[Dori]

Hi Alek. Yep, the girls have been on the Sentinel Spectrum for the last two months with no problems whatsoever. Like I didn’t even give them anything. That’s one of the great things of having our dogs on rotation and so darn healthy. They are much better equipped to deal with things coming at them. Honestly, I saw no change whatsoever with Hannah, Katie or Lola and believe me I was watching them like a hawk.

I can’t imagine that Bruno would be having vomiting and diarrhea from the Sentinel Spectrum especially 4-5 days after. Are you sure you, husband, friends or just Bruno himself didn’t get into something he shouldn’t have. Bruno is way bigger then any of my girls so he should have been just fine. My smallest is Lola at 5 lbs. and she as the other to are perfectly fine. I gave them their second Sentinel Spectrum on Oct. 1. No issues. What treats or chews has he been getting lately? Anything new? Has he eaten more than normal amount of anything? Did he get into anything at the dog park. I’m forgetting Aleksandra but didn’t something go on with Bruno that we were talking about that he needed to stay quiet and calm and no dog park for a bit? Sorry girl, I can’t for the life of me remember what Bruno’s issue was. Help me out here?

[cindy q]

USAdogtreats, curious as to what you feed? Thanks

[Liz S]

Been using Dinovite on and off for almost 10 years. Did wonders on my pug. And chihuahuas. The only treats our dogs get is their freeze dried beef treats. Have been getting the treats for many years but when certain health problems arose we did find the supplements helpful.

[aimee]

Hi USA Dog Treats,

You bring up a very interesting point.

I’ve never felt comfortable with the company and as such wouldn’t ever feed their diets. When the company reps posted on DFA I found their responses to my inquiries to be lacking in basic courtesy. As I recall, they would not disclose the calcium levels in their food and said something to the effect that a posted ratio was adequate information for anyone wanting information on the mineral levels in their foods. It made no sense really.

They had a statement on their site which included a reference. I couldn’t find that reference anyplace and asked for further information as to where I could find the original document. I found their response rude. As I recall they replied saying they posted all the information I’d need. I did eventually find what I think was the reference. As I remember it, BDN had the title words in a different order and the original document didn’t support their statement. I can no longer find the statement in question on their site.

I find their ingredient list disturbing. I don’t recognize the terms as being AAFCO compliant. As I have never purchased the food I don’t know if the ingredient panel on the actual product is the same as on their site. Perhaps someone who has this product can tell me what the label states.

I’m quite certain AAFCO forbids descriptors like “grade A” and “Wholesome” Furthermore, there is no such thing as grade A beef. Beef is graded as U.S.D.A. Prime, U.S.D.A. Choice, U.S.D.A. Select etc. Poultry is graded A, B, and C depending on the presence of broken bones and exposed muscle.

Their use of comma’s and parenthesis shows lack of attention to detail.
Wholesome air dried, Angus beef (grade A), green beef tripe, liver, naturally fermented vegetables (sweet potato, carrot, collard greens, kale, broccoli, freeze dried potato, mango, apple, coconut flakes, blueberry, spinach, kelp, parsley.

When a company messes up on the basics I can’t ever trust them to get the complicated stuff right.

[pugmomsandy]

I started raw by offering a couple bites as treats during the day. Then I would feed them a whole meal of commercial raw. Then, we followed that with chicken wings, then drumsticks, thighs and turkey necks. Now I make my own grinds or buy some products from GreenTripe.com and texastripe.com.

[theBCnut]

You may want to search for the topic of diabetes. There is already a thread on it somewhere, where USA Dog Treats recommends foods. He is really good on diabetes.

[Kristin C]

Hi Jude-when I first started my puppy on raw earlier this year I would give her treats of raw chicken during the day. When I was sure she could tolerate it I gave her a full raw breakfast for a few days, then added dinner. I did the same thing transitioning her to raw beef. I have tried Darwin’s but the meat turns brown and it’s expensive. Nature’s Variety worked for us and it is very accessible as it’s sold at Petco, but it’s expensive too. Orijen Freeze dried works for us when when we travel, again expensive though. I have resorted to buying my own chicken and beef when on sale, add organs, puréed vegs, sweet potato and pumpkin and, as of this week, am adding in See Spot Live Longer to my homemade. I buy grinds of novelty meats from Reel Raw to get more variety and rotate those in. In addition, my girls each get a can of sardines per week and I make tripe and yogurt treats for them a couple times per week. You can request samples of THK on their website. I have a couple samples I have not tried yet. The best advice I can offer is to try one thing at a time, keep doing what works, discard what doesn’t work. Every household is different. I have revised my dog’s eating schedule many times this year!

