[aquariangt]

Also- what Betsy said about crumbly treats rings true. It’s why I don’t use soft and chewy buddy biscuits which are quite popular. I end up tossing a lot of them

[aquariangt]

My new favorites are the sojos simply (meat) 3 varieties, turkey, lamb, or beef. 100% meat freeze dried. You also get a ton of pieces in the bag, so they last a while. Also lower calorie than a lot of other treats since there aren’t many other ingredients which is nice because I do a lot of training

Plates eos are large but soft, without a ton of ingredients. Also stinky, so work as a high value reward. I like to use them when I teach classes because they are big enough that the big guys get more than a taste, but soft enough that the little guys can have them torn up.

Zukes are pretty good and quick, but being bought by purina I’m keeping my eye on them

We have a brand here called boulder dog food company (they don’t make food though, lol) that makes chicken bits and turkey bits, another meat item that have a lot in the bag so I can really make them stretch

[Zach M]

I would also like to add that the treats shouldn’t be high in calories and they should not expire quickly. I have bought many bags of treats that have expired, and even gotten mold when sealed, before I have used all of them. I’m not saying they should have added chemicals and preservatives to make them last longer, but should just be able to go the distance.

[meky6ra]

Well, usually my dog’s treats are carrots, broccoli stalks, and bits of hotdog, hehe! I guess if I buy “dog treats,” they have to be made by a dog food brand that I already trust, sourced from the USA, made without chemicals, and made with whole ingredients. I don’t worry about the ingredients TOO much since she only eats them occasionally.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by meky6ra.

[Mike Sagman]

Hey Betsy,

Thanks for all the detail. I like the Nature’s Variety treats, too. Thanks for the example.

[DogFoodie]

Like BC said, I look for treats that are of the same high quality ingredients as the foods I feed. I too, look for limited ingredients due to food intolerance issues.

I’m different from Elizabeth in my preference for treats that are probably a bit harder, or denser. I feel like I’ve been ripped off when I buy some treats that are all crumbly and have a bunch of powder in the bottom of the package. Probably my favorite treats are Nature’s Variety Instinct. They’re small little bone shaped treats. There’s little waste in the bag. I can give my Golden one and snap another in half for my Cavalier.

I do occasional but some soft treats, but it seems like soft treats free recently have some undesirable ingredients, like vegetable glycerin, etc.

I also look for ways to add things to my dogs diets that they might not otherwise get as part of their regular meals. For example, Vital Essential tripe treats are just tripe, nothing else. They’re expensive, but a quality product. There is some waste with the crumble factor.

[Elizabeth P]

I want treats that can be broken up into little pieces easily and aren’t super hard or mushy. I train for competition and need things I can conveniently carry in my pocket or hand.

[Mike Sagman]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the quick replies and suggestions. Please be as specific as you can. Don’t hold back. Don’t be afraid to identify the factors and features you like as well as those you don’t. Lydia and I are keeping a list of these items to help us create an infor,ative article to help our readers identify good treats.

We may not respond to each post. However, we’re scanning them regularly and transferring the best suggestions to our feature list. Thanks again for all your help.

Mike

[theBCnut]

I want my dogs treats to be every bit as healthful as his food, so no junk ingredients, no chemicals, dyes, etc.

I also want a limited number of ingredients.

[Mike Sagman]

Fellow Dog Lovers,

In a future article, Hound Dog Mom, Sandy, Jackie and I are thinking about sharing what we believe to be some of the best qualities to look for when considering commercial dog treats. And we’d love to hear your opinion.

What features and characteristics should a concerned pet owner look for in a quality dog treat? Now, please keep in mind, we’re not yet looking for a list of recommended treats. Actually, we’re looking for your suggested guidelines when choosing a good one.

Thanks for your help. Can’t wait to hear your ideas.

[lmnordrum]

Jazz Lover: If its working and your animal is healthy and thriving, why change? I give my dog good kibble (Wellness Core and Fromm) moistened with hot water and some coconut oil, and she’ll get cooked food from our meal, like meat and some plain rice. When I have some older eggs they get boiled and put on top of the kibble in lieu of meat. Dog gets small bits of cheese for treats and has no interest in fruit, veggies, peanut butter or bread. I do not feed my dog grains and she doesn’t seem to be missing them.

I have no guilt about not doing raw because frankly I can’t deal with it in my house. Plus the thought of raw meat and bacteria just freaks me out. As a cook I get grossed out by things such as bone-in chickens and large hunks of raw anything, and forget about anything that looks like it would on the animal itself (tongue, liver, etc.) If I didn’t function so much better on a higher protein diet I would probably be vegetarian. I would cook for my dog if she didn’t do well on the kibble. We are in a rural area and I could buy a cow or hog, but this is not something I have any interest to do. My dog does well on what she’s being fed and there’s no reason for us to change it. Plus she can be boarded on a kibble mixture. I can’t send her off to the kennel when I travel with 20 pounds of meat. lol

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

[Akari_32]

Ok! Another deal for you guys 🙂

The other day I bought four 3.5lb bags of Pedigree Puppy and two 14lb bags of Rachael Ray for $32! Thats 42lb of food, which I think is a pretty good deal, considering I didn’t have much in the way of coupons.

