[Debbie L]

My Fox Terrier was smooth. I’ll find a good dog food, just not one to break the bank though. I often read the ingredients and was surprised mine did not seem to care much for the 4Health. All the bags say 100% balanced nutrition, from the cheapest ones to the most expensive. Of course we know that isn’t true, though.

Ol Roy has been around a long time and I’ve seen a lot of people buy it, but years ago a vet told me it was not good. Another one told me they had seen more dogs with skin problems on Pedigree than any other dog food. I usually stick with Tractor Supply or Orscheln’s when buying dog food. There aren’t too many feed stores around here. At Tractor Supply once I bough Diamond Grain Free and a worker said it was good. I may try that again, probably have to mix with some canned food.

[Susan]

Hi Ashlee, you have 3 beautiful dogs, sorry I cant help with the raw, but there’s heaps of people on this site that can, I just borrowed this book called “Dr Becker’s REAL FOOD For healthy Dogs & Cats” its a good read & Karen puts you in the right direction with foods, supplements, calcium & fatty acids, for young medium & older dogs..what to do & what not to do..

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Kelly,

The only good food I know of for joint care is Victor GF Joint Health / Adult Canine Formula
with Glucosamine. Here is the website: http://www.victordogfood.com/

However, the amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin in dog food are usually not enough to be therapeutic. There is 750mg/kg of glucosamine and 250mg/kg of chondroitin in this food. I have a senior Great Dane (8 yrs old) that needs joint support. I am giving him glucosamine and chondroitin from Springtime Inc. I use their equine line because my dog is so large but they have a canine line as well. I would check out the Supplement forum and look for threads on joint health. I know there are a few of them. It would probably be most beneficial to get your dog on a high quality joint supplement in addition to a high quality food.

Best of luck!

[Valerie M]

http://petfoodtalk.com/dogfoodreviews/merrick/

I have been feeding the Merrick grain free Buffalo and sweet potatos. Not sure I like it. Dogs did better on Innovo The below quote may help regarding gastro issues. One of my 3 has loose stools and now I think I know why.

link quote >> The only negative thing that people have to say about this food is that some dogs suffer gastrointestinal problems after eating it. This may be a result of adjusting to a new food brand. Overall, this food is highly recommended.

Read the posts that go with the link. I am looking for another food after reading the comments on th link I attached. , and was looking at Wellnes bc it is made local for me, and is organic and no GMO’s. I think I’ll look at Acana too. Its hard to find around here but I am not happy with what I am reading now about Merrick, and your comment that your dog seems to be having more allergies lines up with my experience. I wish this was easier. My dog was way more energetic on Innovo. Huge difference when we switched to that from Solid Gold, but it was recalled and pulled so we switched to Merrick. That has been so so for us. I have a labradoodle, a mini schnauzer and a border collie hound mix.

[texasniteowl]

Thanks for the reply…and the reminder about Acana. I really wish the Classics were available. I liked the look of the Light & Fit and Senior products. And I guess I just wasted some time reading ingredients lists for those.

And no, I haven’t really seen any weight gain so I will ignore fat % for now I suppose.

As for novel…I know there are some out there, but finding novel and limited is tougher than I thought it would be. I picked up one brand’s “rabbit” kibble and the 2nd ingredient was salmon meal! And several beef or venison foods also contain lamb.

So, for novel I need to look for: beef, venison, rabbit, pork.

He has had: chicken, lamb, duck, fish. I’m also presuming turkey is close enough to chicken and duck that it would not be novel. His Fromm’s Salmon Tunalini also had sardine meal in addition to the salmon and tuna, so basically, most fish is out.

The new flavor Acana Singles Pork & Butternut Squash is a possibility…but only 31% protein.

The Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Rabbit is a possibility also.

I may go ahead and stick with poultry for a full bag…well, like a 15lb bag…which should last 3-4 weeks and then rotate through some others even if they are not novel to see how he reacts. A 3-4 week supply will give me a good idea of whether something works for him or not.

[texasniteowl]

Short story: we’ve been on chicken and rice for a month and need to get back on a kibble.

You can skip to near the bottom about what kibble to go with or you can read…the long story.

Long story:

My dog Wilson is about 7 and 1/2. We have had him for about 19 months. He came to us on Purina lamb and rice. I first switched him to Fromm’s Duck and Sweet Potato and then later to Fromm’s grain free Salmon Tunalini. He also with every meal got a tbsp of yogurt, usually Fage Greek Plain but sometimes other brands. He was on the Salmon Tunalini for about 7 or 8 months.

In late April, he started eating a lot more grass than usual. Prior, he ate grass maybe once every 2 or 3 months. But he started going out in the a.m. (mostly a.m.) to eat grass about 4 times a week. But no other symptoms really presented. At first.

By mid to late May he was still grass eating but poo had started changing and not for the better. But we would have days were it was fine and then days where it was bad and then days when it was fine again. He still ate his food and still loved his walks, etc. But we also did have a few days where his interest in his food in the morning was not present. Then finally, after seeing some blood in his poo, we went to the vet.

Fecal test #1 was negative for parasites/giardia. Fecal test #2 showed a bacterial overgrowth of the bad, rod shaped bacteria. So vet put us on a 5 day course of amoxicillin, metronidazole, and pro-pectalin. We stayed on his kibble during this course. Finished the 5 days and on day 6, we had not only very liquid, essentially water, diarrhea, we also had vomiting. Called the vet…another 5 days of amox, metro, pro-pec. This time, went to chicken and rice.

The chicken and rice was meant to be short term!

After the 2nd 5 days, we kept on the chicken and rice and waited to see what would happen. It initially seemed like his poo started to improve. So I started mixing in a little kibble. Like less than 1/2 of 1/4 cup.

And things got worse again. So called the vet again.

The vet suggested that in spite of the parasite fecal being negative that we do a dose of panacur. And that if no improvement, our next step would be to take blood and fecal samples and send them to the vet school at Texas A&M to be evaluated. So we did the Panacur.

At first, didn’t see much improvement. But then about 4-5 days after his last dose his poo started to improve. Still on the soft side. And worryingly, a bit orange even though he wasn’t getting pumpkin. But firmer than we had seen in a while.

So, I went by a local boutique pet store who gave me a sample of Orijen Adult and I started mixing in some. Just a little.

And the poo got even better.

Nearly normal! Using the Purina fecal scoring model, we’re up to a 3 where 2 is ideal. We had been averaging a 4.5-5 at one point with some individual poos even worse!

So, I want to slowly increase the amount of kibble. And at some point, I plan to re-introduce probiotics (maybe powder instead of yogurt) and maybe add enzymes.

(I also bought the $3 book about supplementing kibble with fresh stuff…and would like to do that…eventually. First things first.)

Anyway, props to anyone who made it thru all that.

The main question:
Which kibble to go with for now?

A friend of mine who has a dog with severe IBD suggested that maybe a food intolerance started the whole cycle to start with, but I don’t know that I buy that. She suggested a novel protein. But, he’s been on chicken and rice, and the Orijen Adult is chicken based and his poo is improving right now. Is it possible he has a food intolerance of some kind? Sure. Allergies? Yes. In fact, he seems to have a grass allergy. Since I know he has had chicken and duck and lamb and fish, if we start looking at a novel protein, I’d be looking at pork or venison or rabbit. But I don’t know what else he might have had before we adopted him. And in terms of amount paw-licking, etc. I don’t think it is much different than any other time. He can get itchy ears too, but the vet attributes that to mostly seasonal allergies.

The qualm I have about the Orijen Adult is mainly due to the high fat content. 18%. We are mostly inactive. He is a lap dog most of the day except for our daily 1.1 to 1.2 mile walks. And a little bit of fetch with a tennis ball. But otherwise he loves nothing more than snuggling in my lap in the recliner. And he is 65lbs! And, as mentioned he is 7 and 1/2. Should I start watching the fat %? Though his weight last time we were at the vet was within 3 lbs of what they called ideal. So we are doing pretty good so far.

Then there is the matter of grain free vs. grain inclusive. In the best scenario, I prefer grain free. But I’m not sure I’m crazy about all of them going to lentils for fill. Though, the Orijen Adult has lentils and I have not seen a problem so far. But it has only been about 4-5 days and he is getting a limited amount.

I do like that the Orijen Adult is a higher protein level. His previous food was only 31% protein and the Orijen Adult is 42%. Maybe it was the fact that he has been on chicken and rice for a month that made the higher protein level an easier switch? It’s been proven now that a higher protein percent for senior dogs is OK, right?

Orijen Senior is similar to Adult except uses pea fiber also. The fat is 15% instead of 18%. And fiber is 8% instead of 5%.

