[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 10 years, 10 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 10 years, 11 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/

[aimee]

I agree with others that brushing is best. There are several dental diets marketed which have gone through the Veterinary Oral Health Council protocol and shown to be effective in reducing plaque and calculus accumulation. These diets have a relatively larger kibble and different textures or coatings that contribute to decreased formation of plaque and calculus.

I hadn’t heard that kibble size alone could decrease calculus formation, but I found a study that evaluated just that “Results showed that increasing kibble diameter by 50.0% was associated with a 42.0% calculus reduction……with the most pronounced effect being observed on caudally-located crushing teeth compared with incisor and canine teeth. ” Hennet 2007 I haven’t read the full text so I don’t know what the original and test diet kibble size was but did find it interesting.

Just as human dentists don’t recommend gnawing on a piece of food as our sole dental health program I don’t think gnawing on food should be the total answer for a dog’s dental health program either. However, apparently kibble size plays a role in calculus reduction on the back teeth which is what the OP vet recommended the larger kibble size for. For those that wondered where the OP vet ever came up with that idea, it could be that the OP vet was sharing what he/she learned from reading the veterinary dental literature.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

BC,
Will do. She is not fat, solid but i fear esp with schnauzer females who can put on weight quickly,that if I don’t pay very close attention she will put on the lbs. very quickly.
When the breeder told me she will not be more than 15 lbs at her adult weight I did indeed panic,because at almost 7 months she is 15 lbs,its almost like she has stopped growing length & height wise.
The breeder feeds only Candidae & couldn’t understand why I wasn’t going to feed that-I told the breeder i wanted her to have a more varied diet she replied well she will get fat!!
Oh well!!!
Millie had a little soft stool on the squash so today only rabbit. I introduced too much too soon with that a big screw-up on my part yet again!! Poor Millie 🙁
When do you suggest that noon feeding should be taken away?? I have read so many different opinions on this, I hadn’t had a puppy since I was 13 ,so you can just imagine how long that has been, that’s why all the questions.
And here’s another-have you ever used the ZYMOX ear cleaner?? the one with enzymes ? If so, did the wax turn a dark color? In Millie’s case all the wax (and she had a lot in my opinion for a puppy) turned a very dark color- & before I panic yet again & take her to the vet, is this normal with this product??
Thanks BC

[crazy4cats]

Hi Weezerweeks-
So glad to hear the kitties are doing well. You are so awesome for saving them! Here are some more low fat, low carb canned choices for your pup (compliments of BDog from another thread):

Fromm’s Shredded Beef 12.2% fat, 22% carbs
Tiki Dog Kauai Luau 15.24% fat, 8% carbs
Tiki Dog Lahaina Luau 13.18% fat, 13% carbs
Tiki Dog Maui Luau 14.28% fat, 17% carbs
Tiki Dog Tonga Luau 15.55% fat, 11% carbs
Weruva Marbella Paella 15.8% fat, 7.2% carbs
Weruva Bed & Breakfast 12.4% fat, 23.6% carbs
Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken 15.4% fat, 9.7% carbs
Wellness Core Weight Management 15.9% fat, 16% carbs
Good luck with your zoo!

[Dori]

Oh thank goodness! No, it’s not necessary. I was just scared that you gave it to her without food. It’s almost 10 p.m. here and I forgot the 3 hour time difference. I was concerned that you gave it to her without food and close to bed time. Typically if she’s going to have a tummy side effect (that won’t last) and is not the norm would be nausea or diarrhea. It’s never happened with any dogs I’ve had on Sentinel but I did read earlier that that’s the possible side effect. Don’t forget to mark it on your calendar so that you can remember what day of the month you gave it to her. I do it on the first of the month and then just put it on my iPhone as a monthly entry so that it reminds me. Half the time I don’t know what day of the week it is let alone what the date is. With both hubby and I retired it’s tough to keep track of days, dates. Without my iPhone telling me where I’m suppose to be on any given day I’d be lost.

[Dori]

Hi Deanna. Life stories are always welcome. It lets us all know background stories and whether one is old or new to the world of companion animals.

