[Shasta220]

All of the above suggestions are great. I adore Zuke’s things, but ever since Purina bought them, the prices have been going way up for me. I wish I had an old bag of their treats so I could compare ingredients, as I suspect the fillers will be on their way soon 🙁 I’m not sure how many of their treats are GF, as I don’t pay much attention to the grain in treats since my dogs get no more than a tiny handful daily.

When I’m training, I do like Zuke’s minis a whole lot, but they tend to get a little expensive when I find myself using up a whole handful just for one positive-reinforcement session. I buy tiny-sized kibble food for their training now (I make sure the brand/flavor is completely different from their current food).

I also love making home made treats. Recipes are super easy to find, but I like to come up with my own biscuit recipes. The possibilities are virtually endless as to what you can bake, freeze, purée, dehydrate, or cook.

Back to the store treats: I’d say any brand that you trust the food of, you could probably trust the treats. If it’s a brand that doesn’t sell food, just check out the ingredients and make sure they’re all quality. At our PetCo, they sell all of those dog cookies that are designed to look appetizing for people (cookies that are chocolate glazed and covered in sprinkles, etc). I avoid those, since they’re filled with sugar. Dogs do not care what their treat looks like, trust me. LOL!

[dachshundmom]

Hello all,

I’m new to the forum, and really excited about all the information I’ve found already. But I have a bit of a unique problem, I think. I have an 8-year old dachshund named Ethel, who spent most of her life on brands that are well-ranked on this site. Last year we (me, Ethel, and her “dad”) to Southeast Asia, for work. We’re living in a big city with a fair amount of foreign goods available, but there are only two imported dog foods: Pedigree and Royal Canin, neither of which are ranked well here. Royal Canin is the better of the two (2.5 stars) but it was the first food that has ever upset her stomach, and the vet asked us to switch off it (to the Pedigree) when blood started appearing in her poop.

I’d like to make my own, and can access all sorts of chicken, beef, pork, fish parts. I can’t, however, buy much in the way of supplements. So…I’ve been using brown rice and leaner meat, mixed with kale or spinach, sweet potato, peas, carrots and other random veggies (Ethel LOVES vegetables, always has). She eats a few sliced apples or mangos a week, instead of dog treats. Her weight has stayed the same (she’s fit) and her coat looks good, and all her tests come back with good results. But I’m winging it. And the “mom” in me is worried that without fish oil pills or glucosamine, I’m doing her major damage. But it’s got to be better than the Pedigree, right?

Does anyone have things I should add in, beyond the stuff mentioned above? If you have weird animal body parts (kidneys? hearts?) that you know of that provide the same things as the supplements people in the US seem to be using, I’d GREATLY appreciate some advice.

Thank you!
Cristina (and Ethel)

[aquariangt]

Zuke’s is a local treat company here, so they have it in PetSmart. Not sure about the rest of the country. I noticed Cloud Star had their crunchy treats at PetSmart as well, but not the soft training treats, but I use their tricky trainers often for training

[shamrockmommy]

I have a 3 ½ lb chihuahua. She’s been an easy keeper for me, holds weight nicely on most anything.
The foods I’ve liked the best for her are:
1. Costco Cuts in Gravy, yes really! Her tummy is the best, poops are the best, she eats it and begs for mrs and she looks gorgeous (she has a thick, long coat).
2. Fromm grain free dry/canned
3. Newmans Own canned

They don’t eat much, that’s the thing, so it’s nice when you these itty bitty dogs, you can spend more a higher quality food and it lasts a LONG time!
If you can’t find anything in your area chewy.com ships right to your house. You have to spend $49 to get the free shipping, but I find I can load up on treats and chews and flea meds, etc and get right to the free shipping (though I have 3 other dogs of varying sizes and a cat 🙂

Good luck with your chi!

[Naturella]

Hello, all!

So, I have this great coupon from my local Petland, that gives me $10 off a $25+ purchase, and I want to get one bag of either of the following:

Wellness Core (anything but the chicken recipe)
Merrick Grain Free (anything but the chicken recipe/s)
Taste of the Wild – one with little or no chicken in it
Canidae Pure – anything but chicken in it

Which one would you get? I know TOTW is made by Diamond, so is Canidae apparently, but I saw that Merrick treats had a recall due to salmonella, but both Merrick and Wellness have top protein levels… So yeah… What would you do?

[kms]

Pattyvaughn –

Thanks for the info. I will start researching which foods to try so I can start my list of proteins/starches to test. Augie will be 10 mo by the time we’re ready to start testing, but I think I’m going to stick with HDM’s list anyway. He is on day #10 of 100% Royal Canin HP and his gas/breath/diarrhea have improved a lot – but, about once per day, he’s having yellow stool (usually in the afternoon). The yellow stool is usually soft or runny – but he has had a couple formed ones too – and every couple days it’s has a clear mucous in it. The yellow happens about once per day and the rest of his stools are formed and brown. Has your pup ever had this? Do you think that is just his body adjusting? I’m worried about the mucous.

Anyone in same sitaution (LBP with IBD who is on strict vet diet) –

Just wanted to post info on making dog treats out of canned food. I verified that this is ok with the vet and Royal Canin. I took the canned food version of my dogs kibble (Royal Canin HP) and baked it to make treats. The canned food in my case is NOT ok for ALS, but his kibble is ok for ALS and has the proper calcium – so I’m only using the canned (baked into treats) for occasional training. The treats come out chewy and are keeping his interest (and this did not smell up the house)……..