Some other mostly chicken or at least poultry based foods I was considering are:
Taste of the Wild Wetlands
Wellness CORE Original
Wellness CORE Reduced Fat (37% protein, 11% fat)
Acana Adult Large Breed (37% protein, 14% fat)
Acana Light & Fit (39% protein, 10% fat)
Acana Senior (37% protein, 14% fat)
Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast
Merrick Grain Free Chicken & Sweet Potato

Anyway, I’m really at a loss here. Novel protein or not? Fat %? Protein %? Lentils? Other food suggestions?

[Kelsey K]

Hi all!

First time poster here. HDM, thank you for all of this great information you’ve compiled! I very well could’ve missed it in the previous 73 pages (let me know if these questions have already been answered!), but I had a few questions about raw food and puppies.

I am a first-time LBD owner and will be bringing home an 8-week old berner boy in a month. I’d love to get him on a raw diet ASAP but am worried about the calcium content. My FIV+ kitty boy is currently eating Natural Pet Pantry (NPP), and I love how healthy it’s kept him.

Can I start feeding raw to a Bernese at 8 weeks old or should we start with kibble first? Any suggestions on a specific commercial raw? I’ve been looking at Darwin’s or NPP, but am totally open to anything and everything! If not raw right away, what’s the best kibble for a BMD? I’m eyeing Fromm, but I want to do everything right!

Thanks in advance for the help!

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

[Jonathan L]

Thanks Betsy and Zach for your responses. It does really disturb me and makes me wonder if we could have prevented having to have put our dear Velvet down with different food. Well, at this point we can’t obviously reverse what happened but I certainly don’t want to have something similar happen with Olive.
Yes, the food is inexpensive and yes we do have financial limitations. I was thinking that based on what I have read here that we would go with Kirkland Signature Adult Chicken. We can purchase that locally and I think it will fit our budget. Is that a good option? Or is there a better option that would be similarly priced?

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, Chewy reminds me of what my Patch was doing 1 year ago, vomiting early hours of the morning, having diarrhea, vet diagnosed him with Pancreatitis & IBD, he had to be put on a low low fat diet, nothing over 10% fat & a lower protein % so nothing over 24% protein, he was put on vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal diet & a dog probiotic this helped with his pooing problems, he does perfect poos now but he still vomited maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks, so I started to cook him boiled chicken breast & 2 tablespoons of boiled pumkin for breakfast, this stopped his vomiting of a morning & his licking & licking his lips after eating but he was still having his pain on his right side under his rib cage, so I stopped the boiled chicken & now I give him tin tuna in spring water, I drain the small tin of tuna & mix with about 2 tablespoons of pumkin & I warm in micro wave the amount I need to use that morning & put rest in fridge for next morning, I then spread the tuna & pumkin on 1 piece of toast, there’s enough for 2 breakfast, I cut the toast (white bread no grains) into 9 squares & hand feed, so he doesnt gulp it all down too quick, the toast seems to keep everything down when he burps, he doesnt seem to have his pain like he did with the boiled chicken, all his vomiting has stopped too….
I’d see a new vet & start with a new low fat diet & see how things go, when I first started the pumkin Patch did have soft poos for 2 days know its perfect, Im also adding the Wellness Simple Duck & Oats to his Eukanuba Intestinal, the Wellness Simple has been good as it digest easily & isnt a hard hard kibble, I also add water to Patches kibble then drain, then add water again, then drain to wash off excess dust from kibble & to soften kibble, the Eukanuba Intestinal is a low residue kibble it breaks up real easily so its easier to digest there is a puppy formula awell, the Wellness Simple also soften real easliy when water is added, Patch was also vomiting up undigested kibble about 6-8 hours later 1 year ago, I forgot last year Patch when Patch was real sick he was put on Metronidazole for 2 weeks, its an antibiotic for their stomach & bowel its stops the diarrhea, ask ur new vet can you have a script & try the Metronidazole, I just go to my chemist & only pay $9.20 instead of the high vet charges, I wouldnt do raw as it high in fat & bacteria ur boy mighten be able to digest raw at this time until you work out whats wrong, something is wrong, alot of puppy foods are real high in fat, you mite need to try a low fat adult kibble just till you stop the pooing & vomiting..or get a vet precription diet just till u get everything under control as ur boy is probably starving with the vomiting & diarrhea…..Good-luck

[Lisa C]

I’m sure this has been talked about numerous times on here, but there’s no search box to try and find answers in the forum. Sorry!

We have had our Chewy since December of last year. We got him at eight weeks. He is a Pekingese/Chihuahua/Cocker Spaniel/ mix (we did a DNA test!) So he’s not quite a year old yet, but later in the fall he will be. The first month or two we had Chewy, he had no problems. We fed him dry puppy Nutro (the pink bag) that was recommended by someone who claimed to have researched foods. after the first 1-2 months, he started vomiting EVERY day. At least once a day. It’s now mid-July, and yes, he still vomits EVERY single day! I think there’s maybe been six total days since Feb that he hasn’t puked at least once. We’ve had numerous tests done at the vet. Blood tests, X-rays, stool samples. Everything is negative. They have no answers for us! The next step would be putting a camera inside him — which I’m sure is an expensive procedure that I cannot afford. He acts normal – he still loves to go outside and play, gets excited when we come home, plays with toys. But he always acts so hungry. We’ve tried so many different kinds of foods, wet and dry. At the vet’s request, we tried two different brands of prescription food (dry only), (which is expensive) 🙁 first Hills and then the Purina RX. The vet also made me buy the $30 box of RX Purina probiotics. None of that fancy overpriced crap did anything but make him vomit even more, and even worse, all undigested.

This week I’ve started to keep a daily journal of everything he eats, and his daily puking habits. The vomiting occurs in the early mornings. Occasionally at night, but mostly mornings. He seems to do alright on the Nutro Puppy Chiot wet food, last week he went maybe 1-2 days without puking on that alone. But I know he can’t just live on wet food, at least from what I’ve read they also need dry food for their teeth. For a few weeks we tried feeding solely cooked chicken, which is LOVED, but still puked out that, too. The other problem is obviously is switching the foods so many times gives him baaaad diarrhea. Yesterday I decided to try yet another food, Solid Gold wet, and going from the Nutro can to that has made him diarrhea two days in a row. We have to keep him locked up in the kitchen the last two nights because he just won’t stop pooping. Of course most of the time his poops are normal, but every once in a while that one food will tip him off and it’s all downhill from there.

I’m so, SO tired of waking up early every morning to scrub vomit off of our apartment carpet. (It’s already ruined.) but most importantly, I just want Chewy to be a normal, healthy dog, and not have such horrible vomiting problems. and of course because of this, you can feel all his bones. We recently took him to get groomed and they said they noticed he was really skinny. He’s skinny because he vomits every day! My boyfriend says we should try him on a raw diet, but I don’t want to do something too drastic without help first. I guess our next step could be getting a second opinion at a different vet, but we’ve already spent a lot of money. I appreciate ALL comments and suggestions. Please help us and our Chewy 🙁

[Melissaandcrew]

I love Champion products as I have said many times. I have not bought it recently as I am rotating other brands right now, so it was a surprise for me to read that the Singles have gone down to a 25lb bag. When they reformulated them before, I was told by the customer service it was for uniformity amongst the bags-Acana had been bigger than Orijen and that did make sense to me. However, if the new bags are 25lb, then based on that previous statement, I expect all to drop to 25lb-and that alone may be a deal breaker for me. At some point, I think they are going to price themselves right out of them market in the US, and then the Kentucky plant really won’t be needed, lol.

With that said, I will wait and see if the quality appears to drop, or if there appear to be issues. I will not judge based only on production location. I have no reason to believe that a company would invest 85 million to make lower rated foods in the US, but who knows?? If Champion wants to keep me as a customer(and I buy a ton of food) they will have to keep quality and formulation right up there on par with the Canadian produced foods-I am not interested in redesigned products with less meat content etc. Only time will tell.

[Melissaandcrew]

I love Champion products as I have said many times. I have not bought it recently as I am rotating other brands right now, so it was a surprise for me to read that the Singles have gone down to a 25lb bag. When they reformulated them before, I was told by the customer service it was for uniformity amongst the bags-Acana had been bigger than Orijen and that did make sense to me. However, if the new bags are 25lb, then based on that previous statement, I expect all to drop to 25lb-and that alone may be a deal breaker for me. At some point, I think they are going to price themselves right out of them market in the US, and then the Kentucky plant really won’t be needed, lol.

With that said, I will wait and see if the quality appears to drop, or if there appear to be issues. I will not judge based only on production location. I have no reason to believe that a company would invest 85 million to make lower rated foods in the US, but who knows?? If Champion wants to keep me as a customer(and I buy a ton of food) they will have to keep quality and formulation right up there on par with the Canadian produced foods-I am not interested in redesigned products with less meat content etc. Only time will tell.

