[soho]

Hi i8ok

I think we’re getting stuck on “pet grade” vs “human grade”. Let’s say you start with a human grade certified organic chicken. You remove all the parts that humans eat; the legs, breasts, wings etc. After you remove all the meat that humans eat you are let with the frame, the little pieces of fatty meat and skin that are stuck to the frame and the bottom of the bird etc. Now you grind that all up and make it into a certified organic pet treat. I call this pet grade meat and I believe it falls into “Choice 1”.

But before we go any further with this discussion let me say that we could probably debate this forever without ever coming to a definitive conclusion. That is one of the biggest issues I have with the pet food industry. There is no real transparency. There is a lot of “creative marketing”.
No pet food company discloses everything. They use terms like “Trade secret” and “Proprietary information” and the consumers go along with it. I think the consumer has the right to know EVERYTHING about the food they feed their dogs and cats. That is why I am practicing what I preach.

In the opening post of this thread you were told more about my treats then you will ever know about 99% of the other treats out there. You know the actual cut of meats I use (boneless skinless chicken breasts or fish fillets). You know where I buy them (Costco). You know the companies that the meat comes from (foster farms or seamazz). You know the spices I use (garlic salt) and the temperature I dehydrate the meats at (145 degrees F). If there is something you would like to know about my treats just ask. I will answer you promptly and publicly. I believe this kind of transparency is very rare and I believe it is priceless!

James

[soho]

Hi i8ok

Thank you for your reply! Let’s take a closer look at the Plato Organic Chicken strips.
First the marketing claims:
Over 90% organic chicken
Natural ingredients, fortified with antioxidant vitamins, and zinc
No artificial colors, flavors, synthetic preservatives, or GMO’s (genetically modified organisms)
Naturally preserved.
Antioxidant vitamins E and С
No meat by-products or meals

Second the Actual Numbers and ingredients:
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude protein: 30% min
(How in the world are these treats over 90% chicken and only 30% protein?)
Crude fat: 30% min
(Where did all this fat come from if the treats are over 90% chicken?)
Crude fiber: 1% max
Moisture: 15% max
(This moisture level is a little too high in my opinion to guarantee against spoilage.)
Zinc: 180mg/kg min
Vitamin E: 101 lU/kg min
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) 50mg/kg min*
Omega 6 Fatty Acids –
Omega 3 Fatty Acids –
Iron –

INGREDIENTS
Organic chicken, organic brown rice, salt, zinc propionate, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2phosphate (a source of vitamin C), mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative), rosemary extract.

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Now lets take a look at the facts about my chicken jerky:
Made from boneless, skinless chicken breasts bought at the deli section of Costco. This is not pet grade chicken. I know that there are a million marketing claims concerning the chicken in pet foods and treats but not one of the commercial brands are made using supermarket meat like I use. This is the same meat that you and your family eat.

You say you wont eat farm raised fish or feed it to your dog. I respect you for that. But why would you feed your dog pet grade chicken which is a by product of the human grade food business? Pet grade chicken (or any other pet grade meat for that matter) is what is left over after everything that can be used for human grade chicken is removed! And that’s the good stuff. The bad pet grade meats are the Dead, Dying, Downed or Diseased meats that never made into the human food chain in the first place!

Ingredients: 99.8% boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt, garlic. The only thing added to my chicken jerky is 0.2% spices (salt and garlic).

Guaranteed analysis as fed:
Protein 87%
(You read that right 87% now what treat could be better for a meat eater)
Fat 4.5%
(This is what the fat could be in other products if they used the same chicken breasts that I do)
Carbohydrate 0%
(Remember dogs have no biological need for carbs)
Minerals 3.5%
(This is what ash is)
Fiber 0%
Moisture 5%
(5% moisture is low enough to ensure against spoilage)

The chicken I use is Whole Chicken Breasts intended FOR human consumption. Not ground pet grade chicken (Plato)

My chicken jerky is JUST chicken and 0.2% spices. Plato uses brown rice as a filler.

When you look at the facts my jerky is a great value. Compare my jerky to other human grade jerky products sold for human consumption and you will see that my jerky is an OUTSTANDING value!

