[crazy4cats]

Akari-
I’m sorry to report that we are having record breaking warm weather. We have been up over 60 degrees the last few days. It is very unusual. Everything is confused. The frogs are croaking, the birds are singing, and flowers are trying to bloom already. Crazy! Our mountain ski resorts are sure suffering though.

Anyway, stopped at Del’s and there was no grain free canned yet. Just as well, I didn’t have my readers and wouldn’t be able to read the labels anyway! Picked up some canned cat food and litter. BDog, I think you told me that you like their house brand litter. I’m going to give it a shot. I also got some fresh cedar chips for the dogs’ kennel. They smell great in our warm spring weather!

[Akari_32]

Hey guys! I guess it’s been a while since I’ve updated this thread!

All in all, Ginger continues to do well on her new diet and with life in general. She’s been in much better spirits, and appears to be in less pain and is able to get around better.

I’ve also noticed, since starting her new diet, that she’s been learning things, particularly, she’s figuring out that the faster she gets to her cage (or some times Bentleys cage if hers isn’t around LOL in which case, I have to lure her out and into her bed), the faster she gets to eat. She’s also learning that when Bentley gets his harness on, we are going for a walk and that gets her all excited and she runs to door as fast as she can and scratches at it and rings the bell. These are just two examples. All that fish oil is good for the brain, I suppose lol

Today, however, she has been in a down right nasty mood. Not sure what her problem is. I was talking to mom on the phone on my way home from work, and she had both of them in her bed and she kept complaining that ginger was growling at her every time mom moved or tried to touch her or move her. Mom also said she was staring off into space, and had a hard time better her “back.” Then, a little bit ago, I went to get her out of moms bed to take her out and put her in her cage, and when I took the covers off her, she lunged at me tried to bite me. I had to scoop her up using my whole arm to support her body while holding her scruff as tightly as I could to keep her from turning around and biting me until she calmed down enough for me to release her onto the floor and put her leash on.

So, on one hand, Ginger is happy and doing great, and is associating walks and dinner time with certain routines, but at the same time, she’s showing some sever symptoms of dementia, and they’re quite sudden and dramatic. Walks are definitely keeping her in a better mood over all, and her food is helping with cognitive function to a certain degree, as well as helping her joints and pain, but I’m still fighting a losing battle with dementia. I really hope these bad mood swings do not lead to a safety issue with the other animals in the house, not to mention the effect they could lead to with her over all quality of life. We all know where both of those lead, and thays a one way ticket….

For now, they’re just short phases. I’m not going to get myself down about it just yet. She’s a happy little dog 95% of the time, so long as that keeps up, I’m happy for her enough to make up that 5%, then some 🙂 Not a day goes by that I see her running at the end of her leash and think “How could anyone give up on this dog? How could anyone not want her?”

[lovemypuppy]

Thanks everyone for all the good information!

First let me say, I’m in my late 30’s and this is the first dog I’ve owned, lived with, or cared for. Not trying to use that as an excuse, it is what it is, but I’m definitely having a steep learning curve, and unfortunately it’s at the expense of my pup 🙁

I don’t know she has a food allergy or any type of allergy, but given her breed (Boston Terrier), finickiness, weight loss, red eyes, tear stains, brittle and dry fur, dry itchy skin, missing fur on her hind legs and behind her ears, and a few small scabs from scratching, I felt like it made sense to try to switch to raw with minimal ingredients in hopes of improving her overall health and identifying any potential allergens.

Unfortunately, I didn’t come to this conclusion until after giving her WAY TOO MANY different types of animal proteins (kibble, wet, freeze dried, toppers, etc.) while trying to find a food (and training treat) she’d settle on. I’m sure it didn’t help that she also went through quite a few different foods with the breeder when she was having a hard time weaning.

At this point, I’m not sure it would be possible for me to pinpoint a specific food that might be causing her skin and fur issues. The animal proteins she’s had the most of are chicken, beef, and turkey. Also, most of her symptoms were present before I started switching her food around and giving her novel animal proteins. So, if I had to take a guess, I would say she is having a hard time with turkey, chicken, and maybe lentils (they gave her horrid gas, anyway).

At this point, she’s been on the commercial raw for about a week and I’m seeing dramatic improvement. She still has tear stains, but I imagine that will take time (to grow out) and diligence on my end (wiping her face). She has gained weight and filled out, her coat is not nearly as dry (even shiny towards her back/spine) and her skin flaking and itchiness has lessened.

Given her overall improvement, I’m not inclined to switch her food yet again, especially if I can just stick with this for 10 weeks and see where she is at then (and if need be do more of a true elimination diet). I will stop the catfish skins (bummer) and try to find some type of low fat duck chew. I have sweet potato chews but she doesn’t really like them … they seem to crumble up and are more crunchy than chewy. Maybe if that’s her only choice though, she’ll learn to enjoy them 🙂

@DogFoodie, have you looked at Nordic Naturals Pet Collection? They use pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled fish oil, using sardine and anchovy oil or cod liver oil. Their pet line is pretty much the same as their human line with the exception of tocopherols as the preservative rather than rosemary extract. Just a thought.

If you read all of this, you rock! Sorry it’s so long and again thanks to all for offering your valuable insight!

[lovemypuppy]

I’m just learning about this today. I’m new to dogs as my first ever is just a small puppy right now, but I’m wanting to be well read for our next vet appointment. What I like about Interceptor is, (according to the FDA) the minimum effective dose to prevent heart worm is just 0.1mg per kg. Of course, the milbemycin oxime at this low of a dose won’t do a thing for intestinal worms, but I don’t like the idea of treating for things that aren’t necessarily an issue. I looked everywhere online to purchase it and couldn’t find it anywhere, then realized it was discontinued. I did find a site that claims to have the same drug/medication from the same manufacturer but labeled for different countries for sale. I didn’t feel comfortable trusting that, so am happy to learn Elanco will be bringing this product back in the spring! My puppy is 11 weeks now, so I hope we can go straight to it without having to use something else 🙂

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Don..

To me, it sounds like the dog is getting ready to bloat. I am guessing the vet was suggesting tacking the stomach? Bloat is an emergency, bloat with stomach torsion is a killer. Unfortunately there is no definitive cause, but deep chested and large breeds are more prone to it and many have a genetic factor. If this is the case I can not imagine how food would stop the issue.

As for the Retriever I would change that if for no other reason then it’s very poor quality.

Melissa

Find out what kind of surgery was recommended.

[david c]

i’m getting an irish wolfhound puppy in a week or two, i’ve had two wolfhounds and they were both raised on Iams. The first lived to she was almost 12yr and the second 7yrs and came down with a cancer called angiosarcoma but she had issues with changes in her stool regularly. I’ve been reading about dog foods and now i’m so confused about which food to use with all the different ingredents and so many different brands, brands that i never heard of or seen before in the pet stores in my area and i’m just wondering if i should just feed her real store bought food to elminate reading labels and all the guess work in what percentage of protein,fats, and carbohydrates exist and where they came from. Its way too much work. Can you feed a puppy home cooked food?

[Dori]

Hi Kimberly C. It sounds as though your dog is having food intolerances/sensitivities. First off he should be on grain free foods. Avoid corn, soy, white potatoes, rice and all poultry. That’s for starters. You also mention that your dog has seizures. Very important is to avoid any foods that contain rosemary in any form.