[Sarah Y]

I’m trying to find a good, safe dental chew for my dogs. I have heard mixed reviews on greenies though they seem to be the most popular. One of my beagles can be an aggressive chewer too. I remember reading greenies should not be swallowed in pieces. My beagle tends to chew a piece then swallow it whereas my other two beagles will thoroughly chew their greenie. Soooooo, I stopped giving greenies to them because one not not chew through the whole thing. I bought nature’s recipes dental chews today but honestly am not sure if they are good or not.

I do brush my dogs teeth and to be honest, it’s not consistent. Sometimes its 2 or 3 times a week for a few months then it’s once a week, sometimes once every couple of weeks. They have had dental cleanings too. So overall their teeth are pretty good.

Any suggestions on good dental chews/treats?

[Cyndi]

Hi Stefan, Good for you getting your dogs on raw! I started my girl on raw a little over a year ago. You sound like you know what you’re doing, for the most part. You should check out the raw food forum here: /forums/forum/raw-dog-food-forum/
Specifically look thru the thread second from the top, “Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus” started by Hound Dog Mom. She posted a few of her recipes there as well as other people posted what they feed too. It is a long thread, but HDM’s recipes are in the first 3 pages.

Someone else can chime in and let you know what else you should be doing or not doing. I get advice from the raw feeders on here. I use, and it’s very well recommended, See Spot Live Longer dinner mix. I add it to my dogs boneless grind in the morning 3 or 4 days a week, just to ensure I’m not missing any add ins that my dog needs.

Good luck! 🙂

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

[Katie J]

I can’t edit now. But I wanted to add that I am really thankful and grateful for all the advice given here and in other threads that I have read. I went from almost buying Purina’s puppy formula to having two solid (in my opinion) brands to rotate and a couple that I I want to look into as a potential third. I have nearly figured out how to balance a raw diet and have both of the “bibles” on order. I am pricing making the switch and putting together a plan to do so. With a new job for me in the future (I just received the offer this week), I plan to get that ball rolling.

It’s been awhile since I had a puppy. A long while. And I have tried to spend a lot of my free time researching and learning to make things better for him. I’m certainly not perfect and still learning. Without the kind folks here, who knows what crap I would have gotten him from Petsmart or whatever my local store has been told to push! I had to listen to about a 5 minute speech on Evanger’s canned. They left out the part about the huge recall though.

To me, little Gichin appears to be flourishing. I see a happy and playful puppy that is growing what seems like daily with appropriate and normal elimination. He’s officially settled in after nearly a month in his new home. His potty training has been fantastic. I can’t remember the last time he had an accident.

And I really have this forum to thank for all of it as they help me tweak everything to make things perfect.

[Regina D]

I finally (after weeks & weeks) found a food Alf can eat without stomach upset – Natural Balance Lamb & Brown Rice. I am going to keep him on this for at least a month, as he has not had a stomach upset at all while being on this food, and he eats 3 cans/day heartily. Alf is 50 lbs, and I feed in 3 feedings/day.
However, I am not that thrilled with what I have learned about NB, or about brown rice. Therefore, I would like to wean (or at least alternate) him onto some other brand lamb LID. I’d like to stick to lamb since he is doing well on that protein. Someone on this forum suggested Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal. When I checked the reviews, WSL&O gets only 2.5 stars vs. NBL&BR gets 4. What I read about the Wellness company sounds very good, vs. NB, which is now owned by DelMonte.
I want to do the best for Alf, please enlighten me!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Regina D.

[USA]

Hi Lynn J and lynne s

The danger of lead could still be there.The EPA said:

“even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead.”

I don’t know if this applies to water coolers and instant hot units. They both use copper pipe that runs through a heating coil similar to a radiator in a car. The water runs through the copper pipe and that is where the lead could get into the water.

The insta hot and the water cooler both use a holding tank (albeit small) to hold the heated water. This is where any minerals, metals or other impurities would build up and be re-absorbed back into the heated water.

So anytime you have a holding tank that is where impurities will build up. I would read up on how to clean and flush these tanks to remove any residue. Citric acid and vinegar are often used in coffee makers and water distillers to remove buildup.

It aint easy trying to do the best for our pups, but it sure is worth it!!!

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

[aquariangt]

You can start any age on raw really (what breeds do you have?? 2 5 month olds go through 50 lb a month, oi-my 3 go through 15 ish pounds)

There are a few threads about starting raw, and Hound Dog Mom and Rescue Dane Mom both have a lot of tips

[Patricia W]

I’m new here and have been reading this with interest. I have a mini australian shepherd that needs to lose about 6 lbs. I’ve been fighting his weight loss for a couple years now. was feeding him Chicken Soup for the Soul weight management which is 20% protein and about 6% fat. I tried switching (very slowly) to Fat Dog, which is higher in protein and after a very short period he got pancreatitis and had to be hospitalized.

My vet was pretty sure it was the new dog food and told me it was important to keep fat low and beware of high protein foods for a dog with this disease. I’ve been very careful since then and put him back on the Chicken Soup. He is still overweight and so the vet put him on a prescription Iams. After a four month period he had only lost 1 lb. The vet food was very expensive so I went back to Chicken Soup weight management.

He has breathing issues and also a chronic limp that comes and goes, so exercise is not something I can push. He chases our border collies around the back yard, and goes on short walks, but if he starts limping, I have to curtail it until the leg heals. He has had the xrays, blood work, etc., and the vet is pretty convinced it is a bit of arthritis and we have to deal with it, giving pain meds if it is bad.

I’m interested in getting some opinions. Right now I give him 1/2 cup of dry and 1 tblsp of canned (iams) at each meal morning and night. I think I am feeding him too much, but he seems so hungry. The vet had me feed him 1/3 cup dry and 1 tblsp wet of the prescription food and he was hungry all the time, with only 1 lb loss.

I’m also very confused about the high protein comment for pancreatitis dogs early in this forum. My vet says NO on high protein and it seems to be a disagreement among the vet world. Any thoughts?

Thanks

[Bobby dog]

Hi gmcbogger:
Sportmix Wholesomes Chic & Rice (TSC 40 lbs/sale price $27.99) is one I was going to suggest to you. Pro Pac would be another, they are both manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, who make Earthborn Holistic.

Diamond manufactures the 4 Health grain inclusive recipes, GF pork, GF duck, and reportedly the GF whitefish. I haven’t verified with TSC if Diamond is now making the GF whitefish, however there have been several complaints about this recipe changing on the review side recently. Ainsworth manufactures the 4Health GF beef and GF turkey recipes.

Also, check with dog food websites and the stores that you purchase food from for frequent buyer programs or any other incentives they may have. For example, buy ten bags and the 11th is free.

There is a PDF download from Steve Brown, ABC Diet, that you may be interested in. This download will help you improve a kibble diet through healthy foods (eggs, tinned fish, fresh meat, vegetables) you can get at the grocery store. I feed anything from a 3 to 5 star kibble and this download helps me to improve my dogs diet very affordably.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

Here’s are some others you may want to check out:
~Zach’s Quality Feed:
http://zqdfrjscompany.azurewebsites.net/index.php
/dog-food-reviews/zachs-quality-dog-food/

Depending on your location this may only be available online, but check it out even if that’s the case because their shipping rates may be reasonable. Here is a thread a poster started about Zach’s: /forums/topic/4-stars-33-for-50-lb-bag/

~Exclusive (PMI Nutrition):
http://www.exclusivepetfood.com/default.aspx
/dog-food-reviews/exclusive-dog-food-dry/

~Blue Seal Life Stages (Kent Nutrition):
http://blueseal.com/products/dog/life-stages-dry-formulas/
/dog-food-reviews/blue-seal-dog-food-dry/

~Sportmix Wholesomes or
~Pro Pac:
http://www.sportmix.com/dog/wholesomesChickenMealRice.php
/dog-food-reviews/sportmix-wholesomes-dog-food/
http://us.propacpetfood.com/images/propac-ultimates-header.png
/dog-food-reviews/pro-pac-dog-food/

~Authority GF & grain inclusive (Petsmart):
/dog-food-reviews/authority-dog-food-dry/
/dog-food-reviews/authority-grain-free-dog-food/

[Susan]

Hi Dfwgolden, Ive just started the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal.. as my boy has IBD & we think that the chicken was causing his tummy problems & the hive like lumps on his head & body, so I’ve started the Simple Duck & Oatmeal cause it has the lowest fat %.. Im not happy about the low Protein but Patch seems to do better when the protein is under 24%.. Im pretty sure that the Simple Duck & Oatmeal does not have chicken fat, as I made sure that there was no chicken in the Duck & Oatmeal, I just went on the Wellness Simple site to double check & there’s no chicken fat, it has natural duck flavours, I even looked at the Lamb & Oatmeal & there’s no chicken fat either, the best way to know if ur dog is intolarent to chicken is to start a elimination diet…when you start with say lamb or Rabbit for 1 month,then slowley add some chicken & see if he has his diarrhea again, he’s had alot of things done in the last 3-4weeks so its very hard to say what did cause his diarrhea, I know antibiotics can cause diarrhea, Ive written down what antibiotics causes Patch to have diarrhea & make sure next time Patch is not put on them..
I read that Victor is a budget friendly & has 5 stars also 4 health sold at Tractor Supply, Pure Balance grainfree Rachel Ray sold at Walmart, Earth Farms sold at Petco & Eagle Pack & Authority sold at Petsmart are suppost to be budget friendly aswell…also keep up with the probiotics, my boy has been on dog probiotics now for 10 months..especially when trying a new foods..

