[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, 5 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, 5 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

[Bobby dog]

Hi Laura B:
Can your dog have sweet potato? I have been looking at fish based kibble that use smaller species fish and there are a few that use sweet potato as the carb. There is one I found that is potato free, but the calcium/phosphorous ratio is high and the nutrient levels are low. After reading comments about the company on DFA I decided to pass on it.

I read your comment about different proteins, you might want to consider trying a protein that your dog has not had before. I believe rotational feeding is healthier, but more importantly your dog will always have something he can do well on if/when a company changes or discontinues a food.

[Laura B]

Hello All,

I have a 12 year old dog that is probably a lab mix who has been having problems with hair loss. a year ago he was losing hair in patches on his face and the tips of his ears. also some dry cracked skin on the tips of his ears, that i picked off, and swollen ears from tips almost to base. i took him to the vet many times and eventually another vet suggested that it could be allergies.

I had been feeding him pro series hypoallergenic food in canada, but i have since moved to the states with him and i can’t get it here. the hair on his face had completely grown in and his ears were getting better as well. i just switched to pure vita salmon and potato, which he greatly prefers, but his ears are swollen again and no more signs of improvement with the hair coming back. i’ve been reading about this and it seems that ear infections are often triggered by food allergies, and this is a sign of the allergy (though the only problem with the ears is swelling, hair loss, and maybe some purple marks on the skin). i have looked everywhere for a food with similar ingredients but i can’t find anything that is just mostly herring, anchovies, and rice. i also supplemented with canned tuna to make the pro series more appetizing, and that seemed fine. if anyone can offer any suggestions of what to try or how to interpret this i would appreciate it so much.

[Kayla]

I am in the process of weaning my Aussie shepherd that is around 1 years old from the old food to the new food. The last brand was a “no no” for him and made him have loose/soft stool and vomiting. He also went 4 to 5 times a day. I started the new transition on Oct 3rd and did full cup of old and half of a cup of new twice a day. I did this for three days because he was doing so well on it. I then changed it too one full cup of new food and half of a cup of old food twice a day. I also mixed a little bit of water and wet food. So far, he loves the food. And there has been no vomiting or him being gassy. But, since I started the transition on integrating new food he went from 4 to 5 times a day to 2 maybe 3 times a day? Is this normal with the new food? His stool is not hard but isn’t fully soft… like brown/ half hard/ half soft. I am just curious if this is normal? I can already tell a difference in his coat. He seems more playful and happy and more active but I am just wondering why there isn’t much of a change in his stool and how he went from 4 to 5 times a day to 2 to maybe 3? Is it because I am still feeding him the old food?

PS. I did the half and half for two weeks before when I was weaning him off shelter food to old brand and he did fine it’s just the shelter and old food was low quality and a no no for him because he didn’t like it nor settle well with him. I am currently trying to switch him over to Pure Balance which had good reviews and good star quality.

[Naturella]

Dori,
Ah, those damn shots!!! 🙁

In either case, nothing I can do now… glad to know it is not the Sentinel, although I will keep an extra eye on him November 1st (his next pill).

Also, he has MOSTLY been grain free, but just this past food I was transitioning him out of was lamb and brown rice, so it is not that new to him, he has certainly had it before, but not such gas. Pumpkin is something he hasn’t had in a while, but that shouldn’t be causing his gas, should it?

Also, I was going to add in THK tomorrow – wanted to go simple with just chicken, rice, and pumpkin before I add stuff so that I know what works…

As for that same food, NVI Rabbit, he had a sample of it, and he had it just fine as treats… either way, I am thinking of scrapping the NVI and moving on to Wysong Quail instead… it has brown rice, and I am scared of the rabbit now, lol…

I did certainly look through his stool and vomit too… nothing too crazy or unusual that I could see – whatever it may have been, he must have digested it at least some before it upset him…

In the end, whatever it was, I can’t really undo it now, I can just try to help him get over it and feel better. I will add THK Perfect Form tomorrow and hope for the best. If all goes well, I will add canned on Thursday/Friday, and begin introducing the Wysong Saturday/Sunday, so we’ll see how it goes.

Thank you for all the help!!! It is so much appreciated, Dori, really! And I don’t mean to hoag the thread, I just kept posting here to make sure it is not the Sentinel that could have been causing this.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Naturella.

