[crazy4cats]

Hi Scott-
Wow, I hadn’t heard of these type of stones until now. After reading a little about them, you are absolutely correct. They are extremely rare. Again, sounds like extra fluids and frequent opportunities to urinate are very important with these type of stones also. Here is a link from the Whole Dog Journal that may be of some help, but I’m guessing you may have already seen it: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_6/features/Kidney-Stones-Bladder-Stones_16231-1.html

The article discusses cystine stones more towards the end of it. I hope someone can give you some words of wisdom for your friend. Good luck!

[scottNY]

Hi All,

I am helping a friend whose 5 year old Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix just had bladder stone surgery. Unfortunately, he is part of the 1% that has the rather rare Cystine stones. We have both heard and read a lot of negative feedback about the Hill’s Science and Royal Canin prescription foods. Does anyone have any experience with using quality commercial food, mostly wet, mixing in some quality kibble for texture? If so, what do you recommend? My friend would like to stay grain-free, but it is so hard to know which foods use low-purine proteins, etc. I have gotten great advice for my dog from all of you here, so any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[DANNY K]

Ok, I have read and read and read, and have yet to find the “safest” chew treat available. Seems like everyone has had issues whether e coli, salmonella, chard, or choking. My pup is a very aggressive chewer/eater. So we gave him Nylabones the breeder provided, I think they were gone in minutes. I am afraid of bullysticks or anything as he will demolish them and probably choke. I want no nylon, plastic or artificial crap. Then I hear the hard stuff can mess up there teeth.

Is there any solution?

[brooke r]

I have 1 1/2 yr old German Shepard that we got last Sept.. since then she’s had episodes of diarrhea, about 6-8, 4 of which we took her to the vet because she was having bad abdominal pain(When you touched her stomach she’s yelp). The other times, it passed with her eating a lot of grass then rice and chicken for the day or two after. (She tires to lick all the hair off floor and eat anything when she goes into these fits, as she like licks the air).
Im thinking I need to switch her food, been reading a lot about German Shepard with their stomach issues! What should I be looking at for protein, fat, and carb percent’s? My understanding is a moderate fat of 17-23 is ideal .
She’s on Natures Variety Raw boost duck (and turkey I believe, whichever is the duck one). It seems to have higher carbs then some other options(Are these harder on her stomach??).
Ideally, I’d feed her and my Belgian Milionis the same food, but can do separate.
Not crazy after Blue Buffalo /Royal Cainin/ Science Diet.
Each time we’ve gone into the emergency room, they don’t seem to care what I’m feeding her, and they don’t have any recommendations… just give her a nausea shot and then send me home with diarrhea pills and tell me to come back the next day if she doesn’t start feeling better.
Have a pet store, so the options to get basically any food is there, just so confused.. each company reps tells me their food is best for her obviously.. but not totally sold that nurto max is the best lol.
I already give her a probiotic spray on her kibble, and going to start giving her Great Life enzymes pro(digestive enzymes).
Raw is unfortunately not an option ( great for my chi mix but can’t afford it for the big ones!)
thanks so much for ANY help!!!!

[Kari P]

Hi! I’m pretty new to this group. I’ve been reading and reading, but feel more confused the more I read. I’ll think I’ve got the right foods option and then feel like I missed something. So, I thought I’d come here for some advice.

We have a 10 week old golden doodle puppy. The breeder had her on Iams Puppy Smart for large breeds. After reading, I’m not super impressed with its quality. I’ve keep her on it for a couple weeks while she’s adjusting to her new home with us. Now, I’m ready to make a switch. I cannot spend mass amounts on dog food ($100 a bag kind of expensive), but want to give her quality food. I would love some suggestions.

I’ve also got an adult 5 year old black lab. He’s been eating Nutrition because we thought it was a good food…until I found this website. Now, I’m certain he needs a new brand as well. I know they can’t eat the same thing because of the differences in age, but eventually I’d like them to both be reading the same food. So, I’d also like suggestions for quality dog food for this guy as well.

Thanks all, in advance, for your help!
Kari

[chris]

For there teeth not long ago I had researched about doing it at home and learned a lot from that. I tried brushing his teeth but he doesn’t seem to like it at all. Though he does let me open his mouth and everything and doesn’t fight back. So when researching I read a lot on doing it yourself with a Dental Pick. You can pick up a dental pick for like $3-$5 the most. I haven’t actually honestly done it yet, but I have plans on picking one up this week sometime.

Here is a video I watched about it as well.

[Ronda G]

I have a Bulldog who has had problems with struvite crystals. She had to have stones removed when she was 4 months old. She was also put on the Hills for life. I just hated the ingredients and thought she was not getting the proper nutrition. It was recommended by folks on here or another forum( I read so many) to try Solid Gold Berry Balance, it is a supplement you can add to a better ingredient food. Depending on weight of your dog you add twice a day for the first month then once a day 3 times a week. AND IT HAS WORKED. I check her urine on a regular basis and her ph has been good, no problems. I just ordered my second shipment, the first one lasted over 2 months.

[Jennifer P]

I have a white Dane, Chase, who is allergic to EVERYTHING and has IBD. I have been struggling with this for over a year (15 months). It seems when I get his bowel right he turns into a hairless rat (inflamed ears, hair falls out on his face/neck, red splotches, face itching, etc.). When I get his hair/skin right he loses weight because his bowel is runny. He also has environmental allergies. He is just a big happy mess.

Anyhow, he has been on prescription foods (ID & D/D) with hydrolyzed proteins, as well as limited ingredient premium foods and non-limited ingredient premium foods. It seems like I have to change his food every 10-12 weeks as some symptom starts to appear. I feel like I am running out of options. I always use the dog food advisory site and will not try any foods below a 4 star (mind thing for me…). He is allergic to chicken, pork, fish, eggs and soybean. I have a spreadsheet with a massive amount of data about what foods he has tried, common ingredients, how long he was on them and what symptoms occurred. This is driving me insane!

