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

[Akari_32]

As you guys may know, I recently took in an old Dachshund with several health and behavioral problems, all due to lack of proper care and rough treatment.

One of her biggest problems is she’s always limping and when she hurts too much, she lashes out at almost any handling (mainly when being picked up). I know they are prone to back problems, and from what I’ve seen of her extremely limited vet records, she’s had no such problems. She does have problems with her shoulders and hips, though. Typical old dog stuff, really, but she’s learned from experience in her previous home that lashing out and biting when she’s in pain will get her left alone. I need to get her on some sort of good, but relatively cheap, joint/etc supplement (glucosamine is the first thing that comes to mind) that will help with any pain she’s having, and help prevent or slow down any further joint or bone damage and help with the arthritis I’m sure she has. I also need some tips on getting her to understand that biting is not the answer, if anyone has any.

She loves to be active, and I want to keep her that way. She does limp more after walks, but she doesn’t seem to notice, and loves the stimulation. It’s like she loves to just be so tired she doesn’t want to do anything. She just looks so happy after long walks, and you can tell that she is over all calmer and less high strung (she paces all day with no good walks) . Obviously, I want to keep her happy and active, but I don’t want to cause any more damage to her joints, so we need to get her on something good before she gets much worse.

I’ve tried Pro Sense glucosamine chewables from Walmart on my other dogs, and they really didn’t do anything that I noticed. Granted, they don’t really have any problems in that department, despite being large and freakishly huge, and 10 11 years old, so there is that. I shop mostly at Pet Supermarket and PetSmart, but can also go to PetCo and look at stuff online, and I work at Publix (only one dog joint supplement there, but it’s like $20, so I’m good on that, but people supplements are always an option, too).

And she is already on fish oil and coconut oil, rotated daily, so that’s already covered. So, anything you guys have, go for it! I’d like to only spend about $10 a month, if possible, but take that loosely when giving me suggestions.

Thanks guys!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Elizabeth G-
Can you give us all a little more information? How many dogs do you have? How old and big are they? Where do you buy their food and are you willing to order online? There is a thread with low fat foods on the review site. Here is the link: /best-dog-foods/suggested-low-fat-dog-food/

Welcome to DFA! Hopefully someone can help you out!

[Jenny Rellick]

Cecile,

I am sure you already have tried cutting back, but you need to know by how much. Every dog food label I have read overestimates the serving size. On this site, the Dog Food Calculator is helpful, but I have personal advice on how to use it, it worked for my Leo-he lost 12 pounds in a year and has kept it off. I’ve taken the liberty of using it for Koda.

First, websites differ on what a Bichon should weigh. In the breed standard, the range is 7-12 lbs. On sites that are not sticklers for the breed standard, they say a healthy weight is between 10-18 lbs. Ultimately, the right weight for Koda is one where he has a physique that has a well-defined indentation at the waist and that does not feel feel flappy on the ribcage. If Koda ever had that physique you can use that weight as your target. If you don’t know what his personal target should be I would suggest 14 lbs. for the time being.

I looked up the Acana Fit and Light food and it has 360 calories per cup. I notice that the Fit and Light food uses oats as the second ingredient, unlike any other Acana products. That makes me a uncomfortable because I don’t even know That it would get 4 stars, let alone 5 stars. Dieting dogs can’t afford to waste calories on oats! You should consider going to the 5-star low glycemic product line from Acana, even though it will make the serving size smaller. For this exercise, I used the Fit and Light calorie count since that is what you used to. The dog food calculator says that for an overweight dog with a target weight of 14 lbs, Koda should be consuming 280 calories per day. With the Acana food you’re using that comes out to 0.78 cups per day (just over 3/4 cups).

You have to keep in mind that calories from treats count in the daily total. A couple of dog biscuits would be the equivalent of half a day’s food. You are going to have to find an extremely small treat. I would suggest Zuke’s Mini-Naturals which have about 3 calories each.
As another member mentioned, Bichons do have a risk of kidney problems. Many dogs don’t drink enough because they are trying to accommodate their owners’ availability for walks. I pour lukewarm water on my dogs kibble, just enough to cover it in a flat-bottomed dish. The food retains some of its crunchiness, but he automatically consumes more water and feels more full. Green beans and sliced carrots are very low in calories and high in fiber. They also help the dog feel more full. I put two heaping teaspoons of canned green beans (no salt added) on both meals, and that is only 10 calories per meal.
Therefore, I would suggest two meals a day, each with just over 1/3 cup of dog food, water to cover, and two heaping tablespoons of green beans. I hope that this specific recommendation will work for Koda. When you are dealing with a small breed, there’s a fine line between cutting back appropriately and malnourishing your dog. My dog really looks forward to his meals and he does not beg for food excessively after meals. Before, when I did not add water and green beans, he would put his paw on the bag of food and whine after he ate!
One last piece of advice: make sure that everyone in your household understands that a little bit of table food or a few too many treats will have a huge impact on Koda. If Koda is not losing weight, somebody is cheating.