For loaf style canned food baked in oven:
1. Remove loaf and cut in tiny cubes. It does not shrink much after baking.
2. Sprinkle pieces across cookie sheet. Do not need to grease it.
3. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees (if using a dark pan) for 20-23 minutes
4. Store in frig for 5-7 days.

For loaf style canned food in microwave:
1. Remove loaf and cut in tiny cubes. It does not shrink much after baking.
2. Sprinkle pieces across microwave safe baking dish. Do not need to grease it.
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes (just using plastic microwave cover)
4. Store in frig for 5-7 days.

[Akari_32]

So I’m thinking of just going with the EVO. Given the red meat aspect of the food, and higher calories, it seems like the best choice for the money, and the dogs needs and flavor preferences. I think next week we will buy a medium sized bag of it, see how long it lasts, and how well he does on it, and then if it works out well, we’ll use that for a while until his skin clears up.

As much as I hate to do it, he may have to be a one-food-only dog. He gets several treats a day, though, given his small size, a treat is like half a meal for him, so he’d still be getting a variety in his diet. Besides that, I can’t control what my mom does. She had the dogs (not Bentley, as we got him after I took over the dog food) on dog chow for…. 9-10 years? And they did “just fine.” I will try him on some other foods once he settles, though, and bother her about keeping him on 2-3 different brands, given we find that many that he does well on.

Does anyone have any info on the Pure Balance Salmon grain free? Like feeding guide lines, or a website? I think she’d feel better about the price of the EVO if we could squeeze in something a bit cheaper every now and then. It’d also be a good emergency food, since WalMart it always open.

I was looking at Chewy and PetFlow, and I might set her up for automatic delivery once we figure out how long a bag of EVO will last him. But she won’t get the buy 10 and get one free Pet Supermarket offers on all their foods.

[Shasta220]

Trying rotational diets would be good, but with our animals, it has brought out pickiness even more. Be sure you avoid table scraps and extra treats, as that could just encourage her to turn her nose at the food.

[Candle]

Hi all, I’m new here but was wondering if anyone could give any insight on a few topics.

What do I need to do to get my dog treats in a retail store?

What can I do about preservatives to keep the shelf life longer?

Finally, what can I do for packaging?

[JeffreyT]

Tear staining in puppies is usually from teething, and should clear up naturally.
If it doesn’t go away after adult teeth come in it could mean blocked tear ducts. One of my dogs has it but it’s not worth doing the corrective procedure since it works only 50% of the time. Angel eyes will not stop the staining if tear ducts are the problem.

I used a natural tear staining kit on mine as puppies, and did what USA Dog Treats advised and it helped a lot.
http://www.castlebaths.com/spa-products-for-your-pet/tear-stain-remover.html

A change from mineral water to distilled water can help some dogs, as well as good probiotics. I alternate between Mercola and Jarrow Pet Probiotics. Also a few times a week give a few dropper-fulls of plain organic kefir and yogurt. Giving by dropper helps keep their faces clean 🙂

[Sharon Buchanan]

Marie ~
Sorry about that – “he” would be the person (I suppose it could be a “she”), from Hare-Today that posted the two week feeding schedule.

Patty ~
I went over to MPC and not only do they have links to a plethora of information on raw feeding but, though I didn’t do a line-by-line comparison, it looks like their prices are better than Hare-Today. I didn’t take into account shipping costs so I’ll have to take a look at that. I had some problem with the shopping cart at Hare-Today – if I didn’t keep adding stuff it would completely empty the cart after just a few minutes of inactivity. Aack! I don’t shop well when I’m being rushed.

I did read about the percentages in the Raw Feeding 101 article from MPC. Thankfully, Mystery is already well beyond needing 10% of his body weight at nearly 60lbs – full grown will be 85lbs. I also appreciated the Raw Feeding Calculator link. What a great resource that is. I’m going to start Mystery at 4% of his body weight – he’s been on a growth spurt for a couple weeks where is body has gotten longer, typical of an English Creme, but his waist isn’t keeping up. I can’t see his ribs but I can feel them more than I would like.

I’m going to order a fridge for the garage this afternoon. I thought about just getting a freezer but with our house full of kids and grandchildren this past Christmas (and hopefully our great grandson and his mom next year), I figure I can use the extra fridge space too.

I’m also headed to Sam’s to pick up some whole chicken, just to start Mystery on an ingredient he’s already been getting for training treats. I’ll feed him his kibble in the morning until it’s gone and chicken in the evenings. The fridge/freezer should be here by Wednesday and that will give me time to order some essentials as well as try to find a co-op of folks in my area who might be buying in bulk.

OMG! We’re actually doing this!!! Yaay for Mystery!

[GizmoMom]

I’ve been using Wysong Epigen 90 for treats. The size of the kibble is tiny and my dog loves it.

[Cyndi]

I make my own and for training treats I use Vital Essential freeze-dried food. My dog LOVES it! I’ve also been using, for regular treats, dehydrated beef or lamb lung.

