[Michelle B]

GRAPES ARE BAD FOR DOGS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOXIC!!! THEY COULD CAUSE KIDNEY FAILURE!!! IT IS NOT AN “ALLERGY”!!!

Even if your dog ate grapes before and was “fine,” that doesn’t mean that they’re somehow immune. It is possible to have kidney damage without symptoms. The effect is accumulative. So if you keep feeding them grapes, eventually the damage to your dog’s kidneys would be great enough to cause renal failure.

It is the actual flesh of the grape that is toxic to dogs, not the seed, as some people think. Grapeseed extract is safe for dogs, so that tells you that it is not the seed that is bad for dogs. Grapes (all varieties, seedless or not), raisins, grape jelly/jam, grape juice are toxic to dogs (and cats). It is difficult to say how much could cause a dog to become seriously ill, or even kill them, so it is safest to call your vet ASAP (or take them to an emergency clinic after hours).

Garlic is okay in small amounts (some dog foods & treats contain garlic). But unless you know the safe dose for your dog’s weight, do not feed them homemade foods or treats with garlic!

Onions are also toxic to dogs, but again, are okay in small doses (but don’t feed to your dogs if you don’t know how much is safe!).

A dog would have to eat a lot (relative to their weight) of MILK CHOCOLATE (for example, my 60 lb dog would have to eat 1kg of milk chocolate to become seriously ill). If it is dark chocolate, baker’s chocolate, or cocoa powder however, a very small amount (1 tbsp for my dog) could kill them! Here is a great calculator to help you decide whether you should take your dog to the vet or not: http://www.petmd.com/dog/chocolate-toxicity

From what I’ve read, avocados are not actually toxic to dogs or cats (they ARE toxic to birds & other animals though). The risk is that your dog may swallow that giant avocado seed in the center. They could choke on it, or it could block their digestion system, which would require surgery.

As for meat bones, it’s an evaluation of risk and reward that every dog guardian needs to make their own choice about. Large, weight-bearing bones (such as large leg bones from cattle or pigs) are more likely to chip or break a tooth. Chicken or turkey bones are less likely to cause injury to teeth. I like to give my dogs chicken wings or turkey vertebrae to chew on. NEVER give your dogs cooked bones!!! Raw bones are safer b/c they will not splinter like cooked bones would! But raw bones could be risky if you have a young child, elderly person, or anyone with immunity issues in the home, or in contact with the dog. Antlers are a possible alternative for dogs with allergies (but again, chipping or breaking a tooth is possible).

[Jenn H]

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

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

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

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

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

[Kathleen C]

Great, thank you so much. I feed him the Weruva kibble, venison, and was just in the pet store this A.M. but didn’t know about the Weruva treats. I will pick up the kibble order Wed. and see if she has the treats too. She’s very high on the brand so hopefully she does. She may also carry some of the others.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Kathleen C:
For small crunchy treats my dog likes Primal Freeze Dried Turkey Liver Munchies, Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Kisses, Weruva Freeze Dried Treats, and Stewart’s freeze dried Pro Treats.

Some larger crunchy treats that can be cut or broken up that he likes are The Honest Kitchen Beams and Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Turkey Necks.

[Kathleen C]

I give my 19 pound Boston Terrier Himalayan Dog Chews from a local pet store that seems to be very hands on when it comes to the dog foods and treats she carries. It’s made from Yak and cow milk, salt and lime juice. He loves them and they are expensive ($10 for the under 35 pound size), but if they are natural and safe I will pay the price. I was giving him Zukes, but just found out they also sold to Purina and that scares me.

[Jenn H]

Duane P, I’m glad you didn’t just decide for your dog to be vegan/vegetarian just because you are. Be very careful about where you get info from. I haven’t found any scientific/evidence based info regarding how safe it is for dogs. If anecdotal “evidence” is enough then you’ll have no shortage of that.

theBCnut, that’s very interesting to me. It kinda changes everything. That’s a pretty important detail that doesn’t seem to get included in the story of that dog.
Having dogs running around 30 acres I know for a fact they do a lot of hunting. I’ve seen them eating birds, frogs, snakes, baby turtles, turkey eggs, chipmunks…the list is endless with what I’ve seen them munch on.
These dogs are fed very well and get more treats and carrots than the horses. There’s no way they’re missing anything. Yet they still like to do their own grocery shopping. They are dogs. They are predators. They like meat.
I guarantee the dog got its nutritional needs met on its own while roaming. While the owner may believe it adhered to a strict veg diet, I’m certain the dog would have a different story.

[Robert C]

Thanks for the responses. Our vet said it’s all about calories in versus calories out. Since our lab mix likes to lay in the yard and watch the neighborhood, we are limiting her calorie intake to 700 per day. This includes treats too. See what happens.

[Jody C]

My dog just started doing the same thing. He will normally eat everything & anything. He does get treats/table food on occasions. He’s still willing to eat those. We cut back. He’s 90lbs & eats the same times every day. I’m going to try a new food. He’s currently eating Taste of Wild

[David B]

My largish (don’t ask how she got that way – I was new to beagles) beagle mix LOVES to eat ! (no surprise there huh ?) She has lost 8 pounds (52 down to 44) in less than a year, just by feeding her slightly less than her target weight in calories (2 cups/day) of Earthborn Holistic Natural Primitive (grain free) dry food. One good walk every morning. And she is no more hungry between meals than ‘normal’ for beagles; e.g., anyone in the kitchen is her buddy-to-be. But no treats except the very occasional carrot or small piece of meat. I was surprised and gratified with the results. Good luck to you.