[Dfwgolden]

Hi everyone!

Ok so I have serious question for xx large breed dog owners.
I have a 12 week old male Great Dane puppy.
When we got him he was on Diamond Puppy formula and doing iffy.
We feed ourdogs a grain free rotational diet.
And they have done awesome. However Bane has seemed to decline since we got him.

He’s growing normally and everything however he has had soft stool since day one.
And these past two weeks it’s literally been water/patte.
Two days ago He had to go CONSTANTLY. And just explodes I kid you not it’s like an explosion.
A norm poop just falls even if it’s diarrhea however his blows like a gun. Splashing everywhere.
Including in our new car… Three times within two hours.
And it’s not just a little it’s A LOT.

He’s been on-
Diamond Puppy
Whole Earth Farms
And recently Diamond Naturals Large Breed chicken and rice.
This last food is when he hit his worst.

After two weeks of this I took him off the food sunday afternoon. And only gave him canned pumpkin salt, plain crackers, plain yogurt (live culture) and some probiotic human capsules.

Last night I finly have him some solid food:
Wellness Simple Salmon formula.
This morning he finally pooped and it was solid! But very orange defiantly could tell it was from the pumpkin! Haha!

He has since pooped three more times all of which have been mostly solid but could be better.
Shaped but mushy.

I’m wondering if it’s poultry and the Petco guy recommended it as a way to start into a LID and see if that helps. (The simple)
He had his ears cropped about 3-4 weeks ago and was on antibiotics which could possibly play a roll? And he is down on his probiotics?
He was only on them for a week though and this didn’t start up to water until recently.

He is on dewormer and flea/tick. Sintenal. And has received his last round of puppy shots. No rabies yet.
My dad brought up the possibility of Giardia and Coccidia. Had a fu work up done today he he’s clean as a whistle on his fecal Giardia and blood.
Our vet is a dane breeder herself

Bane is eating and drinking normally and has shown no signs of “illness” he’s just his goofy self as always!

My biggest
Concern however is the fact that if he does do good on wellness simple that we won’t be able to keep him on it.
It’s $68 for 27lbs.
And with him already eating 6 cups a day and is having 4 other dogs.
You get the gist.
I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas area and believe it or not my food choices although broad are limited to either $&!+ or high dollar.

We’ve done 4Health and Diamond and Proplan and purina one (which believe it or
Not the weight loss formula did fantastic for out over weight senior golden)

The vet said it’s possible he has a grain and poultry allergy.
Which limits my choices even more as even “duck and oatmeal” formulas contain chicken fat.

I leave for a month long Vacation with Bane to Poplar Bluff Missouri on the 15th white it being so Rural that lowers my availability even more.
Meaning I don’t have time to try a raw diet for him.

I need something that’s no more than $45-$50 a bag that can basically “hold him over” until I get back In 4 weeks.

I’m in need her Hound Dog mom! Lol.

[RescueDaneMom]

I started feeding raw as a topper then went 50/50 then switched to full raw. Some dogs can handle kibble mixed with raw and some can’t. If yours can’t, then you can do kibble for one meal and raw for another meal.

With smaller dogs, I would guess that it will probably be easier for you to feed grinds. You can purchase a cheap grinder on Amazon. I just did this recently and got a good grinder for under $90. It grinds chicken bones with no problem. Turkey bones are too hard for small grinders so you can’t grind those or beef bones. The only bones I’ve tried thus far have been chicken. You may also be able to get already ground meat/mixes from your co-op.

You may want to look into purchasing Steve Brown’s book called “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.” There are raw recipes with and without bone and he specifies what you need to do if feeding a puppy.

Hope this helps.

[BRT]

Thanks for the replies. Everyone has been so helpful and supportive here.

Almost two weeks in and stools are still soft. Plus, I’m feeling like I might not be able to afford this route. I’m going to stick it out as long as I can, though.

The 4 lb bag of instinct raw bites lasted a couple of days short of two weeks. I’m having the hardest time finding the venison in local stores, but was able to find a bag of medallions yesterday.

I used the food calculator on the NV website and put both dogs weight and activity level (not active and I want to maintain weight) and it said to feed 8 medallions/day each! There are only 48 medallions in a bag. That seemed like a lot so I went with 6 medallions each today (3 in the AM and 3 in the PM). My maltese/poodle acts like he’s starving. I know he’s not though.

Would I be a terrible mom if I had to add kibble back along with raw? Do people feed both? One meal kibble, one meal raw? Maybe it’s too soon to decide. I also think I need to definitely buy more than one bag when I go out. I’ve already spend $62 on food in less than two weeks and I’m really feeling it.

Thanks!

[Susan]

Yes terri, Elimination diets are best, but you can do ur own home cooked or raw, instead of the kibble, I found my boy cant have Potatos or sweet potatos makes him itch more, I started with just boiled chicken breast & pumkin, then after 2 weeks I added some sweet potato & within 2 days his ears were itching, so I stopped the sweet potatos & his ears stop itching, then I added a boiled egg, he was fine, I started gaving him a little bit of banana as a treat he was fine but I noticed that he started to get his yeasty stinky smell again & I looked up bananas & they are a high carb fruit that converts to sugar that causes yeast, so now Im stopping the banana, he’s not a happy camper, he loves his banana, Im sick of cooking & freezing chicken every 10 days, Im using tuna or salmon now instead of the chicken, my vet said try goat, I went to the butcher & he said that goat is dearer then lamb, around $35 a kilo, that idea went out the door, The vet did skin scrapping & got stuff out of his ears & he too came back negitive for yeast but he itched & stank like a bread shop, real stinky yeast smell..so I dont understand, Ive googled high carb fruit & vegies & I stay away from them…I will not try the steriods as I saw on one of Dr Karen Becker videos the steriods just mask the problem, a band-aid as soon as u stop the steriods the problem comes back, I think the enviornment adds to Patches itch problem as well, we walk alot so just rubbing against a plant, grass or sniffing pollen in the air can set them off, next dog will not have any white on their bodies, the vet said white dogs are normally more prone to skin problems..
If your dog can stomach raw, then raw is best for elimination diets, there’s no carbs, that’s why Id say alot of dogs have these itchy problems….also alot of these grainfree kibbles have potatos, peas, sweet potatos, lentils, barley, legumes…

[Katie J]

A little over two weeks ago, I brought home a new pup for my boyfriend. He’s a Shiba Inu/Akita Inu mix and coming up to 4 months old. I have very little background on him as he was a pet store pup that I bought second hand. It’s a long story for another thread. I know the stigma with pet store pups as well though I have a 13 year old English Springer Spaniel that was purchased at a pet store that has never had anything but a routine vet visit and lives on Purina of all things. Anyhow back on topic. My little guy is little. He weighed at 7 lbs about a week ago at the vet’s office, but I am guessing he’s sitting closer to 8-9 now. Yes, I know he is shockingly small for his supposed breeding. But everyone that meets him guesses either one of this mix, but no one knows why he’s so small. We’re guessing that it could have a lot to do with his pet store past.

Now that that’s out of the way, time to talk food. I got him with a bag of Eukanuba puppy. He ate that fine until he caught wind of the Purina. Our adult dogs (the spaniel and my terrier mix) are free range because we lead a very busy and random life at the house. This is something I plan to change for my terrier and this pup when my boyfriend get our own place. I knew that I didn’t want the pup to eat adult food as he has special puppy needs. I nearly just bought the puppy formula for Purina until I food this website. Since then I have done more reading than I would care to admit on dog food. I decided to pick a food that wasn’t going to be a big jump in quality or price and bought 4Health Puppy. I know some people are leery of Diamond. But at the price and star rating, I grabbed a bag along with one of each of their rice free cans. My plan was to do kibble and a can topper. He licked the bowl clean for three meals. Meal four, he ate half and walked away. I switched the topper to a new flavor. Same result. We were trying two meals a day but broke it down to 3 thinking that I was trying to feed him too much at a time. No change. Though I was able to get him to finish if I spoon fed the last half of his food.