[Akari_32]

Wow, we have over 1000 posts going on this thread!

Anyways, I thought the Salmon and Trout Wellness would go over well, but it’s not. He eats the shredded and whatever ones that were discontinued a while back (the purple cans), but the pate style is not his favorite, which really does lead me to believe it’s the carageenan he doesn’t like. He will eat anything I throw at him, but it takes half the day for him to eat a can of the Wellness. And the dog food cans are the same way! Really thick. I’ll have to email them and see what they have to say.

Also, I found this in tonight can:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/9460217F-C419-4BB4-931F-81885465E447_zpstcrez1rl.jpg

That thing is huge! I’m glad I’m found it! It did crumble easily under pressure, but that can’t be safe, to have a bone in there :O

And I tried to post these the other day, but PhotoBucket was being stupid and wouldn’t let me upload them. Here are some (old, but favorite) pics of Dweezle and Haley 🙂

(Picture of a picture, sorry lol)
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/6254A7BD-CA3B-40A1-84F7-D0B4428E6FF5_zpsf0gv78yt.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/19DF1FA6-7CB9-42AC-9FEC-5CBBDC64F519_zpsxdmxdysp.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/D6529CD4-84A6-476E-9595-4DC69109DF7E_zps0jtyl7bb.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/2C39153F-B0A2-4345-9653-61B7BF9F8059_zpsklzm6vni.jpg

And yes, Dweezle is snuggling an ice pack LOL

[Susan]

Hi Adrienne, have you ever tried an elimination diet to see what foods make him itch & make his poo sloppy, My Patch has IBD & itchy skin allergies, I’ve read that the 2 come together with some dogs, something they eat irratates their skin & stomach, then they have sloppy poos or diarrha.. Im awful at explaining why & how things happen, I started Patch on an elimination diet & I found he can’t eat potatos, sweet potatos & now I think chicken, cause after he eats chicken he gets hive like lumps all over his body especially the white fur/skin part….Patch cant have a high fat% or high protein% diet, I did my elmination diet for breakfast cause I knew his Vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal worked for him & never gave him diarrhea or itchy ears & skin..
So I give the Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner…
breakfast I started with boiled chicken breast & 1 tablespoon of pumkin to much pumkin made his poo very soft & sloppy, then the next week around 5days if everything is good I added boiled sweet potato within 1-2 days, 1 of his ears started itching so I stopped the sweet potato & just gave him the chicken & pumkin again he went good again, then after 2 days no itchy ear when everything was good again I added potato with the chicken & pumkin within 20min he got a rash all over his stomach & chest I thought we must of walked near a plant or bush, something that morning so next morning I added a bit of boiled potato again he started scratching & the rash came up again then that night he was pooing real sloopy then had very sloppy poos the next day I stopped the potato, then I tried boiled egg he was ok with egg…
just keep adding foods that you want him to eat or what foods are in kibbles to see what makes him itch & poo sloppy, you see within 2days when a food doesnt agree with them..

I have Patch on the Wellness Simple Limited ingredients Lamb & Oatmeal as the lamb & oatmeal is the only one without potato, he has the Wellness simple for breakfast & the Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner & at lunch he has Tuna Pumkin white rice & a few peas he’s
not pooing sloppy or diarrha & he’s not scratching on the Wellness Simple here’s a link to have a look at their range the Simple is down the bottom, but out of all the kibbles that I tried the Wellness simple has been the best kibble so far & his poos are the best that they have ever been…..write everything down in a diary
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

[Dori]

The only thing that I can contribute to this discussion is that I would urge you to switch to a grain free dog food if you haven’t already. At one point when I was feeding my dogs kibble they all had yeasty ears and tear stains, as soon as I switched to grain free (a couple of weeks or so) all that disappeared. I now feed raw for other reasons which is all grain free and no yeast issues, no tear staining, no gas, bad breath, itchiness, etc. etc. Try a 3 – 5 star reviewed grain free food and then go from there. It may be that your dog is having issues with only grain, or grain and some other ingredient in a food you are feeding. Typically it’s grains. Dogs were not meant to eat grains nor do grains have any benefit for dogs.