[mako s]

Hi. I bought this canine carry outs bacon treat last Monday .. I give her( 16 pound Pomeranian) treats( 2 pieces) she got very sick 3 hours later , seizures and couldn’t stand up , vomit , she never had this treat before, it’s very deadly treat I think. I almost lost her, today she is doing little better .WHY its STILL on Wal- Mart shelf ? I called company what is going on and she said I might give her too much ???? please don’t buy this CANINE CARRY OUTS TREAT …

[Aimee]

I recently got a 4-year old pure bred Brussels Griffon (11 lbs) from a breeder. The dog is in PERFECT shape for his breed! Lean and trim with plenty of energy, clear eyes and good breath, does his business regularly and eats heartily.

I work long hours Monday-Friday (typically 11-12 hour days) and I’ve been taking him to a dog sitter every day I work so he can have plenty of attention and exercise. This dog sitter also walks dogs as a business, so my dog gets to join him on a lot of those walks a few days a week, so he gets pretty great exercise. I’d say on average, he probably walks 10-16 miles a week between the sitter and myself.

I feed my dog around 1/2 a cup of very good quality (Acana) dry food in the morning and he gets a few tablespoons at night. I send him to the sitter with usually a few tablespoons of some veggie, like steamed broccoli or raw baby carrots that is his treat mid-day. He also gets usually 4 of those fresh breath chewsticks and training treats a week along with usually 1-2 bully sticks a week. Once a week I’ll give him a little peanut butter or cottage cheese too.

The sitter has his own dog that he’ll feed fruit to every day (usually melons, like honeydew) and will give my dog a few pieces usually. I don’t really like this because I want to have control over everything my dog eats… but I also know that my dog is getting a lot of exercise and it probably won’t hurt him.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think a little fruit and veggies during the day is ok? Like I said, his poops are consistent and not runny and he doesn’t seem to be gaining any weight from it.

[aquariangt]

Hi Katrina,

Kudos on starting your puppy off on clicker training early! That makes me smile

As far as homemade treats, I have a few suggestions:

First, keep it varied, will keep the dog working longer. Use some commercial stuff, use kibble samples, whatever you’ve got (within reason obviously)
Lots of fresh foods-cubed up cheese, liverwurst, brawnschweiger (im sure I misspelled that), pieces of meat…
For something to make yourself-boil chicken, add a touch of honey to the water, that makes em go crazy 🙂 or “Tuna Fudge”-canned tuna (no sodium or other additives if you can) eggs, some flour (whatever kind you wish)-bake till solid but I like to keep it soft

[Katrina B]

Hi, does anyone have a great recipe for (prefer grain free but not necessarily) treats that I can make that are suitable for giving as very small clicker training treats?
Thanks so much
Katrina & Bella the 4 month bulldog 🙂

[Marina P]

My almost 3 year old French Bulldog has severe acid reflex. This past November, he just started throwing up bile and foam during the night and during the day, several times a day. He could not go more than a couple hours without eating. If he did he would vomit. Otherwise he was fine. Eating, eliminating, playing, drinking, etc.. However, one of these episodes caused him to aspirate his vomit and landed him in the ER for 4 days.

Since then, we have run blood work checking kidneys and liver values, which came back negative and within normal range, had x-rays of his abdomen, which showed a weakened esophageal sphincter, tested his stool for parasites, which was negative as well. The vet said change his diet so we did.

We have tried diet changes and medication and he still occasionally has reflex causing him to vomit. He eats five meals a day, about 4-5 hours apart. We bought him an automatic feeder so he can have food on a specific schedule. He was eating grain-free food but the vet wanted to switch him to something with lower protein and fat contents. We feed him Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb and Rice food as it is low in both. We are pretty sure he is allergic to poultry so we avoid that in both food and treats. He also takes the generic version of prilosec, once a day, 10mg. We also give a probiotic daily.

The constant feeding seemed to help, but he will still randomly vomit from time to time. Maybe twice a month at most. Is there anything else I can do? The vet said we can try a specialist gastro vet who would stick a camera down his stomach, but it’s expensive, invasive and it might very well show nothing useful.

Any advice would be great. We love our little guy and want him to feel 100%

[Lisa P]

Hey, Jaclyn. I must confess after my toy poodle’s first surgery, I fed him the prescription food for a while and then went back to feeding him Iams and treats as normal. I’m feeding him nothing but Purina ProPlan NF (their prescription brand for urinary issues) per my vet’s instructions and leaving off treats. I’m still waiting on the test results as to what kind of bladder stones he had this time, and don’t remember what kind they were last time.

I don’t have any answers on the proper diet to remedy your baby’s stones but Jack (my toy poodle with the stones) had a cough for a few days and did that gagging thing, so I did some research on kennel cough. I was going to take him to the vet for that but saw where coconut oil was a good remedy for that so I tried giving him about a tablespoon or so per day and it cleared up!

They say coconut oil is good for just about everything so i’m thinking that might soothe your baby’s cough as well as her skin issues. You can check with your vet to be sure it’s okay before trying her on it, but I don’t see how it could hurt.

Good luck!

[Lori L]

Nice to meet everyone! I have a 7 month old pup. For the first four months she couldn’t digest food. She had diarrhea from almost everything. I had to make her boiled turkey and rice for weeks to get her back on track. I now have her on a cheap limited ingredient grain free food. She poops like six or more times a day. She poops in her crate, and she doesn’t appear to be able to help it. She doesn’t pee in the house, just poop. I am thinking that I need to up the quality of food a bit. She’s eating “Pure Balance” right now. I am not able to afford a real expensive dog food, and I know that I can find one that is reasonable. I just don’t know what to do with this poor dog. I buy her only the special grain free treats, and I’m thinking to eliminate those. I want her to be getting all her nutrients and such or I would feed her the turkey and rice forever. She is about 30 lbs. so it’s not like she eats too much. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[El]

Hi Jaxons Mom, Welcome to the forums!

I make jerky treats for my crew. Here’s a recipe;

Boneless skinless chicken, turkey, or duck breasts. You can also use beef, pork, fish, etc.