I have three small dogs all of which are on commercial raw dog foods. One of my girls has a multitude of food intolerances which is what led me on the road to raw feeding about three years ago. I started by eliminating all the ingredients I mentioned above. I feed commercial raw foods. I’m not inclined to make my own because, well…. truth be told I just don’t feel like doing it. Here is the list of commercial raw food companies that I have researched to death over the years and that I trust. Primal Raw Pronto, Primal Raw Formulas (these are Primal’s complete and balanced foods…you don’t have to add anything to them in the way of supplements). Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Dog Foods, Vital Essential Raw Foods, OC Raw Dog Food, Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen. I also from time to time have on hand their freeze dried foods (they’re raw and you can feed as is without hydrating). As for dehydrated foods, the only one I use is The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal formula. The others contain some type of poultry or white potatoes that I choose not to feed. I feed what is called a rotational diet. I rotate different brands and different proteins within the brands with the exception of any and all poultry. I also do not feed any commercial treats. For the most part they all contain some sort of grain and there have been way too many recalls of dog treats for me to take a chance with my dogs. For treats I feed them little pieces of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I puree them. Sometimes they’re cooked from our dinner. For the most part since I use them as treats for them I’m not particularly concerned about how much nutritional value they get from the fruits and veggies. The enjoy them, as they would a commercial treat, and that is my intent in giving them to them. If they get some nutritional value from them, even a little, that’s great; if not, that’s not the purpose I give them the treats. Of course you know you can go on google and just google what fruits and vegetables you can feed your dogs or go in reverse and type in what fruits and veggies you should not be feeding your dogs. Always, of course avoid onions, grapes, raisins. As for fruits, never feed anything that still has it’s pit or seeds. They tend to be toxic. As for apples I always don’t feed the peel. Apples are sprayed continuously to detract worms. They are also highly waxed to appear pretty for the consumer. I think I read somewhere, but don’t now remember where, that the skin of an apple has more bacteria than any other fruit on the market. That would probably hold true for cucumbers on the market due to the same reasons. I feed both but I peel them. Hope any of this has helped you. If you have any other questions, please ask.

Please remember to check any and all foods you feed your seizure dog so that you avoid rosemary in any form. Studies have shown (in people so far as no study has been done in animals as of yet) that if one has a predisposition to seizures, rosemary can trigger a seizure.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dori.

[Lyndel M]

Hi Gloria,

Yes, there is certainly a lot of confusion amongst the raw and the cooked dog food camps. I have been reading heaps about it. Those in the raw food camp put forward for the raw food diet. I shall do my best to summarise a few of the key points that are important to me. First, they say that the dog’s metabolism has changed very little from the wolves, the original wild dogs. They suggest that when we provide our dogs with the right proportions of meats, organ meats, vegetables, fruit matter and bones, they’re digestive systems have the best chance of exacting the nutrients they need for shiny coats, healthier skin and teeth, stronger bones, and decreased chances of modern-day ailments and diseases that dogs in the wild rarely if ever have. Some of these ailments include itching, skin irritations, including dryness, fleas, hip dysplasia and arthritis.

In the other camp, there is some criticism of the raw diet saying that giving a dog only food i.e., meats risks feeding contaminated food, that people don’t take enough care in raw food preparation, that dogs today have evolved to adjust to modern (cooked, commercial) food and that dogs are at moderate – high risk of injuries from bone which become lodged in the throat or gut.

I am definitely against using any commercial dog foods. There are some great you-tube documentaries disclosing the shocking truth about the poor quality of nutrition of kibble and canned dog foods and the associated illnesses. In addition, that most Vets receive very little real knowledge of nutrition in their veterinarian studies and are just as influenced by the unregulated marketing and commercial dog food producers as GPs are by drug companies.

Regardless, Jean Hofve & Celeste Yarnall “Paleo Dog” is one book that has been recommended provide excellent information for providing your dog with all of the information needed to provide our dogs with all of the nutrients required and how to do so, if we want to go down the raw food pathway. Also there is the BARF raw foods that you can purchase and other online info about this pathway. And there are heaps of recipes for cooking our dogs food as well. Andi Brown “The Whole Pet Diet: 8 wks to great health for dogs and cats”, which is also excellent for going down the cooked food pathway. They both recommend certain supplements and they both provide enough evidence to suggest that just like for humans, if we give our pets fresh wholesome, organic foods (either raw or cooked) we will be doing our beloved pets a great service.

Given I have been a passionate advocate of healthy, unprocessed foods for more 40years, I certainly want to extend this to my pet. People on this post have just been concerned that I was being cruel to our new puppy for placing his food into chewtoys. However, I made the mistake of saying that we would be putting all of his daily foods into chewtoys, whereas that won’t be the case. But I will definitely using chewtoys together with crate training, self-soothing, stimulation and entertainment as I mentioned in my previous post. I am definitely not an expert, but a concerned pet owner who has done lots and lots of reading in order to do the best by our new puppy in terms of nutrition and training. All the best!! :0)

[Akari_32]

Listen! At this point, it’s too late for winter weather, my brains already ready for warm, spring weather LOL Anything below 60 is just not right LOL But you can come over! Party at my house! 😀

I do like Arm and Hammer, as well, both lines, other than how powdery it is and the smell (smells are a no-no in my house, especially flowery ones. Gives us headaches). The black box ones are so expensive here, though. $13 for a small box at the grocery store! AND I’m pretty sure they’re less than 10 lbs. They have a new light weight one, so keep an eye out for coupons, and sales!

[Naturella]

Thank you, Marie, D_O, and Dori!

Ok, so we were just going to do a day trip… But I found a REALLY affordable offer for a pet-friendly hotel DOWNTOWN (2 miles from the Aquarium, 3 miles from the River Boat), so I booked a room. If we decide not to stay, as long as we call before check-in time, they won’t charge us. I am pumped though! This way we can see a bit more of Chattanooga and do more, plus have our baby with us sometimes! It is our first anniversary and I feel like we deserve a tiny little splurge, like a weekend trip! We never had a honeymoon anyway, lol, so here it is! 😀

I am pretty excited, but done hogging the thread! Thank you all for the kind wishes! 🙂

[losul]

I started this thread almost a year ago as way to receive much needed advice and info, as I was hit with an unexpected bombshell, and needed to learn quickly all that I could. I didn’t even know very much about heartworms at the time. I’m forever grateful to all those who provided loads of info and advice, and all kind words of support, thoughts and best wishes. At the same time I wanted to chronicle everything I learned in a manner as objective as possible, not only for my own useful purposes of reviewing, but also hopefully for others it could possibly help that found themselves in the same predicament. I wanted to weigh everything I could, learn as much as I could, do all I could, so that I could arrive at the best decision I could make. I stand by my own personal decision. This was never a clear cut decision, it was NEVER simply one way is right and one way is wrong. There are way too many VERY important factors to weigh. The issue itself is way too important and serious, and dogs health and lives can be at risk. If my dogs condition warranted the other method, I would most definitely have used it. But I’ll NEVER try to promote a particular method as a blanket statement.

The events of the last several days showed this thread was no longer where I intended it to go. What happened to facts and objectivity? I’d never take sides in there is only one right way, and only one wrong way, there isn’t IMO, there is no one size fits all. I’ve had Turbo’s results since yesterday, again I know I made the right decision for us, no one else. I’ve now had to come to another VERY hard decision. I’ve decided NOT to post them in public.

Glenna, if you could ask Dr Sagman to forward your EM address to mine, and he would be so kind to do so, I am more than willing to discuss with you.

[l0vx3]

So I’ve been reading Dog Food Advisor for awhile now and reading peoples’ comments and suggestions, but there are just too many options for me. I have two dogs: a 2 year old 60 pound pitbull and a 7 month old 4 pound chihuahua.

I’ve been feeding them Victor Dog Food. It’s sold right by my house and it’s a great price for the quality. I have SOO many questions I’d love to ask. But I’ll try to keep it to a minimum lol.

For my two dogs, which Victor foods specifically would be best for each of them? I do not show, breed, or exercise either of them intensely. The chihuahua obviously has more energy than the pitbull, but the pitbull has amazing stamina.

Could someone who knows a lot about each compare and contrast each of them or the best ones? I’m confused about “atwater figures” so is one better than the other in terms of protein/fat/carb ratios? I’m not even sure how much of each a dog is supposed to have?

Also, after comparing and choosing the best ones, should I rotate some of them? Is water added to dry kibble? Is there any best way to feed dry kibble? Should it be mixed with canned food? If so, how much? AHHhh please just tell me as much as you can haha. Thank you!

[Barbara]

naturella sorry i just reread my post that i had posted in the middle of the night when i was in pain and could not sleep…i did not mean to sound like you or anyone else who collects coupons are wasting their time. i just can’t believe that you had to go through that hassle the clerks gave you! i forget that not everyone has big dogs like i have and orders 2 30# bags every 3 weeks! i just find it easier to order on chewy.com where for the last 2 months i have been ordering 30# bags of castor and pollux grain free ultramix duck for only 49.99 and their grain and poultry free ultramix salmon for 47.99. compared to other on-line sites and dog food stores like petco and petsmart these prices are very good because i need to get the large bags and i don’t have to carry 30# bags to my car all the time! i do rotate their dry kibble and have ordered other brands from chewy that have good ratings on dfa and are grain free…i think i have been ordering from chewy now for at least 3 years… i also occasionally drive a ways to a county feed store to get victor dog food especially their grain free joint health which has beef in it so they do get a variety of kibble along with lightly cooked meats and veggies. my 14 yr old border collie/flat coat mix also gets kirkland’s natures domain canned turkey and peas from costco rated 5 star and only 20 dollars for 24 cans! i do realize that coupons are good when you have the time to search for them and need smaller size bags then i do…so do take care and happy coupon hunting and thanks for sharing them with others! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Barbara.

