[Rebecca W]

thanks for replying.He is a 3 yr old german shepherd who develpoped this at about the age of 1.Vets dont seem to know much more than i have researched myself really.He has a strict diet of boiled chicken rice or white fish boiled and royal canin gastro intestinal food advised by the vet.He has no treats or chews and is not a dog that eats things he shouldnt he doesnt scavenge.I am desperate to get it right for him to give him the best life i can he is a gorgeous and gentle dog.The medications he has are Metranidazole,medrum and he has pro biotic powders on his food twice a day.i just worry about how very lethargic he gets and would love to know if someone else can identify with this to put my mind at rest.he has had bloods,xrays we are sure it is collitis but it breaks our heart to think he is so depressed when he gets a bad bout.Thankyou for listening Rebecca

[Karen D]

The vet said “what are you feeding her” I said Newmans Own Canned Turkey with Brown Rice & Honest Kitchen Keen, she said well you could try the prescription allergy food but then she can’t have anything else, no treats, nothing. I decided against that due to her age & quality of life issues. So I used the elimination method & it is definitely the Honest Kitchen food. The soft poops stopped after stopping the HK. Was just wondering if anyone else had the problem with that food cause everyone online raves & praises it for helping with digestive issues. I stupidly opened the 10# box, wish I could donate it to someplace???
It’s not cheap to just toss in trash.

[Susan]

Hi Ruth, some dogs can’t eat boiled rice, it irritates their bowel, when I rescued my boy 3 years ago, first he was weeing blood, so he was put on the Royal Canine Vet Diet S/O Urinary kibble & wet tin after 6 weeks his crystal had all dissolved & vet said stop feeding the Royal Canine Vet diet & feed a healthy diet, Patch started having diarrhea on & off, I couldn’t work out what was wrong, he’d do poos with Jelly, then poo’s with blood, then diarrhea, then normal poos, but when he was eating the Royal Canine Vet diet S/O his poos were fine, later we realised there was no rice in the wet tin S/O then finally vet realised it was the boiled rice & he had food sensitivities….we thought chicken also but he eats chicken now…
Try feeding boiled potatoes instead of the boiled rice & see if poos are better…. Patch also didn’t like kibble in the beginning, so I started using his kibble as treats….
Read the ingredients on the wet tin foods & don’t get any that have rice & see how he does…also some wet tin foods will say Lamb & when you read the ingredients it will have poultry by-products as well & only a little bit of lamb…

[C4D]

Hi Michael S,

it’s been a while since you posted, but these links might help. Generally organ meat, even in raw feeding, should be no more than 10 % of the total diet and liver only 5%. I find it’s a bit too rich to use alone, so I often mix with lung and fresh cooked muscle meat. I have large dogs, Labs, and tend to keep the treats slightly bigger than a pea. It’s easy to nibble, get back quickly to training, and keeps them interested in more since they don’t get full.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-organ-meat-is-important-for-the-raw-fed-dog/

http://dogaware.com/diet/treats.html

George B,

I generally don’t treat for potty breaks, but you could apply the above information if you use treats. And treats, even good ones, shouldn’t be more than 10% of the total diet. I foster and find that crate training is very effective in potty training, especially in the beginning. Good luck with your pup!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by C4D.

[Bobby dog]

Hi micheal s:
I suggest contacting the company and ask them specific questions about their product.

My guess is, unless your dog has a health issue, protein is not the reason for the recommended feeding guidelines. When feeding treats you are adding extra calories and risk unbalancing their diet. Treats should not exceed 10% of your dog’s daily calories. At least that would be my concern with feeding treats or other unbalanced extras regardless of age. Here’s a little more info:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/local_resources/pdfs/Treats_guidelines.pdf

[anonymously]

I have never used food/treats for housebreaking. Just carry or walk the dog outside to the desired location you would like him to eliminate at, every 2 hours during the day, at bedtime and first thing in the morning, about 30 minutes after meals. May take a month or two, but it works like a charm.

Remember, a puppy is like an infant, they will have accidents.

Why not just broil up a little chicken liver and freeze it…it would be a lot cheaper.

BTW: All organ meats are high in fat. I give them as an occasional topper, maybe once a week (twice at the most). Too fatty for every day consumption, imo.

[M M]

@Olga, what did/do you feed your vegetarian dog? Do you give any vitamin or taurine supplement?

We use V-dog kibble and she adores it enough for us to use it as training treats, but she goes NUTS over blended beans and broccoli so I would like to home cook for her more. Our dog cannot have milk due to food allergies, but she just loves all the veggies and low-sugar fruits she can get.

I will likely check out a new cookbook called Healthy Happy Pooch with recipes for home-cooked meals, but I would also love to hear what someone with your experience feeds your dogs as you clearly have had great results. We’re happy V-dog exists, but processed kibble in any form doesn’t strike me as an ideal long-term diet.

Thank you for sharing your story. Our dog is thriving on her veggie diet (vet and staff always remark how nice it is to see a healthy dog of her breed), but it has been only a year.