My vet wants to treat him with prednisone, which we have on a few occasions. I want to find a miracle food that works for his IBD and food allergies (w. accurate protein, calcium levels etc.) – you know, so he can be normal. There is a dog nutritional clinic in Atlanta, GA and they require a referral. They said they would do a phone consultation with my vet for $175 and determine a route based on the information my vet provides them – basically the spreadsheet I have.

Before I go that route…. Has anyone else had this issue and is there a miracle food I could try? Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

[king J]

I have always found Solid Gold to be a great quality dog food. I’m not sure where all this low rating talk is coming from. There was a nation wide crises a few years back where a bunch of pets, both fogs and cats were dying left and right from the tainted pet foods. There were a bunch of brands involved because they were all being manufactured by the same facilities. Solid Gold was the only company that was unaffected.

My dog was safe! When she was a pup she came from her breeder in Science Diet. The vets were all pushing S.D. at the time. Candy used to get hot spots like crazy and hydro cortisone shots every 6 weeks were the norm. After a whole I finally asked the vet what I need to do or I’d take her somewhere else. She said well let’s try changing her diet. First she suggested Nutro. It didn’t work. Then she suggested solid gold and it was a miracle. Never had another problem.

Another I’m reading here is that it’s too low in protein. Well we should all be aware that dogs don’t need a yon of protein as adults. Not like cats which are obligated carnivores. Too much protein is harmful to dogs. As a matter of fact, most serious breeders of large breeds only feed puppy food for 5 months before switching to adult food because the protein level is higher in pup food.

[Bobby dog]

Since you are feeding mostly commercial foods, you want to keep unbalanced foods to no more than 10% of your dogs total daily calories to avoid nutritional imbalances.

Here is a site I use to find calories and other nutritional info on food:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search

This is a download you might be interested in that I follow (C4C uses it too) for adding fresh foods to my dog’s diet. You can find these foods at your grocery store. Things like beef or poultry hearts, liver, sardines, eggs, and vegetables. You can make a meal of them or use them as toppers for a few meals. It provides a menu with amounts to feed according to your dogs weight and the kibble you are feeding. I add them as toppers rather than feeding in one meal. I always suggest this download to anyone interested in adding raw or lightly cooked foods to a kibble fed dog. It is an easy read with lots of info:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

[Bobby dog]

Oooooh, good luck checking out the cat rec thread! Have you seen how long it is now? lol Anyway, you could always post a question if you don’t feel like reading it.

There is a canned Weruva seafood recipe I feed my cats every now and then that contains K3, the chicken recipes I feed don’t contain it.

[Bobby dog]

I looked it up after I posted it. I remember recommending someone check it out because they were frustrated with their dog eating the cat’s food. lol

It’s a synthetic form of vitamin K. I believe it has to be added if the food has a certain percentage of seafood? I am not sure I’ll have to look it up in one of my textbooks. Some pet foods out there put it in all their recipes. It is possibly dangerous when administered intravenously and there is controversy over the oral use of it. You just need to read your labels. I don’t think any of the foods you mentioned contain it. You can see it listed as K3, menadione sodium bisulfate complex, menadione sodium bisulfite, or sometimes you’ll see a long name with “source of vitamin K” in parenthesis, and some other variations too. If my memory serves me correct, pretty much any food you have ever mentioned to me that you ever fed Bruno did not have it in it’s recipe, dog or cat.

Evanger’s is only a cannery although they do market a kibble under their name that is manufactured by Mid-America pets. I fed a couple of Against the Grain recipes to my cats before I researched it. Of course it was one of the foods they liked, oh well.

[chris]

Great to know! Thanks for the recommendations. I have sent Orijen an email last night asking for samples. I can sure try the rest, why not. Yeah, i’ve given him several cans of dogswell now and he has had zero issues. I never tried Blue Buffalo as I had a family member try it and they didn’t care for it and told me not to bother. Thanks again!

-Bobby Dog, Thanks as well for the recommendations! I was just basically looking for some ones that aren’t commercial store bought such as Pedigree etc. Also that have a decent meat content as my dog is very picky and actually doesn’t seem to like “fish or veggies” that much. He’s definitely a meat kind of dog.

Speaking of Canidae as well. What’s your opinion on them? My local pet store told me he was getting Canidae in and said I should give that a try back when I bought Merrick’s. Though for some reason he told me they were a plant based food and here I read it is a meat based mostly.

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

[chris]

So for supplements I wrote down to try:
Sauerkraut
Plain Yogurt
Swanson’s soil-based Organisms
Canned Green Tripe
Kafir

I’m going to try each and see how it goes. I read a lot up on it earlier and heard from a good amount that I should start very slow in it to get there stomach use to it. So figured I might give 1/4 cup each time for now.

I’ll definitely be trying those frozen treats Bobby Dog! I have a dairy farm near by that started it’s own home made ice cream straight off the farm. They recently started making there own dog ice cream and I was buying him a container of that here and there the past few weeks.

Naturella- Yeah, my local pet store has boxes of free samples soon as you walk in the front door and he tells us to take as many as we want. There mostly little sample bags of natures variety, natures balance, and canidae, no canned food or treats sadly.

[Pitlove]

I’ve read too that texture and even shape can be a huge factor for cats. maybe there is a way to make the raw mixture more chunky like canned food? im not really sure. it sounds like you have a lot of the difficult parts out of the way. i had such an easy time transitioning my kitten to wet food. she would get dry in the morning and canned at night and she actually PREFERED the canned food! it was awesome. she only weighs 6lbs at 8mos. Very small for her age but not underweight at all. vet told me she was a “teacup”??

darwins site recommended for her age feeding 4%. idk if thats right but it said about 2lbs a week if I remember correctly.

[chris]

Yeah like I said I done so much research and it sounds like a small hernia to and feels like one too so that would be my guess. He seems to be not bothered by it anymore and acts back to normal now.

That does not surprise me one bit on the canned tripe. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it!

