[crazy4cats]

Hey Akari-
I received the SSLL dinner mix finally. There is a pic on the off topics thread on review side. I can understand why Cyndi was confused on directions. I added 3 tbs to about 24 oz of ground turkey to split between my two 80 pounders. They really loved it! Going to try to feed them one kibble free meal per week. I did lightly brown the meat, by the way. I’m not ready to feed it totally raw yet.

[Jenny]

Hi friends,

Has anyone tried Okinawan Happy Dogs Brain and Memory Support Food Mix or any products from Okinawan Happy Dogs?

Here’s the link to the product: http://www.okinawanhappydogs.com/products/brain-memory-support (it looks very promising and is all-natural, gluten-free, GMO-Free, and no artificial preservatives or coloring added! Too good to be true?)

The company seems fairly new so I haven’t found any consumer reviews online… from the company’s website Okinawan Happy Dogs is “a division of Everyday Wellness Corporation, a US manufacturer of dietary supplements specializing in natural herbal nutrition for humans and pets.” But other than that, zero info.

To give you some background details: My dog is a 16-year-old toy poodle who is battling CDS (Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome) as well a reappearing mammary gland tumor and also developing a slight heart murmur (she’s a fighter!). She eats Earthborn Hollistic dry food, but has been losing her appetite recently and only wags her tail for her favorite treats, Dr. Becker’s Bites Grain Free Liver Treats.

If your dog is also fighting CDS, can you please share/recommend any products that have worked effectively for your dog?

Thank you so much!
J

P.S. After reading this old post from “banditsmom,” I’m thinking of trying Novifit if I can’t find a natural alternative for my dog: /forums/topic/cognitive-dysfunction

[pugmomsandy]

I still have a case of BDN to use up. I use it as a topper in rotation with my other toppers. Dori, have you seen my dog supply room? I have lots of topper choices! BDN rehydrates well and looks like cooked ground beef when it’s ready to feed. If you send an email to them, the owner will reply quickly. There were questions about this food regarding it’s GA and it’s calcium level and Ca:Phos ratio. I just use it as an unbalanced topper.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/dogfoodcans_zps83871f36.jpg

This is dry:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/bdndrybeef2_zps877bb1cb.jpg

and rehydrated:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/bdnwetbeef1_zpsa0b84618.jpg

[Bobby dog]

Hey everybody! I have been really busy this past week so I have only been popping in here and there.

I have tried some new foods, canned and dry, and will stop back to give some reviews.

C4c: Love the story it brought tears to my eyes too. I get emotional reading or hearing about rescues. 😉

Sharon: I have never tried Go! so I will be interested in what the food is like.

Also, funny you just posted and reminded me of your sensitive kitty. I was just checking out a website I used to visit quite a bit last year. I don’t know if you ever visited it, but they have a good cat food list that I have used in the past. The list is not that long and I know you have fed some of them. Anyway, you might find the description of each food helpful if you are interested in trying something new for your sensitive kitty. Here’s a link to the food list:
http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/comment-page-2/

We have had a few weeks of fairly cool weather and only a few days mixed in with high humidity so Bobby was out and about a little more than usual. However, the heat and humidity is coming back which will turn him into a house dog again. lol

Bobby hasn’t marked anymore territory in the garden, but the sweet potatoes are doing really well. Maybe Bobby has the magic touch?

He was ornery the other night though; he managed to eat two dinners. He apparently was hanging around the kitchen while I was outside doing yard work looking very hungry and pitiful. I went inside to get a drink of water and was told “don’t worry about your poor dog, since you were so busy and forgot about him, I fed him.” lol

[Akari_32]

We went out yesterday and bought a big roaster chicken for $1.49 a pound (yay for sales!) and a package of ground pork. I was surprised at how lean the pork was (80%). The internet made it sound terrible or something lol People can be so stupid lol

So I separated everything up into 5 oz packages, and any chicken with bone I made into 6 oz packages, figuring there wasn’t really anything to the bone than something to chew on, for the most part. I dunno… Lol But everything is stuffed into the freezer, so I’ll have to figure out how much mix to use as I thaw it. Next round of meat I prepare, I’ll add the mix then freeze, but not knowing when the mix would get here, and having fresh meat, I needed to get it in the freezer. Math ahoy! LOL

I also already had a few packs of beef heart and liver separated up into treat bags in the freezer as well, so I’ll just use those while the pork is doing it’s 3 week freezey thing (figured 3 weeks would be good amount of time).

Mom ordered the mix last night, and provided it goes out today like it’s supposed to, I’ll have to tomorrow sometime. We’ll see how that works out lol The mix should last about 5 months, which makes it about $3.40 a month in cost, leaving a little more than $15 a month to spend on meat. I think I can do that. Just gotta shop smart! Beef heart, chicken gizzards, ground pork, and dark meat chicken will be Bentleys main staples. Hopefully the whole chickens stay on good sale for a while. Oh, and when turkeys go on sale for 50 cents a pound, and I get my $5 off any turkey coupon from work, I’ll get him a small (and hopefully free!) turkey, so that’ll help 🙂

[Naturella]

Wow, there are quite a few threads of mostly Shasta220 and I venting about Beneful and the like and Science Diet, lol, so I was not sure where to post, but here it is – I have a success story, y’all!!! (I get Southern-like when excited apparently, lol)

Anywho, I babysit these kids, and the family dog is a shitzu mix, 4 years old, unknown weight, but probably around 15-ish lbs. She is on Kibbles ‘N’ (PUKE)… I mean Bits. Kibbles ‘N’ Bits. She STANK!!! Like, BAD!!!

So I talked to the mom and tossed the idea to her that it may be the food and she was quite open to suggestions on what to feed her! I first warned her to steer clear of Kibbles N Puke, Beneful (Crappyful), Pedigree, Iams, and the like, and she goes “That’s all that we’ve been feeding her!”. And I was like “Well… Don’t anymore, please!”. So I asked where she usually shops for food, and she said Walmart. So I immediately recommended Pure Balance Grain Free and Rachael Ray Zero Grain. Also some other foods like Blue Buffalo Wilderness and some of the ones I’ve fed.

So the lady takes a note, but with a full-time job, 3 kids, a husband, and a household to run, I am sure doggie food is not a top 10 priority, so I look at my stash and see some gifts from a friend, who had given me about a lb or so each of Nutro Max, Simply Nourish, and Whole Earth Farms. So I scoop them up (after keeping a cup of each for Bruno) and pour some of the current Earthborn he is on, and I brought them to the family today, along with a sample pack of THK perfect form, for the puppy’s tummy. I asked for permission to transition the dog (named Snowy) to better food with the ones I have brought. Permission granted. I’m ecstatic! I mixed 1/3 of Nutro Max with 2/3 of Kibbles N Crap (luckily, the last in the bag!) and served her a scoop. Poor pup was picking out the Nutro like crazy! I was so touched for some reason. She has enough Kibbles N Yuck mixed with Nutro to last her the end of the week, maybe more, and once/day, while I’m there, I will be giving her some Perfect Form so that her tummy doesn’t get upset. After that she will be on some Simply Nourish, then Whole Earth Farms will join in, and, finally, Earthborn! 🙂

Also, I told my mom about the good deals I get often, so she said I can get her a big bag of a good food (up to $20) and she would pay me. Oh, will I!? Of course! I am thinking TOTW with alternating Pure Balance Grain Free, Earthborn Holisitic Grain Free, and Rachael Ray Zero Grain (those I can either get for real cheap or with coupons), and if I catch deals on Victor or something from the local pet boutique, I will get her some from there too. I am so excited, so as long as I’m babysitting the kids, I will be able to transition this poor dog to something better. It is so necessary as she has 3 bumps on her smallest ribs and I don’t know what they are… The lady didn’t either, but she said she’ll check them out when she takes her to the vet next. Also, even if I don’t work for her anymore, I have left her a list with foods to use, so I hope she adheres to them. I just can’t wait to see results from the transition – no more stink at least, and hopefully the bumps will just kind of be ok.

