[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, 3 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, 3 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, 3 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….

[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, 4 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, 4 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!