[Shasta220]

I don’t think there are treat reviews here, but my favorite for training are Zuke’s minis – soft treats about the size of kibble. You have to really watch the ingredients though, as Purina just bought them out, so the formula might change for the worst.
Also, if you like a certain brand of food, I’m sure the brand’s treats would be good too.

Personally, I enjoy just making my own treats the most. There are tons of great ideas online from baking to freezing. Plus, making your own treats would make sure you know /exactly/ what does and doesn’t go into them. When I bake my treats, I usually do them at 300* for about an hour, so they get the nice crunchy texture…you could, of course, cook them shorter for a chewier treat. If you want any recipe ideas, just let me know.

[jay]

are there any reviews on treats on this site? i am looking for treats for my 6 month old shih tzu/papillin mix mostly for training and i want something good and healthy anyone can recommend anything that taste great and is good for training? thanks

[lmnordrum]

I am new to puppydom but I did learn quite a bit about my own dog’s digestive system when trying to find her things to chew on. We feed Wellness Core Puppy with great success and I also have some Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast which I give a handful for lunch. (Pup is a Giant Schnauzer, born 10/21, and I also use the Earthborn for training.) I decided that pig ears would be a convenient and inexpensive way for my dog to while away her time and not gnaw on furniture. Silly me…

While many puppy parents are focusing on the actual food when there’s a problem, what I learned was that pig ears are loaded with fat (and god knows what other stuff because they’ve been treated and salted). My pup had some loose stool towards the end of her BMs, and I mentioned it to the trainer in puppy class and she immediately pegged it as pig ears. Once I stopped the ears and substituted them with a good old fashioned bone and an antler, the loose stool went away immediately. The frequency of the BMs became more normal too, about two hours after a meal with appropriate consistency.

So if you’re feeding a good food and having strange digestive issues with the dog towards the end of a BM you might want to look at the treats/chewies/snacks. I use real meat (cooked) for puppy school and when we’re doing obedience, and regular kibble. No more pig ears here, and I doubt I’m going to try bully sticks for the dog either. I’m a label reader for my own food, and also read what’s in dog treats and think most of this stuff is junk. When I did the pig ears I did so at the recommendation of the boutique pet store, and these were not processed in China and were deemed “Natural”. Silly me, I thought I was just getting a baked pig ear, and it didn’t even occur to me that it would have a lot of fat or salt. Like our own diets, when we eat a lot of fat it comes out the other end, which is exactly what happened with my dog.

I have learned a lot from this group and this might help someone.

LN

[Ajchavis]

Shasta 220
I agree that is the best thing to do, but my pet will not allow me to put my finger or brush in his mouth..I do give him treats that help clean his teeth but I don’t know that it works very well. I bought a spray that is supposed to dissolve plaque but it was a constant battle. He is 14 years old now, thinking about having vet clean his teeth with a sleeping aid.

[Sharon Buchanan]

Inked Marie ~

Mystery currently gets his kibble inside the crate. I don’t close the door but the food and water stay inside while he stands half in and half out. I did try to give him a RMB inside the crate but he wasn’t interested in it until I opened the door and he climbed out with it. I left him in the crate for about 20 minutes but he just laid down and fell asleep. The crate is 42″, anything larger and I’ll have to add a new room to the house. 🙂

I will definitely continue to feed him inside his crate when we make the jump to raw. It’s just those RMB are going to have to be outdoor treats only until I can get him to stay in one place inside the house. We’ll get there.

Thanks for the advice.

[Ajchavis]

Do you know of any good brand can dog food that doesn’t have soy products in it..dry too for that matter and treats? My dog is allergic to soy in any form and it is so hard to find retail products that omit soy. Ajchavis

[Molzy]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. Sorry I haven’t been responding, my internet at home was down, and I am not talented enough with my smartphone to respond on it, but I have been following all the wonderful information. But a quick overview of where we are at today – attacks are down to about once every two weeks, and I am able to keep them from escalating to vomiting by massaging his belly to push out any gas build up (meaning I am up every hour or so all night those nights). I am feeding him Honest Kitchen Keen, and he gets 2/3 of cup at 7am, 5-6pm, and 10-11pm. He doesn’t get any other treats or human food. I will try to reply to each post below:

Cbgmom – So far we have been using the harness (and even taking that off when inside, since our home has double entries with a front porch and back mudroom so no risk of escaping). I think it *is* helping some, since he does still occasionally start an attack when he rests his head funny (so that something pushes on his throat).

Billy – the boarding definitely was stressful for him, and I wish we hadn’t been forced to do that. However, I don’t think he is confused anymore, and certain other events (such as staying with my mom for almost a week) were not related with any sort of attack. They will often start at night while we’re watching TV and he is basically sleeping/resting, though once they start there is definitely a stress component. I don’t think it is a habitual thing, as he clearly gets freaked out when it happens and wants it to stop (not to anthropomorphize). We have tried boiled rice and chicken – did NOT go over well with him (he did not digest the rice at all, it came out the other end looking the same). Our best luck so far has been a wet diet (honest kitchen or canned dog food). I will definitely work in increasing his physical activity, been a hard winter here with wind chill advisories most weeks it seems, and he is not tolerant of the cold at all. Thanks for the advice!

