[Wayne G]

Thank you all for your caring response, this has been difficult for my family and we are in the process of investigating the cause of this poisoining. An autopsy was performed and the state is still in the process of completing their examination. If the state can come back with something conclusive the vet will have the treats analyzed to detemine if they are tainted. From what I understand this will be a difficult process if the autopsy results do not identify something specific.

[Dori]

Hi BRT. Sorry to hear about your troubles with your Maltese . When did this behavior change happen? Also, what foods and treats do you give him? I think we need more details like that before we can offer assistance.

[Susan]

Gee the dehydrators are dear, what about the old fashion way, in the oven on very low heat or doesn’t that work as good USA Dog Treats..

[Dori]

Hi all. I’m thinking of getting a food dehydrator to dehydrate for the dogs their raw treats. Would love to know your thoughts. Also, do you have one, are you happy with it? Wish you’d bought a different brand, if so which one? What do you dehydrate in yours? Pros and cons please. As always, a great big thank you for going on this ride with me as I continue my research and education on better nutrition for my canines on what I call DFA University.

[Cyndi]

Wayne G, I am so sorry for your loss too!! I am sitting here crying after reading this. As I said a few comments up, I used to feed these to my doberman, who died 3 years ago this Saturday, all the time. I still, to this day, can only guess what he died from. He went downhill over the period of 6 or 7 months though and the vet couldn’t figure out what was going on with him. I ended up having to put him down. I firmly believe it was a combination of the crap food I fed him, because I didn’t know any better, and now these treats, and vaccinations and toxic flea crap! Sorry for my rant, but stories like yours just really hit home. 🙁

Again, I am so sorry for your loss! It sure the hell isn’t an easy thing to go thru, losing your beloved pet that way. 🙁 My heart aches for you and your family as well. May your boy rest in peace.

[Wayne G]

I purchased a bag of Canine Carry Out bacon treats from WalMart 2 weeks ago. I fed my dog 3 treats late in the afternoon. By evening my friend collapsed and could not walk. I took him to the Veterinarian, they ran blood tests and said his liver was severely damaged, they suspected he had been exposed to a toxic substance. He passed away two days later.
The veterinarian said this was the second dog that had died in the same manner both within a week of each other. I just recieved a call from him confirming that the family of the first dog that died had fed these same treats just before the dog collapsed.
Both dogs were healthy and in the prime of their lives, both had been fed these treats and the only thing in their stomach contents were these treats.

[aimee]

Hi USA Dog Treats,

To clarify, I have no idea which foods do and do not meet AAFCO’s profile. Additionally, in no way did I mean for my inquiry to denigrate all of Hound Dog Mom’s work in any way.

I am questioning the nutritional information that companies pass on to the consumer. In conversation with several companies Customer Service departments I find their response to show lack of understanding of basic math in regards to nutrition.

I’m not sure where the problem lies but it makes me very nervous and I don’t feel comfortable feeding foods from companies whose information doesn’t “add up”

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Charles –

Non-raw treats definitely should not cause an issue with a raw fed dog. My dogs eat raw but receive all kinds of treats from cooked “human food” to biscuits and dehydrated meat-based treats. No issues ever.

Some things you may want to try which would be closer in resemblance to a fresh raw diet would be air-dried (like ZiwiPeak which BTW works great as training treats) or freeze-dried raw (my dogs like Wysong, Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, Orijen, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Vital Essentials).

[Melissaandcrew]

Charles…you could try dehydrated treats.

[charles h]

Hi all,

I’m struggling to think of any raw food treats to feed to my dog when training. I know off the shelf foods mixed with raw food can cause serious digestive issues so did not want to mix this. Just not a fan of carrying around raw food when out and about with her…

Any ideas would be great..

Thanks,

Charles

[Mike Sagman]

USA Dog Treats,

AAFCO currently has NO nutritional profile specifically for large breed puppy foods. However, the National Research Council does indeed specify unique guidelines designed to address the energy content of these kinds of foods as those calories relate to each recipe’s calcium content.

HDM (on her own) generously posted a detailed list of some of her own recommendations for commercial large breed puppy foods. Her work was scientifically based and required a significant amount of personal effort. This completely voluntary project included the creation of spreadsheets, phone calls to manufacturers as well as online research.

That research even included reliable references posted for your benefit as well as the benefit of others. So, frankly, I find your criticism of her efforts here surprising and unwelcome.

In summary, a knowledgeable veterinary expert, HDM and I have been working diligently on an important project — including the development of costly software — to help our readers verify claims made by manufacturers regarding the nutritional adequacy of their products specifically for large breed puppies.

[Gail W]

1. Quality similar to food
2. Manufacturing standards similar to their food
3. Easy to give as a training treat or as a high value reward

Like other posters, I want treats that have similar quality as their food. We went with Orijen puppy because they comply with Canadian & EU standards. For high value rewards, we use Orijen Freeze Dried Wild Boar. Those treats don’t break apart all that well, so for puppy training treats, we are trying Sojo Good Dog bones. In the bag, there are very few broken pieces and little dust. They break in thirds or in half very easily for our young Yorkies.

[Charla H]

I like to have a variety of treats for my dog, Spike.

