[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, 6 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, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 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!

[Akari_32]

I asked the vet about him crying when petting his neck, and he said it’s probably him gearing up for it to hurt, since it’s not every time. He thinks Bentley is expecting it to hurt, and is letting whoever is petting him knows he doesn’t particularly want it. He said to go ahead and give the next 5 days of Previcox, and see how it goes from there, which we were already on day 7 anyways lol

He’s having a hard time with the whole not jumping thing lol This morning though, the cat came running in with Bentley right behind him, and cat jump on the bed, and few minutes later, I realized Bentley wasn’t on the bed! So leaned over to see what sort of bad things he was doing, and he was actually sitting on the floor waiting for me to pick him up, doing that whole body wiggle, I-can’t-contain-my-engery sort of thing. So I picked him up, and he passed out for about a half out or so.

Then just now, we were outside, and I noticed he was limping a little bit, and was reluctant to go in the grass. He was wired last night, running all over the house, jumping on all the furniture, and doing bad things with the cat. Couldn’t get him him to stop at all. I wonder if he’s sore from all that, and then still remembering the last time he went in the grass hurting and whatever it was that happened to his foot/knee that made it swell and ouchy. His need to pee soon overrode his reluctance to go in the grass, though he didn’t go very far lol

[DogFoodie]

Hi Tiffany,

That’s great that you’re willing to cook for your dogs! A couple of great books to take a look at would be Karen Becker’s, Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats. You could also take a look at Steve Brown’s, Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.

But, I agree…, you do have to know where to start.

I looked at the ingredients in the TOTW High Prairie Puppy formula you mentioned. There are a few things in that other than the proteins (bison, venison, fish) that could be the problem, such as tomato pomace or flaxseed. If you’re wanting to use kibble as a base, I’d start with a simple food that has one animal protein source and one starch. I might also try a food that doesn’t use chickpeas and lentils as binders since it appears as though your guy might have a sensitive digestive system and those are known to cause some gastric distress. Maybe try a limited ingredient food, such as Nature’s Variety Instinct LID. I’d recommend any of the formulas other than the lamb. You might also like The Honest Kitchen Zeal (assuming that he can eat fish). If you aren’t already familiar with THK, it’s a human-grade dehydrated food that you rehydrate with water.

I would start right now of keeping a list of everything that he eats, his reaction to it, etc. I did that and kept detailed notes and it was the way I discovered my dog’s food intolerances. Keep in mind the ingredients in any treats that he eats as well.

You could also try adding some plain canned pumpkin to his food to help firm up the stools to see if that helps. I’ve been using a product called Firm Up as needed which is dehydrated pumpkin and apple. It works great and I have much less waste because I never used a full can of pumpkin before it went to waste. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_pet-supplies?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Diggin%27+Your+Dog&node=2619533011

[Carol M]

Hi Nancy,

Yes, it is unbelievable how much fluid she gets – 2 liters in a week, that’s about a half a gallon! That’s why we do “the procedure” twice a week; don’t think she’d be able to breathe otherwise.

My dog is about 30# – the vet recommended 1000mg (2 pills) 3x a day. I use Nature’s Plus brand, there’s a health food store nearby that carries it (couldn’t find it at some of the larger stores like Whole Foods). I tried going up to 1500mg 3x a day for a few months but didn’t notice any difference in the amount of fluid so I went back to 1000mg. Don’t know that it actually does anything but I’m not going to stop in case it does.

Haven’t tried Metamucil; that was the nutritionist’s suggestion as she read that a high fiber diet helps with chylothorax. Don’t know what the dosage would be though, need to ask vet.

There are no restrictions on activity because of the port itself; it’s all contained and can only be accessed by needle (looks like a lump on her side). Vet said to just treat her like a normal dog. She is less active when she’s filling up with fluid so she restricts herself. After we drain her, she goes (on her own) to her crate for about 20 minutes or so to rest. I don’t let her run around right after just as a precaution.