[Edith H]

our year-round stocking treats are Stella and Chewy’s beef formula, Raw Rewards freeze dried salmon bites and Crum’s natural’s sweet potatos. Simple ingredients, low calories and reliable food sources!

[Haleybop]

I recently found Off Leash treats produced in small batches at Buddy’s Kitchen Head Quarters, in Aurora, Ontario. Apparently, so have others. They went from $2.50 a bag to $5 a bag. Luckily, I stocked up. From dog.com…

Proudly made in Canada
All-natural
No grains, wheat, soy, corn, artificial flavor, or colors
Soft, chewy, semi-moist treat
Only 4 calories per treat
Comes in a convenient re-sealable pouch; perfect take-along on outdoor excursions
Easy to break in half- a perfect calorie reducing benefit for pet parents who are constantly rewarding their dog

They come in chicken, beef and peanut butter. They smell sooo good, I’m tempted to try the beef and chicken myself. The peanut butter – not too crazy about the smell. I like that they use buckwheat flour, which is not a wheat nor a grain – it is a fruit seed related to rhubarb. Buckwheat is gluten free and nutritionally rich. I’m also able to break each pencil size piece into four pieces for training treats for my beagle. They do, however, fall apart when very fresh. If you let them air dry a little, like in a treat pouch, they don’t crumble as much.

I do wonder what the “natural flavors” are, though. Anyone else have any experience with these? Is the vegetable glycerin anything to worry about? Ha ha, now I’m second guessing my choice…

[Mary M]

She won’t eat Ziwi peak either. She’s a very picky little dog. 😉 I will check out the Sojo treats though.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mary M.

[Nancy C]

I just went to the BDN site to order more food. I saw listed there the Ca and Phos ratios for Chicken formula is 1:56:1, for Turkey is 1:63:1 and for the Tripe formula is 1:75:1. Now, my Q is: Is this acceptable? Interestingly the HOmeopathic vet I have been working with here in NC (he has practiced Homeopathic V M for 30 yrs and allopathic for the first 10 yrs) His name is Charles Loops, DVM and he has a good website. Treats a lot of dogs w cancer. He told me again last week that this food is excellent – that he has Great Danes among his 6 dogs and feeds it to them. Also Darwins. And he feeds other things that he puts tog himself. I mentioned the problem DFA has with them and he stood by BDN 100% and is definitely NOT connected in any way with the food company. So all this remains a mystery to me.
My Golden transitioned to it without one HINT of a problem. Cold turkey. My neighbor’s 3 dogs went cold turkey from kibble also with the same result. The Homeopath says the GSD will be fine on it – cold turkey. I will start him with Chicken/ Turkey and later move to Tripe and Beef. The Golden loves both. Are those bad ratios for Calcium and Phos?

[theBCnut]

I know that something on dog treats is in the works. I would love to have the app myself, but what I really want is CFA, Cat Food Advisor!!

[Kayla]

I am thinking about making Homemade Dog Treats but I don’t know how or what recipes will be safe for my pup? Any one make them? Any tips and advice?

[Karen C]

Hi, everyone. I know you’ve seen heartworm questions a million times, but I’m still paranoid, so I’m asking too. My apologies for the length.

We adopted Iggy, our mini Schnauzer, in July of last year. He tested negative for heartworms, and we’ve had him on monthly Heartguard ever since. And a few weeks ago he was diagnosed with a mild case of heartworms anyway. The microfilariae (spelling?) test was negative, but he’s got adult worms.