[Barbara]

naturella sweetie how many puppies do you have anyway? i was completely lost reading about this coupon transaction! is it really worth it? i am just about 70 years young and i have found over the last several years why waste your life collecting coupons? i don’t go on the site much lately because i broke my right shoulder mis-stepping over one of my dogs that never in her 12 years has ever jumped up when you step over her 80 lbs until this one time!! ugh! what luck! i am already retired and supposed to be getting our home ready to go on the market here in kansas so we can move to northwestern Washington where our grandchildren live…my husband(who still works for now) says i broke my shoulder so that i could just supervise while he does all the work! i was always good at supervising…:o)

i have 3 dogs 1 is 50 lbs, and 2 that are almost 80 lbs each but it is so much easier and really cheaper to order on-line or go to a county feed store…i personally have been ordering from chewy.com because the have great prices much better on 4 and 5 star kibble then petsmart or petco has even with coupons and with no hassle! relax and do something for you… walk your pets 2-3 times a day instead of shopping but don’t break anything…take care

[Gloria K]

As you already know I make all of my dogs food and treats I have a problem and hoping someone knows the answer. The first two or three times I made treats I used wheat flour. The biscuits and cookies came out perfect just like regular cookies do. However I noticed my dog developed a very red rash on the inside of his thighs. I wondered if it could have been a wheat allergy so I stopped using wheat and started using coconut and rice flours instead. About a week later the rash went away. Two or three weeks later I gave him a wheat flour cookie just to see what would happen and the rash came back so looks like he may indeed have a wheat allergy.
The biscuits and cookies that I make him now are very dry. I’ve cut back on the amount of rice and coconut flour as someone suggested using 1/4 to 1/3 cup to the recipe calling for one cup of wheat or whole wheat flour. Has anyone used these flours and if so do you have the same problem with dryness that I have? Is there a solution to this? What am I doing wrong and what can I do to fix it?

[Naturella]

Let’s see if I can explain it – you go to photobucket.com, set up an account, then upload your photos there. Then go to Library (where your photos are), and when you click on a picture, on the right hand side there will be different options on how to post it. I use the HTML one (but the IMG one will work too) – just click on the code and it automatically copies, then come and paste it in your comment on here and your pic will appear after you submit your comment. This will make more sense if you read it while actually using Photobucket, lol.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.

[losul]

have limited time now, can’t get into much a discsussion, The 4x HW tickborne was considerable cheaper when included in the complete bloodwork package which is sent to an an outside lab, so rather thanm have them do the 4X inhouse and sending the rest out, I’m waiting day to find out all results tommorrow. The courier picks up today, and results should be ready tommorrow, he probably won’t call me until late. Per the vet, heart and lungs sound great, lungs sound clear. Condition appears excellent. He told me not change anything I was doing, barring any kind of problems and he is quite aware of his to activity’s. have more advantage multi now, but haven’t made an exact decision yet going forward, show know more tommorrow when vet calls with results. Dori, for Turbo, I’m not sure I could ever confidently use ivermectin again for preventative, whether it was all my fault, or whether it is really a resistant strain, I’ll never completely know, otherwise I’d likely be using it going forward, once negative test results. We still have bad mosquitos here. The swamp” land on the adjoining property still has yet too be fixed.

Aimee, I disagree on that. I had all W.E. to sit on this, and tone things down, and I did tone it down, as as much as I can get. Yes, she stated as being unsure about the exact average lifespan, but she stated those other sentences as fact, when in fact, it is FALSE, I would never do such a thing, and I will never try to wrongly influence someone, and especially with a matter important. In fact, I’m not trying to influence anyone period, that should be quite clear. Then her superfluous, unfounded last sentance as a kick in the teeth. Anyway it’s over, I can’t dwell anymore on it, or waste anymore time on it.

I have read a little about the antigen/antibody thing, especially in just the last few days. I meant to ask the vet about, and want too look into further. HJust a couple quick thoughts though, there is a lot of oppostion to making anything easy in the pharmaceutical world, especially with so much money involved. There are even Heartworm scary commercials about. Antigen tests have gotten more sensitive, not less. If it were completely true then how could you ever even tell for sure whether a dog ever were to became infected in the first place? Don’t know, Gotta go for now…..

[aimee]

Losal,

I didn’t read Mellissaandcrew’s comment as trying to be anything but informative. She did preface it by saying she has fallen behind on research.

Each person has to decide for themselves what is the best course of treatment. When faced with the decision there is no way to know what I’d actually do. Certainly with a new dog, one that hadn’t been on a good prevention program or any dog with any signs of heartworm disease, I’d use immiticide. I think if my dogs currently came up heartworm positive I would likely use Immiticide. They are active dogs and from what I’ve read the lung/artery damage is most evident in an active dog when undergoing “slow kill”. I wouldn’t want to exercise restrict, potentially for years, until the worms were gone.

But I could also see myself as reasoning that they have been on preventative, likely have a low worm burden and consider “slow kill”. Immiticide isn’t 100% and even after treatment it is still possible to have worms remain.

With slow kill I may fret more in regards to “are they really gone”? This can be a concern with any method of removal but I read that when using slow kill method dogs may revert to a negative antigen test but still be worm positive. This is because of antibody formation that ties up antigen. http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/symbiosis-parasitology-heartworm-recommendations-updated?rel=canonical

I hope to never be faced with having to make that decision, it would be heart wrenching. I do all I can do to prevent HWD by giving my dogs heartworm preventative once a month all year round.

Wishing only the best for you and Turbo.

[losul]

I think its pretty well established that the average natural lifespan of adult HW’s is about 5 or so years. “adult worms that may live for five to seven years in dogs.”- American Heartworm Society. Even devout opponents of using slow kill, usually say that it can take UP TOO 2 Years for the adults to die using ivermectin as a slow kill. UP TO 2 YEARS- I would ask, is is that the average lifespan of 5 to seven years? They can say it doesn’t kill HW’s if they want ( I call it slow killing them), but there IS evidence that it significantly shortens their lifespans, and evidence that they can be gone in much less time than 2 years. Yet above is an unsubstantiated, unreferenced claim that;

“it does nothing to kill the adults. Without Immitricide, the present adult worms will continue to cause damage to the heart and circulatory system until the natural expiration of its life cycle.”

Well here’s some more of my research.t;

Here’s an important study titled, “COMBINED IVERMECTIN AND DOXYCYCLINE TREATMENT has microfilaricidal and ADULTICIDAL activity against Dirofilaria immitis in experimentally infected dogs.” and the conclusion, “RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO DRUGS CAUSES WORM DEATH. This could have important implications for control of human and animal filarial infections.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18433753

a third; “Reduction of adult worms was 20.3% for IVM, 8.7% for DOXY, 92.8% for IVM + DOXY + MEL, 100% for MEL, and 78.3% for IVM + DOXY.”
“Preliminary observations suggest that administration of DOXY+IVM for several months prior to (OR WITHOUT) MEL WILL ELIMINATE HW with less potential for severe thromboembolism than MEL alone.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18930598

To try to keep balanced, and not to be takenm lightly, a bit older and a negative study, warning of using ivermectin alone or ivermectin with praziquantal as a SOLE treatment too dogs with with clinical, radiographic or echocardiographic evidence of heartworm disease. Some of the dogs radiographs or electrocardiographs indicated increased evidence of disease during the study, The conclusion of that study- “Thus, monthly administration of IVM to dogs with CLINICAL, RADIOGRAPHIC or ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC evidence of heartworm disease is ILL ADVISED and SUCH TREATMENT OF EVEN THE ASYMPTOMATIC DOG SHOULD BE DONE ONLY WITH MUCH CAUTION AND FREQUENT MONITORING BY THE VETERINARIAN”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15381305

Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride) has les side effects and mortalities than the elder chemical. There hasn’t been shown immediate liver or kidney damage, but is STILL A VERY POTENT ARSENIC compound, I don’t believe anyone can say for certain what LT effects aor damages it could have. Immiticide “Melarsomine dihydrochloride is an organic arsenical chemotherapeutic agent.” Merial themselves state that immiticide has a low margin of safety. Plus, in their own clinical trials, 5.2% of dogs in stage 1 and stage 2 died following treatment. 18.2% of class 3 dogs died following treatment. In a further smaller trial, 33.33% of class 3 dogs died. Many of the mortalities and side effects a surely reduced much further with the use of powerful steroids. My vet would have given along with each of the series of 3 immiticide injections, 3 injections of dexamethasone, a powerful steroidal drug that can in itself have serious consequences, and tramadol for pain, with a strict confinement total of 60 days and three nights and 3 days hospitalization. That’s his protocol assuming there were no complications. These were hard but researched decisions for me too make, and I’m sure fro anyone else in these shoes. Again my dog is asymptomatic, shows no clinical signs, or pertinent radiographical signs of heartworm disease. He still does or did have a HW infection. I do my best to keep my dog healthy, did everything I could too best make decisions, and I’m not going top feel guilt for not subjecting him to (what I believe is needlessly in Turbo’s case ) to trauma and harsh, damaging, life threatening chemicals. The money for us was no factor. To make it clear, I believe in many cases, melarsomine SHOULD, be used, and in some, I understand why it is used, and also who sometimes it CAN’T be used.

I have hopes, but no expectations one way or the other for Turbo’s upcoming HW test results. The only expectation I have is that his complete exam, his CBC, and if need be, another xray, will continue to indicate good health. I had already made the determination some time ago that I was going to be able to rest in peace, no matter + or – reading, as long as Turbo remains healthy and free of heartworm disease and as ALL the evidence currently shows. I know I made the right choice for us. My vet wanted to wait for a full year for retesting, as he knows the worms need be gone for about 6 months for the antigens to be non detectible. That would mean the worms would have already had to have been gone already around 6 months ago, so about 5 months after starting A.P., not a very long time, especially since the moxidectin takes 3 to 4 applications to build up to full plasma potency.

If Melissa’s intent was was to inflict hurt, disturbance, dismay, guilt, or just to promote antagonism, then I guess I can give her the pleasure of knowing she had much of intended effect, but not guilt. I made an appointment for Turbo tommorrow, (soon to be today) a few weeks ahead of time, and he will get his HW re-test, blood work and exam.

I’m disturbed of the purpose of Melissas statement, and honestly I fail to find anything helpful or useful, in it. Instead, I find unsubstantied and inaccuracies. Unlike her, I extensively researched everything I could, and with the help of many others, to make important educated decisions, some of it documented throughout this thread. I’m sure my my research extended well beyond, and still do. I took this very seriously, still do, I’m never one to just throw damaging drugs and chemicals at anything without doing my own research rather than relying on a clinic vet’s words, my own personal and unsubstantied bias, or simple heresay.

Her first paragraph actually contradicts her second , (Could she actually think the slow kill method entails doing absolutely nothing, no monthly preventative?). That final sentence and her irrational conclusion is the one most superfluous and disturbing. What person or vet in their right mind would ever attempt, condone or allow continuing damage for 5 years? Seem’s as to me sensationalism at it’s best.

Glenna, i will continue trying to present the whole picture, the best I can, without any bias, or judgement. I think you probably already realized that before this post. Slow kill can absolutely has it’s risks, much of it depending on the health, and the degree of infection or disease, but so can the the immiticide, the immiticide particularly if you are not able to adhere too very strict confinement, as you already indicated you could not? It seemed you already had your mind made up on slow kill, but I would believe you still have then more time to still consider the alternative? Have your vet read the studies above, in particular the one about doxycycline w/preventative, it could be very be helpful in whichewver method. Xrays/bloodwork/ can also certainly help on any further determination if not already done.

I should have the HW test results later today. The other bloodwork then send to an outside lab so probably will not have it for a couple more days…

[Katrene J]

Hi, I have an 8 yo, male English Springer with the same problem everyone here is describing. My sweet guy started with the gulps about 5 years ago. The frequency at first was once every 3-4 months. It gradually increased to every 2 weeks or so. Or it had up until last November [2014]. Since November he’s had two bouts and both were mild – no deeply scared, frantic grass-eating dog those two times. He was definitely uncomfortable and seemed kinda worried it might get worse but a little throat massage and he could go back to sleep.

Like a lot of folks on this and a couple of other wonderful, helpful forums, I’ve tried a ton of things and even thought at times we had the problem solved, only to find a few weeks or a month later that I was wrong and had to go back to the drawing board. It’s been 3 1/2 months now since Tommy’s had a bad night. Instead of the predicted 7 or so episodes you’d figure he’d have had at the every-other-week frequency, there were only the two mild ones. I changed only one thing.

Now it may be another wild goose chase in the end but with a hiatus of almost 4 months I figured it’s worth sharing the change we made at this point. I hope it can help another dog. The last thing I want thought, is to give anyone false hope. This may be something or it may be nothing and we all know that each dog is so very different what works well for one may do nothing for another.

With that part out of the way let me tell you what has worked so far for Tom. Back in early Nov Tommy and I were up with a night of the gulps. I scanned the web for any new info that might have been shared since his last bout of the gulps. One person had posted. She [I think] said the only thing that worked for her dog was Pepcid Complete – not regular Pepcid, Not Tums. Only the Complete formula helped. I didn’t have any Pepcid complete on hand so I went online to check the ingredients. It turned out that Pepcid Complete is basically Pepcid plus Tums plus magnesium. Those things I did have on the shelf. I gave Tom the equivalent. He shortly seemed somewhat better. Not good enough so we could go back to bed but somehow less worried, less desperate.

I started to research Magnesium. I had had it on hand for leg and foot cramps. It’s amazing for relieving muscle spasms. Could a throat spasm be part of the gulps problem? The dogs do seem to be gulping like they’re trying to swallow something stuck in their throats… One friend had had success with a very powerful anti spasmodic years ago with her gulps dog, an Aussie. A magnesium deficiency could be a cause of GERD too, I’d read. There sure seems to be some stomach problem with the gulps too… It seemed worth investigating.

I’m NOT a vet nor do I play one on television so please take what follows with that understanding. First I took some magnesium myself as a supplement. That went ok and I learned that, as mentioned in the research, too much creates loose stools. Good – that gave me a gauge to know when to cut back.

I began to give Tom magnesium as a supplement. This is plain magnesium we’re talking about here, nothing fancy. It’s regular grocery store magnesium, 250 mg tablets. Started Tom on it slowly, etc. He weighs about 55#. When he was getting one 250 mg tablet in the morning and two 250s at night I held it there. His stools were still fine and that dosage felt right – not a scientific reason but sometimes I think my subconscious notices things my conscious mind doesn’t and I’ve earned to pay attention.

Since being on that regimen of 250mg AM and 500mg PM Tom has had only the two bouts of the gulps that I mentioned earlier. One was over Christmas when I’d backed off on the Mg to about half the dose for a few days [we were guests and the loose stool potential was weighing heavily on my mind!]. The second was about a month ago. That was the time I never had to even wake up completely. He began soft gulping but was only mildly concerned. I gently messaged his throat for a minute or two. He sighed and curled up next to me. We both went back to sleep. One more momentary massage about 4 hrs later and the gulps were over.

My gut feeling is that some dogs have or develop a magnesium deficiency. If that’s the case Tom’s may have started when I had to take him off a raw diet. Or it may be it’s that the land that grows our food is so magnesium poor at this point the dogs are simply not getting enough no matter what they’re fed. Whatever the cause, for Tom at least so far, the magnesium supplement seems to be working. He and I both hope our experiences can help someone else’s good dog.

[aquariangt]

I’m with BobbyDog, I remove my dogs from the situation. I also won’t bring my dogs to situations where there are going to be non dog people (and yes, I totally understand the distinction and use it myself, often) with their dogs because im not interested in attempting to teach people who aren’t paying me to do so. I also have the opposite problem often with Dani, who does NOT like strange dogs up in her business, especially in the face. She will snap to show warning, which usually results in some <insert insult here> trying to tell me how their dog is just being friendly (read: poor mannered a$$) and my dog needs this or that. I just don’t bother anymore. I cross the street if a strange dog is going to cross my path and I can see them straining on the leash meaning they will try to greet my dog, and I skip dog parks because too many people think that’s “socialization”

Now in class, I get to tell people how it works, and the people running in to “save” their puppies from the others they think are bullying because they don’t understand behavior, get a nice lesson on watching dogs and what actions they are making truly do make their dogs uncomfortable. Without fail, almost every puppy class I do has at least one of these people, so it’s easy to work in.