The specialist vet doesn’t carry Royal Canin but my regular vet does. The PetSmart here carries it & probably Petco does too; your vet would have to write a prescription for them to fill it. I feed the dry and mix in some canned with it. I just ordered a case of canned from Petflow (www.petflow.com) – price is about the same ($61 for 24 cans) but they deliver it (free shipping for orders over $49) and you can set it up to auto ship (and get 20% off the first order for auto ship). You’d probably want to get a few cans and/or dry to see if your dog likes it before ordering that much though…maybe another local vet carries it.

She eats quite a bit actually – close to a cup of dry with maybe 1/4 – 1/3 can mixed in twice a day. The other dogs get 1/2 cup in the morning & 1 cup at night of their dry food. Her appetite is good and she’s not gained or lost weight (other than after surgery).

I kind of jokingly asked the nutritionist if giving her boneless chicken breast would help with the protein loss. She said it couldn’t hurt, just be sure to boil it and skim off any fat – I trimmed all the fat & other yuck off and then boiled it in no-fat chicken broth and have been adding some to her food but just in the last week or so. When she had the surgery she wasn’t eating so I boiled chicken & rice for her and hand fed her and that worked. Then mixed it with the dog food until it was all dog food.

I tried giving her frozen green beans as a treat and that worked for a while…then she caught on that the others were getting real treats. So, I’m giving all of them Pupcorn treats (found at Fred’s or PetSmart has their own brand) as it’s 3% or lower fat and supposedly healthy. She’s not a chewer and not crazy about toys. Wonder if maybe a Kong or similar filled with something low fat would work for your dog?

Hope that helps – do check with the vet though before you do anything. Carol

[Barbara]

I did not realize that this information was in DFA before I originally posted. I know now to search for recalls by brand name. You can also just search the word recalls on the DFA homepage.
/dog-food-recall/dogswell-withdraws-dog-cat-jerky-treats
It appears that some of the packages state made in the USA but I understand from reading comments that you need to find out where the ingredients are sourced from by contacting the manufacturer. Sounds like a lot of jerky-type treats have ingredients sourced from China!

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

[Akari_32]

I know how you feel, Dori! I’ve come to the conclusion that if it has fur or produces pollen, I’m allergic to it. Thankfully, as long as the furry friends are kept on a diet that keep theirs skin and coat nice, they don’t bother me too bad (which is rarely the case with anyone’s pets in these parts, and cats are the worst in my case). Living in Florida, everything is always blooming, so I’m always in a state of clogged sinuses and non-breathing. Certain things (like too much unkempt cat, and certain kinds of pollens) will give me a migraine that I may or not be able to get rid of for the next week and half. I clearly live in the wrong state for this @.@ I used to avoid the cat room at the shelter if I could, but some people would want to look at the dogs, then want to be shown the cats. If there were kittens in there, though, I’d suffer the headache later just to play with them. It was worth it! XD

I figure, I already can’t breath no matter what, so I might as well have a good time lol But, yes, do what you can! Don’t make yourself miserable over anything. That’s not how helping out is supposed to work at all :p It’s great that they come out and get your donations (instead of turning away anything not worthy *rolls eyes* lol)!

[Akari_32]

Hey guys! I have a request for you all 🙂

I would like to see how many times we can all donate (food, treats, supplies, money, time, anything!) to our local shelters in just two weeks. Dig through your stashes, find some coupons in your local papers and online, rally up your friends and family, open up your hearts, and help out those in need!

All I would like to see is a head count. You don’t have to share what you donated, just that you did.

Who’s up for it?!

I’ve got my first run ready for tomorrow, and after another couple couponing trips, I should have some more here soon 🙂

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/CECFD415-9AF0-4A3A-98DD-D40B8F7B093F_zpskuwyacv2.jpg

[Nancy M]

OK! Nevermind….It worked: Here’s what I tried to send you:

Oh my gosh Carol, I cannot thank you enough for your email and wealth of information! And although I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone, it is so very nice to hear from and share with others who are dealing with this problem. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and frustrating, because as you said, there are so few vets who really seem to know how and what to do.