Thank you aimee

[Anonymous]

Hi James,

The fish you are using for your jerky appear to be farm-raised, which I won’t eat or feed to my dog. The Foster Farms chicken seems to be a step above standard factory farmed chickens, including prudent use of antibiotics.

But your price is steep compared to organic chicken jerky (USDA Certified) at k9cuisine.com –
Plato Dog Treats – Organic Chicken Strips – 1 lb bag $12.99
http://www.k9cuisine.com/p-322-plato-dog-treats-organic-chicken-strips-dog-treats.aspx

Plato organic chicken strips are also available on Amazon as a 3-pack for $10 per 1 lb. That is less than half the cost of yours.

[Mom2Cavs]

While I’m not familiar with Canyon Creek’s food (I believe it’s fairly new), I do know that their chicken jerky treats are “accused” of causing illness in pets. SORRY…I do realize that is not the question you have, though I just wanted to let you know. My opinion on food is this…..if a food works, then it’s technically a 5 star for the dog! I do want to clarify a little, though. I personally won’t feed below 3 star, won’t even try it for one of my dogs. I have, and would again if necessary, use a 3 star food if it worked the best. Believe me, I have fed the gamut of foods to my 4 dogs. They are all technically seniors now. Currently, I’m feeding Merrick Classic (“gasp” a grain inclusive food!) and will top it with canned food or freeze dried raw food that is rehydrated. I also use Fromm GF dry, and Simply Nourish (both dry and canned), which is Petsmart’s house brand. I will use Weruva canned and Merrick canned, as well. I have an old Cavalier that only eats the freeze dried raw now. In fact, she is the reason I started with it (just trying to get her to eat again as she has a neurological issue). So sorry for the long rant lol….just remember no food works for all dogs, and your dog is your responsibility and it is your decision on what works, what you can afford, what your dog will eat, etc. I’m thrilled you have educated yourself on dog food, though, and can make an informed choice. You have the best interest of your dog at heart! 🙂

[soho]

Hi Guys and gals

I wanted to start a topic about the jerky I make which is now available for sale.

I believe in transparency. I think the right of the consumer to know everything about what they are buying outweighs the manufacturers right to keep things secret. Since I am now a manufacturer of Chicken and Fish Jerky for dogs and cats I would like to set an example that I hope manufacturers begin to follow and consumers begin to expect.

For the chicken jerky I use Foster farms boneless skinless chicken breasts. For the fish jerky I use either Seamazz Swai fillets or Seamazz Tilapia fillets. I buy my meats at Costco. All the meats are regular human grade meats that are intended for human consumption. This is the same chicken and fish you would buy for yourselves and your families!

My chicken and whitefish jerky are made exactly the same so these are the manufacturing process for both:

The meats are washed and then sliced into thin strips. They are seasoned with garlic salt using approximately 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of fresh meat. The meats are then dehydrated at 145 degrees F for 6 to 12 hours. The reason there is variation in the cooking time is because the first dehydrators I bought were smaller home based type of machines while the newer dehydrators I bought are commercial type machines.

The meats are about 8% moisture when they are finished. This ensures that they are stable and can be kept for long periods of time and maintain their freshness. The jerky is put in 6 oz and 16 oz vacuum sealed bags along with an oxygen absorber.

These treats can be fed to cats or dogs. For pets who require a softer treat or who need a moister treat you can just soak the treats in water until they reach your desired softness.

The prices are:
Chicken
6 oz $10.99
16 oz $24.99

Fish
6 oz $11.99
16 oz $26.99

Of course there will be a 10% discount for my friends from DFA.

10% of all sales will be donated to local rescues and foster dogs.

Any Questions?
Please feel free to ask away or you can contact me at james at freeplay dot org.

• This topic was modified 13 years, 4 months ago by soho.

[lizemma]

My dog developed licking when she was quite young. I switched to a salmon and potato dog food for her and it solved the problem. It took a few weeks though, so try the new diet for a period of time to see the true results.

There are certain treats that trigger this reaction as well, so it is a matter of checking those ingredients. Although I don’t know the specific trigger, it seems to be chicken, pork, etc. The fish/salmon diets don’t trigger the itching.

Hope that helps.