I like to feed him healthy, actual food that I could eat as a treat. He LOVES apple slices, cucumber slices, cherries and carrots. We frequent the farmers’ market, and some of the farmers treat him to bites of produce. He’s a picky eater — he turns up his nose at the homemade dog biscuit booth — he’d rather have a nice vegetable treat or even a bit of cheese from one of the creameries. And he LOVES popcorn.

The meat producers at the farmer’s market also sell dog bones. I buy beef, pork, lamb and bison bones for Spike as treats. I freeze them and give them to him outside on hit days — like a doggy popsicle.

I also give him Mingua Beef Jerky. It’s made by a family in my hometown, and it’s for people. I stay away from the spicy varieties. He loves his beef jerky!

There are also some freeze-dried liver bits that he loves. I am out of them now and can’t remember the name (if they change their packaging, I’m in trouble because I know them by their blue bag.) But they are just freeze-dried beef liver. They are about the size of regular dog kibble.

He also gets some treats to clean his teeth, freshen his breath and for his coat/skin.

For small training treats, I buy a small bag of dog food that is a different brand than his daily food. I can use lots of treats in training because I literally exchange the exact amount, whatever part that might be, from the food in his bowl. As long as the treat food is as good a quality as the dish food, you’re good on nutrition and safe on calories.

I also use the food treat exchange for socialization. I’ll take it in a treat pack on my belt and let kids at the market or whomever, offer him a treat, or give him a treat when he gets on the elevator, or whatever. He eats small bites, so he can be treated fifty times without a noticeable change (at least to him) in his food bowl.

Clearly, he is spoiled rotten. No, he doesn’t get all of these treats in one day! But he’s still rather spoiled.

[Nancy C]

Hi Pugsmom: My intro box of BigDogNatural just arrived yesterday. Their customer service is wonderful. My Question to you since you have experience: I’m transitioning my 10 yr old Golden to Raw. Historically she can eat anything anytime. The Homeopathic vet I talked to yesterday highly recommends this food and Darwin’s for raw dogs. Says he uses both (rotates) with his 6 dogs with great results.
The Customer Service urged me yesterday to feed it Cold Turkey – not to mix with kibble due to the length of time kibble requires to get digested. (That seems so severe esp for an older dog) but their rep was very clear about not mixing bec could cause gas and stomach upset. She said with the tripe and fermented veggies the dog will do FINE on it alone. The plan is to move to Darwin’s next. My Darwins arrived yesterday too. The vet yesterday said he thinks BDN will be more readily welcomed by the gut than even the Darwins, due to the fermentation and the tripe. But he really likes Darwins as well.
In her video Karen Becker suggests NOT mixing kibble with raw but to feed kibble and offer the raw separately as treats during the day, increasing the treats and reducing the kibble gradually.
The BDN woman said if I still feed kibble should feed it separately as a meal without raw, and feed the raw as a separate meal.
Any insights/ suggestions FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE will be welcome.
Thank you.

[DogFoodie]

Melissa,

You did post in the thread that Sue mentioned; however, your posts were very specifically in response to the original poster and your conversation was regarding phenobarbital and weight gain. No mention of jerky treats whatsoever.

/forums/topic/eats-little-food-gains-lots-weight/

[Melissaandcrew]

Never had a conversation about jerky treats with you-feel free to post a link to this liver jerky conversation we had.

[Naturella]

The lady I babysit for – I also kind of took over her dog too, and I have successfully switched the dog (Snowy, female, 4 y.o. Shitzu mix) off of Kibbles ‘N’ Crap (sorry, I keep misspelling that – “Bits”). Too bad she already has 3 bumps on her lower ribs, that may be fatty formations, or something else, but I hope for the lesser evil… :/

I weaned her off with the help of Nutro Max, Simply Nourish, Whole Earth Farms, and Earthborn Grain Free in samples over 2 weeks, and I ordered the family 3 LiveFrees and a Wysong and they came in Tuesday. Next week she can start on those (she still has some WEF and Earthborn to finish up over the weekend). I am pumped that I can now take advantage of deals and not break my husband’s ban on dog food for our Bruno, cause we’re stacked full, lol. Snowy is, however, set till the end of the year, so Black Friday sales is when I will shop for her next! 😉

And, I still have some LiveFree Salmon and Wysong for Bruno from the first time they did the deal – the last I sneaked in before I really really stopped! 🙂 I really really like the Wysong and so does Bru Bru (we begged for some samples and graciously got them). 🙂

In fact… Here are the companies that have graciously sent me samples upon request:
Annamaet – GF foods samples and a full-size bag of GF Manitok treats.
Wysong – samples of foods and samples of treats.
Canidae – a whole 4-lb bag of Canidae Pure Sea and a full-size bag of GF Bison treats.
Nature’s Variety Instinct – a one-time voucher for a free product of your choice (includes 4lb bag of dry dog food or 5lb bag of dry cat food, and some canned/raw options).
Nulo – coupons only.

I had also contacted TOTW, Farmina, Fromm, Merrick, Victor – those sent no samples, but rather stressed on their money-back guarantees (Merrick and Fromm), and TOTW said to get samples from local retailers, and Victor said to just buy samples on their website. Farmina never responded. The search continues though! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Naturella.

[pugmomsandy]

Cons: it’s the most expensive! Some brands might not hydrate as well as others.