Since my decision to not do the surgery, I have had some second thoughts, but feel it’s a big gamble, aside from the fact of putting the dog through such an ordeal, and then with such low success rates, not to mention the financial strain it can present. I’ve heard and read a lot more about the negatives and the “unsuccesses” as I have the positives. But as of a couple days ago, I can’t help but question myself. Last August, they removed about 60cc. from Oliver’s chest and since then, he has done rather well; always having his bad and good days. I have kept a pretty routine check on what’s going on through x-rays; usually every 4 – 6 weeks. In late January, it all but disappeared and we thought it had healed up on its own. Short lived; the next visit showed a minimal amount again, but still I had better hope. All the following ones, showed little change, which was good but not total relief…….until last week when he was continually showing signs of difficulty. When I took him in on Saturday, they drained off almost 240cc, and had a hard time doing it. First they couldn’t really locate the pocket, due to his increase in body fat (not much exercise tolerance anymore, especially in this hot and humid weather here) and then they had a tough time reaching it. Finally they found a long enough needle and out it flowed. All the while, he was like a little trooper…..,rarely did he even flinch.

It took a day or so, since then, to notice a real improvement in his breathing, but I definitely can tell now. I’m temporarily relieved and very grateful! And strangely enough, I have thought about this over the last day or two, and wondered why a port wouldn’t be advisable and much better management tool. So again, your email couldn’t have come at a better time. I don’t think I would want my current vet to do it though, as much as I trust them. Again, I think they are just not knowledgeable or capable enough to take on the task. So yesterday, I found online, and reached out to a Veterinary School in Oklahoma that I have heard great things about and sent them an inquiry. Surprisingly, I got a reply; even on a Sunday. However, I had reached someone in the Equine department, but he promised that he would be forwarding my message on to some of the small animal vets, and assured me that one of them at least, would be in contact. So I’m waiting and hoping that there might be someone who can lend some recommendations to this ordeal by way of an actual consultation and review.

Another thing you mentioned, which I NEVER knew or was told about; I just happened to read it on a website this weekend, that not only does this affect the dog’s ability to breathe well, I learned about the affects it has on their entire health. As you have already found, I did not realize that as you drain off substantial amounts of this fluid from the chest, it’s also representative of all the “nutrients” that have not able to circulate and nourish the body. That was absolutely astounding to me! Hence, another important reason to do somethings differently. Up until then, and now with your email, I did not even think or know to keep a check on his overall body functions and blood values. Again, it just shows how little some of these vets know and can relate to you, about the entire scope of this condition. I cannot thank you enough for writing to me which also actually confirmed this today.

Since Oliver was first diagnosed, I had to of course, change his diet. We had to go from a high-grade, more natural diet, down to this Science Diet (Low-Residue I/D) and for me, I absolutely cringe every time I give it to him. But I have to tell myself, maybe it’s a big reason why he’s still alive today, and just let it go. I’ve looked for other food possibilities, but none with low enough fat content. I did not know that Royal Canin makes a similar product. I’ll keep that in mind. As for the Rutin, yes he’s been on about the same dosage as your dog, from the get-go, and again I’m hopeful that it is helping. I have thought to increase it also, but hadn’t been able to research the pros and cons of that yet. Again, your information was helpful.

For now, I will hold on to the thoughts and information you have passed onto me, and continue to consider them in what to do next. I also want to offer you my sincere condolences because I know what you have been through and still doing. One thing I cannot relate to, but can only imagine, is the hardship, the trauma and disappointment you must feel from putting your dog and yourself through the surgery, only to have it not bring resolution. It had to be devastating! I cannot say it enough…….thank you is not enough……I so appreciate you taking the time to share with me. And PLEASE, can we stay in touch? I wish you and your dog all the best, with God’s blessings. Please let me know how you’re both doing, won’t you?