He had a month of antibiotic, and on Wednesday and Thursday he got his two Immiticide injections. He’s now on Prednisone and Tramadol, and he’s home and crated — we’re on day 2 of 30 days’ strict confinement. The TV’s off, I’ve got a playlist of “Music Through A Dog’s Ear” volumes 1-3 on constant repeat, calming treats a couple of times a day (not sure if the music and treats help him, but they’re not hurting and make me feel like I’m doing something, so they’re helping me), he’s got rawhide and chew balls in his crate with him, and I’m able to work from home to monitor him. The door’s shut and the blinds are closed so he can’t see/hear any people or animals outside. He seems resigned to life in his crate, and so far he’s not fighting it. And my husband is fine with me staying in the downstairs spare room where Iggy is, and doing all of the shopping, etc. himself, so I don’t have to leave Iggy at all. (We have a split-foyer – the “spare room” is actually half the ground floor, so it’s not too hard for me to hang out here most of the time.) 🙂

Trouble is, Iggy’s always been WAY too friendly. If he sees kids or other dogs, he goes “I MUST PLAY WITH YOU NOW!!!!” and he pulls at the leash, shrieks, and tries to run to them. Our block has 6 houses spaced far apart, a few kids, and two neighbors have chihuahuas that they let run loose up and down the street (ugh). No fences (them or me).

I’ve kept Iggy’s outdoor potty breaks short, and we move slowly when he’s out, but a couple of times he’s seen a kid or a dog and suddenly started pulling at the leash and whining. I’m keeping the leash very short so he can’t break into a run, but he tries anyway. I’ve managed to get in front of him, get his attention and calm him, but it takes a few seconds, during which time he’s agitated and I’m sure his heart rate is rising.

So. I know his activity has to be restricted, and it’s usually pretty well in hand, but some of his potty breaks are scary. I’m trying to time them so there’s nobody out when he is, but that’s not always possible.

So far he’s okay, but from what I understand, the post-treatment danger hasn’t peaked yet. What are the odds that the “OMG I MUST PLAY WITH YOU” moments will do lasting damage?

Thanks for reading all of this.

[Kayla]

I will try some treats out with him, thank you again 🙂 Great deals and great websites so far!

[Kayla]

I’m weird but I also don’t want him to choke on treats.. I always feel like if I get something to small or two big he will choke. I did get him some toys but he doesn’t care about them. Any suggestions on toys he might like also?

[Kayla]

And, I do want some dental treats that are good for his teeth and gums and keeps his breath fresh. His breath doesn’t smell though but I don’t want to feed him bad stuff you know?

[Kayla]

Thank you so much!!!! and, I am slowly transitioning him to Pure Balance. It had 4 star rating and good reviews. I am a college student on a low budget so it was in my price range. Just need better treats. So glad I found this website. Learned so much already.

[crazy4cats]

The BCnut was hardly being rude. She is giving the exact same advise and information that HDM would give. She has just as much or more knowledge. She has already completed school and has much experience in the field. HDM would tell Kim to feed her dog variety. Do not feed the same food everyday forever. Yes, Fromm is a recommended food, but it is best to rotate with other kibble as well. She would also advise that a high quality canned food is healthier than kibble as it is less processed and has less carbs. Her first recommendation for dental health would be to brush his teeth, secondly give raw meaty bones such as turkey or pork necks, chicken backs or quarters, or chews such as bully sticks or pig ears. Third choice she has a few dental treats she recommends. A few are Zukes ZBones, Newman’s Own Organics Dental Bones and Nature’s Recipe Dental Chews. HDM is awesome, but she doesn’t participate as much in the forum anymore. I suspect she is extremely busy. I believe it is best to start a new topic under the appropriate category and get as much advise and information from as many posters as possible. Kim, I truly hope you can get your dog to eat and maintain his dental health. I feed my dogs kibble with several different types of toppers such as canned food, eggs and sardines. I give them bones, necks and dental chews. I hope HDM pops in and helps you out, but in the meantime maybe you could use some of our advise as well. As I have learned a lot of this from her and the BCnut.

[Naturella]

Kayla, for training, do not use Beneful. In fact, do not use Beneful-or-Purina-anything for anything (food/treats/chews/etc.), EVER! You can do so much better for the same money, or less!

For training, look up the treats suggested. For dental-style “treats” or to satisfy the natural chew urge, I would recommend natural chews, such as: bully sticks, fish skins, cow/pig ears, and, if he’s a heavy chewer – some deer/elk antlers and maybe a Himalayan dog chew (a type of very hard Himalayan yak milk cheese). All of those chews and others are available online at: http://www.bestbullysticks.com
I would avoid the smoked bones (femurs, knuckles, etc.) but the rest of the chews are great. Also, The Honest Kitchen has fish chews (Beams and Wishes) that did wonders for my Bruno’s coat.