Pros: shelf stable, easy to travel with, doggie daycare will serve it as opposed to frozen raw food, light weight, can be used as treats

[Akari_32]

Glad they liked it! I guess it doesn’t ship for about 5 days after ordering, so I’ll probably need to get Bentley some Pure Balance 95% to tide him over. Guess I’ll do that tomorrow. He’s already used to eating raw treats, so I think he’ll be ok switching to all raw in a relatively short time. Fingers crossed I get my mix soon! I can’t wait to see how he does on it :3

[Jenny]

Hi friends,

Has anyone tried Okinawan Happy Dogs Brain and Memory Support Food Mix or any products from Okinawan Happy Dogs?

Here’s the link to the product: http://www.okinawanhappydogs.com/products/brain-memory-support (it looks very promising and is all-natural, gluten-free, GMO-Free, and no artificial preservatives or coloring added! Too good to be true?)

The company seems fairly new so I haven’t found any consumer reviews online… from the company’s website Okinawan Happy Dogs is “a division of Everyday Wellness Corporation, a US manufacturer of dietary supplements specializing in natural herbal nutrition for humans and pets.” But other than that, zero info.

To give you some background details: My dog is a 16-year-old toy poodle who is battling CDS (Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome) as well a reappearing mammary gland tumor and also developing a slight heart murmur (she’s a fighter!). She eats Earthborn Hollistic dry food, but has been losing her appetite recently and only wags her tail for her favorite treats, Dr. Becker’s Bites Grain Free Liver Treats.

If your dog is also fighting CDS, can you please share/recommend any products that have worked effectively for your dog?

Thank you so much!
J

P.S. After reading this old post from “banditsmom,” I’m thinking of trying Novifit if I can’t find a natural alternative for my dog: /forums/topic/cognitive-dysfunction

[pugmomsandy]

He-he! That’s just one wall. The closet wall has bags of kibbles and my personal small kitchen equipment and vitamins/supplements. The the third wall has some more foods, boxes of Halo Herbal Dip, other topicals for the fosters, extra dog beds, shampoos, cases of Merrick GI Bones, Ranger Ribs and Flossies. And I keep chicken treats in there too (tubs of Mother Clucker, Chicken Crack and Cluck Yah) and I just put three 7.1 cu ft freezers in that room too to fill with the 8 cases I just ordered from greentripe.com. And here’s the dog freezer in the garage:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/fulldogfreezer765x1024_zpsb5463b60.jpg

My personal dogs aren’t eating much kibble right now! I have 3 personal pugs and the rest are fosters. Sometimes I have up to 12 pugs total and they usually eat 1 cup of kibble per day with some toppers. Sometimes I give them a whole raw egg fresh from the coop! So to me, it really doesn’t matter too much if BDN is not aafco compliant like Neezerfan.

Here’s a picture of bath day:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/pugs8pugs_zps0cd62c42.jpg

My awesome Weston 22 grinder:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_5170952x1024_zpsec466d4d.jpg

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Schutzhund]

I don’t know if this has been said before but I’ve been using dehydrated offal such as Buffalo lungs, hooves, venison parts etc. For chews deer / elk antlers seem to work best!

The lungs are great for treats because you can break them apart. They get messy and leave dust when you break them so I normally do it in the bag or break them over her food bowl.

[Beth G]

I have 2 dogs, a 6 year old pit/boxer mix and a 2 year old hound mix. Both are spayed female rescues with unknown histories. They have also both had pancreatitis (lucky me!). Neither EVER get table scraps/human food of any kind or even dog treats. We have switched them to eating Wellness Core low fat grain free and measure the amount they get meticulously.

Our pit mix has just come out of treatment for her 2nd bout of pancreatitis. When she is back to eating normally, my husband and I are interested in possibly introducing digestive enzymes to both of their meals.

The vet has not mentioned the use of digestive enzymes, but with both dogs having had repeat episodes I am left wondering what else we can do to support their pancreas and prevent further attacks (the vet says “nothing you can do”, but I don’t know if I believe that).

If anyone has experience or knowledge of using digestive enzymes after pancreatitis I would appreciate hearing! Thank you so much in advance!

[DogFoodie]

Hi BRT,

My dog with food intolerance issues sometimes will have a reaction to a food that slowly creeps us on us. It’s confusing and frustrating.

I still think I’d try another limited ingredient food, my two favorite bands of which are Wellness Simple and Nature’s Variety Instinct LID.

FWIW, one of mine reacts to fish; including fish meal and oil but he also doesn’t tolerate chickpeas, lentils or flax. NVI LID doesn’t contain any of those things out tomato pinnacle, another common problem ingredient. I would definitely consider that your pup’s problem ingredients could be another ingredient, like flax or something else.

If the Natural Balance worked previously, have you compared the ingredients of that to those foods you’ve tried? I just wonder if it could be a combination of problem ingredients beyond primary protein iin foods.

Coconut oil and diluted ACV might both help, but I think right now, I would eliminate supplements (non-prescription) and treats and just focus on finding one food that yours do well on.