Pedigree 3.5lb bags
BOGO at Publix for $4.49
4 bags for $8.98 before tax, $9.61 after tax
4x $1 off mfc any size bag coupons
3x $1 off any size bag Publix coupons
1x $0.55 off any size bag Publix coupon (couldn’t find a fourth $1 off Publix coupon)
Total after tax and coupons for four 3.5lb cans: $2.06. And thats about all its worth… LOL Would have liked to only pay $1.61, but that extra $0.45 won’t kill me lol

RR Nutrish Beef 14lb bag
On sale for $14.99 (from $16.99)
Mfc coupon for $2 off any size bag 6lb or larger
Total after tax and coupon: $14.04. Little more than I’d normally pay for it, but oh well.

RR Just 6 14lb bag
On sale for $16.49 (from $18.99)
Mfc coupon, $3 off any size bag 6lb or larger
Total after tax and coupon: $14.65. Again, more than its worth, but ok.

Then, the reason I was ok with the price of the RR, Target had a $10 off the purchase of $40 or more in pet food, litter or treats, which I applied toward all of this. Just wish there were Publix coupons for the RR… lol Over all, though, not bad! Left me broke, but I like having all that food stashed away. Especially since I take a lot of time off from work during summer. I’m pretty sure my entire family was born during summer….. LOL I also need to buy some more of the Nutro. I need 4 more bags, and I’ll get a free one lol

[DogFoodie]

I actually just plopped it right on top rather than mixing it in. Seeing his reaction, I’m not sure he would’ve eaten it at all if I had mixed it in. Funny thing is, he ate Vital Essential tripe treats before and he liked them.

[Case]

I use this recipe for Satin Balls:

1 pound of raw ground beef
8oz package of cream cheese
1 jar of all-natural peanut butter
12 egg yolks
10oz package of wheat germ
a cup of flaked oats that have been soaked in heavy cream

Mix ingredients. Form the mixture into balls and freeze. Thaw and feed as treats or food supplements as desired.

My dog LOVES them. I roll them into small balls and use them for treats.

[Susan B]

Okay, things are going good firmly well!!! Thank you guys! I have a rescue and this chi litter is the only time I have had a challenge. I’ve come to learn they are sensitive and because they are so small I thought they needed fed more often. At 11 weeks 3 times a day is perfect for their digestion and no treats/bones in between. Once they’re at their permanent place I’m sure they’ll settle even more.
About probiotics, I read many articles and learned they will absorb more nutrients and be healthier. I got my old fells some as well. So thank you for getting me on this path.

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Cavvie lovers! I have 3 of this beautiful breed. I have Laverne, a Ruby retired show champion who weighs around 17 lbs. and tends to have mild intolerances and trouble in the past with anal glands. She is 9 yrs. and has a murmur according to my holistic vet. No meds, though. She’s lived with us for 3 years now. Hazel is my 7 year old Black and Tan who weighs around 19 lbs., all muscle. She was born with a murmur but has never had meds. She’s been with us for 5 years. She and Laverne are registered therapy dogs. My newest is Rupert, a 7 year old Blenheim retired show champion who weighs around 19 lbs. I’ve had Rupert for 3 months now. He has a grade 5 murmur and MVD, asymptomatic, however he is on enalapril twice a day. Now that his health is pretty good for him (he came to me not so healthy) I plan on making him a therapy dog, as well.

I had to try many foods due to Laverne’s intolerances, which started with loose stool, rumbly tummy, not wanting to eat at times and of course the dreaded anal gland issues. We are finally (hope I don’t jinx us, lol) doing great with Wellness totally. I’ve always used Wellness cans and biscuits/treats but their kibble size was just too big for them, especially Laverne who I needed it to work for the most. So I used others, like Acana Singles, Merrick, Instinct LIDs, Zignature, Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s, Victors and probably others I’ve forgotten about. Some worked and I’ll still feed if needed…Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s and Victor, but a lot of others didn’t. I even tried premade raw, which was fine but too hard for my household to deal with. Foods like THK didn’t go over well. However, recently Wellness came out with new Small Breed formulas…YAY! So I tried them. I now rotate through Small Breed Senior, Small Breed Whitefish and Small Breed Simple Salmon along with their canned Stews for topping kibble and Yogurt biscuits for bedtime snack. I use their Pure Bites for training. Things are great, atm!! I do add a probiotic/enzyme supplement and a fiber supplement called Firm Up with each meal. It’s simply dried pumpkin and apple pectin. They also get coq10 for their heart. This has been working for us for 2 months now and I will continue this regimen. Sometimes I will use other canned toppers, like Simply Nourish, Fromm or Weruva for variety. All 3 have such soft wonderful coats and great skin. I did shave them down a little for the first time this summer and can honestly say that I love the haircuts! I kept their ears and tails long. I will keep them cut this way. I hope some of this info. gives hope for you guys with other Cavvies, my heart breed! 🙂 <3

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I used to love Natural Balance for my gang. I had one with intolerances/allergies and digestive issues and this food helped at that time. I also loved that they had canned and treats to “match”, making it easier to feed an intolerance prone dog. Sadly though, they have since sold to Del Monte and that makes them a no go for me anymore. If I had to use them to sort out an allergy I might….but I would search for other ways to do it first. It’s really frustrating when a food you like and trusted sells out to a large conglomerate. If I had to shop at Petco, I would use Wellness or Nature’s Variety.

