[Linda H]

OK – I joined this section to get to the good foods ! Editors choice – Whole EarthFarms Grain Free Recipe Beef and Lamb – I just read reviews on the main site here – that there is a horrendous BAD smell – and people returning the product due to the smell being so bad and dogs getting sick. Foreign objects found in the canned food and apple seeds and bones. OK back to the drawing board – 🙁

[Linda H]

I just joined this “Editors Choice” section – glad I did because I was spending many hours reading reviews ! I want a dry dog food that is 4 or 5 stars – possibly grain free – but I don’t want chicken and turkey at the beginning of the ingredient list. He has issues with chicken and turkey. His present food has pork and beef – so I was really happy to read about Whole Earth Farms Grain free recipe with Beef and Lamb….even though that is the name of it – the first ingredient is Pork. Well now I am going to see if it is available where the website said it is -that info sometimes not reliable, so I will call tomorrow.
Was this company bought by Merrick ? I hope it is a good company. It is important to me that it is made where it says and not outsourced, or private labeled, or subcontracted. I want to just have confidence and stay with a company that is well established.
I am also interested in the Hearty Beef Stew Grain free by Whole Earth Farms – canned.

[pacer1978]

Hello HDM,

I am researching the forums trying to find some answers to my questions and found this thread.

I hope you can help me with a quick question. I have been introducing my dogs to raw a little over time. I have fed them Nature’s Variety and right now they have Primal as well. Most of their food is kibble based (Earthborn, NV, or Fromme). My first question is whether the commercial raw foods are ideal or is it best to purchase the raw (human) food from the supermarket and make it yourself? I do have three dogs (2 Weimaraners and one mix-40lbs), so to keep cost down would be helpful. IS there a cost effective way of feeding raw?

On a side note, we received bad news last week that our 40lb dog, Lucy (the mix), has lung tumors. We’ve only had her for 4 years and took her in as a stray wandering our neighborhood. I have read recently two different perspectives. One, that raw is bad for a dog that already has a lower immune system, but also read articles claiming that a raw diet, with fresh Kale and Turmeric is a good idea to feed a dog that has cancer. Any ideas which is best? Should I discontinue the raw in Lucy’s diet altogether?

[Brenda P]

Our 9+ year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Kelci, has been diagnosed with protein losing nephropathy and her Urine protein:creatinine ratio is pretty high at 3.3 (normal should be >.05). Her Blood Albumin level is also low. All other kidney values are within normal ranges, so she has not advanced to uremia. The vet has started her on enalapril and there has already been a significant improvement after just two weeks with the protein:creatinine ratio having dropped to .09. The problem is that the vet has prescribed a low protein diet and I’m not in agreement, especially since Kelci walks away from the yucky Hill’s KD, and this pup will typically eat anything. She will approve of a moderate protein diet, but I’m having a very difficult time sifting through all of the information. I’m more concerned about low phosphorous and sodium (her blood pressure is high). Can anyone recommend a high-quality commercial food that is readily available at the pet supplies that carry the better brands?

BTW, we have two other dogs in the house and they are eating and loving Taste of the Wild kibble. I don’t mind continuing them on that and feeding Kelci a special diet, I just need a recommendation quickly for Kelci.

Thanks in advance,
Brenda P

[Anita L]

Akari,
At Sam’s it’s BetterBody Foods Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (56 oz) for $14.98.

Bobby’s Mom,
Again…WOW!
I have checked out the links and love them. Can’t wait to get over to the cat site. I read a piece of it the other day and am very excited!

I have the food list (GF Potato Free). Money is an issue. We are a 1 income family (by choice) but I finally decided to suck it up on the dry food and re-arrange a few things to make that work. Now, I’ll be looking for ways to make the canned food fit in that budget. I have your list from earlier.

My other question on the canned food is how much to give them? Is it on the can or are there other suggestions? Considering I’m using it as a topper….

On the ACV…..I have a personal problem with it. A few years ago, I had a major soar throat that wouldn’t go away and felt like it was coated with fuzzy/fluffy stuff. So, in my infinite wisdom, I made this concoction “to help” (I did NOT want to go to the doctor for their steroid and antibiotics that I didn’t think I needed) of ACV, touch of ginger and cayenne, and honey and then I chugged it…..Until the next day, I just wanted to throw up! All I could taste was the ACV. I was so miserable. So I now laugh at myself (especially since I made and drank about 5-6 oz instead of 1-2 oz….more was NOT better! LOLOL)…but I still cringe at drinking ACV. But I will keep it in mind for my pups. 🙂

One last question….just to clarify. I figured out about refined coconut being best and that refined was the same as virgin. So is extra virgin good as well…just extra refined? I’m thinking yes b/c I want to say I remember one of your links to the one you use was extra virgin. But I want to make sure….especially before I buy more today.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Sue:
I have no experience feeding fresh coconut to dogs, but I have read about it and it sounds interesting, might try it in the future.

Cold pressed is what you are looking for, that is the best process of making the oil so it retains all of the healthy benefits. So you might see, cold pressed, unrefined, or virgin on a label.

As far as brands, I only use organic and I have bounced around many different brands such as Nutiva and Spectrum. I have just settled on the brand sold at BJ’s (my price club) because it is so much cheaper than Wal-Marts price. Basically look for organic and a label stating it is unrefined, virgin, or cold pressed and you should be good to go.

Anita:
A few things about the info I posted. The treat recipes I posted by Dr. Becker are fine except I would only make the whole meat treats, not the recipes with potato flakes, veggies, or fruits. Or you could probably make those recipes minus the potatoes, veggies, or fruits. For now focus on feeding protein not carbs. The same for the ABC diet; If you decide to add healthy foods to the kibble your feeding, I would skip the veggie and fruit additions for now so you don’t keep feeding the yeast.

By the way, Steve Brown, author of the ABC diet, is very popular around DFA and you may want to check out his other books along with his website. I have not fed any of his products or read anything other than info from his website and the ABC download so I cannot recommend anything other than to check him out.

I don’t know what Detol Antiseptic lotion is. If I were in your shoes I would make a pov/io foot bath for them, easy enough since you already have it! Nothing to loose if it doesn’t help.

As far as canned food goes, I highly recommend it over kibble as most do on this site, but it just isn’t in my budget to feed my dog only canned. Canned food is more species appropriate as well as provides extra moisture. If budget isn’t an issue with you I also have many other 5 star brands I have fed if you want to give it a try.

Here is a link to the GF Potato free kibble thread on DFA for some kibble ideas. I believe if you keep reading other posters have mentioned some more brands in addition to the initial list.
/forums/topic/grain-and-potato-free-dog-foods/

I add a 1/4 t of organic ACV with the mother to each meal for Bobby. I did not start this because of his skin issues, but for his acid indigestion issues; it worked wonders for it. I also use it for my acid indigestion. After researching it I also found it has benefits for the skin as well.

I also have used a vinegar rinse on Bobby to help relieve his itchy skin, he seemed fine with it and it helped. I did it once or twice in the beginning and kind of forgot about it because his health improved pretty quickly with the routine I had established.

Here’s some info I saved about ACV:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/2_6/features/5220-1.html
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=2
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=3
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=1

Come on over to the other thread us cat lovers hang out on “cat food recommendations.”
/forums/topic/cat-food-recommendations/page/36/

Akari started the cat thread too! It is a pretty big thread so you may just want to jump in and ask questions. It would take a while to read everything. Also, we all recommend catinfo.org and littlebigcat.com for cat sites. catinfo.org is my bible for cat care. You will learn alot about food on that site.

[Anita L]

WOW!
Just…
WOW!

Y’all are ALL awesome!

Yes, this is all a lot to take it at one time. So I started a document where I could copy and paste and put it together by topic and sort it all out (or at least attempt to). I will definitely only be adding (or subtracting) 1 thing at a time. Right now, with the Miracle pack, good food and no treats, we’re already making positive steps and some improvement. I’m SO thankful I found this site and all of you!