One other thing, using kibble doesn’t make you a bad dog mom! I felt the same way, but when it came down to it, I just wanted to know my dog felt good.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Yeah, I don’t “jump” around either. I have two 80 pounders! I am planning on using them as treats in their kong or as toppers. I can feed the Wysong to my cats. I’m a sucker for those deals! I needed to order bullysticks anyway. Thanks, again.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, with Endosope they can only go so far down the esophagus & like my vet said $1000 is alot of money, then she might find nothing, so I never did get an Endoscope done on Patch…I think you have your answer to what’s wrong with Chewy his blood test came back twice with elevated Amylase & lipase levels, looks like he has mild Pancreatitis, it can cause, loss of appetite, depression, intermittent vomiting, diarrhea & anorexia…with the meds that the vet said to trial ur doing the right thing, just see how Chewy does on the Hills Z/d first, then if he’s still vomiting ask about the Hills I/d Gastro or ask can you try the Royal Canin low fat as the fat is only 7% & alot of people have had really good results with their dogs on the R/C Low fat..before you try any meds like prednisolone (steriod)…when u go back to vets, write a little list of all the questions you need to ask cause you forget when your there, well I do, then I think, oh I forgot to ask her this. But hopefully everything will work out on this new food, just watch what he eats & no high fat treats, treats can set things off again, just use his Z/d kibble as a treat for now..

[Eric H]

Hi USA_Dog_Treats – thank you for your concern; as we know owning a pet is rarely all Sweetness and Light, right? 🙂

Otis has always struggled a little with his weight – we had another, his older companion, and she was always quite svelte, but our poor little pork-chop Otis, he’s a bit of a victim to his food-motivated personality it seems. I agree with your approach – we will be sticking with the food level and managing the treat level for now, see if that helps. For the treats we DO give, we have made changes to low-carb low-sugar veggie options like turnip instead of sweet potato as well.

The phenobarb – yes, it sucks I know. Regrettably we are in Canada and apparently we don’t have the same options as south of the border. The epilepsy and pancreas occurred almost simultaneously, if you can imagine – seizure one week, pancreas the next. It was a tough month for everyone!! So we are satisfied the pheno didn’t trigger the pancreas, although may now make it a little more sensitive. Regrettably Otis doesn’t have the benefit of a spectacular gene pool as his older companion did when she was around! Our Vet is quite fantastic, we went through a couple before finding her, and she is simply amazing, so we trust her and she seems committed to Otis’ health. She did mention that phenobarb isn’t her favourite but we didn’t have a lot of options and is monitoring his liver as a result.

Many happy days indeed – let’s hope!
🙂

[USA]

High Eric

I’m so sorry that Otis is having these issues.

Some of the risk factors for canine pancreatitis are:

Obesity – This is the one you have the most control over. For now I would stick with the 1 cup / day of Hills I/D GI Restore. I would cut out all the treats except the sweet potato you use to give Otis his pills. This will cut some calories from his diet and he may start to lose a little weight. Try to stick with this diet for 8 weeks or so unless any issues develop.

Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide – Both of these are drugs are used to treat canine epilepsy. I know that Otis is on phenobarbital for his epilepsy. This could be a factor in his pancreatitis. Did your Vet ever discuss this with you? Which came first the epilepsy or the pancreatitis? Either way you should talk to a Vet about the issue of pancreatitis and phenobarbital.

I wish Otis and you the best of luck and I hope Otis has many happy days ahead of him!!!

[aimee]

Hi USA Dog Treats,

I paraphrased a proposed mechanism. I think we can agree that the cause of pancreatitis is not well understood. And yes it is the fatty acids, peptides and AA which come from the digestion of intact protein and fats that stimulate CCK.

I don’t see it as incorrect to have said “Protein though also stimulates CCK release.” as protein is the source of AA and peptides. The author also wrote “protein” in place of AA and peptides. (caps added by me) “PROTEIN is the second most important nutrient in STIMULATING CCK, so VERY HIGH PROTEIN DIETS SHOULD ALSO BE AVOIDED especially in the feline patient”

To further quote ” Some commercial treats can be very high in fat and protein, especially the meaty ones and should be avoided.” and again in the summary in regards to chronic pancreatitis “Very high levels of dietary protein should also be avoided.”

The exact mechanism of pancreatitis isn’t known which is why I wouldn’t say fat causes pancreatitis or that protein causes pancreatitis. The point of my post was currently it is being recommended to avoid both high fat and high protein in dogs with recurrent problems.

To see which intact proteins were tested you’d have to go back to the original research. For myself it isn’t that important to know as it doesn’t change the recommendation to avoid “Dry meat treats (jerky)” in dogs with chronic pancreatitis.

[Eric H]

Wow! Vigorous conversation!
I must say, I am never surprised by how passionate pet lovers are about their information and beliefs; I know we ALL strive to do the best we can for our beloved animals and any suggestion by anyone that we might not be doing it “perfectly” can be difficult to digest (pun-in-context intended…) I am confident we are all doing the best we can, which should always include being receptive to the input of others – not as insult or criticism, but as another option we may choose to consider and discard or adopt as we feel appropriate.