But yeah. I’m excited. Success story. Yay! 🙂

P.S. This website was on the top of each page on the list. Hope she looks at it! 🙂

[Akari_32]

I add canned to add variety, but also because my oldest dog, an 11 year old lab mix, has never stomached meal-sized amounts of dry food very well, so the extra moisture makes it a little more palatable. I mix it right in her dry food, and she loves it.

Canned also adds moisture to their diet, which can be important for certain medical conditions, such as dogs susceptible to UTIs.

I use all different brands and flavors of both canned and dry. There’s really no science to picking my canned, since I only split a single 13 oz can between a 60 lb and 130 lb dog every few days, but if you plan to feed it more often and have it be a larger part of their diet, pick 3-5 star rated brands (I tend to pick 2-3 star rated canned food because of cost).

I believe someone has already suggested to you Wellness Complete Health Small and Toy breed recipes? Pure Balance from Walmart also has small pieces, and now has a small breed formula. It’s a good price, and my guys did good on the salmon and pea grain free. Wellness would be my starting point, though. It’s my favorite for dry food. I’m actually getting ready to try out the toy breed ones for my big guys, the goal being to feed my lab mix as small a meal as possible.

[Lisa C]

Hi all. Since the last post, we have taken Chewy to see a new vet. They take payment plans and have good reviews online. So our new vet was very knowledgeable and gave us more options than our previous vet. We decided to do a barium just to make sure things were passing through correctly (even though he can poop/pee fine). She went through every xray with us and it showed that it went through just fine in the right time. So no problems there. That was $600, so luckily we are using the payment plan. But at least now we have some peace of mind with that! They also did a blood test that showed what we already know, that the levels in his pancreas are a little higher than usual. In the meantime, he is on prescription hills Z/D, which IS expensive, but he seems to be doing better on and a quarter of omeprazole antacid before bed. Yesterday he did well, no vomiting, but only a small amount this morning. So fingers crossed that he can gain some weight and stop vomiting 🙂

[DogFoodie]

What about The Honest Kitchen’s new base mix Kindly, to which, you add your own fresh meat? THK actually has six grain free recipes now. I’ve tried Farmina and liked it ~ I found it to be budget friendly as well. Nature’s Logic isn’t grain free as it contains the pseudo grain, millet; but, it’s a great food.

If you haven’t already, you could take a look at Susan Thixton’s site. There are several companies that have signed her “Pledge.” “The Pledge” is a manufacturer’s statement of quality and origin of ingredients. I cannot say for certain (without going through each brand on the list) that all of those who have signed The Pledge are China Free; however, there is a specific column on the document where the manufacturer must indicate whether or not China is the country of origin for each ingredient. There aren’t a lot of foods on the list. There aren’t many kibbles. Some of the foods are frozen, raw diets that can only be shipped to certain locations, etc.; but, it’s a place to start and if nothing else, it’s interesting.

This link is to The Pledge, specifically: http://associationfortruthinpetfood.com/the-pledge/

Here’s another link to Susan’s regular site: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/

[Lance B]

Hello,

I’ve tried posting a thread in the Canine Nutrition forum, but I cannot see my thread. When I tried to repost it, I got an error message saying: “ERROR: Duplicate topic detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!”

Therefore, does an administrator/moderator have to “OK” a thread before it can be viewed by other users? If so, how long do they tend to take in doing so?

Thanks!

[Nancy C]

I have a GSD who had acute diarrhea from eating Origen and Acana. Both have lentils and chick peas so I would NOT recommend that. AFter weeks of working with a vet we finally got him onto a sensitive stomach food which he did well on. That was Purina Pro Plan for Sen Stomachs. Hated the THOUGHT of Purina but it worked well. (I have heard that their boutiquey higher end brands are much better but I do not KNOW that this is true). This food is NOT in the Groc Stores. We fed that for a month. Then the vet said move to a regular kibble. I chose DR TIMS PERSUIT and he has done beautifully on it now for 3 months. It is for an active dog. You might want to move “down” to KINESIS which is what my Golden Retriever eats and likes. But I rotate. Dr Tims has a website. his food is NOT GMO or Organic but it is made in a facility that meets European standards which are higher than the US. Try the website and read about it. I am planning to move him in Sept to RAW, simply because I am convinced it is healthier. Brothers Complete is another excellent brand to consider. Can study that at DFA and their website. And VICTORS. I have no experience with either. Just putting it out there. The best of luck to you.

[Bobby dog]

It’s raining again, Bobby’s sad. 🙁

Akari:
aquariangt recommended Sojos pre-mix earlier in this thread; maybe catch up with agt and ask about it. Are you planning on feeding a pre-mix for each meal? Or will you be rotating canned with a pre-mix daily or weekly? Feeding a pre-mix a few meals a week rather than for an extended time would help keep the cost down and provide variety.

I posted links about eggs & fish oil on page 4 of this thread on 6/25/14 @ 2:14 a.m., to Anita that you should check out. Looking at info I have about feeding eggs I would feed a dog that size ½ egg/week; or as C4c suggests 1 egg every other week. Maybe someone else will have a recommendation for you. /forums/topic/maybe-its-time-for-a-diet-change/page/4/

Here’s a few links to fish oil supplementation, brands, and dosage. The link from Tufts contains information on how much to dose pets with heart disease; I only used the information from them to find a brand of fish oil with certain %’s of EPA & DHA and to help determine dosages for my cats’ and Bobby’s weights:
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html#fishoil

http://vet.tufts.edu/heartsmart/resources/omega-3_supplementation.pdf

[Sallynova]

The best dog food and treats come from Dogs For The Earth. It’s 100% organic and dehydrated. Our whole neighborhood uses it now. Everybody talks about how good their dogs do on this food. If you go to their web site http://www.dogsfortheearth.com you can read about every single ingredient in the food and the company is owned by an animal scientist / nutritionist. I can’t tell you the amazing difference this food has made to so many dogs around here. They ship it to you and you can have a standard order. Ours comes every 2 weeks. Try it – your problems will be over.

[Dori]

At four months old your dog is still very much a puppy. Puppies will chew. It’s what they do. I believe it probably starts off with teething and then sometimes continues as a habit. They also entertain themselves with chewing. Unfortunately, usually inappropriate items. If you haven’t already, you need to have a variety of items for your puppy to chew on. Also buy the Kong (size appropriate for your puppy) fill it up with some wonderful treat (preferably soft). Freeze it and then give it to him frozen. He’ll kill hours on end trying to get the good stuff out. Remember though the treat (something soft) has to be something delicious that he only gets in the Kong. Buy two Kongs so that one is always in the freezer ready to go. Most puppies also chew as I said for entertainment. They get bored very quickly. At that age he’s still to young to be left running around the house by himself. He should always be somewhere where he can be watched and gently corrected when acting appropriately. If you can’t keep your eyes on him (showers, shopping, work, etc.) he should be in his appropriate size crate with toys (large with no small parts so he can’t choke). Anyway, that’s my two cents. It’s always how I got through the numerous puppy stages of all my dogs. They also sell all sorts of sprays and such that you can buy to detract him from a certain area.

Also, I agree with Aimee. Nu vet and a lot of similar products is all marketing. They have realized that there is a whole population out there that they can make money off of and has not yet been tapped. Just gimmicks that they market so well and we fall for them until you get some experience (old age for me is what I’m trying to say) and realize that it’s just another marketing ploy.