If your vet is a traditional vet than he/she will give you all the cons of feeding raw. Bacteria, yada yada yada. None of that, in my experience is true. All dogs have a bit of salmonella in their guts. It is dogs that have been fed kibble and/or inferior foods that will or could have an issue with salmonella in foods. A healthy dog (gastrointestinal health I’m speaking of) have no issues with a commercial food that may have a little bacteria in it. I’ve actually never known or heard of a commercial raw fed dog that has fallen ill from bacteria of any sort from a commercial raw diet. The issue with salmonella contaminated raw foods is more of an issue with the animals owners (humans) and not the owners. We are the ones that will get sick BUT only if we are slovenly. I’m sure cooking for yourself and your family now or in the past you have handled raw meats and poultry. When done you are always cautioned to clean all surfaces, clean all utensils and scrub your hands and all surfaces that the raw foods have touched. It’s the same thing. Raw meat and poultry is raw meat and poultry regardless of whether your feeding it to yourself and loved ones of the human variety or your animals. A lot of the traditional veterinary community seem to think that commercial raw feeders are indiscriminate as to what we feed our animals. I’m not sure where some of these vets are getting their education from or lack thereof. They don’t really keep up with the times and would prefer to just scare you off.

As to how much I feed my dogs, specifically Hannah, as she weighs 7 lbs. like your yorki does, it depends on what I’m feeding. If I’m feeding Primal Pronto (it’s a complete and balanced diet from Primal made in little “kibble like” bits frozen) then I scoop out 1/4 cup in the a.m. or p.m. just as I would have done with a kibble. If it’s in a pattie form, then I read the packaging for her weight and feed her accordingly. Typically it’s 1/4 of the pattie per meal. For varying meals even though all three of my girls weigh a little bit differently I pretty much feed them all the same amount. Lola, my 5 lb. girl is very very hyper so she burns everything off quickly. If she’s awake, she’s in motion. Katie my 6 lb. girl is tall for a Maltipoo and very petite in structure. She was the runt of the litter and due to be put down before I rescued her into our family. She has a lot of issues food wise, environmentally and muscoskeletal so I’m always making sure she keeps her weight on. Hannah, my true couch potato, and at her age that’s okay with me, she stays on the lean side. Because she is 15 1/2 years old and a touch of old age arthritis I keep her on the lean side. I’m not big on having a scale to weigh them on a regular basis. I feel my dogs. If they have a little bit of coating on their ribs that I don’t mess with the amount I feed them. If I feel one of them and can too readily feel their ribs where with my fingers I can actually feel an identation then I know that dog needs a bit more food. If I have to press down too much to feel ribs, then I feed a little less for that dog. Kind of like ourselves. We have heavier days and lighter days. Winter we’re indoors a bit too much in the summer we’re very active.

I got both Lola and Katie both when, I guess I was around 61 or so. I thought I’d go insane. Literally, I was shedding tears all the time. I then thought it was one of my bigger mistakes. It was tough going having to 9 week old puppies at the same time. I hadn’t had a puppy in so long I’d forgotten the colossal amount of work let alone having two. Well, now that all is said and done I have to say that Lola and Katie are the best of pals. They are not siblings in the true sense of the word but you’d never know it. They sleep by each other, they rough house, play, everything together. But honestly I didn’t think I’d make it through those first couple of years. Hannah was none to happy about any of it either. Now they all pal around together. When I call them to let them out in the back Hannah won’t go out until she waits for the other two to catch up. All three wait for each other by the back door before they’ll come back in. Very very cute. Of course, if one of them barks, they all start barking even though the other two haven’t got a clue why or what they’re barking about. Very funny. Some times irritating but mostly have given me so much love and quality to my life. At 66 I’d probably be able to handle a puppy again but certainly not two at a time. Though I think I would rescue a senior at this point in my life. At one point in your life you want babies and are all about babies and as you get older you see the need that seniors (whether they be humans or dogs) need.

One last point on commercial raw feeding. Once you do it you’ll wonder what took you so long and what you were so worried about. Also, feeding commercial raw foods is not at all what you think it’s going to look like. It’s not like you’re going to toss a whole animal at your dog for dinner. I couldn’t possibly handle that. Really it just looks for the most part like ground meats in shapes of hamburgers. Other than the “kibble like” bits that are meant for the squeamish kibble feeders trying to make a transition into raw and also because they defrost so darn quick.