[Marie]

After stopping in Petco for the first time, it was really overwhelming. People pressuring you, toys all over the place, beds of all shapes, colors and sizes, all different types of dog food and all sorts of animals and other supplies. The person who came up to me talked me into buying a brand called Natural Balance. Wide variety, all size bags, wet food to match and treats to match as well. Anybody have any suggestions? Has anyone else tried this food before?

[aquariangt]

Sojos new meat treats are pure freeze dried meat. They have proven very popular with the dogs at work, and are healthy without extra fat or carbs. I’m a fan, and they aren’t very expensive for the amount you get in that bag. Beef and Lamb are out for you? but turkey is one as well.

The brand Real Meat is good and pretty much pure meat. Cloud Star is ok, I use their tricky trainers from time to time. I like Zuke’s but gotta keep an eye on them, they were purchased by Purina, so I’m skeptical of the recipe now. Platos EOS is a nice line as well.

[Debbie S]

Where do I start? Some background – back in 2013 our home consisted of two parrots, a cat, Mandy a 13 yr. old female Sheltie, Shadow an 11 yr. old male Sheltie, Roxie a 4 yr. old Pomeranian and two parents. About Sept. 2013 I was stupidly giving the dogs Milo’s Chicken Jerky (small pieces), when Mandy became ill. She was vomiting, had diarrhea and was very lethargic. We admitted her to the Vet hospital and she was put on IV’s for a couple of days but there was no helping her at this point and it was recommended putting her to sleep. We did and I started researching and found about the chicken being from China! I felt horrible and wanted to die right along with Mandy. I had obviously been poisoning my babies and Mandy wasn’t strong enough to fight it.
Fast forward to May 2014. We had been feeding Blue Buffalo Senior Grain Free dry and Blue Buffalo Family Favorite Recipes (various chicken/turkey flavors) mixture twice a day. Every single treat that we gave was made in the U.S.A. Shadow stopped eating any treats that were hard, would eat around the kibble and started acting strange even for him. At that point we started cooking chicken breast and white rice. (Then we find out rice can be toxic also). None of the dogs ever turned down the sweet potato that I give daily to the parrots. We took him to the vet thinking he may be having teeth problems. Nothing. Maybe a slight gum infection so he was put on a mild antibiotic. He still had his slight heart murmur but nothing to worry about. Exactly a week later on May 7th he was really restless, couldn’t find a place to lay down and about 11:30 pm he came out of the bedroom panting extremely heavy and drooling, I knew immediately something was wrong, woke up my husband, and called the vets for the emergency location. We hopped in the car, with me carrying him and he was panting louder than I’ve ever heard anyone breathe. We were almost there when Shadow bucked up into my chest and flopped down. He was gone.. supposedly by heart attack and they pronounced him DOA.

Now we only have Roxie and she has been as depressed as we are. She’s normally a little pig with treats and always cleaning others bowls if they walked away. She basically stopped eating, laid around and was totally depressed. Knowing this, we gave her time because she wasn’t acting ill and since she was a little overweight it wouldn’t hurt her to not eat as much as normal. Then she started turning down hard treats, and not eating the kibble in her food just like Shadow did. We took her to the vets after a couple of weeks of this because I was so anxious after the last couple of years and losing two of our babies. The vet took X-rays and a full panel of blood work. When he laid her on her back, her tongue turned blue so he was concerned. But her blood work was perfect and the only thing showing on the X-rays was the extra fat she was carrying which is effecting her breathing and probably the cause of her blue tongue.

We changed her food because she has to lose 1.5 – 2 pounds so we tried Hill’s Ideal Balance Slim and Healthy Adult mixed with the comparable canned food which was weird for us because we had always steered away from anything of Hill’s. Now after reading about it I want to stop feeding her that even though she loves it and is eating well again.

I need advice on what to feed a large framed five year old Pomeranian currently weighing 11 1/2 lbs. who needs to weigh no more than 10 lbs. She has arthritis starting in her knees and has just recently started constantly licking her lips. In the past we have just let them run the fenced back yard using the doggy door but I’ve started taking Roxie on nightly walks to help the weight loss along.

I’m thinking of Wellness Core Reduced Fat & the canned Weight Maintenance mixed or one of the Merrick choices. Any suggestions are appreciated since this seems like a very intelligent group.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Debbie S.

[theBCnut]

Why are you avoiding red meat? For training treats, I recommend real meat, baked or dehydrated, or liver, again, baked or dehydrated. Some use little bits of string cheese. I also use Vital Essentials freeze dried niblets.

[Vianca V]

Im going to clicker train my dogs and wanted to know what was the healthiest possible training treat for them. The currently eat wellness small breed and I am very particular about avoidind chemical, preservatives, as well as red meat with them.