I have stopped the bad treats that I have on hand. They will be going in the garbage.
The food they are getting is grain free. That has been in the last couple of months. I have still been working on which grain free doesn’t have the garbage…..Zolicylus, I like that you said start with NV Instinct Turkey Meal then transition to Brothers.

I’m still pondering adding the canned food as a topper…..I’ll have to remember to check the carbs in those.

On the Miracle Pack, that has been gradually stepping up to the correct dosage over the last couple of weeks and I can tell a big difference this week.

Sun or Mon, I was reading some of the links Bobby’s Mom posted about the Po/Iodine. I was making a mental note to go buy some and then realized I may already have it. I checked my first aid supplies and I DID have it. I was doin’-a-lil dance. I used it on the hot spots expecting Spocho to run. As soon as I layed that warm wash cloth with Po/Io solution on her, she just relaxed. It was awesome! She hasn’t been eating at it as much and the skin is looking better. One small step…..

I read something about soaking their feet in “Detol Antiseptic lotion” and then washing with Malaseb Shampoo. Exactly what is “Detol Antiseptic lotion” and where would you buy it (if at all)? The pups are now down to just chewing their feet (sometimes legs) and scratching their neck and ears. I have some tea tree hydrosol for the their ears, but was wondering about those poor feet.

As for the yeast…..I know all too well about it…from personal experience. When I learned, after having my daughter (now 7) that we both had yeast, I researched to the hilt to find out as much as possible and anything natural. One thing that helped us the most was a 1:10 vinegar solution on the yeast (showing on the outside); wipe with the vinegar solution, let air dry, then do an anti-fungal cream (rotating creams). Would it possibly help to soak their feet in the vinegar solution (instead of the Detol), then wash their feet….say in between baths?

The definitely always have clean water to drink whether they’re outside or in (mostly in now b/c of heat)…spoiled babies! LOL

Bobby’s mom, I did look at the activyl site and it said it was ok to bathe them after 24-48 hours. So Malaseb Shampoo, here we come! Hot Oil Treatment too if I can get help!

Coconut oil: definitely going to have to learn how to distract after applying it topically. Bobby’s mom, I’m glad you said that about checking the price club stores. We have a Sam’s Club and they have it! For SO much less than what I’ve been picking up at WalMart (hell on earth…IMO).

Bobby’s mom, it took me a while, but I was determined to check out all the links you posted. Great information. At least I feel like I have more of a plan now instead of taking “a stab in the dark” over and over. I downloaded the ABC e-book but I have not had a chance to read it. But I will be in the next few days.

I swear it has taken me 2 hours to put this together…pups want out, pups want in, daughter needs something, husband needs something, laundry, oh wait! cats are hungry too….LOL

And speaking of cats, now I’m realizing how I need to change their food and add probiotics, etc. Bless their hearts! It’s mother and daughter and they are old: 12 and 13. I don’t want them to be miserable for their last years. They still bring me prizes to the door…mostly birds.

This is all I can think of for now. I will be continuing to follow this post and will also update with results.

I just can’t say how wonderful it is to find ONE place like this for help! THANKS!!!!

[Akari_32]

Ok, I’ll use that for now.

She doesn’t care. She still feeds him candy, or bread or some crap, and then when I yell at her for it she says “you only live once! You still eat ice cream don’t you?” I may be allergic to milk, but it doesn’t give me a nasty, fully body skin infection. My stomach just hates me for a few hours. Big difference, there, retard. She also refuses to pay for the $50 worth of food and shampoo I bought I for him, and went off at me last night for me not having any money. “I’ll pay for his food when he’s eating what I want to feed him.” Whatever. When I don’t give you the money for my bills that are under your name because I have to feed your dog, don’t come crying to me.

That particular store carries a lot of weird meats. There’s a large population of Ukrainians, Russians, and Haitians, etc, around here, so that Publix orders in lots of meats they use in there cookings. The one I work at, down the road, doesn’t get anything fun in, though I’m sure they could. I’m more sure how other companies work, but just ask you never know :p

[Akari_32]

Just an update on Bentleys new routine:

His hair is growing back, and he’s very noticeably less itchy. I keep meaning to get some whatever/iodine stuff, but when I get off work, the only thing on my mind is getting the heck outta there lol But I’ve been using that shampoo from PetFlow. Says to use it a few times a week for a month, then once a week after that. Do you think it would be ok to rotate through three different types of medicated shampoo? I’ve got some ProSence Allergy and Itch Shampoo in addition to that Vets Choice and whatever that Pet Flow stuff it.

But he loves his new foods (having quality issues with the PB right now, so he’s gotten raw for the last couple nights lol). Mom keeps insisting that he’s starving, and keeps feeding him treats and junk. I’m ready to kill her. Come to find out, she’s been feeding the cat as well. Not only does that screw my rotation up, but it wastes the food because he doesn’t eat later when he’s supposed to! She may come up missing…. Anyways, Bentley just needs to adjust to his new diet before I change how much I’m feeding him. Right now he’s getting a half can a day. I do think I’m gunna have to up it to 2/3 to 3/4 after a while. He has a bunch of raw treats, so I’m gunna try to avoid upping his canned, and just fatten him up on raw treats. We’ll see lol

Also, he’s starting to get tear stains. There is nothing I hate more on a dog than tear stains. I don’t think you understand I hate them lol Hopefully it’s just a detox thing from dry to canned, but if it persists, I won’t be happy.

[Travis A]

Well good deal hopefully if you try it out it won’t be too difficult to obtain. Yea same here i’m already about half way through my bag, although i was feeding some to our other pup too but i’m not the owner of the other 2 dogs living with me so i can’t really control what they want to feed him. It’s hard because i give the owners all the details and research i find on dog food and they simply don’t care enough, they love their dogs but just too lazy to actually find a good food for them. I’m working on persuading them though, mixing in some of my better food from time to time ha. But yea Zach’s is actually rated 4.5 on here, the only problem is it’s the ONLY review i could find that’s recent on the brand so I really will have to just let yall know how it turns out, so far they love the taste and no issues yet. I’ll keep yall posted though. Thanks for all the feedback as well.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
I will sort through your questions and add some links to the over the counter remedies that I used to completely heal Bobby! Remember, all dogs are different. Bobby had no health issues other than flea dermatitis, flea infestation, bad diet (please remember, anything they eat must be quality ingredients, it really makes a difference), and yeasty skin.

It sounds like you already have been to the Vet and there are no other health issues?

Did the Vet give him a steroid shot for the itching?

I really suggest feeding canned with kibble. Moisture is really important for healthy dogs and especially important for dogs that have some health issues. I always feed kibble with canned or fresh meat lightly cooked, or dehydrated, freeze dried or frozen raw for every meal. If you are going to TSC for DE, check out the 4Health canned dog food. It’s 99 cents/can and DFA rated 4.5 stars. I feed 4Health, Pure Balance from Wal-Mart ($1/can for stews and $1.25/can for 95%), and Earth’s Pride ($8.99/6 pack) from BJ’s as my main canned rotation.

4H DFA review:
/dog-food-reviews/4health-dog-food-canned/

4H TSC link:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=&beginIndex=0&searchSource=Q&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=image&searchType=1002&autoSuggestURL=AutoSuggestView%3FcoreName%3DMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US%26serverURL%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ftsc-prod-lb01.crossview.inc%253a3737%252fsolr%252fMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US&searchTerm=4health+wet+dog+food

I was wrong; you can buy 20 lbs of food grade DE for $12.99 at TSC. They carry it in the livestock feed section.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/product__10151_-1_10051_2789

Check out the Activyl site to see what they say about bathing your dog. Most products are waterproof, but you never know. The Vet Tech at my Vet’s office gave me info on it, but I never checked it out after I settled on Sentinel because it already had the flea egg killer in it and I want to use as little chemicals as possible.

