[Mike Sagman]

Hi Kaye K,

Thanks for your question.

As I explained in the video, we have reduced more than 950 reviews and 4,100 individual recipes to (currently) just 21 brands – including the dozens of product lines many of those brands make available. And for each of those selections, we also include much of the important detail that’s missing from the label.

This includes ingredient sources, country of origin, recall histories, product availability, quality control and safety practices of the company, test and hold methods and much more.

You can find all this information by simply clicking on the links to each Editor’s Choice brand whenever you’re logged in to the private member’s area.

Information like this is obtained via calls, interviews and data scraping. So, as you’d expect, it took our research team thousands of hours to collect and sort through all that data in order to make the recommended brands you find in Editor’s Choice available and updated on a routine cyclical nature.

However, it would be far beyond the scope of our service to provide this kind of in-depth analysis and tracking for each of the thousands of other products reviewed on our website for the small fee we charge for membership (about 1.00 per month).

Unfortunately, the only other way to get this information (for all the other non-Editor’s Choice brands, too) would be for you to make these calls to the relevant companies and ask these questions yourself. I realize this would be a lot of work. However, there’s just no easy way I’m aware of to do this.

That’s why we created Editor’s Choice, in the first place. We wanted to make it easy for our paid members find a great dog food quickly. So, if you simply choose one of our monthly recommendations, we’ve already done all this hard work for you.

In closing, let me again say thanks for being a member. It’s support from caring dog lovers like you that make it possible for us to make our website available without paid advertising from manufacturers — and the influence paid ads would almost certainly bring from the pet food industry.

If you have any other questions about what’s included in your membership, please feel free to contact Member Support.

Hope this helps.

[theBCnut]

Yes, I’ve seen this in sooooo many dogs. She has been on garbage for so long that her body can’t tolerate too much good nutrition.

First of all, find her a good probiotic and give her a small dose every day for a really good long time. Mercola has a good one. It is more expensive but it has a good number of different strains and that’s important right now. If you go through a couple jars of it, you should be good to switch to a cheaper brand after that.

Second, I’m sorry to say this, but put her back on the Beneful for a couple weeks. When her system has completely calmed down, start her on 1/4 new food and 3/4 Beneful. Leave her on that for a full month and see if her stools stay consistent the whole time. If they don’t, then she may have a food intolerance to something in the new food and that’s why the intermitant problems. You will need to pick a new food with very different ingredients and start over. If her stools stay consistent, after a month, start giving half Beneful and half new food. You probably should decrease the amount she is getting at this point because the new food is most likely higher calorie and that alone can cause stool issues. Leave her on that for at least 2 weeks, a month would probably be better unless her stools are just really, really good the whole time. Then go to 1/4 Beneful and 3/4 new food. Again decrease the amount you feed. If stools get loose at all, back up to the previous stage and leave her there longer, if they stay great, then 2 weeks at that amount or until the Beneful is gone, then you should be good to go 100% new food. Decrease food and watch her weight. Keep giving the probiotics at least 2 weeks after she is totally on the new food, if not forever, and then you can decrease the amount of probiotics to just twice a week.

Third, read up on the benefits of feeding a rotational diet and decide on the next food you want to switch her to. Each switch will get easier and easier until you don’t have to transition at all anymore. Good luck!

[neezerfan]

OK, I’ll jump in here. You’re right, Linda, there is no straight answer. First of all, I don’t feed kibble. I think it’s too processed, too high in carbs and not species appropriate. But then I have 2 small dogs and not 3 big ones so that keeps finances more out of the decision.

For one dog, I feed him a combo of Darwin’s raw and a few types of canned I like. Fromm, Whole Earth Farms, Nature’s Instinct and Ziwipeak are my favorites. I also add in fresh human food when available. Plain meat and cooked veggies.

My other dog has food intolerances so he is now eating Royal Canin potato and venison canned food. If you had told me a year ago I would feed this I would have said you were crazy but it’s been a savior for him. After 3 months on this I’m slowly adding other brands of venison food to see how it works for him.

So, it is a matter of what works best for each individual dog. You read and learn and makes some choices of good quality foods, and see what works!

BTW, is there really a food that labs won’t eat? LOL!

[Bobby dog]

You are very welcome!

Not sure if the fish you bought is cooked or not, but do not feed raw salmon or trout to the dogs because they may contain bacteria that causes death in dogs. Good idea to puree it if you are uncertain about the bones, better safe than sorry.

You will really find that PDF useful. On top of it being packed with great info, it’s an easy read and written so that you can reference info easily. Your questions about food and portions should be answered in there. I don’t feed the ABC diet in one day, I feed all the extras throughout the week as toppers. Please ask if you can’t find what you are looking for; someone here should be able to help.

It does sound like a yeasty skin issue. Dandruff is much better than open sores so the Malesab must have helped. How do you stand budget wise with purchasing more shampoo? I found another budget friendly option for shampoo if you are interested.

My dog had a bad yeast infection last year. It took 8 months of consistent care and tweaking his diet to rid him of it. Changing his diet was integral in the healing process. If at all possible getting them off Ol’ Roy will be the most help. I know it’s not up to you, but if your uncle could at least switch to a food without chemicals, dyes, and meat & bone meal it would be a step in the right direction. With the added fresh foods you are improving their diets regardless, however by eliminating the chemicals etc. I believe you would see their health continue to improve. You might have a fighting chance to prove your point because more than likely some of the issues the dog had a few months ago will show up again after a few weeks back on Ol’ Roy.

I was feeding Bobby a canned food along the lines of Ol’ Roy that contained chemical preservatives and dyes, the kibble I fed was not bad. He had a skin infection so I took him to the Vet. During the visit my Vet discussed the importance of a healthy diet and suggested I stop feeding that canned food and choose another. When I eliminated it from his diet I saw an improvement in his skin within two weeks. That gave me the incentive to find out what else I could do for him.

I can’t answer your questions about enzymes, I don’t use them. Having no teeth would not necessarily be a reason to add enzymes. There was a very interesting conversation on the review side about using enzymes and whether or not they even survive the stomach. This did not pertain to enzymes used for pancreatic issues. Maybe someone else will be able to answer your questions.

I love the results I get from probiotics; wish I started using them long ago. I feed my cat kefir 3x/wk and my dog daily. I upped Bobby’s dose of probiotics when he had a yeasty skin relapse a month ago. When I feel he’s back on track I probably will feed it every other day. I think your choice of probiotics is a good one. Even though I am feeding kefir, it is more out of convenience for me since Bobby and the cats are doing well and like it. Kefir is very affordable, but I think your choice is more economical in the long run and you get more strains of probiotics. Write back with the weights of the dogs who will be getting them, I have info on dosage for human probiotics.

Canned food is much easier for dogs to digest since it is not as processed as dry food. There are several budget friendly canned foods out there. Depending on if they have teeth pulled mixing kibble with canned is an option too. At this point I am guessing it depends on what your Uncle decides to feed them. At the very least, you can add enough water to kibble prior to feeding them to make it a canned consistency if necessary.

I am not sure about specific exercises for arthritis & hip dysplasia. Keeping arthritic animals slim and fit is extremely important. The fish you are adding to their food is really good for arthritic pets! Try searching the forum for this topic and hopefully someone with experience on this subject will stop by.

[Bobby dog]

Dogs can do ok with no teeth. Their diet should be adjusted since digestion of food begins in the mouth. Soft diets are fine.

The variety of fish should be fine I am just thinking about the proper portions…you know what they say about too much of a good thing. The eggs were another extra that might need to be tweaked.

I never transition Bobby to a new food, he always does fine. The need for or length of time needed for a food transition depends on the dog. I was more interested in how they did and it sounds like they are like Bobby, ready and willing to eat anything and do fine!

If you feel it’s yeasty skin, what does her skin look like? Is there an odor to her?

I was wondering about there teeth and thought maybe they were chewing something that was inappropriate.

Good idea to monitor chewing activities. I give Bobby a beef tendon once/week.

I know I am a broken record, but the “ABC” download has all the info for feeding the extras. I think those extras are going to be great for those pups!!!!

[Bobby dog]

I am glad you stopped by with an update! It sounds like you are doing everything within your means to help these dogs. Other than a change in diet and seeking medical attention for their teeth, I still recommend probiotics if it is feasible. I listed some suggestions for them in my previous post.

Were the dogs able to transition to Pure Balance without any digestive upsets?

Does she have yeasty skin or just itchy from allergies?

What is the can size of the sardines you are feeding? About how many cans/week are you feeding each dog?

Healthy teeth and gums are very important for all of us; when they are unhealthy it can lead to other diseases. I would certainly address the situation in my dog. The only suggestion I have are for the owners to seek medical care ASAP. Do they have trouble eating kibble? Are the dogs given anything to chew?