So having said that, thank you for the raft of input!!
LabsRawesome – Dehydrated fat free meats – I will look into that some more. You prompted some pretty animated discussion on that topic, I will check it out and see if it could apply to Otis.
somebodysme – Otis gets the following exercise: 1h walk/day, plus combination of some or all of: extended backyard ball chasing (loves chasing/returning a ball), repeated toy chasing inside including up/down stairs at times. He always seems satisfied and tired at the end of any of these, so we are hopeful he is getting enough of a total workout on a daily/weekly basis. Smaller treats is another option – at the moment he gets enough to let him chew for a few minutes (iei 1 baby carrot, 1 small flower stalk of cauliflower). Very food motivated, and would eat treats continuously until he passed out I think, regardless of size! ha.
Dori – High Carbs, yes we had no idea of the sugar/carb contents of *veggies* (foreign concept, thinking veggies were harmless as many human diet plans allow “unlimited fruits / veggies”. “oosp.” We got a USDA list of some 1,000 different foods, catalogued them by Sugar, Cal, and Fat and found a new short-list of options which include many of what you suggested, thanks! We will start by substituting his sweet potato with turnip for example and cutting back on carrots (still good for teeth…just less of them). Otis gets strictly 2 small formal meals per day, total 1cup per day + treats.
sue66b – Pancreatitis, IBD, and skin issues? Ouch! Poor guy. Our Otis had significant skin issues also (like crutsy awful human eczema patches) but disappeared when we switched foods! Very rare small flare-ups (likely from external contact sources) are treated with some polysporin ointment for 1 or 2 days and it goes away. Banana and rice cakes! Bananas might work but sugar is higher than the short-list I will be trying for now (12.2g/100g USDA), might try use banana as an occasional option. Tuna might be another option – I only scanned veggies and fruit, so I don’t have the tuna numbers, I will look that up, thanks!
aimee – Yes, we really thought we’d lose him before we found a safe diet…it was a pretty stressful time back then!! Your history suggestion is good, I think we’ll try to take note of just how many “treats” he is getting compared to 10% intake – when they are small bites you forget what they add up to over the day.

Thanks everyone for their contributions and continued pet-passion!
-e

[Susan]

THANK-YOU Aimee, my vet did exlpained why Patch cant have liver treats, but I was so stressed at the time & cant remember that day too well, yes Patch can’t have a high protein diet either..Aimee what are you feeding ur dog that has Pancreatitis, I’m running out of foods to try for breakfast…I thought I had found the Tuna & pumkin for his breakfast, he’s been on the tuna since June & was doing real well but now he’s having his pain again & whinging after his breakfast these last 2 weeks…if I give him his kibble for breakfast or boiled chicken breast & pumkin he has his pain, I dont know what to give for breakfast no more, Maybe Patch just cant eat breakfast, he seems fine after eating kibble for lunch & dinner…I was going to try Rolled oats..Vet did want me to try Prednisone but I’ve been trying everthing possible before I try him on the Steriods.. Patch also has bad stomach reflux & acid always burping after eating & I thought the steroids will make things worse….Ive read on the Yahoo group “Dogpancreatitis” a few dogs are doing really well on the Vet prescription diet Royal Canin Low Fat kibble as the fat% is 7%….. Patch is on Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal its 10% fat & about 1 month ago I started introducing the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal kibble the fat is 11.98%, I’m adding 1/2 the Simple & 1/2 the Intestinal for lunch & dinner at the moment, maybe that has started Patches pain again…. I dont know no more…its an awful disease…
Eric if your reading, did you ever give Otis any cooked meats, I read that the raw didnt work, my vet said NO RAW, thats was 1 thing I can remember Lol….I mite look up the Hills I/d GI restore, I bet we dont have that one in Australia alot of the Hills foods were cut back

[aimee]

Hi Eric,

I nearly lost a dog to pancreatitis. Scary stuff. Glad you found a diet that is working for your boy. Take a good diet history of everything your guy eats. Calories from “treats” shouldn’t be more than 10 % total diet calories. Trim back if they exceed this. Excess calories lead to weight gain. Research doesn’t support that the common belief that carbs and sugar cause weight gain in the absence of excess calories.

[aimee]

Hi Dori and LabsRawsome,

Experimentally compounds that mimic the hormone CCK result in pancreatitis. In these studies high amounts are given. The most potent dietary stimulation of CCK is fat. Protein though also stimulates CCK release.

From the table in Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 2012 on foods to avoid with chronic pancreatitis “Dry meat treats ( jerky)” The text also cautions against feeding diets very high in protein to patients with a history of pancreatitis.

Hope this helps explain why Patch doesn’t do well with jerky treats.

[Susan]

Hi Eric, Your lucky that ur boy is keeping on his weight, my boy has Pancreatitis IBD & Skin Allergies, I’m having trouble keeping on his weight, 1 month he’ll start to look all muscle & nice & solid then this month I can see his spine when he’s curled up sleeping & bottom of his ribs when walking, I dont know about ur boy but my Patch can’t eat Jerky meats, thats how he started to get ill with his Pancreatitis, I’ll tell you what Patch eats as treats, a little thin slice of banana mashed up but banana is a high carb fruit, Rice Cake biscuits, I break one rice cake into a quarter then break little bits off the 1/4 biscuit & he thinks that he’s getting alot but really he isn’t, his kibble I use that as a treat, he has tuna in spring water drained & add a little of boiled pumkin & mash all together for breakfast Watermelon in summer & thats about it….We do walk alot Patch goes on about 4 walks a day, up the shops, dog park, beach… I think thats why he’s having trouble keeping on the weight… too much walking, but our walks are only 15min long maybe 20mins, all up its about 1 hour walking a day & no fat in his diet only whats in his kibble, also Patch has trouble with proteins meats he seem to have his pain after he ate his boiled chicken, so I changed to tuna, I use to mix a boiled egg with his tuna & pumkin but he had pain I’d say the egg yolk too high in fat, also just reduce his kibble, take out about 8 kibbles from his bowl, then you can use those kibbles as treats thru the day, walk him & the weight will come off, & try pumkin instead of sweet potato, I cant give Patch Potato he gets a rash on his stomach then has diarrhea….