Bunny – the first time this happened, I definitely thought it was bloat!! I don’t think I slept at ALL that night, I gave him some gas-x and just laid next to him. I called the vet as soon as they opened the next morning, but since he was still eating and defecating they weren’t concerned. He has never had one of his episodes AT the clinic, and my vet is very unconcerned about whatever is wrong since he is otherwise healthy. We haven’t even done an endoscopy at this point.

I have been considering post-nasal drip recently (Pepcid doesn’t seem to really help, so I don’t *think* it is completely related to reflux). However, he can also be triggered if his throat gets touched oddly, so I am leaning towards trachea damage. We adopted Quincy at the end of July – I know they used a choke chain at the shelter with him. However, he had NO issues for the first 10 days we had him, then I had to board him for 4 days due to a family wedding and it started after that. I will always wonder if something happened to him while he was boarding, as he is TERRIFIED of the guy we boarded him with (I took a training course there a few months later, and Quincy would hide under my chair from the guy, so we stopped going because he would force Quincy to let him pet him).

I will try the walking, as I could see that helping. The best thing I have found so far is lying next to him and massaging his belly to push the gas out. I’ve been doing that for the past 6 weeks or so and have managed to avoid the escalated attacks (vomiting and what appears to me to be severe discomfort).

AnotherEmily – SO sorry to hear what you’re going through! As relieved I am that my dog isn’t the only one, I wish I was the only one, because I hate hearing that other dogs are suffering as well. It sounds like you’ve really tried everything, so please keep us posted. How is he doing without chicken? I have considered food allergies, but what I don’t get is that he can be FINE for two weeks, and then have an episode. I try to be VERY careful about not giving him anything “extra”, not even any dog treats recently. I really can’t see a pattern to why and when it happens, even with keeping a calendar.

WParsons – Again, I am sorry to hear that you’re going through this too. It is so heartbreaking to watch. I have also started feeding more frequently (Quincy gets 2/3 cup, 3x a day now), but there seems to be *some* sort of link to bedtime, because he gets the attack around 9pm (which is only 3-4 hours after he ate dinner, so it shouldn’t be an empty stomach?). I’ll try the Pepcid again as well, I have some on hand just wasn’t sure it was really making a difference (GasX seems to maybe help more?).

Slappppy – Interesting that there is another cattledog with this condition (Quincy is a cattledog as well)! What type of bowl do you use that works well with wet food? I have been considering investing in something like that for Quincy, because it is hard to slow him down. I know what you mean about the differences – we call Quincy’s attacks either the “gulpies” or the “swallows” depending on their severity. The swallows can also escalate into the gulpies at times.

Steve Johnson – glad you found something that works! I will check that out, I have seen it in my web searches but thought that it might be a little gimmicky…I am basically willing to try anything though, it is terrible watching him when he doesn’t feel good!

Khouston – sorry to hear that your dog has this as well, but I am glad you found something that works! I understand about the landscaping – I was lucky and I’m still renting, so all I had to do was sacrifice my houseplants.

Mmt – I will ask my vet about Sulcrcate. I have tried using slippery elm in the past, I think it is supposed to be similar (you make up a paste for them to eat before food, it is supposed to coat the intestine).

Again, thank you ALL for your contributions to this!! It is wonderful to hear that some people have found some relief for this, so I will keep watching this thread. Give all your puppies a big hug, they are so lucky to have people who care this much for them!

[Shasta220]

Mom2Cavs, that’s great you found such a wonderful vet! I’m not even sure how far it’d be to find a vet who actually knows /real/ nutrition, but it’s probably too far to be worth it. So I will just avoid the topic of “food” at our vet from now on. Luckily, they’re fine about it… They’re always asking “how many treats? Any table scraps? Careful about obese dogs!” He said that after weighing my recently rescued shelter dog, who gained 2lb and could easily get another 5lb without looking tubby, LOL! Yeeeeah, my one biscuit a day and occasional rice/meat/fruit is gonna make my working Aussie obese.

[Sully’sMom]

Thank you both, Shasta220 and Pattyvaughn!

You know what? Yes, I definitely knew about grain-free dog food, Sully’s been on it for months, even before we knew the cause of his allergies, but I didn’t put together until I read the way you worded it (avoiding all grain) – I need to be buying grain-free treats. Duh!

The dusting suggestion was helpful too…many household changes coming up here!

So thankful for DFA 🙂

[Mom2Cavs]

Shasta220….my old vet (who I will never recommend to anyone) used Hills, Royal Canin, and Purina prescription diets in his clinics. When asked once what I was feeding my Cavalier, I responded Wellness…they had never heard of it!!! WHAT!? I should’ve left them right then and there but it took a little longer, to my regret. Anyway, we’re with a holistic vet now and I say, “what took so long?!” (maybe that they’re an hour from my house, but it’s been worth it!). My holistic vet carries in his clinic, and feeds to his dogs, Nature’s Variety kibble/canned/treats/premade raw and Real Food premade raw. He also uses Standard Process religiously and also Vetri-Science. He may have the odd bag of Hills or something but I’ve only seen this once. I’m thinking a patient must’ve insisted on it?! There are actually 2 vets in the practice (man and woman) and I see them both. They recommend titer testing, offer acupuncture and chiropractic services and are versed in Chinese herbal medicines. I’m never made to feel like I don’t know anything (which happened with my old vet…he had no bedside manner whatsoever!). Sometimes they even ask for my opinion on a food! I highly respect them and they are both just awesome!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Shasta220]

What you’re doing sounds pretty good. The others have definitely given helpful advice – adding various veggies might help give her a boost of nutrients. I give my dogs raw eggs – straight from our hens, coconut oil, ground flax in their treats, fish oil, and multi-vitamins.