[Kaci G]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 10 month old coonhound/Rottweiler mix with a problem. Up until last week we had him on Blue Buffalo’s puppy dry food and he was eating fine. He’s very high energy and it’s hard for him to focus on anything for long so eating can be challenging but after a recent vet visit where the vet advised me that he’s underweight and needs to gain weight, he’s stopped eating his food. Now, he’s only eating his brother’s food and treats, which is an adult salmon/sweet potato dry food. Of course, this food is not what he needs to gain weight. I was thinking about maybe trying a puppy wet/dry food mix? He definitely has a sensitive stomach, he can’t eat too much or he throws up. I was wondering if anyone might have any recommendations for a good wet food, I’ve never had a dog on wet food before, let alone one with a sensitive stomach. Thank you for any suggestions!

[Savanna H]

I have a 3 year old dachshund as well as a 6 year old pug. I’ve given them the carry out treats for at least 3 years and have never had an issue. They love all kinds but the carryout are their favorites.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Savanna H.

[jakes mom]

I try to sneak treats to Dustin, too, but even if Jake is sleeping he always hears the bag being opened and appears in the kitchen! Other cats not big on cat treats, tho.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, just had blood work done and the vet was surprised it was perfect. Just gonna have to get her some fattening treats and the others some lite ones! I try to sneak her some, but the other fatties can always hear the crinkling noise. Lol! Thanks for your concern. 🐱🐸

[crazy4cats]

Hi JM-

The vet was a little concerned about my hyper-t kitty’s weight loss when she was in last week. Of course, she is not one of the piggies who jumped up on the counter to steal the freeze dried treats from their canine brothers. She is extremely shy.

I’m going to try and sneak her some though. That might be a healthy way of bumping up her calories a bit!

Hi PL- Ziwipeak sounds like a great food for your cat. Unfortunately, I’m not sure it would fit in my budget. I remember you saying something about her having surgery a while back. Did everything go OK?

[Susan]

Hi Crystal, my Patch had the gulping, vomiting & he grinded his teeth… its acid reflux coming up into his throat, change diet, lower the fat & try not to feed kibble, home cooked is best for this even if 1 meal is cooked & the other meal is wet tin food, a low fat tin food… over the 2 years, I have found kibble makes it worse & treats especially if the treats are high in fat….. fat in a kibble should be around 10%, fat in wet tin food 3% fat & under… I’ve been cooking, lean white meats, chicken, pork & fish & I add sweet potatoes, Oh I don’t feed all these meats at once, separate meals…. 3 small meals a day..

I would be seeing a vet, ASAP, it only cost about $60 for a vet visit & some answers & a script for medications, some vets will write you a script that you take to a chemist & its cheaper, after trying natural remedies & nothing worked for Patch, Patch had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, make sure the vet does the biopsies, when the vet looked at Patches stomach everything looked fine BUT the biopsies results showed Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD The Helicobacter-Pylori makes the acid reflux worse & ant acids don’t work & medications are needed, Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac & change of diet, Gluten free & no sugar carbs……in the mean time give him some Pepto or Mylanta about 3-4mls to relieve this 20mins before his meals, its not nice to have, he may also have ulcers depends how long he has had this problem, the acid burns the stomach & you get stomach ulcers that can bleed, vet will give ant acid medication like {Famotidine- Pepcid} or {Ranitidine-Zantac} or {Prilosec- Omeprazole} to relieve his symptoms…

[crazy4cats]

Hi JM-

I have tried to feed my cats a little thawed out raw a while back and not one of them even took a bite. Then, I tried the soft Fresh Pet kibble thinking my senior kitty would love it. No luck! But….the other day I was mixing some freeze dried Orijin treats into my dogs’ kibble as a meal mixer. I got a couple of free samples that I thought I’d put to good use. Two of my cats would NOT leave the treats alone! Their naughty kitty instincts took over and there was actually some growling going on. They loved them!!! It took me by surprise.

Not sure if I’ll be buying much freeze dried food for them as it is so expensive, but I agree with you, they really do love it and will try to give it to them as a treat now and then.

[crazy4cats]

Hi C4D-

I’m not exactly sure what triggered them. I am signed up for Pet Smart’s rewards/membership program and emails. Maybe it is because maybe I bought some NV raw there when I had a manufacturers coupon or some NV treats or something. But, I have received at least six $15 off NVI’s frozen raw coupons in the last 5 or 6 months. And I can use them on any size or flavor. Woo Hoo!

I keep buying more even though I don’t need them because I’m not sure when they are going to end!

I can’t share them because they have my full name and Pet Smart membership number on them. Darn!

[CRYSTAL C]

My 2 year old beagle “Henry” just started doing this. I now call him “Gulpy McCrazy Eyes” when he starts the frantic licking, eating grass and gagging that leads to vomit (at night). I have been feeding him Blue Buffalo Salmon & potato limited ingredient grain free since I got him a few months ago. He eats twice a day. And since we are in training, he gets lots of treats, but only grain free. It all started with a throat irritation that was the result of him sticking his head out the window that was down partially and I slammed on my breaks when a giant duck flew across the road in front of my car. He coughed for a while, but otherwise acted ok. I stopped using the gentle leader because it seemed to make his throat worse. Even though the gentle leader is the best thing to happen to dog-walking EVER, we will use the harness. Laying him down and rubbing belly seems to help the gulping subside. It seems to build upon anxiety. not sure about acid reflux yet. But may try pepto and magnesium before pepcid.
I will try natural remedies before expensive vet and stressful procedures. I take pro-biotics myself for digestion…Another option for those who suffer from allergies is ALLERPLEX. I love it and highly recommend it for both humans and our four-legged friends. Thank you for all your comments. I am glad I read this thread before freaking out and wasting time and money!