What food do you plan to feed your new guy?

[Kayla]

I am in training process because he can be a handful sometimes. Right now, I have the beneful healthy smile treat.. But I am not sure if its healthy for him or not. I am wanting something different and better because 7 large treats for like 4 dollars can add up to be pricey! And thanks for the input. I will look them up 🙂

[Naturella]

If you’re looking into training, I would say Zuke’s Minis, about 3 kcal/treat. Or The Honest Kitchen’s Quickies – pure fish treats, also good for training. Or, his own kibble can be used as treats, but factor that in his daily ratio of food.

[Kayla]

I have a Austrian Shepherd breed that is around 1 years old. I recently got him from the shelter a few months ago, what dog treats do you recommend? That won’t make him sick? 🙂

[Akari_32]

Here’s the link to the video. Should work now, and you can access the comments off to the side.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152395297948857&set=vb.136818983856&type=2&theater

I will certainly not get myself into anything I can’t get myself out of, or anything that’ll get me kicked out or in bad blood with the vet I’m interning with. The tech I shadow shares similar views with me about Purina, but the vet is one of those “if it’s vet recommended, it must be good” people. He likes Purina, Iams, Hills, and all that junk. Surprisingly, though, he doesn’t seem to approve of Royal Canin. But he’s not going to say anything bad about any food his clients feed their dogs, though he does turn them towards Science Diet if something that the prescription line “treats” arises. He’s traditional in that sense, but he doesn’t push unnecessary vaccines and medication. Interesting lol

[Kathleen C]

Akari32, I’m trying to get him to lose weight so I’m afraid to get anything with more fat. I checked the online Wellness site and going by your report the Core Reduced has lower fat and carbs with 33% protein. I’m going to try getting him more exercise and some different lower fat treats. So far I think joining the Adviser’s site has already been worth the money. Thank you.

[Terri M]

Yes! The coconut oil is organic, virgin pressed. Thanks for all your feedback/help. I value others opinions as this is the first time I have had to deal with allergies in my frenchie. My other 2 are brindle and they never had issues. He (my honey one) seems to be allergic to air! I agree about adding things slowly. 🙂

Check out this site: http://www.healx.com and look at the Omega3 Booster. This is what was recommended to me. It is a whole food supplement. Let me know your thoughts on this.

I know what you mean about treats. I came home one day to a big bag of animal cookies on my kitchen counter. My husband was trying to be sweet and fed the dogs animal cookies! LOL I knew he meant well. I have tried berries and sometimes they will eat and sometimes not. They love apples. What is your opinion on chicken? Everyone is telling me to stay away from it. We have had them on rabbit and geez it is SO expensive. Thanks for the tip about sardines!

[Dori]

Hi Terri M. Please make sure that the raw virgin coconut oil is organic. Also, with the coconut oil, don’t start at 1 TBSP. start by adding very little per meal and eventually work your way up to the TBSP. Giving your dogs that much coconut oil without having introduced it slowly is sure to cause diarrhea. As far as the raw goat’s milk, I would also introduce that slowly until you’re sure that your dog is tolerating it well. I would also not start with both the coconut oil and raw goat’s milk at the same time. If you’re dogs have any issues you won’t know what caused it. What omega 3 supplement were you thinking of using? Canned sardines in water with NO salt that you buy in the grocery store is a good way of adding omega 3. Another way is also adding a fish oil. I use Nature’s Logic Sardine Oil. I keep it in the fridge and splash a little on one of their meals in the day then the bottle goes right back in the fridge. Fish oils go rancid pretty quickly so even though a food will say it contains fish oil, it’s viable really to be of any use which is the reason that fish oil should be kept refrigerated. I feed my girls canned sardines two or three times a week either as a mid day or evening snack or as a topper on their meal and on those days I do not add the sardine oil. I prefer sardine oil to other oils because sardines have a very short life span. In other words they’re not swimming around in waters long enough to absorb a lot of the dangers and toxics that have now so contaminated our waters. I never ever feed my dogs salmon or salmon oil because of the contaminated waters that they general come from. You have to really trust your fish monger when selecting fish for your dogs and make sure they know where the fish came from.