Three days ago I stopped by a local dog boutique and came home with several samples and goats milk as a probiotic. His stools had been soft too pretty loose due to the changing in foods trying to find something he liked. After the milk thawed I gave him a little in his nornal meal with the same result: ate half, spoon fed rest. Stools have firmed up since. The night before last we started samples. I have a lot of Earthborn as I had went to another store and got even more samples most of which was Earthborn. I think it was the prairie formula first that he nearly finished on his own without the milk. I only give the milk once a day. Apparently he nearly finished his next two meal with my boyfriend. I wasn’t there as I was working. But I know that he will not spoon feed. With fireworks last night, the pup didn’t get his dinner. It was too late, and he had a late lunch. I expected a hungry puppy today! Nope. Same result with goats milk. This was his second feeding on a new flavor of Earthborn. I forgot the flavor. But it was blue packaging. I still have the primitive flavor left to try from Earthborn. I also have Halo, two flavors of Fromm, Acana and Orijen puppy. I wanted to get through all of the cheaper stuff first in hopes of finding something he likes.

A few extra things to add, I am feeding him separately from the spaniel who is very food aggressive. But I feed him with my terrier as I want to start transititioning my terrier to a better diet as well for when we move out. Sometimes the pup seems distracted because the terrier gets something different (4Health adult and the same topper the pup gets). But he does want to eat the terrier’s. He gets awfully burpy when he eats. I am looking to add sardines and perhaps switching to plain Kefir for the probiotic. Switching to raw right now is not something I want to do. I am unsure about getting the right balance, and his puppy stage is far too important to screw up. I do plan on introducing him to all the raw elements I want to use in the future, and at around a year old, we may make the switch. And I cannot afford to do commercial or dehydrated food. I love the guy, but I can’t justify spending as much to feed him as to fees me not to mention it’s not in the budget.

Boy that was long just to get to what I wanted to ask. Is he training me to spoon feed him? It seems like all of my meals with him end with me begging him to finish so much so that I grab the spoon. His nutrition is so important to me. I can’t stand him missing a meal or wasting that food! Any ideas?

[Susan]

Hi Abby, he may have IBS, my boy has IBD, I resuced him about 19months ago, Patch is also a stress head, so maybe this has something to do why they get IBS, Patch also has been on the Metronidazole a couple of times in the begining & had anal gland problems, vets put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal in the end, since being on the vet Diet Eukanuba he’s been doing real good, his anal glands dont need expressing by vet no more….when I tried to change his kibble last December I didnt realise that he cant handle too much fat, Ive found if the kibble is around 10%-12% fat he’s Ok, no diarrhea, also I have to keep him on a lower protein kibble & the Eukanaba Intestinal low residue is 23% protein 10% fat & 1.75% fiber, I think in America you have the IAMS but the ingredients are different to the Eukanuba has no by-products & lower fat & lower fiber then the Iams low residue kibble..I’d try the vet prescription, if you cant get Eukanuba Intestinal then the Royal Canin low fat is similar with fat% Protein % & fiber %.. Ive had to have Patch just on the Eukanuba for around 6 months, no treats nothing else, just his Intestinal kibble, vet said his bowel needs to rest & heal then when his poos were excellent.. I started to sooooo slowley tried now foods, also Wellness Simple is good with Limited ingredients, I’m slowley adding the Duck & Oatmeal kibble with his Intestinal the fat is 11% protein is 19% Protein is a bit low but if he doesnt get sloppy poos or diarrhea thats excellent, I also give him a small tin of tuna in spring water drained then mixed with about 2 big tablespoons of pumkin for breakfast, next week Im going to add a boiled egg to the mix as I half the mix for the next morning aswell..the Tuna & egg will boast his protein a bit more, I also use a good dog probiotic…Ive read that the prebiotics in the kibbles get damaged from heat & when transported if left in the heat or sun, so ur better off given ur own probiotic awell & a kibble with FOS.. I try not to let Patch stress & keep his routine the same everyday, I feed him the same time everyday, walk him same time, I also take him everywhere with me, well where I can, he loves meeting people..If I change something in his day, Ive noticed he’ll be real whinging & have his pain that night & next morning.
In Australia the Wellness dog kibbles are dearer then the vet prescrition diets, I dont know why, I pay $32 for 2kilos of the vet Eukanuba Intestinal & the Wellness Simple is $37 for only 1.8kilos…try to make him feel secure & in time he’ll learn to trust again, when I first got Patch he wouldn’t let me out the front door without crying & whinging, then he learnt that she just going shopping so when he sees my shopping bag he knows she’ll just be about 20min & she’ll come back & I give him his second bit of breakfast, I break Patches meals up into 5 meals a day, I found he couldnt stomach real big meals at once…its sad alot of these rescues have had it hard, not all, my last rescue was healthy wasn’t nervous but she was younger… Patch is 5 years old..in time things do get better.

[Susan]

Hi Amy, its not the Frontline, frontline only penetrates the first 1-2 layers of their skin, My boy had a reaction to Advantage DO NOT USE the Advantage penetrates thru the skin to their blood, within 24hrs one side of my boys head swelled up his ear & his bottom lip swelled, & he was vomiting blood early hours of the morning, at first I didnt think the Advantage until I rung his vet. the best way to know whats happening is an elimination diet, for 1 month you just feed 1 new protein & say boiled pumkin or rice nothing else no treats nothing, thats if you think it could be foods, I used chicken in Patches elimantion diet but now I think Patch cant have chicken as the lumps on his head that look like hives got worst, Patches vet said that he has seasonal allergies & cause I just rescued him 19 months ago she said I’ll start to see a pattern, I noticed last winter Patch was good, no itch but the end of summer Patch got all his hive like lumps, itching & rubbing along the wall, this winter Patch has his hive like lumps again, so I look in Patches diary & last winter I wasnt feeding him chicken, this winter I was feeding chicken, so Ive stopped the chicken…Ive heard all these test are no good as they give false readings the best would be if you could try him on raw, Im just starting a new kibble called Wellness Simple it has limited ingredients, also watch his carbs, no potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no carrots no high carbs that turn to sugar that makes yeasty itchy skin.. If he can handle it i’d feed raw.. & google a good Raw diet for itchy skin..Ive been thinking of putting Patch on Raw but he has IBD & I have enough trouble trying to find a low fat kibble, so raw would have to much fat for Patch..also there could be a plant or grass in ur garden or on his walks that he’s allergic to, I’ve changed Patches walking route to see if that helps….Its winter here in Australia, so if Patch has enviornment allergies or seasonal allergies like his vet said, why is he getting them now being winter & he didnt last year, thats whats making me look at his food this year, I use Malaseb Medicated shampoo, & I use a cortisone cream when he gets some of the red itchy sores, I found the cortsone 1% cream is excellent Im just using my cream…just look at the ingredients in his kibble & see if there’s Potatos sweet potatos carrots, lentils any high carb foods…A friend from the dog park had a staffy that was so itchy he was red & losing his fur she tried the vet diets they didnt work then she tried the Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys sardines & salmon & her boy is looking excellent not scratching fur all grown back..so a few people from the dog park are using the Holistic Select with great results… Im also given Patch tuna & pumkin for breakfast to replace the chicken & his hives have gone. sorry for the book..Oh a good dog probiotic this will help too…good-luck

[Leah12345]

There are more knowledgeable folks on here so I will be waiting to hear their thoughts about diet and Frontline! My two cents: My Molly too suffers from a poor beginning, but has made SO much progress. She is a rescue pup too with a variety of skin problems that stopped after changing her to a grain-free food. We went through a number of these before realizing that poultry and white potatoes were a big problem for her. She now eats Earthborn Holistic with Bison being the one protein she can tolerate. She also has a variety sensitivities to shampoos so I bathe her at home now and process of elimination has led to Pet Head easy rinse shampoo and leave in conditioner. It gets some poor reviews, but she has to be washed and this doesn’t cause problems for her.

If you do try the at-home allergy test, will you post a new thread? I would love to hear the results.

[Nancy C]

Oops I realize I am veering away from TOW…. but I AM actually moving toward RAW as well, just got Dr. Becker’s book and have watched her videos, been on field trip to local pet stores to SEE the foods. Here I can get NV Instinct, PRIMAL if necessary but they are out of sight $$. I have located a few drug free livestock suppliers here where I could get my meat, so I think I’m moving along in my education. We go back and forth to the coast a good bit. (I’m in NC) and we take our dogs — pack up all our food (have a little cottage on a quiet little island ) — so it will be difficult doing raw, driving 4 hours to then get on a ferry. NOPE. I need to find something EASY (more portable) that I can rotate on and off of as necessary. Had thought about The Honest Kitchen also but then read those reviews on DFA at Honest Kitchen Review, with the pictures of the large veggies in the food. There was a strange poster there. The discussion veered AWAY from THK to the identity of the multiple “poser” – Poster….. Consequently my search continues for a few easy but highly healthy, high quality (protein, fat, carbs all within a healthy range) food. I REALLY appreciate your comments as well as the more advanced people at DFA. Thank you!!