[Naturella]

Dori, thank you for the response! The pill was one of 4 possible options that could have caused his major tummy upset.
Option 2- a bad can of sardines (he gets those Saturday morning with breakfast – expiration date was fine, plus I had the other half of the can and was fine too);
Option 3 is him digging up something at the park and eating that (we were there around 7-8pm Saturday night, problems started 4.30am the following morning);
Option 4 is a reaction to him being transitioned to NVI Rabbit – I began the transition on October 1st or 2nd – that was his 3rd day of getting 3/4 old food and 1/4 new food, and Sunday we would have given 1/2 old and 1/2 new. Between October 1st and 4th his stool was fine, maybe a tad softer than usual, but formed and all. Color was a tiny bit different those days – probably due to the new food.
So it could have been any of those three other things besides Sentinel… I really have no idea what it is. I have stopped the food transition (and all kibble actually – he won’t have it). He ate 1/2 can of the old food (same recipe as the kibble but canned on Monday after a 22-hour fast), and it didn’t work out completely well for him either (was expelled last night from both ends), so now he’s on a “boiled chicken and brown rice with canned pumpkin mush (pureed together until mushy)”. So far so good, has not had a BM since morning, when he cleared his whole system from both ends… Poor boy… But seems to be feeling a lot better, with lots of energy. Downside? TERRIBLE, and I mean HORRENDOUS gas… Gas that I can’t imagine a dog his size producing… It is BAD (smell-wise), and pretty frequent. I wonder if it’s all the rice… He’s usually on grain-free foods…
Either way, I have some more chicken and brown rice to feed, plus, I am equipped with plain pumpkin, plain yoghurt, THK Perfect Form, and THK Instant Goat’s Milk. So I’m ready to tackle this the natural way, hope it works for him (P.S. I did try bread soaked in yoghurt on Sunday – he had it readily, but then expelled that too… both ways… It was bad, I feel like I have a newborn that I need to clean up after every 2-3 hours every night. But I just hope he gets better soon.

Dori, I think you are talking about his shots – they were the week before, and he did stay home all weekend, resting. Could that be from the shots, about 10 days later?

[USA]

Hi Everyone,

I read the ingredient lists for BDN foods and I took this off their website:

“The final product is air dried between 80 and 100 degrees in order not to destroy the integrity of the raw ingredients. All processes of humidity, wind velocity and temperature are monitored and automatically altered when necessary. In this way, we produce a very high end product, that is not only very bio-available but also very much liked by the ones we are doing it for, our dogs.”

My concerns are:
1) They don’t say if 80-100 degrees is F or C, if it’s C then the temps would be 176-212 F and there would be no issue with bacterial growth but it would not be a very gentle temperature. If 80-100 degrees is F, that is a good temperature for bacterial growth. So if the air-dried process takes 8 hours then that food is growing bacteria until the moisture level gets to its finished state of 12% or below. In order to turn fresh meat and veggies into the granola consistency that BDN is, the time of drying at 80-100 degrees F would be 8-12 hours? Without knowing their process I can only guesstimate but even with very high fan speed (air movement) it could take 12 hours or more.

2) Bone, they use ground bone in the chicken, turkey and fish recipes. How finely is that bone ground and how brittle is it after the air drying. How much does the air drying increase the danger of the bone to the dogs that eat it? I don’t know but it is something that would be of concern to me if I were going to feed my dogs BDN.

[Haleybop]

Me, again. I’m never going to stop learning! I feed my 24 lb, 10 month old beagle Back to Basics (all four varieties for now). I feed her roughly one cup a day. Roughly, because for lunch, I add in some lightly cooked protein and take away a bit of the kibble. However, I’m wondering how much protein I should add. I use a lean protein, so I usually take about 1/3 out of her 1/3 serving and add in that much protein. Am I doing this right? Also, how often should I rotate her kibble protein? Every bag switch it to another one or switch it up during the week. Sorry, so many questions!!!

I feed her three times a day. I’m disabled (with a brain injury – that’s why this is hard for me to figure this out), so I’m home with her and can feed her three times a day. I kind of figure, why not? Are they like us that it’s better to spread out the food to keep blood sugar in balance? Is the two-feeding a day for our convenience or should I switch her to twice a day. Maybe kibble in the morning with a topper and raw for dinner (now where do I begin with raw). Sigh. I’m thinking a premix might work better for me. Suggestions?