I noticed that you said you also bought freeze dried. Keep in mind that freeze dried is the most expensive way to go.

Let me say that I am delighted that you are going to feed your dogs raw. I’ve been feeding my three dogs commercial raw foods for a little over 2 and 1/2 years, maybe closer to three and the difference in them is nothing short of miraculous. I have a maltipoo, Katie, who I used to say was allergic to life in general. She was a complete and total mess. She was always itchy, tear stain,, gas to clear a house out, diarrhea, yeasty ears, shedding like crazy (her breed is not suppose to shed, they have hair not fur…..I’m allergic to animals), I could go on and on and on. Other than the occasional bout of seasonal allergies (Spring, Fall), all those issues have cleared up. No more scratchy, stains, gas, yeast, her hair is now not shedding at all and very very shiny. Good luck I know you’ll be happy you made the switch. Eventually when you have things better under control I hope you’ll give thought to rotating your dogs commercial raw meals with different brands and the different proteins within those brands.

Sorry, one more thing. Don’t forget the treats you feed. Most commercial treats contain grains and other garbage. Not all, but most. I feed little bits of organic fruits and veggies as treats. Healthy and none cause harm as commercial treats do. You also don’t have to worry about the dreaded recalls.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.

[WALTER M C]

Try giving ,libbys 100% pure pumpkin pura,1or 2 table spoons a day in their food.

That will stop the problem of runs,I don’t give my four dogs vit or probiotic,I just feed
them, back to basic dry food,and healthy treats,thank God no problems,and they are all happy campers.

walt123.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by WALTER M C.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Zach:
I haven’t bought any treats in a long time, I spend enough time reading labels of pet foods so I haven’t spent any time tracking down healthy treats. lol I have been using pieces of Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried Pheasant Dinner patties for treats lately. Stella and Chewy also make freezed dried treats which were a big hit for Bobby, I just haven’t replenished his supply. I imagine they would be low cal, not sure, but Bobby gives them two paws up.

I keep meaning to make some biscuits but I just haven’t had the time. I do make tiny meatballs, freeze them, and just put enough in the refrigerator for a few days worth of treats. If you are interested in hearing about this easy treat recipe, just let me know via a post here. 🙂

[Chabs]

I think I’m going to give the Wellness Simple Lamb and Oatmeal a try. The only thing that turns me off about that is that you have to use a can opener to open their cans-can’t for the life of me figure out why they haven’t modernized this because I don’t even own a can opener. I sometimes mix in some wet food at night. Any suggestions for treats?

[Jenny Rellick]

Cecile,

I am sure you already have tried cutting back, but you need to know by how much. Every dog food label I have read overestimates the serving size. On this site, the Dog Food Calculator is helpful, but I have personal advice on how to use it, it worked for my Leo-he lost 12 pounds in a year and has kept it off. I’ve taken the liberty of using it for Koda.

First, websites differ on what a Bichon should weigh. In the breed standard, the range is 7-12 lbs. On sites that are not sticklers for the breed standard, they say a healthy weight is between 10-18 lbs. Ultimately, the right weight for Koda is one where he has a physique that has a well-defined indentation at the waist and that does not feel feel flappy on the ribcage. If Koda ever had that physique you can use that weight as your target. If you don’t know what his personal target should be I would suggest 14 lbs. for the time being.

I looked up the Acana Fit and Light food and it has 360 calories per cup. I notice that the Fit and Light food uses oats as the second ingredient, unlike any other Acana products. That makes me a uncomfortable because I don’t even know That it would get 4 stars, let alone 5 stars. Dieting dogs can’t afford to waste calories on oats! You should consider going to the 5-star low glycemic product line from Acana, even though it will make the serving size smaller. For this exercise, I used the Fit and Light calorie count since that is what you used to. The dog food calculator says that for an overweight dog with a target weight of 14 lbs, Koda should be consuming 280 calories per day. With the Acana food you’re using that comes out to 0.78 cups per day (just over 3/4 cups).