When it comes to family-im lucky I guess because of how we grew up, everyone understands dog play, and we know who to keep away from who (My sister’s giant lug of a great dane/st Bernard mix and Dani) and generally things are fine. I recently got invited to a friend event however that everyone was bringing their dogs, and I opted Dani out of that one. Liesl too, just because I didn’t feel like dealing, but good thing, because a lot of them were untrained and playing rudely. I didn’t say anything, but had it been family, I probably would have. Maybe get some literature to give said uncle and aunt about dog signals so they can see what was actually going on, or opt to skip out on Bruno going with if the Yorkie would be there

[lovemypuppy]

Let me start by just saying, I’m a total dog novice. I grew up with cats and now in my mid 30’s have adopted my first puppy.

I have a 10 week old boston terrier. Her weight is OK, but she is on the small side with not a weight to spare. She’s pretty finicky. I really wanted her to like Amicus puppy small breed but she continues to turn her nose up to it, even when adding to it (pumpkin, yogurt, wet food, etc.)

I would like to try her on Acana puppy small breed (despite it not being grain free) but can’t seem to get it in the US due to regulations of some sort re: milk thistle ingredient. Anyone know a way around this? Or maybe when they open up production in the US it will be available w/out milk thistle?

(side note, is the US production site thought to be no good because the pet food regulations in that state are too lax? I remember reading a downside, but can’t remember where or what the details were).

My pup is currently eating Acana Lamb and Apple whole prey diet and really enjoys it. The kibble is big but she gobbles it down. Is All life stages OK? Seems like it is for puppies, but may be too many calories for a mature dog?

Is rotating kibble OK for a puppy? I know their digestive system is immature and more sensitive, but so far, we’ve made sudden switches and she has handled it just fine. I would prefer to not get her stuck on one food … just not sure if that’s something that should wait until she is past her puppyhood.

I would like to stay grain free if possible as her coat is already dry and dull. That said, she also has (smelly) gas, so I’m a little leery of lentils … but it seems like avoiding potatoes might help with yeast? she does have tear stains … waiting on probitiocs to arrive.

How much truth is there with ying/yang, cool vs heating foods? She is definitely a hot dog (not the kind you eat) so I’m thinking I will try her on Acana Duck and Pear whole prey and see if I notice a difference.

I’m hoping for some recommendations of kibble for a finicky puppy, preferably grain free with a moderate protein %? I don’t like natural flavors (there can be some pretty nasty stuff hidden there) or canola oil.

I realize there is no perfect kibble and even then it really depends on the specific dog. Just feeling a little overwhelmed and hoping some of you who have been doing this longer or have a similar dog, might have some input.

TIA!

[Susan]

Hi, I think it’s true cause WHY would they put probiotics in their kibbles if they didn’t work & they are also guaranteeing survivability……
My boy was diagnosed with the Helicobacter 2nd December 2014, in September/October, I introduced the Wellness Simple kibble, I didn’t know Patch had the Helicobacter (Stomach Bacteria) I suspected that he did have the Helicobacter but he needed a Endoscope + Biopsies done to confirm, the Wellness Kibbles have probiotics in all their kibbles, after he was on the Wellness Simple for around 2 months Patch got worse with his Helicobacter & we finally did the Endoscope December to see what was wrong, he was doing OK before I tried the Wellness Simple, he’d have maybe 1 off day in 2 weeks… he was playing & being his naughty self, that’s how I know when he isn’t sick, he’s full of energy & a bit naughty lol, then about 3-4 weeks on the Wellness Simple, he started eating & eating grass, bad acid reflux coming up into his throat, vomiting yellow acid, & whinging & whinging, his vet diet kibble before the Wellness Simple doesn’t have Probiotics, it just has prebiotics FOS, he stayed the same while on the Vet diet kibble without the probiotics….
I think that the Probiotics in the Wellness Simple made his Helicobacter worse as I’m starting to do research on the Helicobacter & it says Lactobacillus Acidophilus should be avoided as it can make the Helicobacter multiply in the stomach, so these kibbles with probiotics must be live & working probiotics in their kibble…as Patches stomach bacteria got worse & vet asked what was I feeding for him to have gotten so sick, he said to stop any kibbles that have probiotics in them, there probably good for dogs with a healthy stomach but for dogs that already have bad stomach or bowel bacteria maybe not so good, vet has told me to take him off all probiotics he said prebiotics are better….I’ll see how he does now without all the kibble probiotics & powder probiotics…I’m pretty sure when I rescued him, he wasn’t ill with the Helicobacter just has his Colitis, I think me or his other vet putting him on the dog powder probiotics & feeding him kibbles with the probiotics in them did make the Bacteria in his stomach multiply & worse not better like they should…..so they must be live probiotics & in some of these kibbles…maybe probiotics can go off & become bad I don’t know….So after his antibiotic treatment, I’m going to try a low fat Greek yogurt that has the good bacterias that are on my list of good bacterias that are suppose to decrease the Helicobacter & not have a party with it & multiply..

[Naturella]

… Ok, I caved, Wysong is in packs in the fridge now… All that’s under the sink are the sandwich bags with THK for toppers, small bag of BDN tripe (for topper), and the freezer bag with about 1/3 of the Wysong for feeding for the next 10 days or so, however long it lasts. I don’t think anything else can enter this fridge until we eat some of what’s already in there. I guess that’s a good thing? 🙂

[Amie W]

A simple google search of Bravecto (or any medicine, really) will bring up the scientific reports, trials and fda/cvm information. This is all honest, scientific information. Bravecto is extremely safe. Reading through this Freedom of Information Summary, you can read about all of the studies done and any and all adverse reactions.

For those who think oral is more dangerous than topical – topical soaks transdermally directly into the bloodstream. It also has the potential to be spread between animals, as well as humans. Some require placement in spots along the back. If the dog then licks around his back where he was treated, he has then taken the drug transdermally, as well orally. I, for one, would rather know exactly the dose my dog is getting, without the fear of my children getting it on them by touching the dog, or touching the dogs bedding, etc.

For those with dogs in the 75-80 pound range that claim this doesn’t work, your dog is at the very top of the dosage weight. It is possible that the dose is just not strong enough for your dog and you should speak to your vet about using the next size up, which in this case would be for 88lbs. In most cases, this is perfectly acceptable.

All flea and tick treatments are pesticides. No matter how they are administered. If you are against chemicals completely, that is one thing. But, if you are against only particular chemicals, I would say do some research.

Here is the link for the FOI Summary, provided by the FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/Products/ApprovedAnimalDrugProducts/FOIADrugSummaries/UCM399075.pdf

[crazy4cats]

Hi Bralic-
So you got yourself a tiny little guy, huh? Lol!I think I’ve read on here that it is fine to switch when they are at least 3/4 grown. So, you are probably fine to switch. You don’t need to, but I can understand if there is that much difference in price. Others can chime in on their thoughts. I mostly wanted to comment on how cute he was and probably still is. It sounds like a very interesting mix.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Bailey5244-

I have a cat with struvite crystals as well. I am also currently feeding Hill’s C/D. It is an OK food to feed long term, unlike the Hill’s S/D. But you are right, the ingredients do not look great. Are you feeding canned or dry? One of the most important things that I am learning about crystals and possible stones is that moisture is of great importance. It is best to try to feed as much canned as possible and try to get them to drink and pee often also. Another thing that I’m reading is that stress can be a factor with forming the crystals. My cat is on an anti-anxiety pill that seems to help a lot too. I think the addition of two crazy dogs was very hard on him.

In addition to the C/D, there are other prescription urinary tract foods that you could possibly rotate with, such as Purina, Iams and Royal Canin Rx urinary foods. I am currently adding some over the counter urinary foods that are made by Purina, Friskies and Dave’s. I am going to slowly attempt to wean him off the expensive prescription foods. But, so far they are working as his recent urinalysis showed no crystals, blood or infection. Woo Hoo! It has been about 3 months since his blockage and he is doing well.