[crazy4cats]

Hey Moms2Cavs-
I just added that to my supplement list. I often use canned pumpkin and sugar free applesauce with my dogs’ meals or kong treats. The combination usually is very helpful with the stools. This supplement would definitely keep better. Thanks!

Hey Susan B-
Let us know how the new food and supplements go. Good luck!

[zcRiley]

UPDATE: The pups have been strictly on Natural Balance Synergy Dry for only 2 days (while still taking their antibiotic for campi bacteria). And wouldn’t you know, their stools became perfect the next day. For the 1st time in a very long time. I’m kinda in shock as I stare at what I eliminated all at the same time: the 2 types of Orijen, the omega supplements, the calming chew, the Cosequin DS, the antioxidants, probiotics & enzymes, all the treats. I guess I have to start adding things back into their diet one at a time…..

Nancy C: Dr. Tim’s Pursuit sounds great, crossing my fingers for you!

Case: Thanks for the Orijen super sleuthing. All the fish they use being year round available, that’s interesting…. anyway, just tossed my bag of Orijen 6 Fish out the window. It started smelling funny.

[zcRiley]

Thanks, guys. Sorry I wasn’t more specific. I have two 1 yr 2 mo old AmStaff mixes. They’ve been great on Orijen Dry Puppy Food (adding NutraMax Lab’s Cosequin DS for glucosamine much later). I used to mix in Horizon, Merricks or Acana for some zing; that was until I started doing major research on ingredients/hi end fillers, recalls etc. The Giardia & Campi was diagnosed with only 1 of my pups (the one that always had a digestive issue). At that point, I started mixing in Orijen 6 Fish with a crumble of Dr Foster & Smith’s Omega 3 chews. After the Giardia was taken care of, his behavior went down the tubes, I cried during that time thinking was it me, was it his brother, is he dying of something? After $600 doing the full bloodwork panel, fecal float, fecal ELISA & the fecal culture, it was the culture that found the Campi bacteria. 2 shots later & a slew of antibiotics per dog, it was time to add some “help” to their tummies. I got the Purina Veterinary Diets FortiFlora (not knowing that animal digest & Enteroccoccus faecium was bad) & Nzymes (which has soy sprouts). I stopped immediately after four days of small doses/horrifying results, thus initiating the deeper ingredient research I should have done before. I’m now waiting for my new order of Nusentia’s Probiotic Miracle & Enzyme Miracle. During this wait, the pups are switched to Nature’s Balance Synergy Dry Dog Food (has prebiotic & more fiber). AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE ADDED & no treats. The rice & boiled chicken routine doesn’t sit well with them either. I DO add tons of kisses & hugs as to how sorry I am for making them worse.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Marcus A –

If you’re a Editor’s Choice Member, I’d recommend checking out the list of recommended budget friendly foods.

As for helping your dog to lose weight, there’s only one way to achieve this which is by creating an energy deficit. This means that your dog will need to be burning more calories than he his consuming. Unfortunately, just as with weight loss for us humans, there’s no easy (or fun) way to achieve this.

My recommendation would be to pick a quality food that you can afford and reduce the portion sizes and increase the amount of exercise he’s getting (since he’s older, you may need to opt for short but frequent walks). There’s really no reason to pick a food labeled specifically for weight loss as long as you are controlling the portion size.

Start by feeding him the amount suggested on the bag for what he SHOULD weigh (not what he does weigh) – if it gives you a range go with the lower amount. So, for example, if he weighs 50 lbs. and he should be 40 lbs. look on the bag for how much a 40 lb. dog should eat. If the bag says a 40 lb. dog should eat 1 1/2 – 2 C. per day, start by feeding him 1 1/2 C. per day. Aim for a reduction of about 1% of his body weight per week. If he’s not losing, gradually reduce portion sizes (for a dog his size, 1/4 C. increments would probably be fine) until you see results. If he’s losing too rapidly, gradually increase portion sizes.

Remember – treats have calories too! All treats eaten need to be accounted for in his daily calorie intake. Make others in the household aware of this as well.

Good luck!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Tina]

Merrick has had recalls on its treats in the past. My mistake 🙂

[Bobby dog]

I forgot, in my Chewy order I got a few days ago I also ordered a Merrick beef tendon. Bobby really liked it and it kept him busy for about an hour. You can probably find them in pet stores if interested.

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/consumer/products/product.jsp?id=67&page=0&view=list&sort=category_3&order=asc&name=Doggie_Wishbone_Tendon_Treats&categories=Dog-Treats-Natural Chews&age=All_Life_Stages

[Bobby dog]

I did recently give Bobby a beef trachea to chew on which he enjoyed. I haven’t really looked into them like a should though.

Suggestions for chew treats from http://www.daneangelnetwork.org/rawhide.htm:

The following products are all digestible and safe for your pets.

Budda Chew Products- all digestible chew bones and treats

Muscle Chews- all digestible, contains no hide product.

Bull Pizzle Chews- all natural alternative to rawhide.