You have to keep in mind that calories from treats count in the daily total. A couple of dog biscuits would be the equivalent of half a day’s food. You are going to have to find an extremely small treat. I would suggest Zuke’s Mini-Naturals which have about 3 calories each.
As another member mentioned, Bichons do have a risk of kidney problems. Many dogs don’t drink enough because they are trying to accommodate their owners’ availability for walks. I pour lukewarm water on my dogs kibble, just enough to cover it in a flat-bottomed dish. The food retains some of its crunchiness, but he automatically consumes more water and feels more full. Green beans and sliced carrots are very low in calories and high in fiber. They also help the dog feel more full. I put two heaping teaspoons of canned green beans (no salt added) on both meals, and that is only 10 calories per meal.
Therefore, I would suggest two meals a day, each with just over 1/3 cup of dog food, water to cover, and two heaping tablespoons of green beans. I hope that this specific recommendation will work for Koda. When you are dealing with a small breed, there’s a fine line between cutting back appropriately and malnourishing your dog. My dog really looks forward to his meals and he does not beg for food excessively after meals. Before, when I did not add water and green beans, he would put his paw on the bag of food and whine after he ate!
One last piece of advice: make sure that everyone in your household understands that a little bit of table food or a few too many treats will have a huge impact on Koda. If Koda is not losing weight, somebody is cheating.

[Zach M]

Hey guys, I just had some questions on what you guys use for super low calorie dog treats. Post what you guys use below, commercial or homemade.

[kenn712]

I have boarder collie/golden retriever mix and she is a wonderful dog but she is fat. I feed her Nutrisource grain free dog food I do not over feed her or feed her table scraps I don’t give her dog treats very often. She does a have a lot of energy and loves to play. If anyone has advice I would really appreciate it. I have a pets smart and pet co located near me and cost isn’t really a factor. Thanks for the help

• This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by kenn712.

[Liz S]

I’ve always fed a kibble or canned for a dinner treat. But no matter what I do my chi will only eat canned. Vet visits etc. She is fine.

She was on Science Diet. Once I found out how bad it was I tried switching. I gave her ample time. I tried HQ kibble.

I’ve heard good things about Instinct Raw. I got a sample bag of the boost treats and she LOVED them. I think the fact that they weren’t too hard really appealed to her.

I’m going to give this stuff a go I think.

Who else feeds Instinct Raw?

[Susan]

Hi T, when I resuced my boy 2 years ago he would have diarrhea or jelly poos, once a week, in the end vet said IBD..He’s 5 now nilly 6….you need to work out what foods irratate his bowel by doing an elimination diet, I started with boiled chicken & rice but I found that the boiled rice irratated his bowel & he had diarrhea, he can have grounded rice that’s in kibbles but not boiled white rice then I added a tablespoon of boiled pumkin with his boiled chicken breast, he can have pumkin but not too much as his poos get real sloppy, then I added a boiled egg, the egg was Ok, then I added potatos, he got real itchy & had diarrhea, so he cant eat potatots then I tried sweet potatos, he doesnt get diarrhea but he gets itchy ears, you find a protein that agrees with him then start adding just 1 new food & u’ll know within 2 days if it agrees with him or not then if it doesnt agree dont keep giving it to him, it wont toughen up his stomach/bowel, it doesnt agree with him… I found Patch cant have high fat foods either, he can have tin tuna in spring water drained, he can have toast white bread not brown whole meal, human Jatz biscuits & rice cake biscuits.. I dont give dog treats as the fat% is too high & they have crap in some dog biscuits, you’ll start to learn what not to give, the vet made me just give 1 vet prescription diet kibble for 1 year she wanted Patch on it to heal everything but I started to add new foods for breakfast in 6 months, I knew the vet kibble didnt give him diarrhea so I did the elimination food for breakfast, I know your just suppose to just give only that 1 food for the day but I was too scared that it will give him his diarrhea bad again then he’d need to be put back on the Metronidzole tablets to heal his bowel again, Ive tried a few diferent kibbles & he has the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal now the Wellness Simple was the best out of the other kibbles I tried, It doesnt have Potatos & the fat% isnt high…It will take time but u’ll get there, also Patch is on a DOG probiotic, Karen Becker has a 14 strain probiotic & its dairy free a few dogs with IBS & IBD take her probiotic but introduce at half the recconmended dose when you first try a dog probiotic as some dogs will have diarrhea… keep a diary & start writing what foods agreed with him & what foods he cant eat, also dont just try a bit of carrot 1 day then the next day try a bit of egg, you try just 1 food for 1 week or 5days then if everything is good add another new food to the meal, in the end he was having his tuna, pumkin, boiled egg & carrot all mixed together for breakfast, When I want to try something new I do it at breakfast & nothing else is given that day except his kibble that agrees with him, I start to hear his stomach/bowel rumbling when something didnt agree with him or he starts scatching & I dont give it again its goes on my list. I hope Ive helped a bit, I forgot to ask what type of dog is he???