With much gratitude,
Nancy M.
Fayetteville, AR

[Susan]

Hi Stacey, google “Raw diets for dogs with EPI” I know EPI dogs cant digest too much fiber & need a very low fiber/FAT diet, enzymes are suppose to help with the digestion of the food, u soak their food in a enzyme for 20mins, but Ive also read that enzymes can give mouth ulcers thats why Ive never tried any enyzmes,..here’s a good site
http://www.epi4dogs.com/diet.htm scroll down to Meat/Protein Vegetables, vegetables must be fully cooked & mashed up & you only add 1 new vegetable at a time, 1 new veggie a week to see if they can tolerate that vegetable, once you work out what he can eat & what he can’t you’ll be right but you have a big dog to feed, so maybe do 3-4 smaller meals a day that way its not too much for him to digest..also google “foods that are low in fiber” I dont know if pasta is low in fiber, I know brown rice has more fiber then white rice, the pasta will help fill him up & maybe gain weight, you need to do a bit of research, I did the research last year when I thought Patch had EPI….Wild Salmon oil is suppose to be good for dogs with EPI & Gastro problems, but you start with a real little bit then work ur way to the dose over 2 week period, Ive always been too scared that the Salmon oil will give Patch bad diarrhea so Ive never tried, it helps their stomach & skin…. if you keep scrolling down there’s recipes aswell, but you must take it very slow & cause they always feel hungry he’ll gulp his meals so maybe just add little food in his bowl then a little more, I have 2 bowls, 1 bowl has the meal then I put Patches bowl on a little chair so its level with his stomach & I just add 1 spoon at a time & feed slowly I have to lift the bowl when putting in food or he’ll gulp the food as Im adding it to his bowl, he’s getting better, he seems to gulp his food more as the day goes on..it takes a bit longer but that way he doesnt get his pain & have his bad burping after eating…its an awful disease….poor boy

[Melissaandcrew]

Lisa..I can only answer what I would do. I lost a female dobe to bloat-a rescue-years ago. The females were tacked because they were already in there. I honestly think if I had lost three to it, I would be paranoid and do all my larger dogs regardless of whether or not they were male or female. However since she is a mix I might wait until 1 yr or so to see how she developes.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Melissaandcrew.

[Laura T]

Thank you for your reply. Is there a particular brand that we should get? I think that even though she is 5, she is getting a bit “old” – i see gray hairs and sometimes when going up in couch she misses (not often) but when she does i feel that she is becoming a senior thus she might need maybe more calcium? … Vet says she is very healthy and there is no concerns but i have read that food can make a huge difference and that is why we are researching.

[Melissaandcrew]

HI Lisa G-

Both my female dobes had a gastropexy done at their spay as a preventative measure as well since it involved no major surgery since they were already in there. I did not do the male however, as it would have been an invasive extra procedure. Most of the time they do it at the 6mth with a spay, so guessing you can do it any time there after.

[Akari_32]

Thanks guys! Tabitha, it is his back right leg, yes.

As for how any of this may have happened, who knows. He’s so active and clumsy, it really could be anything. He acts like a young Lab, running around like a bulldozer. Like, think of Marley and Me, and make Marley about 13 times smaller, and that’s how Bentley is. The vet is an orthopedic vet, but does all the normal vet stuff, as well. He said he wasn’t too worried about either of his problems at this point, and gave the Previcox to reduce the inflammation and take away the pain of the disk, so that it didn’t become a real problem. He gave a 10 day script, but said to just use it for 5 days, and the rest for if he needs it later.

This morning, when we first got up, he was moving around fine, and was even doing ok at the vet. But after he had been moving around for a while (we got to the vet 30 minutes before they start appointments, so I let him walk around the waiting room off leash, and went out for a potty break while we waited), he started to get a little sore. The vet also messed around with his knee cap, which he totally flipped out about, so I’m sure that added to his ouchiness. He kept a good trot all the way to the car, though (by choice– he was ready to get outta there lol) but did “skip” with his bad leg every step rather than every 10-20 like he used to, and jumped up into the car (after I told him to wait so I could pick him up. Brat….). By the time we got home, he was limping just a little bit. If I didn’t see this dog walk every day for the last two years, I probably wouldn’t have even I noticed he was limping. It looks like, right now, he’s sore when he firsts gets started, and then once a he’s going, he good.

I was watching him walk tonight, now that I’m home from work, and his bad leg seems very fluid in it’s motions, and his hips swing out farther. Looks like he’s doing his best to keep from bending that knee. More power to him I suppose.I know “fluid” and “not bending” don’t really go together, but that’s what he’s doing lol I’ll have t try for a video of him walking so you guys can see what I’m talking about.