[Kristin S]

I’m desperate for help trying to find some good treats and chew bones for my dogs. They are so picky with treats and I’ve had a hard time finding something for them that really lasts. My big guy is 120lbs and my little one is 75lbs so, please no comments from people with cat sized dogs. I really just want to hear from other owners of XLARGE dogs, what do you use? What lasts a long time (a day or more)? Here is my experience so far:
– Nylabones: last less than an hour (even the Super size)
– Benebones: dogs don’t like them
– Bullysticks: last less than an hour
– Antlers: dogs don’t like them
– Cow hooves: Not recommended by our vet.
– Rawhides: definitely not recommended by our vet.
– Himalayan chews: they liked one brand and not the other. So we’re still testing this.
– Whimzees: pretty good, especially if I freeze them with yogurt in the back.
– Stuff kongs: pretty good
– Marrow bones: last about an hour

What have I not thought of?? Thanks a lot for the help!

[Mal W]

My dog, pitbull boxer, just tuned 2 and weighs 50lbs. For the past 3 days she has been waking me up in the middle of the night crying. When I let her out she vomits and has diarrhea. Throughout the day she seems fine, a little whiny, but other than that everything seems normal. It’s at night time where she is having problems.

Her appetite seems normal, she’s been drinking a fair amount of water, nothing to out of the ordinary. I bought Canine Carry outs, beef and bacon flavor, from Walmart on Monday, the 19th. I have given her these treats before, not the specific kind, but this brand I have before. Rarley though, I usually am a milk bone fan. I called the business number, they were closed for the day. I took her to the vet, they want to run some test results if she doesn’t get better or worse by tomorrow.

I guess my question here is should I get the test results to be safe? Will the tests determine that these treats are the problem? I’m definitely throwing them out and will no longer be giving my dog them but how can these still be on the shelf if so many problems have been brought up?

[C4D]

Hi Carrie R,

Have you tried her on a grain free salmon? The food you are currently feeding has grains. I have a dog that can’t tolerate any grains and as she got older developed an allergy to 1 specific protein.

https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/focus-adult-sensitive-skin-stomach-formula/#ingredientsandguaranteedanalysis

Zignature has 2 fish formulas that are limited ingredients that might work. It could be the protein (fish) causing the allergy, but I would try eliminating the grains first. If that doesn’t work, I would switch to a new protein she hasn’t had. It could be environmental as well, but I would try a limited ingredient diet first. If you do this, you need to make sure ALL the treats are the same protein and grain free otherwise you won’t know if it’s working.

[Kevin R]

Hi all, I am looking to transition from kibble to a home cooked diet for my dog, but am having trouble locating a good book to do so. I have saw the books by Dr. Becker and Steve Brown, but judging by the reviews, it seems they may focus mainly on raw diets. There is another named “Feed your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs,” that gets some good praise from http://www.dogaware.com. However, the author suggest the recipes be added to commercial food. I’m trying to find good, balanced recipes in order to avoid commercial food. That’s my whole point of doing this. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[anonymously]

I felt the same way, regarding the recall, but it was only the chicken products. All chicken dog food is at risk for salmonella. And I know the company had an issue with jerky treats (made in China). What else is new?
All I can say, is that I am happy with with the items I have mentioned.
BTW: My neighbor’s dog does very well on Fromm. I was going to try it, but it contains potato…not an issue for most dogs, but if you are trying to rule out food sensitivities, potato may be something you would want to avoid.

[Ptcbass]

I have a 9 year old shih tzu that is a little overweight and would like to find a good high quality food. She doesn’t need to lose too much but just trim down. I have been looking for food with a lower fat content but then noticed that sometimes the fat content is higher but the calories per cup number is lower. What number is more important?
She is currently on Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison but has a hard time getting it out of the bowl so I am putting Fromm White Fish and Potato kibble in with it.

The other problem I am struggling with is I just lost a dog this week. She had allergies and was put on prednisone and then developed small bladder stones. Then the doctor put her on Royal Canin SO (with me protesting but caved in). One week later she was in intensive care and in tons of pain with pancreatitis. She lasted a week (and over $4000 dollars later) she died. She was only 6 and I know that food caused it since she was healthy before and I didn’t feed treats or anything else during that week. Now I am looking for a food that won’t cause stones or pancreatic, is grain free and lower calorie, no Chinese ingredients and preferably organic. Well that is about impossible to find! I have read that sweet potatoes are bad to promote stones. Most grain free food contains sweet potatoes and then also low glycemic index food without grains seems to be hard to find. I know I am trying to find the “perfect” food but the pain my family and dog just went through was just horrible. I really want to do all I can not to ever repeat that again. Any suggestions would be appreciated! I am trying to take a step back and just go with a good food but then I get caught up in the details again. Right now I am looking at Natures Logic (but it is higher fat, acceptable calories), Acana Light and Fit (not grain free), Pinnalce, Stella and Chewy Duck (seems expensive), Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance (higher fat), and Fromm (grain free are higher fat). Help Please!