[Dori]

Unfortunately the two treats that it seems your giving him the most are carrots and sweet potatoes. Both high in sugar and carbs. How many meals a day are you feeding and are you feeding too much. Don’t go buy the bag or canned directions, that’s just a starting point.

Is she getting enough exercise? Are you giving too many treats during the day? How large are the treats you’re giving her at a time or throughout the day? As you know already I’m sure, the only real diet is less food (portion control) and more movement. It works for us and it works for them. Eat Less, Move More. It’s truly the only thing that consistently works.

Some lower carb/sugar fruits and veggies include: watermelon, cucumbers, arugula, cantaloupe, broccoli rage, string beans, celery, green,red and yellow peppers, radishes. That’s just a small list. Have you gone on google and typed in fruits and veggies low in sugars and carbs? You’ll get more to add to her treat list.

[somebodysme]

What kind of daily exercise does he get? It could just be that he, just like you and I, need more exercise daily than what we are getting.

The treats really don’t seems like much but they can add up quickly before you know it, you’ve given them a lot of extras. Remember he’s very little so he shouldn’t get but a few treats a day. Here’s another way to trick him into thinking he’s getting lots of treats, cut them into smaller pieces. My dog thinks she’s getting lots of treat and they are the size of a pea each time…HEEHEE! 🙂

[LabsRawesome]

Hello, and Welcome Eric! 😀 For treats, You could use dehydrated meats-fat free. Or you could buy a dehydrator and make your own jerky treats, and save a lot of $$$. That’s my two cents. Hope it helps. 😀

[Eric H]

Hello – Long time lurker to this fantastic site and forum members, finally time to post and ask for input!

Our 10 second intros:
The Pooch: “Otis,” 25+lb, 7yr old happy active male neutered mini-Schnoodle (14.5″ withers) unfortunately with severe pancreas issues and epilepsy (controlled by daily phenobarbital).

The current food: 1/2c x 2 per day = 1 cup / day of Hills I/D GI Restore – the ONLY food we have found, after trying MANY options including raw and alternative pancreas-safe home-brews, which doesn’t send him to the hospital for 24-48hrs at $500+ a crack. Ouch. We actually thought he would die before we found something he could eat. This is the *only* food so far which has kept him out of the hospital >1yr and counting! [knock on wood]. Note this is about HALF his recommended amount, as we were previously already trying to keep his weight down – it isn’t working!

The current treats: Carrots and Cauliflower (can’t eat fat, remember?), Watermelon, dried sweet-potato/yam slices. He gets his pill (twice a day) in a small cube of cooked sweet potato which works out to 1 full sweet potato per week. That’s about it.

Ok. So.
The reason for interrupting you all!
He is currently a little pork-chop pushing 26 lbs and should be closer to 20-25ish despite eating the above “low fat” diet (so he doesn’t die from pancreatitis) and ZERO extras other than a large contingent of veggies and his beloved sweet-potato. Then I lurk on this site to try to figure out why he is still gaining so much weight… CARBS + SUGARS!? Oh fer cryin out loud! Carrots, one of his favourites, high in carbs. Who knew.

So the question is: What the heck do I feed the poor guy so he doesn’t die from either pancreatitis or complications of being overweight!

The current plan: Get a list of low-carb low-sugar veggies and try to stay low on both for his “treats,” as the food itself “ain’t broke so don’t touch it,” as any guesswork in that department could have serious complications.

Thoughts?
Thanks!
-e

[Sallynova]

The best treats we found are only 2 ingredients. Beef and blueberries or chicken and apples. They are 100% organic and human grade. They are dehydrated not processed like kibble and our whole neighborhood uses them. I think they also have chicken breast and rosemary or it might have been just a seasonal treat. You only get 10 in a bag but my sister’s yorkie only gets a quarter of a biscuit as a treat so they last. They do get crumbly sometimes but we pour out the crumbs from the bottom of the bag and add a little warm water. I’ve read so many posts tonight and just have to tell people about how good Dogs For The Earth food and treats are because everyone who uses their food sees such a difference in their dogs. Our family likes that everything is 100% organic because all of us only want organic food so we like it for our dog too.

[Sallynova]

The best dog food and treats come from Dogs For The Earth. It’s 100% organic and dehydrated. Our whole neighborhood uses it now. Everybody talks about how good their dogs do on this food. If you go to their web site http://www.dogsfortheearth.com you can read about every single ingredient in the food and the company is owned by an animal scientist / nutritionist. I can’t tell you the amazing difference this food has made to so many dogs around here. They ship it to you and you can have a standard order. Ours comes every 2 weeks. Try it – your problems will be over.

[USA]

Hi Omayra

A 5 month old puppy chewing carpets can be anything from normal puppy behavior (most common reason) to something nutrient related to a behavioral issue and so on. I would not rush into a nutrient deficiency diagnosis so quickly!

Before anyone can suggest any supplements for your puppy can you please tell us his current diet including treats please be as specific as you can.

What is his day like? Yard, Walks, Toys, People always around? How much time does he spend alone? Does he sleep and spend any other time in a crate?

Can you please also tell us what brand/type of shampoo and conditioner that you use and how often you bathe him.

And can you please tell us any medicine he is currently taking, including flea control. How much and how often and his vaccine history.