[Dori]

Hi Dog Obsessed. I give the girls Sentinel Spectrum. I live in the South and try to keep them protected as best I can. We have a lot of fleas, ticks, mosquitos and all sorts of creepy things here. So the Sentinel Spectrum covers them not only from heart worms but fleas (where they can get tape worms) and if they were to get (ingest) a flea infected with tapeworms they’ll be covered. Of course they can get tapeworms from dead and decaying animals on walks and feces infected on walks and hiking and dog parks where owners aren’t picking up their dogs poops immediately and some don’t pick up at all. Anyway, that’s my understanding of some of the ways dogs can get tapeworms from reading some sites on line.

On the second part of your question as to dosage, I give the 2 – 8 lbs. because all three girls fall under the 8 lbs.

For Lily at 10 lbs. I would almost be tempted to go with the 2 – 8 lbs. BUT….if while on Sentinel she were to get heart worms because you gave her the lower dose and did not give it to her twelve months a year while they suggest the higher dose and monthly, they will not absorb any of the cost of treatment for heart worms. I hope I worded my thoughts here on the dosing. I guess it would be a gamble on your part. If Lily’s pretty much a housebound and yard dog and not going for walks and hiking where she would encounter feces and stuff that are infected with tapeworms then it’s possible she would be ok on the lower dose, maybe. But if you take her on long walks and hiking letting her sniff around all sorts of stuff or let her off leash in dog parks then there would be more of a possibility of her getting tape worms. Has Lily ever had tapeworms before? Are there a lot of dogs in your area or at her vets practice coming in with tapeworms? That would help you make your decision also. In my area of Atlanta there are quite a number of dogs being treated for tapeworms and heart worms so it’s a no brainer for me.

Jennifer H. Sorry I can’t help with your question. I don’t put topical solutions on my dogs.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Phillip O
Did you happen to ask your vet what the rationale behind not feeding a rotational diet was?
Does he or she eat the same exact thing day in day out their entire lives?
I suspect many may agree or disagree but here goes if you pups stay on the same food day in day out and suddenly develop itchy ears, eyes ,paw licking they will say an allergy has developed and an elimination diet is necessary or even better they will want to prescribe a prescription diet, while visits ,tests etc and you feeling helpless and your wallet gets thinner and thinner.
From most of the reading I have done eating the same food can actually cause problems for some dogs. That’s why offering different proteins different brands is actually beneficial.

I know how overwhelming this site can be,if i may I would suggest you first decide on what TYPE of food you want to feed: Kibble, canned, freeze dried , commercial raw, dehydrated, home cooked, real raw,and then look at the 4-5 star rating within the food,
I feed kibble but I lightly cook a topper of turkey chicken beef to up the protein or you can do kibble with a topper of canned. Kibble w a raw patty. so many varieties. I used to stay on this site most of the night trying to figure out what to try, plea don’t to that.
There are very helpful knowledgeable folks to guide you on this site
Good luck.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Oh Dori,
This has been a real nightmare, I wanted to downsize, yard etc, saw this townhouse well didn’t like the cabinets tore them out & found BLACK MOLD -well you can imagine gutted the entire 2 stories to the studs!!! As I said a nightmare that is a sinking well of money!!!

I guess while reading your post you do make sense – why have someone else cook, when I could do the same.

It’s funny I got the Primal Nuggets from Wag.com will have to check on the “Pronto” since it ships from the manufacturer.

I can get the “Vital Essentials” & Nature’s variety Instinct Raw here so that’s good , they also had Nature’s Logic it was on Susan’s list in 2013 but just read the review here and I will pass on that raw brand.

This is another reason I so miss living in a city-the availability of everything.

Well if i can rotate different brands with the lower fat proteins , I guess that would be ok., since you said each protein though the same is just a bit different when you change up the brands.
I am going to call Answers as you suggested along with OC Raw, see if they will ship directly to me. This local feed store cannot get either from there vendor.

You are wonderful, thank you again.
Have a great weekend

[Robert B]

I want to thank everyone for your help and great ideas on
helping me find and try different foods for Louie. Below are ideas
from the forum, I’m getting there, so can you read the below information and let me know what you think. So I think I found the Kibbles and toppings.

Freshpet Select Tender Chicken with Vegetables & Brown Rice Dog Food. I can use the above for his topper…what do you think?
http://freshpet.com/products/freshpetselectchickenrecipe/
I check the internet, and can’t find the Fresh Pet food that has the softer kibbles or I’m not looking at the correct Fresh Pet foods?
Can someone help me with the name of the shaped like kibbles for Fresh Pet?