[pugmomsandy]

Instinct biscuits, Instinct Boost, Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch and Carnivore Kisses, Fresh is Best treats, and I think Etta Says chews, Dr Becker Bites.

[theBCnut]

Brother’s Complete has biscuits that are grain and potato free. I usually use Vital Essentials freeze dried dog food for treats. I create my own treats by drying any kind of meat in a dehydrator or in the oven.

[Saireah]

This is a great thread and I found it very helpful, InkedMarie!

Wondering if you’ve identified any good treats that are grain-free and potato-free? My list that I’m creating is quite small at the moment (other than raw vegetables, of course).

[Dori]

Would there be any benefits in giving you dog organic coconut chips. I’ve seen them at health food stores and wondered if they’d be as healthful as the coconut oils in their food or at least as healthy treats.

[betsy]

I would like to share my story with Betsy Farms Chicken Jerky Treats. I have a 13 year old Rat Terrier that I was giving half a treat to at night. This went on for a couple of months. In the last six weeks she began to lose her eyesight, hearing, and balance. She also lost her appetite (very strange for her). She threw up occasionally, but did not have diarrhea. She became depressed, slept a lot, and wouldn’t play. We just figured it was due to her age. However, I was concerned and took her in. She tested negative for everything and so we were sent to an opthamologist to rule out her reasons for blindness. Again everything was negative. During this six weeks of exams etc, I did not give her these treats. She had no appetite for anything. We started her on grape seed extract and switched her treats to an organic brand. Our doc thought she had a brain tumor, however, as time passed, she began to improve. She is back to her happy, spunky self. Her eyesight is improving, her hearing is improving. She has her balance back as well as her appetite and energy. I can only conclude that she was slowly being poisoned by these dog treats because this is the only thing I took out of her diet. I am sharing my story in hopes that if other people have the same experience they will stop giving their dogs these treats. BTW these were not from the lot number that was contaminated and recalled.

[[email protected]]

Hi Zachery,
I was one of the original posters asking about diet and treatment for colitis.
I have been dealing with colitis now for 6 months and have tried every food imaginable. I agree with most of your thoughts. I am not sure yet on the fiber issue. Jasmine has now been on Royal Canine pot/venison for almost 3 weeks. It was a novel protein for her and I suggested this change to the vet as nothing was helping her gastrointestinal issues. My thinking was that all her previous foodes were chicken based including Canine Cavier and R.C. Gastrointestinal to name a few. At this point I have not changed ANYTHING ELSE, including her daily low dose of metrodonizole followimg meals. She LOVES the food, and it really seems to be working. She has regular, firm bowel movements, and I think I can say that now after 3 weeks. You never know so I will now knock on wood! The vet started mynew selection of P/V mostly wet (new vet, new food). I am giving her wet and dry 60/40 and think I will stay here as it is working (Vet thought more dry but I think that is disruptive to the colon now. I agree qith you there. I feed her 3x/day, I think that also helps. I have stopped fish oil and probiotics and any treats except grain free Buddy Biscuits – pnut butter. I hopethis helps you some, knowing all colitis causes vary. Hers right now looks like a food allergyshe developed after many years.

Best,
Karen

[Higgy]

My sister and I feed our dogs from the list of best foods on The Dog Food Advisor site. The week before Christmas her dog Sheba got very sick. She noticed the dog was not as active and her coat was getting dull,before Christmas Sheba had to be hospitalized on IV fluid. After a few days and tests and $1,000.00 later. The dog came home,the vet thought she may not live more than a few weeks. Her blood tests showed a possible cancer with values elevated. She had started giving her dogs the same Begging Strips from Walmart for about 2 months each day since October. So by Christmas the dog was very sick and didn’t think the food was related until she stopped the treats after I told her I think it could be them causing the illness. Her dog is now fine and went back to the vet for a check up and her values are all normal. She is barking, eating, wagging her tail and her shine is back in her coat. I wish treats were reviewed and analyzed for safety. I am afraid to give any store bought treats anymore.

[theBCnut]

Register on Gravatar for an avatar. Just to be on the safe side I would go to at least 10 months on the controlled calcium foods. As long as you keep your treats and toppers to under 20% of his diet then you don’t have to worry about them being slightly too high or too low in the calcium department. I always add a source of omega 3s(sardines, fish oil, etc.) to kibble and I like to add coconut oil too. I give a multi-strain probiotic a couple times a week. My gassy intolerant dog always gets digestive enzymes.

[Tucker]

Hi Patty, RDM, and everyone who has been so helpful. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day wherever you hail from. I think Tucker’s OCD is making me OCD…lol

After reading everything here, following the links, talking to my breeder, my ortho surgeon who is the Pioneer of reconstructive surgery, and a bunch of stores, and an AKC trainer and show people I have finally come to a conclusion. To all of you newbies out there as overwhelmed as I am wanting to do the very very best for our kids I hope this helps you on your journey for perfection. I understand the madness 🙂

First anyone who is considering food from Costco… DONT! My Dr. was adamant about not using there food for all of the reasons that are listed in the thread. So if it helps anyone, that is what I got from the doctor’s mouth and he is old school conservative. As a side note, I asked about the antlers and he said he wasn’t as concerned about the calcium as the little horns or pieces breaking off and getting stuck in the gums and causing abscesses. he has gotten a couple. Who would of thought? just wanted to share the 411.