I realize I have so many questions. For me, every time I see an article on feeding dogs, everyone says GO RAW. It makes me feel guilty that I’m not quite ready to go raw. I did get Steve Brown’s book Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet: Healthier Dog Food the ABC Way and plan on doing the one day a week all fresh food. Got the grass fed beef hearts all ready to go.

I know there are a ton of questions in here. If anyone could answer at least some of them, I’ll feel so less overwhelmed. I just want to do the best for my baby! Thanks so much!!!

[theBCnut]

Hey Jude,

I am in no way annoyed or offended. We have all been in your shoes. Sorry, you didn’t get my lousy sense of humor, but I was laughing at myself. I’m taking care of my aunt with Alzheimer’s, and I think I’m loosing my marbles, so I will frequently reference my own poor memory. Better to laugh than cry, and all that.

What I was trying to get across is that there is no wrong way to get started. It’s what works for you. And it is OK to learn as you go. We all did. I don’t believe there is a single one of us that is doing things the exact same way as when we started. I started with what seemed easiest to me and kept reading and researching. Some days I still do easy, and others, it’s like I am preparing a gourmet meal. But some days, that is what works for me.

I use premixes and Darwin’s(until recently) and I make my own. I make large batches and freeze portions, and I make individual meals. Some times I just throw them a meaty bone and don’t add anything at all.

It is daunting at first, trying to do everything just right, but remember, people need a balanced diet too, but we aren’t dropping over like flies from not eating right. We balance our diets over time, and by feeding variety, we can do the same with our dogs. That concept really helped me to relax and enjoy feeding my dog.

You are going to do great! And you are going to have 2 very happy and very healthy pups.

[Susan]

Hi Kathy, those noises are from his bowel its gases going thru the bowel, it can be painful.. When I first got Patch 23months ago, he was having the gurgling & rumbling noises every 10-15 days early hours of the morning… I took him to vet & vet said Colitis, then vet said Colitis/IBD cause if he ate something different he’d do very soft to sloppy poos, He was put on a Vet prescription diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue 10% fat, I also feed him the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal kibble for breakfast & lunch, but for dinner night feed I feed the Eukanuba Intestinal just incase, he’s been good this last year but a few times when I’ve feed him boiled chicken & pumkin for dinner, we were up early hours of the morning (3-4am) with his bowel gurgling & rumbling, all he wants to do is eat grass, I make him 1 piece of toast (white bread) & thinly spread salmon & lobster paste & the noises stop & we go back to bed,
Patch is on a dog probiotic has been for over 1 year since the vet said Colitis/IBD.. I dont know if the dog probiotic has helped but I ran out of his probiotic the other month for 3-4 days & his poos were softer & left a poo mark on the grass, so I went & got more of his probiotic.. I mix a level teaspoon with 15ml water in his bowl & he loves it.. I give inbetween feeds in the morning..if you do get a dog probiotic only give half the dose for the first week then increase to proper dose..
But I know feeding him his low fat Eukanuba Intestinal at night has stopped all the gurgling noises so far & he wants to eat his breakfast in the morning, where before he didnt want to eat when his bowel was pinging & gurgling that morning.. I can hear him if I’m in my room & he’s in the loungeroom, poor things..
Try a limited ingredient lower fat kibble, I don’t feed the grainfrees kibbles, most of them have potato & the kibble is harder when they have potato plus Patch can’t eat potatos he gets a itchy rash on his chest then has diarrhea.. I also soak his kibble in water for about 3 mins then drain the water & put kibble on a paper towel & pat dry then put 1/4 cup in his bowl let him eat, then I put another 1/4 of kibble in his bowl, he’s a gulper so I slow his eating down a bit & the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal fat-12% & Simple Duck & Oatmeal fat-11% softens easy when I soak in water, so does his Eukanuna Intestinal, so if he has gulped & hasnt chewed his kibble they are softer & easier to digest…

[theBCnut]

They are a bit high for a large breed puppy, but there is more to it than the ratios. You also have to look at the amount of calcium per 1000 kcals. I think they were all right there, though. Did you notice that there is no calcium info for beef?

I’ve already tried talking to them to get answers. They will answer with all kinds of things you didn’t ask about, but when you try to nail them down on what you really want to know, they start claiming it’s proprietary information. How can the calcium level on the beef formula be proprietary info.

As I’ve said, I do believe that they make a good dog food, but I wouldn’t want to feed solely it due to not feeling confident in the mineral levels. And I don’t like dealing with companies that behave that way.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by theBCnut.