[TwoDeafBoxers]

Ramona, one of my boys has IBD resulting from severe food allergies as it took over a year to figure out everything he was allergic to. One of the things I eliminated was grain but it took us forever to figure out he was also Gluten intolerant and just because its grain free doesn’t mean it’s gluten free. I’m sure you’re already doing a single protein very limited diet (treats included) but I also found that the Vetri-Science BD supplement helped during the flareups. I make all my dog treats with Buckwheat flour and he getscgets coconut oil added to his food daily. I hope you can find something that works for you soon.

[pugmomsandy]

weimlove,

I can get it for $13 each or $12.30 for a case of 20 but then shipping would need to be accounted for. Unfortunately I don’t go to the post office much to know about prices. I’m sure one could fit several freeze dried packages in one of those “if it fits, it ships” boxes. But someone would have to do the math and see if that’s cheaper than raw frozen with shipping. The freeze dried weight is actually .44 lb (which makes 1 lb rehydrated) but I just give them a couple pieces dry in their food bowl or just as treats.

[theBCnut]

I feed grain free and would use Zukes as training treats for 2 of my 3 dogs. I have 2 that get grainfree because I believe it is best, but I allow a small amount of treats to be junk food. I have one dog that can’t handle grains or even much carbs and all his treats are pure meat except that I just got him some special grain and potato free low carb biscuits that I still only give him less than one a day. The majority of all my training treats are still meat for all of my dogs.

[AnnieluvsPoms]

A lot of people seem to like Zuke’s- I was looking at the moist training treats they sell today and they all have rice in them. Does anyone else feed their dogs grain-free food and mostly grain-free treats, but then feed them Zuke’s treats that contain rice? Has anyone had any problems with that?

[Anonymous]

One other side effect of Pepcid AC is that the dog stops throwing up randomly all over your house, too. I love my dogs very, very, very much, which is why I spend well over $100/month on 4.5 to 5 star recommended dog food and treats and chinese herbs and other natural supplements/products and also why I went to the vet as the last resort after trying numerous natural ways for almost two weeks including diet change. She has no side effects and I’m actually weaning her off of them (she is supposed to get 2 a day) after having given them to her for the past 3 days to see if the issue has been resolved. I’m 100% for all natural treatments for my pets, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and go the regular vet route so your pet (and sometimes you) can stop suffering. I really wish there was a holistic vet close that I could go to, but since there isn’t and although there are things I don’t like about this vet’s office and her staff, she has been excellent in diagnosing and treating different odd things I’ve brought in, so I do trust her, just not the meds so much that she prescribes. I actually have the Mercola’s digestive enzymes, so why I didn’t think to try that is odd, but my sleep schedule and stress levels have been off the charts lately, so maybe that’s why. I’m going to try it, though, as the next step the vet wanted to do was a thyroid test which costs $80.

[Ramona72]

I’ve already lost one dog to undiagnosed IBD, and now I’ve got another one with the same symptoms. I’ve changed her kibble several times, trying to find the “trigger” food. I’m going to start her on Forti Flora & digestive enzymes, but that’s just treating the symptoms. I’d like to find the cause! Grain-free isn’t helping her, but I still keep trying them. She’s positioning and straining a lot, so I’m not too keen on going real high on her protein. However, her treats are now limited to just plain turkey (dark) which is cooked. Anyone gone through this before?

[Safe4pups]

OMG! GET THAT CAT TO THE VET ASAP! Your cat may very well suffering kidney or liver failure. Overe 2245 complaints on those jerky treats are being investigated by the FDA – 383 dog and 1 cat death reported in 2012. Save any leftover treats you have by wrapping securely and placing in the freezer – the FDA may at some point ask for samples to test.
Most importantly do NOT delay in getting your cat to the vet and let them know that your cat has been ingesting imported jerky.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Parents-Against-Pet-Treats-and-Food-Made-in-China/235390426550583?ref=hl

[Toxed2loss]

Nice post Sisu!

PattyVaughn asked me to post the following ( She’s having trouble posting to the forum, and me alerted to DocSteve82’s original post…): I think these are the jerky treats that are not recalled because the FDA can’t figure out what is wrong with them, but pets are getting Franconi syndrome or dying.

[sisu]

Jerky treats from China have been killing dogs for several years. The FDA is reportedly investigating but the tainted treats remain on the shelves. Do not give any treats from China to your dog or cat. Please visit the http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/default.htm site. Information on the investigation and how to report an incident are on the right side of the page. Also, search Google for “jerky treats china” , without the quotes, to learn more.