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

[Dori]

Hi Kristin. I switched all three of my girls a bit over two years ago due to all the issues that Katie was having. At that point while I researched dog foods and her issues on line I was fortunate to come across the Dog Food Advisor and as I have mentioned more times than I can count my girls and I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Mike. Unfortunately it was Dr. Mikes loss of Penny that set him on his quest to find a better dog food his canine and we have all benefited from it. I still grieve for him, his family, and, of course, Penny. Anyone of us that has lost a dog or any other pet understands his plight. He actually did something about it that has benefited so many of us and our pets.

Anyway, your question to me, specifically, was what am I feeding Katie. I feed all three of my little girls the same exact food because I don’t want to take a chance that my “delicate flower Katie” gets into anything other than what seems to work for her. I mostly feed commercial raw foods: Primal Formulas, Answers Detailed, Stella & Chewy’s Raw Food, Darwin’s (on line delivery and auto-delivery only), Natures Variety Instinct Raw, Vital Essentials Raw. I rotate their foods between these are probably other raw foods also. I do add at times proteins that I’m preparing for my husband and myself. I add either Natures Logic Sardine oil, or canned sardine’s in water two or three times a week. On the days that I split a can of sardines in water amongst the three of them I omit the sardine oil (kept refrigerated-important to keep oils refrigerated), I add a little coconut oil to their meals once a day every day. I also give them as snacks organic fruits, veggies. I do not feed any commercial treats whatsoever. To many recalls, too many issues with gmo ingredients, too many ingredients not disclosed from China. Katie has too many food intolerances for me to feed any commercial treats. Most are bound by oatmeal, barley, or some such grain. I choose not to do that. We adopted her at the age of 9 weeks old. She was the runt of her litter and was going to be “euthanized”. Friends told me about her knowing what a complete SUCKER I am. I need to have that tattooed on my forehead. She has food and environmental issues. She has had many dental issues and at the age of 8 months old she had a severe luxating patella issue that was severe enough that she had to have surgery, water treadmill therapy, etc. etc. With all her issues she is the mushy gushiest lovey dog I have ever come across in my 65 years of age. You get what you give. The reason for my reply to you initially is that I truly believe that you have to pay it forward in this life. Some people read and study the science, I have always learned and lived from experience. Not saying that the science is wrong or that anyone that wants to go that way is wrong, not at all. It’s everyone’s choice. I choose experience. I know that Katie was a mess, completely a mess when I got her at 9 weeks. She is a fabulous dog and a real happy camper at this point. She loves everyone and everyone loves her. Anyway, Kristin C. That’s my experience with Katie. I have also thanked Dr. Mike, Sandy S., and HDM as well as anyone and everyone here on DFA for their kindness, knowledge, and love of animals. MY other two dogs that have had no issues concerning diet whatsoever, Hannah my 15 year old Maltese, and Lola my 5 year old Yorkipoo but have benefited exponentially from everyone here on DFA. That’s what I’ve learned from my fellow posters and that’s what I’ve tried to “pay it forward”. Gotta go now. My husband is yearning for some “Cold Stone” ice cream. He has macular degeneration and can no longer drive so I reap the benefits from his ice cream urges. Hot Fudge sundae for me. I hear it calling my name.

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

[Bobby dog]

Hey guys
It’s a very, very, very rainy day here, Bobby is not happy.

Akari:
Glad you’re back!! I will post cartridge info later when I can get to my saved info for it. 🙂

Love the bowls and the pics too!!! Alec looks happy to have someone to bother.

C4c:
So jealous of your TJ’s. I have to drive so far to get to one, 🙁 but I will be going by one in the fall as you know so we can compare notes about shopping there! TJ’s is on Dr. Pierson’s list (and my Vet’s list too). I looked at reviews on YouTube and various other sites. I couldn’t find ingredient or analysis info anywhere on TJ’s website. I remember it has rice and fish in some or all recipes. It reminded me of a CSFCLS or BB quality. I am definitely going to try some out. Most reviews I read commented that it was decent quality and budget friendly to add to a rotation.

FYI for all you cat lovers, you know how I love a good PDF download. On Little Big Cat Dr. Hofve’s updated book “What Cats Should Eat” is on sale for $4.97, regularly $8.99 until 8/15. Her approved list of cat food is included which was just updated last month. The list even includes some dry, although as you know she discourages feeding dry food. Also on the approved list are commercial raw (dehydrated, freeze dried, frozen etc), foods that need supplements, treats, toppers, meal supplements, foods considered but not approved, foods that were approved and why they are no longer approved.

I haven’t had a chance to read it, just downloaded it yesterday, but the list I was happy with. I can comment that some of the foods she lists are not an option for me because of the manufacturers, but nevertheless I am glad I purchased the book because there are plently of foods listed. Some chapter topics are dry diets, wet diets, nutrition related diseases, alternative diets, and making your cat’s food at home; it’s 62 pages. Here’s the link to the bookstore on her website if you’re interested: http://www.littlebigcat.com/bookstore/

[Susan]

Hi Leah, I just googled Allerderm Efa-Z Plus & its made by Virbac, from what I read it looked very good high in omega 6, Virbac also makes Allerderm EFA Gel Caps & the gel caps have 130mg of Omega-3 & 48mg omega-6, there also was Allerderm EFA-Caps HP with 200mg omega-3 & 88mg omega-6, much stronger then the the liquid & gel caps, I’ve been looking for something for Patches itch & red paws all week & was going to try the Flaxseed oil but now I’m going to try the Allerderm EFA Gel Caps with Patch first & see if he can stomach the caps & see how we go… if your having good results then stick with the Virbac liquid, but the liquid didnt have no omega-3 & omega-3 is needed for itchy skin, maybe try the gel caps with the omega-3′ & omega-6 when the liquid is finished…..What is her diet?? & was her poo’s Ok after having the Allerderm EFA Liquid..

[Nancy C]

Will add that Kinesis comes in GF and G inclusive. The golden is eating the G inclusive now. But last bag was GF. I rotate. I used to do TOW for both dogs and dropped it due to Diamond being scary. Fromm has been good for them too. Golden loves The Salmon veggie meal. Dr. Tims is on the DFA Budget List and is five star. If you go to Dr Tim’s website you can read about this food. Dr. Tim will email you if you have questions. He has carefully mixed the formulations (as expl on the website) and there have been NO recalls. The plant where it is made qualifies in accord to the European requirements (which is good bec they are more stringent than the USA.) Suggest you read about Dr. Tim. I think he cares a lot and has been thoughtful about his foods– or else he’s fooled me. Good luck.

[aquariangt]

There is a sticky on one of the pages under Help and Feedback that gives directions on how to create an avatar. it’s done offsite through a website called gravatar

Graham is my name! I don’t feed raw-I do use HK and like it-but a lot of people here seem to use Steve Brown’s books as a guideline to a full on homemade diet. You can download them on Amazon or order the books there as well. From my understanding, completely homemade the most important thing is balancing, so hopefully someone like Sandy or HDM that already does this will chime in

Good luck

[aquariangt]

Something most likely has happened to this poor guy. Aggression issues aren’t something that will go away in the near future, but lots of hard work, patience, and positive training will eventually (hopefully) lessen that problems.

First, I would always have treats available when you’re working with him. When getting ready to put a leash or collar on him, have treats, and counter condition that act to be a good thing. Make sure you approach him from the side with your body turned so you aren’t coming directly at him. Squat down, hand to the side, ive him a treat. Get another one ready for while you are leashing him up, and give another one, with praise for putting it on well. Do this slowly, and if he reacts, back away. Wait for him to calm down, and try to repeat the process. Don’t let him greet anyone on the street, if they get offended, explain he is a foster with some aggression issues you are working on. Anyone that you may have in his space, make sure they are using proper dog language to greet him, and no one is rushing the dog.