And last but not least has he had any blood, urine or fecal tests run and were there any abnormal or out of range results.

Is there anything you would like to add that will help us to know him better?

I don’t mean to pry but you must take into consideration the WHOLE dog to start figuring things out. Looking at a symptom or a behavior without knowing more about a dog usually results in treating a symptom instead of curing the cause of the symptom by returning the dog to complete and overall optimum health. This may not always be possible but starting with the whole dog is the way to go!!!

Keep Up The Good Work!!!

[Omayra R]

Thank you Aimee.

Before you mentioned a vet, I was thinking of taking him to a holistic vet. I found this lady.. http://www.holisticvet.us/treatments.html I see she treats aggression too.
I took him to a regular vet to get a regular check up, but I’m not sure if he checked his liver.

As for the behaviorist, it was pretty much poke, shhhh, & ignore. If he got too aggressive, pin his body down til he stopped moving and count three seconds.

I held his mouth shut today when he was trying to bite. I’m thinking that was my mistake, bc when I was bathing him he snapped at me when I tried washing his jaw area. I won’t be doing that again. But the other technique helped some, but my sister said it hasn’t. Mind you, I don’t live with them, so it’s kinda hard for me to see every day.

[Susan]

Hi USA Dog Treats Thank-You, now more confussed which product to use but I mite try the Dermoscent Essential Spot on’s first & see how he goes…. Patch isnt scratching at the moment, he just has a few hive like lumps on the white part of his head & his paws, inbetween his toes are always red by night time, I put Cortisone 1% cream at night before bed, when Patch wakes up inbetween his toes are all good again, no redness.. its been raining again for a few days & his paws are real red & sore after the rain… Patch hates his baths so he hasnt had his Malaseb bath for 2 weeks & he’s a bit stinky, yeasty smell…the Malaseb medicated shampoo clears everything up, his toes all clear up but then after a couple of days walking his toes are red again…In the summer I make shallow bath & wash his feet in the Malaseb Shampoo but its cold at the moment & if he hears that bath running he’s off.. He runs around the furniture, I cant catch him, then I think if he hates baths that much, I dont bother …Summer is coming & I want to start him on something by the end of August so he’ll be right for hot summer..
A lady just rung me from Blackmores she asked what did the vet recommend & I said the vet reconmended the “Dermoscent Essential Spot on”, she said try that first & see how Patch goes cause its applied on the skin there’s less chance of an upset tummy/bowel.. Blackmores also makes PAW Dermega Omega-3 & 6 oral supplement or PAW Coat Skin & Nails multivitamin chews..but again he has to take these tablets or treats..

[Leah12345]

Thanks so much! I stopped the benadryl and no additional itching so I am cautiously optimistic. I agree Sue66b about buying this stuff and getting stuck with the products when they don’t work. I have gotten better at returning when possible. USA_Dog_Treats thanks so much for your help and for explaining the ingredients. I am going to stick with this while it works and then change to oil supplements later. My experience says she will need a change in a while. Thanks again and for anyone who comes later, I will try to remember to give an update in a month or so with a better informed rating of this product.

[Susan]

Hi Leah, have you tried “Dermoscent Essential 6” spot on, here’s a link… https://www.pawbyblackmores.com/products/essential-6-for-dogs ..after seeing what is in the Alerderm liquid, Im no sure about giving it to Patch with his IBD & Pancreatitis… I mite try the Dermoscent Essential Spot On instead, that way its on his skin & not in his stomach… what I hate is you pay all this money then Patch has a reaction, my cupboard looks like a chemist shop…
USA Dog Treats where did you get the ingredients for the Allerderm liquid as I’d like to know what is in their Allerderm EFA-caps HP as they are higher in Omega-3 200mg & 88mg omega-6…when I looked it just gave the omega-3 & omega-6 mg’s, not the ingredients what I need…

[Dori]

Hi Kristin. I switched all three of my girls a bit over two years ago due to all the issues that Katie was having. At that point while I researched dog foods and her issues on line I was fortunate to come across the Dog Food Advisor and as I have mentioned more times than I can count my girls and I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Mike. Unfortunately it was Dr. Mikes loss of Penny that set him on his quest to find a better dog food his canine and we have all benefited from it. I still grieve for him, his family, and, of course, Penny. Anyone of us that has lost a dog or any other pet understands his plight. He actually did something about it that has benefited so many of us and our pets.