Yeah most people tend to any animal they own as they would a child. I kind of baby my dog to the point my family looks at me strangely. You can’t help it especially when the dog expresses the love in return. I have never put him in a cage, I made him an actual raised dog bed the level of my bed and he sleeps in that beside me all night. In my avatar picture is what he is laying on and I made him steps going up to it. He’s spoiled rotten haha!

Pitlove- So you mean buy a small 5 pound bag and mix it inside his Merrick’s once in a while? I actually have the Kafir written down as well so I remember to buy some of that as well. What Digestive supplement do you use?

I have went through 11 pounds of the Merrick’s already and I bought that at the beginning of the month. That is giving him 1/2 cup with wet food in the morning and 1-2 cups during the evening.

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

[chris]

I think this would be an excellent idea. There are tons of treats as I can understand it would take some time. But overall I believe at starting at the most commonly top rated ones would be great to leave those know what treats are excellent for there pets. For instance I actually just started a thread asking about a good treat for a dog that has stomach/bowel problems. Hopefully I can get some feedback relating to that sort of problem. So, yes I really do hope this gets added in the future as i’m sure it will help! Thanks!

[Vicki P]

Hi Jordan – I’m just following your post. Sounds like our dogs have very similar issues. Matter of fact, it seems as if lots of dogs are experiencing really bad allergies… strange! We’ve been able to get our dog’s allergy issues controlled with benadryl, but I’m trying to wean my dog off of an rx dog food (you can find my recent posting here on that subject). So I’m just “listening in” on these conversations on this thread as well! 😉

Good luck!

[Heather H]

I have read so many different things, saying grain free is the best, raw is best. Clearly, I want what is best for my dog, and we would like to try and prevent any further recurrence of Mast Cells from developing, but does anyone have any experience with what is going to help, with out breaking the bank? I have had a lab in the past that we did multiple surgeries on and the medications after mast cells, this is a golden doodle, we also have a lab at home, we have switched away from all Blue Buffalo products in fear that there was a link there, with having two dogs get this terrible cancer.
Any advice is welcome.

[Pitlove]

C4C- I actually went to walmart last night and got a 30gal tote similar to the one that Dr. Pierson shows on her website. She said she recommended the 18 or 30 gal and when I looked at the 18 it just looked to small even for my 6lb kitten. the bf and I cut the opening and she did go in and use it and kept going in it and playing so I think she likes it!

Heres what my problem is. Our living situation right now is basically a small studio apartment above his parents garage on their property. The only actual room we have is the bathroom and its so small it barely fits the trash can. Her litter box right now is currently in a central part of the house (the “living room”) right next to our TV. I have tried to think in my head what other spaces there are to put it, but outside of sticking it in the closest, which I dont want to do, there is no where private for her. The dog can get to every spot in the house.

They often play by her litter box too which she participates in but I try to discourage it because I dont want her to associate anything else with the litter box besides “I pee and poo here”. So far the tote has been working a lot better. The sides are high enough that my dog has not tried to come sniff her while she is using it and i took a peek at her while she was peeing and it was normal. No elevator butt, nothing. Its still new so we will see how it goes but I think I found a much better option.

this is the box I had before:
http://www.petco.com/product/126582/So-Phresh-High-Back-Open-Litter-Box.aspx?CoreCat=MM_CatSupplies_LitterBoxes

My other problem is there is no spot up here for a second box. I was considering using the old box as the second box for her, but I sat and looked around the apartment last night and could not find a spot that it would fit that there wasnt already something in the way.

I also think I’m going to get her checked out by my vet. I wanna make sure she doesnt have some type of infection. I think she got spayed really early in her life (she was caught in a feral trap site). And im hoping that didnt cause complications.

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

[Anonymous]

Contact dermatitis is atopic dermatitis (described in the article above).
I got incorrect information from the regular vet, I know you want to minimize the symptoms and find a solution, food, medication, shampoos, supplements, dehumidifier, air purifier…..

That’s what I did too, if you read my posts, you’ll see that nothing worked until my dog saw the specialist and started allergy specific immunotherapy.
Most allergens are airborne, impossible to avoid.

Now she can roll around in the grass! Eat a variety of things, in fact she has cooked chicken several times a week.

It’s so frustrating to watch people go through this with their pets. They don’t want to spend the money to go to a specialist and yet they end up spending much more than that going back and forth to the regular vet and buying all kinds of things that don’t work.

Not to mention all the discomfort the dog goes through.

PS: The supplements and diet and frequent baths have their place, in fact I still bath my dog once a week with Malaseb or a GNC antifungal shampoo for dogs. But they are not strong enough (alone) the stop the symptoms.

Some good info here http://www.allergydogcentral.com/

Also, allergies get worse with age, not better. My dog is so much more relaxed now, it’s like a different personality. They can become snappy and neurotic with all that pruritus.

The symptoms you describe sound worse than what my dog had, and she was suffering.

[Susan]

Hi, change his diet read the ingredients to his Science Diet, corn, gluten corn etc look for a limited ingredient kibble that’s low in starchy/carbs so NO potatoes, no peas etc ……..sounds like he has yeasty itchy skin & ears…join this face book group called “Dog Allergy International Group” (link at the end) & look in their files there’s links to limited ingredient kibbles wet & raw diets also foods that are starchy & what foods to avoid….If you can feed raw, raw is the best as it has no carbs.. carbs are needed in kibbles to bind them, no good for itchy dogs but you can find a better kibble then Science Diet also sardines, buy the tin sardines in spring water & add some with the kibble or as a treat..
Shampoo…..I use Malaseb medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on the skin but does not dry their skin out, leaving them feeling beautiful & soft….
When I rescued my boy he was in very bad condition, a change of diet & weekly baths in Malaseb within 1 month his hair started to grow back & he was itch & smell free…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogallergyinternationalgroup/

[Anonymous]

If the dog is really uncomfortable (suffering) I would make an appointment with a dermatologist/specialist. Has he been tested for environmental allergies (skin testing done by a dermatologist). That is where I would start…his symptoms may not have anything to do with food.