I really recommend Steve Brown’s download, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.” It will help you with what you are trying to achieve for these dogs economically. More importantly, it is specific as to the quantities/types of fresh foods to feed and keeping the diet balanced; it would also benefit your dog regardless of the quality of kibble he currently eats!
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

Here’s a DFA thread about adding toppers:
/forums/topic/toppersadded-nutrition/

Too many raw egg whites can interfere with the absorption of biotin; egg whites contain avidin which binds with biotin preventing dogs from absorbing it. Lightly cooking some of the eggs you feed or just the whites can remedy this. Dogs the size of Labs should probably be fed about 4 – 5 eggs per week depending on their body condition and weight. Check out this thread for some suggestions from theBCnut on feeding eggs:
/forums/topic/how-many-eggs-shell-or-no-shell/

Other canned fish you can feed is mackerel or wild pink Alaskan salmon; avoid tuna due to possible contaminates. Be sure to feed only fish packed in water with no salt added.

You can try foot baths & rinses. Below are links to several different baths & rinses that would help with skin and coat issues. If you decide to try the povidone iodine solution foot bath or rinse, since the dogs go outside, rinse with clean water afterwards because it makes the skin sensitive to the sun:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/25/dog-foot-bath.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/12/16/thirty-seconds-to-relieve-your-pets-itchy-paws.aspx
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=3

Ol’ Roy is definitely not my choice for a healthy food, but it sounds like it’s your uncle’s. Keep encouraging him to rotate and hopefully feed a better food. Other places to look for affordable dog food are whole sale clubs, hardware, large animal feed, and garden supply stores.

If your uncle will not invest in better food, maybe you can try to research some kibbles that are in the same price range that don’t contain as many undesirable ingredients, chemicals, and dyes. One brand that comes to mind is PMI Nutrition; they make three grades of dog food. I often read comments from people on hunting dog forums recommending their Red Flannel line, their lowest grade of food. I don’t recommend this food, but perhaps it (or another similar food) could be considered the lesser of two evils.

Here is PMI’s website with a store locator:
http://www.pminutrition.com/main.html

DFA review:
/dog-food-reviews/red-flannel-dog-food/

[Jenny Rellick]

My dog, Leo, was like yours–begging for more food. He went from 62 lbs. down to 50 lbs.over the course of a year on a grain-free dry food. Here are my 4 tips for dog weight loss:

1. Feed the calories for your dog’s ideal weight, not her current weight: Leo gets 725 calories per day, including treats, and has gotten that amount since he hit 62 lbs.. Use The Dog Food Calculator on this site’s home page to figure out you dog’s caloric needs, entering an estimated ideal weight in pounds from your vet or from a time before your dog was overweight, and for activity level, select “overweight.” Leo’s food is 500 calories per cup, and I feed him 1 and 1/3 cups per day, for 650 calories from a high protein dog food. I leave 75 calories for other food, and because the grain-free food I use is so nutritious, I am confident he is well-nourished with the small quantity. Leo gets 2 meals of 2/3 cups, measured with a measuring cup (never eye-ball the quantity.)

2. Pump up the volume with warm water: Use a big, flat-bottom bowl to spread the kibble out, and add enough warm water to just cover the kibble, letting it steep on the counter for a minute or two.. Some kibble swells to make it more filling, and even if your part kibble doesn’t swell much, you are making a tasty broth to drink without adding calories. The water makes the meal take longer to eat, and tricks Leo into drinking extra water, which is necessary for weight loss. My dog goes crazy fpr the aroma while it steeps. Many vets recommend canned dog food for weight loss for exactly these benefits I provide by adding warm water to dry food. My way is much less expensive.

3. Feed green beans liberally with every meal. You can use frozen or salt-free canned (never give salted canned vegetables to a dog.) Of all the vegetables, green beans have an extremely low caloric density but, when cooked (canned green beans are pre-cooked and can be fed directly,) they are appealing to dogs. My dog won’t eat cabbage, lettuce, or celery, but he loves green beans. He gets 1/2 cup at each meal, stirred into the steeped kibble. This adds about 20 calories per meal, but he feels very satisfied with each meal, gets plenty of fiber for bowel regularity, and thinks I am preparing something special for him at each meal. He watches each step, and if I leave the kitchen while the kibble is steeping, he barks and cries as if to say, “you are forgetting to finish cooking my dinner!” If he starts begging before I put the green beans in, I show him the bowl and say, “Don’t you want green beans?” He barks and cries until I add the green beans! If I run out of green beans, he looks so disappointed. When I get back from the store, he goes to his bowl and waits just to get his half cup of green beans by itself.

4. Give very small treats. Except for 2 regular Greenies per week (90 calories each,) Leo gets tiny treats for going potty the right way or listening well. They are about 1/2 the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Most dogs will enjoy one treat three times more than they enjoy three treats all at once. Liver biscotti treats are Leo’s favorite tiny treat. Zuke’s mini naturals are also a convenient size. You could chop up human cold cuts or pepperoni and keep them as treats in the refrigerator. If your dog loves to chew for a long time, antlers are great because only a small amount is ingested or digested at a time, and your dog will burn calories by chewing. Elk antlers seem to be a good size and wear down just fast enough for Leo to get flavor and satisfaction from his efforts. Marrow bones from cattle are similarly good chews for dogs, but bully sticks, pig’s ears, raw hide, and the like present a choking hazard, can cause bowel blockages, have empty calories, and often contain chemicals. By the way, my dog loves his Greenies so much that they serve as his emergency recall reward. For the emergency recall reward, don’t worry about calories!

[Dog_Obsessed]

I couldn’t understand it either, but the same thing happened to me last week while doing research on Magnesium, so I though there was just a bunch of technical stuff in it. I reread it and it still makes no sense though, except for the last paragraph.

I opened a Chrome incognito window and searched the site on google, I can tell from the google description it is the site of a Parson Russell Terrier breeder. For all I know it could have information about how to feed a home cooked diet, but it seems to basically be commercial spam.

[Naturella]

Hey, all!

I know, I know, long time…

Well, the talk is over and went as expected. Complete breakdown and crash on my Mom’s side. Dad too. He hasn’t even seen the video yet – she told him, which I didn’t want to happen… She may have told him her version of it, not what it actually says…

Anyway. They were both pretty devastated. My Mom’s focus is on the fact I didn’t tell them or ask their opinion. I already know their opinion and wouldn’t have taken it anyway. She didn’t really hear that I want to try to work on a better relationship. But it’s normal. She’s in shock…

I just hope that one day we will be able to actually talk about things honestly and openly. I hope time helps. They can have all the time they need.

So yeah. I’m okay. Just emotionally drained. Not devastated… Just hope this was the worst… My Grandma still doesn’t know. My mom is supposed to be telling her tomorrow. IDK how that’s going to go. So it will be pretty bad (hopefully only reasonably bad) here for a few days, but like I said, I hope time helps…

Thank you all for checking on me! I really, really appreciate it.

And BCnut, Brian and I will go have a nice dinner somewhere now… I think it’s better to do after the endeavor…

P.S. I am happy I did this. I feel so much stronger, albeit my mother called me “cruel”. I am not a perfect person, and I make some bad choices and bad actions, but I don’t see myself as an inherently bad or cruel person. She was in affect, so it’s okay. But I think this was good. I hope so.

[InkedMarie]

If you’re looking for canned, I have a thread “let’s talk canned” in the nutrition forum. Lots of good priced ideas there.

[Mary L]

An important step in the system to order the removal of contaminated dog food will give the FDA the power of the newly proposed law, policy and penalties for violation of the notice requirement for the product.
This is an important step in the control of potentially contaminated feed dogs did not exist inherent dangers that can deliver power to the FDA.

Powers of the new federal law, the FDA:

• Require contaminated dog food recall dog food immediately. Currently, the FDA voluntarily recalls contaminated dog food dog food from the store to remove the product has to wait for the company.

• Tampering with the dog food products currently on the market occurs when an initial notification in the system. FDA does not know this information system to collect data and without waiting for the makers of dog food on the market is evident as soon as they report the problem will be enhanced by working with the animals and other organizations. Dog food manufacturers to ensure the existence of a problem for a few weeks before the current food crisis spread its poisonous tentacles dogs. These delays the health of thousands of dogs worldwide endangers.

• Federal labeling requirements for the implementation of dog food. Currently, dog food to meet the requirements for the label is too lax or virtually impossible.

• FDA regulation of food imports and improve energy. Dog Food Recall the current reporting poisoning in dogs, causing kidney failure and death in China is almost nonexistent and the lax regulation of protein expression and other imported ingredients suppliers.

The FDA is currently less than 1.5% of all food imports are inspected. There is a new certification program safety and to allow FDA to inspect your plants to export to the United States that the Company will be required. The Company can not comply with their certification revoked and the use of its products for use in dog food or people not eligible for shipment to the United Sates.
Until that day comes, one of the best ways to assure that your dog is eating a healthy and nutritious diet is to prepare a homemade dog food diet. It’s easy and your dog’s health and your purse will both be thankful. To learn more about the necessity of feeding your dog a healthy and natural diet visit: http://www.pratsals.com

• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Mary L.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Mary L.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Mary L.