For treats, stay away from carbs or anything sugary, it will only feed the yeast. I have never fed them, but posters here recommend The Honest Kitchen Beams. I haven’t fed treats from the pet store recently and find many have carbs and starches so I just make very, very small meatballs for Bobby (I freeze them) using 2 lbs of ground beef, an egg or two, fresh garlic, tumeric, and I add fresh basil, cilantro, or parsley if I have it. I also throw in any veggies I have, but if you decided to make something like this I would leave the veggies out for now. You can also slice meat as thin as you can and place the slices in the oven on the lowest temp and cook until they are like a jerky consistency.

It is not unusual for them to try and lick off the coco oil if they like it. It is a wonderful product and is good to feed and apply to skin irritations due to its antiseptic properties. Just try to supervise your pups so it can soak in, it really will make them more comfortable and the fleas don’t like the oil.

Probiotics is an important step to get their immune systems back on track too! Probiotics has helped my cat tremendously. I use plain Kefir or plain greek yogurt right now for him. He has grown hair in places that I thought would never come back! That is another story. I think you will see a tremendous improvement within a week of using probiotics with their coats and skin.

Everything that I used on Bobby you will find at Wal-Mart, drug stores, health food stores, on-line, or pet stores very easily. I will post tomorrow what I used to help Bobby and hopefully something or several things can help your guys as well.

[Anita L]

Thanks for all the info BCNut and BobbyDog!

I will definitely be going to TSC tomorrow for the DE.
Our 55 lb Aussie/Blue Heeler (Gazpacho or Spocho) mix is the one that is having the worst reaction with the fleas (hot spot and hair loss -wise). Doc said she is allergic. He put activyl on her and said don’t bathe her for the next 3 or 4 weeks. But she has no hair on her butt (baboon butt)! He also gave her a shot for the itching. That was Friday and today, Mon, she is itching horribly. So now I am realizing about the house, the yard, the bedding, etc. We do not have carpet (hate it!). Actually we have slab right now due to water damage, ugh! But we do have a rug in the den and a rug in the bedroom. The rug in the den is a shag rug! I am dreading treating it but I know I have to. Any suggestions on this?

Spocho is also 9 years old and has trouble with her hips. The DE sounds like it would help her greatly! I am thinking that I will add it to the other supplements (Miracle Pack) which I give in plain yogurt. They love it!

On the treats, I do have some milk bones, marrow bones and raw hides left. I’m thinking I need to quit being cheap and throw them out. I have done so much research on the food that I haven’t gotten to treats and don’t even know where to start. Suggestions?

On the food, my pups only get kibbles (the quality kind). Now I am wondering if I need to add a canned food (quality kind of course).??????

I will also be picking up the medicated shampoo and the p/i sounds great too. I have coconut oil that I use already (on my skin, my hair, cuts/scrapes, and the list goes on). I tried to put it on Spocho’s butt once and it def seemed to soothe her right away, but a few mins later she was licking it off….is that normal?

I’m also thinking of adding coco oil to their supplements. What would you recommend on this? How much and how often?

Sorry for so many questions. I appreciate any answers!

[Dori]

All my dogs (three toy breeds) are fed commercial raw diets as of about 1 1/2 years ago. I rotate brands as well as proteins. I can now rotate them from meal to meal without a slow transition but that took quite a while to accomplish. Their guts are now at the point that changing from protein to protein doesn’t bother them in the least. My favorite of the commercial raw brands are Primal Pronto (although any of their complete “Formulas” are great), Natures Variety Instinct Raw, Answers Detailed Raw (a bit hard to find), Darwin’s Natural Selection (that’s an auto delivery food only from their web site or by phone), Vital Essentials Raw. These are the brands that my dogs have thrived on. Some of the others are pretty popular also such as Stella & Chewy’s, etc. my dogs haven’t faired as well on the other brands. Since being on raw they no longer has goopy stuff coming from their eyes, tear stains are gone, no more yeasty ears, their skin and coats are healthy and very very shiny. Oh, also no more gas, gurgling tummies, no more smelly poops. You’ll find that their poops are much much smaller and firm enough to easily pick up and dispose of. Their bodies utilize more of the nutrition in raw than they do on kibble. Added benefit of raw is that they are grain free. Dogs don’t have a necessity for grains, white potatoes, corn, soy, etc. One of my girls is allergic to all things poultry (anything with feathers) so I avoid all of those.

Many people start their puppies right on raw after a couple of weeks being home. Usually when you bring a puppy home it’s best to keep them on their same food for a couple of weeks that they were eating at the breeder. Theory being that they are stressed enough going home with a stranger to a new environment with no familiar scents, missing litter mates, etc. But then you do a slow transition as if you were transitioning from kibble to kibble. Initially you may find that the puppy has some diarrhea but that will pass. What I did was purchase a product from The Honest Kitchen called Perfect Form and while I was transitioning them to raw (good for transitioning any foods really until they get healthy enough to transition without issues) I would add the recommended dose to each of their meals. Gets rid of the diarrhea almost instantaneously. At least that’s been my experience with the product. I no longer feed dehydrated foods because to me they’re not strictly raw. Not crazy about freeze dried either.

Commercial raw is more expensive than kibble but you’ve already been feeding ZiwiPeaks which is an expensive dog food already so it shouldn’t be too shocking. I believe raw is much healthier therefore you save a ton of money at the vet which makes up for the more expensive diet.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[DogFoodie]

Steve Brown is considered by many to be one of the authorities on raw feeding. Here’s and article from this site: /choosing-dog-food/raw-dog-food-fat/

Down toward the bottom of the page, you’ll read where there is mention of the e-book, the ABC Way. Here’s a link to that also: http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

The download costs $2.95, but it’s great for learning about healthy toppers and even how to replace meals, once weekly, with fresh whole foods and the benefit that it can have. It’s a great download for the money!

[Karen M]

Can you comment on where so many different dog foods are produced , such as Diamond Pet Foods? Who formulates all the different brands they make? Is a licenses veterinarian nutritionist involved? How often does the company have recalled brands? Also, it would be nice to know calorie content per cup for foods on your site, as this can vary quite a bit. Also, when flaxseed is listed is it ground or whole? Because if not ground, doesn’t it pass right through? I was just hoping to find on your site some of the things that weren’t already on the bag. Maybe I just haven’t spent enough time searching? Also, what’s the problem with grain? It has a lot more nutrient value than potato and seems to be the newest marketing fad. I’m just looking for more science and facts rather than popular opinions. Thank you for your input!

[Jazz Lover]

I’ve read same re bacteria HDM. That is good info re veggies which I’ve not heard prior.

I have plain yogurt but have yet to try. Still a bit concerned re calcium, although he is 14mos. He’s been on nor cal honey (1T) & 2 10mg allergy rx for seasonal allergies. I want to be sure I can identify what affects him if there’s an issue, so not to get crazy w/ too many changes.

I ordered the book “Unlocking… !

[lmnordrum]

Jazz: Your dog sounds like he/she eats very well already. I was intrigued by the benefits of raw but can’t bring myself to feed it and I would be concerned about balancing out the nutritional needs. I am totally neurotic about kitchen sanitation and food safety and can’t bear the thought of the dog dragging around meat. Nor can I bring myself to even cut up a chicken for my own family. This is my first dog in 20 years and my housekeeping standards have dropped since I invited the animal into my life. I love my dog even though I clean more often, and am very happy that there is good kibble out there. From this list I learned about rotation diets which made sense in the event of a kibble manufacturer having a recall. But a raw diet is not something I am willing to do even though I think it would be cheaper to give the dog chicken than some of this kibble I’ve been buying.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jazz Lover –

Sounds like your dog is eating pretty well already! 🙂

Incorporating a little raw is definitely a great idea though if it’s something you’re able to do. You could check out the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown – there’s a chapter on how to prepare a simple raw meal that you can feed once per week. The day you feed raw is called an “ABC Day.” Some other options would be to top the kibble with a balanced commercial raw or just keep some commercial raw in the freezer and feed a few meals of week of entirely raw. Or you could look at incorporating some raw meaty bones into the diet as a treat a few times a week – turkey necks, pork necks and chicken quarters are great for large dogs.