[Patricia J]

Any opinions on the best canned food product for a 10 yr old diabetic mini schnauzer with many issues? Prone to pancreatitis. Has been DKA 2 times. Very hard to regulate. On Vetsulin 7 units 2 x daily. Has UTI’s constantly due to so much glucose in her urine. Was feeding Authority canned senior chicken. She also gets 3 oz. boiled chicken breast with 1/2 can food, AM and PM feeding. Just changed to Wellness Turkey with sweet potatoe. Any suggestions for high protein, low carb and low fat canned food? I spent hours in Petsmart reading labels and am so confused. I chose the Wellness because it seemed to have the best overall % of protein, fat and carbs. but, if there is a better product for her, I’d love to know about it. Thanks.

[Naturella]

Awwwh, Dori, thank you so much!!! I do try… I know kibble is not THE best, BUT it is what we will be doing for now. I always try to improve his diet and for now, I’ve found a balance that works for us. Learning never stops, and I love it that way, so I will keep working on it little by little. It has taken me about a year or so, but we have come a pretty long way, lol. So… thank you again, because you, and many other regular posters have a huge amount of input in Bruno’s current health! 🙂

As for Kayla – I was where you are now about a year ago. Do not worry, take your time, read what the lovely people on this forum can give you as an advice, and try things with Dexter. It is okay to try and not succeed every time, until you manage to find the balance that works for him.

As for transitions, Bruno can probably switch cold turkey now after so many rotations, but I still give him a week (2 days with 1/3 of new food added, 2 days with 1/2 new food added, 2 days with 2/3 new food added, and on day 7 is all new food). I always watch the stool though, and if something was to go too soft, I would go back to a previous point when his stool was good and keep him there for an extra 1-2 days, and then continue the switch with added plain canned pumpkin to the food. So far so good. He’s taking rotation pretty well.

As for adding canned, I guess you can do what C4C does and go by calories. I just kind of watch Bruno’s body condition – when he was on all kibble, he would get 1 full cup. Now he’s at about 1/2-3/4 cup depending on activity level (if he goes running, he get 3/4 cup/day, if not – 1/2), topped with the toppers mentioned in my previous post. I don’t use the big cans as he is so small, so I use a small can in 3 meals when I do use canned. So that is another way to determine how much to feed. He is also pretty good about food and sometimes, he will just eat one serving and be good. If he doesn’t eat his second serving within 15-20 min, I put it in the fridge for the next day. Works so far. 🙂

[Karen C]

Hi, everyone. I know you’ve seen heartworm questions a million times, but I’m still paranoid, so I’m asking too. My apologies for the length.

We adopted Iggy, our mini Schnauzer, in July of last year. He tested negative for heartworms, and we’ve had him on monthly Heartguard ever since. And a few weeks ago he was diagnosed with a mild case of heartworms anyway. The microfilariae (spelling?) test was negative, but he’s got adult worms.

He had a month of antibiotic, and on Wednesday and Thursday he got his two Immiticide injections. He’s now on Prednisone and Tramadol, and he’s home and crated — we’re on day 2 of 30 days’ strict confinement. The TV’s off, I’ve got a playlist of “Music Through A Dog’s Ear” volumes 1-3 on constant repeat, calming treats a couple of times a day (not sure if the music and treats help him, but they’re not hurting and make me feel like I’m doing something, so they’re helping me), he’s got rawhide and chew balls in his crate with him, and I’m able to work from home to monitor him. The door’s shut and the blinds are closed so he can’t see/hear any people or animals outside. He seems resigned to life in his crate, and so far he’s not fighting it. And my husband is fine with me staying in the downstairs spare room where Iggy is, and doing all of the shopping, etc. himself, so I don’t have to leave Iggy at all. (We have a split-foyer – the “spare room” is actually half the ground floor, so it’s not too hard for me to hang out here most of the time.) 🙂

Trouble is, Iggy’s always been WAY too friendly. If he sees kids or other dogs, he goes “I MUST PLAY WITH YOU NOW!!!!” and he pulls at the leash, shrieks, and tries to run to them. Our block has 6 houses spaced far apart, a few kids, and two neighbors have chihuahuas that they let run loose up and down the street (ugh). No fences (them or me).

I’ve kept Iggy’s outdoor potty breaks short, and we move slowly when he’s out, but a couple of times he’s seen a kid or a dog and suddenly started pulling at the leash and whining. I’m keeping the leash very short so he can’t break into a run, but he tries anyway. I’ve managed to get in front of him, get his attention and calm him, but it takes a few seconds, during which time he’s agitated and I’m sure his heart rate is rising.