[Nancy C]

I have been throwing one in the food bowl at breakfast and then sometimes at supper (during high season — summer). I’m in NC. Looking at this bottle it is WF 365 Odorless Garlic 500mg and is PINK on the label. My vet nicely chewed me out late last fall for NOT giving the Sentinel year long. I had ONLY been giving it in the warm months (May-Sept) which is what my breeder told me 25 years ago when I got my first golden. THat golden lived over 15 years! She got heart worm meds during those warm months ONLY. With this second Golden ( 10 yrs old and GREAT HEALTH) I did the same until the vet realized it last fall and told me I was PUTTING HER AT SERIOUS RISK. SHE COULD GET HEART WORMS EVEN IN JANUARY! I am not sure I believe that, however, this is an excellent vet so I started the sentinel. I HATE IT. Now that I do the Sentinel there is no reason to continue the garlic.
I have learned about a product that is NON TOXIC which works also as heartworm prevention. I know someone who I consider “very informed” and connected in high places maybe I should say — has two extraordinary dogs to whom he is devoted and he uses this non toxic stuff. The company does not advertise it for heartworms, nonetheless this individual says that it covers them and many people use it for heartworms. Here is the website: http://www.firstchoicenaturals.com/resourcearticles/parasitesbegonefrommypet.php
This individual knows such information and would NEVER trust a company unless he KNEW. His dogs are big in his life. So go and see.
I will add this: The same vet who got me BACK on the Sentinel Wagon full time also in June initiated a conversation about LEPTO VIRUS, recommending that I get the shots for both my dogs. I have been researching LEPTO VIRUS and so far as I can tell there are too many strains of it for the vaccine to cover AND there are risks in taking the vaccine. The vaccine is expensive and you start with TWO SHOTS. Also you must keep up with it annually. This is a MONEY MAKER FOR THE VETS. Lepto is not new. It was “discovered” back in the late 1800’s and my suspicion is that the vets and researchers AND BIG PHARMA have created this hype about YOU NEED THIS VACCINE!! A neighbor’s dog supposedly died from it in March but her other 2 dogs did not catch it. And I am even wondering if the diagnosis was correct. I read that sometimes it is MISdiagnosed. Bottom line: This is a subject that warrants more research and WAKEFUL OWNERS. I am interested in any other opinions.
Good luck with the Garlic. OH – my dog would just eat it up in the food. The capsule is so small that unless you have a picky eater it will disappear. Otherwise you could wrap it with cheese softened in your hand and the dog will hopefully swallow it.

[RescueDaneMom]

There are some recipes at the beginning of this thread by Hound Dog Mom. I use 2 books for my homemade raw: 1- unlocking the canine ancestral diet by Steve Brown and 2- real food for healthy dogs and cats by Beth Taylor and Karen Becker. If you are looking for quick and easy, Steve Brown makes a premix for boneless meats called See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix. You mix about a tablespoon or two (can’t remember which) with one pound of boneless lean meat. I imagine it would be much more cost effective for you than Primal.

[Nancy C]

Just for the record, my 10 yr old Golden hs been titered since age 2 when she finished the mandatory vaccinations. Every single year the blood work has come out GREAT. The breeder of my first golden who lived over 15 yrs told me to TITER and not vaccinate. She was always healthy. She also told me to ONLY give heart work meds during May through September, which I did. I also did that with my present 10 year old Golden and 1 year ago my vet chewed me out, saying she could get heartworms and I should do it ALL THE TIME. IT scared me so badly I started full time. HOWEVER, I am researching a protocol that is not unsafe and is holistic which I will share later. When I took my two dogs in back in May for annual check ups the vet gave me a pamphlet on LEPTO VIRUS. NOW she wants to vaccinate BOTH DOGS for that virus. I have been studying it and from what I can tell there are several strains of it and not all are covered by the vaccine, plus getting the vaccing CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS… in other words, like ALMOST ALL VACCINES it is not risk free. The vet office called me yesterday to SCHEDULE THE 1st LEPTO SHOT (they come in twos apparently) and I told her I was not ready to commit.
I am sharing this because the vets are tied in to BIG PHARMA, sorry, but they are. It is part of their bread and butter. The Pharmaceutical Industry is HUGE and they are in bed with the FDA. Don’t be fooled that the FDA is looking after you. NOPE. They look after themselves. BIG HUGE MONEY. At the 9/11 tragedy in NYC of all industries in the USA, BIG PHARMA did the best economically. I studied for 6 yrs with one of the FOUNDERS of the AMERICAN HOLisTIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION and learned more than I could absorb about the Pharmaceuticals. Marcia Angel MD writes a wonderful book, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES; WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. She was the EDITOR IN CHIEF of the NEw Engl Jour of Medicine for 20 years and explains HOW the Pharmas control the journals now. PRESSURE. And the clinical trials — watch out. Enough on that but suffice it to say that you DO need to keep your eyes open and go HOLISTIC when you can. Last comment: My daughter is a doctor at Stanford Medical Center and I will tell you that MEdical People are marinated in Pharma Talk. IT’s all they have: Meds and Surgeries (Procedures)…. and I am suggesting that mainstream vets are pretty much prey to them too.
That’s it for me. Good luck.

[eli s]

My sweet Tibetan Terrier is approaching 16 years old. One of her eyes is is already blue-cloudy. According to the vet, this is not cataract, but rather aging of the lens. According to him, she cant see with that eye. The other eye so far is not fully cloudy yet, but I can see that it starts to spread and I assume that at some point that eye will become cloudy as well. She already has problem with direct sun and outside she is taking her steps carefully.

My question is, is there anyone here who knows what im talking about or has the same experience with their dog?

Do they really not see anything through the cloudy eye?

I dont know how it would be for her when both eyes are cloudy. Would she even manage to see where she goes?

[crazy4cats]

Bobby dog-
Again, thanks. And to whoever asked, YES, I’ve used Fresh Pet. I really ( I mean my dogs, lol!) like it! But truth of the matter, I did taste it. It was not yummy to me. I just have a lot of canned and Honest Kitchen on hand to use up, otherwise I’d stick in my topper rotation. Never tried it with the cats, however. I should though. It’s just so frustrating when they turn their noses up. I always have to make sure the thyroid girl gets enough food.
So, I think my Buhner dog will be fine. They thought there might be something in his throat. But the X-Ray showed a lot of inflammation, but nothing stuck. He probably chewed up or ate something he shouldn’t have and scratched him all up. His teeth and gums were fine. They gave him an anti inflammatory shot. He was so good with the vet! Except he did express his anal glands on the wall when they were getting the X-ray! Oops! I hand fed him some canned tonight and he started eating a little. Hopefully whatever it was came out one end or the other already. My 19 year old son is out of school now and doesn’t keep a great eye on the dogs during the day thanks for asking!

[aquariangt]

I’m not super adverse to paying a bit more for brands that aren’t everywhere (read: PetSmart and PetCo, though I have things I buy from there) I use Acana, and Honest Kitchen, for some reason Nature’s Variety and Wellness’ prices just really bother me, haha.

[Linsey H]

Hi there, I started reading these forums back when I was first researching a puppy, and so far it has served me well, though I finally have a question. I know that there is a separate thread for large breed puppies, but I felt like my question might have been a bit too long and complicated for it.

I have a 21w, 45lb female Shiloh Shepherd and she has recently started teething. I have been restricting her calcium pretty thoroughly, though I have heard from several reliable people that I should be giving her more during her teething phase. My internet searches so far have been unhelpful and I have not found much scientific data on large breeds and teething. I am also a little concerned with her current diet ratios, so if I am doing something terrible, I am hoping that someone can call me out on it. So far my puppy has been putting on steady 2 pounds a week, with the exception of a few ~3lb/week growth spurts. She does appear to get occasional growing pains still though.

Her current diet:
She receives two meals a day which consist of kibble and toppers, and since she is a puppy she still receives a significant amount of training treats. I have been using http://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/pdf/CalorieRequirementsForDogs.pdf as a rough guideline for calories- my puppy gets roughly 1.1-1.3k C from kibble and then 200-500C from toppers, chews and training treats. I have read that large breeds have slightly different requirements after 4mo, plus my puppy is decently active- she walks a lot, plays plenty of fetch, and then gets at least 1 hour of dog play through various outlets daily. I generally adjust how much she gets of what based on what she did that day, and she has been staying very lean and well muscled.

For kibble, her breeder had her on Earthborn Holistic: Meadow Feast, and since that was on Hound Dog Mom’s list and had the right amount of calcium I have kept her on it. The breeder also suggested using Flexicose and Missing Link Puppy as supplements- I am not sure if Missing Link is the best, but the breeder said that the calcium amounts checked out (only the min is on the package).