Resource guarding can be tricky- toys shouldn’t be left out for the dogs unless you are there monitoring, and if things turn from friendly rough play to aggressive guarding, the toys and treats go away. Reward good play and sharing with treats

Good luck

[Ann P]

Please don’t wait until you have scientific “proof” to sounds the alarms about the health hazards of Canola oil! You won’t easily find them–especially in relation to dogs. Unfortunately, in the scientific community–to the chagrin of many ethical scientists, money rules! Mary Enig, Ph.D, is a leading authority on lipids and was one of the first scientists to raise serious concerns about the health effects of trans-fatty acids and she was academically black-balled for it. The the power of the vegetable oil lobby did her in–at least for a time. Dr. Enig is a co-author of a cookbook entitled, “Nourishing Traditions”. In a section about fats, this is what is written about Canola oil:
“Canola Oil contains 5 percent saturated fat, 57 percent oleic acid, 23 percent omega-6 and 10-15 percent omega 3. The newest oil on the market, canola oil was developed from the rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape see is considered unsuited to human consumption because it contains a long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions. Canola oil was bred to contain little if any erucic acid and has drawn the attention of nutritionists because of its high oleic-acid content. But there are some indications that canola oil presents dangers of its own. It has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola oil develop mold very quickly. During the deodorizing process, the omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into TRANS fatty acids, similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous. A recent study indicates that “heart healthy” canola oil actually creates a deficiency of vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy cardiovascular system. Other studies indicate that even low erucic-acid canola oil causes heart lesions particularly when the diet is also low in saturated fat.” Here are the three studies cited (I don’t know how to italicize here–so it’s not in proper form):

Sauer, FD, et al, Nutrition Research, 1997, 17:2:259-269

Kramer, J K G, et al, Lip1982, 17:372-382;

Trenholm, H L, et al, Canadian Institute Food Science Technology Journal, 1979, 12:189-193

Between my roommate and myself, there are four dogs in our household. We have been tight on money so took pains to find the least expensive dog food of reasonable quality and grain-free for our dogs. We were directed to a new dog food that had Canola oil listed as its fourth ingredient. Our two oldest dogs got extremely sick on it (with vomiting, diarrhea and extreme lethargy) and the younger ones started getting loose stools and eating a lot of grass. Yes, yes! I know, “correlation is not causation”! But I will no longer gamble my dogs’ health on Canola oil. I may just have to get a third job! Here is an article that also cites a few studies:

http://breathing.com/articles/canola-oil.htm

It is assumed that dried dog food can be stored at room temperature. Knowing how fragile canola oil is when it comes to rancidity, just imagine how rancid it is in these dried dog foods! Please revisit the canola oil debate and warn your readers!

[Naturella]

Kritterlady, you’re right – back then I knew little about the food though. And if I recall correctly, it was a store associate who told me this. Oh well, wasn’t a terrible food overall (4.5 stars), but I no longer buy the “kibble is good for teeth” or “small breeds need their own breed specific food”. Only large breeds (especially the puppies) need LBP food and I know where to go to learn about that (the thread about it on DFA). But as long as the kibble size is not huge and Bruno can fit it in his mouth comfortably, then I wouldn’t get him a “small breed” food just because it is for his size – if I do, it would have to be because that recipe is outstanding or something, lol! 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Tindaisy:
You are welcome!

His name really fits him, thanks.

Sorry about the long winded explanation about my avoidance of Diamond when you already were aware; I should have just asked. lol

I am not sure about Missouri, but I think there is a facility there. The South Carolina facility was involved with most if not all of the recalls. That is definitely where the Diamond food sold in my region comes from unfortunately.

I am not sure what kind of dog Bobby is. He came from a shelter in Tennessee. At the time the pets only had three days to be adopted because they were at full capacity. The story goes he was dumped off prior to the shelter opening and waiting by the door when employees arrived for the day. He was too young to be separated from his mom and they were able to find a foster family to take care of him until he was adopted. He was a tiny little guy when I got him. I was looking for a dog that would be the size of a short legged JRT at maturity. They felt he was a terrier mix and wouldn’t weigh more than 20 lbs at maturity. He was full of worms and fleas when I got him. When I finally got rid of the worms he grew like a weed. He is now a little over 40 lbs. lol So much for my small dog. He might be some sort of a cattle dog mix. He has a coat and coloration of a short haired german pointer, has ears that stand up and are a little too big for his head, and his tail is a little short for his body type. He is obsessed with birds and points every now and then. He also likes to herd chickens and cats. Every so often I see pictures of puppies or dogs that look very similar to him and they are either a cattle dog breed or a mixture of one. Funny thing is my friend recently took her son to visit a college in Tennessee and she said every dog she saw looked like Bobby. They even had a picture of a dog that looked very much like him in their brochure. So who knows what he is, but he definitely is a lot of fun!

I forgot about one other budget friendly canned food, sorry C4c (it’s one of her fav’s along with others on DFA). It is by far the most budget friendly of the five star canned foods, Costco’s Nature’s Domain Turkey & Pea Grain Free. I don’t have a Costco membership so I always forget about it. You purchase it by the case and the price might vary a little depending on location, it’s $20.79 for 24 13.2 oz cans. I have a membership to BJ’s and buy their Earth’s Pride canned food for Bobby. It isn’t as budget friendly as the others, $8.99/6 pack, but perfect for my rotation.

That’s ashamed to feel pressured to buy something in a store you frequent. It would also be frustrating if the person selling the food did not understand each of the needs you must address when feeding your pets.

I recently finished a bag of Nutrisource chicken & rice which Bobby loved and did well on. I have the GF Lamb to feed after I finish the kibble I am feeding now. I also plan on trying the cat food kibble you are feeding. I like the company and they must be doing well because my pet store chain is now fully stocked with Nutrisource, Pure Vita, and their Organics line too. Thank goodness they never try to pressure me into buying food. I keep hoping Victor will reach my area, but no one seems interested in carrying it so far.

[Kritterlady]

That’s true InkedMarie there are so many good ones. When I started my education back in 2005 I was feeding pedigree to my dogs and science diet to my cats. It’s a wonder they survived. I worked at a big Petsmart managing the equine dept. I knew nothing about dog or cat food quality and after I rescued an allergy dog and kept buying more an more expensive food i was at a loss. My vet recommended Blue and it saved my dogs life and my sanity. My point is that there’s a place for these foods in the process. For so many people they just don’t know where to look. My friend manages that store and they use foods like Blue to start the education process with people who come in and say they’ve heard about Blue from commercials or friends and think they need a better food. It’s a great launch point like it was for me. As my GSD got healthier I wanted to know why and began to do reaserch which lead me to rotational and raw. So many of the really great foods aren’t readily available or advertised to the young family getting their first dog or the granny with her itchy Pom. After all beneful has great commercials so if blue is there as a counter point it may get that person wondering which is best. When I worked in the store every day people asked whats the best food and all we can do was tell them what we feed. Thank god for DFA and the other sites that continue to educate those willing to look!

[Bobby dog]

Aimee:
I had an old boyfriend who would do nothing but complain after I ate at my favorite restaurant. I love garlic and could not help but ask the chef to add extra to my food. He could not stand the garlic odor emanating from me and it would be an issue for at least two days after my meal. I came to realize I would rather be with the garlic than him in the end.

Losul:
I am also leery of trying high end brands with a long list of ingredients. I currently have a tight budget to follow with pet food. When I first changed Bobby’s diet I really wanted to be able to spend $80-$100 on a bag of food and $2 or $3 on canned but I just didn’t have the funds. After almost a year of researching kibbles, reading customer reviews, and reading the many common complaints customers have with high-end brands I am now content with my budget. I eventually want to make homemade meals for Bobby I just don’t have the time to research the subject in order to do it properly. Right now I am doing the next best thing IMO by adding fresh foods using the ABC diet as a guide; I am very happy with the $2.95 I spent for downloading this guide.