– Trim off ALL the external fat.
– Slice meat as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch MAXIMUM thickness. Try to keep all meat the same thickness.
– Place on a slightly greased rack in oven.
– Set oven to lowest temp, usually 200 degrees F.
– If possible, leave the oven door slightly open, this will allow the moist air to be removed faster.
– Jerky is done when it snaps in half when you you bend it.

If you are going to use a dehydrator, I recommend this type;

If you use a dehydrator like the one above, the things that change are the temp, 165 instead of 200, and if you get one with 3/4 inch holes in the racks, you will NOT have to grease them. If it has racks with 1/4 inch holes, you will still have to grease them. I recommend stainless steel racks with 3/4 inch holes for all types of jerky.

I am very happy with your feeding philosophy, and so are your pups (yes, they told me so) 😉

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by El.

[pugmomsandy]

I actually use food for treats so I don’t have any homemade suggestions. I’ve used Core Air Dried as treats. They are almost peanut-size.

[Jaxons Mom]

Hey everyone I’m brand new to raw feeding and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Like all of you, feeding my lab mix pup the healthiest, most nutritious and enjoyable food and treats possible is extremely important. I think it would be fantastic if there was a thread for anyone who would be so kind to share any recipes they may have for homemade healthy treats that compliment a raw diet! Also I will be investing in a food dehydrator, so recipes & tips for making dehydrated treats is welcome as well.

I go through a lot of treats currently as I do 1-3 sessions daily that last anywhere from 5-15 minutes. I break them up to be pea sized, and I use dehydrated liver, but it gets pricey. Looking forward to trying out some recipes!!

[Jenn H]

Wendeyzee sorry I’m just now getting a second to reply about your manufacturing question.
Let me first qualify my reasoning for feeding this brand:
*It is affordable without being full of crap.
*My puppy is satisfied after meals.
*I don’t have to feed him more than 4.5 cups/day. (As opposed to almost 7 cups of other brands.)
*It has 1.5% calcium max.
*He’s not growing too fast.
*His coat is beautiful. Not dull as w/ other foods.
*He loves it.
*They nor their sources use ethoxyquin to preserve their fish.
*I have asked a ton of probing questions and they answered promptly, honestly, with much information.
*2012 they began a “Positive Release Program” where no food is distributed until an independent third party tests a sample from the batch and results are received.
*They have their own people on site overseeing the process, etc.

Manufacturing:
•dry foods (most) are made at the Diamondd facility in MO (the recalls of the previous yrs were mainly from the SD plant)
*these dry foods are Wolf King, Wolf Cub, Hund-n-Flocken, Wee Bits, Buck Wild,
Lil Boss, Star Chaser, Sunday Sunrise
*all other dry foods are made at Crosswind Foods, KS
*canned are made by Simmons Pet Food, NJ. They bought out Menu foods in 2010. (After the major 2007 recall dibacle.)
*supplements are made by a company in CA that only makes animal supplements.

They also gave me info on treats & cat food if anyone is interested. I didn’t ask for all that as they don’t apply to me, but they shared anyway. If anyone wants that info I will post.

I understand where humans are involved there can & will be human error (and laziness and greed). Solid Gold seems to be doing their best to put out safe products at affordable prices.
For now I will keep this brand in the rotation. I haven’t yet started either of my adult girls yet. Plan on it this week.

[Norma V]

My little ones love the Heritage Ranch salmon and chickpea recipe and the Heritage Ranch treats. My malti-poo has very very sensitive skin and throws up easily. My little Yorker isn’t AS sensitive. I saw this dog food when they were out of their more expensive name brand food and I thought I’d try it. They seem to do well on grain free and salmon foods. I’m so glad we tried this dog food. They love it and absolutely no skin problems. No unusual poop or stomach issues. Thanks HEB for making a healthy and much more affordable healthy dog food! Treats are great also.

[Carlene]

I apologize for yet another lengthy post but it’s so interesting that many of our stories read the same…

I’ve been dealing with the gulpy air licks since my pit bull was around 1.5 years old. He is 6.5 now. He will gulp, air lick, hard swallow, stare at me like “help me!”, he grinds his teeth, he will vomit hand size piles of white foamy bile, sometimes dingy yellowish bile, eat grass, eat more grass, throw that up and then being exhausted, he will sleep for hours. If I’m at work while an episode happened, he will resort to carpet, socks, wicker baskets, whatever he could get in his mouth. In the early days, this happened maybe a couple of times every six months but I wasn’t too concerned. I mean we all occasionally get sick, right? But for the first couple of years, I did casually mention it to my vet at bi-annual appts and even joked about renaming him Stan (the South Park character who pukes all the time). Something else maybe worth mentioning is sometimes I would get home from work after being gone for 10 hours or so and he would puke his kibble. It was still in perfect little round pieces, just like it went in, except it’s wet. So ZERO digestion in 10 hours for whatever that’s worth. His episodes began to increase in both frequency and severity about 3 years ago. No rhyme or reason. No patterns. Nothing I have been able to pinpoint. The episodes are almost a daily occurrence now. I mention to friends “he had a good day today” instead of a bad day because they are so frequent. You can see it in his eyes, his head is down, he’s tired, his eyes are red, he’s drooly, he stretches his neck, and he’s very, very clingy. I honestly don’t even remember what the first treatment protocols were or what order we went in. But here are some of the things we’ve tried:

-Rubbing Trachea/Throat, Singing a song, Going for a walk. Basically distractions – works sometimes.
-Canned organic pumpkin or Plain Greek Yogurt to settle the tummy during an episode – would work sometimes
-Pepcid for acid reflux – seemed to work for a while
-Probiotics
-Elevated Food Bowl
-Pepcid with Carafate Slurries each morning and evening to coat the tummy before meals – maybe worked?
-Metronidazole/Amoxicillin combo for suspected Helicobacter Pylori – tested negative
-Complete Blood Panel
-Barium swallow with Xrays to examine the esophagus and rule out Megaesophagus – all clear
-Daily Prilosec OTC 20mg – works sometimes.
-Dry Kibble Changes – all over the map but all No Corn, Soy or Wheat – settled on Nutrisource Chicken for approx. 2 years –
-Canned food – makes it worse-
-No dry kibble for 6 months – I cooked for him. Chicken, Veggies, Rice. Worked well at first, and got worse toward the end of the 6 month period.
-Animal Communicator – don’t laugh. I was very skeptical too. But this lady I do not know told me that his tummy had been sick for a really long time and that he was tired. She also told me that his body required a warm protein rather than a cool protein. I switched him from Nutrisource Chicken (cold) to Nutrisource Lamb (warm). She also told me to try essential oils. She didn’t say what kind, she said to let him smell the unopened containers and he would be interested in the one his body needed, if he needed one at all. I met with an essential oils expert, did just what she said and let him do the picking. We went vial after vial while he would sniff and turn his head over & over again. Until he sniffed…and he didn’t turn away. He sniffed again. He sniffed all around that vial like I was holding a piece of meat. He nudged my hand. More like a shove than a nudge really. I turned the vial around to see what it was expecting something food related but it wasn’t, it was something called Digize. Digize is:“a dietary supplement that provides valuable aid for digestive concerns and helps support a healthy digestive system. Benefits and Uses: eases heartburn, calms upset stomach, alleviates diarrhea, minimizes bloating, comforts sickness associated with pregnancy, reduces discomfort while travelling, overcomes constipation, improves digestive function, eases acidity in body, and rids body of parasites.” Well I’ll be darned.
-Daily Prilosec/Carafate/Reglan regimen
-And Cerenia. This stuff works beautifully and at $15 per dose, is more expensive than pure gold.

I know I’ve forgotten a few things we tried, but we have tried a lot. In December 2015 he had had several pretty rough days in a row. I’d gotten home from work one eve and knew he wasn’t feeling well. I heard something weird, looked down at him standing in the kitchen and I see his teeth chattering, his body is stiff as a board, and he has this hard stare, like no one is in there. It was the weirdest thing that only lasted maybe 30 seconds, but it definitely happened. After it was over, it took him a good while to get his bearings back. He was so wobbly and confused. I texted my vet and she replied with “He’s just had a Focal Seizure.” I wonder if that’s somehow related to his gulpy air lick? Anyhow, because December was so bad for him I finally bit the money bullet and scheduled his Endoscopy, Biopsies, and Exploratory GI Surgery January 11th 2016. First off I want to say that I’ve done a TON of research too. I was convinced he had esophageal erosion, burns from the severe acid reflux, or big angry ulcers all over the lining of his stomach. Or stomach cancer. Yeah, that. So the results of the Endoscopy? The doc gives me a rundown. The esophagus looks perfect. The stomach looks perfect. Nothing in there at all (I did kind of expect a toy or something). The pyloris spincter looks good. The duodenum looks good, and the very beginning of the small intestine looks good. He said there doesn’t seem to be bile backing up into the stomach at all. So. Inconclusive. I couldn’t decide if that was good or bad news. I do know that I REALLY need an answer though.

Since the surgery, I’ve had him on a regimen of Prilosec/Carafate/Reglan but it seems like he was sicker after the surgery than before. Like the scope irritated something, I don’t know. Results of the biopsies came back and they confirmed IBD, which we already knew. Doc says more testing is needed with the next being for something called Myasthenia Gravis, a nerve/muscle disorder. We haven’t done this test yet, but it is our next medical step. Anyway, after doing a bunch more research and with Doc’s blessing of course, last Wednesday February 10th I changed his food again to a limited ingredient novel protein, Zignature Kangaroo. I took away ALL the treats too. Treats are now Kangaroo kibble. I also went to feeding him 3 small meals a day on as consistent of a schedule as I can. If his tummy is empty, he gets gulpy licky. If his tummy is too full, he pukes. So day 1 on the Kangaroo, Wednesday, was a good day. Thursday was a good day. Friday was a good day. Saturday I discontinued the Carafate and Reglan but continuing the Prilosec. So far the good days have continued. Today is day 8 of “a good day”. I hope this lasts and I want to be positive, but I know the odds are not in our favor. Just one more theory, one more trial, grasping at more straws. I’ll definitey be looking more into the magnesium deficiency and Bilious Vomiting Syndrome that were mentioned earlier in the thread. At some point we have got to figure this out. Seems like none of us are giving up so I’d say we have a pretty good chance.

*One word of warning about the Kangaroo. It stinks. It makes his breath stink, his poops are dense and alfalfa’ish smelling, and it digests quicker than other kibbles. And did I mention it stinks? Wish us luck and thank you for all your comments, for reading, and caring…

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Carlene.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Carlene.

[Susan]

Be very careful with rawhide they swell in the stomach if pieces are swallowed & those cooked bones you see in pet shops, dogs are dying the bones splitter in the stomach & bowel…. Go on Face Book look at “Rodney Habib” page, he is often posting stories about rawhide & the chemicals used to make rawhide & other bad treats….. If you scroll down on his page he has a easy to make sesame honey chicken jerky strips you can make yourself…..I just bought Kangaroo Tendons but I live Australia these Kangaroo Tendons last hours…..this is what they look like there might be something similar in America…
http://shop.petsnacks.com.au/products/kangaroo-tendon-dog-treat-1

[Anonymous]

Thanks Susan! I can have any CN product but the kangaroo delivered in California.

When I switched her to kangaroo at about a year and a half, it was the first time since we got her at 8 weeks there were no issues other than being sick or she ate something she wasn’t suppose to. The vet never has diagnosed her with IBD but that probably is what she has since there have been times she was given treats that didn’t agree with her and caused bloody stools once. Who knows she is high maintenance!!!! ;o)

I really like your idea and had not thought to check the percentages on the ingredients, fats, proteins, etc. I had a feeling rabbit was going to be a little too rich because I tried once before when CN had a recall. I am mixing it with brown rice right now which I really don’t like to give her, but it keeps it a milder meal.