[Susan]

Hi T, when I resuced my boy 2 years ago he would have diarrhea or jelly poos, once a week, in the end vet said IBD..He’s 5 now nilly 6….you need to work out what foods irratate his bowel by doing an elimination diet, I started with boiled chicken & rice but I found that the boiled rice irratated his bowel & he had diarrhea, he can have grounded rice that’s in kibbles but not boiled white rice then I added a tablespoon of boiled pumkin with his boiled chicken breast, he can have pumkin but not too much as his poos get real sloppy, then I added a boiled egg, the egg was Ok, then I added potatos, he got real itchy & had diarrhea, so he cant eat potatots then I tried sweet potatos, he doesnt get diarrhea but he gets itchy ears, you find a protein that agrees with him then start adding just 1 new food & u’ll know within 2 days if it agrees with him or not then if it doesnt agree dont keep giving it to him, it wont toughen up his stomach/bowel, it doesnt agree with him… I found Patch cant have high fat foods either, he can have tin tuna in spring water drained, he can have toast white bread not brown whole meal, human Jatz biscuits & rice cake biscuits.. I dont give dog treats as the fat% is too high & they have crap in some dog biscuits, you’ll start to learn what not to give, the vet made me just give 1 vet prescription diet kibble for 1 year she wanted Patch on it to heal everything but I started to add new foods for breakfast in 6 months, I knew the vet kibble didnt give him diarrhea so I did the elimination food for breakfast, I know your just suppose to just give only that 1 food for the day but I was too scared that it will give him his diarrhea bad again then he’d need to be put back on the Metronidzole tablets to heal his bowel again, Ive tried a few diferent kibbles & he has the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal now the Wellness Simple was the best out of the other kibbles I tried, It doesnt have Potatos & the fat% isnt high…It will take time but u’ll get there, also Patch is on a DOG probiotic, Karen Becker has a 14 strain probiotic & its dairy free a few dogs with IBS & IBD take her probiotic but introduce at half the recconmended dose when you first try a dog probiotic as some dogs will have diarrhea… keep a diary & start writing what foods agreed with him & what foods he cant eat, also dont just try a bit of carrot 1 day then the next day try a bit of egg, you try just 1 food for 1 week or 5days then if everything is good add another new food to the meal, in the end he was having his tuna, pumkin, boiled egg & carrot all mixed together for breakfast, When I want to try something new I do it at breakfast & nothing else is given that day except his kibble that agrees with him, I start to hear his stomach/bowel rumbling when something didnt agree with him or he starts scatching & I dont give it again its goes on my list. I hope Ive helped a bit, I forgot to ask what type of dog is he???

[Kristin C]

Hi Holly-I know you posted this a while ago and have probably figured some of this out. I feed my dogs mostly raw, but I think if you are using this only as a kibble topper and not more than 25% of their diet you can use whatever’s left over from dinner. I personally would avoid the fatty part of the meat. I use a ratio of 80% meat/organs, 5% fruit/veg purée, 15% sweet potato or pumpkin. You might want to omit the rice as that’s probably already in the kibble, if not another carb. Eggs are good, as is a little fish oil, vitamin e and yogurt. Any cooked meat is fine. I avoid pork and fish because I feed raw. There’s a book called See Spot Live Longer that has a few pages on how to supplement your kibble FYI.

[Dori]

Naturella. I’m glad you’re going with year round HW medication while you and your hubby are here in the South. Once you actually move, you can research what months are appropriate for HW meds and which are ok to do without. There are positives to living in the South but also, I find that there are negatives too! When I was younger Autumn and Summer were my favorite season, now after living in Georgia for 12 years Summer is probably my least favorite. I’m ready for some cooler weather. My brother lives in Seattle and hubby and I have been discussing next time we get the urge to move (actually that would be when I get the urge to move – he’d happily live in the same place forever…..sadly for him he hooked up with the wrong broad if that was his plan. I cannot even count the times we’ve moved. I love everything about moving, meeting new people, being in different spaces and places.)

So happy to hear that Bruno is back to his old spunky self.

[Naturella]

Weezerweeks,

I have started reading up on that as Bruno got his rabies shot today. I am getting him some belladonna to help with some growling he’s exhibiting, and some thuja maybe too later on, to have handy for 2017’s rabies round. But I will get it in 2017, so it is fresher. 🙂

Either way, I believe in homeopathic remedies, so we will see, hope they work for you too!

As for dosing, I read that it is highly individual – one pellet may cure an elephant, and 10 can cure a mouse. So this article:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/12-homeopathic-remedies/
advises that you give 1, 3, or 5, until it works, and in some time just stop if there are no results.

[DogFoodie]

Hey Kristin,

While I tend to agree that garlic is safe (despite having a dog who is intolerant of garlic), there are some others here who disagree; take a look at this thread: /forums/topic/garlic-onions-leeks/

Also, you can try typing in keywords in the search box at the top of the page when you first click on the forum tab for more conversations about garlic, or any other specific topic for that matter. : )

[Kellye P]

USA — I am looking at the fructosamine test from March and it says the reference range is 260-358. I remember my vet saying that he was in the range that might require us to lower his insulin but she didn’t want to do that because he was doing so well. The specialist always tells me to not treat the numbers but to treat the dog. Per the explanation on the results, 260 is just above the range that might mean prolonged hypoglycemia. I am home all day so I observe his behavior. He does not drink a lot or act like he’s unhappy. He is quite content. The specialist says a happy dog is the goal so to stop worrying. (easy to say!!!) Neither vet was the least bit concerned about the 250 glucose reading when he was off insulin. They expected him to be much higher. My vet talked to the Vetsulin people and many other specialists. She calls anybody and everybody to get consultations on this little dog. He goes for his thyroid and fructosamine test in a couple weeks so I will have new numbers and will post them here. As for the thyroid, since he has been on the thyroxine, he has tested normal every time. I really hoped that was the problem but the full panel done last year showed everything was normal. In fact, the most frustrating part of this whole story is that we can’t get my dog to test positive for anything that will give us a new idea for how to treat him. He is the most abnormal “normal” dog in the world.