He’s still jumping on all the furniture, which is driving me crazy. It’ll take a lot of work to keep him from doing that! I keep telling him to wait when I see him going for the bed or couch (or the floor, for that matter), but that terrier mentally blocks me out about half the time. My guess is whatever happened last night has really stressed either the nerves or the muscles, etc in his leg, and they’ll be messed up for a while, and maybe even forever. Oh! And tonight, he did lift his leg and pee, and used his bad leg to support himself (lifting his good leg), so it either really can’t hurt that bad, or he’s just stubborn. Probably a little of both lol He did jump off the bed before I could grab and he came back in about a minute later with a sad look on his face. He landed pretty hard, and imagine it hurt. Who knows if it was his back or his knee, though.

So, for now we are all just going to watch him, and see how he does for a while. If he continues limping too much, I’ll talk to the vet. I’m there for my internship twice a week anyways, so I can always just ask him when there, and he wants to see him, I’ll take him. If he was going to be as bad this morning as he was last night, I was all prepared to ask for x-rays, because last night was terrible. But he seems ok for now, so we’ll just hang out and keep an eye on him. And try out best to keep him from getting on and off the furniture by himself lol

I posted some house rules when it comes to Bentley. I resisted the urge to write “NO FUN” on there LOL

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/D58B8D9A-E1CE-4EF3-8AC2-2E93BF20C0B0_zpsnnqnfvmn.jpg

He’s not too happy about them.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/FD3C9F1E-0E8A-46FB-8433-F8C1FC5C696E_zpsluec24yo.jpg

[Melissaandcrew]

BRT- Dogs usually lick their butts and scoot when there is a problem-such as anal glands or worms. Paw/nail bed fixation tends to be allergies. Imagine an itch that you can’t scratch-kind of sucks, lol. I would make sure that he is worm free and his anal glands are not a problem. Tapeworm can not be seen on a fecal, so check around his butt very very carefully for anything that looks like hard dried up rice-those are the worm segments. You can try rinsing his feet to see if that helps-the other option, if the vet has already looked at him and said no issue-is to try a squirt of an anti chewing spray. If its merely behaviorally, he should stop after a few licks of bitter apple or something of that nature.

[Cyndi]

Wayne G, I am so sorry for your loss too!! I am sitting here crying after reading this. As I said a few comments up, I used to feed these to my doberman, who died 3 years ago this Saturday, all the time. I still, to this day, can only guess what he died from. He went downhill over the period of 6 or 7 months though and the vet couldn’t figure out what was going on with him. I ended up having to put him down. I firmly believe it was a combination of the crap food I fed him, because I didn’t know any better, and now these treats, and vaccinations and toxic flea crap! Sorry for my rant, but stories like yours just really hit home. 🙁

Again, I am so sorry for your loss! It sure the hell isn’t an easy thing to go thru, losing your beloved pet that way. 🙁 My heart aches for you and your family as well. May your boy rest in peace.

[charles h]

Hi InkedMarie,

I do rotate proteins I normally go Chicken & Pork, then Chicken & Lamb, then Chicken & Beef… The problem I have is getting bone content as I have previously read that you cannot give Lamb or Beef bone as its too hard. I give Pork bone as in Ribs but it doesn’t seem to be enough to stop her stool being soft. Sometimes she gets Duck with the bones like a duck wing but its quite expensive when added together with the lamb and beef 🙂 so this is rare… I guess its too much chicken as its part of her whole cycle. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Cyndi,

Yeah I guess she’s so spoilt I hate thinking about not feeding her haha! I haven’t tried to give raw green tripe as its quite difficult to get in the UK (not sure where you are all from)… I should be able to source some on the internet, I can only find dried tripe in the shops.

Hi Dori,

I hate seeing her little puppy eyes when she is hungry though 🙁 lol… I do feed her twice a day at the moment since about two months ago with a view to change this to once a day when she is a bit older (as I’ve read before not sure if you guys recommend this?)