So. I know his activity has to be restricted, and it’s usually pretty well in hand, but some of his potty breaks are scary. I’m trying to time them so there’s nobody out when he is, but that’s not always possible.

So far he’s okay, but from what I understand, the post-treatment danger hasn’t peaked yet. What are the odds that the “OMG I MUST PLAY WITH YOU” moments will do lasting damage?

Thanks for reading all of this.

[Naturella]

Kayla – I am loving all your posts and questions!

I think from my reading this is how it goes, best to worst:
Balanced raw
Freeze-dried/air-dried balanced raw
Balanced dehydrated
Canned
High-quality kibble
Low-quality kibble

Even the best kibble is in the bottom as far as “good” for dogs. As C4C said, if you can, go ahead and mix kibble and canned for each meal; heck, throw a few teaspoons of water in there too. Kibble can lead to a constant state of low-level dehydration, so making it wet is better, plus it is supposed to help with nutrient absorption.

That said, I feed kibble – I never go below 4-star foods and I rotate brands and protein with every bag now. Thank goodness my guy is small, so foods last him a while. But, I supplement with a heaping teaspoon of raw, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil every other day or so (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday at breakfast), 2 heaping teaspoons of plain yoghurt/plain kefir Monday and Friday at breakfast, a raw egg once/week (Wednesday at breakfast), a half can of sardines in water once/week (Saturday at breakfast), and a raw meaty bone once/week (Sunday for dinner always – no other food for that meal). Also, for all meals that do not include the above additives (the dinner meals), I add 1-2 teaspoons of The Honest Kitchen (THK) dehydrated food and I add water to make it soupy. Sometimes I would use canned, and still add a tad more water. And I just got green tripe from Big Dog Natural (BDN; air-dried), so you add that and water to the kibble, let it rehydrate as with THK, and serve. So far so good, Bruno is happy, lean, and healthy. 🙂

Please let us know if you have any other questions! 🙂

P.S. If you have a Costco membership, they have the best prices on good coconut oil, as well as cheap, good food – Kirkland Signature brand is 4-star and $26/40lbs (4.5 stars for Puppy and Mature dog, and small breed), and Nature’s Domain (grain-free) is 3.5 stars and $30/35lbs!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Naturella.

[Naturella]

I feel you – my husband and I are in college, and a few of the regular posters here are too. We also shop on a budget, but manage to find good deals very often. Pure Balance is good, but if you feed rotational – switch between brands of kibble and between protein types (fish, chicken, beef, lamb, etc.) you can take advantage of good sales. If shopping online is an option, check out http://www.petflow.com , http://www.chewy.com , http://www.wag.com – they all have good sales often. On Petflow, go there at least once/week and type in “trials” in the search bar, it will give you super cheap foods in a “trial” (usually regular smallest) size (4-5lbs) for about $1/lb! It’s a steal! Also, this is a good thread to check out: /forums/topic/coupons/page/15/ It has all kinds of information on coupons and deals! 🙂

As for the natural chews, I put vice grips on Bruno’s bully sticks, cow ears, and fish skins to prevent gulping of big pieces and it works. With the Himalayan chews and antlers, I would take it away when it approaches less than an inch (maybe for your dog, 2 inches will be a good time to take the chew away and replace it). Also, they are good for teeth cleaning.

As for toys, Bruno likes the Nylabone and JW bone-shaped chews. He loves ropes too but he eats them often. He likes the tough Kong products too, I stuff them with doggie ice-cream (homemade), freeze and serve. Or play tug with them. He has a rubber ring we play tug with too. We never have nor will get him squeaky chews, those are evil to humans! LoL. But yeah, more often than not Bruno would prefer his natural chews (antlers are pretty loved in our household), or peacefully gnaw on a JW bone, or bring his Walmart rope to ask me to play tug with. 🙂

[aquariangt]

Have you ever heard of wellness, acana, Orijen…. Are you kidding? Yes everyone here has heard of them, and yes, they are still high in carbs, and yes they are still considered kibble, as all dry food is kibble. Maybe less carbs than all the low quality corn and soy kibble, but still carb heavy none the less.

The thought process that wet food rots teeth is a very old wives tale. And forgive me for saying so, but you did already tell someone that this message was just for hdm so Not to respond.