As for the food I am starting off with Earthborn Meadow Feast. You get grain free, perfect calcium balance and a slightly higher protein percentage than most of the standard stuff with grain. There seems to be a lot of problems with soft stool ramping the protein in such a jump so this should help for a smooth transition and eliminate both the chicken and grain as potential itchy causers.

Then jump to Earthborn Coastal Catch with 32% protein – same family of foods with a moderate protein jump. Best chance of easy transition.

If all goes well with the protein the we jump to the Wellness Core Puppy with 36%. Get a blend of meats and see how the itchies hold up. I’m guessing not an issue since his diet will be so well balanced he will be GLOWING by that point!

If there are any issues with soft poop from protein I will slide a bag of Dr. Tim’s Kenesis in there to stay at 26%.

Tucker is 4 months now so that rotation will take him to 8 months. Should I do another round to a year old or does the debate start all over again at that point lol 🙂 If all is good I would guess we head to the higher proteins for the 8-12 months and beyond? I am in Los Angeles so fortunately I can get just about anything.

As for toppers the store gave me samples of THK zeal, embark, and love. Now I see what you are talking about. That is quite expensive. But as a topper just a little here and there not bad at all. I also got a can of PetKind wild salmon and Lamb Tripe. Is anyone familiar with these? Are they OK?

I didn’t focus as much on the toppers reading, but figured that was the next step in the evolution here so I bought a few to get ready 🙂

I have small bags of other 5 star foods on the list that I am not going to use in the rotation. Is it OK to use those as training treats or best to stick with what he is eating.

Also if there are a few magic toppers or daily doses you all swear by I would love to know.

Thank you again for helping me figure this all out. It feels right and makes sense.

After speaking to everyone else out there I can confidently say there is no better place for nutritional advice than right here! Thanks

ps. how do we get a photo up there like some of you have? I would love for you all to meet Tuk

[GizmoMom]

USA Dog Treats, Thanks for all the info!

[pugmomsandy]

Do you mean consumable bones or recreational bones? Femurs (weight bearing bones) are usually recreational and are too hard to eat and some hard chewers can break teeth on them but femurs have fatty marrow inside (be careful if he’s not used to eating fat) that has calories of course. I find that beef rib bones last a long time since they are too hard to eat for my small dogs and mine also like Merrick GI Bones. Kroger has started carrying small pork marrow bones sometimes. For consumable bones, I’ll give mine pork ribs and chicken parts including feet, duck necks, turkey necks. Merrick also carries raw turkey necks but it’s probably cheaper to get them at the grocery store. If they eat a whole neck or chicken leg, then I just give them some treats the rest of the day. They’ll still get one meal if they get a pork rib bone. I use “food” as treats (freeze dried raw nibletts, freeze dried liver or other meat). I weigh me dogs once a month and adjust accordingly. I usually give a RMB 3 times a week to eat otherwise, they chew on the gnawing bones anytime.

[kaylee1989]

Hi, I am now trying to stay away from bones that are commericalized for dogs from pet stores, since they seem to be worse for dogs. I am really interested in feeding raw bones. I gave my 1 year old dachshund (14 lbs) his first raw bone yesterday and he loved it. It was a femur bone (that is all the store had that I went to) I want to give bones just as a nice treat and something to keep him occupied. I am not planning on switching to a raw food diet. I currently give him Taste of The Wild dog kibble (1/4 cup) 2 times a day, I also give a couple treats or piece of meat and carrots daily. I was wondering if someone could tell me what bones are good just for fun treats and also how many times a week I should be giving them. Also, do I need to lessen up on the amount of food I give him the day I give him a bone or maybe just no treats that day? Honestly, he could probably stand to lose a couple pounds, so I definitely don’t want to add any more weight. (He seems to be obsessed with food and tries in every which way to get as much as he can with or without my permission) (and yes I have seen a vet about it, they said he is a fine weight but just shouldn’t gain any more) Anyways, any help would be great. I tried finding my own answers, but couldn’t seem to pinpoint exactly what to do. Thanks. 🙂

[kb779]

I have a 6 month old labradoodle. We started him off on blue buffalo freedom puppy food when we got him at 9 weeks but he started having occasional gas then 2 weeks ago started having pretty bad diarrhea. We started him on a shredded chicken, pumpkin and rice diet to curb the diarrhea and after a week of that it was still pretty soft but the gas was gone. We switched to ground beef and it cleared up pretty quickly after that.

Our trainer recommended Fromm Pork and applesauce because we thought he might be sensitive to chicken and because the trainer thought the blue buffalo might be too protein heavy. This week we started him off on the new food but now he seems to be much more itchy than normal and he is farting even more than before. We’ve cut out the treats to rule them out but he still gets gassy after meals.

I really need some advice on a good dog food. There are so many options out there and so far we’ve had bad luck.

[Shasta220]

I wonder if it would be possible to use on cats too? Maddy is super picky, and usually won’t eat the treats…but she might accept a few drops if it was mixed in w her canned food?