[Akari_32]

I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think she could handle it yet. I did try to get the vet to look at her teeth while we were there today, but his advertiser came in and they talked until the next appointment came in, so I didn’t get a chance to have him look. However, they really are too far gone to do much of anything to, besides maybe pull them all. She eats without problem and chews greenies and oversized treats just fine, and I’m 99% sure I can’t afford anything to do with anything dental-y. I do want him to look and make sure nothing is a serious, life threatening (or at least over all quality-of-life threatening) issue in there with in the next few weeks. A person has to have more than $12 to their name before they can have a vet do stuff >.< lol

Mom came home tonight and referred to Ginger as “her puppy” (and “little orphan dog” LOL). For a dog that isn’t supposed to be staying, someone had grown quite attached. I mean, look at this that she posted on Facebook tonight! (Also notice how the cat, who she “hates” is in the middle, and not “her Bentley” :p)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/42BF73D8-08B1-451C-8F57-BADCDA503099_zpstwdl30vr.jpg

LOL

[Kellye P]

Thanks for the response. He gets the Fructosamine test every six months. He is always in the proper range. He is due to get tested again in October so I will have new numbers, but nothing has changed. He does not drink a lot of water or have any other symptoms of high glucose.

Last year I had the complete thyroid panel done – every single test. I thought maybe he was too high. He takes .1 mg of thyroxine twice a day. I was hoping that was the problem but all the tests came back normal. My vet is very particular with the timing so I’m sure she had me in the office 4 hours after he took his pill.

He is so tiny and cannot eat much at one time. I feed him exactly twelve hours apart but give him a little bit of food around noon and he gets a small snack at night. If he eats more than his usual amount, he throws up. His tiny stomach can’t hold more than half a cup.

I exercise him 30 minutes a day. He’s blind but can fetch in the house and will trot behind me on our very long driveway. The TCM vet does chiropractic adjustments and says his muscles are in pretty good shape. We walk uphill and he goes up our stairs.

A specialist in this area also treats him and consults with my vet. He suggested that we stop insulin for three days to reset him and then start up again. During the days he was not getting insulin, his glucose levels were right around 250. However, his urine test showed ketones. The specialist said that did not make sense. My vet said she probably would have taken him off insulin if he stayed at 250 without it. The ketones messed up that plan, though. Nobody has any explanation as to why he had ketones. I think that is the key to the weight problem but I have no idea what it means.

I have taken him to a vet school and many other specialists. He is a medical mystery. The good news is that he is quite content and if he knew how much time I spent trying to figure out why he won’t gain weight, he’d probably think I was crazy!

[Marla J]

To Marilyn E.
Thanks for the advice about Darwin’s. I have an introductory order coming soon. also, I used to hand out treats all the time to train my dogs, and then I found gentledogtraining.com. These trainers live in my city, but they have a training package with DVD you can order online which teaches you great stuff on how to train through leadership vs treat dispensing. I love it! They are the ones who recommended a raw diet, as they use it for their 8 dogs.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, thats excellent Chewys all better, he’s beautiful, Omeprazole is Prilosec treats heartburn, Stomach Ulcers, Gastro Reflux Disease (Gerds) its a Proton-Pump inhabitor…. Im on Somac same type of drug, ur not suppose to stay on it forever but Ive been on Somac for 10 years now, my daughter was also on Losec but the Dr wanted her off the Losec cause she is young, then she had to stop taking Losec cause she fell pregnant & then when she stopped the Losec she had real bad stomach acid, real sick, couldnt eat, so Dr said she can take Zantac thats what my dog takes sometimes but my daughter said the Zantac didnt work & help like the losec (Omerazole) worked, now she’s in her 3rd trimester of her pregnancy the Drs put her back on the Losec & she said that she feels 100% better & she can eat anything now but still has to be a bit careful, no hot currys or spicey foods or fatty foods & she’s alright…
Research is showing you can get stomach cancer if you stay on an Proton-Pump Inhabitors for a long time..
All I know is it makes you feel heaps better, stops the nausea, stops the acid burning feeling & you can eat without having pain after eating, so Chewy would probably be feeling so much better…I’m glad you found a better vet…

[sarah c]

Hello there,

I would recommend my Skinny pet treats!! My dog can’t get enough of those treats!:) They come in a variety of flavors, her favorite is yogurt banana. Nothing artificial or preserved, and that’s what I love about it. Give it a try!