Spaniel39, I recommend a bit more research before making comments like your last one

[Bobby dog]

Hi Victoria W:
I understand your budget constraints and hopefully I can offer some more suggestions in addition to the ones you have received. You are very kind to give your relative’s dogs the extra attention they need!

It is surprising they would continue to pay for office visits and medication without trying a new diet as well. However, it sounds like she has an infection and needs antibiotics at this time.

Buying a 50 lbs. bag of food is convenient for large dog owners. Throw in a price of about 45 cents/lb. and it’s hard to talk someone out of buying it. In the future, if you are able to convince them to try another food they should expect to pay at least $1/lb. for a food with more meat protein; about $10 – $15 more per bag. If they would agree to this price point you could find some decent kibbles for them in 40-50 lbs bags.

If you decide to add a new food or supplement be sure to add slowly and in small portions building up to the desired amounts.

If your relatives will only shop at Wal-Mart for dog food and are adamant about feeding Ol’ Roy, maybe you could suggest they try adding other brands to their dogs’ diet along with Ol’ Roy. Here‘s a thread with kibble & canned foods available at Wal-Mart with decent ratings:
/forums/search/Wal-Mart/

There is a PDF download from Steve Brown, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.” It will help you improve any quality of kibble with the addition of fresh foods (eggs, tinned fish, fresh meat, vegetables) you can get at the grocery store. There is a menu that walks you through the amounts of each food to add according to the quality of kibble being fed and the size of the dog. I feed anything from a 3 to 5 star kibble and this download helps me to improve my dog’s diet very easily and affordably. I add the fresh food over several meals rather than feeding it in one day.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

I don’t always have sardines on hand for my dog and when I don’t I supplement his diet with CVS drug store 1000 mg fish oil capsules 3x/week. I also supplement vitamin E once a week regardless if I feed sardines or CVS fish oil. Here’s a link to more info on supplements, it’s also a great site with lots of other info:
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

As far as mercury or chemical contamination, smaller fish are not usually high in contaminates due to their short life span and the depth of water they live in. Herring, menhaden, and sardines are some smaller species. Here’s a site with some more info on contamination in fish and a link to a wallet card with a list of fish and the degree of contamination they may have:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/

I think adding some probiotics to her diet would really help with her skin issues; it helped tremendously with healing my cat’s skin. This would also help keep the antibiotics from destroying the friendly bacteria in her digestive system. An affordable way to do this is to feed unflavored kefir; most grocery stores sell kefir and it has a very long shelf life. I add it to my cat and dog’s food daily. Here’s some info:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

Other probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms, and Mercola complete.

Coconut oil would be another food that would help with her skin. I add it to my dog’s food 3x/week, more if he has skin issues. I also apply it directly to his skin when it’s irritated. Unfortunately, he loves it so much I have to be sure I have time to supervise him so he doesn’t lick it off before it’s absorbed. Only use unrefined organic. The best price I have found for it was at BJ’s or Costco; Wal-Mart also has a good price just in a smaller jar. Here’s some info on the benefits and dosage:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

After a bad experience with my cat and steroids when my dog developed a skin infection I was more than willing to put in the work I needed to help him heal. Bathing with medicated shampoo and applying antibiotic cream regularly was integral in healing his infection. The active ingredients in Malasab shampoo is 2% Miconazole Nitrate and 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate. There are some generic alternatives that might be more budget friendly. Look for my post on page 3 from June 9, 2014 at 6:40 pm for info on some alternatives and for some ingredients to look for in medicated shampoos.
/forums/topic/maybe-its-time-for-a-diet-change/page/3/

I don’t have any experience with a dog that has hip dysplasia, but I think you are on the right track with a glucosamine supplement. Here are two threads that might be helpful:
/forums/topic/joint-health/
/forums/topic/budget-friendly-supplements-for-14-year-old-dachshund/

And here’s a coupon thread that might help with your pet food budget. The first page is an intro and the last page has the most current info posted.
Page 1:
/forums/topic/coupons/
Current page:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/15/

[Dori]

Hi Terri M. I went onto the healx.com site. I’ve never heard of them but that’s not so much my issues with them. My issue with anything I give my three dogs (or myself and husband) is they say it’s a proprietary blend. So you don’t actually know what’s in it. I don’t give them anything that I don’t know exactly what’s in a food, supplement, whatever. There are more natural ways that you can give omega 3’s to balance out omega 6’s in foods. Sardines, sardine oil, as I mentioned before. I try to go natural before I start adding pills.