[Akari_32]

Nooooo! My guys loved the Zukes Hip Action treats, and I could get them really cheap off PetMountain 🙁 I guess I wont be buying them anymore.

[Shasta220]

Gosh I really didn’t know that about flax! I’ll still give it to the dogs in their home made treats, but I’ll be sure to keep a drizzle of fish oil in their daily food! Thanks, Patty. =)

[lilyh]

Does storing dog food in a cold environment negatively affect the food?

We have been keeping our kibble in our garage, top flopped over, and sealed with a packaging clip at the top. Recently we were feeding our English Setter puppy Nutrisource Large Breed, then transitioning to Dr. Tim’s. She’s been a voracious eater, but after a few weeks she just starting poking at it. I thought maybe the food had gone bad because a time or two the clip was not put back on the bag. So I dumped the dog food, went to the pet store and bought small bags of Nutrisource (to have a familiar to transition from) and Earthborn Meadow Feast. For 5 days she was back to chow hound ways, but today she is back to picking at her food.

As training treats we give her chicken, and I do stuff her kong with peanut butter, pumpkin. Could it be that she is just spoiled by the non-kibble?

Appreciate any insight you might have.

[Naturella]

Shasta,

When I researched foods/spices toxic to dogs, I never saw nutmeg listed, so I assumed it was ok. But you never know, and research keeps finding new stuff, such as I read somewhere that rosemary (present in many dry kibble and treat recipes, and not marked as bad by Dr. Mike), is now considered dangerous for dogs. Go figure.

In any case, I like to use spices for their benefits more so than flavor for my dog, i.e. turmeric is a natural antibiotic, cinnamon helps with weight maintenance and is good for the heart (so I have read), ginger helps with carsickness (which my pup often gets), etc. Also, aside from the Doggie Pizza Treats, the other 2 recipes are fit for human consumption, so Bruno didn’t really get TOO much of them, and definitely not too much all at once. But thank you for the input, and I will try to keep myself up to date on new findings on spices regarding dogs! 🙂

P.S. If your dog treat business takes off, please start and online “store” – I would love to give Bruno some of your treats! Or, if you live near Atlanta/Marietta/Kennesaw, GA, let me know if you take the treats to any local Farmers’ Market or some similar place where I could buy them!

[Jazz Lover]

New to the forum!

I’ve been researching to identify a better food for our 9mo old blk lab, Jazz. He’s been on Euk Large Breed Puppy. This mo he had elbow surgery for Dysplasia FCP (& neuter 🙁 ). We were so upset. After seeing your recommend food list, my question is shall I switch him to an “all life stages” or keep him on a large breed puppy food until… when? If all stages, would I look for Large Breed “All Stages?”

When will he be full grown (male lab)? He is probably 75lbs since surgery.

Since surgery I’ve begun using Grizzly Salmon Oil Omega 3. I’m learning to identify better treats & seeking other necessary supplements highly recommends for such a young pup. Open to suggestions!

Thank you HDM for your efforts in compiling the list!

[Shasta220]

Wellness is a good brand…I wouldn’t really worry much about looking for a food intended just for seniors, unless she is really needing some extra joint support/etc. It doesn’t really sound like she is.

First off, please don’t go by what the food bag feeding guidelines say…they are ALWAYS way too much! Not a single one of my dogs has EVER eaten the amount the bag requires… Usually my dogs are completely fine w eating about HALF of what the bag says, no lie. (One of our older dogs started gaining a little when she was eating half of what the bag said…we cut back even a little more, and her energy/weight is back to 100% normal.) I’d definitely start reducing the amount of food… It’s still good to do 2 meals though. Maybe start with a normal breakfast, then cutting her dinner in half. After a week or two, try cutting both breakfast and dinner in half, then see how her weight is doing.
Also be sure to not hand out too many treats, or you’re just encouraging the weight to stay on. My dogs get treats all the time, but I just break off teeny tiny pieces – they can’t tell the difference between a big treat or a little one, it’s still something that tastes good.

Best wishes! Hopefully you can get her weight down at least a little 🙂 I’ve never really had to deal w overweight dogs yet, as I always make sure to simply prevent it from happening. I’m sure an owner as great as you will have no problem though ;D

[Mom2Cavs]

If your Rat Terrier is not all that active, i.e. couch potato like my Cavs, then I would definitely cut back on the food. Wellness is a brand I like a lot, myself. I don’t feed their kibble right now (due to its size and chicken in most), but I use their canned food almost everyday and also use their treats. Anyway, I have 3 small dogs. Two Cavaliers and one Mixed Breed. Lucy, my Mixed Breed, has always been 24-25 lbs., no deviation in all of her 12.5 years. She gets 1/3 c. of kibble in the a.m. and 1/3 c. in the p.m. She is not active….chases squirrels at times lol, but that’s about it. She does get about 1-2 tblsp. canned food added to the kibble at each meal. I use to give more treats than I do now, but recently have been giving either a Wellness Lamb grain free biscuit or Wellness Pure Reward treat in the morning and at night before bed. If they get anything else during the day it’s just their kibble (which they think is a treat lol)…maybe 3-4 pieces of it. So, long story short hahahaha……I would definitely cut down on your dog’s food. Btw, my Cavs weigh 17 lbs. and 19 lbs. and they each get 1/4 c. kibble a.m. and 1/4 c. p.m. with 1-2 tblsps. canned added. They are definitely couch potatoes, except when they’re doing their Therapy Dog work.