[Susan]

Hi, I live in Australia so we have different brands, my boy has IBD Colitis (food sensitivities)every time I give Patch a probiotic he feels sick, I’ve read there’s a die off period, just keep taking the probiotics but I stopped I couldn’t handle watching Patch feel sick licking & licking his mouth & eating grass, so a lady at the pet shop said give him Papaya (Paw Paw) so I mashed up 1/2 a Papaya & put the mashed papaya in ice cube & froze, I was giving Patch 1 thawed ice cube of the papaya about 10.30am after our walked he loved it, at first I thought Patch was OK but again he started his mouth licking & eating grass…
I found a good dog probiotic had to be stored in the fridge or kept under 25 degrees so the heat doesn’t kill the live bacteria…also Tripe, tripe is excellent, Patch tried the K-9Natural Lamb Green Tripe was really good… K-9 Natural has their Raw frozen or their freeze dried Green Lamb Tripe, the smell was OK not as bad as I thought it would be…..Patch loved it but it made him feel sick….

My vet said she went to a seminar & the lady said they tested 10 popular dog probiotics & only 3 had live cultures Purina Fortiflora was suppose to be good, she didn’t mention the probiotics that weren’t good my vet said, I said if Patch doesn’t feel sick then its no good…

I joined a group on Face Book called “Fast Track Diet” (Official Group) run by Dr Norm Robillard he’s specializes in IBS SIBO Leaky Gut Acid Reflux etc
& has written a book called “Fast Tract Digestion” its for humans but I’d say a dog would have similar bowel & stomach problems with certain foods, he said it’s best to take probiotics on an empty stomach when your Hydrochloric Acid is low, either first thing in the morning or night just before bed & not with food….

I found this link what each strain of bacteria is for & what it helps Lactobacillus GG (L.rhamnosus) protects against respiratory illness, treats candida, colitis and diarhea, reduces stress and anxiety.. http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/how-to-choose-good-probiotic-supplement.html

[pug l]

i started giving my pug the “canine carryouts” dog treats last week and he also experienced a violent seizure this morning! luckily we rushed him to the vet and his is doing okay now but please please please do not give these to your dog!

[Angeldogs]

I have found a high quality kibble that everyone can eat here. I have ten allergic dogs with a list of 15 allergens. Please keep in mind that all of our dogs have been allergy tested which makes things easier.

Dr. E’s buffalo limited ingredient potato and grain free kibble.

They are all doing very well on it. Have switched treats to Dr. Woofers vegie biscuits. They can also have the spaghetti and meatball flavor.

Don’t forget to read labels carefully on treat bags too!

Hope that’s of help to someone’s pup!

[JUDITH B]

I don’t know about anyone else, but as I begin to read the evaluation of one of the 5 star rated food, it sounds great. Then I go to the reviews, and the evaluations cover the range from great to bad.
I read through several 5 star foods, and basically found the same thing.
That’s why I’m now confused. I understand the reactions to each dog food may be different for each dog. So how do I know which would be best for my dog? It would be almost impossible to try a sample of each and every 5 star rated food. Right now I’m using a 4 star rated dry dog food – Lotis Baked Chicken, and my dog loves it. I haven’t had any noticeable issues. I have to admit I often combine it with a “stew” that I make in a slow cooker that contains beef cubes, chicken breast pieces, and occasionally pork chops. Also included is beef broth (Swanson), 2 cans of tomato soup, and a small jar of cheese type spread (I forget the actual term for it); and either broccoli or spinach and cut fresh organic carrots. I cook it approx. 6 hrs., then put one soup ladle full in freezer quart size bags. Then it goes in the freezer. I heat this up each night and combine it with the kibble. (it is not a large amt. of kibble – about 1/2 cup.) My dog loves it. For the morning feedings, I buy canned turkey, chicken, and albacore tuna (all packed in water), and rotate them to add to breakfast. I take a small amt. of the meat with a little water, heat it in micro., and add it to the kibble. He seems to love this also.
Am I doing all the wrong things? I have purchased only nutritious dog treats, and use only for training purposes. Can anyone give me their educated opinion on this? After reading all of the info. – I can’t decide whether what I am doing is good or not good for my dog. He weights about 37 lbs and is a min. pin. mix. Thanks so much for your input.

[Larry A]

My 11 year old labradoodle is perpetually underweight. The vet has commented at every visit that she is underweight and is concerned that she is not eating adequately. She doesn’t show any other symptoms of a GI problem and has good energy levels. She weighed in yesterday at 44.1 lbs, down one pound from last year, and at her lowest weight since reaching adulthood.

For years, we fed her Wellness CORE Original Recipe and now that she is older, she eats Hill’s Ideal Balance Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Mature Adult Dog Dry Food. We offer her 3 cups once a day, and she rarely eats the full 3 cups at meal time. Frequently there is still a cup left in her bowl by her next feeding.