[Xiu-Xiu]

First time dog owner with no experience. I have a 6 month old, 7 lb Japanese chin for over 2 months now. Breeder had him on Diamond lamb and rice. So I picked up a 30lb bag because that was the smallest bag they had at the time. I would give him 1/4 cup of plain kibbles in the morning and a 1/4 cup at dinner and topped it off with a Natures recipe(tub) different favor each day. Everyday he would always get really excited for his dinner and always went back to lick his empty bowl. So far no problems whatsoever with his health or poo. 

My vet thinks that Diamond is not as bad as people make it sound.  So I’m getting mixed opinions,  and I read a lot of bad reps about the brand. 

I like the idea of getting him on rotation. I don’t care how much it costs, as long as he’ll be healthy in the long run. I have a couple of brands that I’d like him to try from your 5 star list. I chose these brands because of the ingredients and based on the breed forum recommendations:

Canidae

Merrick

Orijen

Wellness core

So the first brand I tried is Candied pure element (lamb) grain free. I really like what’s listed on the label. But my boy seems to not agree with me. He had a couple of kibbles and walked away. He would not touch his kibbles all through the day. He kept going back to sniff and walked away. Dinner time (he’s always excited as usual) so I mixed it with his wet food like always (Nature recipe), he would eat/lick off the wet food and spit out the kibbles. 

This is weird because my boy would never reject anything I’ve given him, he would eat anything out of my hands. Am I making the wrong choice here? Any recommendations would be highly appreciated, because I would like him to be off Diamond if it’s not good for him.

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[Peter S]

What is your opinion (if any) on the positive/negative aspects of legumes (lentils, and different forms of peas such as split pea, chickpeas, pea protein etc) being used high-up on the ingredient list of many “high quality” (usually grain-free)dogfoods ?

Recently I read somewhere online that legumes contain or produce something called “phytates” which can be detrimental (possibly inflammatory ?) to some dogs’ health.

The main reason I ask is that a few of the brands that I have been researching lately (to possibly feed to my 2 adult labs) contain what looks to be a fair to significant amount of legumes. The specific brands to which I’m referring are Horizon Legacy & Pulsar , and a couple of Canine Caviar’s formulas.

[Naturella]

Dog_Obsessed, thank you. Over the years sharing it has become easy (living it, now, that’s another story, lol…), except to my parents, obviously, because I am very scared of the possible worst case scenario outcomes of telling them that I am married and this whole thing overall, BUT it has to happen eventually, or at least start happening as I foresee it as a long process, but it has to start somewhere. I am willing to accept my parents’ decisions, and them, as they are, even if they choose not to change, as I believe nobody is capable of forcing change onto others that resist it. I would never shun them or stop talking to them or anything. I just HOPE that we can have a better relationship overall, between us and with my husband… I love my parents and grandparents, and all they have done for me, solicited or not, and I will always love them. I just need us to do better at some things if we can, and know if we can’t so that I can plan accordingly and work on myself in order to consider, but not let their sometimes unreasonable opinions of things affect how I do things.

Akari, if they would try to get to know him, I would listen to their concerns… Except, they have not… But, it is okay for now.

I really think it is the anticipation of this event that makes me a little off, and I don’t want to toot any horns of my own about “yay, I’m in an interracial relationship, I am so open besides my culture/country of origin”, it is more about trying to fix a moderately to highly unhealthy relationship between my family members – myself, the family that I am creating, and the family I already have. I just feel like this is a battle I have to lead alone for the most part, so it just felt nice to have a bit of a cheer here and there from friends close and far. Not that my husband is not supportive – he rocks, and he is my rock (and a ton of other wonderful things that my mom supposedly believes he is, but also believes we would never last because of society), but for this one, at least for some parts of it, I feel like I have to go in alone. And that’s terrifying, but okay at the same time. Like I said, I am okay (for the most part), and plan to be. 🙂

[LeatherLadySam]

I CAN NOT READ ALL OF NORMAL TYPING CAUSE I AM VISUALLY IMPAIRED! DOES DOUBLE SPACING BETWEEN WORDS HELP, INKEDMARIE?

MY VET KNOWS OF MY LIMITED DISABILITY INCOME? WE BOTH KNEW I COULD NOT AFFORD A NECROPSY. I HAD ALREADY RACKED UP A $200.+ BILL & NOW OWE CLOSE TO $300. NECROPSY ALONE COSTS $300?

I CAN NOT EVEN PROVE MAINTAINENCE BY DIAMOND WAS SHIPPED TO WA. STATE, CAUSE I BOUGHT IT HERE BUT DIAMOND DOES NOT LIST THEIR RECALLED MAINTAINENCE FOOD FROM 2012 OF EVER BEING SHIPPED!

I ONLY BOUGHT MAINTAINENCE BY DIAMOND SINCE HARLY COMING TO LIVE WITH ME IN 2010. VET SAID LONG TERM TOXISITY CAUSED THE LIVER FAILURE! MY HOMADE FOOD COOKED AT LEAST. 3 HOURS AFTER ITS SECOUND OR LAST. TIME OR CONTINUES COOKING!

I AM. SO. HEART. BROKEN & TOTALLY LOST NOT TO MENTION NOT ONLY HAVING MY PAIN MEDS CUT, CAUSE I DO NOT HAVE CANCER,, WA. STATE LAW IS, NON CANCER CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS. ARE NOT LEGALLY ABLE TO TAKE MORE THAN 120MG OF OPIOIDS A DAY! I HAVE 3 OF THE MOST PAINFULL NEURO DISEASES, RSD REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY, POST HERPETIC NEUROLOGY,, AFTER AFFECTS OF. SHINGLES, FIBROMYALGIA, MAJORITY OF DISKS BULGING OR HERNIATED. & DEGENERATING WITH ARITHITIS. SP? MY. BODY BURNS 24/7/ 365. BEING CUT. FROM BASICALLY BOUT HALF MY MEDS & HARLY SAVED MY LIFE MORE THAN ONCE CAUSE OF HEMAPLEGIC MIGRAINES & THE MILD FORM OF LOCKED-IN SYNDROME, MINE IS MY BRAIN CAN DEAL WITH ONLY. SO MUCH PAIN & IT SHUTS DOWN MY BODY ALSO NON24 I CAN NOT TELL DAY FROM. NIGHT!

SORRY. BUT HARLY. WAS. MY LIFE, I DOUBT IL. LIVE. A YR NOW WITHOUT HIM & ALL HE. DID FOR. ME!
SORRY FOR RAMBLING! HARLY WAS. LITTERALLY EVERYTHING TO MY LIFE, HE ALERTED ME TO MY PAIN BEFORE IT WOULD HIT ME!

[Naturella]

God Almighty, it is back. Take two.

Personal story of my life, made as short as possible:

I am an only child of an overprotective and codependent mother who “lives for me” (and, I think, vicariously through me). She is a lawyer not by choice – after the fall of Communism in Bulgaria she was forced to become one to survive (financially), so she is professionally damaged from defending criminals (law back then over there was not divided by field as it is here), who have also threatened her with my safety/life to get what they need in defense terms. I was mostly raised by my maternal grandparents from age 8 months to 16 years, when I moved in with my parents. I still saw my parents most evenings and spent most weekends and parts of the summer holidays with them. My maternal grandparents never truly liked nor accepted my dad and now that my grandfather is gone, and my grandma being disabled, my mom has to balance between work and the two households, when living together is not a healthy option (either my dad will kill my grandma or vice versa, lol. Hopefully figuratively).

I have been raised with a lot (for my country and culture) of American influence – Cartoon Network since age 6, MTV, Vh1 (not American, I know, oh well), American Girl Magazine, National Geographic, American penpals and chat pals, American movies, TV shows, Disney, music, and my mom’s American (Bulgarian Jews who escaped in WWII and came to live in the US) clients (for some real estate stuff in Bulgaria, not criminal clients), all of which happened since age 8 to age 18. I have always been groomed to come here to get my higher education, which I am doing, but I feel that my upbringing prepared me well and made it easy for me to adapt to the US and feel like I fit in well.

Now… In my country we don’t really have people of different races. I have only briefly met in person one black person before I came to the US. We have had and still have Roma (gypsies), who are of darker skin and generally discriminated against. Nowadays we have about 10 black and mixed people in my hometown. Maybe some more in other cities, plus some Syrian refugees. Anyway. I never knew I would, but I met and I fell in love with a black man here (of Caribbean descent). My mom let it pass as ok in the beginning, then about 8 months or so later she told me I need to break it off because neither my family (WHOLE family), neither anyone else, anywhere (not even in the US) would accept this, nor our children, we will both be discriminated against and suffer (and our children too). This happened in late May, 2010. Since then, not only did I not break up with the man, but I introduced him (virtually) to most of my friends and family in Bulgaria, who seem to like him and really want to meet him. I have met his family who seems to like/love me, and whom I love. My Mom has met him twice for about 5 minutes each time, and my Dad met him too and we three (without my mom) went to a sports bar. Dad and Brian had a good ole time. 🙂 Also, my Mom has said this about him: “I am sure that he is a wonderful person because I did not raise you to be with someone who isn’t.” I have also heard ALL kinds of other words from my mother’s mouth including how she would pity our kids if God forbid we have them; how I will LOSE my WHOLE family if I choose to be with him (to which I always respond that that would be their choice and it doesn’t have to happen like this, but to deaf ears it falls), how our relationship is imminently doomed as she reads statistics on that and sees what happens to two examples she has (both of bad relationships between Bulgarian women and men of another race and/or culture) and, the best one – how she has thought about even hurting herself at the thought of my imminent doom if I were to ever connect my life with a man of another race and/or culture, and how I will know she was right but she would be long gone by the time I realize it. In the meantime, I have begun living with this man (in 2012, but I only told her in January 2014, and her reaction was expected yet scary), I got engaged and married to this man.