Here is one thread: /forums/topic/help-7/ and another one: /forums/topic/possible-food-allergies/
and another: /forums/topic/im-at-wits-end/
and another: /forums/topic/nutriscan-results-suggestions/
Best of luck.

[Jordan L]

I know this topic has probably been worn down but I have become completely overwhelmed with my research and all the choices out there.

My almost 5 yr old boxer has recently started shedding a concerning amount and is itching all over. He has a bit of dandruff and he has constant ear infections and subsequent scabs from itching his ears so much. I can see spots where his fur is uneven and his skin is starting to show because it is so thin. When we took him to the vet, she recommended oatmeal bathes, fish oil, and an antibac./anti-itch spray for his raw spots.

He has been on the same food since he was a puppy, Science Diet Lite for Large Breeds. I know it isn’t the most amazing food out there, but he tends to have a sensitive tummy and until now he has shown no signs of needing to change. My immediate response at this point is to try something new with his food. We are on a pretty strict budget, so I hate to spend double the amount we are already paying for his food, but I do not want to skimp when it comes to his health.

Any suggestions on where we can start, brand wise? TIA!

[Anonymous]

Has she been tested for environmental allergies (skin testing done by a dermatologist).
If this has been going on for 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief despite diet changes, baths etc. If the dog is experiencing distress and discomfort, that is how I would proceed.
Here is one thread: /forums/topic/help-7/ and another one: /forums/topic/possible-food-allergies/
Best of luck.

[Bobby dog]

I bought the cats Triumph GF Turkey & Giblets and GF Chic & Whitefish canned foods. They are pate’s and my cats liked them. I feed their turkey pate’ in my rotation. The Chic & Whitefish is more for the seniors when they won’t eat, but I did try it out on all of them and it went over well. Triumph is canned by Simmons.

jakes mom:
Why do I have a garden again? Even though I downsized, it doesn’t seem like I have. Bobby’s contribution to garden work was peeing on one of the catnip plants. lol

weezerweeks:
How are your colony of kitties? I am not sure if you read my post about large sized canned foods so I am posting again with an addition: Friskies, 4Health (Tractor Supply Co. & Del’s Feed house brand), Wellness, EVO, Innova, and add Triumph.

Triumph is budget friendly, although not as much as Friskies. You can find Triumph in some stores or on-line:
http://www.chewy.com/s?dept=all&query=triumph&nav-submit-button=Submit+Query

You could also check out the parent company’s other lines that are sold in grocery stores, Wal-Mart, and Target etc. for other possible options. Here’s their site:
http://www.sunshinemills.com/

[crazy4cats]

I’m glad you respect me, pitlove, but you left out a very important part of Dr. Pierson’s recommendations. She states that she would consider using Hill’s s/d for a short period until there is evidence of stone dissolution because it is the most acidifying food on the market. She also states that it could be a few days or 2-3 months. But does note that it should not be fed long term. She does say that the c/d could be fed long term, but does not recommend due to cost and unhealthy ingredients. I never recommended staying on it for life. I simply was very concerned about getting rid of those stones.

I couldn’t be any happier that it sounds like that is exactly what is going to happen. But, then, obviously there needs to be some changes made to ensure it doesn’t happen again. I have been reading SEVERAL vet’s points of view for the last 7 months to make the necessary changes to avoid this from happening again. Recurrences are very common. A holistic vet, Jane Bicks, personally recommended to me by email to stay on an Rx diet for six months and slowly transition off of it. And she actually has formulated and sells OTC cat food that I was inquiring about. She actually suggested staying on Rx for a bit over selling me her food, Instinctive Choice. My cat was already on a mostly canned diet when this occurred. There are a lot of other factors that contribute to stones as well.
I just think that we need to be careful when making recommendations on health conditions that are potentially life threatening.

[Pitlove]

Carrie- I’m so happy to hear you found another vet who was willing to work with you and offer you better suggestions! Thats fantastic and very rare. I didn’t want to step on C4C’s toes as I respect her and appreciate the hardship of something so serious as stones, however my concerns with rX foods remains. If you read up about them on Dr. Lisa Piersons website catinfo.org (cat info site yes but her explanation of rX diets can be applied to canines as well) she explains that there is no independent agency that governs rX diets and in fact the FDA is quoted as saying “Prescription Diet is an industry coined term, and has no legal meaning”. The FDA does not regulate them neither does any other organization and there have been no studies to even prove that they treat the disorder they claim to treat. Hill’s (Science Diet) actually were the ones to coin the term back in 1990. All in all you are paying a premium price for corn, rice and by-products and she also goes on to say that there is literally nothing in the food that requires a prescription though you need to have one.

I think the options the other vet are far better than being on a prescription diet for the rest of your dogs life. I really wish you the best of luck and I hope everything works out! Keep us updated on your baby

[Pitlove]

No I havent thought about doing that. She is already on an all canned diet and will eat any type of canned food be it pate, chunks in sauce, the human looking soup of Weruva, you name it she eats it. I felt like getting her on raw would be easy cuz of that. Also I’m thinking theres a chance it could be cheaper for me than feeding canned, even though she can only finish one 3oz can at each meal (dog and cat both eat twice daily about every 12 hours or so). I know you typically feed less with raw which is a bonus for me.

[Pitlove]

If these are your choices for food the first and most important thing you are going to need to do is read up on proper calcium levels for a large breed dog like the one you are getting and you are going to need to call each company for each food and make sure that any of them meet the calcium needs of a large breed dog, as what is listed on the bag is often a minimum amount of calcium meaning they can add much much more than what is listed on the bag. make sure to ask for the as fed amount. i would not even begin to worry about anything else until you know whether or not those needs are met. making sure that from 8 weeks to 8 months old, you meet the proper calcium levels for a large breed dog is vital in preventing skeletal disorders like pano, OCD and hip dysplasia later on in life and also as early as 10 months of age.