For toppers, she almost always gets a tablespoon of pumpkin and then either raw green tripe, a raw ground mix from our butcher, or canned PetKind. The raw mix consists of 10% green tripe, 10% organs, and 80% beef – it is bone free and has been the main thing reducing calcium in her diet. As of last month, I have started giving my puppy either a raw (irradiated) egg or a chicken wing every 2-3 days (whenever she finishes .75-1lb pound of the supplement). I had read somewhere that a chicken wing contains ~1.86g of calcium and 89g total with ~38% being bone, though my math is still somewhat guestimate-y. I also have backs and necks, but I was under the impression that they had more calcium.

For treats, she either gets soft Buddy Biscuits (grain free), dried/dehydrated meat, lamb lung, Orijen treats, or cooked chicken- she definitely prefers softer treats and no is no longer interested in kibble rewards (she spits it out in training). When I had her on only meat-based rewards, she started to get a little snobbish so I reintroduced the Buddy Biscuits, but I am not sure that they are the healthiest option. I try to limit the amount on normal days to 100C, and then for days she has class (or if I work with her on a lot of new behaviors) she gets 200-300C.

For chews, she either gets Beams (fish skin), bison trachea (dehydrated, I have not been able to find raw/frozen), or tendon- though she is not as interested in the last two since she has been teething. Pumpkin filled kongs have been another option, though she is not a big kong fan. Lamb lung, jerky, or sweet potato, are rare accompaniments to the pumpkin. She is a gentle chewer and only finishes the beams in a single session. She is no longer interested in fruit/veggie chews. For teething, I have tried frozen towels/ropes soaked in a broth solution, but she has yet to go for them. Her favorite “chew” is definitely the raw bones, but I don’t want to give her too many due to calcium levels.

Anyways, my core question is this:
Does her current diet seem too far out of balance?

With the follow-ups being these:
1) Am I giving her too many calories in unbalanced toppers and treats?
2) Is my puppy getting too much or not enough calcium?
3) Are there other raw chewing options with less calcium (unless she needs more)?
4) Are there any specific books I should read in addition to Dr. Becker and Steve Brown’s books?
5) What are some of the better online resources for buying raw? My local butcher shop is pretty great, but unfortunately they don’t carry everything.

[aquariangt]

BDog: I’ve tried NVI medallions (chicken) with no success whatsoever. In fact, I think she was insulted… the monologue in my mind “Listen, <insert namecalling here>, this is more expensive than anything you’ve ever touched, so don’t give me that look” not that it did any good, she wouldn’t eat it.

I’ve got an HK sample from an event I did this weekend to try out, we’ll see!

I also tried Precise at the recommendation from someone at work, almost the exact recipe of the wellness pouch, wouldn’t touch it. While it’s chunky, it was really more a pate.

Nat Bal I’ve read can be chunky but the company makes me nervous, so I don’t really feed anything by them

[theBCnut]

Candy molds from walmart or where ever hold about 3/4 of an oz. I have pumpkins and gingerbread men. I like the gingerbread men best because I can cut off arms, legs, or head as needed for the JRT.

[Michele N]

I’ve done my research with my dog for the past 5 years, as he’s had issues since I’ve had him. I KNOW how to read a label, and believe me, I’ve spent more time doing that than anyone I know. I am not an idiot that doesn’t know how to read ingredients, and I am offended at Dinovite, who sent me an ingredient list, of a dog food, that is NOT even what I feed my dog. Maybe THEY should do their research before sending out an email of an ingredient list of a completely different dog food then what I feed my dog. It’s pretty ignorant if you ask me. I have the privilege of knowing pet nutritionist, holistic vets, and have come to my own conclusions, that feeding raw is the very best option, especially if you use your own human food, because then you know exactly what your dog is eating. Unfortunately I cannot afford to feed him this on a daily basis, nor do I always have the time to prepare it for my 3. I am lucky to have 2 excellent pet food stores, not big commercial chain stores, that actually do their research and buy high quality dog and cat food. I switched to grain free years ago, but until I found a brand that used a very limited amount of ingredients did my poor allergy sufferer get any true relief and his skin infection cleared up,and all of his fur grew back. I also think taking him to an allergist and having him tested for every ingredient in dog food, is not only ridiculously expensive, but it’s a huge waste of money. The fact being that the dog food companies use fillers with their mix of vitamins, some of which come from China and India. This is NOT listed on the ingredients on any package including this Dinovite stuff. So that being said, none of us REALLY know every single ingredient in dog food, or premixed vitamins, like Dinovite. Who knows where they get the fillers used to bind the vitamin mix. Who knows for sure what is truly in it? Fact is, my dog is allergic to the outside environment and there isn’t anything I can do to prevent that, which is partly why I wanted to try this Dinovite to help him with this time of year, as they claim the vitamin mix helps dogs with yeast and allergy issues. But instead of helping him, it made him break out with red bumps all over his body, and now we have to deal with a skin infection. There is obviously something in this product that he is very allergic to. So my question is, why is this company putting ingredients in their product, that could cause these severe allergic reactions in dogs that already have immune suppressed systems? Why are they telling people to put their dogs on a yeast free, and grain free diet, yet put those ingredients in their supplement? It seems highly irresponsible of this company to CLAIM to help these dogs, only to make them worse. I can use my own supplements in my dogs food, which is what I was doing, without issues, so I guess, yes , I should’ve known better. Any product out there that CLAIMS to be a cure all, is really a SCAM! I have learned to trust my better judgement, and know that most of these pet products are full of crap. Literally! Also explain to me why when I emailed Dinovite, telling them since putting my dog on it, he is itchier, that,they told me that I need to keep him on it longer because I haven’t given it enough time to do it’s work? Maybe they need to hire some reputable people that give out good advice instead of just caring about their pocket book. Maybe they need to put a disclaimer on their product, stating that this supplement may actually make your dog sicker than he was before starting him on it, and may require you taking him to the vet and paying out enormous vet bills to fix the problem that our product may cause your pet. This product may have helped other dogs that don’t have poor immune systems that can handle the crap they put in this product.

[crazy4cats]

Bobby Dog-
Yes, I’m good today. Probably over reacted. Thanks for your vote of confidence. When she insinuated I was compromising the health of my dogs by boarding them and hiding from the truth about vaccinations, it was very frustrating. I just don’t want to dwell on the negative. I know the negative. Geez! LOL! On another note, for another thread, I think I will be taking one of my dogs to the vet today as he won’t eat. I think something may be wrong with his mouth or teeth. Shoot, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another!

Sharon-
Sounds like you are getting good deals through chewy for canned food. It’s so ridiculously expensive. I ordered a case of Chicken Soup from Pet Flow and a few of the cans were dented. That is the downfall of ordering, you can’t pick out the cans yourself! And, I also, wonder if there is something about the can taste that leads her cats to like the pouches better? Hmmm… Smart Cat!

[Brenda P]

Thanks Aimee – We did do the 3-day collection (3.2) after the initial single collection (3.3). Then again two weeks after starting enalapril (0.9) and reducing dietary protein. My biggest struggle now is to find a healthy diet she will eat. I’ve gotten a ton of great info from the DogAware.com site, and also found a fantastic compendium “Nutritional Management of Protein-Losing Nephropathy in Dogs” written by two nutritional vets. The vet article recommends 25%-50% reduction in protein from current diet and explains that it’s critical avoid excessive protein restriction. Phosphorous restriction is more critical. So based on what she was eating before, I’m looking for a diet that will provide max 5g/100kcal protein and max 150mg/100kcal phosphorous. She’s always loved her kibble and gobbled it down without hesitation. I’ve read posts here from Shawna that say kibble is BAD. I’m willing to switch to canned but it’s hard to find the nutritional info I need on either the label or on the manufacturer’s websites. I’m going to start writing to some of them to ask for the specific content that I’m trying to find.

[Cyndi]

I’m never vaccinating my dog either. After all the horror stories I’ve heard and read about. We have to do rabies vaccs here, it’s the law, but other than that, not doing anything else. I use all natural stuff for fleas, but I do use Ivermectin (sp?) for heartworm once every 45 days during mosquito season because they are bad here.

We were just having this discussion on the review side and there’s quite a few people on here that don’t do any vaccinating except for puppy shots…

All I can say is, inform yourself, do research and read, read, read. There are a ton of articles out there proving dogs don’t need vaccines every year or really ever, after their first puppy shots.

[Suburban Gal]

My mom’s former co-worker and friend, Sharon, has several Shih Tzus. She also does Shih Tzu rescue.

We just found out that Sharon no longer vaccinates her dogs. While she cites age as a reason why (all of her dogs are seniors), that’s only part of it. She says there’s a whole new train of thought about over vaccinating pets and that science shows that most vaccines are good for life or at least 7 years from the time they’re given. She told me about Dr. Schultz of the UW-Madison veterinary school and says he has quite a following. In addition to not vaccinating, she doesn’t give heartworm prevention nor does she do flea and tick prevention either. She says she titers when she can.