[Toxed2loss]

Hi DocSteve82,
Did you read Dr. Mike’s recall threads? Chicken jerky treats from China are being recalled. Salmonella is the biggest contaminant, I think. I don’t feed anything from China, so I haven’t been paying too much attention to which brands. Click on recall at the top of the page, and read the recall notices. :-} Please stop feeding those treats, just to be safe.. Lots of animals are being made sick, and there’s been some deaths. 🙁 hope your kitty is o.k.

As far as treats, only give treats that are meat, and not from China. It won’t matter if they’re dog or cat. 🙂

[theBCnut]

Get your cat to the Vet. Pets are sick from kidney failure and dying from these treats.

[DocSteve82]

I’ve been giving my 6 year old cat Tipper about 1 Dog treat a day for the past 3 weeks becaue he likes them. They may be making him sick as he isn’t himself the past 2 days and the name brand I’m giving him is Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Breast Tenders snack for small Dogs.
I noticed they are made in China. Anybody out there know about giving dog treats to a cat.
I have given him many others during his life without a problem. Anybody out there know about giving dog treats to cats and about this brand. Thanks in advance

[oceandog]

Ok, I think I get it now. Of the proteins on those sites, I believe I can find Rabbit and fish treats, so they would be the best protein sources to choose, so he has treats too. Then after the trial of 2-3 months, add 1 and only 1 ingredient at a time and monitor.

I will look into the probiotic supplements as well. I did read the thread about detoxifying and I do understand the difficulties. I have celiac disease and am intolerant of dairy. So I have experienced the extreme discomfort these things cause. I avoid processed foods or pay the price. Short story.

As far as vaccines, I had Addisons dogs prior to Brody, so I didn’t vaccinate like most do. I do not plan on yearly vaccinations for Brody either. He has had his puppy shots and that is that. I suppose since he had had 1 shot already when I got him that could explain the chewing on his legs and feet.

For now, I will get in an order of rabbit or fish (so I can find treats) and give it some time and see what happens over the next few months. I do know my local pet store has some crunchy fish skin treats that he loves, so that maybe a good direction. Thank you again, I will keep updated with his progress.

He means the world to me, I lost my mother from cancer in July and 12 days later my Boston, Bosco. So Brody has literally put life in my life again. I want more than the best for him. His food budget is greater than my own!

[Hound Dog Mom]

I don’t think it matters which protein you choose, just go with one he’s never eaten before. You can give treats, but it should be simple single ingredient with just the protein you’re feeding him. So say you go with goat, any treat you feed should be just goat nothing else. Just during the period of time that you’re trying to figure out what his food-triggers are (if there are any). If you’re feeding, say, a raw diet with goat and starting giving a biscuit that has chicken and carrot and sweet potato and peas then he has a reaction, you would have no way of knowing if the reaction was caused by the goat, the chicken, the carrots, the sweet potato or the peas – you know what I mean? So during the ingredient trial period simple is best. Once you get past the 2-3 month period and start re-introducing other foods and figure out which (if any) ingredients are triggering his actions you can buy treats with safe ingredients – but before you can do that you need to figure out which ingredients are safe. And as, as I said in my previous comments, I would strongly encourage a high quality pro-biotic supplement (Mercola’s and Garden of Life’s Primal Defense are two of the best) because, like Toxed just pointed out, a healthy gut is the foundation of immune health.

[oceandog]

Without any treats (wow!) what would be the best way to train? He is completely food motivated. He looks for his little nibble as I am traning.

I am at a loss which protein to choose for him. Is it a matter of cost, personal preferance or do they each have advantages? I will look into the other suggestions as well, about detoxifying and vaccinosis. Thank you both!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi oceandog –

That’s great that you still feed your dog a meat based diet and are willing to feed raw even though you’re vegan, it must be tough to do! 🙂 While I completely respect vegetarians and vegans, I see too many that try to force their lifestyle on their dogs and cats and I personally don’t think it’s fair…