I also wanted to add that my dogs are 6 yrs., 8 yrs., 12 yrs. and have never eaten a senior food. They usually get an all-life-stage food. I am using Fromm 4Star Salmon a la Veg and Mulligan Stew right now.

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

[Jujubeez]

I am up at 4am with my (non champion, rescued from a craphole as a puppy) 11 year old pitty, Nemo. I was just about to write your same post! My guy is on Blue Basics and seems to be the worst he’s ever been. He was shaking his head and crying from frustration as well. I noticed his skin is shedding thick, pasty scaled. Almost like wax. That’s new, especially on his back. I’ve given him some Benadryl and leftover ativan (from the vet!!! He was mauled over the summer and his recovery was so bad he couldn’t lay on his side to sleep 🙁 )

I am here, now trolling your post looking for some new ideas.

I’ve been off my game with two sick human kids but normally I do:

Greek Yogurt
Powdered probiotics (the kind kept in the fridge) added to the yogurt
And FISH OIL FISH OIL FISH OIL!!! I just buy caplets and he eats them like treats. You can also add it liquid style to some boiled eggs or yogurt.

Yeast is triggered when the dogs natural bacteria is thrown off, leaving no “fighter” bacteria to kill off excessive fungi. This is typical after antibiotics, induction to an allergen or sometimes just a weather change and climate. Either way, you need to get that good bacteria back in your baby to regulate the yeast.

I KNOW I need to get his routine back in order but this food is just worth its weight in crap for what it costs. Other, similar minded brands sell products of a higher overall quality.

Anyway, if anyone knows how to instantly SOOTHE the rash and scaling/ear junk while the new diet/supplements take effect, let me know! I can;t stand to see him suffer while we wait for his gut to catch up to his body 🙁

Good luck with your baby and I hope maybe one of my tricks helps!!!

[Shasta220]

I am starting a business with home made treats. So far I’ve only made pumpkin-flax treats, but I’m going to come up with other super nutritious flavors as well. I’ll be making the “home made greenies” to sell (they help with bad breath by working in the digestive tract, which also will help relieve any smelly gas…)

I noticed you use spices in your first treat recipe. I know that cinnamon is great for dogs, and I think ginger is good too…but I’ve read somewhere that nutmeg is very toxic to dogs. It’s probably best to avoid adding much seasoning other than maybe the cinnamon. Dogs usually don’t care about spice-flavors anyway 🙂

[Shasta220]

Okay, so I’m inventing my own wholesome, super healthy dog treats (wheat, corn, and soy free as well!). I’ll be selling them at our local street market in a few months…

I’ve never done any sort of business like this, so I’m clueless on how much to sell the treats for. The first batch I made is pumpkin flax flavored (with the benefits of ground flax, coconut oil, egg, oats, rice, and pumpkin. Drool drool!)… Costs about $3 for a batch, takes about 2-3hrs total, and makes around 60 treats (they’re about 1.5″ rounds)

I was thinking I could sell 10 for $3, but I had other opinions say I should sell a bag for at least $6.

I want to make maximum profit for sure (as I’m sure I’ll put a lot of work into it, plus the time I’ll spend at the market…), but I also want the price to be low enough that people will want to buy them.

Any suggestions for price range and how many treats per bag?

(I also made them into larger treats…maybe 2×4″ squares… Figured I could sell about 3-5 of them for the same price as 10 tiny treats?)

Thanks for any ideas on price. =) Flavor suggestions are great too! So far I have (I’ve not made the recipes up yet…) the pumpkin-flax, green goodies (w kale, broccoli, and spinach), seasonal berry/fruit flavors (apple, blueberry, blackberry, pear, etc), peanut butter, banana-nut, and sweet potato. Maybe even I’ll try to make a meatball for those EXTRA carnivorous dogs out there…

[Shasta220]

Gosh! That’s awful! I’ve honestly never bought any pre-filled treats before. I ALWAYS just stuff em with my own treats/peanut butter/etc… I’m especially unfond of red barn brand anyway since it’s full of corn syrup and other sugars. It’s hard enough to keep my dogs’ teeth clean even without sugar, LOL!

[beagleowner]

Thank you for your support. I am having a difficult time with Henry’s death. Thinking it was flu or cold and finding out that it was his heart was so devastating. I know the Vet told me there was nothing I did or could have done to prevent this, but my grieving goes to all kinds of questions. Did I feed him right. We made his food and gave him vitamins. I never gave him anything that I did not clear through my vet. When he had his annual visit in early Dec. she noticed a slight heart murmur but nothing to be concerned about. He had blood tests and his liver enzymes were elevated. We took him for a fasting blood test and rather than a sonogram we decided to do a blood test every two months to keep checking. The night before he died, it never entered my mind that he was in a dangerous state. He was restless and since he was deaf and loved treats so he barked a lot. Sometimes it annoyed me. Did he know I loved him? Could I have done more. I was not present when he was euthanized. Should I had been beside him. I miss him greatly and am so distressed. I know my husband is grieving as well. He is trying to console me.