Now… I want to try my chance at building a better, healthier relationship with my Mom (parents) and Grandma while they’re still alive, so I want to tell them the truth – that I got married, they did not know, nor were they invited, and I just hope that in time they will all learn to accept my decision and us as a family. And I hope to overall build a better, adult-like, honest and trusting relationship (but with boundaries) with my mom and wean her off of her codependency, if possible… But all of this will take time.

So, this is the gist of it. I plan to do it on Friday night – the end of my birth month. Just feels like it’s time.

Thank you all, again!

[Cyndi]

OMG!!! I am so f’n excited!! There is NO law in my state that says you have to have get a rabies vaccine. I never knew that! All those years vaccinating my doberman and he didn’t need it? Here is one of the articles I just read:

“Rabies vaccinations

Ohio law does not require rabies vaccination of dogs unless they have bitten someone and no proof of rabies vaccination is available. Dog bites are reported to the health department, and the dog is placed under quarantine for 10 days. Following the quarantine period, the dog owner must show proof of rabies vaccination.

Health departments in each county can require that dogs be vaccinated against rabies. In October, the Hamilton County Board of Health adopted a resolution that requires rabies vaccination for all dogs and cats more than three months old. The animal must be given a booster vaccination one year later, but subsequent boosters can be up to three years later.

Veterinarians are required to provide rabies tags to the animal owner and to keep records of rabies vaccinations that can be made available to the health commissioner on request. Dog and cat owners are also required to provide a copy of a rabies vaccination certificate to the health department upon request.

If a pet bites a person or another animal and is suspected of being rabid, the health commissioner can allow the owner to keep his pet in strict quarantine for a minimum of six months. If the animal dies during the quarantine, the head must be made available for rabies testing. If the animal does not show signs of rabies, it must be vaccinate at least a month before the end of the quarantine.

Animals must wear their tags; those that are found off their owner’s property without a tag can be impounded.”

I am so happy I could cry! NO MORE SHOTS FOR BAILEY!!! EVER!! Yay!

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

[LeatherLadySam]

I HAVE NO IDEAHOW TO PROVE THAT MY VET , DID NOT DO A NECROPSY CAUSE I COULD NOT AFFORD IT & I HAVE FED MAINTAINENCE BY DIAMOND UP TIL THIS YEAR, I THOUGHT HE WAS GETTING FST SO REC OMENDED HEALTH4 BEINGS HE WAS A MONTH OR SO FROM TURNING 5YEARS OLD. THE VET SAID HIS WEIGHT WAS RIGHT ON AT 68.2 LBS & SHE TREATED HIM FOR UNKNOW CAUSE OF RASH & PUS POCKETS ON HIS BACKSIDE. 6 WEEKS LATER I GOT HIM BACK IN WHEN HE STARTED TO VOMIT & NOT EATING & OVER NIGHT I KNEW HIS KEDNEIES WERE SHUTTING DOWN & BETWEEN THE 2 VISITS WE DID A UA ON HIM & WAS FINE. HE WAS DYING & I KNEW JUST 10 DAYS AFTER HIS 5TH DAY. EXCEPT WHEN WE WERE HOMELESS 9 MONTHS HE ATE ONLY MAINTAINENCE BY DIAMOND,BUT WHEN WE HAD A PLACE TO LIVE I DOUBLE COOKED CHICKEN & MADE DOG USING FROZEN VEGGIES, BRN RICE & OLD FASHED OATMEAL THAT WAS LAST TO ABSORB THE EXCESS WATER AS IT COOKED MY FORMER NEIGHBOR ATE A CONTAINER I GAVE FOR THEIR DOGS. I HAVE READ THE RECALLS & HAD TO GOOGLE THE MAINTAINENCE DOG FOOD BY DIAMOND RECALLED FOOD TO FIND THE 2012 RECALL. BUT THEY SAY WA. STATE DID NOT GET ANY SHIPPED HERE! THE LAST 2 BAGS I BOUGHTHEALTHY4. & IT HAS HAD A LOT OF RECALLS I FOUND. ANY IDEAS? HOW TO PROVE THE MY VET SAID WHAT CAUSED HIS KEDNEY FAILURE KILLED MY WORLD, HARLY! WE WERE INSEPERABLE AS HE WAS MY SERVICE DOG I HAVE NEVER SPENT THAT MUCH TIME WITH MY OWN SON EVEN BEFORE HE STARTED SCHOOL!I CANT PROVE HARLY ONLY ATE 1 FOOD ALONG WITH HALF HOMEMADE TO MAINTAINENCE! I WAS VERY STRICT MAKING HARLYS FOOD AS IF I WERE GOING TO EAT OR SERVE IT, IVE CANNED & FROZEN FOODS FOR YEARS, ANY IDEAS!?

[theBCnut]

I can’t post pictures here either, but if you go over to the review side, you can post pictures in the Off Topic thread.

[Edwina M]

My neighbor found a starved 6mth old Great Dane Puppy last Friday on the side of the road where there are many deep woods. He and I both RN’s but he is working and I am not so we are caring for him.

His coat is good, no fleas, no mange, his eyes bright and his ears clean but of course truly a skeleton looks like my mom said she did after 3.5 years in POW camps. It has only been a week and the space between his hindquarters is filling in not touching anymore. He is eating well and all functions are normal regarding to toileting. He is exceptionally smart and he is clean with his toileting.

The problem is his balance is kapoot. He is now hopping off on his hind quarters, his front quarters still have muscle from pulling himself along I suppose. We are wondering if he will ever walk again and when he is stronger we have a Vet to take him to. She said at this point he needs rest and the food, vitamins etc we are giving him is substantial. We are concerned that he won’t ever walk normally and it hurts us deeply. Since it has only been a week we will most certainly give it time and then see what the Vet says.

He is a wonderful dog and he would make a wonderful companion for someone. We can not possibly keep him, we have a small home and a small backyard and we already have two little dogs and several inside cats and several outside cats. We took all cats to Vets and fixed them when we first moved here. No more stray kittens around this area. We are willing to spend the money and time on this beautiful animal but hope to find a loving home eventually.

Please tell me about serious neurological damage that can come from starvation. He was on the brink of death never saw an animal in this shape. He is strong in the AM but by nightfall when we bring him in from his huge run cage he is falling over and not able to control his hind quarters.

Thank you.

[crazy4cats]

Hi All-
I’ve had a very rough couple of weeks. My Casper kitty somehow ended up with a urinary tract blockage. He jumped up on the bathroom counter and then tried to pee in the sink and failed and started crying a bit. He’s an extremely quiet cat, so I knew something was very wrong. He then started licking himself frantically. I had already had him to the vet as he had only been peeing in small amounts recently. He had some crystals and blood in his urine, so was put on antibiotics and prescription food that he wouldn’t eat. I took him to a walk in clinic and they took an X-ray which showed no stones, but they could not express his bladder so they deemed him blocked and catheterized him. I took him home with a catheter and brought him back the next morning. We did that another day as well. His bladder was having spasms and still couldn’t pee. They kept prescribing different muscle relaxers and pain meds to try to combat the spasms. I got fed up and took him to a fancy emergency hospital. They told me they had to redo the procedure “correctly” or should be euthanized. They are extremely expensive, but I couldn’t pull the plug. There was not a guarantee it would work as his bladder had been stretched out and damaged. he stayed there for 2 1/2 days. I got to visit him, however. Well, hooray, he’s been home for a week now on relaxers and prescription food. Doing pretty well. I have to keep him isolated to monitor his output, which is very difficult with three other cats and two dogs. So far so good. The prescription food looks hoerrible, but the vets swear by it. I’m afraid to take him off as I don’t want to go through this again! I was very surprised that he ended up with this condition as he eats canned food with every meal. After reading more, I’ve come to the conclusion that stress might be involved as well. So in conclusion, keep an eye on your kitties output. And, please take them to a reputable animal hospital if you have a serious concern! Also, keep feeding canned to keep those tracts cleared out. As I write this, my heart is very heavy as there was a terrible school shooting about 50 miles due north of us yesterday. When will this madness stop!

[theBCnut]

Sorry, I’ve forgotten, but did she also have an infection, or just crystals? If she had an infection, you should see improvement pretty quickly with the antibiotics and the d-mannose. So I would be looking into that, maybe not the right antibiotic. If she didn’t have an infection, the d-mannose shouldn’t help, and it will take time to get rid of the crystals.