I also might try Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice & Peas Recipe. What do you think?

I thank ALL of you for your help and time with all these great suggestions
Louie also thanks you!!

PS…I will be going to my sister-in- laws for the weekend and will not have a laptop.
I will check for emails when I return on Monday for your replies.

Robert

[Mark S]

I’m interesting with Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food on amazon, I’ve read many reviews, but I still not satisfied with it.
Anyone can give me more reviews?
I saw it here http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W5SLB8/
and also need an advice
thanks

[CockalierMom]

Sarah, I am in the same situation as you. Our vet dermatologist prescribed RC Hypoallergenic Soy because one of my girls is reacting to chicken, turkey and tapioca (and I am sure there will be more). I had ordered a bag of Wellness Simple Salmon prior, so I am trying that first. I have not completed the transition yet, but there seems to be improvement already. If she still has food reactions after 4 to 6 weeks, then I am going to the RC food to do a real elimination diet.

If you suspect chicken is a problem, you may want to try what the dermatologist had me do first. Take the first 5 ingredients of the food you are feeding now and increase each one individually to see if there is a noticeable reaction. I added 1 ounce of turkey to Lucy’s morning and evening meals, and by the end of the second day her scratching increased significantly. Then, after a couple of days of being off the increased turkey, her scratching calmed down.

Good luck with the choice you make.

[Dori]

Please read review on Blue Buffalo and google complaints about Blue Buffalo. Maybe your do is trying to tell you something. As to any suggestions for a dry food I’m sorry that I can’t be of any help there. I feel commercial raw foods to my three toy dogs as well as organic fruits and veggies. I know that quite a few posters seem to like Victor’s Grain Free, Nature’s Logic, Annaemaet (?), Brothers Complete, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Acana, Orijen. Those are just a few that I have read dry food feeders compliment. I’m sure there are others but I don’t know. What you can also do is switch to a dry food (for economic reasons I would suppose) and use a canned or freeze dried food as a topper. Your dog would get better nutrients than merely feeding a dry food. There are many other things that you could add to a dry food to make it more palatable and nutritious.

I hope this bumps up your question and kibble feeders will see and respond. 🙂

[Liz S]

Hi everyone,
Haven’t had the chance to get on here. So much going on!

Cheryl if you see this I would definitely love some help on questions to ask etc. I’ve had many furbabies for over 15 years but with this current vet I am just like…. sick to my stomach. The day you posted I didn’t have a chance to respond because I did want to get my 4 ferrets in to at the very least get checked out and I already had the appointment made. Anyway get this- my 3 girls tested negative for ear mites. Our new little boy we’d had for 3 weeks tested positive. Plan was to give them all a dose of revolution. Well after I left the exam room and spoke with the techs/front desk and they gave me the box I said “wait a minute. this says for cats 5-15lbs. ” So the girl goes in back, comes out says the vet I saw stepped out for lunch but they asked the other vet and she said ” yeah. if that’s what he wrote, then….” I thought to myself, are you kidding me?!?! My ferrets are under 2lbs. NO WAY was I going to give that to them. They’d be poisoned and die a horribly death. But I just wanted to get out of there. So I did buy the box ( $80 ) but again I was not going to give it to them. I was going to come back in 2 hours and demand to speak directly to either of the vets. Ha. I couldn’t answer my phone after I left because I brought my mom to her oncologist. We get back to her house and in the span of 1 hour I received multiple calls and voice mails from the techs saying ” Do not give it to them!!!! We’re working on what the proper dosage would be and see if we have the kind ( it metabolizes differently ) that is safe for ferrets.” —- they were frantic on all of the messages and I was thinking to myself… NEVER EVER WILL THIS OFFICE SEE ANY of my or my moms pets again!!!!!! I was just livid. If I wasn’t a veteran ferrant and applied it, they’d be gone! It’d be horrible! Just thinking about it makes my BP raise. The carelessness & negligence that day just set me off. But anyway… I did end up going back and speaking with the actual manufacturer and I received the correct kind. UGH. I wanted to tell you about it that day but it was just too hectic. I DID pick up ALL of our pets records as well as my moms dog, Qtip. I made sure to get everything.