Naturella:
Thanks for the invite! I love a good garlicy meal. I feed garlic 3x/wk every other day or two; sometimes garlic pills when I don’t have fresh. I have been looking for all of my bookmarked pages in regards to what I researched on fresh garlic and I don’t know what file I hid them in. I did find the article to the link that Cyndi posted for you, but no additional information. There are some other links I posted in the beginning of this thread to some more info if you are interested. I also remember reading HDM and BCn’s recommendations on feeding fresh garlic on one of these threads or forum posts. Losul posted a good deal of info for you and you could always track down HDM or BCn for info from others feeding garlic. I believe BCn is absent from the forum due to family obligations so I am not sure how much spare time she has these days to catch up with DFA, but I have seen some posts from her recently. If you are worried about possible sensitivities just don’t do it. Use your best judgement as you always do for taking care of your pup!

[Travis A]

I have 2 littermate brothers neutered but done at very young age under 5 weeks when done. I bought them off my friends sister who couldn’t take care of them and needed the money so i figured i would take them in as i was looking for a dog to get anyways. Well i’ve read on opinions and suggestions online about having 2 puppies at the same time and EVERYONE says not to do it and that they will only attach to eachother and won’t listen and this and that but I have had my boys since about 5-6 weeks old and and they show me individual attention and LOVE giving kisses and being loved on either together or apart, they play together slightly rough at times but not too bad and they can be loving on eachother too. The only real issue here is that i haven’t been able to get them on regular walks so their leash behavior is not very good they are just excited and want to pull. And it’s a bit more difficult getting them to learn tricks such as paw and whatnot, they sit just fine i’m working on the shake part though. So i agree it’s extra difficult to train them for tricks but they mind pretty well and don’t destroy too much but i was wondering if maybe putting them in Obedience classes would work, can you do that without being there and it still be effective let’s say if i wanted to just get them better on a leash? They sleep together too so idk if i’m in a rare situation but they seem to be just fine on their own when they are as well so i don’t see the signs of most of the warnings for the 2 puppy thing, any suggestions on the extra stuff to help my boys be better behaved on a leash and with tricks??

[Bobby dog]

Hi Tindaisy:
I love some classic Tom and Jerry! Those must be pretty persuasive cats to turn you into a cat lover and wishing for more strays. I’ll say it again, lucky kitties. You and C4c have something in common, the love of cats by a few strays stopping by your homes.

If you have a Tractor Supply Store local their brand 4Health is a very budget friendly food with decent ingredients; 46 cents/5.5 oz or 99 cents/13.2 oz, co-packed by Simmons. Only one of my cats will eat 4Health, wish they all would, what are you going to do. I have ordered from Chewy.com a few times, excellent prices and service. Many posters on DFA recommend them as well. Here are some other sites to check out; sign up for e-mail/newsletters from these sites so you can receive info on sales and free shipping offers:
http://www.amazon.com/pet-supplies-dog-cat-food-bed-toy/b?ie=UTF8&node=2619533011
http://www.petco.com/
http://www.petflow.com/
http://www.petfooddirect.com/
http://www.petsmart.com/
http://www.wag.com/

I have my Vet to thank for the journey to learn more about pet nutrition. About a year ago she sent out her monthly newsletter discussing common health issues that could have been avoided by proper nutrition and feeding species appropriate foods. She invited anyone who was interested to stop by for a list of pet food she compiled for cats and dogs. I thought to myself what I was feeding had to be fine since they were name brands that are advertised often, but I’ll stop by and see what she has to say. After I read the information she compiled I was off to the races to research more about pet nutrition. I talked further about nutrition with my Vet, read some books, magazine articles, and visited many sites. The criteria I follow regarding pet nutrition constantly changes and grows the more I learn. I like catinfo.org and DFA because of the simplicity they use to present information to their readers.

Catinfo.org is probably the most popular cat site for the regulars on this thread, but there are several others that are very helpful with current information on feline nutrition and care as well. Here’s another site: http://www.littlebigcat.com/
Both of these sites are run by Vets and I am sure others will chime in with their favorite websites as well. Here’s some links to check out regarding cat nutrition:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-dry-food-is-bad-for-cats-and-dogs/

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

On this thread we all share are trials and tribulations about getting our cats to transition to quality foods and other stuff too. Most of mine will eat a premium brand canned food a few times a week and I have a couple that will eat some commercial raw once a week, but most of mine are addicted to kitty crack. Most of my cats are 15+ and I am not going to push a drastic diet change on them at their age. They are now eating mostly canned food with a little GF kibble on the side. I can always hope for more, but I am happy to have transitioned them this far with no issues.

Fish is a concern for all of us farmed or wild caught. Although the quality of fish that is included in pet food might be questionable the same could be said about the quality of meat. So I focus on minimizing exposure to fish and try my best to get quality food in them when they will eat it. My cats’ revolt if they do not get fish a few times a week so I mix in sardines packed in water with their canned food. Sardines typically do not have as much mercury or contaminates that other fish may have. If it were up to me I would not feed fish at all.
From Dr. Pierson:
“I do not feed fish to cats for the following reasons:
• high allergy potential (manifested as skin allergies or inflammatory bowel disease, and possibly asthma)
• toxin/mercury contamination
• PBDEs (fire retardant chemicals) – PBDEs are potent thyroid disruptors
• often high in phosphorus and magnesium
• highly addictive – the cat will not eat anything else”

Thanks for sharing tips on transitioning food. The crazy thing is I thought I would have the most problem with changing their kibble. They always ate canned food with no problem so I thought that would be the easiest. The opposite occurred with mine. I rotate between several kibbles with no transition. It was the Friskies they were addicted to. lol I can’t tell you the money I have spent on quality food only to have them sniff and walk away. I have one cat that pretty much will eat anything and if all else fails Bobby dog is more than willing to clean the cats’ plates. All is good though, they are happy and healthy fur babies.

Akari started this thread and another one about coupons and sales we all share with each other if you are interested. Here’s a link to the coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/11/

Stop back and let us know how your guys are doing!

[Deborah M]

Hi Nancy,

It really wasn’t a difficult transition. I was given a sample from the pet store and took it home to try it. My dogs went so nuts for it (I had never seen them eat with such gusto) so I thought I would try it. I have had VERY successful communications with the folks at K9 in Australia. I just email them with my questions, and they email me right back with a personal email. I have even struck up a friendly rapport with “Shane”… very helpful “Kiwi” as he calls himself 🙂 He suggested to me that when making the transition, that I might want to try to start with the Lamb Green Tripe, which I did. It has the most HORRIBLE smell in the world, but its ONLY ingredient is Green Tripe and very digestible and VERY good for them. They gobbled it up, despite the disgusting smell. I started adding in the venison, and they gobbled that up too. I don’t get the beef b/c it’s too high in fat. I noticed a difference in their stool immediately. Much smaller, and on the dry side. Sometimes, I add a little straight pumpkin so help keep their stool from being too dry. Now, I feed them only the venison, and add just a little of the tripe to aid in digestion. I’ve read ONLY good things about green tripe. Believe me when I say my dogs were finicky. I coaxed, begged, and added topper after topper – wasted a lot of money on high end kibble, Orijen, Acana, etc.. They didn’t like anything. Now, they eat like regular dogs, and on cue, so that I don’t have to leave food out for them when I leave for work. I purchase through Chewy.com – in bulk – it’s cheaper. Sometimes, Amazon. I’m sure there are other brands of freeze dried raw that are good, but I like the ingredients of the K9 Natural and I’ve had nothing but success. It will be pretty expensive for a large breed, however. That’s the downside of raw. I’ve priced all of the better ones out, and they all seem to be very similar in price. Good luck!