Frequent urination in small amounts is normal because of the constant feeling of needing to go. I don’t know why there would be a big puddle by the door other than psychological issues. If it was while you were gone, I would assume she doesn’t want to use the doggy door when you aren’t home, for whatever reason, and is trying to hold it, but just can’t. It might help her to settle if you confine her while you are gone. Most anxious dogs do better if they have a denlike place where they feel safe when their people are gone. That’s one reason why crates are so popular among people that have lots of experience with dogs.

Not that it matters one way or another, because you can answer questions, but it’s easier for us to remember the whole story if all of it is on one thread, instead of starting a new one each time.

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

[Naturella]

Sue, if I stumble upon something, I’ll let you know!

I know I read somewhere of (or maybe talked with a friend about) a “cake” of layered hamburger patties, raw, lightly, or fully cooked, with mashed potatoes in between (but made doggie-friendly – with coconut oil instead of butter, maybe some plain yoghurt for cream, and just a pinch of salt, not much), and served decorated with frozen or fresh carrots/carrot slices, green beans, and peas, and made to look like a cake! That should work for a dog Patch’s size or bigger, but not for Bruno, lol. But, I don’t think Patch can have potatoes, so you may need to find out another “cream layer” if you were to do that.

I will probably make this once we have a bigger dog though. 🙂

[FrenchieBourdeaux]

No he does good with the Fromm I just add it to his food every other day. My vet and the breeder said it helps with there digestion. But I have been reading and hearing a lot about goats milk and the great benefits for dogs and I was curious if I could use that or if it would be to much calcium right now. And I here good and bad on supplements so wasn’t sure what to do on them. And kind of off the topic question but how do you load a pic on your profile…..I feel like a idiot bc I cant figure it out.

Thanks

[Charli T]

Hey you all,

Just wanted to say at first how grateful that this site is available! THANK YOU for everyone caring!!!!

Three weeks ago I came across two women screaming ‘HELP, he’s hitting us, please HELP’ I ran over and found a crackhead laying on top of two women with a docile dog between the three. The man was repeatedly hitting the women and trying to strangle the dog. I got the man off the women and he had ahold of the dog and one of the women still holding the leash. The two had just broke up and were fighting over who gets the dog. He snatched the leash and started walking quickly away. One of the women he was hitting was 8 months pregnant and she started chasing him to get her dog. I hit 911 and the boys in blue were there in less than 30 seconds. I told him the story and asked if they would drive the pregnant women back to her RV. Of course he said. I went into Von’s and came out and the RV was still there, I took two frozen dinners and 2 muffins and dog food over to the. I had to make sure they were ok. The pregnant lady answered the dog with a big smile and showed me her little lab was back.

Then my life turned upside down……. She asked ‘ Wanna know why we’re really here?’ She opens her RV front passenger door and there was a little dog carrier. She reached in and pulled out a tiny little bundle, I snatched her right up and started nuzzling instantly. She turned out to be a 5 week old blue nose baby. They were going to sell her to get money to register their RV. I marched over to the ATM and pulled out $200 and brought the baby home. She’s the most precious baby ever, she’s a nuzzler! She was 4″ long three weeks ago and now she’s almost a foot long. She did have a hemorrhoid and some serious parasites, but I had her at the doc the next morning. Her hemorrhoid is all gone ( thank goodness ) and we’re working on the parasites.

Now she started getting a rash on her tummy. If it’s the food, I’ll change it ASAP. My other dogs eat Halo and LOVE it, but I think it’s messing with Baby. So did I read it right that pits don’t do well with chicken? I do cook nightly for all the dogs either chicken, pork or beef. I have 3 long hair chihuahuas and a big ole rottie. Precious ( the princess, long hair ) wouldn’t try real dog food till I rescued the rottie, she loves Halo and her eye staining totally disappeared, AWESOME!

My rottie also adopted Baby, she takes such excellent care of her. If Baby gets hurt Sheba ( the rottie ) can’t get to her fast enough, it’s totally priceless!

I’ll try anything to help Baby and her tummy, oatmeal baths and Benedryl does help. If vinegar or probiotics or a special diet will help, it’ll be well worth it for my little girl!

Thanks ahead of time for all your help, your all ROCKSTARS!!!!!!

[Susan]

Hi Beth, yes Patch has had an inflamed Pancreas twice now & I now keep him on a lower fat diet, when Ive tried other kibbles that were higher in fat% (13% & higher) the acid reflux comes back & so does his pain, if I go up in protein % in a new kibble, he has his pain under right paw chest area, he seems to do real well on the vet diet, then I think when I start adding new foods or try getting him off his vet prescription diet & try new kibbles or cooked foods he gets his pain again. 1 vet told me its hard diagnosing Pancreatitis sometimes, he’s found sometimes test will come back all OK but the dog will have all the symtoms of Pancreatitis, so he said now he doesnt really bother with alot of tests if they have mild Pancreatitis & just puts the dog on a low fat diet & the dog normally gets better, if the dog doesn’t get better he said, then he’ll tell owners that we need to do some test..
I also think stress is a problem too, the end of May I started to pack as I was moving, there were boxes everywhere, Patch started following me everywhere I went, he wouldnt let me out of his sight, then I didnt move in the end & the begining of June Patch was vomiting everytime he ate for 2 days & had his pain, so I booked Patch in the next day for an ultra scan by another vet, as his regular vet was all booked up for the next 3 days & the scan came back all good, so what his regular vet said about the no testing, he was right… Patch was put back on a very bland diet & the vomiting stopped, so did his pain, so sometimes their pancreas just needs a little rest…..

Hildie, when I first rescued Patch he was doing poos that looked like a condom over his poos, he also had blood in his poos sometimes & I’d wipe his bum with wet wipes & there would be be light red blood on the wet wipes, it was not everyday but his jelly mucus poos were about every 2 weeks, then one weekend I was up all weekend with sloppy poos then diarrhea then he just pooed a heap of liquid blood & I rushed him to vet, in the end he was diagnosed with Colitis/IBD & put on vet diet a low residue kibble that Ive been trying to stop feeding but everytime I try a new kibble it just doesnt work for Patch, so we go back to the vet diet…if he didnt suffer from the skin problems it would be easier, 1 new kibble will be excellent his poos are perfect then his starts scratching, gets red paws & has itchy ears which Ive found potatoes & sweet potatos & wheat was causing.. so now its back to the drawing board, I’m starting to understand why some owners are feeding cooked horse meat now, its probably the only thing that has help their dogs skin problems & their poos problems at the same time…Im finding he does good on fish, (tuna or salmon) & a bit of pumkin but that doesn’t fill him up he loses too much weight..I need to find foods that fill him up, some people with dogs with IBD & skin problems are feeding Quinoa, Ive read that quinoa to be very healthy & is gluten free..

[AspensMom]

TheBCnut and Genevieve – thank you so much for your great advice, I appreciate you replying back to me! I was feeding her 3 times a day on the Nutro Natural Choice and in the beginning she would eat it when I put it down for her feeding, but there came a point when she wouldn’t eat it anymore, and I changed to only putting her food down twice thinking that she just wasn’t hungry, but now that I think about it I think she became bored with or just didn’t like the Natural Choice anymore. But that’s when I started reading this forum and decided to switch her food. The first time she had EB Coastal Catch she devoured it up in no time flat, she was getting the Nutro lamb and rice and I was hesitant on the Meadow Feast but she liked that plain too and chowed it down.
TheBCnut, when you say I will definitely have to adjust the amount, do you mean more or less? Lately I have been feeding her 1 cup EB with 1/3 cup THK in the a.m., ½-1 cup at lunch (no topper), then 1 cup EB with 1/3 cup THK in the p.m. Would this be too much (it’s about 3 ½ cups a day, what Nutro suggested on its packaging)? I called EB and left a message about a week ago and so far nobody has called me back to clarify feeding recommendations for a puppy, and the back of their packaging doesn’t say whether its for a dog or a puppy. She is however getting a pretty good walk/run in the afternoon every day, so much so that she sleeps on and off the rest of the afternoon/evening, so with that exercise I’m not too worried about her getting fat, but that might change when winter comes and I’m not inclined to bring her to our open space/dog parks every day in freezing/snowy weather. Also, is it advisable to feed sardines/tripe every week, if so I will make sure she gets at least one every week. I assume the sardines will give her a nice shiny coat? I will also check out Annamaet’s Aqualuk and see if I can get that at any of my natural food stores, this is a good recommendation for when I start rotating her food more. BTW, how often do you/should you rotate food, every other day, week, month?? Thank you all! 

[Dori]

Well, for some reason I can’t find the thread on the Himalayan Dog Chews. Thought that was where I should post since my erroneous conclusion to Hannah’s health issue was that she was maybe getting gunked up due to the yak and cow milk. I was wrong.