Here is a link to a thread made by Hound Dog Mom who has owned large/giant breed dogs for many many years of her life, discussing the nutritional needs of large/giant breed dogs

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

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

[Anonymous]

Hello
I am soon to be a weimaraner owner. Like every owner I with for my puppy to eat very best I plan to cook dog food when I can, but i need also dry food from time to time. Reviews on this site are very helpful but there is not many european brands. For reviewed food my choice is Acana Large breed. But there is few more brands for which I wish to hear opinion from experts. I listed links only to puppy food.

Cibau – Recomended by breader
(http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/node/100)

Brit – Recomended by breader and vet
(http://www.brit-petfood.com/products/dogs3/premium8/dry7/junior-l1111/)

Sams field – My choice because it contains 65% of meat and 30% cheaper than Acana
(http://www.samsfield.com/junior-large)

Looks promising and affordable:
Nutrivet – 80% meat grain free (http://www.new-instinct.com/dog-food/nutrivet/instinct/growth-nutrients)

Optima nova – 65% of meat (http://www.optimanova.eu/en/products/view/puppy-large-chicken-rice)

mac’s soft – 65% meat herman only (http://www.macs-tiernahrung.de/Macs-Soft/Huenchen/MACs_Soft_Puppy/MACs-Soft-Puppy-Huhn-15kg)

Simpsons – 80% of meat (http://www.simpsonspremium.com/puppy-dog-food?product_id=95)

Lower quality brands :
Meradog – (http://www.meradog.com/en/products/high-premium-puppy/sort-overview/junior2.html)

Josera – (http://www.josera-dog.com/premium/junior/)

[Carrie K]

I wrote before about an issue with my shepherd mix having with frequent UTIs, and I just brought her back to the vet after seeing yet more blood in her urine. They did an x-ray and found that she has four large stones in her bladder, and the vet said she had to have a prescription food (Hills, of course, which I’ve always blasted against) to dissolve them. If it will help her get better and not be in pain anymore, I suppose I’d be willing to feed it for a VERY short time. However, the vet also mentioned that she’d “have to be on a prescription diet for the rest of her life,” which I can only take to mean that they’re hoping to continue selling this crap to us for the foreseeable future.

My question is this: is there a resource where I can get a second opinion on this sort of thing (all vets in my area carry Hills, and I have a suspicion they’d all give us the same answer)? I read the ingredients/feeding instructions, and from what I can see, this food is going to starve her of everything she needs to thrive. The first four ingredients are water, corn starch, egg product, and chicken fat, for goodness sake! It also has an AAFCO statement that it’s only intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding. So what now??

[Pitlove]

agreed i’d love to see more than just two protein sources from them. here’s hoping they come out with more.

Also I just realized the Duck has chicken in it, so people definitely need to make sure they still read the label if their dog can not have chicken. I also wish NV would stop using Tapioca and do sweet potatoe or something else as a binder.

[Dori]

Jennifer have you called Dr. Dodd’s office or the number on your Nutri-Scan test and spoken to them about these results? Explaining to them that you are questioning the results? Perhaps they can re do the test free of charge.

I believe Nutri-Scan has the popularity that it does because of Dr. Dodd’s reputation. She has done fabulous research in regard to the thyroid. I had my allergy girl do the Nutri-Scan test a while back and outside of everything I already knew I really did not get any new information with the exception that it showed her to be sensitive/intolerant of white fish. Funny thing is it’s one of the few foods that Katie does really really well on. Just saying. I follow Dr. Dodd’s work because one of my other dogs is treated for hypothyroidism for many years. I’m not saying the test results for your dog are inaccurate, I’m just saying that there can be some issues with the test.

I figured out all of Katies food issues through a very long time of trial and error and a process of elimination of ingredients not necessarily having to do with the main protein in the food. Her biggest is that she cannot deal with any fowl whatsoever regardless of where it is on the ingredient list. Initially I thought it was just chicken. Turned out is was anything having feathers. Good Luck!

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

[Pitlove]

Sorry to repost, but I never got an answer and I’m still really curious if anyone has info about this. I posted this one page ago

Hey guys,
was reading through the front few pages for some help with a question about pano. i kind of got most of my answer but i guess i still have some questions..heres the story
i work at petco as some of you know already and i had a customer today whos 5 mo lab has already been diagnoised with pano. her vet recommended a senior dog food that was low in protein because she explained that high protein can cause over growth in large breed puppies. i thought that sounded weird but i really didnt want to completely be rude and go against her vet (since im in a professional setting) but i did mention to her what i know from Hound Dog Mom about calcium levels etc. i read through some of the articles HDM posted and saw that the protein theory was debunked but some vets still hold on to that. why is that? lack of education about recent research or what? SHOULD a dog that already HAS pano be on low protein? or is that not true either? i guess i’m wondering if the low protein diet her vet recommended was because the dog already has pano and its no longer a matter of preventing it

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kirsten-
Sorry about the troubles with your pup. I also have experienced a blockage due to struvite crystals with one of my cats. It was terrifying and expensive! They gave him only a 50% chance of surviving due to bladder damage. I have probably read 50 to 60 articles regarding this issue since. The most important thing is like the others have said, add as much moisture as possible. I read on another thread where you said your dog wouldn’t eat the Hill’s C/D canned. Right after my cats blockage, I fed him a variety of Rx canned that included, Hills Iams, Purina and Royal Canin. Your doc will need to give you a prescription for these, if you want to give them a try. Pet Smart carries a lot of Rx food as well as chewy.com. He also got a little Royal Canin S/O kibble. I have gradually transitioned off the Rx canned over a 6 month period to just regular canned food, but still feed the prescription kibble. He gets about 75% canned food now and forever! I also read that frequent small meals help to keep their pH level more balanced. So, I now feed three times per day instead of two. He also is now on an anti-anxiety meds and is wearing a calming collar to help keep his stress level down.
Sometimes these flare ups can be brought on from stress due to changes in routine, new family members, etc. . We made too many changes in our household too quickly for him to handle. It’s been about 7 months and he’s doing much better so far.
So, in my opinion, try out the other prescription canned foods until you get the crystals under control and then transition to as much regular canned, fresh or dehydrated food as possible. Regular bathroom breaks, smaller meals more frequently and keep the stress levels down. There are also supplements that help with Ph level as LM mentioned. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by crazy4cats.