Anyway, your question to me, specifically, was what am I feeding Katie. I feed all three of my little girls the same exact food because I don’t want to take a chance that my “delicate flower Katie” gets into anything other than what seems to work for her. I mostly feed commercial raw foods: Primal Formulas, Answers Detailed, Stella & Chewy’s Raw Food, Darwin’s (on line delivery and auto-delivery only), Natures Variety Instinct Raw, Vital Essentials Raw. I rotate their foods between these are probably other raw foods also. I do add at times proteins that I’m preparing for my husband and myself. I add either Natures Logic Sardine oil, or canned sardine’s in water two or three times a week. On the days that I split a can of sardines in water amongst the three of them I omit the sardine oil (kept refrigerated-important to keep oils refrigerated), I add a little coconut oil to their meals once a day every day. I also give them as snacks organic fruits, veggies. I do not feed any commercial treats whatsoever. To many recalls, too many issues with gmo ingredients, too many ingredients not disclosed from China. Katie has too many food intolerances for me to feed any commercial treats. Most are bound by oatmeal, barley, or some such grain. I choose not to do that. We adopted her at the age of 9 weeks old. She was the runt of her litter and was going to be “euthanized”. Friends told me about her knowing what a complete SUCKER I am. I need to have that tattooed on my forehead. She has food and environmental issues. She has had many dental issues and at the age of 8 months old she had a severe luxating patella issue that was severe enough that she had to have surgery, water treadmill therapy, etc. etc. With all her issues she is the mushy gushiest lovey dog I have ever come across in my 65 years of age. You get what you give. The reason for my reply to you initially is that I truly believe that you have to pay it forward in this life. Some people read and study the science, I have always learned and lived from experience. Not saying that the science is wrong or that anyone that wants to go that way is wrong, not at all. It’s everyone’s choice. I choose experience. I know that Katie was a mess, completely a mess when I got her at 9 weeks. She is a fabulous dog and a real happy camper at this point. She loves everyone and everyone loves her. Anyway, Kristin C. That’s my experience with Katie. I have also thanked Dr. Mike, Sandy S., and HDM as well as anyone and everyone here on DFA for their kindness, knowledge, and love of animals. MY other two dogs that have had no issues concerning diet whatsoever, Hannah my 15 year old Maltese, and Lola my 5 year old Yorkipoo but have benefited exponentially from everyone here on DFA. That’s what I’ve learned from my fellow posters and that’s what I’ve tried to “pay it forward”. Gotta go now. My husband is yearning for some “Cold Stone” ice cream. He has macular degeneration and can no longer drive so I reap the benefits from his ice cream urges. Hot Fudge sundae for me. I hear it calling my name.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Dori.

[Tiffany K]

A treat that does not cause constipation or bowel problems is critical. I have found that many chews or bones, even ones that claim to be easily digestible and premium, can cause my four dogs’ stools to be too dry and triggers straining when going to relieve themselves.

I stopped feeding them commercial treats entirely due to this issue. Instead, I feed them boiled eggs, apple, peanut butter biscuits made at home and carrots. However, when traveling, a commercial, non messy treat that would enhance their health and life experience would “hit the spot.”

[Bobby dog]

Hey guys
It’s a very, very, very rainy day here, Bobby is not happy.

Akari:
Glad you’re back!! I will post cartridge info later when I can get to my saved info for it. 🙂

Love the bowls and the pics too!!! Alec looks happy to have someone to bother.

C4c:
So jealous of your TJ’s. I have to drive so far to get to one, 🙁 but I will be going by one in the fall as you know so we can compare notes about shopping there! TJ’s is on Dr. Pierson’s list (and my Vet’s list too). I looked at reviews on YouTube and various other sites. I couldn’t find ingredient or analysis info anywhere on TJ’s website. I remember it has rice and fish in some or all recipes. It reminded me of a CSFCLS or BB quality. I am definitely going to try some out. Most reviews I read commented that it was decent quality and budget friendly to add to a rotation.

FYI for all you cat lovers, you know how I love a good PDF download. On Little Big Cat Dr. Hofve’s updated book “What Cats Should Eat” is on sale for $4.97, regularly $8.99 until 8/15. Her approved list of cat food is included which was just updated last month. The list even includes some dry, although as you know she discourages feeding dry food. Also on the approved list are commercial raw (dehydrated, freeze dried, frozen etc), foods that need supplements, treats, toppers, meal supplements, foods considered but not approved, foods that were approved and why they are no longer approved.

I haven’t had a chance to read it, just downloaded it yesterday, but the list I was happy with. I can comment that some of the foods she lists are not an option for me because of the manufacturers, but nevertheless I am glad I purchased the book because there are plently of foods listed. Some chapter topics are dry diets, wet diets, nutrition related diseases, alternative diets, and making your cat’s food at home; it’s 62 pages. Here’s the link to the bookstore on her website if you’re interested: http://www.littlebigcat.com/bookstore/

[Kristin C]

As a follow up, I feed Darwin’s and Nature’s Variety raw and Orijen 6 Fish kibble. I usually add cottage cheese or yogurt to the kibble meals. My homemade consists of 65% meat, 10% organ, 5% liver, 15% pumpkin or sweet potato, 5% veggie pulp from my juicer, plus eggs. I add a half teaspoon eggshell per each pound of meat and some fish oil and vitamin e. RMBs consist of chicken backs, turkey or duck necks. My homemade is chicken and beef, beef I can get more variety of organs. Sometimes I use a pre-mix (Sojos grain free) if I don’t have time for the veggie pulp. I usually give 1 or 2 small dried beef trachea during the week too, not too many other treats.

[Mary L]

This discussion is very timely for me, been using Natural Balance for training (3 dogs) and breaking them up, but just last night I noticed they have molasses and other “sweet” ingredients so I’m looking for something else. I have used ZiwiPeak, they’re easy to break for training and the dogs love them, but sometimes can crush into unusuable crumbs. I do feel concerned about using freeze dried treats for training because I want to make sure the dogs get enough water. Looking for healthy, quality ingredients, nothing artificial, non-GMO is a plus, and preferably no sweeteners. I prefer it be made and sourced in the USA but I don’t object to other countries if it’s quality food. China is a no. Anything with that spongy/gummy texture makes one of my dogs vomit. We use Best Bully Sticks for long term chewing.