[lmnordrum]

Jazz Lover: If its working and your animal is healthy and thriving, why change? I give my dog good kibble (Wellness Core and Fromm) moistened with hot water and some coconut oil, and she’ll get cooked food from our meal, like meat and some plain rice. When I have some older eggs they get boiled and put on top of the kibble in lieu of meat. Dog gets small bits of cheese for treats and has no interest in fruit, veggies, peanut butter or bread. I do not feed my dog grains and she doesn’t seem to be missing them.

I have no guilt about not doing raw because frankly I can’t deal with it in my house. Plus the thought of raw meat and bacteria just freaks me out. As a cook I get grossed out by things such as bone-in chickens and large hunks of raw anything, and forget about anything that looks like it would on the animal itself (tongue, liver, etc.) If I didn’t function so much better on a higher protein diet I would probably be vegetarian. I would cook for my dog if she didn’t do well on the kibble. We are in a rural area and I could buy a cow or hog, but this is not something I have any interest to do. My dog does well on what she’s being fed and there’s no reason for us to change it. Plus she can be boarded on a kibble mixture. I can’t send her off to the kennel when I travel with 20 pounds of meat. lol

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by lmnordrum.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi D.M. –

Purina DCO has higher levels of fiber and lower levels of fat than most foods. DCO contains 10% fiber and 10% fat while (in general) the 4-5 star foods tend to contain <5% fiber and between 15% and 20% fat. Because the DCO seems to be helping her stool, I would suggest searching for a food with fiber and fat levels closer to that of DCO. Your best bet would probably be looking to formulas designed for weight loss. Earthborn Weight Control is 7% fat/9% fiber, Wellness CORE Reduced Fat is 10% fat/8.5% fiber, Holistic Select Weight Management is 7.5% fat/9% fiber – I’m sure there are quite a few more if you look, these are just a few that initially came to mind. You could also just pick a food that’s lower in fat and add a fiber supplement if you were unable to find a food you liked that was both low in fat and high in fiber – you could use something like fruitables (canned high fiber digestive supplement) or psyllium.

At 7 months old, I honestly wouldn’t be too concerned about calcium levels or whether or not the food was appropriate for puppies. She’s already through her rapid growth phase so I’d suggest just focusing on finding a food she can tolerate. I also,would suggest that with whichever food you switch her to, you begin supplementing with a high quality multi-strain probiotic to begin strengthening her gut.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Tracy,

We’ve already reviewed all the current Victor products. And as you can tell from our article, we really like this brand.

However, if there’s another dog food you’d like us to review, please visit this page and let us know. We’ll do our best to cover it in the future. Don’t forget to provide as much detail as possible so we can find the info we need to prepare our report.

Thanks for your suggestion.

[Becky]

I love this site! Every time I come here I find what I’m looking for. I have a pug with this staining issue, but it’s more a saliva problem than the tears. All around her mouth and chin is stained. Her tongue hangs out of her mouth so anywhere she lays she leaves stains, and she licks her feet so they’re stained, too. Her breath has a metallic smell to it.

She’s on Rx food for bladder/kidney problems so I can’t really change her food. I do give her filtered water, for the bladder problem. I use stainless steel bowls. She’s 12 and this staining thing just came up a few months ago. She’s been on the same food and water for years. I mentioned it to the vet tech when she was in for a nail trim and she said it was probably allergies.

I’ve been wiping her face already (she’s a pug….). Any other suggestions? I wish I could stop it inside her mouth before it comes out in the saliva all over my house!

[Christopher E]

The following is a response I wrote on a thread in “Vegetarian Dog Food” section titled “Thoughts on Vegan dogs”… But since that thread is a year old I thought I’d post it hear. I’m interesting in hearing what others think about vegan diets for dogs to prevent health issues/prolong life. I’d also be interested in hearing from anyone who has been using a vegan diet with their dog… There was one woman who posted in the other forum last year and mentioned that her vegan dog is 17 years old and the vet couldn’t believe hit… Which u thought sounded encouraging.

“The amount if misinformation on this thread is a reflection of our ignorance regarding our own dietary needs.

You should all go and watch the documentary Forks Over Knives. To sum it up if you haven’t seen it… They basically spell out how overwhelming scientific data proves that eliminating animal based foods from our diets (dairy and meat… Just any animal protein) completely eliminates cardiovascular disease and reduces cancer rates exponentially, the two leading causes if death in the US. You’ll have to watch the documentary or do some independent research to fully understand how, but, basically, without animal product the higher levels of cholesterol that lead to cardiovascular disease are not present and cancer cells do not grow and in most cases actually diminish.

What’s important to understand is that we all have carcinogens in our bodies. They are in the air we breath, the products we consume, and most of everything we touch. This is becoming increasingly true as society advances. The fact of the matter is that we are all at risk and those of us who eat meat might get cancer while those of us who consume an all whole food plant based diet probably won’t.

The next important connection to make is that there is no reason to think a dog or cat’s biology is any different, at least not at this level of biology, that is, when considering cancer grow in mammals at the molecular level. (After all most-all cancer studies are done using mice… Creatures much “further” genetically speaking from humans) Before dogs and cats were domesticated… When they were wild wolves and big cats they had no carcinogens (or as near zero as possible on earth) in their diets so eating a diet that consisted entirely of animal product didn’t have any adverse affect. BUT TODAY our dogs and cats are living in the same society as us, exposed to the same increased(ing) levels of carcinogens.

So, in conclusion, there is no reason to believe that eating a whole food plant based diet void of animal product wouldn’t have the same effect of reducing cancer rates among cats and dogs as seen in human studies…. It is true that canines and felines require a larger percentage of protein in their diets than humans, but even those levels are obtainable with the right plant based diet…. The goal would be to provide a diet nutritionally equivalent to your pets pre-domestication, carnivorous diet with a plant based one.

Also… I personally am not a vegan…. I love bacon, milk chocolate, steak, all of it… But I am also not an idiot and I know what I should and shouldn’t beep eating… ideally. Hopefully a year from now I will have been able to cut out all animal product from my diet… and I don’t see any reason (nutritional or otherwise) not to consider bringing my 6 year old Aussie or two 1 year old cats along for the ride so long as I make sure they are getting all the necessary nutrients at the proper levels.”

[Christopher E]

The amount if misinformation on this thread is a reflection of our ignorance regarding our own dietary needs.

You should all go and watch the documentary Forks Over Knives. To sum it up if you haven’t seen it… They basically spell out how overwhelming scientific data proves that eliminating animal based foods from our diets (dairy and meat… Just any animal protein) completely eliminates cardiovascular disease and reduces cancer rates exponentially, the two leading causes if death in the US. You’ll have to watch the documentary or do some independent research to fully understand how, but, basically, without animal product the higher levels of cholesterol that lead to cardiovascular disease are not present and cancer cells do not grow and in most cases actually diminish.

What’s important to understand is that we all have carcinogens in our bodies. They are in the air we breath, the products we consume, and most of everything we touch. This is becoming increasingly true as society advances. The fact of the matter is that we are all at risk and those of us who eat meat might get cancer while those of us who consume an all whole food plant based diet probably won’t.

The next important connection to make is that there is no reason to think a dog or cat’s biology is any different, at least not at this level of biology, that is, when considering cancer grow in mammals at the molecular level. (After all most-all cancer studies are done using mice… Creatures much “further” genetically speaking from humans) Before dogs and cats were domesticated… When they were wild wolves and big cats they had no carcinogens (or as near zero as possible on earth) in their diets so eating a diet that consisted entirely of animal product didn’t have any adverse affect. BUT TODAY our dogs and cats are living in the same society as us, exposed to the same increased(ing) levels of carcinogens.