I had Hannah at the vet early this morning. Blood work, chest x-ray, ultrasound, urine sample. Culture of the back of her throat and nasal passages. The blood work will be back tomorrow but she’s pretty positive that what Hannah’s got going in an upper respiratory infection and/or sinusitis with some very thick post nasal drip. Her feeling, and mine, is that Hannah should have an antibiotic injection called Convenia. It lasts for 14 days. She does want to hold off until she gets all test results back. Because Hannah has multiple cancers (bladder and lung lobe) and she is 15 years old, her immune system is quite compromised hence the infection. Whether the chew added some gunk she said it’s pretty hard to think it’s that because she hasn’t had one in three days and she’s still as bad if not worse then she was yesterday which already was pretty bad. The timing was coincidental she feels. She’s still eating, drinking, peeing and pooping. That’s my girl!!! Nothing stops her. Other than this congested reverse sneezing (you can actually hear the congestion and gurgling) she acts just like her jolly old self. Her heart and lungs are all looking and sounding normal. The tumor in her stomach has not changed in size since she was diagnosed. Lung lobe mass is still the same size also. So that’s at least a little or a lot good news. I’ll post again when I have anything new to report. Again, thank you to everyone who has had Hannah in their good thoughts and prayers. I thank God for this site. You all keep me somewhat grounded. As grounded as I’m ever gonna get anyway. You all help me so much with your kindness, compassion, knowledge, experiences and great sense of humor. Love you all!

[Hildie V]

Hi Susan they do sound alike 🙂

She does best on food I make myself. Also, NRG raw dehydrated, but unfortunately she’s developed a wheat allergy in these wheat germ in NRG so I can’t use anymore.

I’m going to try a ground turkey, beef liver, beef heart, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and potato next. I supplement with eggshell calcium because I don’t feed her bones. I also give Simon oil, vitamin E, digestive enzymes, probiotic, and a multivitamin and mineral specifically designed for dogs by a holistic vet.

I would suppose just as in humans certain things trigger acid reflux but it can be different in every person and also in every dog. I suppose there’s also an underlying reason why acid reflex is there to start with which is what I really want to get to the bottom of. That is, assuming she actually does have acid reflux and this isn’t something to do with something else because no one seems to know 🙂

I think finding foods that work for the dog is specific to each dog and it’s trial and error. Kibble can be a lot harder for them to break down than fresh food. Fresh food is highly digestible, and usually easier to digest. I would not touch a vet prescribed food with a 10 foot pole… But that’s not saying it doesn’t work for some people and their dogs, is just disgusting to me 🙂

If you want to make your own homemade food but are scared that you might not do it right you can buy a cookbook called Hillary’s Complete and Balanced and you can buy her supplements to go with it and then follow her recipes for homemade food. Her cookbook is only available through veterinarian offices in Canada and off her website in the USA. My girl did great on her venison and potato limited ingredient diet for five months until I couldn’t find the venison anymore at an affordable price :-). That is when I switched her to NRG…

Nothing I have done is a fix for sure, my dog is still having problems, and I like reading about what other people do to try and help myself as well 🙂

[Hildie V]

Hello 🙂 I too have a Boxer who gulps (swallows hard repeatedly), licks the air, licks the floor, tries to eat everything that isn’t nailed into the ground, sometimes throws up. This happens randomly and almost always between 1am and 3am, although sometimes just occasionally it happens during the day.

She has been seen by 6 different vets for this. I have had her tested for almost everything possible. Tests involved: x-ray, barium x-ray, stool sample, extensive stool culture, urine cultures, blood work, autoimmune disorders, megaesophagus… the only thing I have left to do is an endoscopy but that will either turn up negative or show something we already know that we’ve been doing trial therapies on.

At first I was told it may be: acid reflux or tonsilitis. I was told to give her Pepcid AC (fomatidine) and Sulcrate Suspension. This worked for a bit (give 1 hour before or 3 hours after food). I stopped using Pepcid and continued with the Sulcrate when she had an episode. It doesn’t work anymore.

Now, after all these tests she is on her third treatment for Heliobactor, just like someome else here mentioned. She also is on Amoxicillin and Metronidazole, as well as Pepcid and Pepto-Bismol. This is her thrid go-around in four months and she’s still randomly doing this.

I have come to several personal conclusions. Firstly she CANNOT eat grain. The last time she was on a good-streak I made oatmeal cookies for her and she got an episode that night. Secondly, she cannot eat high fat things. Another good streak, I gave her eggs before bed and she got an episode. Another good streak and she snuck into the garbage and ate beef fat strips, got an episode that night. I really believe this is acid reflux. I don’t know what is causing it. I REALLY hope the antibiotics do the trick this time for Heliobactor.

If she has an episode, I know it’s usually 2am but I don’t sleep anyway so I take her for a long walk and you would never know she was having a problem. Until we get home, then it’s back to the gulping. She seeks comfort in me rubbing her belly in a firm was as to burp her.

So…Along with doing whatever it takes from my vet’s suggestions (He is AMAZING) I am also gonig to treat her as if she has acid reflux. No big meals before bed. No eating after 8pm. Multiple smaller meals throughout the day. No more kibble (she has tried every food possible, kibble, dehydrated, raw, fresh homecooked and it doesn’t make a difference). I will stick with a low-fat homemade highly-digestible meal plan and give probiotics (Dr. Peter Dobias) and digestive enzymes (Prozyme). I will keep Pepcid and Pepto Bismol on hand (you can give together).

I am PRAYING that this stops. It is the scariest thing when it happens. She begs to me to help her but there isn’t anything I can do to make it stop.

[Akari_32]

Heya, Bobby Dog! I’m Happy be off that stupid boat. There’s nothing to do on the ship if you don’t drink, and I can’t even stand the smell of alcohol. I sat in the room most of the time and read the first book and half of the Harry Potter series, and played a good 1/4-1/3 of Pokemon X (one more gym and the league to go!). In three days…. LOL Night before last I did eat an entire pizza by myself, though. That was quite the accomplishment XD Wasn’t bad for frozen cruise pizza :p

They closed down for good. They bought the practice from a terrible vet, and filed a law suit against them and everything. They were actually doing pretty good, but all the legal crap from the other vet dragged them down. Plus he wasn’t a very good business manager and bought equipment they didn’t need and stuff. All in good intention, but you can’t do that when just starting out, and under a bad name already, at that! He did a great job with his clients, though and most of them will follow him wherever he goes. I probably will if I ever figure out where he’s going next and he’s close enough! I really did like him. He’s very nice and cares so much about his patients and their owners. Turns out, the crappy vet is coming back. I will tell everyone I know not to go to that place! I did not like the reviews I read about him on line. Not a single good word has been said about that guy!

So after some looking around, her reverse sneezing probably an allergy thing (she normal sneezes when we go out side, but not inside other than a few little huffs every now and then) or her breathing in random stuff due to her small size. Everyone is having terrible allergies around here right now, and even Bentley on his no-carb raw diet is back to chewing his feet and itching. I’ve been living on sudafed for the last three weeks, even lol Anyways, I guess it’s not something to worry too much about. Still don’t like it, though…

[Kathy H]

I am not much for the store bought vitamins after what I read today as to where 90% of them are coming from now (China). That just worries me so much. I don’t even add them to my diet. I try to get all of them that I can through my diet. Like the organic kale I buy locally, I wash and spin dry the leaves and then dehydrate them in my Excalibur. Then I crush them and store them in a vacuum sealed mason jar.
Guess you can tell I have gotten sort of picky in my old age, LOL! 🙂

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to effectively brush a dog’s teeth. When I first adopted Lily, who is ~3, the vet said that there was some plaque on her teeth, not enough to need a professional cleaning, but that we should brush her teeth. Well, I decided to wait a week or two because she was new to our house. Then, I took the doggy toothbrush I had bought for her and put some TropiClean toothpaste on it. I put it near her mouth, and somehow expected her to open it. Not surprisingly, she didn’t. I then searched google for “how to brush a dog’s teeth” and I found something by the ASPCA about how to slowly acclimate them to having their teeth brushed with treats. I began to touch her teeth while she licked peanut butter off my hand, and then tried lifting her lips and giving her treats. Now, two months later, she has made a ton of progress, though i have not been able to really brush her teeth with a toothbrush. She will let me lift her lips for a few seconds and open her mouth for a split second as long as I am giving her treats, or let me rub toothpaste on her teeth. Sometimes she lets me touch the brush to her mouth. She is not a huge fan of any of this, but tolerates it. I also changed toothpaste, I now use CET poultry favored enzymatic toothpaste which she loves.

I give Lily “dental” Nylabones to chew, the flexible non-edible kind. These actually work for her, she chews them but doesn’t destroy them to much. I kind of doubt it helps that much though. She also sometimes gets edible chews, such as Himalayan chews. I know RMBs can help with teeth, but neither me nor the rest of my family is quite ready to use raw bones. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on her getting more accustomed to tooth brushing, because while she is making progress I am not sure if I will ever really be able to thoroughly clean her teeth. Thanks!