[Barbara O]

You are so welcome. Please realize that I’m not that smart…it’s called being older and learning from experience and reading…asking questions like you do…and using common horse sense when ruminating over the answers that people give you. I give a great deal of credence to people who have been around the block a few times and who spend time reading between the lines…Remember…anyone can put stuff in print on the internet…I love books that are the printed word. When Toby developed pancreatitis, between my vet and a book I have on hand, we pulled him through. I wouldn’t be without the book…It at least tells me what to do at home while I’m waiting to get an animal to the vet’s office…and some good tips after I go…I learned that we have to keep them hydrated but at the same time keep the pancreas still and not taxing itself….It was Christmas Day when Toby got sick…so we’ve come a long way and we’ve had no more problems…and it was my fault that he got sick. I had fixed a standing rib roast for Christmas and left the pan on top of the cabinet…the grease cooled and rose to the top…I had put water in the pan…I had a sick rescue Dane and hadn’t washed the pan…Toby got on top of the sink….genets can climb anywhere…and swished his tail in the pan, covering his long, long tail in the grease…these animals are fastidious..so he immediately went to cleaning it… When i finally set down after getting Mandy the dog stabilized and medicated…she had a UTI…he jumped into my lap and i felt the wet, greasy feeling tail….he had consumed all that grease…too, too much for a little 3 to 4 lb animal….The next morning he was lethargic…we saw the vet that day and he was started on meds…then we went back and they had to put 50 ccs of fluid under his skin…it took three of us to hold him down in a tube that was meant to do this…it was then i learned how to give him a teaspoon of water every hour on the hour to keep him hydrated, interspersed with a teaspoon of blended food….several times a day….My husband and I had tried to keep him hydrated with 10 ccs subcu but couldn’t hold him down….strong little cuss…first animal I haven’t been able to hold down…As I said, he can be a little Tasmanian devil….I hydrated the Dane with no problem….

Every day I learn something new…that’s why I love sites like this…It helps me tweak what I do for my own animals and it also helps me know what I’m doing right, that has worked for years and years…when something works, your animal is healthy and happy…don’t change what you’re doing…Our animals are individuals…I can’t eat wheat…developed a problem with it…causes horrible arthritis in me…I also know this hasn’t always been the case…same way with chicken…developed something called polymyalgia…docs sent me to rheumatoid clinic at our teaching hospital here…not rheumatoid arthritis so they gave it this fancy name…found out it was being caused by chicken…I was eating it almost every day…I was the one who found the connection…not the docs, just me…case in point….you know your animals better than anyone else…I told one person I won’t feed Purina…had a bad experience with it…not the quality I want for my animals…but that doesn’t mean that others have the same results…From my animal science degree, the various vet courses I’ve taken, and from working with various animals and exotic vets across the US, I have learned a great deal….All I can do is try to put together what I’ve learned to care for what the animals I’ve been blessed to have…I’m seeing too many animals with allergies…something is going on…and I’m seeing these allergies in animals on kibble, raw diets….etc…It’s so hard for me to believe this is a permanent situation….I would start questioning the surrounding environment…not something an individual may be doing but what the animal is coming in contact with that’s not food related…that’s how my allergies started…I cleaned up my environment, cleaned up my diet, starting building my immune system, and now my allergies are almost non-existent. Hopefully, this will happen to the animals out there that are suffering…

[Bobby dog]

Hi Barbara O:
A few of us on this thread have been weening our cats off of kitty crack…this may never happen, but we do our best. I also try not to feed fish to my cats, tuna especially. Moisture is critical for a cat’s UT system. Currently I am now down to feeding each cat approximately two tablespoons of dry GF food a day. Hopefully, I can ween them off of dry food as well. Again, that may never happen.

I would love to feed my cat’s quality food consistently however they are finicky and after many years of cheap canned cat food, they like what they like. Sometimes they get half Wellness (or other quality canned food) and half Purina, sometimes straight Wellness, and sometimes just Purina when they turn everything else down. I would rather feed Purina then have health issues due to a cat not eating food.

I do think Halo’s recipes look great. I have fed it in the past to my dog, but stopped when I contacted them and asked who co-packs their food and they would not disclose that information to me. I believe one of the regulars on this thread feeds it to their cats with great results.

Regardless if a cat is a stray or not dry food is not an ideal diet for a cat and I do not consider canned cat food, meat, or raw food a treat for them; I consider them healthy foods for a cat regardless of the quality. Please check out catinfo.org for information on what is important in a cat’s diet. There is an abundance of information on this site about nutrition and other subjects concerning cat care that I am sure you will find interesting! 🙂

[Todd R]

Zignature- It is given 4 stars here I understand for a couple of reasons: Use of pea protein (Which I understand could be considered a filler protein, thus overstating the protein content of the food) and Beet Pulp (This is an on the fence ingredient and because of not having definitive proof as a questionable product, personally I think it should not be considered a negative or questionable ingredient) I do also know that they do not own their own manufacturing facility (which is just a chance that this could cause any problems and may never be a problem at all.) The main reason that I feel it should be an editor’s choice is the fact that it is a Grain-Free, Potato Free, Simple ingredient food. These 3 aspects have been invaluable in my choice of a dog food. I was a previous buyer of California Natural because my dog has multiple allergies and has a pretty sensitive stomach. When they had their MULTIPLE recalls. (Even if you have your own manufacturing facility it does not guarantee anything in the way of contaminated food.) While I appreciated their apparent transparency concerning the recalls, I could not bring myself to go back to that food. (My pet supply store stopped selling it as well and I am extremely loyal to my pet supply store and they are unbelievably knowledgeable on the food brands that they sell.) In any case, When the recalls happened, my pet supply store sent me a personal email as one of their customers who purchased California Natural and at that time they suggested that I come in and discuss my options going forward. It was at that time that I learned about Zignature and it seemed like a no brainer for the issues that my dog has. He has now rotated though all the single protein foods and has done better than he did on the California Natural. Stable health in every way and he is 11 years old. I can not recommend it enough. Personally I think, it should be rated at least 4.5 stars if not 5 for the added benefit it gives to people that have dogs with allergy and sensitivity issues. These are intangibles that mean so much to a dog of this type. There you have it. I hope this food might make your list in the near future. Thanks for reading my post.

[marmarx89]

I apologize, I never saw the messages directed to me to relay my order. I am very nervous now ordering food from here after reading everyone’s responses. I typically order the bulk Turkey necks and green tripe. I have alternated through purchasing the American Bully mix, Chip’s agility mix, Beef and Turkey Grind, and the Beef, Chicken, Lamb grind. I personally have never had an issues with my order or picking up my food, but I am most concerned about the quality of the food. The website states: ALL OUR FOOD SUPPLYS ARE FROM USDA FACILITYSS.
OUR FACILITY WAS and STILL IS A BUTCHER SHOP, CITY AND STATE APPROVED.
YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER PLACE TO GET YOUR DOG FOOD FROM.
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED PROUD TO BE MADE IN THE USA. I have never found anything wrong with the meat, foreign plastic pieces or poor quality… as far as I could tell. Should I discontinue purchasing food from them? Ughhh

[Barbara O]

If you’ll read, I believe they have a digestive enzyme…I feed twice a day also…but I either add in the AM or the PM….He gets his salmon oil in the mornings…I usually give him his glucosamine in the evening…I was giving him Costco pills but he would spit them out so I ordered the dog liquid from Vita Cost…then I discovered I could put the two pills in a jigger of water and they would be completely dissolved by the time I fed…

I rotate my brands….but I always feed grain free to all my animals…including my cats…I have a Maine coon cat and a Savannah…which is a cross between an African cat and a domestic cat…They also get canned food and some Primal..I don’t feed Primal to Roger all the time…because he gets raw bones…If he didn’t get these, he would get some Primal every day…remember, his cousin, the wolf, eats raw meat every day…I’m at work right now but I’ll look at the digestive enzyme I have at home…Toby, my genet, had a case of pancreatitis at Christmas, and I started him on the enzymes after he recovered…I’ll get the name…