Yeah I’ve read about the percentages she is just quite thin and it concerns me, also I’ve read puppies should have x% and adults x% but she is 8 months and I cannot find anything for junior feeding of how much the percentage should be so I’ve kind of gone in-between the puppy and adult percentage if that makes sense…

She may just be full and that has crossed my mind… Also another behaviour she has is to not eat when we are near her, even if we ignore her she will sit close to us rather than eat (I found this out last night); so I left her in the kitchen with her chicken legs which she ignored the whole time we had dinner (30mins or so) and she had finished it when I went back in after about 15 minutes. So maybe its just she prefers to be around us and she is too easily distracted to eat…

Thanks for all your help… Guess it’s all a bit of a learning curve, I just worry she is not getting the nutrients she needs to develop in to a healthy adult dog.

[Mike Sagman]

USA Dog Treats,

AAFCO currently has NO nutritional profile specifically for large breed puppy foods. However, the National Research Council does indeed specify unique guidelines designed to address the energy content of these kinds of foods as those calories relate to each recipe’s calcium content.

HDM (on her own) generously posted a detailed list of some of her own recommendations for commercial large breed puppy foods. Her work was scientifically based and required a significant amount of personal effort. This completely voluntary project included the creation of spreadsheets, phone calls to manufacturers as well as online research.

That research even included reliable references posted for your benefit as well as the benefit of others. So, frankly, I find your criticism of her efforts here surprising and unwelcome.

In summary, a knowledgeable veterinary expert, HDM and I have been working diligently on an important project — including the development of costly software — to help our readers verify claims made by manufacturers regarding the nutritional adequacy of their products specifically for large breed puppies.

[Karen T]

Hi have a gassy Standard Poodle. He belches frequently, which concerns me since he is deep chested and therefore prone to bloat. He also will sometimes regurgitate/throw up food that is still whole, as if he’s not chewing at all. And the stranger thing to me is that even if it is hours after having eaten, the food is still in it’s original shape and undigested…just wet and expanded a bit.

I currently feed him “Wellness Complete Health/ Chicken & Brown Rice for Large Breeds” He eats in a raised bowl most of the time….from what I’ve read I should eliminate that as the “raised bowl” way of thinking is changing. His other bowl is one that has dividers in it in order to slow him down. I restrict him from playing for an hour after meals.

Perhaps the belching is OK…at least the gas is releasing, but honestly it is LOUD. Louder than most humans. And I’m a worrier, having had an Akita die from bloat.

So, I’m asking for suggestions. I’m tending towards duck with potato or sweet potato, or oatmeal. I’m hoping for a larger kibble, but he apparently doesn’t chew the Wellness large kibble, so maybe that’s not important. Or maybe I should change to canned?

He’s 4 years old and has no other health issues beside the gas and occasional regurgitation of undigested kibble. The vet does not think it is mega esophagus, or anything serious but said if the regurgitation ever gets more frequent that he would run tests.

Any suggestions?

[Naturella]

The lady I babysit for – I also kind of took over her dog too, and I have successfully switched the dog (Snowy, female, 4 y.o. Shitzu mix) off of Kibbles ‘N’ Crap (sorry, I keep misspelling that – “Bits”). Too bad she already has 3 bumps on her lower ribs, that may be fatty formations, or something else, but I hope for the lesser evil… :/

I weaned her off with the help of Nutro Max, Simply Nourish, Whole Earth Farms, and Earthborn Grain Free in samples over 2 weeks, and I ordered the family 3 LiveFrees and a Wysong and they came in Tuesday. Next week she can start on those (she still has some WEF and Earthborn to finish up over the weekend). I am pumped that I can now take advantage of deals and not break my husband’s ban on dog food for our Bruno, cause we’re stacked full, lol. Snowy is, however, set till the end of the year, so Black Friday sales is when I will shop for her next! 😉

And, I still have some LiveFree Salmon and Wysong for Bruno from the first time they did the deal – the last I sneaked in before I really really stopped! 🙂 I really really like the Wysong and so does Bru Bru (we begged for some samples and graciously got them). 🙂

In fact… Here are the companies that have graciously sent me samples upon request:
Annamaet – GF foods samples and a full-size bag of GF Manitok treats.
Wysong – samples of foods and samples of treats.
Canidae – a whole 4-lb bag of Canidae Pure Sea and a full-size bag of GF Bison treats.
Nature’s Variety Instinct – a one-time voucher for a free product of your choice (includes 4lb bag of dry dog food or 5lb bag of dry cat food, and some canned/raw options).
Nulo – coupons only.