Hare-Today.com and Mypetcarnivore.com sell pre-ground mixes with muscle meat, bone and organs in the correct proportions – so you wouldn’t need to chop up any meat or anything, it comes looking just like a pre-made raw (it just doesn’t have the supplements or veggies). They have several novel protein sources. Hare Today sells goat, goose, llama, pheasant and quail and My Pet Carnivore sells alpaca, goat, muskrat and rabbit. I’d just recommend adding the supplements I listed in my previous post – vitamin e (a capsule for humans a couple times a week), fish oil (for omega 3’s), kelp & alfalfa (trace nutrients) and probiotics (to help strengthen his gut). I’d leave out any other ingredients and just keep it basic during the elimination trial so when you start re-introducing ingredients you can know what the issue is. Only feed one protein source and don’t give any treats.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi oceandog –

When you fed raw did you use a novel protein source? Honestly, if he was experiencing these issues on a grain-free raw diet with a novel protein source, I would be inclined to think it’s more likely to be a compulsive behavior or something in the environment. Since raw is not an issue for you, rather than messing around with kibble I’d put him right on a raw diet. I’d personally go with a grind from hare-today.com or mypetcarnivore.com (the grinds contain muscle meat, organ meat, bone and nothing else) – pick one with a protein he’s never eaten before (they’ve got some pretty novel proteins like goat, duck, quail, rabbit, etc.). I’d feed him the grind with a vitamin e supplement, fish oil, kelp/alfalfa blend and a high quality multi-strain probiotic with nothing else for 2-3 months (no treats either!). After 2-3 months, assuming the issues have cleared, gradually start introducing new protein sources and other food items such as vegetables, fruits and eggs. Introduce each item one at a time and closely monitor his reaction. Keep a journal or something noting which foods cause reactions and which don’t. After you figure out which foods trigger his reaction you can start looking into pre-made raw foods (if you wish or you can keep making your own) that don’t contain any of his allergy triggers. If something like this doesn’t work, then I highly doubt his issues are food related.

[theBCnut]

Google Hare Today and order duch hearts and slow cook them in the oven to dry them. I would then freeze them on a cookie sheet and put them in a ziplock in the freezer and take out as needed. Yum!!

[pugmomsandy]

Three duck products here:

http://www.freshisbestinc.com/products/pet-treats-chews

Also Stella and Chewy’s Carnivore Kisses

http://www.stellaandchewys.com/dog-kisses.php

and Bravo has duck feet. Instinct has a grain free duck bisucit with some other added ingredients.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi eugeneginder –

This site sells made in the USA duck jerky treats that are only duck:

http://www.preenpets.com/products/Dog-Duck-Treats?gclid=CLem8cyowLQCFcyf4AodSj8AxQ

Sojo’s has a duck & cherry biscuit that looks pretty allergy friendly as well. The ingredients are: garbanzo bean flour, dried duck, cherries, canola oil and eggs.

http://www.sojos.com/products/dog-treats/sojos-grain-free-treats/duck-cherry

[eugeneginder]

-we need duck treats that are nothing but duck. no chicken no turkey. duck and potato is okay. dog sam has allergies.

[BryanV21]

Coconut oil is very good for dogs, due to it’s anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Our stores not only sells it as an oil, but has chips of it to be given as treats as well. As long as the sugar content is okay, and there aren’t any other “iffy” ingredients, then I don’t see why you can’t give it to your dog.

[weimlove]

HDM-
I have read that switching cold turkey will probably will be best for me, because Shadow has a very sensitive stomach. I have reviewed some websites, and many of them say that it is easier on their digestive systems, because it dosent have to try to digest two different kinds of food. I have always fed Shadow a five star kibble. He has eaten the Acana fish formula, as well as the lamb. He has also eaten chicken, liver, and beef treats. I have also heard that chicken is usually a great starter food. As far as the type of chicken, do I just buy ground up chicken? Or do I need to get a chicken with bone and organ? I dont think i need organ and bone because I will be using a pre-mix, but what part on the chicken should I start out feeding? (wing, neck, back, etc?) Sorry for my question overload, I just want to make sure I do this right!

[Shawna]

Weimlove ~~ for clarification, The Honest Kitchen foods are dehydrated versus freeze dried. I personally like freeze drying better but I like the lack of potato in The Honest Kitchen and that they are guaranteed to use human grade foods. That being said, I think it is as important to rotate the starch etc as it is the proteins. I rotate through the premixes from See Spot Live Longer, Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s and Sojo. I will use others as they become locally available.