I wish this site was a little more mobile friendly. The pages cut off and I write a big reply and then I can’t find the submit button!!!! I hope they work on it in the near future. It’s easier for me than getting on the laptop. Oh well. Anyway. Thankfully it’s tax time and I can help my mom out. We filed today but I saw on the news to expect delays in returns, so who knows. – Liz

[Balsey Dean D]

No kidding! Reading these posts here should never happen. I love my dog and after getting a few little bags of these Canine treats for Christmas for my dog, wow, still amazed. The problem is that dogs will love these treats, mine did. I won’t buy any of these treats or any treats for that matter. Petsmart is listed here selling these treats, I wanted to leave the Corporate office a message about this thread, they don’t have an email, why are they hiding? Here is their phone number though, good luck! http://www.petsmart.com/helpdeskcategory/-helpdesk_category_cmp_20121219_174730;pgid=bRZky3Uq7YZSRpWB6nh5Lmz30000ytFlsr0f;sid=Jt0s3F_-sZMp3AtJz-Zt2G30T3S1pDZXv6X1iKZm?article=cmp_20121115_172158

[Sherri G]

Hi there –

I have a four year old English Bulldog (Oliver) who is…”special”. Ha! He has a very sensitive stomach along with some random other issues. Oliver had to stop eating kibble at age 2 because while he doesn’t have Mega Esophagus, he was having kibble get trapped in his cardiac sphincter, causing him to randomly and sporadically regurgitate. Soft, pate-style food and a Vegan Digestive containing Slippery Elm, Marshmallow and Licorice finally stopped that issue. Going to canned food, Oliver gained weight. He began a prescription diet food (canned) exactly one year ago and has lost 12 pounds.

A week and a half ago, Oliver began having awful gas (something of note: he does not receive any “people” food) which led to extremely horrible diarrhea. And when I say “diarrhea” I mean a gushing geyser. (sorry!) Naturally, we went to our beloved, trusted vet. After two trips and some tests (blood and stool) nothing out of the ordinary was detected. She felt he could have simply built up an intolerance to his food. She suggested switching to I/D (canned) to help with diarrhea and a course of Metronidazole.

After 3 days on I/D and Metronidazole, his diarrhea became worse. We switched to a chicken and rice diet and 7 days of Tylan. He is mid-way through the Tylan and our vet would like us to call when he finishes and then decide on food options.

After researching and making myself crazy (is there anything worse than not being able to make our “fur kids” feel better?), I started reading about raw food. I knew nothing about it until yesterday, when I spent hours upon hours of reading. I am not a meat eater myself and would definitely use a commercial brand – but we have yet another issue: Oliver cannot digest carrots.

After HOURS of research, I have found only 3 flavors of 3 different brands that do not contain carrots. Of those 3 brands, Primal Formula (Turkey/Sardine) seemed to be the “best rated” food. I have ordered a small bag to try.

So.. my questions are:
-Since Oliver is on a chicken & rice diet, would/should we fast him before trying the raw food? I’ve read different opinions on it but most dealt with switching from kibble.

-Do any of you have experience with your dog having chronic diarrhea or sporadic periods of diarrhea and you feel raw food has made a big change?

I apologize for the extremely long post. Our Oliver is complicated and we give him the best care we can, following our vet’s advice. I haven’t spoken to her about going raw yet but she leans more towards homeopathic and naturalistic approaches to everything so I suspect she will be in favor of it. I guess I’d like some advice/input/thoughts if anyone would care to share.

Edit: Since switching to Tylan Powder with chicken & rice, no diarrhea – just very soft stool.

Thanks so much,
Sherri (& Oliver)

• This topic was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Sherri G.

[Cheryl F]

Hi everyone. I’m new to this forum, but not new to the BARF diet. Back in 2004 I was feeding all my dogs/pups this diet quite succesfully, then I became unemployed for a period of 9 months late in 2008, and had to switch back to horrific kibble. I had 4 Saint Bernards, 1 Bassett Hound and a 60lb mix breed. Needless to say, the BARF diet food bill was quite extensive back then, and i had to re prioritize in order to pay the mortgage. I have only 2 dogs left now and the BARF diet is calling me back for all of it’s wonderful benefits. There weren’t as many suppliers then as there are now, and I’m reading the posts on the pros/cons of each supplier as well as performing my own research. I live in NJ and am looking for several suppliers who are reliable, have a good quality product, don’t gouge you on price and have a good selection of RMB, meat and organs. Please tell me your experiences with the various providers so I can make an informed decision before I place my order. Thank you all so very much.