I feed the canned Costco no grain dog food mixed in with the kibble, also. It gets a 5…Natural Instinct is wonderful…I fed the grain free by Merrick…can’t think of the name, and he really liked it. I’m feeding a grain free now and I won’t buy it again, but I bought it in a pinch…maybe called Natural Balance…really having to boost it with meat. Tomorrow I will pick up a bag of Costco Grain free salmon….To this I add an egg at each feeding…the perfect protein for both man and beast….I haven’t fed this…my vet said to be careful feeding chicken…you will need to add fat to it…So if I buy Costco, I’ll just buy the salmon or beef grain free and add more protein…since it is a plant based feed…The vet said it is a good feed, though…better than most and very budget friendly…of course, I spend the difference on the things I add…I like Taste of the Wild….it is a 4 and is plant based, though many of the vets here love it…and Danes need to keep watch on the protein due to their size and joints…they grow awfully fast, and Roger is about a year old. He has never had a problem with me just switching brands..no stomach upsets, etc…Just use common sense and ask yourself, would I want someone to switch my diet around all the time? I’ve been taking in orphan animals, raising wildlife, doing wildlife rehab work since I was about 16 or 17, and that’s a long, long time. If I ever learn how to post pictures on this site, will send some before and after pics of the Danes I’ve rescued…and will send a pic of the fennecs and our little Tasmanian monster, Toby the genet.

[Dori]

LOL Cyndi. You probably scared the crap out of Bailey and yourself. It took me awhile with Katie to realize that once in a while all dogs will scratch a regular old itch. I took would yell “Stop It” whenever I would see her scratch and would start checking her skin for any redness. I swear she used to look at me like I’d gone out of my friggin mind. So happy to hear that it WAS the detergent. Dumb vet would have continued to badger you about raw feeding. Glad to hear you got the help you needed here to prove the vet wrong before you did something drastic like go back to kibble. Vets can be awfully stubborn. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my vets all know I feed raw and have been doing so for a couple of years of more so they can’t play the game of blaming anything on their diets. I feel bad for anyone who is knew to raw and their vets blame the raw food and so they go back to kibble when all along the poor dog’s issue had nothing to do with its diet. I wish vets to get with the raw program already and get over themselves. I mean what? So they took nutrition class for all of about two minutes? For that they expect us to go along with whatever they say just cause they’ve got Dr. in from of their name. Uh Oh! I fear I may be starting to go on a rant here so I’ll stop and just say Yey for Cyndi and Bailey. :>)

[C W]

I have a 4 year old Golden Retriever who has basically always happily eaten 4-ish star dog foods in various meat varieties, some with grains and some without, with seemingly no problem. In recent weeks/months she’s just decided that she won’t eat any of them anymore. She’s had Nature’s Variety Prairie/Instinct, Taste of the Wild, and I just bought her some Blue Buffalo (which she refused entirely).

I’ve already eliminated all ‘extras’ and she just starves herself for days until she throws up bile. Broth is no help, boiled chicken she’ll eat but she threw up the last time I gave it to her, etc.

A week or so ago, I ended up paying for an abdominal x-ray & blood work (clean bill of health from both), a nausea injection, follow-up pills, and Royal Canin Gastrointestinal vet food (which she ate immediately). The Royal Canin is crazy expensive. I ended up mixing it with her regular food and she ate both. The RC ran out & she ate her regular food again and I thought she was better… and then she refused to eat again.

In desperation I bought her a small bag of Pedigree (barf), which she scarfed down. 🙁 I’ve noticed that the kibble size is much larger in the Pedigree. All the “holistic” brands I’ve seen have tiny diameter kibble… I’m wondering if that’s part of the reason for the refusal?

Are there any ‘good’ foods that have larger kibble? Or does anyone have any other ideas about what might be wrong??

• This topic was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by C W.

[Dori]

Hi Naturella. As I mentioned I’ve been using Sentinel Flavor Tabs (regular Sentinel) for years and gave them the last of that kind August 1st. It is my understanding that they are fazing out the regular Sentinel and only what is in stock will be available. After that only Sentinel Spectrum will be available. I’ve actually ordered the Spectrum already. At first I was concerned about using the Sentinel Spectrum but after extensive research I realized (and queried the vets) that the tape worm preventative itself has been around for years and years. I give the girls Sentinel the first of every month without fail. As you know, living in Georgia you can never really count on a hard winter. When I lived in the northeast I only used in Summer and Fall. Here I give it year round. Last Winter I stopped cause it was so cold but then read Losul’s plight with Turbo and decided that I’m not taking any chances and have decided that I will stick with year round treatment. I’ve had a lot of dogs all my life and none ever had an issue with it. I know a lot of people have issues with HW meds but I have to air on the side of caution and do what I think will be best for my girls. The treatment for Heartworm is to horrifying for me to even contemplate.

[weezerweeks]

I am having my dog titer tested in a few months because it’s been 3 years since vaccines. If he needs them how do I get just the single vaccines? My vet has a combo and I don’t want the lepto. I really just want the distemper and parvovirus. What do you people give? I also have to have the rabies(law). Is there anything I can give him for side effects. I dread these soo bad. Please give me some advice. Thanks Oh my vet says they don’t make single vaccines.

[Janine v]

With Orijen my dogs had lot of tartar build up. Extremly.
Both chihuahua’s and cats.
Before with bad dry food, white clean teeth 🙁

In november I had one dog clean his teeth by the vet, but already, tartar build up 🙁

I clean his teeth daily now, and changed his food. Don’t want to do anasthesia again 🙁

My cats, can’t clean there teeth, they don’t allow it. Had 2 cats that needed there teeth cleaned by the vet. 🙁 Before I fed Orijen, White clean teeth.

Is there any good dry food, what helps clean there teeth? Because I really don’t like it when they need anasthesia. Raw is not an option, they don’t eat it or get horrible diarrea. 🙁

[aquariangt]

I did some googling (very difficult as I can’t read most of these websites) and found this site mentioned on another forum:

http://www.lacasadelasmascotas.com/b2c/index.php?page=pp_productos.php&tbusq=1&ref=PSPe&md=1

seems like they are based somewhere down there, and Acana/Orijen are both great foods. Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond…not sure if i’d go with a diamond product that looks good on paper or something that is a poorer product. Nutro Ultra is fine I suppose, I think I’ve heard of people using Applaws in Europe. I’ve never heard of the other two brands

[Dori]

I use Perfect Form from THK. I just mix it in with their food anytime I notice that Hannah has loose stools and it pretty much works immediately. Having cancer I think her digestion isn’t what it used to be with all the canine cancer supplements I’ve been giving her. I’d like to back off and see if that’s what’s causing the loose stools but afraid to stop the cancer supplements. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Anyway, I got off thread there for a second. Perfect Form works really really well. I just mix the appropriate dose in with their food. My girls are eaters so I guess the smell just doesn’t bother them. I’m not crazy about the smell, but, hey…if you’ve ever fed tripe, this is nothing compared to that.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Elisa-
I’m glad you are taking her to the vet today. Sheesh, she’s been through enough already. I hope they figure out what is going on.

I strongly suggest taking in another stool sample. There are waterborne parasites, such as giardia that can cause intermittent diarrhea.

Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Heather,
I haven’t had as much time as usual to read here but I know nothing about large breed nutrition. If you head over to the free part of the forum. I can’t recall which forum has it but look for the stickie, highlighted in yellow, with the list of appropriate foods for large breed puppies.
No one here is a veterinary professional. One gal is a vet student but that’s about it. You posted on a weekend so lots of people are busy. I highly suggest feeding a good from the list I spoke of. Hound dog mom spent a lot of time gathering info for the list.