When using a premix, unless it specifies, you don’t need to add liver and shouldn’t add bone. Everything is in the premix to balance the meat you add. If you want to add liver I’d just do so in the form of treats. I dehydrate organic liver for my pups and they LOVE it. In a home made diet you only add 5% of the diet as liver (and 5% as other organs — heart, kidneys etc) so liver treats should be ample to an already balanced diet.

I also use complete and balanced commercial raw products in my rotation. I like Darwins and Bravo Balance. Bravo also has some meat only options that are great to add to the premixes (salmon, buffalo and venison are the options available).

[Breeze]

Does anyone do anything special for dental health for their dog? I saw a Dr. Oz show about dog’s dental health. Brushing my dog’s teeth is not possible. She just will not stand for it. I give her T/CL canine chews, plus water additive (Nylabone), and my Vet’s office suggested Hills Prescription Diet T/D. I give her this food only as treats. Plus she has Nylabone bones she chews on. The vet said usually dental health is a problem in small dogs. I have a Elk Hound Mix, so a medium dog. Any suggestions? And Greenies, is so over priced. So don’t tell me to do that. I tried it once but it is just not economically smart.

[Shawna]

I had to do a food trial too.. I’m a raw feeder and feed a LOT of variety so a food trial was a must. I eliminated EVERYTHING she had been exposed to in the past and started feeding her raw ostrich as the protein and a novel starch and gave her freeze dried goat for treats.. She ate this and only this for 6 months. At the end of the 6 months her sysmptoms were a thing of the past. I then introduced a new food about every 4 days to make sure there wasn’t a delayed reaction. Turns out she is allergic to beef bone (which I have to watch in whole food supplements as well as her raw diet), goat dairy, cow tripe and barley. I believe the lectin proteins in the barley damaged her gut allowing the proteins from the other foods to get into her bloodstream causing the allergic reaction. Oddly, she has no issue with what we think to be “protein” — chicken, beef, lamb, duck, turkey etc.

With Audrey we were sure it was a food allergy because she had symptoms year round and because her eosinophil white blood cell count was high on her blood work (eosinophils can be high with food allergies and parasitic infections). From my understanding, eosinophils are not high in food intolerances however and food intolerances (like Audrey’s to barley) can have the same symptoms as true allergies.

[Ramona72]

Not a bad idea, Jackie B… Do you give your dog treats? Or any people food? I’m thinking maybe I’m giving her too many different things to assimilate?

[Ramona72]

It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? You just keep trying all sorts of things, and none of them works! Glad to read that the grain-free food did the trick for your poodle. Sadie is still on grain-free — every kibble I’ve given her is grain-free. I’m wondering now if it’s her treats. I rotate Sojos lamb, Blue Buffalo duck/potato, & Natural Instinct rabbit. When her stools get mushy, I almost go into PTSD! That’s the first symptom I saw with my other dog who had IBD, but it wasn’t diagnosed… She does get real (cooked) chicken, turkey, ground beef, and ground bison, too. The stains are really bad now, but we are beginning our cedar season down here which is brutal for anything that breathes. That explains some of the staining, but not what has been going on before the cedar hit. I just can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.

I didn’t know that about Angel Eyes, but I instinctively did not want to use it. To keep Sadie’s eyes from being stinky, I dilute a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in some water and apply it with a Q-Tip or a baby toothbrush. She seems very grateful when I do this. Doesn’t do a lot for the stains, though…

BTW, thanks to everyone who has posted their thoughts about this topic. Every little bit of information is helpful.

[sophia]

What’s worse is just because it says “Made in the USA” doesn’t mean that the ingredients are sourced from the USA. Before I buy treats, food, anything, I call the company and ask them specifically where they source their ingredients. If they won’t specifically tell you “No we do no source from China” chances are they do.

[Ramona72]

I’ve got chemical sensitivities of my own, so I’m pretty careful about keeping stuff that might be allergy-triggers out of the house. I do live in a condo, so I have no control over what nastiness might be used on the common lawn areas. I allow my dog to have some people-food, but only if it is meat, vegetable or fruit. I buy organic produce, but more and more, “organic” doesn’t meant what it used to.

