a strange look on the follow up…I assure you they will give you a weird look and be thinking boy this dog heals fast. Then you say its the MSM and he/she will laugh of course and say “I shoulda known”. Then they will know your in touch with the knowing. All the best always to everyone here and I hope this helps anyone that can use this information.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by samlab.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by samlab.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by samlab.

[Susan]

Hi Fatma, your dog has more chances choking on the water that’s in with the kibble as he’s licking to get the kibble to chew, he’s also licking up water & kibbles same time… just make sure you drain any water out of the bowl….TOTW kibbles digest real easy, I feed to my boy who has IBD, if you leave the kibbles in warm water the kibbles will be soft in 30 mins, then drain any water, then push palm of your hand against the kibbles in the bowl & remove any excess water…why not just feed wet tin food & use the TOTW kibble as treats for training for now…

[InkedMarie]

I agree with Pitluv on the treats.. Look for smaller, lower calorie treats or use some fresh green beans.

[pitlove]

2-4 Milkbones each day add up quickly and those treats are not low calorie. Is there a reason hes getting so many of them? You will probably see a decrease in weight if you remove those from his diet or even just offer less of them. These are the types of things that will be need to be eliminated from his diet if you can not increase his excersize.

Also make sure when using the calculator you are putting in what weight he should be, not what weight he is and selecting “Overweight”

[ievent2]

Hi all,
I own a 4 1/2 year old, neutered, mix breed (lab/border collie possibly?), who is overweight, at 75 pounds. We currently feed Wellness Core Reduced Fat grain-free food; he receives 0.75 cups twice daily (a total 1.5 cups daily). I used the calculator online, and it recommends that he receive 2.6 cups daily… this seems like a lot of food! We feed green beans or carrots (raw) as treats/snacks, and occasionally receives 2-4 medium-size milk bone biscuits daily.

Looking for recommendations as our vet says he’s “too fat”, and wants to do a prescription food/diet, however, he is very finicky and does best on a grain-free diet (vomiting/diarrhea on grains or rich foods). When we reduce his food any lower, he is constantly bugging us (bring food dish, banging food dish, or sitting by us and whimpering), letting us know that he’s hungry.

Thoughts/suggestions?