Healthy Edibles- all natural health chews, completely digestible and contain no sugars or fillers. Available at http://www.drsfostersmith.com

Kong rubber products are great chew toys, which can keep dogs very busy, especially when a little peanut butter and dog biscuits are wedged inside for them to work out.

[theBCnut]

No, Merrick treats have not had many recalls lately, but maybe they should have. WEF certainly should have. Merrick does not like to do the right thing and issue recalls quickly. They wait until they receive a threat of lawsuit from the FDA.

OK, I sort of take that back. They have had a few minor recalls 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years ago, but nothing lately, though I think they should.

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

[Tina]

Merrick treats have had many recalls lately and my neighbor was feeding Merrick to her pit bull until he became ill.

[Mom2Cavs]

My dogs have no staining now. I have 3 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and the girls had been pretty good for awhile, but not perfect. Rupert came to me with some large eye stains and paw staining. I have recently been feeding Wellness Small Breed kibbles (a variety of Sm. Brd. Senior, Sm. Brd. Simple Salmon and Sm. Brd. Whitefish). I got Rupert going on 3 months ago and started this kibble 2 months ago. I also top with Wellness canned and a very few others, Simply Nourish and Weruva but mostly Wellness. I also am using Wholistic Pet Digest All Plus and a supplement called Firm Up, which is dried pumpkin and apple pectin. The only treats they get are Wellness Yogurt biscuits at night before bedtime. I use their kibble the rest of the time. At the Hospital during Therapy Dog visits Laverne and Hazel get banana chips and Zuke’s minis (which I plan on replacing after the bag is empty). ALL staining is gone from everyone. It use to be when I groomed/brushed them and wiped their eyes Hazel would be great, Laverne would have one eye that still came away with a little brownish stain and Rupert would be getting a little better but not totally clear. Now, after 2 months of nothing but feeding this way, all staining is gone from all dogs. Even Rupert has none on his paws or otherwise. I’m thrilled! I’ve always loved Wellness products but the kibble size was too big for my Cavs. When they came out with these new formulas for Small Breeds I immediately bought them and I’m so happy…..now I just hope they continue to come out with more Small Breed flavors.

One note I would like to make, though, is that I think that getting the dogs’ guts back in peak shape is what helped the staining the most and I feel that the Digest All Plus and Firm Up were instrumental in doing that. Laverne had prior anal gland problems that are not happening now either, and Rupert had a ruptured anal gland right after coming to us which has healed great and I’ve seen no signs of returning (I keep praying about it, lol!).

[Robert S]

Are Good N Fun treats safe to feed my dog?

[Scott C]

Amy,
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I admit that my post was borne of frustration, yet I stand by what I said.

It is a matter of record that American food (specifically, American manufactured or processed for) is increasingly less-safe. US Companies contaminated 15% more nations’ food supplies with human food that subsequently had to be recalled in Q4 of 2013 than ever before (ExpertSource), involving 860,000 pounds of food (compared to half that, one quarter earlier, the previous worst statistic on record). In 2010, 500 million (not a typo) American eggs were recalled, due to Salmonella poisoning (USDA) and 1906 US-manufactured food product recalls—all due to contamination of one kind or another—occurred between 2011 and 2012.

Selecting only one American company, Tyson Foods pled guilty to 20 felony counts of violating the Clean Water Act (2003), admitted to have continued contaminating the water supply for four years after federal search warrants were executed against them in 1999. In 2013, Tyson was cited four times by the US Department of Labor for OSHA workplace safety violations in which a human dismemberment occurred and may have entered the active production chain. In 2005, an undercover agent video-documented that Tyson was knowingly allowing chickens to be scalded alive in its plants, and dead animals tossed through the air “for fun” by employees. In 2008, federal courts found Tyson guilty of two counts of knowingly and intentionally using fraudulent labeling to claim that their products were anti-biotic free for over two years.

Now, an argument could be proffered that these are violations, so regulations are in place and adequate. The fact remains that American law is written to favor corporations who do the violating, as the duration of these ongoing transgressions suggests. (Tyson’s quarterly profits more than doubled in the second quarter, to $213 million US, and while prices have increased, cost savings were a significant factor. Having demonstrated that it saves costs by doing things like illegally contaminating the ground water, Tyson is not to be trusted with our health. Not Ever.)

So, one of my primary points is that I don’t trust American regulations in the way I trust Canadian regulations, specifically because Canadian law is so much more invasive to corporate operation than is American law. And one presumes that it is this, not the goodness of their hearts, which drives Champion’s move to open a plant in this country. It will be far easier for Champion to provide a much lower-quality product at much lower costs with much lower risk of being caught for having done so here in the United States than ever in Canada. It will also be far harder to detect a drop in ingredient quality until it is too late. American law and regulation cannot even guarantee safe food for our children; how could we ever have the hubris to assume it will protect our pets?

It may be, of course, I readily acknowledge, false to say that whatever Champion produces in Kentucky will be a priori garbage. My fear may be completely unfounded. It is only a fear of the future, after all.