Thanks again!!!
JMP

[Pitlove]

Hi Vicki-

A lot of users have asked Dr. Mike if they will ever review treats. I believe the answer was no.

As for dental treats, I prefer those that have a VOHC seal which indicates that they have been trialed and approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council. This can provide assurance that they have been proven to remove plaque and tartar build up. However, just like with humans, the best thing you can do for your dog’s overall oral health, is to brush their teeth!

Also Natural Balance is now owned by Smuckers and according to the NB rep that is for the region I work in (I work at a small family owned pet store), the Smuckers by-out was a step in a right direction.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Vicki,
Yes there is a forum for both health and for treats.

[Vicki O]

I just became a member of this site, and I’m absolutely loving it! But are there any sections within this site that are devoted to the health and concern of ingredients that are in the dog treats? And this includes dental treats as well. I’ve been purchasing Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance dog treats for our furry kids for a few years now, and the ingredients seem very high-quality, but I don’t see any reviews so that I can know for sure and be fully educated. And I love (and so do our furry kids) the dental treats – again, the ingredients seem to be high quality. Does anyone know for sure about this brand for treats, especially since the purchase of Natural Balance by DelMonte? I’m afraid the quality will suffer after being purchased by such a mass-market brand. Any ideas or advisement here will be very appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I’ve heard of Grandma Lucy’s I will check it out. And then onto the introducing part. And just save the rabbit for treats as she had no problem with rabbit that way before. I thought about venison, but was leary because the internist vet did not recommend that one 3 years ago and I had previously feed that to my first Aussie when I found out she had Cushing’s Disease and then switched to a raw diet

I was devastated when I found out Chewy’s could not send my order of Kanagroo because I lived in California. I hadn’t heard it had been banned and learned it had previously been banned.

Thank you again the suggestion!!!

JMP

[Lisa P]

My 12-year-old toy poodle has had to have surgery twice for bladder stones: once in June 2015 and again in January 2016. I am now resolved that I cannot feed him treats anymore, and will have to feed him special food. My vet recommended Purina ProPlan NF prescription food and wants me to keep him on it. That’s fine, I don’t mind the expense, but I just want to make sure that’s safe for him to eat all the time. I’ve heard that you’re NOT supposed to feed them the prescription diet for extended periods of time. Help?!?

[JeffreyT]

Hi minnie-mama, congratulations! Havanese is a great breed, very much like maltese, which I have.

Here’s some good information on the importance of a rotational diet. I changed my pups’ diet a few days after they came home and used probiotics, enzymes and pumpkin to avoid stomach issues, and still use first two for good digestion and to keep their immune systems strong.
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter gives excellent nutritional advice, and I use the Mercola enzymes, probiotics, krill oil and multi vitamin she recommends. Mercola also makes a natural flea and tick repellent that is the best smelling one I’ve used, and it works.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

I highly recommend the book Scared Poopless to help avoid cancer and other diseases later on. The author’s website is loaded with helpful advice on avoiding vaccine overdose (especially important for small dogs), and how to do heart worm meds safely.
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/

Mine get a variety of the five star freeze dried and dehydrated foods (all you have to do is add water) with some home prepared meals using Dr. Harvey’s premix and organic meat already made from Whole Foods. Their main meal consists of these foods, and at night they get a light meal of dry and a topper like lean meat, egg yolk, yogurt, cottage cheese, goat cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, a sardine from the can or ground salad or vegetables (never feed onion). As long as you keep toppers and treats under 20% of their daily intake, the diet will stay balanced.

I always get grain-free and gmo-free foods. Their favorite dry foods are air dried like Ziwi Peak, Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried and Wellness Core Air Dried. Some of the better kibble foods that my picky ones have eaten are Petcurean Go Now, Farmina, Amicus and Wellness Trufood Baked. You can call the companies to get samples, and make sure to get the small breed puppy formula. I always buy the smallest bags, and do not keep food over one month because it starts to go rancid.

The treats they go crazy for are Stella and Chewys, Orijen, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon, Primal and Dogs for the Earth. Dogs for the Earth also makes an organic food that they love.

Make sure to avoid synthetic shampoos and other toxic products. Earthbath puppy is a good one that is non-toxic. For face, when mine were puppies, I used Castle Bath which is a non-toxic face cleaner and powder to keep faces clean and avoid tear stains….cotton baby washcloths work best with this. Baby shampoo from the healthy food store is also good for faces. Avoid drug store brands because they’re loaded with toxic chemicals.
http://www.castlebaths.com/tear-stain-remover.html

Before I got my maltese I joined an online maltese forum where I learned a lot about food, training and grooming… you may want to consider one for Havanese.

Good luck!

[Greg F]

RRLOVER
I just lost my lengthy reply so I’m going to be more concise. Right now we are trying to get her to eat anything to get her to survive; eating cooked chicken, sweet potatoe and duck treats and ice chips (not drinking either). We were on HK Zeal which is dehydrated grainless fish with 35% protein and 8.5 % fat. When I transitioned in Gramma Lucy’s dehydrate fish and Primal raw venison with more fat and calories she turned worse. I’m not sure it is food related. The new vet thinks her 5 years survival with IBD is much better than most??
Tonight she will only eat very small bits every 2 hours.
If she makes it through this (now also has an extended liver and numbers off the charts high) I will reintroduce the Zeal with more smaller meals. I’m assuming the dehydrated novel protein is beneficial and not detrimental. I just wonder if the fish is novel enough.
Thank you for your suggestions.
Greg

[Amateria]

I’m feeding the lesser hair pieces to the puppy as treats because she loves it, but I guess since it was only $10 because of a $10 off code that maybe I should just trash it, their website is generally very interesting and they mention a lot of good things and the ingredients list looks really good but it seems their food making practises aernt up to par with what they should be, I wish I could ask some of the people buying the food if they also have hairs in it, but I can’t which is too bad.