I’ve been feeding grain-free kibble, but have allowed sweet potatoes to be included in the formula. One of the treats I give my dog has white potatoes in it, but she only gets that treat every three days as I rotate them.

Maybe I should be looking at the items farther down in the list of ingredients, as legitposter wrote. I never thought of peas as being a problem, but who knows? It’s such a guessing game — buy a bag, feed it a week, see no difference, buy another bag. It looks like a pet food store in here! So many products are made in Diamond factories, and I am leary of them. Perhaps that is unwarranted?

[Shawna]

WOW James, I agree with you!!! This is LOADED with excitotoxins.. Feeding these long term and often (if the ingredient list is correct) is just asking for trouble in my opinion… 🙁

I make treats for my kids too — dehydrated liver, heart, chicken, fish etc. 🙂

[Safe4pups]

Hello Sophia~ Personally, I would never use rawhide nor bully sticks – they both have obstruction history and the dried penis is an organ that dogs have no need for, is usually imported and can include chemicals.
I have a dog with the same issues – I keep her on Denamarin, Bactaquin and feed her a high grade, grain free food. For treats she gets Get Naked Gut or Low Cal Health Chews, Zukes Apple Crisp bones and Zoe Lifestyle Dog Treats.
~Tracey

[mariettatammy]

MY 4 month old puppy has same symptoms Fanconi Syndrome. Without my knowledge of Made In China Chicken Jerky, I gave him treats from Pett Shoppe bought at Walgreens and all symptoms go hand in hand as Wagon Train Treats, Made in China. Heres the eye opener: Both products are on the same shelf at Walgreens. Are all Chicken Jerky Treats Made in China making our dogs sick here in America…Anyone else living this nightmare?

[aimee]

Hi Sedlypets,

I’ve owned a number of labs… I’m beginning to think they all have metabolism issues : ) I always try to feed a lower fat food (10-12% as it allows me to feed more volume) and higher protein around 30% plus if possible. I’ve fed Wellness Core reduced fat, Royal Canin weight care, Evo weight management (higher cal/ cup so have to really watch volume) and Purina weight management.

Keeping track of calories is essential. If multiple family members are each giving the dog “just a taste” or “just a few treats” it adds up.

Sometimes it really is best to go with a vet product geared specifically for weight loss. Nutrients in commercial food are tied to energy. When feeding small amounts of energy for weight loss it is possible to short change nutrients. Most dogs I feel can be safely dieted on an OTC food but for some you may need to switch.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Sedlypets –

There can be medical conditions responsible for weight gain. I know you got her tested for thyroid issues and that came back negative,but what about Cushing’s? Or is she on any medication that could be causing this?

If you can rule out all heath issues, this means she’s eating too many calories – plain and simple. You say you’re walking her a few miles every other day, this is great but I’d strongly urge you to try and get her exercising daily. I’d switch to a high protein, moderate fat, low carbohydrate (preferably grain-free food). Find out how many calories per cup are in the food she’s eating now, multiply that by how many cups she’s eating per day and what you get will be how many calories she’s eating per day – with whichever food you try feed less calories than this amount. Homemade could be a good option but you’ll need to do a little research – check out dogaware.com and get a book such as Dr. Karen Becker’s “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats.” Also make sure to cut out ALL treats! If she’s burning more calories than she’s eating she will lose weight (granted she has no health issues).

[Jackie B]

Prince Poodle’s #1 favorite treat is the Zuke’s Mini Naturals. They are low calorie and fit perfectly in his Kong Wobbler treat puzzle. He’s very smart though so he can empty it really fast. Unless I use irregularly-sized treats. Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Kisses work well. He also gets True Chews treats, he likes most everything they make.

[Jackie B]

I’ve purchased True Chews for my mini poodle. He’s very picky but loves them. They are kind of thin for the price, but he prefers very thin bully sticks. I also have ordered treats from Best Bully Sticks and have been pretty happy. The green tripe is a favorite and a good deal for the amount you get. I do wish they had more items with free shipping… They offer a lot of discount codes at least.

[Shawna]

Hi Rainisdog ~~ no, high fiber is not as good.. Actually higher fiber does make the pup feel better but it also causes nutrient loss. Fiber prevents certain minerals from being absorbed. Like Sandy, I’ve had the best luck (with my foster dogs) feeding above average protein, moderate fat and low carbs. I even add high protein canned food as a topper to up the protein even more. My Papillon lost 15 pounds on a diet like this.