As to the chicken, I don’t feed chicken, chicken fat, turkey, pheasant, quail. In other words, I don’t feed any fowl whatsoever. They are very high as a common allergen as BC noted. You’ll also note that when dog foods are recalled it’s typically, not always, some sort of poultry. If you choose to avoid fowl in all it’s forms don’t be fooled if a food says they are Venison or some other protein on the front of the food. Read the entire ingredient list. More than half the foods on the market will have some sort of chicken or turkey in the ingredients.

You didn’t ask but I will also tell you that I avoid canola oil like the plague. I don’t like anything about canola, don’t use it myself and it has a horrible allergic effect on all three of my dogs. Two of my dogs have no food or environmental issues whatsoever, they never did. Katie, 5 year old Maltipoo is the first dog I have ever had that has allergies. I adopted her at 9 weeks of age and she was a mess back then. It has been trial and error all the way with her but because of Katie I have had a wonderful experience on this forum and other canine forums and have gained a wealth of knowledge that I had never had a reason to know in the past. One benefit of Katie’s allergies and intolerances is that my other two girls have benefited from her having issues. They are all on raw food and look and feel great. Hannah, my 15 year old Maltese with multiple cancers (bladder and lung) has no idea she’s ill. No one would believe it including myself. No one that sees her or plays with her or watches her playing with the other two dogs can believe she is 15 years old let alone has cancer. I attribute all this to the raw food, fruits and veggies. I only wish I had started on raw many years ago.

When Katie was very very young vets had her on antihistamines, Atopica (horrible horrible medication that screws up their organs and lord knows what else). I’d taken her to a canine allergist who wanted to do skin testing which I refused to do. The poor baby was a real mess I wasn’t about to put her through that. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that not only does Katie no longer have allergy problems as related to foods, I can’t remember when the last time was that she had a antihistamine.

Rabbit can be one of the more expensive ones but there are so many other proteins you can use. Chicken is the cheapest but I always recommend anyone that has a dog with food intolerances to stay away from anything and everything with feathers. It’s worked for Katie who was in pitiful shape. There is a theory out there that just because they are allergic to chicken in a kibble doesn’t mean that they can’t eat chicken raw. That theory is just that, a theory. It is very possible to be allergic to the raw chicken as Katie is. I’ve asked before, I’d love to know who makes up all these theories out there. Most of them aren’t true. I guess sort of like “old wives tales”, some worked some didn’t.

By the way, as to the amounts of organic virgin coconut oil and the raw goats milk, you didn’t mention the weight of your dog. We would have to know that before advising you how much to add to your dogs food.

Unless your dog has an active infection, he should not be on antibiotics. They wreak havoc with the system. Also, steroids is only dealing with the symptoms and not whatever he is allergic to. I had been advised to put Katie on steroids but I and her vet said no, also no to the antibiotics. Her vet is very strict about antibiotics. ONLY if a dog has an infection either visually or proved by blood tests. She’s not real thrilled about prednisone either. The practice I go to has four vets. The one I see now that joined the practice last year is good with raw foods. The other three just push the garbage they sell and think you’re misguided feeding raw. The new vet that I use trained for a couple of years at Georgia Veterinary Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. Susan Wynn (homeopathic, holistic nutritionist). Dr. Wynn was thrilled when she found out who I was using as a regular vet. Said my dogs couldn’t possibly be in better hands.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[Nancy C]

BC NUT – I have re read your original email that says, “I give mine ribs…” In that you say, “They can’t consume the whole beef rib in a timely manner, but all the other ribs are completely consumed.” That is not getting through to my thick brain. So they cannot devour the whole rib but all the others are totally consumed?” Did you perhaps leave a word out? I really want to understand what you are saying here. You always say worthwhile things!
Sorry about my thick-ness.