The doctor suggested that we are feeding her too healthily (?!) and might consider additional treats each day or a different recipe.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

[Susan]

Hi Jan, Patch has tried a few kibbles like Wellness Simple, Holistic Select, (Australian brands- Nutro Natural Choice, Meals For Mutts gluten dairy sugar free, Black Hawk) Patch ended up with bad wind & farts from the peas, these kibbles were pea heavy & acid reflux with some of the other kibbles…..
I saw a friend at the dog park & I asked the lady what is Lilly eating? she suffers with stomach & bowel problems as well she said her vet recommended Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion, I went & google Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion & noticed it was pea free, no Probiotics (makes Patch feel sick) no tomato pomace-acid reflux, I got a couple samples of the Ocean fusion, I put 2 of the Ocean Fusion kibbles in a glass of warm water & waited to see how long the Kibble swelled & soften, the kibbles soften the same as vet Diet Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat, 30-40mins so I started giving Patch a few Ocean Fusion kibbles
as treats then started adding 1/4 cup with his R/C Intestinal Low Fat Kibbles then Patch, wanted to eat the Ocean Fusion instead of his vet diet R/C & I only
needed 2 & 1/2 cups a day of the Ocean Fusion, so less work on his stomach & bowel his poos were better & firmer then on the R/C Low Fat, he stopped having acid reflux every 2nd day & was keeping on his weight & feeling heaps better…. I’m looking at the Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes now it has similar ingredients to the Ocean Fusion but has tomatoes, so I’ll give it a go & I can buy from the Pet Shop up the road, but I have to do my soak test & see if the Wellness digest easy Patch has problems digesting some kibbles & cries when they are real hard & don’t digest easy….some kibbles take 2-3 hours to soften…no good for Patch….

[C4D]

I agree DF!

Shawna you rock!

Red, you are the official booster to skeptvet. 🙁

jan f, good luck with your dog. I have nothing to offer as treats, but you might want to choose something simple, like dehydrated sweet potato or a treat from a single protein that your dog can handle.

[jan f]

Can anyone suggest a commercial small treat for my dog with colitis? I do not want to make anything; I want to purchase one that will not make her colitis worse. She won’t eat anything big which is why I specified ‘small.’ She normally does not care for dog treats, she prefers people treats like crackers and breadsticks. But, with this colitis I need something else.

[Shawna]

Hi Jan f,

I think the issue for most opposing these foods is the, what we perceive to be, lower quality ingredients. It is not necessarily the food however that is helping but rather in changing the food you have eliminated something the dog was reacting to in the old food. My Pom gets ulcerative colitis from chicken. ANY food that has chicken muscle protein in it will set her off. She would actually do poorly on the W/D because of the “chicken meal” in it. Other dogs, like yours, will improve on it. Doesn’t mean it is the only, and certainly not the best, food for a dog with colitis though.

Marvistavet says this about colitis and foods
“Elimination Diet: Colitis can result from a food intolerance (an example would be lactose intolerance from which numerous people suffer). Intolerances can result from dyes, preservatives, contaminants or even natural proteins in the food. Similarly, colitis can result from an actual food allergy. The solution for these intolerances is the feeding a “pure” diet, ideally a home cooked food made with carbohydrates and proteins that are novel or new to the patient. An 8-10 week diet course is typically needed and no other chews or treats can be offered during the time of the trial. Food allergy cannot be diagnosed by blood test or skin test. At this time, response to elimination diet is the only test for food allergy or intolerance. Most people are not in a position to home cook an appropriate food for the pet. Fortunately, several novel protein diets and hydrolyzed protein diets have been developed. For more details on using an elimination diet, please visit our food allergy page.” http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_colitis.html

A “home cooked diet” is going to provide, pending it is balanced, much better nutrition than a food with an ingredient list that starts “Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Sorghum, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken Liver Flavor, Pork Fat, Soybean Oil” (personal opinion of course).

Edit — I don’t believe that these foods are necessarily harmful, at face value at least, but they do not supply the same nutrients from more species appropriate ingredients/foods.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Shawna.

[Kristin C]

Is it possible the immune system of the dog contributes to the frequency of flea and/or tick problems? No one seems to have mentioned that in this post so just wondering. I feed my dogs B-complex vitamins with their raw food, plus am currently giving them each 1/2 Advantix dose every 8 weeks and there has not been one tick on either of them this summer. No fleas either as far as I can tell. I think they are both pretty healthy is my point, and I am considering taking them off Advantix completely next season, keeping up with the B-complex, liver treats and raw food.

[Alex p]

Not long ago Publix recalled their chicken treats. I can’t find the ingredients of their food online, but I think it would be best to stay away from them. I recommend looking at Acana Regionals Grain-Free. Amicus is another good dog food. It’s very high quality and contains superior ingredients. I would try to stay away from any brand that has had recalls recently. Iams is a low quality food and contains poor quality ingredients such as corn meal, chicken by-product meal, dried beet pulp, brewers dried yeast and caramel. But, I wouldn’t feed Publix, if I were you.