[Cyndi]

I would suggest keeping him on Eukanuba and the cooked turkey for now. Next time you can get to one of the pet stores near you, write down the dog foods that they carry and post them here so we know what foods are available for you to buy and we can suggest something better. While Eukanuba is certainly not a great food, it’s certainly alot better than just bread and water. While you’re at the pet store, write down the canned foods that are available too. Canned food is better to feed than dry. Let us know what you have available and then someone can help you pick a better food.

[aquariangt]

It’s a forum, not sure what you meant by “run by professionals” but forums are a place where people gather to discuss things. Looking at your previous post, you posted at 5:30 in the morning, that could easily be bumped down to the point where no one even saw it as a recent comment being so early, and not that many people are up and posting on the forums. No need to be rude-and attempting to guilt people doesn’t get you very far, anywhere in life really. (referring to this comment: “should I say Max a 10 week old puppy’s plight is ignored”)

Take a look at the above post that Naturella linked the list of acceptable foods for a large breed puppy, the most recent list in on page 15. Eukanuba is not a good food. That entire thread is full of good information. As opposed to asking “what food can I get around here” since most of us aren’t from spain, post what foods are available, and people can help you from there

[Sully’sMom]

I’m not sure if this is the right thread to ask my question, but I’ve always had lots of luck here (thank you HDM especially) so thought I’d try here first. Haven’t written is quite some time as Sully is now 2 yrs old and doing quite well. We got through the worst of his allergy problems, did some testing, dealt with the results and all in all – he’s great. However, for most of his 2 years he has had loose stool. I’ve mostly been doing a kibble rotation diet, always grain-free (because of his allergies), but the stool, although sometimes it’s worse (tried Zignature recently and stool was MUCH worse – too rich?) and sometimes its better, its never GOOD. My only go to knowledge would be to add canned pumpkin to his food. Any other good foods to try?

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Betsy. It very well may be seasonal….Laverne has started with some itching and anal glands again, even though her stool is normal!? She was just at the vets this past Thurs. because I noticed a bump on one of her front legs. The vet expressed her glands and said they were bad, ugh. Vet said it’s probably staph and could even be caused by shampoo being left on and not drying properly or fully (this was said because of where the infection is located). She gave me some muricin salve to rub on the bump. But I may call and get an oral antibiotic for her, as well. Don’t usually like them but want to be sure this doesn’t turn into something even more difficult. Laverne is mine that has allergies, of course, and who snores a lot. She also does reverse sneezing at times. She has a murmur, about 3-4/6, (came on about 2 years ago) but doesn’t cough . Her nose runs sometimes (again allergies). She is eating Wellness Small Breed Simple for kibble and Wellness Stews or Weruva or Simply Nourish for canned topper. I have been giving the Firm Up, but was wondering if she has become intolerant of it? It could be lots of things. I do also give them coq10 3 times a week (30 mg). Right now I decided to not change anything in her diet except removing the Firm Up for awhile, and switching probiotics up. Hazel was checked as well and the vet could barely hear her murmur and rated it a 1/2…..she’s had a murmur since birth with no meds. She has no symptoms of anything and doesn’t snore at all. Rupert, who is on enalapril twice a day and has heart disease (MVD) and a grade 5/6 murmur is doing great. He snores occasionally but not that bad and does not cough at all. He has no other symptoms. I would say this is probably seasonal, but if I were you, I would have your vet or Cardiologist (if you have one) check things out thoroughly. I don’t want to scare you, but I think these things can come on suddenly. According to Rupert’s breeder his came on suddenly, but not really sure…maybe just wasn’t caught before now. I also decided to not really try to reduce the sodium (just making sure it’s not on the too high range). Like I said before, the only heart supplement I have been using regularly is coq10. You could also try adding other things, like fish oil, hawthorne, l-carnitine, coq10 and of course taurine, if you’re not doing so already. There are some all inclusive supplements like Bio-Cardio by Thorne, Vetri-Science Cardio Strength. Also Standard Process Cardio is one my vet likes (but they always prescribe Standard Process). I’ve used the all inclusive ones in the past, but recently have been trying to keep things as simple as I can. I’ve probably not answered your question but hope I’ve helped some.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Heather D]

Hello members. Thank heavens I have found this site though have done nothing this morning with regard housework as just been reading.
We have a Spanish Mastiff crossed with a German Shepherd, rescued from a filthy pen some 4 weeks ago when he was just 6 weeks old. Riddled with parasites internal and external. Has been to the vet’s three times now but doing very well.
previously we had a couple of English Pointers so I was aware of the growth/calcium issue and they were reared to be 14 years. Dusty the bitch, spayed, died with skin cancer. We live in Spain and she was mostly white and was a momkey for lying in the sun with her legs splayed and stomach bared to the sun, she contracted skin cancer and sadly had to be put to sleep aged 14.
Bracken her pal, though not from the same litter, died just 6 weeks after Dusty with a heart attack.
They were reared for their first 18 months on Hills prescription for large breeds and did really well with it.
Now to our new little, well quite big puppy.
He couldn’t tolerate Hills so the vet advised Eukanuba food for large breed puppies and I give him two small additional feeds of cooked turkey each day to add to his protein as the dry food is 26% and wanted to increase it. He is tolerating it well, but I want him to have the best I can afford, and buy. We are pensioners and though not destitute we have to budget.
Spain is not known for it’s care of dogs, and sadly, living in the heart of Andalucia away from the Costas most dogs are raised on dry bread, yes dry bread and anything else they can find. These are the conditions our puppy Max was born into. Locked in a large fenced and gated pen, the owner coming only once per week to bring a sack of dry bread rolls and fill their water bowls. So we have adopted the family and go each night to feed and water through the fence.
The parents and the 2 other pups are doing well, and the owner as a thankyou gave us Max.
There are just 2 pet stores within a couple of hours drive that do sell some varied brands.
We want the very best for Max and from your lists I just don’t know if I am going to find any of the foods you mention.
My question is, sorry after this ramble, if I cannot find any you mention will Max be ok continuing on his Eukanuba for large breed puppies along with his cooked turkey, and are there any other things I can give him to supplement if he has to stay on this diet?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Shelley –

You might find this thread helpful: /forums/topic/eating-raw-meaty-bones/

There’s some videos there of one of my dogs eating RMBs so you can get an idea of what’s normal.

[Susan]

Poor boy, Patch has Pancreatitis & IBD, at first Patches vet said colitis, cause he was pooing light red blood, they’re awful illnesses, you have to read every label to see the fat% & Patch has troubles with protein, it cant be too high, has to be under 24%, he was put on Vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal, he’s been on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 11 months then finally our Pet Barn got the “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal..so far this has been the only kibble that has agreed with Patch as well as his Intestinal.. I’m so slowly introducing the Simple, I’m halfway, so far Patch is doing good, no acid reflux, poos are excellent, Poos are better on the Simple then on the Intestinal….I make Patches biscuits, you’ll find a recipe for no fat cookies on the net, I have a few cookies dog recipes if needed, there’s a group on Yahoo called “dogpancreatitis” you see what other people are using & doing with their dogs…..hope he gets well soon…

[Candice S]

thank you very much for this link, elizabeth. it is enlightening while at the same time somewhat disheartening. one would have reasonably thought that the highly touted feeding trials were more scientific than they apparently are (e.g., using randomized comparison groups; testing across the lifespan; trials that went longer than 6 months!). and, i must admit i have wondered how one could truly rely upon a pet food simply because veterinarians were working for a particular pet food company. how likely would that vet be to readily disclose shortcomings of that food? a little like the fox guarding the henhouse. in any case, i suppose the moral of the story is that there are no absolutes out there.
best, candice