[amber p]

Hi Mike,

I absolutely recommend my Skinny pet treats! With my picky dog, it was hard to find a dog treat brand that she’ll eat every time. My friend recommended me mySkinny, and let me tell you it’s simply the best!:) They come in a great variety of different flavors, my dog loves chicken sweet potato and yogurt banana. You can get them in jerky or mini treats. Give it a try!

[amber p]

Hi Liz,

I would definitely recommend mySkinny pet treats. They come in a great variety of flavors and my Chihuahua Lovess it!:) They come in both mini treats and jerky. I’d say minis are perfect for small dogs!! And their packaging looks very nice. Give it a try!:)

[Lisa C]

Hello all! It has been a while since I wrote and I’ve been meaning to for a while, but kept getting sidetracked. So here I am at 2:40am, haha.

Our Chewy has been 1000000% fantastic over the last month. Our 2nd opinion vet saved the day. He has been on the omeprazole for over a month now and he hasn’t puked at all. He can eat any foods now that he couldn’t before. Wet, dry, treats of different nature. It’s a miracle. The only thing I worry is, does he have to take this tiny pill for the rest of his life? For the meantime, it’s a nice relief for all of us. We plan on talking to that vet soon to ask her about the Omeprazole. Chewy is a million times better in so many different aspects, attitude wise especially. he’s never depressed and sitting alone ALL day in his bed. he plays constantly, he’s always happy and smiling. It’s like we got our puppy back. We hadn’t seen that in SO long. it warms my heart SO MUCH! and he will be ONE next month!

Needless to say we gave up on buying Z/D as he can eat anything now and not vomit, and it’s super expensive. Currently he is back on Nutro since that’s what he has had since we first got him and he was a tiny baby.

Here’s some pics:

http://oi57.tinypic.com/5xon44.jpg
http://oi57.tinypic.com/20q1kpy.jpg

Thanks ALL <3

[theBCnut]

They are my go to training treats. They travel well and don’t leave crumbs everywhere and they are a great size for my dogs. We use the beef, tripe and turkey flavors. I love that, as long as I stay away from the chicken ones, I don’t have to worry about my food allergy dog, because the ingredient list is soooooo simple.

No, you don’t have to rehydrate them.

[Zach M]

Looks like they are pretty good. I will give them a try. You don’t have to hydrate the treats do you?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Zach,

I use their freeze dried tripe nibblets as treats also. My dogs love ’em. The only thing about them that bugs me is the waste in the bottom of the bag.

[Cyndi]

I use the freeze dried niblets as treats and I believe there are a few others on here that use them as treats as well! My Bailey loves them!

[Zach M]

Anyone heard of vital essentials? Any experiences? I want to try their beef nibs as treats for Ginger.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve been using ZiwiPeak for treats. It’s like tiny pieces of jerky.

[James D]

I want to say first amazing site. Been viewing it for months before pulling the trigger and becoming a member. So far, not even a second thought.
So, now I’m looking for help since I can’t decide on a food or treat.

Background: He’s a 3 y/o Plott Hound mix, near perfect weight of 64 lbs. He runs with my wife and recently did 12 miles with her. He doesn’t play much but LOVES walks, hikes, jogging, runs, etc.

Help: We will eat any food we give him and take just under 1.5 mins. to finish the bowl (with bloat stop). I’ve been researching all the choices here and it’s a bit overwhelming. Problem #2 is he’s not a chewer with anything but a himalayan bone and we can’t let him have it more then 5 mins for fear of him choking on the pieces.

Summary: Best food option for his 4+ miles a day and long lasting chew (20+ min) Love the idea of grain free foods and edible treats without worry of choking.

Thanks!