[Susan]

Hi Madison, sounds like my boy when I first rescued him 3 years ago, he was waking up every 12-14 days around 4am-6am & all I could hear was ping, swish, gurgle, rumble it was so loud, then he’d want to go outside & eat grass…..I started to give him a piece of white bread toast with real finally spread honey, it stopped the noises & he went back to bed if it was 4am, in the end we went to the vets & he put him on a vet diet Gastro Intestinal low fat & said he’s got food sensitivities…

I would stop feeding the Nutro Rotations there’s something in the Nutro that isn’t agreeing with her stomach/bowel…. I stay away from kibbles now that have peas, tomato pomace, probiotics that are in kibbles, chickpeas, lentils, also the fat% stay around 10-12% & find an limited ingredient kibble, I always recommend “California Natural” Lamb Meal & Rice small breed, it has just 4 ingredients, Lamb meal, Brown Rice, Rice & Sunflower Oil & don’t give any treats nothing except the Lamb & Rice, there’s also a Chicken & Rice but it has 5 ingredients, keep her on California Natural for 3 months & see how she goes….C.N has better ingredients then vet diets & probably cheaper then a vet diet….
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1211

[Leslie M]

I would stick with treats off the iheartdogs top 25 brands. You can’t go wrong with them in my opinion. All of the freeze dried from this list are great for training and most are simple ingredients, like Orijen free range bison treats ingredients are: Bison liver, Boneless bison and bison tripe.
ACANA
Addiction
Annamaet
AvoDerm
Back to Basics
By Nature
Earthborn Holistic
Fromm
Grandma Lucy’s
Hi-Tek Naturals
Horizon
K9 Natural
Lotuz
Nature’s Logic
Orijen
Pinnacle
Precise Holistic Complete
Primal
Stella & Chewy’s
Stewart
Stewart Pro-Treat
The Honest Kitchen
The Real Meat Company
Wysong
ZiwiPeak

[Natasha]

I love how helpful this site has been in helping me choose a good food for my puppy, but I think it would be great if the site had reviews for treats as well. Since I’m in the process of training my dog, treats are a notable part of my dog’s diet and I find myself wishing that there was more guidance on which are good products to choose!

[Peggy]

C4D, that’s what the vet said too!
She said to find a brand, use their LID diet, and make sure everything – kibble, can and treats – are the same brand and LID diet.
Fortunately I don’t feed treats often, so that part should be easy.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and advice.

[C4D]

Peggy, I didn’t address your question regarding weight loss. You need to feed less to cause weight loss. You will have to include the calories in any treats you feed in the daily intake. There is a calculator on this site to give you an idea of how much to feed. You should base the amount to feed on the ideal weight.

When trying to feed for allergies, you must make sure everything you feed, including canned food and treats are the same protein as the food you feed. You also need to make sure there are no grains in the treats. This is basically an elimination diet. Most of the time this method works. If that doesn’t work, you may have to consider intradermal testing.

[Frankie B]

My cat won’t eat wet food or even moist treats. However I have found a cat food that is much higher in animal protein. While a lot of foods tend to have 55-65% of protein coming from animals and the rest from plants, Nulo uses 80-85%animal protein. To supplement her water intake I have a cat water fountain which is more attractive than a stagnant bowl and she drinks a lot more than she did before. I use the same brand for my dog. The brand is Nulo Medal Series and it’s available at Petsmart.

[losul]

Hi again. Sorry for the tardy reply, all.

I’ve some preference for feeding a dog a majority of ruminant meats overall with a lesser amount of poultry overall in my dogs diet, provided the the beef (or other ruminant) is coming from a good, properly raised and fed source. I think the overall fats balance out better that way, and without using much vegetable fats. And as long as I can afford it!!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that beef heart is better, nothing against poultry
hearts, much depends on the source, and for just some supplemental or small batch
use, chicken hearts are handier to use than beef hearts!

I had kind of a bad experience the first time I bought beef hearts a few years ago.(from a different, conventionally raised source, feedlot) I thought never again! They were oversized and completely encased in a way overly tough and thick membrane and excessive suet.. the inside was as bad, and not at all cleaned-gristle, connective tissue,vessels, excessive suetetc., and frankly, they looked old, grayish, and tough. It took alot of effort to clean them enough to suit me, way too much effort, and ended up with alot of waste. It wasn’t worth it, and was a good while before I ever tried beef hearts again. In hindsight some of that gristle
and connective tissue, etc. , wouldn’t have hurt to include anyway!

Where I’ve been getting them the last few times, the outside only has a partial and thin membrane and little suet fat, are very fresh, and the butcher near completely cleans the insides for me, I have not much left to do except cut them up! And I get them for only $1.49/lb cleaned weight! I get good clean liver and kidneys 1.29/lb the same place. I guess not many people around here want to eat heart or organ meats! But the regular and lean cuts of beef are every bit as expensive as anywhere else! So when I make a beef batch I’ve been using the hearts for up to 1/2 of the total muscle meat amount. It equals a good savings vs using all lean human prefered cuts for all the muscle meat. In making a full balanced recipe, I can’t count the heart as organ meat, I still add the small amounts of liver and kidney, and I won’t press the heart amount any beyond 1/2 of the muscle meat count. They say too much heart can cause loose stools, never had that problem or with any any food, but the extra heart I’m using helps to keep some beef in the diet at more an affordable price for me! If one were to use all heart for the muscle meat though, there would very
likely be some deficit somewhere in the nutrition to look for and abundances of others, and I wouldn’t ever advise using overly excessive amounts. Also dogs handle cholesterol differently than humans, but heart, liver and some other organs do contain a disproportionately large amount of cholesterol, something to keep in mind. Don’t over do it!.