So, in conclusion, there is no reason to believe that eating a whole food plant based diet void of animal product wouldn’t have the same effect of reducing cancer rates among cats and dogs as seen in human studies…. It is true that canines and felines require a larger percentage of protein in their diets than humans, but even those levels are obtainable with the right plant based diet…. The goal would be to provide a diet nutritionally equivalent to your pets pre-domestication, carnivorous diet with a plant based one.

Also… I personally am not a vegan…. I love bacon, milk chocolate, steak, all of it… But I am also not an idiot and I know what I should and shouldn’t beep eating… ideally. Hopefully a year from now I will have been able to cut out all animal product from my diet… and I don’t see any reason (nutritional or otherwise) not to consider bringing my 6 year old Aussie or two 1 year old cats along for the ride so long as I make sure they are getting all the necessary nutrients at the proper levels.

[DogFoodie]

Firm Up, huh. I’ll look for it!.

Gail, so sorry to hijack your thread!

A couple of things…, I’m currently feeding my pup with food intolerance issues NVI LID Duck. The variety I’m using contains no peas. And, take a look at Victor Hi Pro 42: http://victordogfood.com/. Several regular posters here having used it with pups with digestive issues and diarrhea, with great success. It’s lower in fiber. The bonus, if you can find out locally, it’s very budget friendly.

One thing I think is confusing is that symptoms of dogs getting too little fiber look an awful lot like dogs being too much fiber.

[Brittany D]

Acana does not offer puppy food and I know my two dogs really like Acana so we will eventually switch to it when Dexter is fully grown but I need a puppy food for him he is only 7 months old. We recently rescued him and he was emaciated when he was rescued by the orginzation and he was still quite underweight when we adopted him just a few weeks ago. He is doing much better now and is only still slightly underweight but he is growing well (rib cage is actually looking more normal instead of very thin and small). Dexter appears to be a Scottish Terrier+Poodle mix. I haven’t weighed him recently but I know he’s at least 8 pounds.

I am only buying high quality food such as Acana, Orijen, Wellness Core, etc. I am going by the rating system here on DFA and am choosing 4+ star dog foods only. It seems odd though that all of the 5 star foods that DFA has reviewed do not offer puppy foods. Is this common?

I’d prefer to have a dog food that is completely gluten-free as I myself have Celiac Disease and am very sensitive to gluten so handling the food and receiving doggy kisses puts me at risk of having a bad reaction if they are eating foods with gluten in them.

So I’d prefer a grain-free OR one with Rice/potato/sweet potato, etc but no other gluten-containing grains.

Dexter and Bentley (who is 6 years old, Yorkie) both itch a lot and have atopic dermatitis. Dexter’s is on his face and I have not seen any spots anywhere else, and Bentley’s is mainly on his back but he did have it practically everywhere on his body (just not a full blanket rash). We switched to Greenies Pill Pockets Allergen Formula and it does seem even better now with much less itching for Bentley. So he also may have an allergy to wheat (gluten) as one of the main ingredients in all of the pill pockets minus the allergen formula is wheat.

So I think I need:
1) gluten-free
2) 4 or 5-star rating from DFA or one that hasn’t yet been reviewed but is on the same level quality-wise as 4 or 5 star foods DFA has already reviewed
3) Prefer smaller kibble as my dogs are small/toy size.

Kind of off my own topic but Bentley (6 year old yorkie) vomited whenever he ate Orijen 6Fish so I think Orijen itself is too strong somehow for Bentley so I tried Acana and they both ate it without any issue. Maybe the Orijen is too protein-rich for Bentley?

I am hopeful you (all) will be able to help me narrow down a puppy food to give to Dexter. I prefer kibble over canned only because it is more cost effective and less work to prepare and we won’t have to worry about how long that can was in the fridge.

I look forward to your responses. 🙂

[T]

Hi Marie,

In my experience, many picky eaters are that way for one of two reasons:
1. They’re overfed. They are hardly ever hungry because they’re getting more than enough calories already (usually overweight, too).
2. Their GI tract is not very happy. Eating makes them have some sort of discomfort so they wait until they’re really hungry or until there is something that smells/looks/seems perfect.

Fixing #1 is easy. Have a day of fasting. Next day, the appetite should be better. It’s OK to give water on fasting day. This can be done occasionally or even weekly.

Fixing #2 can be more involved. I almost always recommend probiotics, digestive enzymes, and some easily digested fresh foods.

Hope that helps!
Tabitha
http://naturalalternativesvet.com

[aquariangt]

I believe there is a few other threads around here that discuss this very topic if you poke around.

Editor’s Choice really focuses on not just the food but the company itself. Blue is a bit shady in a lot of their practices, and while it looks excellent on paper (and many people do well on it) there are also a lot of people who don’t do well on it for no real reason, which can be concerning. Purina recently sued them for false advertising, but I haven’t actually seen the outcome, though Blue’s response didn’t win them any points with me. I’ve only used it as a transition once for a puppy that I got, so I don’t have much experience for it myself.

My other comment, is because Blue has become so commercialized, it’s sort of expensive for the quality, and there are other foods from companies that are more trustworthy, in my opinion

[Cyndi]

meky6ra and Zach M this reply is for both of you. I have been feeding my 50lb. girl a raw diet for a little over a year. Here is a thread, in this Raw Dog Food topic, of mine that I started before I jumped in to raw feeding…

/forums/topic/help-with-starting-my-dog-on-a-raw-diet/

There is a ton of information on this site, especially in all the threads in the Raw Dog Food Topic. I asked questions, did a TON of research and was scared to death to start feeding my dog raw, lol! But, I did it, and my dog is healthy, happy and I am so glad I did. It is pricier than feeding kibble or canned food, but their are so many resources out there and raw feeding groups that can help cut down on the cost. I chose to feed my dog homemade raw, but there are alot of commercial raw products available that many people use and love.

Zach, You could start by giving your dog a turkey neck or a chicken back. It’s mostly bone, but has some meat on it. Your dog can consume the whole thing, bone and all. Unless your dog is a very voracious chewer or a gulper, you shouldn’t have any problems at all. Your dog will figure out how to crunch and chew the bone up and it is very good for their teeth.

Good luck to both of you! Take the time to ask questions and research and then, take the plunge…..your dog will love you for it! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Cyndi.

[Debbie S]

Where do I start? Some background – back in 2013 our home consisted of two parrots, a cat, Mandy a 13 yr. old female Sheltie, Shadow an 11 yr. old male Sheltie, Roxie a 4 yr. old Pomeranian and two parents. About Sept. 2013 I was stupidly giving the dogs Milo’s Chicken Jerky (small pieces), when Mandy became ill. She was vomiting, had diarrhea and was very lethargic. We admitted her to the Vet hospital and she was put on IV’s for a couple of days but there was no helping her at this point and it was recommended putting her to sleep. We did and I started researching and found about the chicken being from China! I felt horrible and wanted to die right along with Mandy. I had obviously been poisoning my babies and Mandy wasn’t strong enough to fight it.
Fast forward to May 2014. We had been feeding Blue Buffalo Senior Grain Free dry and Blue Buffalo Family Favorite Recipes (various chicken/turkey flavors) mixture twice a day. Every single treat that we gave was made in the U.S.A. Shadow stopped eating any treats that were hard, would eat around the kibble and started acting strange even for him. At that point we started cooking chicken breast and white rice. (Then we find out rice can be toxic also). None of the dogs ever turned down the sweet potato that I give daily to the parrots. We took him to the vet thinking he may be having teeth problems. Nothing. Maybe a slight gum infection so he was put on a mild antibiotic. He still had his slight heart murmur but nothing to worry about. Exactly a week later on May 7th he was really restless, couldn’t find a place to lay down and about 11:30 pm he came out of the bedroom panting extremely heavy and drooling, I knew immediately something was wrong, woke up my husband, and called the vets for the emergency location. We hopped in the car, with me carrying him and he was panting louder than I’ve ever heard anyone breathe. We were almost there when Shadow bucked up into my chest and flopped down. He was gone.. supposedly by heart attack and they pronounced him DOA.