Honestly, none of my pets have ever had any problems from vaccinations. While any animal could have an adverse reaction to any vaccine, the probability is small according to many veterinarians.

I also can’t imagine not giving flea and tick prevention. We tried cutting corners once to save some money by not giving that during the winter months and we still had an infestation of fleas which also spread to my uncle’s home when we took the pets to visit him shortly after we stopped giving flea and tick prevention. Never again. My pets get it continuously year round. And I can’t imagine not giving anything to prevent heartworm. That’s not only expensive to treat, but fatal as well.

While I think highly of Sharon and applaud her for engaging in her breed’s rescue efforts, I don’t support her decision to stop vaccinating altogether and titer when she can. Just because someone says you shouldn’t vaccinate doesn’t mean you should stop. Vaccinations are given for a reason and some are required, like rabies, because it’s not only for the greater good of you, as some things are transmissible to owners, and your pet but it’s good for the greater whole of society as well.

This is no different from those who say they’re not going to vaccinate their children.

I find it all very bizarre.

Does anyone here know what I’m talking about? Do you agree? Are pets over vaccinated? Did you stop vaccinating?

[Sandy H]

Hi Tara,
You can go here and read everything you could want to know.
http://www.epi4dogs.com
I had a jack Russell with EPI, and for most people, GETTING TO THE CORRECT diagnosis is the worst part, when your dog is sick and nothing seems to help.
Good luck!

[Michele N]

I have a 5 year old German Shepherd who has had allergies since he was just a pup. We have tried just about everything out on the market to relieve his itching. He has itched his fur off at times, and it is black underneath. He has a yeasty smell to him. He had to be on steroid shots when he was younger due to his terrible outbreaks and skin infections. He gets worse in the summer, but his problem went year round. Until I got sick of having him on high doses of Benadryll and taking him to the vet for the allergy medicine, which really didn’t help the problem, just gave him a little relief. After a year of me spending hours of researching nutrition , and yeast problems in dogs, I stumbled upon a dog food, that pretty much saved my dogs life. It is Dr. E’s Limited Ingredient Grain and Potato Free Food. It only contains 5 ingredients. For the first time in his life, my dogs fur grew back and he stopped itching and he didn’t smell anymore. I also have him on supplements, probiotics, digestive enzymes by Mercola, Jointsaver, & Lysine. This spring came all the pollens and grass which he is also allergic to, and he started itching again. Although this time he didn’t scratch off his fur. He just had some hot spots, and so I had a friend suggest trying Dinovite, because he said it was helping his dog. I can say that since I put him on this supplement, about a week and a half, he has been itching himself until he bleeds. I emailed the company and they said that was not enough time for the product to work. So I continued a couple more days, and now I am ready to toss this stuff in the garbage. I am so steaming furious, that this company would put out a product that contains yeast as an ingredient, and a ground grain sorghum, and then tell you to put your dog on a yeast and grain free diet, makes no sense to me. I don’t know where they source their ingredients, maybe China, I don’t know, but what I do know is that my dog hasn’t been this bad off in years. He has red bumps all over his legs, back, stomach, groin, even his tail. He is so miserable, that now I may have to have him go back on the terrible medicine I wanted him off of. He has bad hips and elbows and arthritis, so the last thing he needs to be on are steroids. But now it seems as if he has a horrible skin infection after being on this product. We haven’t changed anything else in his diet , so I know for sure, that this reaction is caused from the Dinovite. I absolutely DO NOT recommend giving ANY dog this product that has allergies, immune disorders, pancreatic disorders, or skin problems. He was doing oK, with his allergies, he was itchy, but he didn’t have these red bumps all over his body, and he wasn’t scratching himself bloody. Now I am going to have a huge vet bill, on top of a very miserable dog. I am One very UNHAPPY customer. I should have known better. The less ingredients he has in his diet , the better. There is no miracle cure for allergies, and any product that claims to be, is lying. The only thing you can really do, is limit your dogs ingredients, find a food that has limited ingredients or feed a raw diet so that you know exactly what your dog is eating. Use human grade supplements recommended by a holistic vet, and research dog nutritionists and find one and talk to one if you can. And if you dog is allergic to pollen and grass like mine is, give them baths frequently after they’ve been outside. I use Zymox enzymatic shampoo and rinse. I also have used Dermagic and all of their products are fantastic, especially the hot spot salve. It doesn’t just sooth the itchy skin, it takes the hot spots away. I am mad that I got sucked in to this SCAM at my dogs expense!

[Susan]

Hi Small, I never gave Patch no Prednisone, I read alot & its a quick fix that doesnt get to the root of his real problem, It has helped a few dogs with real bad IBD but not all…I rung the new vet & told him that I still havnt given Patch no Prednisone..he said thats OK, then I said Im stopping his boiled chicken in the morning then he said if you elminate chicken I have to change his eukanuba Intestinal as its chicken & turkey, so I bought the wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal the duck has the lowest fat% 11%, I swapped his chicken with Tuna in springwater he only gets half a small can drained then mixed with pumkin on 1 slice of toast to keep it down, as he was burping up the chicken & pumkin, he seems better on the Tuna we just had 2 days that he had his pain in his stomach, Ive read a few of Dr Beckers post & she said that some dogs dont make enough stomach acid, thats probably why when he took the Losec it made things worst as the Losec would of stopped all stomach acids & Carafate never helped, I thought the Zantac was helping but maybe not as when things work he lets me give them to him like his Probiotic I mix with 10ml water & he loves drinking it but when he sees me get his Zantac he’d run & start playing try & catch me mum I dont want that pill….I hate changing kibbles I always worry will he get diarrhea like once before, so Ive just been giving him some Simple Duck kibbles as treat & some mixed in with his lunch time kibble, but his hive like lumps on his head that he was getting are gone so maybe he cant tolorate chicken, but his Intestinal has Chicken unless the way its cooked for kibble in the end there’s not much chicken at 23% protein, if I increase his protein he get his stomach reflux & pain, all I know is when he gets whatever he gets, he’ll sit near me lift his front right paw & I have to rub his tummy & he starts doing his licking his mouth like he feels sick..I ask him do u fell sick & he’ll start to lick me as if to say yes…
May I ask Small what vitamins & minerals do you give, Im in Australia & I cant order the Mercola or Berte products they dont have a distributor for Austraila they need someone to export their products.. Ive looked online for digestive enzymes & I cant find none, so Id say Id have to get from the vet as they can order in stuff we cant..

[Akari_32]

The cans I had had big black spots in them. They didn’t smell bad, but it weirded me out. I threw a few cans away that I had already opened, and the rest were taken back. Until Simmons emails me back and wants to explain, then I’ll not be using anything that I know to be canned by them.

Right now, from what I’ve seen with out too much digging, EVO 95% is in our price range after my $4 off coupon is applied. That would bring it down to $21 a case. TOTW is too, but I’m pretty sure thats Simmons too, right? And I think they use sweet potatoes and such, as well. I’d like to stick to 95+% recipes to keep those carbs away. By Nature is still on sale on PetFlow. Maybe I’ll just have mom get another case of that. I have some credit with them from a damaged item they didn’t want back… I just hate to have all one brand. I’d like to at least give him two brands, you know?

I’m looking at $30 or less per case. Preferably $25 or less (much preferably lol). Here’s a link to their dog food. The canned foods start on page 22, which is where the link should dump you off at… I don’t really know what I should be looking for, other than grain free. But grain free doesn’t mean low carb :/ If you have any ideas, throw them at me!

http://www.petsupermarket.com/products/petsupermarket/dog/dog-food.aspx?pgidx=22&pgsize=10

[crazy4cats]

Oh, poor baby! How frustrating. There is a ton of great info on irritable bowel and inflammatory bowel on dogaware.com. Check out thei digestive disorders thread. My dogs never lost appetite when battling Giardia or Coccidia. Also never noticed any rumbling. So maybe something different is going on. But, I believe all the antibiotics and dewormers I used gave them a leaky and/or irritable gut. I used several of the supplements suggested on the above mentioned site to repair it and they are doing much better. Check out the website and I hope your get can come up with an answer from the test. Best wishes.

[crazy4cats]

Regina-
So did your pups have Giardia? Or was the Metronidazole just to treat the diarrhea? If they did have it, did you get another test to make sure that it was gone. My dogs took several treatments to get rid of it. Metronidazole is not very effective. I’ve read in several articles where it is only about 60 percent effective. Did you also give panacur or Drontal Plus at all? If you find out they still have it,please write back because I had to use a lot of holistic type remedies to rid them of it. I’d be glad to help you out. It can be very frustrating. Coccidia is much easier to clear. Good luck!