I definitely could not recommend you doing any of these things without approval from your vet. You would need a prescription for the RC, Purina, or Iams food anyway. But, I like the fact that at least I am giving him some variety. I hardly feed any kibble to any of my cats any longer, but I do plan to transition off the vet food some time. But, like I said, in good conscience, I could never suggest you do the same. Most vets say they need to stay on it for life. But, I’m hoping if I feed mostly high quality canned, like Weezerweeks mentioned above, he will stay healthy. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Amanda-Love J-
Congrats on the new pups. Wow! Do you have your hands full or what? I’m glad that you are excited about switching foods. Here is a link with information about feeding large breed puppies: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
The most important factor when choosing a food for a Large Breed Pup is the calcium levels. Also important is to not over feed. There is a chart of recommended foods with appropriate calcium on this thread on about page 35 or 36. Also if you join the Editor’s Choice club, there are a few very highly recommended foods for your puppies on that list. I’ve heard Nutrisource large breed puppy and Wellness Core puppy food come up a few times from others as being good choices. After your pups are close to being full grown and their joints are done forming, you can switch to any high quality food.

Your other dogs can eat puppy or all life stages food as well, but you may have to adjust the amount fed as they are often higher in calories and fat.

Have fun with your zoo!

[Amanda-Love J]

Hello! I’m new to being a puppy mom. My boyfriend and I recently got our own puppies. I have a cane corso mastiff/bull mastiff(dob 11/22/14), my bf has a doberman pincher(dob 12/1/14). As of right now they are eating a low quality food, Purina puppy chow. We’ve both been doing a lot of reading as to what we should switch them both to. Since they are both going to be large dogs, we were hoping to find a very good quality of food that would beneficial to the both of them. Any suggestions?

Also, my bf has a 12yo weimaraner, she’s 42pounds, and I have a 2yo pitbull/ridgeback or lab or Shepard something mix maybe? He’s 65 pounds. We have them both on Taste of the Wild. After a lot of reading on this site, I understand it did not make it on the list created by HDM, any suggestions on what might be suitable for our 2 current full grown dogs? Is there a possibility there might be a food that would be generally healthy for all 4 of our dogs, once the pups have matured more?

I have at the most 2 weeks of puppy food left… I’ve never been so excited about dog food being almost gone before…

Thank you for your time, any input is appreciated.

Amanda

[theBCnut]

Thanks, he already seems back to normal. He’s such a routine follower, that any deviation scares me. I really can tell you where he will be at any given time, because his routine is so predictable.

I’m glad you are seeing improvements already. Don’t be surprised if you see backsliding, just pay attention to when you start a new food in relation to how she is reacting. Some things that my dog can’t handle take a few days to cause symptoms, while others only take hours, so I keep a calendar of what I feed each day and any symptoms I see.

[losul]

Glenna, I want to thank you for responding back also. This is still a learning experience for me. I understand your predicament, I know about the bomb-shelled feeling, but couldn’t imagine that happening on Christmas Eve, and then with 2 dogs i addition…. But it’s good too hear your dogs are asymptomatic for least.

I’m not sure the reason microfilariae were not detected in you dogs- whether the year round HWP was keeping them non-detectible, the infection was caught early and no worms had had reproduced, the worm load low, or whether there were only one sex of worms. I think the year round HWP probably kept them non detectible. When I had Turbo tested last February, he had not had any HWP in any form for several months already, the ivermectin is quick in, quick out. ( didn’t give year round, and my regimen were not good to say the least). He showed pos on 2 different antigen tests and on the microfilarae. The antigen levels showed low.

The disadvantage to the slow kill is that it very unpredictable when worms will die, MUCH less control, although they should die at a much slower rate than in a quick kill where there is large/sudden dieoffs.

Did the vet explain that with A.P. the takes something like 2 to 4 monthly applications before the plasma levels of moxidectin peak and level off? That brings up another question, did the vet prescribe the A.P. to be used at the same levels as would be for your dogs for prevention? For my dog it was the same applied as would be for prevention. My vet really hadn’t much prior experience using A.P. in the slow kill method, and really only some anecdotal words….. I hated to think of Turbo as a guinea pig, but given that there was a possibility of his worms being resistant to ivemectin, I felt I only really had 2 choices, the A.P. slow kill, and the arsenic/steroids/etc. fast kill. I feel i made the right decision for in our situation, and don’t think I would have changed much, even without knowing the upcoming results…

There used to be a fellow Daveshounds ( is that how it’s spelled?)on DFA reviews that rescued a hound that was already known to have HW’s I think. I don’t know the particulars, extnet. He went with a slow kill ivermectin method (more traditional, though still not approved or really advised) method. Didn’t see him about on DFA for a good while, but he came back very briefly many months ago, to report that his dog had then reported back neg for heartworm, and the dog had done very well and in great shape, I’m reasonably think he implied that he had been exercising and working out the dog throughout, but not entirely sure. I tried to reply back too him and ask more, I don’t think he saw it, and haven’t heard anything since. I’ve already been searching alittle for that post, no luck so far. I’m going to look more, when I finish this….., I think it was on the off topic board, and think I can search through my own replies….

I wish I could be of more assurance, I can’t and won’t say that by not restricting activity with a slow kill, that it’s not dangerous and without risk, sorry. I can’t even say what method, slow/fast would be best for YOU and YOUR dogs, I hope you understand….

Do check with the doxycycline. Many vets believe that killing the wolbachia it weakens the worms and also may cause a lesser, immune and inflammatory reaction when the worms die. My vet was going to use it even if we went with the fast kill.

I don’t know if you supplement with fish oil/fish/omega 3’s, could be a good thing in addition for ordinary cardiac health, also for anti-inflammatory qualities.

When you give your dogs A.P., I would definitely separate them for a good while. If one were to ingest orally from the others neck/shoulders, at least while wet, it can be extremely toxic.

I’m hoping to know more soon……

[Lyndel M]

Try buying a dehydrater. They are great. You can dehydrate your own raw treats for you dog. You can puree vegetables or fruits and spread out on a dehydrating sheet, then roll into balls or small pieces and stuff into stuffable chew toys. You can also dehydrate fresh meats, raw meatloaf, fish etc. I also make stock from organ meats and bones (no salt) and freeze into kongs as well as adding fruit, veggies or meats into the liquid and freeze into kongs in summer. Goats cheese which is lactose free is good as is quinoa cookies broken up. I also make meat pastes which I stuff along those stuffable chew toys that have groves along the sides, so they can lick it out and get interested in what’s on the inside. Hope these suggestions help, mind you, they are not my own, they are an accumulation of what I have gathered from my own research.

[losul]

I had talked bits and pieces of Turbo’s continued story on on the review side in the interim, but I’m way past due then to place an update here. I’m going to try too update, and reply to Glenna in this post.

I somehow missed BcNut’s and Shawna’s last posts here from way back, really sorry about that. Late now, but BcN, thank your asking, Turbo’s doing great, and Shawna- interesting on the homeopathics, thnx. Also thanks too everyone again for helping me through this whole ordeal

Back in March, we had Turbo’s X-rays reviewed by a professional radiologist, and he agreed that there Turbo appeared to have only a low grade HW infection, the x-rays didn’nt change the opinion that that it was a mild, or asymptomatic grade 1. Vet advised to not have an ultrasound done. With that news and given the fact that he already then already had his first dose of advantage plus, I decided to proceed with with trying the A.P. in a slow kill approach, no immiticide, no steroids, etc. The vet only wanted to use 1 2 week round of doxycycline, I think most vets use 2 rounds or even more in pulsed manner, but I’m always concerned about antibiotic overusage anyway, and agreed with too single round.

It was the vet that pushed to use the A.P. moxidectin for the slow kill. I could never find anyone that tried it before, still haven’t, and so was very skeptical. Plus the fact that I hated combing the HWP with a flea insecticide, an unnecessary toxin. But the vet really pushed for it, and optimistic about it, especially thinking that we could be dealing an ivermectin resistant strain. All the information I could find ONLY advised using ivermectin/doxycycline as a slow kill method, and still hadn’t heard of anyone else using A.P. for it until now— Glenna S.