[theBCnut]

I totally agree about dog food manufacturer being a big contributor to inhumane housing practices with food animals!!

I don’t consider feeding practices that the animals don’t understand or feel harmed by to be inhumane, but they may be unethical, which is a whole different, but relevant, issue. I, also, wouldn’t consider over 1 hour travel time to be inhumane anymore than I think it’s inhumane for my kids and myself to travel in the car for more than 1 hour, but there are limits, and travel conditions are another matter, definitely inhumane sometimes.

I don’t think from reading what is stated about Darwin’s that you can assume that they aren’t humanely raised, by your standards. Feeding cattle feed while on range doesn’t mean there isn’t grass, etc., but it may mean that it isn’t enough grass for them to be totally grass fed. They don’t say anything about antibiotics, hormones, travel time, etc., so I don’t know what the practices are.

I don’t know of any raw dog food manufacturers that are up to your standards. But you might want to check out Hare Today and see if you might think they are close enough. They aren’t complete foods though. Good luck in your quest!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sam D-
I mix the Nature’s Variety frozen raw medallions with my dogs’ kibble a couple times a week with no issue. In fact, there “output” is generally better when I add in the raw rather than canned. Also, I believe that all of the Nature’s Variety raw products are already complete and balanced and would not need to be mixed with the HK base mix. I think that a few of the other brands of commercial raw such as Primal offer some raw that is not balanced and could be mixed with the base mix.

Have fun with that lucky puppy!

[theBCnut]

I only feed raw bones. I would be afraid that these would splinter or break off chunks. There is so such thing as “natural liquid smoke.” Smoke is not a liquid. I’ve read that smoked flavoring is a cancer causing agent. I’d pass.

[Peggy]

I agree with you Marie.

Much of what I can understand of this post, I do not agree with.

I adopted at 7 month old JRT from a local shelter 5 yrs ago. BEST thing I ever did. No I didn’t read up on them before adopting. NO I wasn’t prepared for the energetic, hyper, high-strung little buggar that he was/is. One ADJUSTS to their new addition, and help them adjust to you. It’s a transition for you BOTH. I did find that training our JRT was much more difficult than any other dog I’ve ever had, and I’ve had plenty of different breeds and mutts. BUT, he was and is well worth the work I’ve invested in him. Yes he is still high-strung and stubborn – always will be, that’s the breed.
But he’s my baby and I love him to pieces. I would gladly adopt another Jack Russell.

I also disagree that JRT’s are euthanized more than any other breed. That’s ridiculous. I’d like to see where you got those statistics from.

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

[aimee]

Hi Howard and Dori,

The idea that urine pH plays a role in lawn burn was actually tested a long time ago. (Apparently Dr. Becker missed that publication.) It was published in 1981 and titled appropriately enough “Lawn Burn from Dog Urine. pH was one of the variables tested and it was found not to play any role in lawn burn. “The pH of urine has no effect on lawn burn”. Interestingly enough the authors reported that dl-methionine did decrease lawn burn because it acts as a diuretic and decreased urine concentration. Salt as a diuretic was a bit more effective.

You can read the publication here: http://www.myxyz.org/phmurphy/dog/LawnBurn1.pdf

I wouldn’t recommend adding things to your dog’s diet. I found these 2 articles that have a lot of information and suggest that if feeding a high protein food lowering the protein may help by decreasing the nitrogen load on the lawn. It sounds like a reasonable hypothesis but I can’t find that idea tested anyplace. I’d think urine concentration plays the largest role and watering the area after the dog eliminates probably the most effective measure to take.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2085&aid=1493

http://www.doghealth.com/how-to/how-to-prevent-lawn-burn-from-dog-urine

[Akari_32]

Thanks girl. I’m going to wait until Tuesday to give her the dewormer so that I can be home to make sure everything goes ok and she can go out as she needs. That’ll give me time to see if I should give it to Bentley or not as well.

Isn’t her new harness the cutest?? There was one that looked like it would be more comfortable, but it was very thick and they didn’t have the color I wanted (black or light blue) in her size so I took it as sign that that wasn’t the right one lol This one seems fine though, and she’s been asleep in it all day with no problems.