[J S]

Update on our 2 dogs with struvite crystals. The girl with the recurring UTIs and previous-to-being-adopted-stone-surgery is getting more water with her food and getting out to pee more often. Trying to be calmer on our walks so that she can pee as often as she wants/needs to (every five feet if there are good smells around!). She hasn’t exhibited the crawl-peeing of an infection the last two days and has never exhibited pain when peeing. As soon as the crawl-peeing showed up I added 500 mg of vit c to each meal and she’s already getting a scoop of Cranberry Relief in the morning and a scoop of Wysong Biotic Ph with dinner, and eating the Royal Canin S/O with a little wet food. I’m also using Colloidal Silver (10 drops each meal for 2 days, then 6 drops, until 2 days after symptoms ended. Her pH this morning was 6.75. I’ve used Vit C and colloidal silver on myself when I was told I had a UTI. I really dislike using antibiotics unless extremely necessary. Here’s a website on C.S. by a holistic vet: http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/08/colloidal-silver-diy-treatment-for-dogs.html . Our boy dog shows no signs of a UTI and his ph on regular diet is 5.75. Next time we run out of food I’m going to switch from All Stages Canidae to their grain-free version to see if that will help with our girl. If anyone has found a difference using distilled water please let me know. I know our country water is a little on the hard side so that would be the next best thing to try. We’d also started giving her a glucosamine/MSM pill which I see includes other minerals which may have contributed to her last crystal-forming. She sure felt like a puppy on that even with signs of an infection, but obviously we’re still learning! I’m thinking her recurrent infections are because of her psyche as well as nearly touching the ground when she pees, and she’s also part husky and loves to dig in the dirt, which flies right back through her hind legs.

[Tonia N]

I have my reader updated, I am not able to ‘print’ the list off so I can take it to the store… The print icon is grayed out… I am wanting to know if there is a way I can print it off to a hard copy.

[Kirsten W]

After reading everyone’s stories and gaining some advice, I thought I would share Luna’s story. Luna is a 2yr 10month old cavachon, in January she was taken for emergency surgery for bladder stones. One was stuck in her urethra and she was rushed to a specialist after 4 days of not being able to go for a wee after her op, they were constantly having to drain her bladder poor thing. Since then she has had 2 UTI’s and it seems like she is constantly on antibiotics, today she is going back for treatment of another possible UTI. We were advised to out her on Hills c/d food which she hates and I don’t blame her! So we have switched her back to her pate which has high moisture levels and the hills biscuit. Her last urine sample showed she still had crystals and the vets don’t seem to know how to get rid of these, after reading everyone’s comments on this page, I am going to ask my vet today about cranberry capsules and vitamin C. I will do anything for her to not have these stones again as one was the size of a large peanut and she is only a small dog. They removed over 25 total and we know she had passed 3. It was the worst time of my life seeing her in so much pain, to the point where she nipped me when I touched her Fter she tried to wee and rolled on her back in pain. So glad I have insurance on her as the operation and days following would have cost £7000 each round of urine tests and antibiotics is costing me £80 every 4-6 weeks.
Is there anything else people can suggest? She has water put in her food plus water all, day and constant access to the garden.
Thank you

[Susan]

If you read the test your dog can have rice duck lamb & don’t forget the Nutri-Scan Salvia test, test for JUST 20 foods only so there’s probably other foods like Tapioca etc that your dog can eat …. your dog can eat the “California Natural” Lamb & Rice that has just 4 ingredients Lamb, white rice, brown rice & sunflower oil.. or the best thing I would do is feed raw diet that way you are in control of all the ingredients…….
Your dog has just proven LM WRONG she always goes on on that your dog cant have food intolerances chances are your dog has environment allergies, see a Dermatologist for environment testing & waste $2000 then what, how do stop all the pollens in the air, all grass on ground, you cant the Nutri-Scan test has proven LM her wrong.. Dogs do have Food Intolerances..
Jean Dodds has the only & best IgA & IgM salvia testing around….

[Pitlove]

Hi Tonia- Marie did actually point you in a good direction if you are interested in feeding raw/homemade. Hound Dog Mom who is the one who made the thread focusing on large/giant breed puppies does in fact feed a raw homemade diet and talks about it in that thread. It is however a very long thread but a good and helpful thread. Unfortunetly large breed puppies have certain diet requirements until 8mo’s of age that help prevent many diabilitating skeletal diseases, that can end up costing thousands of dollars in vet bills.

Hound Dog Mom has a list of foods that have the proper calcium levels for large/giant breed puppies, some are grain-free and others are grain-inclusive. I would start there and figure out what your budget IS and then compare a few that she has on her list and see if any are budget friendly enough. They are all 4 to 5 star in quality so if you are looking for something 3 stars or lower to save money A) that list won’t be too helpful and B) the food may not have the correct calcium levels a large breed puppy needs.

[Pitlove]

Linda- Rotties! i love them. we also have a Rottweiler along with our Pitbull a chocolate lab and an English springer spaniel. Sam, our Rottweiler (technically he is my boyfriends parents dog, so I dont get to control what he eats unfortunetly but i still think of him as my dog since I give him the most attention as hes the outside dog) is 2 probably almost 3 years old now. The bf’s parents have had all the dogs on Purina ONE lamb and rice since forever. The family dog has always been Rottweilers and unfortunely all but maybe one passed away at around 8 years old. Cancer, e-coli poisoning, you name it its happened to our Rottweilers. If it were up to me and I got to choose his food I would feed him the way I feed my Pitbull who is also prone to the problems that large breed dogs have as he is 66lbs at a year old. I do what is called a rotational diet with my dog. I certainly have him on Orijen’s Adult Dog and after that bag is through i’ve got EVO lined up next for him to try. I also feed him wet food. Now that your Rottie is far past the point where you have to worry about the calcium levels not being too high or too low to prevent rapid growth thus causing many different skeletal related disorders, you can kinda give him a nice variety of foods. If you are on a budget as someone who is retired and need to stick with kibbles, definitely go for the 5 star rated ones. I know a lot of people on here have issues with Taste of the Wild. I BELIEVE its manufacture by Diamond which has a long recall history and a terrible reputation. You want to make sure that the kibble is as species appropriate as you can get if you, like myself, can’t feed a raw diet, which would be the healthiest way for any dog to eat. Species appropriate for ANY dog of any breed being high in animal protein, at least 30% or more, moderate in fats, and low in carbs. Foods that I like and have and will use in my rotation for my pitbull are Orijen (all of them), Wellness CORE, Nature’s Variety, Merrick (GF only), EVO, Grandma Mae’s GF. I’m still working on my list but that is what I have so far.