So went the doses of A.P. plus the single course of doxycycline, with no problems, except completely hating the leftover smell of the flea insecticide for many hours and into the next day. The package insert stated something too the effect that studies showed if a dog was bathed after 90 minutes after administration, it didn’t affect then efficacy of the moxidectin. It’s rapidly absorbed through the skin. During the course of doxy, and a bit after, I gave him probiotics.

My vet never did say to restrain or even really limit his activities, even when I grilled him on it. Neither did he tell me NOT to restrain him either, and he understandably stated a disclaimer, that it could be dangerous in instances, especially if an embolism, and that any other possible long term effects/damages where not well studied. Evan so, I planned on restraining him, only taking him out on leash, etc. As luck had it, we had very slick ice on the ground the first few weeks, making it so hard to do so., can’t tell you how many times I busted my butt in the ice and mud…. and he wasn’t being at all cooperative about pooping or even peeing on leash anymore as he once was. Eventually we gave upon the restrainment. I think it was going to be detrimental to all of us, including Turbo, especially having to do so for a year. If he had been in some sort of worse state of health, then I think we would have just had to tough it out, or would have even had to more consider the immiticide/steroid/painkiller/hospitalizations route, with shorter but very stringent restriction times.

As I said, Turbo never showed any symptoms, no coughing, exhaustion, etc. prior to . He gets incredible bursts of extended energy outside sometimes, so I was very leary of this, watching closely, and I did later noticed him cough ( I think) a few times after extended bouts, but nothing serious, and no exhaustion.

Back in late May i think, seems the 28th, if my poor memory serves, he had 2 days of concerning what appeared to be gastric disturbances. I had had drastically changed some major components of his diet all at once, several things at once I think, so both the vet and I attributed it to that. But then immediately for the next two days he had coughing episodes. The vet though the 2 incidences were unrelated even though 1 immediately followed the other. We both thought the second halve could be attributed a worm die off. Dead worms eventually get absorbed through the lungs, and can certainly cause problems. Turbo restrained his own activity during this period, and I restrained him for a further couple weeks after.

No further incidences since. I’ve been leaving free to romp and exercise, sometimes he runs/plays really hard, and for extended periods, especially when friend Miller comes around.

So all has gone well thus far, Turbo looks and seems a picture of health. I wanted to wait a reasonable bit before getting another HW check, as the worms must be gone for 6 months for the antigen to be non-detectible. He had his 10th and the last dose I had of A.P. on December, and we will be taking him probably before end of month for check, and then decide where to go from there. I hope I’m able to report back with good results at that time.

GLENNA, so sorry to hear about Toby and Rex. I truly hate this ever would happens to any dog and owner. I wish some of the above, and the rest of the thread, will help you in some way. I can’t advise you on activity for your dogs, should be something you and your vet decides, and depending on many factors. Could you tell us some more? Did you vet want to use A.P. in a slow kill? Has he indicated the the degree of infection? Also wondering what part of the country you’re from? where you strict with your Iverhart regimen? Please write back. Best wishes, losul.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Corey-

I’m sorry to hear of your dog’s troubles with stones. While I have no oxalate stones experience, I do with the struvites. But, I have read about the oxalate a bit when doing reserch on the struvite crystals due to my cat’s blockage.

I have learned with any type of crystals or stones, it is best to get the most moisture in their diet as possible. And they also need plenty of opportunities to pee. I would try to feed as much canned or raw food to your pup as possible. Some vet therapeutic diets actually add salt to encourage the dogs to drink more water to dilute their urine as much as possible. Another thing that has been mentioned with trying to keep the pH levels stable is that it is best to feed a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than one or two large meals. Also minimize the amount of calcium being fed to your dog.

At least the struvites can be dissolved with some types of vet foods, but the other types of stones and crystals cannot. So it is best to prevent them to begin with. Here is a site that has some decent information on it. Good luck! http://www.2ndchance.info/oxalatedog.htm

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hey everyone! I know there is a huge controversy over how often to bathe dogs, some people say no more than every month and others say every week or more. I have recently been diagnosed with possible asthma, and even though I do not seem to be allergic to Lily, I want to do everything possible to prevent myself from becoming allergic. I already don’t allow her to sleep with me, but I was wondering what else I could do. I have heard that frequently bathing pets can be helpful, and according to this article, while it is not scientifically proven, some people have found frequent bathing helpful. The shampoos I use, Vet’s Best and Earthbath, are both very mild and good for sensitive skin. Would it be okay to bathe her weekly with these? Or should I only use shampoo sometimes, or do it less often? Thanks!

Edit: Yes! My Html code worked!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Tammy H]

Hi there
Any dog food you guys can think of that has no seafood, or even omega, no peas and no canola oil? I tried to find like a chart that you can sort of punch in what you don’t want to see and it would spit out a list of foods that don’t have those ingredients, but I cant seem to find it.
I’ve been looking at specific brands and reading labels but wanted to see if maybe anyone here has the same issues and what they’ve found?

Thanks in advance!
Tammy

[Flowers]

Hello I am new to the forum and delighted to have found a site so dedicated to helping advise on the best dog foods it is fab. I am also new to dog ownership and am the proud owner of a 9 week old standard wire haired dachshund.

He was sent home at 8 weeks with a small bag of kibble to get us started and I had to order a fresh bag of Royal Canin Mini Junior dog food. When I read the ingredients I was surprised to see how many fillers there seem to be it seems like rubbish and I really want to switch his food.

I have had a good look at the top foods on the site and narrowed it down to either Acana small puppy food or Orijen and I would really like people’s opinions as to which I should switch to. I do wonder if Orijen may be too rich for his little tummy but then again Acana has oats which could cause wind!!!!

What shall I go for and what is the best way to introduce the new food and phase out the Royal Canin?

Thank you for any help.

[Kimi_forever]

I wanted to edit my last post instead of post again but it wont let me for some reason.

In any event, i only have an old dehydrator and it’s made of plastic and i’ve been trying to stay away from using plastic for food reasons as much as possible, particuarly when heat is involved because of the chemicals in plastic. and purchasing a new metal dehydrator just to make jerky treats is a pretty big investment, i still might do it eventually but i wont be doing it soon. On the freeze dried treats i read in another thread that you have to be careful because the fat content is too high in some of them. Does anyone know what an ideal fat content would be on freeze dried meat treats? I saw one person recomend the stella and chewy carnavore kisses, but imho those are outrageously priced and also it seems they stopped carrying them at chewy.com because i just tried to find them and this is where i do my pet food shopping so they dont seem to be an option. the most economical ones i found were sojo’s lamb/beef/turkey ones and the turkey had by far the highest protein content of the three and grandma lucy’s pork singles freeze dried, the sojo’s you can get for 7.50ish for 4oz and the gma lucy’s are 8.07 for 4oz. thats the best deals i could find for freeze dried, i tried feeding her ziwipeak air dried food as treats but she doesnt really like them anymore then her regular kibble she loves freeze dried though. i was just wondering if these more economical freeze dried treats were the ones i should stay away from. i saw someone in another thread suggest buying them from the more highly rated brands, and sojo’s only has like 3.5 stars and grandma lucy’s rating depends on the recipe so i was wondering if these ones are the not good ones or what levels i should look for as far as fat in these treats. i’m willing to pay more for good ones but also am on budget and have a large dog so i cant afford to pay 12$+ for like 2oz…

[Susan]

Hi Sally, go & get a really good dog probiotic, for the bad breath…Dr Karen Becker has one, there’s also DickVanPatten’s “Natural Balance” limited ingredients either the Kangaroo & Potato, Rabbit & Potato or the small breed bites, Potato & Duck these kibble have just 1 protein & 1 carb… make sure you read the ingredients as some other flavours do have peas, these ones I’ve suggested do not have the peas, with my boy he couldn’t have peas as he’d have real bad wind pain & gas….also get some good shampoo I use the “Malaseb” medicated shampoo, it kills any bacteria on the skin but doesn’t strip good oils….if you decide to look at “Canine Caviar” look at the Special needs kibble…

[Dori]

Hi Everyone. Well I posted here earlier but it seems to have never made it onto this thread. I’m posting here so that as many of you that wished us well will see it.

Thank you to all that wished us well, kept us in your thoughts, prayed for us and sent good vibes our way. We heard this morning that Jim is all clear and CANCER FREE! The surgeon and oncologist are delighted. Jim and I cannot stop grinning at each other. We, including the girls, have been dancing around the house all day (on and off….we’re not that young anymore). The dogs think we’re crazy so they’ve decided to act crazy too. We are a bit delirious at this point.