Now we only have Roxie and she has been as depressed as we are. She’s normally a little pig with treats and always cleaning others bowls if they walked away. She basically stopped eating, laid around and was totally depressed. Knowing this, we gave her time because she wasn’t acting ill and since she was a little overweight it wouldn’t hurt her to not eat as much as normal. Then she started turning down hard treats, and not eating the kibble in her food just like Shadow did. We took her to the vets after a couple of weeks of this because I was so anxious after the last couple of years and losing two of our babies. The vet took X-rays and a full panel of blood work. When he laid her on her back, her tongue turned blue so he was concerned. But her blood work was perfect and the only thing showing on the X-rays was the extra fat she was carrying which is effecting her breathing and probably the cause of her blue tongue.

We changed her food because she has to lose 1.5 – 2 pounds so we tried Hill’s Ideal Balance Slim and Healthy Adult mixed with the comparable canned food which was weird for us because we had always steered away from anything of Hill’s. Now after reading about it I want to stop feeding her that even though she loves it and is eating well again.

I need advice on what to feed a large framed five year old Pomeranian currently weighing 11 1/2 lbs. who needs to weigh no more than 10 lbs. She has arthritis starting in her knees and has just recently started constantly licking her lips. In the past we have just let them run the fenced back yard using the doggy door but I’ve started taking Roxie on nightly walks to help the weight loss along.

I’m thinking of Wellness Core Reduced Fat & the canned Weight Maintenance mixed or one of the Merrick choices. Any suggestions are appreciated since this seems like a very intelligent group.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Debbie S.

[losul]

Trying this all over again, leaving out the last link this time…..

Hi Sueb66. The test for EPI would be a specific test for it, not included in ordinary blood work. I think in the U.S., Texas A.M. still does most of the current testing. If there is a B-12 deficiency and it is EPI related, no, an ordinary human B-12 supplement for it would
NOT work well at all. There is more info on the EPI sites, I provided to Jerry. Notice what the vet says about EPI in discussing IBD in the first link below, except she refers to it as PEI instead.

I can truly understand your frustration, and wanting to get a more reasonable solution than a surgical biopsy, and/or treatment with steroids which seems extreme, scary and a last/near last resort, I would be too. To be fair though, I can imagine your conventional vet(s) probably get frustrated also, and would much rather get a clearer diagnosis and treatment plan.

I don’t really know exactly how long all this has been going on, exactly what diagnostic testing has been already done, what has been ruled out and what has not, what medicines/treatments/alternatives/supplements have been tried, how much and whether you have adhered to your vets’ reccomendations etc. I also don’t really know what kind of diagnostics, drugs, supplements, foods etc. are available there in Australia. I can’t really say what i would do, as I’m not in your shoes, and so much is unknown. All one can do is research as best as possible, see that hopefully all the bases have been covered, learn risks, gain more knowledge, come up with some possible answers/solutions/alternatives, and make good decisions.

IBD is a pretty generalized but often complex condition, that can have several root causes and much interconnectibility with other issues. It basically means a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Left uncontrolled it can lead to more serious issues. I would guess the vets have explained that to you? A more holistic or integrative vet may come to some of the same conclusions as your current vets, but would likely differ on exact course(s) of action/approach. Perhaps you should still seek one out or try the one you mentioned?

Hopefully pointing you to some additional articles may help some;

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=598&S=0&EVetID=0

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2006&Category=&PID=16071&O=Generic

http://dogaware.com/health/digestive.html#ibd

[Dane H]

Hey,

New to the forum! My dog, Makai, is a 3 year old red heeler/Shepard/unknown mix. I started feeding him Blue Ridge Beef about 6 months ago. He has lost about 10 lbs since and looks pretty thin, so I have increased his food intake to 1.5 lbs per day split into 2 meals. I order in bulk to get a discount and get 15-2Lb chubs at a time. I order a even mix of a fattier beef, a leaner beef, chicken with bone, venison with bone, and a natural mix which has organ meat in it. I mix it all up and make 12 oz balls which is 1/2 of 1.5 pounds. This is all I feed him. I have noticed him drinking ridiculous amounts of water! I feel like it is much more than he used to before eating this new diet. I read that they will often drink less water when doing raw food because of how much water is contained in the raw meat. He also strains to poop sometimes I think because the chicken with bone and venison with bone feels like there is quite a lot of bone in the meat. I am worried I might be missing an integral part of his diet here, and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. I am worried he is having issues, because I am having to let him out to pee like 6-8 times a day! It’s insane. Plus I can’t seem to get him to gain any weight.

[Bobby dog]

Sharon:
I had to check my spreadsheet. I fed Verus back in the fall when I started researching pet food. Remember when I wrote I had delusions of not feeding fish anymore? Well my cats liked the recipes I fed them from Verus, but most recipes include fish so I crossed them off the list. lol I have to re-visit them because they had alot of good things going on like human grade ingredients and BPA free cans to list a few. My cats don’t care for lamb so I never tried it. They loved the beef, chic & liver, and salmon recipes though. It looked like I was going to try the chicken or turkey pate’s next before I crossed them off my list. 🙂

On another subject, not that I am trying to change your mind about crack lol, I do feed several Fancy Feast recipes. The two I mainly stick to are turkey & giblets and tender liver & chicken feast classic recipes because they do not contain artificial colors and have the least offensive ingredients. There are some other flavors that don’t have added color, but they contain sodium nitrate for color retention, so I mainly stick to these two flavors. The one flavor of Friskies that C4c and me feed is the poultry platter because it does not contain added color. You never know when you might need some crack to get a kitty to eat. lol

C4c:
Akari stopped by and gave a recommendation to aquariangt, but no updates.

[Susan]

Hi losul, I just read the first link on EPI & Patch has all those symptoms, wet burps,vomiting indigested kibble, always hungry, looking for scraps on our walks,Temperament changes, he has started to fight back if a dog bites him first, bad aggression, failure to gain weight, gurgling loud bowel noises, abdomin discomfort after eating..Ive quickly read & I never saw anywhere about taking Prednisolone, so maybe its good that I never gave him the Prednisolone, Patch had a blood test last year September but he never fasted for the blood test blood test came back all good.. with the Vitamin B can he take human vitamin B.. Im sick of dealing with vets they just read Patches notes & what the other vet has written & was doing, then just say the same thing…I found a holistic Vet but she’s at the same vets pratice that Patch was going too, so they all talk & will come back with the same crap IBD…

[Susan]

Hi Iosul, May I ask a few quiestions, Patch had an ultra scan last Thursday cause he was vomiting up only his kibble for 2 days & had his pain under right side rib cage again…his Ultra Scan came back all good, this new vet said IBD like Patches first vet has said but Im having troubles believing that he has IBD as Patch suffers more stomach reflux & burping, I feel that Patch has GERDs this new vet wants Patch on Prednisolone 30mg daily for 2weeks then we reduce, I told him about Patches stomach & Patches bad acid & bringing up his chicken & pumkin when he burps so I put it on toast now & this keeps it down, he just said give him Zantac as well then he said that the Prednisolone will fix his red paws, I told him that his paws go red only when it rains & he walks on wet grass as we’ve had rain again for over 1 week, now Patches paws have cleared up again cause there’s been no rain plus I try not to walk him on wet grass…Ive read that Prednisolone isnt good for dogs with Pancreatitis or Stomach problems as it can cause stomach ulcers, I still havnt given Patch his Prednisolone, Ive been giving him his Zantac again & Patch seem much better..see I stopped his Zantac about 2 months ago as he was doing much better & all his reflux went away he stopped waking up in the middle of the nite with Patch swollowing & swollowing acid, it all stopped only some mornings he’d be a bit burpy, The only way to see if he has IBD is to cut him open like his other vet wanted to do & I wouldnt let him as Patch doesnt have no diarrhea no more since Ive worked out that he needs a low fat diet, Im even wondering does he have pancreatits as the ultra scan came back all good but the Pancreas mite be getting better & not be swollen as Patches pain did start 2 weeks ago when I started moving, he started following me like I was leaving him behind, I feel that he started to stress himself out & has givin himself acid thru stress.. I have GERD & he seems to have alot of my symtoms.. first vet tried Losec 20mg but Patch had a reaction on the 2nd day his gums went white & he was acting real weird & falling over, I had to carry him home from the beach that morning maybe 20mg was too high for a 18 kilo dog he was 18kilo back then now he’s around 16-17 kilos …what would you do if Patch was ur dog, you mentioned supplements Ive read abit about L-Gutamine but I live Australia do I go to the health foods store & use a human one also what do u mean when u say incubating. I give Patch a probiotic every moring Ive been doing that since last August..Ive been too scared to try any oils at this time, I dont want to aggravate his stomach in anyway..