As for raw, if it is something you are interested in, PLEASE make sure you do A LOT of research before feeding raw because it is possible to make your dog very unhealthy by not feeding a COMPLETE and BALANCED raw diet.

Also to help with the transitions to the food, you can add probiotics to their diet, like canned pumpkin and kefir. I also use a supplement thats premade in a power form made by a very great company called The Honest Kitchen. They use human grade ingredients and make their food in a human grade factory. Its called Perfect Form. Probiotics help build healthy flora(bacteria) in your dogs gut to make transitioning to a new food pain free for you and your dog. Just like with humans dogs should be able to eat a different food or protein every meal if not every couple months without digestive upset. Dogs whos stomachs are already sick and lacking those bacteria that make their gut strong due to being fed the same food day in and day out are the ones who get loose stool and vomitting when you switch their food. Instantly the owner blames the food and switches them back and never switches the food again under the claim that their dog has whats commonly called a “sensitive stomach”.

The joint supplements are a great idea. Glucosamine is a great supplement for joint and hip problems. Cancer, I feel, and I think others do too can have a lot to do with a poor diet. A lot of poor grade dogs foods do contain ingredients that are carcinogenic even for humans and without variety in their diet they are being fed those toxins for years and eventually is catches up with them. The rotational diet helps prevent that and the build up of allergies as well. If your Rottie is already allergic to a protein source like chicken, you are going to want to be very careful with the food you choose as many have chicken meal or chicken fat hidden in the list of ingredients. Its all about reading ingredients but more importantly HOW to read the ingredients and the GA, which is why this website is so helpful. But like many here including Dr. Mike will tell you, its a jumping off point. Once you find a good food, you want to look further into the company that makes it, the co-packers, the recall history etc and make sure that you’re not being fooled into thinking its a good food based on the ingredients. Also knowing where the company sources from is important, what with all the problems we have been having with China lately. Avoid China. Thailand on the other hand is ok.

I really hope that I’ve helped a little and that others will contribute or correct me if I’m wrong about any of my points. I love Rotties so I’m glad to be able to give you some direction with his health!

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

[InkedMarie]

I personally think a grainfree food would be a good choice. You have a large breed dog that will probably get some arthritis in coming years; grains can be inflammatory. There are a couple good foods that are low grain: Nature’s Logic only has millet and Farmina low grain is obviously low in grains.

Some foods I like are Farmina, Annamaet, Dr Tim’s, Natures Logic….

I’ve read that people think a raw diet is best for cancer dogs; I do feed raw but not because of that.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Jamie F:
I can understand a busy life with family obligations! Making sure your dogs are eating properly can certainly add to the already stressful routine of taking care of your family. However, I also hope you re-consider eliminating canned foods. Here is a post with information about the benefits of canned foods:
/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/

It’s possible the canned food does not agree with them or maybe you are over-feeding a little. When you add canned or fresh foods reduce the amount of kibble to compensate for the added calories. You could even alternate between fresh foods and canned. If you still decide to eliminate the canned I suggest you continue to add boiled chicken or other dog appropriate meat to their diet. Fresh foods are a healthy addition to a kibble based diet. To keep your dogs’ diet balanced when feeding unbalanced foods, such as boiled chicken, be sure to keep the amount to no more than 10% of their daily caloric intake. Here’s info on adding fresh foods to a kibble diet:
http://dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html
You can find info on food calories here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

As pitlove has already mentioned, consider feeding a rotational diet for variety. Look for several kibbles with different protein and carb sources. Check out the four and five star rated foods on DFA. If you buy from pet stores take the lists with you to help narrow down your choices.
/dog-food-reviews/dry/4-star/
/dog-food-reviews/dry/5-star/
Here’s some info on rotational feeding:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

L M’s suggestion for soaking the kibble and adding broth would be another option if you decide to stop feeding canned.

The Honest Kitchen Perfect Form is a supplement that contains ingredients to help with digestive upsets and firm loose stools, however it’s not a probiotic. Canned plain pumpkin helps with both loose stools or constipation.
3.2 oz Perfect Form Herbal Digestive Supplement
http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/nutrition/3-health-benefits-pumpkin-dogs

Probiotics contain helpful live bacteria that may help with digestion. Adding a probiotic to their diet may also help with their gas and with transitioning to new foods. You could try something as simple as plain yogurt that contains live cultures or plain kefir; be sure they contain no artificial sweeteners. Here’s some info on feeding yogurt & kefir:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html
Here’s some info on probiotics:
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/suppsdigestive.html#probiotics

I have used yogurt, kefir, and Swanson’s Ultra Soil Based Organisms when my dog had skin and fur issues in the past. He is doing well now so I don’t supplement with any at this time. I currently feed Actipet Ultra Probiotic to my cat for his skin and digestion issues. It has helped him a great deal. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Linda K]

Hi Jake’s Mom, Pitlove and InkedMarie. Thanks for your responses.

Pitlove, thanks so much for your follow-up questions. I have a Rotweiller who is 3.5 yrs old. I am very upset with myself for feeding him Purina Puppy Chow until he was a year old and feel I did not given him the best chance in his formative year to be as healthy as he could be over the course of his lifetime. But he seems to be healthy so far with just a few normal problems….allergies, gas, etc.