sue62b – I paid big bucks to two different companies that specialize in vet formulated recipes for dogs. When I saw the final results, I was a bit skeptical. The amount of food they advised was less than what I feed now and it was so amazingly healthy. Yes, that’s a good thing, but maybe not for a skinny dog??? For example, lean chicken breast – broiled, with a tiny bit of chickpeas and a dash of corn oil. It came to about .25 cup. (with a vitamin supplement added but no calories in the supplement) I don’t like corn oil due to GMOs but that’s another story.
Another recipe had lots and lots of broccoli. Does anybody have a very picky dog who would willingly eat broccoli?? And, of course, I researched every single ingredient they told me to feed him and I had a few issues with broccoli. They told me I wasn’t feeding enough to cause harm but why would I feed anything that might be dangerous? There was a study done that showed broccoli could cause problems in dogs but they told me it was not a proven fact and many dogs eat it and there are no problems at all. That’s not good enough for me. 🙂
I did try the Wellness Duck and Oatmeal. Duck is a preferred protein per my Traditional Chinese Medicine vet. Duck is “cool” so it counters the “hot” diabetes. Turkey is also “cool”. Lamb is “warm” but I may try that one too. My boy was not super crazy about the Duck and Oatmeal. It would be great if he’d eat it because there is a store that sells it right by my favorite grocery store. I am keeping Chewy.com in business with my many orders of almost every food they sell! I had good luck with ZiwiPeak canned food but only one type was considered tasty by my boy and that one became unavailable in January. It cost $5 per can, by the way. 🙂
I do use didgestive enzymes, plus coconut oil because my TCM vet said it adds calories and is another “cool” food.
He has always preferred dry kibble and right now he likes the Nulo food but he used to like Fromm and he was heavier at that time so I just ordered more Fromm. (they have a duck recipe)
Thank you for the info on K9Kitchen. I will check it out!!
Good luck with Patch. If you have access to vets who went to the Chi Institute, they have all sorts of herbal supplements that might help you. I used Liver Happy back when my boy had slightly elevated levels. His next test showed a reading of 45, as I recall, which was fantastic. Even the Chi TCM vet was amazed. Unfortunately the Chi blends for diabetes contain cinnamon and my boy will throw up cinnamon every single time. That is really a shame because that herbal remedy gets rave reviews from other parents of diabetic dogs.

Thank you both!!!!

[Susan]

Hi Kellye, I’m having the same problem with Patch keeping on his weight he doesnt have Diabetes, he has Pancreatitis & IBD, I want to have him tested for diabetes Ive read that some dogs that have pancreatitis will get diabetes, I was going to have him tested for diabetes….what I do is I look for kibbles with high calories, low fat%. I found the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal has 450 kcal per cup ME but then Patch started scratching his ear I looked at the ingredients again & released it has potato protein Patch cant eat Pototes so now I feed have him the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal it has 406 kcal per cup ME its less then the Duck but its higher then most kibbles that Ive found, I also feed Patch 4 meals a day, you have to work out how many calories ur boy should be getting a day & feed him a bit more, well thats what Ive been doing with Patch & he’s gain 1/2 a kilo in weight but its only been 2 weeks since I started increasing his food… I know with raw they lose weight when you first start, does he need the digestive enzymes..
I know when Patch was eating 1 cup of boiled chicken breast, boiled pumkin & 1/2 a boiled egg mixed altogether he gained all his weight back but then I found out he can’t have chicken so I changed it to tuna in spring water drained & he lost weight again, so boiled chicken breast must have more calories then Tuna does, I know pasta would put on some weight but with diabetes you have to watch their carbs but they are allowed a little bit per day…Have you tried a dog nutritionist for some recipes what he can eat with his diabetes & gain weight awell….on yahoo there’s a group call “K9Kitchen” run by Monica Segal she does recipes for illness..

[Liz S]

I’ve read so much about how it’s a good idea to have 2-3 brands or flavors ( that you trust ) and mix in each feeding so they like all foods incase theres a recall or an allergy to something etc. If I chose another 4 star kibble 2 mix in I should be fine as long as it sticks with the important things to me like grain free. You think?

I’ve tried my chi on Halo brand Turkey, Duck and Pheasant. She didn’t like it at all. She may have liked the chicken flavor but I need to pick something that her brother ( italian greyhound ) can also chew. Otherwise he uses his tongue and just laps it up doesn’t chew.