I had also contacted TOTW, Farmina, Fromm, Merrick, Victor – those sent no samples, but rather stressed on their money-back guarantees (Merrick and Fromm), and TOTW said to get samples from local retailers, and Victor said to just buy samples on their website. Farmina never responded. The search continues though! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Naturella.

[arwyru24]

So, my cat food order was delivered at 9:30 this morning, I happened to be home, and I have to say I was pretty amazed, because I put in the order at about 10pm on Tuesday. The fastest they have ever gotten it to me. Anyway, I gave my cats the Go! Duck Pate for lunch and they both seemed to really enjoy it, so that is good news, we will have to see if that continues through the whole case. I have found that there are two types of textures to pate style canned foods that don’t have carrageean in them. One is somewhat loose and very moist like Natures Variety, and the other is very firm like Nature’s Logic and doesn’t have the sort of creamy type consistency to it that foods with the carrageean, like Wellness have. Almost looks a little rubbery in comparison. The Go! Pate is more of the latter, a firm pate, but seems just a touch softer then the Nature’s Logic Chicken. My cats like Nature’s Variety much better then Nature’s Logic, but they both seemed to really really like this Go!. So what I read about Petcurean is that they don’t manufacture their own food, but most outsource canning anyway, and I have read that they use a high quality co-packer with stringent quality control standards, but I don’t know who the co-packer is.

[InkedMarie]

Thats not snotty. You asked what people thought about it then suggested if we don’t like SD not to reply. To me, that’s snotty. I gave you names of places you can order just about any dog food out there. I suggested trying canned, freeze dried or dehydrated. If you want to continue feeding SD, do so. I read too much about people who have “tried everything” but in reality, they’ve only tried what their closest pet food store is. That’s not trying everything, thats trying what’s convenient. I’m not saying this is you, I don’t know what you’ve tried but most of us here have heard the “everything” thing just a few times.

[Akari_32]

I decided to use the Applaws as a full meal, rather than throwing a tub in here and there. So I went out and bought 24 cans of Friskies Special Diet and Senior Diet (my previously scoped out flavors however many pages back). I tried to get away with not having to buy more cat food, but there was too much Applaws for me to feel comfortable with not adding more food that was balanced. So my 26 days of food turned into 40 days of food after the Friskies and Applaws was added lol You guys should have seen all that cat food sprawled across the floor as I tried to fit everything evenly into my rotation.

He’s on a 10 day rotation (not including different flavors):

Ideal Balance or Sheba
Applaws
Wellness
Authority Flaked Turkey
Friskies
Wellness
Applaws
Friskies
Authority Flaked Turkey
Friskies

Because of stacking difficulties with the Applaws tubs and Sheba and Ideal Balance 3 oz cans, I couldn’t really spread the Friskies out as much as I would have liked, but as soon as Wellness goes on sale again (which shouldn’t be long, I would think), I’ll be buying more, so it’ll do for now. The cats fed, and that’s all that matters lol

[2nd2none]

sorry about the trouble you had, but it’s as you say, every dog is different and what works for one, often times may not work for another. there’s always that argument: the debate on garlic…. thing is, garlic, in and of itself has only a small amount of thiosulphate in it, therefore a dog would have to consume a LOT of garlic to cause such an adverse affect: anemia, damage to their liver, etc. no doubt checking CRT is essential if you’re at all concerned. (color should return to gums in 2-3 seconds when you push on them).
as with ALL things in life moderation is key. ANY thing given in excessive amounts can cause harm/damage. i’ve read dogs at 50 lbs can *safely be given 2 cloves a day so, go figure…..
all’s i can say is, as stated, if you notice a reaction, simple: stop giving it. but it’s been given for many many years, safely, so, your call….