I merely state that it will not be *my* pets who die when this turns out to not be the case. You may, of course, put your own pets at whatever level of risk you deem acceptable. For ourselves, we searched for months for a food we could trust as the result of laboratory tests and an environment of government regulation and we thought we had found Champion. In moving to Kentucky, Champion abandons virtually everything that made it our choice. They leave behind Canadian (often, wild) game ingredients, raised on healthy diets, near or in uncontaminated waters, processed humanely through systems exceeding Canadian government standards for human food, in facilities carefully and strictly monitored by a government which properly _shuts_down_ companies that seriously violate public health (rather than fining them a mere 3% of their quarterly profits, or, if you prefer, 0.0203% of their annual revenue). This is akin to setting the penalty for robbing a bank at something like $50 and pretending it’s a deterrent.

If you feel I’m being overly dramatic by using a criminal metaphor, read the above, again: They _pled_guilty_ to 20 _felony_ counts of violating public safety by contaminating lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Their penalty was $7 million. You can do the math.
———————–

Case,
For three reasons, I’m saddened that you have chosen to introduce the proposition of quantifying agreement or disagreement with my view.

First, thousands of you disagreeing with me will not shield your pets from toxic food, should my worst fears be realized.

Second, thousands of you disagreeing with me in a public forum monitored by Champion will simply reinforce the perception of the US being a trusting, safe environment for business, and encourage the worst from them, should my worst fears be realized.

Third, thousands of you disagreeing with me will serve no purpose other than to end the discussion. “Let’s vote on it,” has long been teamspeak for “I’m tired of this topic, let’s pretend we have an answer and move on.” Yet will your disagreement with my perspective keep my dogs safe? Will Amy’s reticence to think ill of Champion until the damage is done prevent that damage from occurring?
———————–

Everyone,
Here is the bottom-line:

The American Veterinary Medical Association has recorded over 914 pet food recalls from American companies in the last two years. NBC News has reported over 1000 dogs dead and over 4800 animals sick in the past six months from jerky treats alone. In 2002, the peer-reviewed American Journal of Veterinary Research found that the FDA was wrong in its earlier finding that pentobarbital residues in dog and cat food were from euthanized cattle, re-opening the serious allegation that the pentobarbital in American dog and cat food was, in fact, from… rendered (euthanized) dogs and cats. The semi-sacred Royal Canin brand is facing a class action suit over toxic levels of vitamin D in its products. American laws–the lack of them–allowed the FDA to find in 2005 that Diamond Pet Foods was releasing food containing up to 1,851 parts per billion of the deadly mycotoxin, aflatoxin. Acceptable levels are twenty (20) parts per billion. Over 100 dogs died because proper testing costs money and isn’t required.

Trusting these profit-makers to care for your animals is no longer reasonable. Trusting American regulations to protect your animals is no longer rational. Champion may be a good company today, or it may be that Canadian regulation keeps them honest. Without knowing which is true, I must see the move to American as a large step down a slippery slope. My intuition tells me this is the narrow end of the wedge.

We will buy Orijen until it is no longer made in Canada, and then I will stop buying it.

Fundamentally, I believe we should all actively question and challenge—and not merely trust until someone’s beloved pet lies dead. After all, that’s why this website exists in the first place.

Respectfully yours.

[Mimi S]

We have an Irish Setter that was raised on raw. Lately he’s been “off his food” and getting what we call grumble belly. He was getting Bravo, a balanced raw, chicken drumsticks and various, good, expensive treats. We switched to canned Nature’s Variety, different sources of protein plus chicken drumsticks. He’s still not right, although never diarrhea like the previous post and his stool doesn’t smell much. He’s still pooping, has energy but no interest in food. Should we stop the chicken and go to a good kibble, keep some canned and ad kibble, feed only raw without the chicken drumsticks? Help! We’re frustrated. He came to us at about 1 1/2 and was fine. We lost our last setter to stomach cancer and are so afraid there’s something we’re doing wrong. He drinks the filtered water that we drink.

[raam]

I do use a probiotic, the dog variety by Jarrow Formulas, and a digestive enzyme and probiotics mix by NaturVet. They have had no effect.

Interestingly, a friend gave me one satchet of the Fortiflora probiotics by Purina. Not my first brand of choice, but the day after I gave it, his first poop was solid. The rest was still mushy, but I ordered some off Amazon to try it. It will arrive tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

I also give him some holistic drops by Amber Technology to prevent reinfection with giardia.

Today things were already a bit better. I’m leaving the Ziwipeak for a while and used some light cheap turkey roll treats for training instead. I’ll wait a few more days with the new probiotics coming in to see how things go. I’ll also check out the brands and websites you mentioned!

Fortunately aside from the soft poop, he is happy, healthy, playful and super lovey-dovey!