I rotate as well so my Pap was getting a variety of foods — Orijen, Brothers, Acana, Nature’s Variety Instinct etc. Even now, at 14 pounds she only gets 1/4 cup per meal with a teaspoon of canned. Any more than that and she gains weight. I only give treats when I leave the house and then only give a treat about the size of a dime or less.

Mimi, my once obese Pap, was 6 when she came to us and started her diet.

[sophia]

she had extremely bad gas one day (like every minute) so I got her into the vet. We had just gotten a new kitten so we thought maybe she got into her food. The vet sent us home with medicine and said to put her on chicken and rice for a few days. She had loose orangish stool for a day or two, and then none at all, so we decided to go back to the vet. The vet was concerned about possible bile in the stool, as she didn’t see any blood, so we did a blood test to check on her liver. Since we were doing the blood test, and it had been about 6 months since her last one I decided just to do the fullest test to be sure, the only thing that came back was slightly elevated pancreas enzyme.

I got her a bully stick though, and she absolutely loves it! It doesn’t seem to be bothering her stomach, and she’s had the same one for about 3 days, and only eaten like 20% of it, so the little fat content it does have doesn’t worry me to much. I guess I meant chew treats though, as the bully stick is even a tiny bit hard for her, so I don’t think she would do well with a bone. thank you for the ideas though!

[pugmomsandy]

I always put the pugs (mine and fosters, 16-30 lbs) at around 350 calories!! And that’s with walking and playing around and chasing, not just laying around being pugs! That’s usually around 2/3 cup of kibble with room for treat calories. And I use food as treats so they’re still getting balanced nutrition and I can count the calories. Or they can get 1/3 cup of kibble and the other meal as freeze dried nuggets or canned foods. It varies.

[pugmomsandy]

Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch, Instinct Boost, Nutrisca freeze dried, Dr Becker Bites (liver chips), Merrick tripe steak patties, tripe chew, freeze dried tripe. Sometimes Wagatha’s and Nature’s Select cookies. On my list to try are FreshisBest freeze dried treats.

http://www.freshisbestinc.com/products/pet-treats-chews

http://www.drbeckersbites.com/shop-by-category/treats/joint-support-solutions-bites.html

[pugmomsandy]

I would just focus on the lower carb part and stick with above-average protein and average/above average fat. Low fat is not absolutely necessary for weight loss. What size are the jerky treats? Maybe you can cut down on those too or you need to reduce the food by the amount of jerky she gets. You can also just reduce the amount your serving of Orijen and you can feed Orijen to the puppy. My 23-24 lb pugs get 2/3 cup of kibble a day. Maybe she’s just eating too much. And at 7 yrs, that’s not old!!

[rainisdog]

Hey!
I have a 7yr old chihuahua daschund mix who is about 15 pounds. I am currently feeding her Orijen Fish 1/3 cup twice a day with about 5 chicken jerky treats a week. I can tell the extra weight on her is slowing her down and she looks uncomfortable. For awhile she was doing great going on walks but lately she doesn’t want to go far. While I am going to continue walking with her, I want to give her the best food or combinations of foods possible to help her loose weight. I don’t think raw is an option but I have been looking into dehydrated/ dried foods, I am just unsure of what to look for. I think high fiber and protein with low fat and carbs? If that is correct (and using this website as a guide) what % are high/low? Should I focus more on high protein or fiber or low fat? I would really appreciate any help or suggestions!

[shibasenji]

My Shiba has certain protein sensitivities (beef is a big no no, and we generally stay away from processed chicken). Frankly, there are a lot of commercial dog treats out there that don’t offer much bang for the buck, in my opinion. We’ve taken to a more rigorous dehydration schedule in recent months, so we’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of chicken hearts and gizzards for training treats. And free pouches of kibble sample from the local holistic pet store.

A big bag of Zuke’s training treats (salmon and peanut butter are our favorites) last us a long time, and are clean. There are a couple fish skin treats that we like. Salmon Ears are economical, and each box lasts us a long time. Recently fell in love with The Honest Kitchen’s Beams, their new Icelandic catfish skin chew treat.