Faith, so your dog is about 60lbs. BTW, I believe my dog is 1/2 boston terrier and
1/2 bull terrier of some sort, probably staffy or pit, I’ve got a compact model though,
only about 40 lbs. That’s great that your feller found a loving home with you! I
would assume that his regular diet is around 1150 calories give or take? For your
purposes and for now as supplemental only, yeah I would limit the chicken hearts to
NO more than about 3 or 4 ounces. at least if and until until you are more prepared too see to it that the diet retains balance with your additions. Here, raw Chicken hearts show more calories and fat than the beef hearts, raw. (you might have to enter the serving size) but 100 grams chick hearts (about 3.5 ounces) has about 150 calories. add to that maybe a teaspoon of fish oil a day, an egg a couple times a week, and youre already pushing nearly 20% of unbalanced supplemental calories in his diet, and that then isn’t allowing for any unbalanced treats!

The more things you would add if you do so, or if you go with homemade meals, the more attention you are going to need pay to keeping nutritional balance. And you should really
balance out the extra phosphorus you are adding as it is, with calcium supplement.

If using finely ground eggshell, add 1/2 teaspoon to 2/3 t for each 1 lb of meat, organs, egg etc used. Calcium is very important in a dog’s diet, overall calcium in the diet should at least equal the amount of phosphorus, but also never going more than 2X the amount of phosphorus. a ratio of between 1:1 to 2:1. Most commercial diets I think fall between a ratio of 1.2:1 and 1.6:1, so there would likely be enough buffer already there in your commercial diet to cover your extra phosporus additions, but if me, I would still add at least a bit of calcium anyway.

raw chicken hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/664/2

raw beef hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3464/2

I hear ya on financial bias. dogaware.com is a great site with lots of useful info, some is a little outdated, as Mary Strauss is not so active anymore, but she has nothing to sell as far as I know. and has generously accumulated a ton of good info/articles there.

I prefer a pump bottle for fish oil, so I use Iceland Pure sardine/anchovy, I keep it in the fridge and get a fresh bottle every 3 months. This brand already has some mixed tocopherols in it (vit E), but I still add some additional E in my dog’s diet.

I use some veggies, fruits, and even some select grains, but never in abundance. I
don’t know if you’ve ever heard the old idiom “as fit as a butcher’s dog” I don’t
think the typical old time butcher fed his dog an abundance of starchy plant
material!!! I also still use 25% commercial kibble, haven’t ever been able to get away from it completely for various reasons.

Lastly, I might not be around here to write much anymore, but as you can see from the replies to your thread(and other threads) there are so many awesomely helpful people, good people, on site to help with questions you have, or even just support!! And even if they don’t have answers right away, they have also proven to be excellent researchers!!!

G’night everyone!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by losul.

[Sandra R]

Hello everyone!

I am currently investigating about the importance of treats for dog owners. My area of interest is Chicago, so if you live here, please help me out by answering this survey:

https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/6RCTQF7

I’d really appreciate it and you’d help me a lot with my essay about dogs & owner’s bonds.

Thank you!

[Susan]

Hi, poor thing, she probably hurt her mouth on the sharp chicken leg bone… when I first rescued my dog, I was giving him chicken wings, but Patch didn’t chew on the wing, he chewed maybe 2 chews then swallowed the whole chicken wing, so I’ve been too scared to give him any bones, different if he chewed & chewed on the bone like a normal dog but he eats like he’s starving like he has never been given all these different foods, I was giving him chicken necks & the same he just swallowed them then he got Colitis & was pooing blood & the vet said stop the chicken necks, so I haven’t given him any bones again but a few people say turkey necks are good & bigger then a chicken neck, maybe try a turkey neck, if you want calcium just keep your egg shells, wash the egg’s shell, use the egg, then dry the egg shells out, then grind the egg shell & give 1 teaspoon grinded egg shell sprinkled on her meal once a day, your suppose to get 1 teaspoon from 1 grinded egg shell… I’ve been giving Patch Green Mussel treat they’re dehydrated I give 1 a day, I buy the K-9 Natural Green Mussel treats at the moment we have an offer buy any K-9 Natural treats & get a 50g bag of Venison reward treat free…. Green Lipped Mussel is suppose to be good for arthritis & Turmeric powder Golden paste, Turmeric, pepper & coconut oil….
there’s a group called “Turmeric User Group” on face Book in the files they tell you how to make golden paste….people say its excellent for any animals & human with arthritis…
http://www.k9natural.com/product-information/dog-food-range-au.html

[Sabrina W]

Thanks guys. I’m pretty experienced with food, just in a new situation. I just got a service dog, finally, in July. He was on Merrick, but I’m getting him off that now, I just don’t trust Purina based anything. Had him on Castor and Pollock, but it’s not agreeing with him. Liberty has gained weight eating the same thing Apollo is eating. So I was trying to find something they can both eat. But I think it boils down to them being on different food.
Thoughts on Wellness Core? I’m considering putting Apollo on the regular wellness core and Liberty on the wellness core reduced fat. I need to swap to something that I can get here locally in nowhere alabama to try out before I start ordering it online where it’s less expensive. I’m careful to weigh out both of their food and the only time either gets any treats at all is when we are training, and it gets deducted from their dinner. I appreciate the suggestions. I’m going to look at the nature’s variety too because I think I can get that here too.

[Pitlove]

My tips for weight loss are: feed for ideal weight, not current weight. Watch calories from all sources including treats. Also cutting back on treats if you give them often helps. No free feeding. Feed 2 meals a day (I feed 2 meals a day 12 hours apart). High protein and low carb/calorie helps as well, however my dog has been his ideal weight on foods I consider low protein (23%).