[Susan]

Hi, I just read C4C post & I remembered Patch is on a probiotic, is ur boy on a good dog probiotic for his tummy & bowel, the probiotic helps their digestive tract thats what Patches vet gave Patch he was put on Vet Prescription Eukanuba Intestinal & protexin Probiotic for 5months vet wanted Patches bowel to heal…I couldnt give him anything else no treats nothing just the Eukanuba Intestinal kibble she wanted him on the Intestinal for 1 year but after 5months I started to slowly try other kibbles so slowly just adding about 1/4 cup to his Intestinal cup then if I saw his poo start to go sloppy I’d stop the new kibble & just give his Eukanuba & take the kibble back as they are guaranteed.. now I just use his kibble as treats, that way I know he wont have the runs or sloppy poo, Ive finally found ‘Holistic Select’ kibbles they are lower in fat % about 13% but Im using the senior chicken & rice its 10% fat & fiber is 3.50% Ive just been slowly mixing with the Eukanuba Intestinal so far Patch is doing really well I also give a little bit of banana or apple as a treat only natural foods no processed treats…I hope you find the right food but only try 1 thing at a time then u know whats causing the sloppy poo..Good-Luck

[raam]

Thank you for your reply, Sue!

I think you are totally onto something. I just realized while reading your reply that a factor that might have contributed could be that I use Ziwipeak Lamb as training treats. They, too, are very rich. I did cut down on his regular food intake to level it with the Ziwipeak, but I guess in the end having two rich foods together could have been too much. For the last three days I used a different training treat for variety and while still mushy, his stools seem to have a little more form.

So I think I will end up making the switch to Acana and use lighter training treats.

[Susan]

Hi, Omayra has ur little man been fleaed? as that is probably causing his itch, a nice bath & a good flea product like frontline should keep the fleas away Frontline make a really good spray, I dont know if it can be used on pups u’d have to check..food allergies are rare especially a 3month old pup, only around 5% of dogs will suffer food allergies, some may be intolarant to certain foods, & have food intolarences also look at the Fat% on ur treats alot of treats are high in fat & you can only give a few treats a day as they can cause diarrhea & muchy poo.. its best to use ur dogs daily kibble (Blue Buffalo) as a treat when training…..make sure you keep up with his worming….sounds like u are both sharing ur little boy so make sure that you both arent giving treats at different times & just use some of his kibble as a treat…
Someone else will have to help with the Raw as my boy is on kibble & home cooked chicken & pumkin..sounds like ur little boy has a loving caring home..

[Omayra R]

Hello all.

My sister adopted a puppy last month and he is the first dog to be our family member. He will be 3 months old tomorrow (June 8th).

We were told to feed him dry mixed with wet 4 times a day, up until July 19th. After that, 3 times a day dry.

His dry is the Blue Buffalo holistic life protection brand, and his wet is Wellness for puppies. For training treats we have Organix peanut butter cookies and Fruitables pumpkin and apple flavor.

Now his poop is finally coming out solid, but at the end it’s a little mushy. From my understanding, poop must be solid and not that smelly. At first he was pooping diarrhea, but that was before he got his deworming shot. After the shot, no more diarrhea but would like it his poop to be more solid and a tad bit smelly. This morning he pooped a lot! He hasn’t pooped since. I asked my sister how often does he poop now and she hasn’t been paying attention, so bare with me. As I don’t live with my family and the dog. I stay over the weekends to watch over him. Since I have a more flexible schedule, I can take him to the vet etc.

I notice after he eats, he gets itchy. I’m wondering if he has any food allergies? I know this mix is prone to skin sensitivity. I want that itching to stop. Also read that tear stains are more proned to his food, not breed. We clean his eyes often but would to see that decrease. It’s not excessive though.

Can anyone here suggest me a new diet, please? I’m looking into the raw brand route but i’m not sure how many times a day with these foods. Sorry, this all so new to me.

I’m also in the process of looking for a well reputable holistic vet. I’m just do terrified of all the horror stories with vets and diets I’ve been reading online.

We want the very best for our little guy.

Thank you 🙂

[Carolynne M]

I have a little cairn with seizures. The one ingredient I try to avoid is rosemary in any form. It is a seizure trigger for some dogs. It’s used as a natural preservative in many quality foods but checking the ingredient list will give you the information you need. That said – rosemary may not be a trigger for your dog but you never know.

A very good quality kibble will help. As mentioned by others – watch for preservatives. I make some home cooked food and serve it along with quality kibble.

Congratulations on two mild seizures in a year – that’s good control! A seizure dog should be fed as healthy of a diet as possible. You’ve made a great decision to check out foods to feed Moose. I give my girl a probiotic in addition to the kibble/home cooked due to her health status. There are some great foods that have pre and probiotics in them which might work well for Moose. Holistic Selects is one brand that comes to mind – I’ve been very happy with it for my other dogs. Fresh fruit and veggies for treats will help with the pheno munchies.

[Bobby dog]

Check out those labels to be sure they contain healthy ingredients. I have found a few treats from better dog food companies that have added sugars, color, and excessive starches; dental chews can also contain unsavory ingredients.

If you are unable to financially swing feeding a commercial or homemade raw diet all the time, pugmomsandy’s suggestion of feeding raw & canned or just canned would be good to consider too. I think you will see healthier skin and have less odor by improving the quality of his canned food as well.

Having his thyroid checked is a great suggestion; hair loss is one of the symptoms of a thyroid condition.