Thank you to all that knew what was going on and thought of us and reached out to me. Those that didn’t know me and what we were going through, well, thank you too as now you know me and our story. Sort of! Can anyone tell that at this point I’m babbling and am truly delirious???? HAHAHAHAHA! I’m so friggin happy. My face hurts from this smile I can’t seem to stop. Thank you all!!!!!!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Crystal:
Large and giant breed puppies have special nutritional requirements. You can read more about that here:
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

Check out this thread for more info. I suggest reading the first 3 or 4 pages and the links provided on the first page.
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here is a link to a document with foods recommended for large and giant breed dogs. Look for a post by Hound Dog Mom dated October 2, 2013 at 4:22 pm. If you choose a food from the list you should check with the manufacturer to be sure the food still falls within the recommended parameters:
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/36/

You can also join the Dog Food Advisor Editors Choice for a more updated list of recommended puppy foods for large and giant breed dogs. Have fun with your pup!

[Dori]

Susan W.
Quick thought on my part. If you are already feeding a dehydrated food, why are you thinking of switching to Acana? Why not The Honest Kitchen grain free line which is human grade and approved by the FDA to put that on their labels? It’s also rated 5 stars here with the exception of the chicken formula.

[pugmomsandy]

If you haven’t already, create an account at gravatar.com and then you can upload photos there to use for your avatar.

[DogFoodie]

My dog can’t have flax either, but I’ve also determined a long list of other ingredients of which he is intolerant so the list I have is very short. Dry foods on my short list that don’t contain flax are NVI LID, Addiction Viva La Venison, Canidae Pure Sky (Diamond, yuck), Wysong Fundamentals, FirstMate Chicken and Blueberries and Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear (original, not singles). There are also several Canine Caviar formulas that don’t have flax currently, and they have new formulas coming out really soon and when they do, I know Wilderness meets my criteria. I think several CC formulas would meet your criteria currently.

It’ll soon be three years that its taken me to get my list to where it is currently. I am constantly on Chewy.com reading ingredients. You’ll need to check the ones I mentioned to see if they contain other problem ingredients.

I’ve determined my dogs problem ingredients through trial and error during a modified elimination diet. If your allergy test results were determined by a blood test, or the like, I encourage you to consider doing an elimination diet as allergy test results are notorious for both false positives and false negatives.

[Dina H]

I was assured by the woman at Pet Valu that I didn’t have to do the slow transition. This is a dog that was born here. I do rescue and of the 5 in the litter, she was the typical ‘middle’ child, always sensitive and insecure. I think that may have some bearing. She was adopted and her owner had her on Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food. She was returned to me bec owner was moving (boo) and that is the food I was transitioning from. I had read about the connection between Blue Buffalo and Diamond and decided to part ways with it. She has always had intermittent bouts of diarrhea; no parasites…she has been checked and she has been treated with panacur and metro a month ago. I think what I will do is get a small bag of the Blue Buffalo that she was on and slowly segue her to the Acana but will go with the Acana chicken this time. As well as replace that slow feeder bowl that one of my dogs decided was a toy. (:

[Dori]

Hi Tracy. I’m a commercial raw feeder to my three girls. Maltese, Maltipoo and a Yorkipoo. If the food you are feeding is complete and balanced than no supplements are required. When you say that you were told that the food contains no cheated minerals, are they saying they contain synthetic minerals or just no minerals at all? That’s an important thing to know. With probiotics, once again, if it’s a truly complete and balanced food than, no, in my opinion there is no need for probiotics. Have you been to their web site and read up on the food itself and checked out ingredients and guaranteed analysis. If not, I would suugested you do that. Whatever food you are going to switch to please remember that since your dog has been eating kibble and canned, YOU MUST transition him slowly to see how his gut does with raw so that he doesn’t have diarrhea or loose stools. Once you know he doesn’t then your good to go. Once he’s been on raw for a bit I would suggest that you introduce different proteins and then different brands. That will benefit his gut and he’ll be able to make the switch from one food to the other with no issues whatsoever. I rotate brands and the different proteins within all the brands that I feed with the exception of poultry of any sort as one of my girls has food intolerances and for convenience sake for me I feed them all the same. I believe that a rotational diet is the best and healthiest way to feed. Also less chance of them becoming sensitive to the same protein fed day in and day out. Also it makes meal times more interesting for them. Anyway, all this is my opinion and my experiences with my three. So very glad you’re switching to raw. Yay!

[Tracey K]

Hi! I have a 5 year old shih tzu/bichon mix that I have been feeding Fromm Grain Free kibble and canned for the last 2 years and after much reading on the benefits of a raw diet, I went out and purchased raw dinners from a local company ( Big Country Raw) located here in Southern Ontario. I went with the dinners because they included vegetables and fruits along with the meat.
My question is do I have to add any supplements to this food? I’m so nervous he won’t be getting the required amount needed. I want to start him on it in the morning and is it ok if I don’t have the supplements if needed then?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙂

[Akari_32]

Lol well he gets one tomorrow! He already ate his ground pork tonight :p Usually it’s the cat I have to worry about when fixing up Bentleys meals. I tend to have to throw him scraps to keep him off the table LOL I about sat on him when I put the package of meat on the table and went to sit in the chair! I tend to get a lot of help in the kitchen and while eating… LOL

I want to get the cat on all raw here soon, as well. I gotta see how I handle it with Bentley. And I may not do completely raw, come to think of it, because I seems cats need a lot more per pound than dogs do. Might not be able to afford it. May just have to half and half balanced raw and canned or something like that.

[Douglas L]

Ok I have a small breed puppy(chihuahua/mix) that is 9 weeks old and 7lbs. He was weened with purina puppy chow, and I’m almost done with the bag. I know the puppy chow is not very good so I’m looking for something better, however I’m not looking to spend $30 bucks on a 6lb bag of dry food.

I have read about puppy and adult food and it seems that the large breed puppies are the ones that need the puppy formulas. So can I switch to adult small breed food now or do I need to keep giving him puppy formula food and for how long?

I’m looking at a couple brands I can get local, pure balance, purina smartblend, Innova, iams naturals, natural choice. Just to give y’all an idea where I’m at, I would like to be around $20-$30 a 10-15lb bag. What do y’all recommend, I’m trying to stay away from cheap corn food, but not wanting to make the jump to overpriced organic food. My dog I had when I was a kid lived 15 years on pedigree and was healthy until the last 6 months, and I know many other dogs that eat the same without problems but I figure for less than $10 a month I can give my dog a better diet.

Thanks for any answers.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Peggy:
IMO you can find good and bad dog treats in any store. I have come across some really cute packaged treats at the boutique stores I shop with ingredients that I don’t need in my food let alone my dog. One of the reasons I make my own. As Marie wrote you need to take as much care choosing treats as you do your dog food.

I don’t like any treats with sugar or molasses, but out of the two I would rather see molasses and for it to be towards the end of the ingredient list. I also like minimal ingredients. If you have to take more than 15 seconds to read the ingredients it’s too many for me. Of the three listed, Newman’s looks decent.

Since you are helping your dog slim down I recommend you consider freeze dried treats or dried vegetables. You can find these type of treats at most pet stores. You can even buy freeze dried food and feed small amounts for treats. Remove some kibble from your overweight dog’s meals to compensate for the added calories from treats. If your dogs are like mine it’s more of the ritual of receiving the treat rather than the amount of the treat. Mine loves to be made over and adding a treat to the attention is just an added bonus. If you are shopping at Petsmart check out these dried veggie and freeze dried treats/dog food:
http://www.petsmart.com/gsi/webstore/WFS/PETNA-PETUS-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewParametricSearch-Browse?SearchParameter=%26%40QueryTerm%3Dfreeze%2Bdried%2Bdog%26OnlineFlag%3D1%26Pets01%3DDog&PageSize=24&SearchTerm=freeze+dried+dog&_t=Pets01

http://www.petsmart.com/dog/treats-rawhide/simply-nourish-trade-natural-grain-and-wheat-free-dog-chips-zid36-4716/cat-36-catid-100007?_t=pfm%3Dcategory%26pfmvalue%3Dfaceted

If you are shopping at Wal-Mart they have a few healthy selections as well. Can’t remember the brands I saw last time I was there, but here is one:
http://rileysorganics.com/