[Mike Sagman]

Sorry for having to temporarily take this blocking action. However, our forum software doesn’t use the same filtering system as the rest of our website.

As I’m sure you’ve already noticed from our reviews, we really like the brand of dog food you’ve mentioned here.

Unfortunately, we have a chronic troll that continues to slander and libel the owner and his brand. So, for now, we’re intentionally making it as difficult as we can for this individual to carry out his/her subversive agenda.

Please be assured, we’ve recorded all IP addresses, fake emails and other data related to these events and we continue to report this information to both private investigators and law enforcement officials. Ultimately, we’ll all finally know the real identity of this person.

Thanks for your patience.

[crazy4cats]

I’m so sorry to hear what you are going through. I remember how stressful it is. I actually had a couple of anxiety attacks when I couldn’t seem to get my dogs better. And you are right, my (previous) vet also recommended Forti Flora. It actually worked pretty well for my pups. But, after looking at the ingredients and reading about it, I discontinued. EF is in many, many dog foods. And also in a lot of probiotics for dogs. There was another poster a while back that made some negative posts about EF as well. It didn’t seem to cause my dogs harm, but obviously it must to some. I certainly hope you can get rid of the bacteria it has caused and get your doggy better! Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Some of the stores may still have some of the cuts in gravy left. You can call or ask your store if there is any inventory at a neighboring store. Otherwise all the regions have the new turkey stew on order. The Midwest states have already been getting theirs. I haven’t tried it yet. I bought four cases of the old stuff though that should tide me over until we get the new stuff! There is a review on the Natures Domain Turkey Stew on the other side of this site. Check it out! I think you will be pleased.

[DogFoodie]

So, it sounds like you’ve possibly dealt with other intolerance / allergies that your pup might have had previously. Is that the case? At first, I thought this was his first reaction ever, to anything. It seems like a dog that has any intolerance / allergy, is likely to have more.

I’d probably compare the rest of the ingredients just to be sure. I’d hate to see you rule out pork. Maybe keep it in your back pocket (figuratively) to try again another time just to be sure. My thought was that it could been another ingredient or an environmental allergy…, or depending on the type of reaction, it could’ve been a problem with the food (an ingredient, a chemical, preservative or some sort of chemical reaction).

And, I don’t believe you have to have had prior exposure in order to illicit a response. I have a pup whose food intolerances have me confounded. I believe his food intolerance issues started as a result of vaccinosis as a tiny pup. He’s just turned two and there are very few foods I can feed him. I never know what he’ll react to and I always have a food spreadsheet going.

[Barbara]

I cannot edit or delete my earlier comment (which is completely frustrating to me!) and now have read many of the posts from people much more knowledgeable about feeding raw to dogs than I am. I now understand why they feed their dogs raw and it really is better…but I guess I would rather spend my extra time with my dogs exploring the outdoors than all the trouble involved in making raw from scratch when I cannot afford the high prices of commercial raw and “freeze dried” options… but I do completely respect the time you take to make the effort of feeding your dogs raw.

PS I realize now that there must be a “time limit” on editing your comment even though there has not been any responses… It seems that you should be able to edit longer like in the non-member area…

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Barbara.

[Dori]

Mom2Cavs. I think prednisone is a horrible medication. What I do want to say now that Lucy Mae has been on it for a month, if you are going to stop the prednisone you have to wean her off of it. You can’t just simply stop. It won’t be good for Lucy Mae. You should possibly call your vet and tell them that you are absolutely going to stop the prednisone and that your call is not for discussion on that issue, that your call is what is the best way to wean her off. Don’t let them convince you to keep her on it. It’s your call and yours alone what you want to do about Lucy Mae, not theirs. Also, google, weaning dog off prednisone. There’s a schedule of how to do it, it’s just not coming to mind right now. I’ll try to google it also for you.

Edit: If you type in on google Wean Dog Off Prednisone, you will find a lot of info on how to do this. It is extremely important to not stop abruptly. Abrupt discontinuation of the drug can cause a metabolic crisis. Please call the prescribing vet and/or read some of the articles and posts on line on the subject and learn how to do it properly to not make matters worse for Lucy Mae. I know your first instinct is to just stop. Please check it out.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[Mom2Cavs]

Terrible medicine! Lucy Mae, who has skin cancer, has just been put on prednisone about a month ago by my holistic vet. We held off as long as we could. She is now in last stages. I knew about all the side effects, but boy, this medicine has changed my once great house dog into a raving lunatic! She went from a dog that bothered absolutely nothing in the house to raiding every trash can in the place. She can barely reach the counters but is constantly trying to surf them….and actually stole a whole loaf of bread off by the tiniest part of the package that was sticking off the edge, she ate most of it before I found her. We have to be very careful where we put stuff now, when never before. She’s panting all the time, too. She has not become aggressive, thank goodness. She has always been a little moody, so I was worried about it. The vet told me that this medicine will eventually stop helping her lymph nodes. So, after the last pills yesterday I’m not giving her anymore of it. We will let God take care of her and nature take its course. It’s very sad to watch how this medicine affected her, let alone the cancer itself. It will be devastating when it’s time to let her go, but I know then she won’t be in pain and misery any longer. Even though that time is still a little ways off, I’m preparing myself and family. 🙁

[Dori]

Once again, I wanted to thank everyone that has kept us in their thoughts and prayers.

We took Hannah to her vet this a.m. where she was supposed to have a “traumatic catherization” of the nodule in her bladder. Before doing so, routinely before anesthetizing, they do a chest x-ray to check the lungs. They found a mass on the lobe of one of her lungs and her vet did not feel comfortable anesthetizing her. She is consulting with her other vet at Georgia Veterinary Specialists, plus the radiologist there and also an oncologist to come up with a plan. They have all said that surgery is not an option. They could possibly, not sure, do an aspiration during an ultra sound by the radiologist of the mass in her lung lobe to find out what it is. Chemo and radiation, of course, are not options for her either due to her age and her liver issues and, of course, there is the issue with her bladder. Neither my husband nor I would put her through any of that anyway. There may or may not be medications to try to slow the progression of either of these issues if they knew what they are. But, they can’t know what the bladder issue is without the catherization which they cannot do without anesthesia and, of course, they cannot do that because of the mass in the lung lobe. It appears through the x-ray that part of the mass in lung lobe is calcified so it may have been there for a long time but they don’t know. I’m hoping that’s a good sign because she doesn’t have any symptoms of lung cancer. As I said, things have gone from bad to dramatically worse. We just want her to be well and do the very best we can for her as she has done for us. In the mean time I will give her whatever supplements, and healthy foods I have always done. I’m reading a lot of books on canine cancer and doing the best I can. I will start cancer supplements one at a time for three days before introducing any others. Meantime I will continue her liver health regime. Of course, for me, I think there’s a lot of wine in my future. I will continue to pretend I’m happy and peppy in from of Hannah, Lola and Katie pretending that life, as we know it, is perfectly normal. Again, thank you all of DFA for your love, guidance and support. Love, Dori

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[Scott C]

Amy,
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I admit that my post was borne of frustration, yet I stand by what I said.