[Nancy C]

Kristin — I bought 3 turkey necks from HARE TODAY and they are in the freezer still. HOW exactly did you feed them? They look big. Hare Today says they are 1 1/2 pound each. According to the 2 -3% body weight my GSD can eat approx 2 pounds of raw a day. so it would seem to me that ONE neck would be a meal in that he eats two meals a day — but perhaps I should cut it in half?
Were your dogs able to chew it up easily? Did they eat it frozen? Did you feed it outside and just lay it down on the ground (as some say to do) ? I sound so stupid — I just have NO experience and I do not know of anyone around here who feeds “basic raw raw” (meaning raw pieces as in the wild – not “prepared commercial raw’ like Darwins, Primal etc). What I am scared of is choking and the possibility of biting off more bone than can go through the “tubing” in the body.
I think I have read that beef bones are comparatively hard whereas goat, lamb, duck, chicken are softer bones and that would infer easier to chew up. Thank you for what you can say.

[Nancy C]

Kristin, thank you! I am anything BUT an authority but my Fear has pointed me in the direction of getting info. For starters my RMBs are LONG too. Measuring the curved side they are 8 inches long from end to end which means they are really longer than that. My dog is 75 pounds w big jaws and teeth… however, I have just moved him in the last 2 weeks to raw and I have changed vets to a homeopath vet to whom I am adapting. My regular vet for 12 yrs is a fine clinician if the dog needs surgery (was #1 in her vet class) but as for holistic she is NOT there. She is the one who drew titers on my shepherd back in Sept, called to say parvo was negative and I needed to bring him in for REvaccination. The vaccine her animal hospital uses is a combo of parvo and distemper. She was willing to REvaccinate him for distemper even though his immunity for it (according to the titers) is very strong. THAT is when I found the homeopath who was willing to ONLY vaccinate for parvo. (Singles ARE available). That homeopath RE tested him for titers recently and sent the blood to the Univ of Col Vet Sch for lab work and the parvo was very strong. Go figure. Anyway, if there is trouble w this bone then I will have to make a decision betw WHICH VET and I do not want to do that!
Also – FYI from the NON EXPERT ME — According to my reading marrow bones are not recommended for dogs because they are from the load bearing bones (leg – femur) and dogs can easily break a tooth on those bec they are particularly hard. Dr. Tom Lonsdale DVM is a very respectable vet in Australia who has written two books worth seeing and one is titled RAW MEATY BONES. Can type that in and read more. He has a website. I think it is http://www.rawmeatybones.com. There is another website where his second book is ON LINE FOR FREE. It is RAWMEATYBONESMYTH.com (I think). Google that in and see if it comes up. Otherwise I will go find the exact title…. it gives a little info. Knuckle bones are also bad for tooth breaks.
Let me know how it goes this afternoon. I am thinking about giving mine today or tomorrow. I just gave the GSD his first BEEF last night, continued this morning. And I might wait till tomorrow just in case there is a probl so I can call the homeopath and not the Emergency Vet – they charge so much esp on weekends!
Good luck. Will wait to hear. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW is what happens AFTER the meat is all chewed off. !!! Thanks.

[Akari_32]

If you make in through Bobby Dogs book there (LOL), I would also like to add that I feed my three 11, 60, and 130 pound dogs and a cat (and finned and scaled critters) on about $40 a month on Wellness, Nutro, Pro Plan, Authority and whatever else I can get my hands on. It’s challenging, but it’s fun to search out deals and coupons. Definitely check out my coupon thread posted above, and learn how to use and stack coupons to get the best deals. I’ve been getting dry Wellness for the dogs for free for about a month now, and I’ve stocked up to have several months of it in the even I can’t find any good deals on other brands. Use them coupons! Your wallet will thank you 😉

[Bobby dog]

Hi Chris:
All good recommendations for your dogs! I have a certain budget I have to follow for pet food too; here are some of the things that help me keep the cost down.

Here is a link, posted by Akari a regular DFA poster, for a $5 coupon from Petsmart good for any size Authority and several other kibbles. This link is also posted on page 15 of the coupon thread. The coupon is always valid, the date changes each time you access it:
http://pages.email-petsmart.com/coupons2014?g=6e33a451-2f8c-401b-b420-888b86bf1199&ab=foodcenter_coupon_dog

Think about rotation feeding for your dogs. Many regulars feed a rotation diet; I believe it is the healthiest way to feed your pets. The added benefit for the owner is if you find a good price on food you can take advantage of the savings because you already know your dog does well eating it.
Rotation feeding info:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Sign up for e-mails from Petsmart, Petco, or any other place you would purchase dog food so you can receive alerts for sales and coupons. Also, sign up for e-mails from pet food companies. Some send coupons or other promotional deals through e-mail and look into frequent buyer programs too; Nutrisource is one company that has a frequent buyer program through retailers, buy 12 bags and the 13th is free. Some offer frequent buyer programs directly through them such as by Nature or EVO. Wellness offers coupons for kibble and canned food monthly through e-mail when you sign up for their newsletter. You could stack the Wellness coupon with the Petsmart coupon for additional savings.

Check out the coupon thread Akari started. It is a place to post info on coupons, sales, or other pet food promos that DFA posters find. Post questions if you have them too, Akari pops in to answer them.
Page one is the intro of the coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/
Current page of coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/15/

As BC posted you can find Rachael Ray Zero Grain Free at Wal-Mart. On her website she offers coupons for pet food (under news & offers tab). Most of the time there is a $4 coupon for any size of the Zero Grain: http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/switchto

Here are some recommendations for dog food sold at Wal-Mart:
/forums/topic/need-advice-about-walmart-brands/

You mentioned Tractor Supply Company 4Health brand; I feed the canned dog & cat food and I have fed the beef GF. The canned food is labeled for growth and maintenance, not sure about the kibble. The only kibble in that line I would recommend are the Beef or Turkey grain free (and the GF cat food if you have cats). Diamond manufactures all of the other kibble varieties and due to their recall history I choose not to feed anything they make; depends on your comfort level. Good luck with your pups!

[Susan]

Hi Naturella, that’s high 20% fat for rabbit, are most of the different brand kibbles he eats around 20% in fat?? maybe with some different brand kibbles or foods he can tolarate higher crude fats cause they are a different protein but with NVI he cant tolarate what crude fats they are using as much, cause what Ive read about Bruno he seems to be able to tolarate alot of different foods, so I just wonder what crude fat they are adding awell, rabbit is lower in fat, lower then beef, lamb turkey & chicken, maybe there’s another protein in this kibble making the crude fat go up to 20%, have a look at the other proteins in this kibble & write them down & see when he eats a different kibble are these other proteins in that different kibble & is he’s OK…or there’s an ingredient thats not agreeing with him…I like his name Bruno, my mum is Polish & her brother name was Bruno…

[JeffreyT]

We recently stopped feeding pet food fish b/c of the rancidity factor that BCnut refers to and also the ethoxyquin.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/01/03/fish-as-a-protein-source.aspx

You could use a pre-mix with fresh fish, canned sardines if you can’t bring yourself to feed other types of animals, and alternate with some veg meals (humane certified eggs, veg pet food, etc).

You can also buy the highest humanely rated meats (already prepared or raw) at Whole Foods and use with a pre-mix. If you can’t deal with the preparation aspect, Primal and Answers pet food are certified by the Global Animal Partnership…the same system used by Whole Foods that rates humane conditions and certifies feed gmo-free. And there are hopefully more out there I don’t know about.

Some companies use pasture raised and pasture finished so no factory farms or feed lots, like Healthy Pet Products, Stella and Chewys and Dogs for the Earth.
Dogs for the Earth raises their chickens above and beyond humane guidelines. Generally pet foods with wild boar/bison are free range too. Just some options you may want to consider.

[pugmomsandy]

There are combo products on the market from many pet brands like Total-Zymes Plus Probiotics. I like to use a product that has several strains of organisms in it. If you read the ingredient list of the Total-Zymes products, you can get an idea of what I’m talking about. That being said, human products are less expensive and you can also give it to your dog. You can use sardines and even mackerel instead of salmon. I feed raw sardines.

[Melissaandcrew]

ROFLMAO. I hate the freaking autocorrect on my phone. I can’t even imagine where it came up with Prozac as I don’t think I have EVER typed that word at least not from the phone, lol.. For the record, No, I do not give the dogs Prozac when I am too lazy to go to the boutique pet store…That should have read “Pro Pac”…The worse part of my phone is that I can re read what I wrote, its fine, and then once I hit the enter or send, it changes it..argh!!!

As for bargain foods, remember to check that they do not have a frequent buyer club. Nutrisource has a buy 10 or 12, get one free for the general consumer : ) Every little bit helps!

[Dori]

Oh My Goodness. Price should never be a reason why one solely feeds a particular dog food. One only has to do a minuscule amount of research to find that there are so many quality foods that have never had recall issues to feed your animals. I think some people think that they can’t afford foods that are reviewed on this site with higher starred values. That’s not true. The number of stars in the reviews on this site have absolutely nothing to do with a price point, it’s about proteins, fats and carbs. It has nothing to do with the price of the actual foods. There are a lot of people that don’t realize that no matter how often that has been posted on different threads.