Her new food is working great, actually, and she’s not even fully on it. We’re just finishing up the last bit her Wellness mixed with it, and so far no tummy troubles and I’m seeing an inprovment in her mobility already, and she’s been doing a lot more running than usual in the last couple days. So far so good, I think!

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Joanne,
I am in the US -so no luck for us down here yet.

DF,
I thought I might have missed some sites that had it, all sites only showed the canned.
I agree, seem a possible candidate for my Millie, i don’t think I have the stomach to open the canned variety & their breadth after eating it must be bad.

[Dori]

Cheryl, thanks for your kind words. I’m hardly an expert on raw feeding or animal nutrition I can only relate my experiences with my dogs.

I don’t feed kibble and I don’t feed canned. The only canned I was somewhat ok with is Weruva but it contains caraggeean (can never spell that word) and it’s also made in Thailand. A very good trusted by most company that makes raw and dehydrated is Vital Essentials. Vital Essentials sells (as treats I believe or at least that’s how I’ve fed them) a bag of tripe. That’s a way you could go if you wanted to introduce some tripe into their diet. I don’t use commercial treats (too many carbs and ingredients that allergy girl, Katie, can’t have and I also just don’t trust them with all the recalls out there) so I’m always on the look out for something I can give them as a dry quick treat for training purposes. The dogs love them and they have not caused any gastro upset either.

A sardine every day is imo way too much! Only two or three times a week is more than sufficient. That’s probably why Pepper was no longer doing well with the sardines. You can go back to feeding her sardines if you want to but maybe a couple of times a week, not every day.

If Millie is already eating a freeze dried food and doing well with it then she should have no problem with raw at all. Freeze dried is raw. I would certainly switch her as soon as possible to the raw and get her off kibble. You can then feed both dogs the same foods.

Cheryl, you are not asking too many questions and you are certainly no bother. We all started where you’re at now. It takes a while to get the hang of it. Anyway, we are all still asking questions as we should be otherwise how else would we continue to learn.

I’m a Virgo. Perfectionist would be a kind description of me and, I too, suffer from migraines. I’ve had them since I was 10 years old. Hereditary I believe because my mother always had them. Anyway, ask all the questions you’d like. If I can’t answer any, I’m sure others will. Eventually you’ll be the one answering posters questions. That’s how it works around here. Learn and pay it forward.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Dori,
Your such a great wealth of knowledge, my little & i mean little experience with foods rotation is basically kibble with a lightly cooked topper of different proteins. I never fed canned.
i am sorry i am picking your brain so much, i really don’t know how to go about all this and then add in my fear well you can guess-
I used to feed Pepper a sardine every day until she couldn’t handle them, then I gave her fish oil-i would puncture a pill, she got beta glucan for her immune system coq10 for her heart 3x a week a Vit C, folic acid also-all human supplements just scaled down to her wt.
now with Millie I don’t want to overload her at this point because she is a puppy, i had planned to introduce the sardines a few times a week soon I think she needs the omega 3.
You know even though millie is eating a high quality kibble Orijen, Horizon legacy, I am starting to think she needs to get away from all kibble.
I have noticed,( funny that you mentioned this )Pepper’s stool has no smell since she has been eating THK, yet Millie’s does & I can only attribute it to the kibble.
I give Millie both the Orijen & Legacy mixed and she is ok with that.
I know she is ok with the orijen freeze dried (that’s what she gets for lunch alone)
I guess I made the mistake of giving her the HK with her kibble & chicken at nite.
I should have introduced THK alone with her protein as a topper.
Dori I will get this, i won’t be bothering you for ever, I am a Leo ,and we are perfectionists (that’s why I suffer from migraines) so i have to get this correct-poor Millie to have me for a mom 🙁
I did create a new topic on Puppy’s and supplements-i just haven’t had a puppy in ages & according to Millie’s breeder she needs nothing ( i don’t agree) but don’t want to go overboard.
I realize you don’t feed kibble but i saw a post where tripe is now made into kibble-petkind.com, I wanted your opinion, I have read here a lot of posters feed canned tripe-that it is good for them, I see that more of the large breed posters feed it, I just didn’t know if breeds like schnauzers would benefit. After all Pepper & Millie are not what you would call “working dogs’ Pep is in retirement & Millie is unemployed

[Dori]

Cheryl. I’m so sorry that you’ve had to experience the loss of your son. You’ve said you have no kids in a past post so you, like me, lost your only child. No, life will never be the same. Surprisingly and shockingly it does go on. So does the pain. My heart breaks for you as it does for all of us that have outlived our children. Bless you Cheryl.