Edit: I should add that it doesn’t take a weight loss food to help a dog lose weight, but I’ve heard it can be beneficial to make sure the dogs nutritional needs are still being met.

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

[stacey m]

Hi,
I am a dog groomer and have had a few clients with the noticeable ‘corn chip’ scent along with itching, licking, moist armpits and what looks like red angry feet, ear infections.
These dogs were always chewing and licking. Under the vets care they were given steroids and as soon as the dose was over the issue would come back.
I’d like to share what worked for these dogs with yeast issues.
The food has been changed to Nutrisca, which is a very low carb food.
No extra treats and every week they are bathed with GNC Medicated anti-bacterial/anti-fungal shampoo (left on for 10 minutes) and followed up with a moisturizing conditioner.
The dogs are also on one fish oil daily (which is anti-inflammatory) and daily benadryl (adjusted to dogs weight). The dogs ears were treated for the infection by the vet, the rest was the above mentioned protocol. The dogs who followed this are now about 95% better. Love to say 100% but every now and then one will lick but the smell, angry red inflamed skin is gone! Important to follow through with weekly baths and continue protocol for the comfort of the dog even after symptoms have disappeared.
Both Nutrisca food and the GNC shampoo can easily be bought online.

I am not a vet, I am just passing along some info that worked for some of my clients :o)

[aquariangt]

There are loads of other treats out there other than jerky, I don’t totally get why so many people think jerky is a must have. Anyhow, I do have a few that are pretty good and safe:

For Chewing Jerky, check out the honest kitchen beams, technically fish, but its jerky like. You could also get USA sourced and processed beef ligament

For treats: Boulder Dog Food chicken breast is easy to break up to use as a treat. Real Meat also makes some jerky treats that I like for training

[Patti S]

Using an inexpensive topical flea product that you buy at Walmart or a supermarket such as BioSpot or Zodiac Spot On would be better than not using any flea product at all!

As far as the food goes, you won’t find a hypoallergenic dog foods at the supermarket, you’d need to look at pet stores or specialty feed stores. You need to find a food with a dog food with different protein and carbohydrate source that what he’s currently eating. You should try keeping your dog on an “elimination” diet for 8-10 weeks to see if his itchy symptoms improve. In an elimination diet, the dog is fed a food that has a protein and carbohydrate source he’s never had before. There are many over the counter foods you can use, for this purpose. I’ll suggest a few further down. Your dog’s elimination diet should not contain:

• Wheat, barley, rye – ALL of them. (including bread, snack crackers, treats, wheat/gluten, etc.)
• Dairy products – ALL of them. (including milk, cheese, whey, casein, dried skim milk, etc.)
• Soy – ALL forms
• Corn- ALL forms (including corn gluten meal)
• Artificial preservatives and colors
• Beef and fish – (only if allergy symptoms are present/persist for longer than 8-10 weeks. These are “secondary” allergies.)

By eliminating the above items, you will be taking care of at least 80% of all food allergens and all three of the major sources of food intolerance (gluten in grains, casein in dairy, and soy protein.)
This diet must be strictly adhered to, it includes ALL foods, including TREATS and TABLE FOOD! Be strict! Food allergies can be very sensitive conditions and the least amount of the offending substance can trigger reactions that can last for days. Be creative in finding safe treats for your dog those that MATCH the diet rules. This will be a lot harder on you than your dog.

Giving your dog an essential fatty acid supplement can also help suppress itching. Arachidonic acid is stored in cell membranes and released when the cell is damaged, it then combines with certain enzymes causing inflammation and itching. Essential fatty acids combat this reaction because the essential fatty acids combine with the enzymes, making them less available to bind with arachidonic acid, reducing the inflammation and itching. Your dog would need to be given an essential fatty acid supplement daily for at least a month before you see it’s beneficial effects.

[Kris S]

I understand your hesitance with giving your pups treats of unknown origin. I give my huskies chicken jerky from http://www.whiskerdogbiscuits.com/ It is sourced and made in PA, and they really love it.

[Pitlove]

I use a vet prescribed shampoo that treats fungal and microbial infections. We used to soak my dogs feet in it because he would get yeast infections under his nail beds. That helped a lot.

However, the licking at the paws is usually associates with an enviromental allegry and given the fact that he is in the water so much, there is a chance that something either in the water or somewhere else in the environment is causing the reaction. I would suggest keeping him away from the water and excersizing him in another way until you can get to a dermatologist and see if it helps.

[Andy B]

Thank you for the posts. I have decided to just keep feeding my dogs (3) Jack Link’s beef jerky made for humans. It has to pass USDA specs. Plus, it’s cheaper than dog treats. I don’t like the words “USA sourced” on the package of the Dogswell chicken jerky. “USA chickens only processed in the US” would make me feel more comfortable. Companies may ship the chickens to China for processing which leaves it open to adding roadkill or other varmints like pigeons and then shipping it back to the US to package. Now you have “USA sourced” chickens, and “Made in the USA” packaging. I called Dogswell and a recording came on that said to standby or press 9 to leave a message. I waited for 20 minutes and nobody ever picked it up. No sense leaving a message if nobody is there.