I’ve had my eyes on the Wellness stuff. CORE in particular. So I’ll check out the bags and see what other brand kibble I could mix into it slowly. Of course after I switch them from Halo.

Besides grain free what else do you think I should look for to make sure its good food like Wellness? I’ll only be looking at 4 star foods anyway so will be good quality.

[Akari_32]

I’m glad she’s staying with us, at least for the time being. Mom hasn’t exactly said she’s staying, but it’s pretty obvious she doesn’t want her moving from place to place too much.

I haven’t done her nails yet because I want her to understand that I’m not going to hurt her. I’ve already got her to the point where I can pick her up with no problems at all, and she rarely ever flinches away at contact now. Won’t be long until I do them at this point. Walking on the concrete on walks is helping keep them worn down some, as well.

[Akari_32]

Well guys, looks like we’re keeping her LOL After talking with mom, it appears she doesn’t think anyone is capable of caring for her like we do *rolls eyes* I told her the lady with the Dachshund rescue wanted her, and that she had a few other dogs as well, and she came back with “well, she’s old right? I read they only live to be 16, so she’s on her last leg!” (Of course to that I came back with how large dogs, like my 130 pound rott mix, usually only live to be 8 or so, and he’s going on 11 this coming march). And she’s also looking at a pink cage for her XD

Last night I fell asleep on the couch, and then dragged off to bed later, and Ginger plopped down on some blankets on the floor. I told mom to put her in her bed in the closet but she insisted that she would sleep right there all night and not move. Of course, I’m half asleep, so I’m not going to argue with her and get all woke up again. Then at 2 am this morning, I hear Ginger crying, and think “oh she must need to go potty” and turned the flashlight on on my phone and got up to take her out. Well, she did need to go potty, but certainly didn’t wait for me! Peed all over my carpet. At least she has just done it, so it came up easy. Needless to say, her little butt went in the closet for the rest of the night. Then she woke me up again at 8:30 crying, so I crawled out of bed, found some shoes and took her out. She didn’t waste any time going pee when we got out there. Then she promptly came inside and drank water till she threw up. Gross dog lol Mom gave her a bunch of crap yesterday (sausage and French toast), so hopefully that’s all out of her system now and she won’t do it again.

I guess I need to get her on some flea meds now (she can share the lufenuron with the cat, I suppose), and see about getting those talons cut and getting her bathed. Also need to pick a few more dog bowls, and make a place for the collection of bowls we have now LOL

[Sallynova]

Hello Ivan, consider nutrition and ingredients. You need to make sure you give your dogs proper nutrition to keep them strong and healthy. The best nutrition comes from the finest ingredients. In our family, we think fresh or dehydrated ingredients are the best because they are not processed. Any processed food will contain ingredients not good for your dog and repeated use over time will effect your dogs health and immune system. Although, processed kibble is so easy to use – it’s not a very good choice for your dogs. Also, any added preservatives or chemicals will have the same effect. I started learning a lot about dog food from this page http://www.dogsfortheearth.com/EarthDog_NEWS.html – if you read their whole website you will begin to think about feeding your dog logically. You’ll realize a lot of food out there was made for convenience (such as canned or kibble). You’ll also learn that our little friends have sensitive internal organs and skin and bodily functions that demand certain amino acids and vitamins and nutrients – just like us. So look for organic food that is dehydrated or frozen. Try to get dog food made from the best ingredients you can afford and not turned into kibble. This way you will be giving you dogs the best chance for long, healthy active lives. We use Dogs For The Earth organic dehydrated dog food and think it’s the best dog food out there.

[crazy4cats]

Hey Bdog-
Today has been very good so far! This morning while getting ready for church, I noticed Rosie going around and eating everyone’s leftovers from breakfast! I really thought I’d be taking her to the vet this weekend for more fluids. And then having a terribly hard decision to make if they didn’t get her going. But, she is definitely trying to eat now. She’s still making a funny sneezing noise that I need to keep an eye on though.
So your email about the 4health canned food got me wondering… I stopped by Del’s, and there it finally was. Canned cat and dog food. Woo Hoo! All the 4health products were 15% off. With the sale, the cat was 58 cents per can and the dog was $1.01. Hopefully they’ll like it. The worker told me that there will be a Tractor Supply store opening in our area in a couple of months. We have Trader Joes scheduled to open next week. This is good, but is adding way too many stores to my pet food loop! Lol! I thought that was weird, but nice that you could order by the can, not case on their website. Have a good day!