No I’ve never tried to call them because of my general shyness over the phone but maybe I should just do the best I can and call anyways to find out from them if this is how their food is meant to look, based on a Mercola article I’m reading right now it seems hair is a bad idea to feed specially at such amounts, even if its only as a treat, because dogs tend to ingest enough hairs each day that extra could be dangerous.

[Naturella]

Also maybe try to make kibble (food) interesting by putting it in a Kong, a Tower, or any other kind of a puzzle toy that she has to figure out how to get to the food to eat it. Makes it more interesting and she will think her food are all treats! 🙂

[Shawna]

Yes absolutely Gina, dogs with acute KD can recover but not in every case. While in the acute phase, I misread and thought she was eventually diagnosed with chronic KD, it can be beneficial to feed lower protein. Of course follow your vet’s advice or your gut instincts if you feel it is prudent. Science Diet has two new canned products that are, from what I can tell, far superior to many other products. They are their stews. They can be fed on their own or mixed in with the green tripe if she won’t eat them alone. I definitely would continue the Standard Process Renal Support and other supplements you’ve started.

My friend’s Maltese, Buster, developed acute kidney disease from chicken jerky treats. He survived but did develop CKD. That said, he has lived quite healthfully with the disease for many years now and is still doing well. If you are on Facebook I can link you up to her if interested.

[Carol B]

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Here is what I am thinking:

I just finished reading an excellent book, called “The Dorito Effect”. Very briefly. It’s about the huge number of flavorings and palatants added to processed foods. There is a description of several studies done with farm animals, and a brief discussion of pet foods.

It started me thinking about why my very healthy dog has turned into a poop-eating fiend.
I am feeding a food with no preservatives, additives, or flavorings. Then I had an epiphany. It all started around the time I bought a bag of pepperoni for training treats. I know, I know – I am spending good money on premium dog food and treating them with crap.

Anyway……. I have eliminated everything but their regular food (Solid Gold Barking at the Moon), and I will let you all know if that makes a difference!

If this pans out, I will have a lot of very happy clients!

[Nora L]

It is difficult to ascertain the actual fat percentages of commercial foods (including treats) because producers are not required to divulge this information, and they do not do so voluntarily. Even when they do provide a percentage, it is deceptive because it is by weight, not by calorie. This is the trick that allows milk producers to put “2%” and “low fat” on their labels. They include the water in their calculations. 2% fat milk is actually 35% fat by calorie. So using the same trick, if a pet food producer says their product is 9% fat, it is more likely at least half fat by calorie. That’s not low If my dog had already had pancreatitis, I’d be making sure that I was feeding low fat and the only way to do that is to feed meats that are low fat and/or that you can cut the fat off of. When you buy commercial pet food of any kind, you give up control over the fat content of what you feed. It is also easier on all the digestive organs to feed raw.

[Julie L]

MY dog also has had Pancreatitis, in fact twice. Once they have it they will always be subject to get it again unless you get them on a low fat food. I found Anna Maet Lean and called the company to get the max fat. which is 9%. I’m very happy with this food. Ellie (dog) has to be monitored all the time. I had her boarded since I had to go out of town and gave them the strict instructions on her food. When I got back she had her 2nd bout with Pancreatitis. My dog cannot have any store treats, NONE I make all of her treats. Guess what I’m trying to say is find a very low fat food and don’t ruin it by giving your dog any store treats. Dehydrate chicken breast or boil/pressure cook chicken breast for food topper. Turkey is also a great treat.

[losul]

Interesting theory on the palatibilty enhancers, Dr Carol.

I don’t think this is the one that Aimee referenced, but here is a survey/study that could give insight.

http://www.associationofanimalbehaviorprofessionals.com/boze412010.pdf

At least 50% of my dogs diet is homemade raw, with limited (35%) kibble, but I have had no experience with coprophagia so couldn’t help there.

I found in the the following article in Can Vet, that seems to be relative to what you have asked.

“The dog should be fed a consistent, good quality
diet, high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrate,
with no treats or scraps. Diets high in carbohydrate
tend to enhance the drive to eat stool. The dry food
component of the diet should be reduced and replaced
with a high protein food. Although dry food is generally
a good diet, it has been shown clinically that the
above diet change will often lessen the drive to eat
stool. The addition of vegetable oil (increased slowly
over 7 days, to 15 mL/4.5 kg of body weight/day) is
also helpful. Sufficient food should be given twice
daily, on a regular schedule. Adding the fat and feeding
twice a day helps suppress the appetite for a longer
period, reducing this particular stimulus for stool
eating. Often, a diet change, maintained for 4-8 weeks,
may be all that is required to stop the behavior, in conjunction
with the decreasing strength of the drive as
the animal ages.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1680886/pdf/canvetj00575-0079.pdf

[Suzanne W]

Hi Aimee! Thankyou. Actually, this happened after business hours, so I gave the peroxide to induce vomiting and read up on what they would do. I have not been happy with my vet with 13 visits in 2015 and planned on finding another this year after we get caught up on finances. I am hoping you are correct as the gelcaps are obviously deodorized and tasteless(at least to me) and the label states it as well though soph obviously disagreed. If she should show any signs of hemolytic anemia(I am with her except to take my dog out as I am mostly bedridden) I of course, will take her to emergency care, but don’t want to take her in for blood testing as I read several, actually many sites where supportive care is the treatment. I was a hot mess yesterday after this happened, but feel calmer today objectively thinking that I did make her vomit a couple times. I also read where many people give garlc to dogs(though I wouldn’t) and even some nutritionists recommend this, so I feel a bit better about that. I know that I must watch her for several weeks as well. After this is all said and done I will post an update. I plan to give her additional foods which will increase her production of red blood cells and hopefully ride this out. my vet is open now, so I will call, though I doubt I will take her in unless absolutely necessary since I’ve found out they give antibiotics every time they stub their toe till they are sick from the antibiotics. As trump would say, “bad!” Ok just called vet they were pleased with the peroxide3percent one tsp two different times as she’s ten pounds, and told me signs and symptoms to watch for i.e. Lethargy, weakness, panting, decreased appetite, pale gums, redness, bruising, petechiae, any signs of generalized not feeling well, and to bring her in if she has problems. They said they could draw blood work to see, but thought watching was sufficient at this point, so yay. Liver, sardines, mandarins for Sophie today as treats with her peanut butter cookie treats. Thanks, Aimee and anonymous, I will post if any changes if nothing else to help the next little precious patient!