The things I am concerned about are bloat (one of the girls from his litter died from it), hip dysplasia, which I know is common to many large breeds, and in particular, I am concerned about cancer. I recently researched brands to change him off of Science Diet, which I moved him to after Purina, but it turns out that Science Diet is not very good either. I read some reviews about Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula which gets 5 stars from DogFoodAdvisor. I also read some reviews for this brand and within the first 5 or 6, two of the people were Rotweiller owners and they both said it was excellent. One said that his Rotweillers usually die fairly early due to cancer, but this food has kept his new ones healthy. It really scared me because I did not realize that Rotties were genetically predisposed to certain types of cancer. So I got it immediately…..but I wanted to see if there might be anything even better since I apparently have not given him the benefits of great nourishment up to this point. I want to make up for lost time, and I will spare no expense (even though I am retired). So far, he seems to be doing well on the new food but has loose stools. I am doing it very gradually. I am also giving him a supplement for hips and joints that was recommended by his vet.

So, I guess in a nutshell, I wrote because I wanted to be sure I am doing all I can for him and have made a good choice this time.

Sorry this is so long. Thanks!

[Pitlove]

Hey guys,
was reading through the front few pages for some help with a question about pano. i kind of got most of my answer but i guess i still have some questions..heres the story

i work at petco as some of you know already and i had a customer today whos 5 mo lab has already been diagnoised with pano. her vet recommended a senior dog food that was low in protein because she explained that high protein can cause over growth in large breed puppies. i thought that sounded weird but i really didnt want to completely be rude and go against her vet (since im in a professional setting) but i did mention to her what i know from Hound Dog Mom about calcium levels etc. i read through some of the articles HDM posted and saw that the protein theory was debunked but some vets still hold on to that. why is that? lack of education about recent research or what? SHOULD a dog that already HAS pano be on low protein? or is that not true either? i guess i’m wondering if the low protein diet her vet recommended was because the dog already has pano and its no longer a matter of preventing it

[jakes mom]

I know what you mean! The trial has 10#, 4 each of chix and turkey and 2# duck. I just read an old post here tho. Said something about not using grinds for cats because bacteria will eat taurine? Hope somebody can comment on that! I’m not sure how this will go. Dustin likes freezedried Primal and fresh meat and Julie likes fresh, the others not really interested at all. Nobody will eat the frozen. Might end up cancelling after this trial or maybe just changing the auto ship to a longer interval if I’m only going feed to one or 2 instead of all of them. Would be better for them and save me from lugging so many cans home!

[jella]

Dear LT, Champion did get back with me right away about the alfalfa percentage. It is a very small amount 3 %. So I agree with you about they are probably careful (hopefully) about cleaning it out if it has been sprayed with pesticides. They have been really helpful and answered all the emails. The KiwiPeak company hasn’t even bothered to answer a question I wrote days ago. So I am going to try the 6 fish formula that the company rep suggested to try first. It was a lot cheaper than the freeze dried and my dog probably eats like your dog. I will try to look see what they suggest for his weight. Just ordered it from Chewy.com. So thank you for copying everything for me and getting right back to me so fast. I hope they ship fast, he is getting used to these fried hamburgers and special foods given to him each night. LOL Oh the vet said he wasn’t allergic to virgin coconut oil so maybe I can supplement this with his dry food. At least 1 Tbl. spoon full for his hair to grow back. I read where Virgin Coconut oil kills viruses, bacteria, and fungus infections in humans I am assuming it works the same way for dogs.

[Pitlove]

somebodysme- see a doctor about a chill pill. I have fed BB and my dog didnt have side effects either. however he stopped eating it one day. i think you missed the point where i mentioned how BB is very overpriced and they have been dishonest for a year about what is in their food. me and many other people do not like giving money to a company who can’t even be honest about what is in their bags. it’s not my “expert advice” its my opinion. and i’m not alone in the feeling. plently of people on this site and in this thread dont feed BB anymore.

c4c (who I respect on here) and you might have given your dogs popcorn in the past but its not one of the human foods i choose to share with my dog. again my opinion. and it’s also my opinion that im not surprised he got an upset stomach with all the butter on popcorn. not saying its dangerous for them to eat just saying i can see how their stomach could get upset from it. no reason for the temper tantrum.

[Dori]

I give all three dogs Sentinel Spectrum once every 30 days. Hannah gets Denamarin every single day 1 – 1 1/2 hours before dinner every single day. I don’t give milk thistle separate for either of the other two. I’ve been giving all three (and other dogs I’ve had in my 66 years) heart worm medication all their lives every 30 days. I got a little negligent at one point over the winter and then I read losul’s HW with Turbo and decided to get back to their routine. Milk thistle I think is contraindicated, I THINK, from what I’ve read….maybe Shawna????, don’t remember….for a few days after because maybe it intensifies the HW?????? Don’t really remember. It was so long ago. Maybe it had something to do with milk thistle and vaccinations???? Wish I remembered so I could give you a clearer picture. My routine for my girls is Sentinel every 30 days regardless. Hannah gets Denamarin which contains milk thistle every single day. Katie and Lola never get milk thistle or Denamarin as I’ve read research that I shouldn’t give them liver support or kidney support if it’s not necessary. Anyway, this is my routine with my girls and all is going well here. I use a lot of holistic and homeopathic things in my home but I don’t experiment with the dogs. My routine has worked for them and losul’s experience with Turbo honestly scared the crap out of me. My girls are way too small to deal with HW treatments. I know a lot of people are against HW preventative, that’s not me. Vets in my area still use the arsenic cure for HW. I can’t imagine putting teeny tiny dogs through arsenic poisoning in hopes it kills the heart worms and doesn’t suffocate the dogs while the “cure” is happening. I’ve been using Sentinel Spectrum since it’s introduction a while back and no adverse reactions with any of the girls. Living in the South (Georgia) we have a lot to deal with. Fleas, ticks, worms, what have you.