[Kristin D]

I want to start feeding my 5 year old Miniature Dachshund,Oscar,raw or cooked food. Any advice at all would be SOOOOOO helpful!!!!!:) Oscar is a couple pounds overweight right now because I was on vacation for a week and he stayed at a family member’s house. She didn’t walk him because I didn’t think about asking her to(silly me!!! *Face palm* Lol!!!)and she has a dog who grazes, so Oscar would always eat some(probably most)of his food. Right now he weighs 13 pounds, but I would like to get him down to about 10 pounds(I walk him just about everyday, so he should be back in shape in no time!!!). Now for “some” QUESTIONS!!!!:D YAAAAAY!!!! Lol!!!;P How much raw food per day should I feed him??? Should I start out getting packaged raw food??? Should I just give him the bones or grind them up??? What meats can he eat??? What should his daily, weekly, etc… diet consist of??? How much of what should I feed him weekly, daily, etc…??? How slowly should I introduce him to raw food??? What meats are good to introduce/start out with??? What things should I get to start out with(what kind of meat grinder, what kind of storage containers, etc…)??? What are some good books I should read??? What are some good sources(websites)I should check out??? How should I handle the meat??? How do I clean up and things like that??? Where should I get the meat??? What should I look for in the meat??? How much will this cost per month??? What veggies and fruits should I include in his diet daily, weekly, etc…??? How much low-fat cottage cheese, veggies, etc… should I feed him daily, weekly, etc…??? What kind of fish can he eat??? Should I add fish oil or probiotics or whatever else to his daily, weekly, etc… diet??? That’s it for now!!! Don’t worry, I’ll be back with MORE!!!!:D Lol!!!;P Thanks guys!!!:D

• This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Kristin D.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Louis –

It’s great that you’re being proactive about your dog’s dental health! 🙂

Unfortunately, the Milk Bone brand dental chews contain very unhealthy ingredients (kind of the canine equivalent of a candy bar for us humans!). The good news is there are a lot of healthy chews available that I’m sure your dog will love just as much.

My number one recommendation for a healthy and effective dental chew is raw meaty bones. My dogs are fed an entirely raw diet and their dinner every night consists of raw meaty bones, but raw meaty bones can be fed to dogs that don’t eat raw as well. The best options for small dogs are things like chicken necks, wings and feet. Larger dogs do well with items like chicken backs, chicken quarters, pork necks and turkey necks.

If you’re not comfortable with feeding raw (which is completely understandable, many aren’t) the next best option would be a natural chew – things like bully sticks, dried trachea, pig ears, etc. These treats are high in protein and low in carbohydrates making them species-appropriate and healthy – plus dogs go nuts for them! Just be sure to get these types of treats from a reputable supplier (avoid treats imported from China!). A great site to order chews from is BestBullySticks.com – they have a wide selection and their chews are sourced from free-range Brazilian cattle.

While I do feel that RMBs and natural chews are a much better option than commercial dental treats, if you do choose to go with a commercial dental treat there are some things to look out for. The vast majority of commercial dental treats are loaded with unhealthy ingredients (like the Milk Bone dental chews) but there are a few out there that aren’t so bad. You just have to be sure to always read the ingredient list – avoid items like propylene glycol, artificial colorings, corn, wheat, soy, by-products, digests, etc. The downside to commercial dental chews is that, for the most part, they’re all fairly carb-heavy (even the healthier options) and they’re typically very expensive (RMBs are cheap!). A few commercial dental chews that I would feel comfortable recommending: Zuke’s Z-Bones, Cloud Star Dynamo Dog Dental Bones, Halo Spot’s Chew, Get Naked Dental Chew Sticks, Newman’s Own Organics Dental Bones and Nature’s Recipe Pure Essentials Dental Chews.

Also, be sure that you’re brushing your dogs teeth regularly (at least three times per week) – while dental chews are certainly a valuable tool for dental health, the only way to ensure optimal dental health is through brushing.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Bobby dog]

C4c:
I love the name Beansie. I have a light orange and white too. 🙂

I finally found a list I made with ideas to entice your cat to eat when they are not feeling well. Some I already listed in a previous post. Here’s a few more, warm up canned food, add a little low sodium chic broth or clam juice, offer catnip before a meal, cooked eggs or egg whites, and allot of people recommended Purina Forti-Flora when all else failed.

Holistic Select used to have a digestive enzyme and a probiotic sprinkle (both had a flavor enhancer) on their website, but I can’t find it now. Eagle Pack has a digestive enzyme for dog and cats, but I don’t see it on their site either. I did find it at Wag.com: http://www.wag.com/dog/p/holistic-select-holistic-transition-digestive-remedies-2-2-oz-221578

I have been looking for some plain freeze dried tripe to mix with canned food for my cats since they liked the Verus cat food with tripe.