[Suzanne W]

I took my German shepherd Ida, outside, was gone about five minutes. I was shocked to find my Maltese, Sophie, on the couch with my vitamin supplements and prescription pills! How in the world did she get them off the coffee table and then take them to the couch. She “moved “definitely five and possibly six pills. Ok, there are definitely two possibly three missing. I believe she ate two garlic gelcaps(2000mg garlic bulb), and possibly a caprylic acid gel cap. I was in shock… And anger! It took me about twenty to twenty five minutes to finally give her hydrogen peroxide. I don’t know if it went down so I tried again. After about a total of half hour maximum forty five minutes, she vomited twice, liquid(she had not eaten yesterday before this) bile colored without any gel substance so I saw nothing. I put a garlc gel cap in my mouth and moved it around n my mouth and it was competent dissolved in less than four minutes and did not taste bad. I decided that she may or may not have vomited it up as the substance is clear, odorless to humans that is, and almost tasteless. Hemolytic anemia is a horrible thing and I will watch soph for the next week or two. I was unable to obtain activated charcoal in time and then we couldn’t get it down her. I am disabled, and my husband has been out of work for six months, but found at least part time work the day before so wasn’t home. Before you judge us for not taking her in, we spent three grand in the summer on the dogs vet bills and we’ve spent hundreds more a couple months ago on skin problems with Ida. I’ve read what to watch for, but does anybody know anything I can do to support her or minimize reprecussions of this? I thought more protein, folic acid and supplements, so I gave her a half sardine this am. She’s already on blue buffalo grain free dog food, homemade topper made with different good quality meat and vegetables and fruits appropriate for dogs, and dermis supplement in her food. She gets tiny amounts of homemade treats we make with peanut butter, oatmeal, banana, flourless cookies we and the dogs like! Any advise? Ok I believe treat the patient not the diagnosis. She is acting fine thus far as it has only been 16 hours. Thanks for any help!

[Shawna]

I’ve read research discussing illnesses associated with palatants (specifically MSG and free glutamic acid) but I’ve never heard of them associated with copraphagia. Additionally, several of the supplements given for copraphagia have MSG or a form of free glutamic acid in them. Although they don’t work for all dogs, they do seem to work for some. I’m not sure what other palatants are used in pet foods?

Although I never had copraphagia, 🙂 I did have pica for about 15 or so years. I didn’t have digestive issues of any kind but turns out I had villous atrophy from a caseine sensitivity (I react to both cow and goat dairy products, raw or pasteurized, organic makes no difference either). My blood work was normal however my iron was on the very low side of normal. I also developed slight hypothyroid symptoms but test showed no issues. Anyhoo, I was finally diagnosed at age 39 by a wonderful M.D. who is also a Certified Clinical Nutritionist. She put me on an elimination diet. The only ingredients that jump out at me in Barking at the Moon would be the lectin proteins in the pea protein and the potato. I’ve not seen either of those lectin foods associated with villous atrophy but so much about lectins is still not yet known…?? Treats might be a potential source?

I currently feed commercial raw but used to feed home prepared (my time is limited now). Three of my dogs used to make a game out of eating bunny poo. That completely stopped when I started giving digestive enzymes. I never felt they were necessary in raw fed dogs but those three showed me differently. An adult foster dog came in eating poo. She was also a little over 20 pounds overweight. We got the weight off but no matter what we’ve tried she is a poop eater. She’s been an ideal weight (12 pounds) for several years now (we adopted her) but she still to this day has a snack given the opportunity. She won’t eat all poo though, so I’m assuming my senior dogs are not thoroughly digesting the proteins despite the added enzymes.

I don’t know if any of this is relevant to your pup but thought I’d put it out there.

[C4D]

Hi Alex Woodward, I mean Ed W.

So you’ve made your way on to the forum side. It seems really inappropriate to tear down people on this site, particularly the regulars. I’ve seen many of their posts and I see them regularly suggest, to people that are asking for suggestions, food that is compatible with their price point. I do the same. They generally preface it with the fact that these foods have worked for them and that it might or might not work for their dog(s).

You said: “The vast majority of problems are dreamed up by pet owners in order to try the next latest and greatest product, or just overfeeding or excessive treats. Yes, this is in fact true.” Could you please provide links to back this comment up?

There are many people who have genuine issues with their dogs, myself included in the past, that would like a bit of advice, particularly when whatever they are doing is not working. I wouldn’t consider it an obsession when someone’s dog has ear or skin infections, vomitting, diarrhea, etc. and are going back to the vet several times for the same problem and they start on a merry go round of antibiotics, steroids, etc. In many cases, a change in diet worked wonders and completely cleared the dog(s) issues.

I have many personal friends that work and have worked in the dog world, including myself. They have trained, showed in AKC agility, conformation and field trials. They have finished dogs, dogs with Regional and National Championships. They feed a variety of food, including some who feed raw. None, that I know, are feeding proplan.

If you want to talk about expensive dog food, Royal Canin, which you suggest, is probably the most expensive dog food on the market, making Orijen, which is an expensive dog food, seem cheap by comparison.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by C4D.