I have looked at raw diets before and bookmarked a few sites. Here’s a link to a list of premixes:
http://dogaware.com/diet/dogfoodmixes.html

Here’s some links for homemade diets:
http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html#
http://dogaware.com/diet/rawfoods.html

[Susan]

When I first rescued Patch he was having the rumbling bowel & blood in his stools vet said he had Colitis & I had to cut back on the fat % Patch was put on the Eukanuba Intestinal it has only 10% fat & 1.75% fiber the Eukanuba has helped, we’ve had no more rumbling bowel only when I tried mince meat he was up early hours of the morning & I could hear him coming he sounded like a car engine rumbling & grumbling.. so now I boil chicken breast & add some pumkin for breakfast, I put the cooked chicken & pumkin in a blender & munch up as Patch gulps his food this way Ive digested the chicken a bit for him. I also cant give any treats that are liver jerky treats this gives him diarrhea & the rumbling tummy… Ive been slowly trying Holistic Select Senior Chicken meal this kibble has oatmeal rice & pumkin so far so good.. I add water just to soften the kibble a bit so if he gulps & swollows the kibble whole its softer, just make sure u look at the fat% & the least ingredients the better, pumkin & oatmeal are really good on the stomach & bowel also the Eukanuba is a Low residue kibble that breaks up easy so is the Holistic Select kibbles easier on their digestion…..Chocolate would be high in fat hard fats….Also the Holistic Select Senior is high in Gluosamine supports healthy hips & joints. http://www.holisticselect.com/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice

[Akari_32]

He gets very little in the way of actual dog treats. He usually gets a bit of people food for treats. I yell at mom for giving him jelly beans quite often… Other than those, he gets veggies and meat scraps. Right now, his treats are Wellness Toy Breed cranberry something-or-anothers. They were on clearance lol Oh, and he steals the cats food if he leaves it and it’s not up high. Alec gets mostly Wellness Grain Free.

The only commercial raw diets locally available are Bill Jac (not sure how good that is) and Natures Variety, which is not cost effective at all (I’ve already looked into that.). There may be other brands that I’ve over looked, though.

What if we were to feed like, half raw, half Natures Variety Instinct kibble? That has freeze dried raw coating, and all sorts of good stuff in it. Would supplements be needed then? (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to avoid supplements, I just know they can be costly, so if I can find a way to balance his diet as cheaply as possible, I’d like to take that route).

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
You probably want to track down Hounddogmom and also purchase the books that most raw feeders on this website recommend from Steve Brown and Dr. Karen Becker. There is truly a science to a raw diet that isn’t commercially made.

Just food for thought…I suggest considering Bentley’s entire diet, not just kibble. The canned food, treats, or any other products that you feed him need to be quality as well. Any ingredient, no matter the quantity, can affect his health if he has an intolerance to it.

[Glen M]

I’m familiar with the HUGE company that makes Betsy Farms. It’s called True Science (www.truescience.com) and they have a small office of maybe 30 employees in a suburb of Boise, Idaho not too far from where I live. There was a recent local news story on the company about how since the company began a few years ago, they’ve opened a couple facilities to manufacture the treats and have created a little over 200 new U.S. jobs. Not sure about you, but to me that’s not a large corporation and I applaud US companies that don’t ship jobs oversees.

I’m with you 100% that buyers should be super careful when it comes to jerky treats for dogs, but these guys are legit. Betsy Farms don’t just make the products in the USA, they source the ingredients from here. This is a very big deal because there are several other treats that claim to be made in the USA but use meat imported from other countries like China. And by law they don’t have to disclose it on the package.

If you’re really concerned to know which brands have been reported to the FDA for safety concerns, the FDA has a list of them. Betsy Farms has not been affected by any of these report, as so many other jerky treats have. Information is power… just make sure you have the right information.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm295445.htm

I’d scroll down and click on the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 reports. You’ll see some familiar brands.

[Cesar M]

Thanks for giving advices and reference links. Me check this, for future treats to my dogs.

Thank you

[pugmomsandy]

My dogs really liked it. They already eat raw though but I would sprinkle it on their kibble. I sprinkled some on some of my foster food before too and they liked it too. No GI issues. It’s quick and convenient to use. I used the Raw Boost treats as well.

[ab1028]

The beef, bison, and grains tend to just make is very, very itchy. He doesn’t have any intolerances that we know of. He doesn’t itch himself to the point of being red, raw, of losing fur, but he just shouldn’t be this itchy. I am considering trying to find a dog safe mosquito spray for him. We used to give Jasper canned food with his meals, but sometimes he would get tired of it. The canned foods he had were Go! and Wellness (95% and CORE). Now he gets kibble with an Orijen freeze dried treat sprinkled on top (to entice him to eat it). For supper he often has Orijen freeze dried medallions, which he really enjoys. For snacks (and we know that these don’t make him itchy), he gets fruits and veggies, freeze dried treats, buddy biscuits (hard and soft ones), and ice chips/cubes.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by ab1028.

[Case]

I’m guilty of posting non-editor’s choice topics in the editor’s choice forum, but I just noticed this suggestion and it makes sense to me, so I will use the other forums in the future. Thanks USA Dog Treats!