[Dori]

Hi Terri M. Please make sure that the raw virgin coconut oil is organic. Also, with the coconut oil, don’t start at 1 TBSP. start by adding very little per meal and eventually work your way up to the TBSP. Giving your dogs that much coconut oil without having introduced it slowly is sure to cause diarrhea. As far as the raw goat’s milk, I would also introduce that slowly until you’re sure that your dog is tolerating it well. I would also not start with both the coconut oil and raw goat’s milk at the same time. If you’re dogs have any issues you won’t know what caused it. What omega 3 supplement were you thinking of using? Canned sardines in water with NO salt that you buy in the grocery store is a good way of adding omega 3. Another way is also adding a fish oil. I use Nature’s Logic Sardine Oil. I keep it in the fridge and splash a little on one of their meals in the day then the bottle goes right back in the fridge. Fish oils go rancid pretty quickly so even though a food will say it contains fish oil, it’s viable really to be of any use which is the reason that fish oil should be kept refrigerated. I feed my girls canned sardines two or three times a week either as a mid day or evening snack or as a topper on their meal and on those days I do not add the sardine oil. I prefer sardine oil to other oils because sardines have a very short life span. In other words they’re not swimming around in waters long enough to absorb a lot of the dangers and toxics that have now so contaminated our waters. I never ever feed my dogs salmon or salmon oil because of the contaminated waters that they general come from. You have to really trust your fish monger when selecting fish for your dogs and make sure they know where the fish came from.

I noticed that you said you also bought freeze dried. Keep in mind that freeze dried is the most expensive way to go.

Let me say that I am delighted that you are going to feed your dogs raw. I’ve been feeding my three dogs commercial raw foods for a little over 2 and 1/2 years, maybe closer to three and the difference in them is nothing short of miraculous. I have a maltipoo, Katie, who I used to say was allergic to life in general. She was a complete and total mess. She was always itchy, tear stain,, gas to clear a house out, diarrhea, yeasty ears, shedding like crazy (her breed is not suppose to shed, they have hair not fur…..I’m allergic to animals), I could go on and on and on. Other than the occasional bout of seasonal allergies (Spring, Fall), all those issues have cleared up. No more scratchy, stains, gas, yeast, her hair is now not shedding at all and very very shiny. Good luck I know you’ll be happy you made the switch. Eventually when you have things better under control I hope you’ll give thought to rotating your dogs commercial raw meals with different brands and the different proteins within those brands.

Sorry, one more thing. Don’t forget the treats you feed. Most commercial treats contain grains and other garbage. Not all, but most. I feed little bits of organic fruits and veggies as treats. Healthy and none cause harm as commercial treats do. You also don’t have to worry about the dreaded recalls.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[Wendy E]

Hi all,
I’m new here, so hello! Lots of good reading here! I have a 5YO Cavalier female named Willow, who was just diagnosed with a grade 3 heart murmur, which seems to have developed very quickly (our regular vet did not hear it just 6 short months ago, but the cardiologist found it this past saturday at a heart clinic). I’m trying to research what the best food and supplements are for this condition. I really prefer feeding her a dry/kibble food. The vet recommended a low-sodium food (have no idea what I should choose – nothing seems to be marketed specifically as low-sodum), and supplementation with CoQ10 and Vit E. My head is swimming with everything I’ve found in just a short amount of time researching. Are these the only supplements you’d recommend? I’ve also read quite a bit about glandular therapy for heart health and am wondering what everyone here thinks about that and what a good supplement for that would be.

I found this website when searching for glandulars. http://www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com/natural-heart-cardiovascular-remedy-treatment-dogs-cats-pets.html wondering about the Heart Tonic product and the Daily Multi Complete (which has glandulars in it). Anyone have experience with this supplier or these products?

I’m also wondering (and these might be ultra-basic knowledge to most, but I can’t find anything that will tell me): If I do a Fish Oil like this one http://www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com/nordic-naturals-fish-oil-supplement-for-pets.html do I also still supplement with Vit E and CoQ10?

I hate researching this stuff because there always seems to be such conflicting information out there. Any help anyone could give me would be SO appreciated! TIA!

Wendy
mom to Willow

[Akari_32]

This Monday, Purina is coming in to the vet I’m interning at and bringing us all lunch (Panera! Heck yeah! Bacon Turkey Bravo, here I come!) and giving us a nutrional class sort of thing. I’m actually looking forward to it, despite it being Purina. I was worried I’d have to miss it because I’m only available 4 days a week at my regular job, Monday being one of those days, and they rarely ever give me a day off, since they already see me as having 3 days a week off (which between school and interning, I actually don’t).

I’ve had trouble signing into my work account all day to look my schedule for next week, and I took it as a sign when I finally got logged on and saw that I had Monday off, by some strange stroke of luck.

Anyways, I’m interesting in seeing what they have to say. I’ve never been to anything like this before, and it’ll be a fun experience! I look forward to my free Panera, as well :p

Can’t wait to let you guys know how it goes!