[Bobby dog]

The link didn’t show up, trying again:
http://www dot dogfoodadvisor dot com/forums/topic/dental-chews/

Edit: Didn’t show up again for some reason, I’m sure you’ll be able to find it. 😉

If it doesn’t post this time go to the forum home page, select dog treats, then about half way down that page select the topic “dental chews” started by Hav mom. You can also use the search option on the forum home page for other threads on dental chews.

[Leslie C]

I know a little bit about seizures as I have had two dogs, a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Golden Retriever that did not live together and both had seizures. The Golden we bought as a puppy after the first Berner female died. I did a lot of research on the breeds and the issue of seizures. Bernese Mountain Dogs are prone to seizures as they age, Goldens are not. And no one knows what that means, prone to, or why. We believe that initially, the Berner had a brain tumor or cancer that travelled to her brain. I was using a regular vet who just put her on anti seizure meds that really didn’t help. No seizures, no personality, she only lived a month after we put her on the meds. As a puppy she never had seizure, therefor, we knew that she was not epileptic. Epilepsy is diagnosed before or around two years of age. The Golden was having seizures that were probably unrelated to his diagnosis, osteo-carcenoma (bone cancer) which he got at nine. He actually lived another year after he was diagnosed- usually the diagnoses is six months. Since he lived way beyond his prescribed “end”, probably because I was cooking human grade food, and because of the attention he got from his family, at his last visit to the vet they believed that perhaps tumors form elsewhere in his body may have metastasized to his brain. He got real bad real fast only in his last ten days. So I think the food was a big part of lengthening his life, making him happy and giving him the best quality nutrition, and sometimes there is just nothing else you can do. Heavy meds do not make a happy dog. He died Spring of 2015. My current Bernese Mountain Dog (unrelated, but from the same breeder as the other dog) has had four unpredictable seizures in the last year and a half. I thought at first that it might have been from the dry food because of the Golden’s seizures. I got rid of the enormous cookies (Pro-Pet) we got from Agway with our grain and hay deliveries. The dogs liked coming to the barn and chowing down on big bones. Its very odd though, his blood work was good, especially for a 9 year old Berner. My vet is a holistic vet, who gives our dogs (we have a Wheaten too) supplements to help them maintain an effective system. (Like vitamins). They are also regular vets that give shots and operate, and they absolutely believe that foods can be toxic to pets. Especially poor brands of pet food. (Look at what the first ingredient is on the label). HOWEVER, more toxic are the many unnecessary shots that they give. Really. The puppy shots and rabies (every several years depending on the dogs age) are necessary, but there are many other shots that you can ask your vet to omit. In addition, you are worried about cleaning products? If you’re okay, your dog should be okay, but you never know. I think that lawn products, stuff on the sidewalk, stuff that your dog can lick off his paws and get sick from are real problems. I am trying to find out if any of the dry foods I feed them have caused seizures or something else. The now get Merrick and Blue, and Blue Dog Bakery biscuits. Has anyone said anything about Milk Bone? (I think the UPS delivery guys give them Milk Bone when the drop boxes off). But really, I find it easy to cook for them, making chicken or fish for the family, I just make extra. We also have chickens so they get a lot of eggs, those small carrots, peas, cooked yams, apples, and even plain yogurt. If you know where it came from and if your eating it yourself its safe. Allergies are another story. I hope this helped a little bit… And please, if anyone discovered more about this bizarre and mysterious seizure conundrum, or about the dog foods and treats I listed above, please post!!

[aquariangt]

I work with performance dogs, and im not sure any of my clients feed any of those three brands. In fact, someone i work with-her dog got selected to be on proplan treats. She got a bunch of them, her dog is advertised as a “Purina ProPlan Dog” but she feeds raw. /shrug

[Ed W]

The new malady seems to be pet owner obsession with pet foods. Being a victim of marketing, the quest for the “perfect” list of ingredients and paying through the nose to get them. As part of this, regular forum members that have crowned themselves as “experts” that will stop at nothing to provide even medical advice.

The vast majority of problems are dreamed up by pet owners in order to try the next latest and greatest product, or just overfeeding or excessive treats. Yes, this is in fact true.

My advice is just buy an easily available food like Pro Plan and find something better to do with your time. Stop being a sucker for upstart companies with no expertise in making pet food.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Ed W.

[Dan H]

By far our favorite healthy dog treats are from wet noses. The dogs love ’em. They’re organic, no GMO and all local (northwest US) ingredients. We are as paranoid about our dog treats as we are about the meal itself. Highly recommended. Check them out and decide for yourself!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Becky A-
It seems like you are feeding about the right amount unless there are treats being added as well. Those can add up fast especially with a smaller dog. Has he had a blood test to check his thyroid levels? Some dogs are prone to hypothyroidism.

If it is a case where you are feeding treats in addition to his one cup of food per day, you might want to switch to a food with less calories. The Acana has over 400 calories per cup. I feed lower calorie food with low to moderate fat to keep my dogs weight under control because they didn’t want me feeding them less! Lol!

[anonymously]

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea is grain free, no chicken, no potato. I find feeding measured amounts twice a day and increasing walks/exercise to at least 1 hour a day will result in weight loss. All bets are off if you free feed. Keep treats to a minimum.

[Angela B]

Dogs are like children, they can become spoiled. Mine are absolutely rotten but I have tried desperately to feed them right. My husband feeds my furbabies treats for any reason. I like to treat them about once a day or if they have done something really good. My point is, once a dog has become spoiled it is really hard to break some of the habits. We too adopted an Australian Cattle Dog. She is 5 years old. When she got here the only thing we could get her to eat was treats. Hers was not a matter of being spoiled. She was a breeder dog her whole life. She is now part of a family but it took about a week for her to start eating her food. We do free feed in our house. We have never had any problem with it. All of our dogs will come in and get a couple of bites and move on. None of our dogs are pigs. I put down 4cups of food a day. There are generally left overs to start the next day. If your dog never does eat straight dog food don’t despair, it won’t hurt her.