Here’s a list of flavor enhancers/toppers that were recommended by posters on a bunch of sites I visited last year. I never checked them out because he started eating again after the Vet gave him some fluids:

Petco Savory Tuna Flakes
http://www.petco.com/product/117258/

Halo Cat treats
http://www.halopets.com/natural-treats.html#tp31_2

Halo Dinner Party Sprinkle
http://shop.halopets.com/Natural-Treats/Dinner-Party-Chicken

Beefeaters Freeze Dried Cat Treat
http://www.petsmart.com/gsi/webstore/WFS/PETNA-PETUS-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProduct-Start;pgid=1Ip6wb8p8jVSRpB.FTRjIqx80000d5mL8f6_?SKU=36-3069

Purebites
http://www.purebites.com/index.php

Cat-Man-Doo dried Bonito Flakes
http://www.catmandoo.biz/

Stewart Flavor Enhancer
http://stewartpet.com/our-products/treats/Flavor-Enhancer/

Tuna Dash
http://www.catclaws.com/Tuna-Dash/productinfo/1700/#.VBowspRdXng

[RescueDaneMom]

I completely understand! I was super nervous to try it too. From what I’ve read, it is more likely for dog’s to get salmonella from tainted kibble than raw. But I started with raw slowly myself. I fed Max kibble with toppers like canned and dehydrated/freeze-dried foods for the first 4 years I had him. Then as I learned more about canine nutrition, I started experimenting with adding raw. I started with Stella & Chewy’s as a topper as well. The Duck, Duck, Goose is a favorite of Max’s. From there I started trying other brands and gradually increased his amount of raw and decreased the amount of kibble. A year ago I decided to stop feeding kibble altogether. I was feeding Max a dehydrated food (Honest Kitchen) and raw. I kept that up for about 7-8 months until he got tired of the Honest Kitchen. He was refusing to eat his food even with the raw mixed in. I tried other dehydrated and freeze-dried foods with little success. His system was just not liking them. I made the switch back to half kibble 2.5 weeks ago. He is doing really well on the BC kibble. I would love to do full raw but I just don’t have good enough local sources and I don’t have enough time to do all the prep. I’m a firm believer that some raw is better than no raw so I’m happy with the compromise I made.

Best of luck to you and Zane. Baby steps is the way to go. You can easily figure out what he does well on if you introduce things one at a time.

[Akari_32]

I was doing my internship at the vet today, and a lady called in about her dog suddenly biting and developing all sorts of undesirable behaviors very suddenly. She came a few hours later, and after talking with the vet and diagnosing her with dementia, she ended up leaving the dog, asking to have her put down, unless the vet could find someone that could deal with her.

The end of the day came (they had already come in pretty late in the day), and the vet wasn’t any closer to finding someone to take the dog. She was obviously scared, just sitting in the kennel shaking and crying, no idea what was going on. I volunteered to take her home for a few days, so she wasn’t left at the clinic alone for 12 hours over night, and then for 17 hours the next day, since the clinic closes at 2 tomorrow. Plus, if she’s to be adopted out, theres no way of anyone knowing how the dog actually is around people when she’d be left alone for that long.

So I brought her home, set her up in my closest with some food and water, and a bed and toy, and little Greenies. I also went out and bought her some potty pads at the Dollar Tree, since they sell 4 packs, and I didn’t want to have a whole box of potty pads I’d only be using for a couple days lol

She’s a very sweet little dog! A little brown mini dachshund, can’t weigh more than about 6-7 pounds. She loves to be pet, is very apt to give a warning if I get to a spot that triggers her to bite (I bugged her once, trying to get her out of the kennel, and all she did was whine a little bit and turn her head around at me), walks great on a leash, and so on. I may see how she does with Bentley and the cat over the next couple days and see with mom if we can keep her. She so happy and lovable– she doesn’t need to be put down.

The one area that triggers her is very easy to avoid (left shoulder sort of area), and as long as you aren’t trying to touch her there, or put a muzzle on her (I tried to muzzle her to bring her home so I could get her in and out of the car more easily, but she wasn’t having any of that lol), she’s great. She even made me sit down so she could sit in my lap a little bit ago. This dog doesn’t need to be put down. She needs an owner that understands she has boundaries, and needs them to be respected because her little brain isn’t all there, and she will respond with instinct now, rather than conditioning.

The only “bad” thing she’s done since I brought her home is she barks at the baby gate. I was keeping Bentley and the cat out of my room, thinking they would just bother her (she barked at them some when I first brought her in), but I finally opened the bedroom door and let them come in, and she quieted right down, and has been sleeping for the last hour or so. She had two other dog friends at home, so maybe she finds comfort in having them in the room. Who knows.

So while she’s here, the vet asked me to see what triggers her to bite. So far, its just touching the one spot. Do the same thing on the other side, she doesn’t care. The lady was also shoving a syringe full of anti-biotics down her throat, which is when she would bite, and thats why she left her with us. I can’t help but wonder if one of those times she was giving the meds, if she hurt the dog in some way, and now she’s responding in the only way she knows how to make it stop. She’s also apparently been peeing inside recently, as well as barking around 4am. I’m hoping a change in routine, scenery, and life in general, will help fix both of these.

Anyways, if anyone has any tips on how to deal with dementia, go for it! I won’t tell you guys her name or post a pic just yet. Don’t want to get too attached incase the vet ends up putting her down. I really hope that doesn’t happen! This dog can live a perfectly happy life as she is right now with the proper owner. Wish her luck!