Yes, that does come in to play a bit in our animals becoming our babies. Especially dogs. They are dependent on us for everything as were our sons when they were babies and toddlers. I think of my girls as my babies, but most especially as my toddlers as I don’t actually have to carry them around everywhere for them to get from place to place. Though I’m sometimes been guilty of that. lol. In the evening when watching t.v. or reading they are always on either my husband or my lap or a combination of both.

Just wanted to mention on the Plaque Off that if you would feel more comfortably you may want to give your vet a call. I do know that hypothyroid is the low production of iodine in the body. Hyperthyroid produces too much. It is rare for a dog to have hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is common in cats. Dogs if they have a thyroid condition is typically hypothyroid. But, of course, you can always check and get the advice of your vet.

Good luck with lunch today though I don’t believe you’ll need it.

[debra m]

Many conscientious pet owners these days are aware of the problem of dog overpopulation. Because of irresponsible breeders and owners of millions of dogs all over the world and put down every year in animal shelters and veterinary clinics for no other reason than the fact that they have a loving home to go to. The simple fact is that there are more dogs in the world of loving pet owners.

Jack Russell Terriers (JRTs) are particularly likely to achieve this goal. They are small and very cute, and a lot of people mistakenly think that would make a good dog for young children. Either that or they do not provide for the needs of the exercise you need this kind of great activity. What these people do not realize that I was born makes Jack Russell to hunt. This is a lively dog is very active, and often do not get along with other pets such as cats, unless properly socialized at an early age.

Because of these factors, there are now many JRTs in shelters and rescue organizations Jack Russell worldwide. If you are interested in helping to save one of these puppies a little courage from a terrible fate by offering a loving home and this is what you need to know about the adoption of the Jack Russell.

1. Consider the age of the dog you adopt. Requirements for the care of a puppy are very different from that of an adult dog or aging. Also, remember that Jack Russell can live for more than 15 years.

2. Generally adopt much cheaper than buying a new puppy.

3. Make sure you check out any health problems that may be present in the dog. Rescuers are usually voluntary, and will be very honest with you on this issue; unlike some dog breeders should you do with the money.

4. Try to get an idea of the life that the dog has had up to this point. If your dog has been subjected to severe ill-treatment and abuse socially, you may need to be prepared for rough ride in terms of training, poor behavior that has accumulated over time. But remember that any dog ever lost cause – “If problems” that may be the only person with the heart and patience to adopt

5. To find a dog to adopt, you can try to contact the local clubs Jack Russell, educators, veterinarians, or contact the club rescue Jack Russell directly by finding them in the phone book or online.

6. Remember are usually neutered dogs rescue and micro chipped when adopted. There are two good things. Chip means that if lost or stolen your dog to have a good chance to recover. The fact that these dogs are neutered and also mean they will not contribute to the problem of overpopulation. If you have plans to breed and then adopt the dog is not true for you, but you should not play unless you have looked into the matter and the race itself and get advice from other educators with experience to guide through. It should only be Reproduction of commitment to the maintenance and improvement of the breed.

7. If you already have a dog, consider a rescue dog cannot get along with him. Not socially many rescue dogs well with other animals. With some dogs, but this will not be a problem. Most rescue organizations allow Jack Russell dog to have a trial period to see how the dog fits your home.

8. Do not be surprised if the organization wants to rescue someone was to ask a lot of questions and check his house. These people are Jack Russell Ecuador passionate and want to ensure that these animals will not end up back in a shelter or rescue center of the city, which are often very selective about who they will allow to adopt their dogs. Do not be offended by this, because it is a common practice.

[Dori]

My only thought would be that if your dog’s urine is burning out your lawn wouldn’t that mean that your dog’s PH is already off? Not sure, just thinking aloud. You can test his urine yourself I believe with a PH urine testing kit. You can order it on line. Less costly than having your vet check the urine unless you’ve recently had your dog at the vet for routine annual physical where they would check the urine anyway. Though I’m not sure if they check PH level or are just checking for bacteria. Adjustments to the ph level would depend on what it is? You wouldn’t want to go to far one way or the other.

Marie’s neighbor may have already known what her dog’s ph level was.