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

[Kathleen C]

That’s OK, I’ve actually wondered about feeding raw. My idea of raw, though, is the ready to eat you can find at higher end pet stores, or feed stores like we have here…Olsen’s Feed and Grain carry things like that. If it had everything added the dog needs it would be a consideration. However, I don’t even cook for myself so probably wouldn’t do it for Jack either. The vet recommended Forbid, but I’ve read reviews and many people say it doesn’t work. Thanks for the information.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Cindy Q –

I’d encourage you to read How We Rate Dog Food.

“Although there are many ways to rate a dog food, we’ve settled on using the only information we feel we can reliably trust.

We read and interpret government-regulated and standardized pet food labels. Nothing more. And we do this in two simple steps.

1. We study the ingredients list
2. We estimate the meat content”

In other words, the star ratings on the DFA are a reflection of the ingredient list and general analysis listed on the product packaging and/or company website only. Grandma Lucy’s, based on ingredients and the estimated meat content of the food only, appears to be a great product. Dr. Mike is aware of the phosphorus issue Aimee has mentioned, but based on our current rating criteria that still doesn’t affect their star rating.

Issues such as these and specifically why the Editor’s Choice section was created. The companies featured in Editor’s Choice are thoroughly investigated and evaluated on many criteria beyond just the ingredients and general analysis of their products.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Jude s]

Hey! I was going to make a thread on this topic, but I saw this one….I hope it’s ok if I can ask my question on here 🙂
My 2 month old puppy has really soft stool, foul smelling, some mucus, and always seems to push kind of hard. He doesn’t whimper, he still eats and plays just fine.
I checked for worms, or any white specs, but he’s clear. I’m thinking he’s just having some irritation. I was thinking on putting him on some digestive enzyme supplements, I saw the suggested ones above, but not sure if those are ok for my puppy. I also saw the honest kitchen had supplements as well (Perfect Form & Pro Bloom).
Also if this helps he is a pitbull/chihuahua mix and about 7.5 lbs. He is eating Wellness puppy kibble, but I will be introducing raw foods sometime this month.

[Dori]

While dogs do contract ebola, they do so asymptomatically. They do carry ebola and can pass it on even though they show no signs. I read the story also and it was indeed very sad that he was euthanized. I’m not sure that quarantining a dog that has been in contact with a person or any other animal with ebola would have shown any results as they show no symptoms. I don’t know if there is a blood test that they could have done to let them know if the dog did, indeed, carry ebola. I also hope that people don’t start panicking about ebola at all. It’s all very scary and the more the media continues to report about it the more fearful everyone becomes.

[Nancy C]

BC Nut thank you for your input regarding the low parvo titer. My GSD had a parvo /distemper in Checzoslovakia (where he is from) at 12 weeks to the very DAY of his birth. Then he had his second one at exactly 9 months old. So he has had TWO vaccines of it. Dr. Loops the homeopath says that that is ENOUGH — he is fine. I do not understand all this titer stuff although have read a lot, esp Dr. Ron Schultz’s work at the Univ of Wisc Sch of Vet Medicine. He has researched vaccines for 30 yrs and Dr. Loops told me about an article in Dogs Naturally Magazine which he put on his Facebook Page because all people need to have this information about vaccines. Can google REVACCINATION AND DOGS at DogsNaturally and the article pops up. It is VERY informative as regards HOW the protocols and “standards” for vaccines even originated and what the truth is about that. The Pharmacomafia at work. (sorry if I offend anyone).
Maybe at some point BDN will offer up the info that people want. I’m baffled.

[C L]

Hi Kayla, There’s no need to buy treats when you can make much better ones at home. If you did try and buy better ones, they are extremely expensive. My recipe comes to about $2 a pound to make. I can’t find the exact recipe right now, but this is close. I made it up myself and all the ingredients are safe AND healthy!

Costco organic peanut butter (has salt, has no sugar) 1/3 container = 9.3 oz.
chick pea flour
4 large eggs
iodized salt (1 tsp)`

Beat the eggs, beat in salt, then incorporate the peanut butter into it until it’s mixed pretty good. Add chick pea flour & mix in thoroughly. I can’t recall how much I use, approx 1 cup. The consistency should be extremely thick, if not, add more chick pea flour (possibly another 1/2 cup).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Oil a baking sheet or pan. Oil your hands to keep the mixture from sticking. Grab about a lemon-sized amount in your hand and press between your hands to form a thick patty, about 3″ wide & 3/4 in thick. Place on greased surface, bake on 2nd shelf for 8-10 minutes. You can place the cookies close together, because they will not spread while cooking.

I like them to come out firm, but soft. My dog likes them that way. I have a Chihuahua, so I keep one cookie in the refrigerator that will be good to feed her (pieces of it) for 4 days. I freeze the rest, since there are no preservatives. They are her most favorite cookie ever! My dog is 3-1/2 pounds so I don’t want to make the treats super small, but you may want to make it to a smaller serving size if you’re feeding an entire cooking at a time. Be aware, too many of these treats will make your dog fat. I give my dog a tiny piece when I go out (she can’t choke on it), and a tiny piece in the afternoon and a tiny piece in the evening. Good luck! Whoever makes this, your dog will love you even more!

[Jenny M]

Thank you Sue, that sounds like my dog (when he doesn’t feel well). A few days ago he was laying on my bed in an odd position (he’s normally stretched out on his side or back, or curled up in a ball, but he was flat on his stomach). I picked him up and set him down and he immediately started throwing up. His face “looks” sick when he’s unwell.
The ONLY thing I can think of that might have set him off is if he got into the puppys food, which contains oatmeal. Since Tag was a puppy he’s never wanted anything to do with any kind of grain. The only past digestive issue he’s ever had was in 2012 when he had a bout of very angry bloody diarrhea, and he looked very sickly in the face. Flagyl and chicken broth cleared him up. I decided one day to give him a bath in a new oatmeal shampoo and once he was dried, he had broken out in a rash. A quick re-bath cleared it up but I kept an eye on it, and always assumed maybe he didn’t eat grains because he somehow “knew” he couldn’t tolerate them, and the oatmeal shampoo all over his skin (the largest organ that absorbs into his entire body) was further proof. If he did indeed get a bite of the puppy food, that might explain the vomiting and the rash. I know when he’s sick, I stress horribly. His stressed system on top of MY stress on top of a new puppy is hopefully what made the problem as bad as it was. If it is indeed IBS, I won’t stress as much because I know it could be worse, and aside from this incident and the puppy (who is slowly learning that manners are not optional in this house), he leads a very happy and mostly stress free life. He loves obedience, loves agility, and there’s a great balancing act between us; I know when I can put (good) pressure on him to perform and when I cannot.
An interesting side note. I’ve read dogs with IBS or IBD will sometimes find certain positions uncomfortable, and will sometimes turn to “look” at their side, where the discomfort/pain is. Back in the spring, we were competing at an obedience trial. We got past the difficult part (for us) and were well on our way to a qualifying score. We got to the signals exercise (which he mastered as a puppy because he’s brilliant). I had him stand, walked across the ring, and gave him the signal for down, which he NEVER misses or refuses. He stared at my signal, stared at me, then turned to “sniff his armpit” (look at his side). The judge, myself, and crowd were roaring because it looked like he was sniffing his armpit as if to say “ew, forgot deodorant today”. We shrugged it off and ran the next trial, and he did the SAME thing. It was funny then but remembering the way he stared at me, then turned to look at his side makes me wonder if he was saying “I can’t”. Will keep this in mind, it’s a lot to digest. No pun intended 😛

[Bobby dog]

Hi Laura:
I like and regularly feed Wellness kibbles/canned and Holistic canned to both my dog and cats. I haven’t tried the Holistic kibbles, but they are on my list to try.

I would look into feeding different proteins and carbs, but more importantly I would begin keeping a list of all the proteins and carbs in his diet. IMO if it is a food allergy or sensitivity saving the ingredient lists from each food (including treats and canned foods) and comparing these lists in order to find the offending ingredient(s) is the best approach; it is also time consuming.

There are quite a few fish based kibbles. I found three that fall under my specific criterion without potatoes of any kind, but two of them have high calcium and phosphorous ratios and of these two one has low nutrient levels. I decided not to consider them after looking at their websites and reading comments about the companies on DFA. The third is Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe, however it also includes duck meal.

This list may or may not be what you are looking for; none contain salmon, most contain sweet potatoes, some have flax seed, and some have fish you haven’t fed. Review the recipes carefully, they may include ingredients that you are trying to avoid:

• Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe – potato free, includes duck meal
• Pioneer Naturals Grain Free Whitefish
• by Nature Ocean Whitefish & Green Peas Recipe
• Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato
• Wild Calling Whitefish recipe

Here’s a link to carb values for Wellness kibbles:
/forums/topic/carb-values-of-wellness-kibble/#post-54314

Here’s some links to articles about allergies/food sensitivities in dogs:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/grain-free-dog-foods-solving-yeast-and-skin-issues/
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/caring-for-a-dog-that-has-food-allergies
http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/itchy-dogs-%E2%80%93-is-food-the-problem#.VDbE_LnQOpo
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499