[Bobby dog]

Hi C4c:
Only ideas I have at the moment for a liquid kitty meal would be to add a little canned to the water/med mixture making it liquid enough to feed from a syringe; or just mixing it alone (not in the med water). I think goats milk is a great idea, kefir, yogurt (add a little H2O if you are going to feed it via syringe), the dreaded tuna juice or other fish broth if you don’t want to go there. But, when a sick cat is involved tuna often saves the day.

When my hyper-t kitty was bed ridden, keep in mind he is a really good eater, I actually made his canned meals like soup which he happily lapped up like he was drinking H2O.

Hopefully I will have some other suggestions for you later on today, I have to put my thinking cap on. I visited allot of sites pertaining to kitties that needed help eating, I’ll see if I can find them for other ideas.

[Naturella]

Sheltielove, a few of us here are college students, myself and my husband included. We also shop on a super tight budget for our dog, but so far we have managed to keep our food costs at $6.07/month for 4-5-star food. That is pretty low, although I am not counting Bruno’s (the dog’s) additives in the price. He gets an egg, a raw meaty bone (usually a chicken back or pork/beef neck bone piece), 1/2 can of sardines, and a tablespoon of coconut oil every other day and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt every other day. And The Honest Kitchen raw dehydrated food as a topper (1 tsp/meal, aside from when he gets coconut oil or yoghurt). The price of THK is calculated in his food cost though. Right now we are stocked on kibble and THK till the end of August, 2015.

Now, how did we do that?
Part 1 – lucked out! Our local Petland had a special during the months of November and December 2013 and was giving away FREE small bags of Holistic Health Extension. I stocked up on those with 4 bags.
Part 2 – Petland also sends me a coupon for $10 off of $25+ purchase – a great way to get bigger bags for less. I got 3 14-lb bags for about $20 each (with tax and all).
Part 3 – Luck again – there is an awesome little pet specialty store with amazing sales on top notch brands when they’re a month away from expiring, plus they give away free samples. Got me some of those too.
Part 4 – I facebooked a bunch of companies to ask for samples of their foods – some sent just coupons, some samples and treats, and some – whole small bags of food. Two bags of food came this way.
Part 5 – Planned couponing – for more info and to speak to this site’s real coupon guru Akari_32, see this thread – /forums/topic/coupons/
Part 6 – Scouting for deals and sales online. Websites, such as petflow.com and chewy.com will have flash sales at which you can get food for $1/lb – I got 19lbs of food this way, all in 4- or 5-lb bags of great, various flavors and brands.

Part 7 – MOST IMPORTANTLY – all of the above methods will be kind of on the hard side if you do not rotate protein sources (flavors) AND brands of food. More on diet rotation and why it’s important – /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/ But this way you get to take advantage of all or most deals and sales versus being stuck to a specific brand/flavor.

Also, some of the more affordable overall brands are: Earthborn Holistic, Victor Select and Victor Grain Free, in some places NutriSource (not around Kennesaw, GA though – here it is soooo expensive!), Taste of the Wild (a Diamond product), Canidae (in my area it’s not too pricy), and possibly Dr. Tim’s.

As for Diamond – they manufacture several brands. They had a huge recall in 2012 and handled it poorly. Hence the issue of many with them.

As for Nutro, I cannot speak, although I have fed their small breed puppy food – one bag, first food we bought for our doggie before we discovered this site.

Hope this helps! Welcome, and keep the questions coming! 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Yorkieville –

Sorry to hear your dogs didn’t like THK. 🙁

Just to clarify – the reviews are not based on palatability, they are based solely on the ingredients and general analysis.

You can read more about the rating process here.

[Cyndi]

Hi Karen,

There is a thread here in the forum specifically for Large Breed Puppies. You can find it here /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Also, on one of the pages, I think, and someone can correct me if I’m wrong, on page 11 or 15 or somewhere around there, Hound Dog Mom made a list of the best foods for Large Breed Puppies. That thread is long, but you may find some helpful info in there. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Karen G-
Congrats on the new pup! What kind of dog is it? Did you see the recommended dry foods for large breed puppy spreadsheet that is posted on the large breed thread on this forum? I think it is on about page 33 of that thread. It lists both with and without grains kibble. The main thing objective is to keep calcium under 3.5 g per 1,000 kcal. Also, the food should be labeled for puppies (growth) or all life stages. It does not necessary for it to specifically say for large breed pups. There is no recognized standard for large breed as far as food labels go.
Nutrisource large breed pup with grains is listed and also Wellness Core puppy grain free is on the list. There are several others as well. I was trying to mention more well known brands.
Keep your pups growth slow and steady. Do not over exercise or run him/her. I feed my 3 year old big dogs Victor. Both The Victor Select chicken and rice and lamb and rice would also be good options for your new pup! Hip, knee and elbow problems are so prevalent with big dogs. We need to do what we can to try to prevent them. Have fun with your pup!