It is a matter of record that American food (specifically, American manufactured or processed for) is increasingly less-safe. US Companies contaminated 15% more nations’ food supplies with human food that subsequently had to be recalled in Q4 of 2013 than ever before (ExpertSource), involving 860,000 pounds of food (compared to half that, one quarter earlier, the previous worst statistic on record). In 2010, 500 million (not a typo) American eggs were recalled, due to Salmonella poisoning (USDA) and 1906 US-manufactured food product recalls—all due to contamination of one kind or another—occurred between 2011 and 2012.

Selecting only one American company, Tyson Foods pled guilty to 20 felony counts of violating the Clean Water Act (2003), admitted to have continued contaminating the water supply for four years after federal search warrants were executed against them in 1999. In 2013, Tyson was cited four times by the US Department of Labor for OSHA workplace safety violations in which a human dismemberment occurred and may have entered the active production chain. In 2005, an undercover agent video-documented that Tyson was knowingly allowing chickens to be scalded alive in its plants, and dead animals tossed through the air “for fun” by employees. In 2008, federal courts found Tyson guilty of two counts of knowingly and intentionally using fraudulent labeling to claim that their products were anti-biotic free for over two years.

Now, an argument could be proffered that these are violations, so regulations are in place and adequate. The fact remains that American law is written to favor corporations who do the violating, as the duration of these ongoing transgressions suggests. (Tyson’s quarterly profits more than doubled in the second quarter, to $213 million US, and while prices have increased, cost savings were a significant factor. Having demonstrated that it saves costs by doing things like illegally contaminating the ground water, Tyson is not to be trusted with our health. Not Ever.)

So, one of my primary points is that I don’t trust American regulations in the way I trust Canadian regulations, specifically because Canadian law is so much more invasive to corporate operation than is American law. And one presumes that it is this, not the goodness of their hearts, which drives Champion’s move to open a plant in this country. It will be far easier for Champion to provide a much lower-quality product at much lower costs with much lower risk of being caught for having done so here in the United States than ever in Canada. It will also be far harder to detect a drop in ingredient quality until it is too late. American law and regulation cannot even guarantee safe food for our children; how could we ever have the hubris to assume it will protect our pets?

It may be, of course, I readily acknowledge, false to say that whatever Champion produces in Kentucky will be a priori garbage. My fear may be completely unfounded. It is only a fear of the future, after all.

I merely state that it will not be *my* pets who die when this turns out to not be the case. You may, of course, put your own pets at whatever level of risk you deem acceptable. For ourselves, we searched for months for a food we could trust as the result of laboratory tests and an environment of government regulation and we thought we had found Champion. In moving to Kentucky, Champion abandons virtually everything that made it our choice. They leave behind Canadian (often, wild) game ingredients, raised on healthy diets, near or in uncontaminated waters, processed humanely through systems exceeding Canadian government standards for human food, in facilities carefully and strictly monitored by a government which properly _shuts_down_ companies that seriously violate public health (rather than fining them a mere 3% of their quarterly profits, or, if you prefer, 0.0203% of their annual revenue). This is akin to setting the penalty for robbing a bank at something like $50 and pretending it’s a deterrent.

If you feel I’m being overly dramatic by using a criminal metaphor, read the above, again: They _pled_guilty_ to 20 _felony_ counts of violating public safety by contaminating lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Their penalty was $7 million. You can do the math.
———————–

Case,
For three reasons, I’m saddened that you have chosen to introduce the proposition of quantifying agreement or disagreement with my view.

First, thousands of you disagreeing with me will not shield your pets from toxic food, should my worst fears be realized.

Second, thousands of you disagreeing with me in a public forum monitored by Champion will simply reinforce the perception of the US being a trusting, safe environment for business, and encourage the worst from them, should my worst fears be realized.

Third, thousands of you disagreeing with me will serve no purpose other than to end the discussion. “Let’s vote on it,” has long been teamspeak for “I’m tired of this topic, let’s pretend we have an answer and move on.” Yet will your disagreement with my perspective keep my dogs safe? Will Amy’s reticence to think ill of Champion until the damage is done prevent that damage from occurring?
———————–

Everyone,
Here is the bottom-line:

The American Veterinary Medical Association has recorded over 914 pet food recalls from American companies in the last two years. NBC News has reported over 1000 dogs dead and over 4800 animals sick in the past six months from jerky treats alone. In 2002, the peer-reviewed American Journal of Veterinary Research found that the FDA was wrong in its earlier finding that pentobarbital residues in dog and cat food were from euthanized cattle, re-opening the serious allegation that the pentobarbital in American dog and cat food was, in fact, from… rendered (euthanized) dogs and cats. The semi-sacred Royal Canin brand is facing a class action suit over toxic levels of vitamin D in its products. American laws–the lack of them–allowed the FDA to find in 2005 that Diamond Pet Foods was releasing food containing up to 1,851 parts per billion of the deadly mycotoxin, aflatoxin. Acceptable levels are twenty (20) parts per billion. Over 100 dogs died because proper testing costs money and isn’t required.

Trusting these profit-makers to care for your animals is no longer reasonable. Trusting American regulations to protect your animals is no longer rational. Champion may be a good company today, or it may be that Canadian regulation keeps them honest. Without knowing which is true, I must see the move to American as a large step down a slippery slope. My intuition tells me this is the narrow end of the wedge.

We will buy Orijen until it is no longer made in Canada, and then I will stop buying it.

Fundamentally, I believe we should all actively question and challenge—and not merely trust until someone’s beloved pet lies dead. After all, that’s why this website exists in the first place.

Respectfully yours.

[Scott C]

For those of us who are stuck living in this corporate-owned United States of America and whose dogs love and have thrived on Orijen products, this is nothing short of a disaster.

Champion may choose to “wheel out” the fact that they are a small private company whenever it suits their purposes

(for example, to decline answering questions in an FAQ which they created, themselves… such an odd thing, to identify a question only to answer it by saying, “we’re a private company and won’t answer that question”)

but they are certainly behaving like a corrupt corporate giant.

The reality of Champion shifting its USA market products to production in financially destitute Kentucky, enjoying a tax credit in a state where they can pay “market competitive” wages to financially destitute employees, purchasing land from financially destitute owners, and sourcing ingredients at “competitive” prices from financially destitute farmers means that all of their high-sounding rationale boils down to “we can’t make enough food in Canada because we’ve grown too popular, and it will cost too much to employ Canadians, build Canadian factories, and purchase safe Canadian ingredients, so we’re cheating out on all of you loyal customers south of the border.”

Of the questions they do answer, the majority of answers in Champion’s FAQ about sourcing ingredients are vague “weasel-speak” and the entire concept fills me with dread.

American food ingredients may not–depending on whom you ask–(yet) contain actual toxins, like some Chinese (et al.) products do. However, the American diet is one of the worst on the planet among First- (or Second-, depending on whom you ask) World countries. That wretched level of nutrition is nevertheless largely in keeping with the quality and inspection standards and recommendations that multi-billion dollar agribusiness has purchased from the United States government. Would anyone who can afford to do otherwise ever buy Tyson chicken again, or trust Kellogg to provide a healthy balanced breakfast, or eat Wonder Bread? Clearly, not.

Does this mean that all American foodstuffs are corrupted? Clearly not (yet), but as the cliche’ goes, “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”

Indeed, there are strong, and likely successful, movements in our Congress to specifically deny the American people information about where the ingredients in their food are sourced, because such information is “bad for bid’ness.” If passed, these laws would allow corporations to respond to inquiries with something like, “Our food products are made to meet or exceed government standards and we are not required to release information regarding ingredient sourcing to the public.”

Why, then, would those who are blessed with the option of spending $100/month per dog on dog food (which is roughly what Orijen Regional Red costs) EVER consider it acceptable to trust our beloved pets to foods (like Purina, or Science Diet, or what have you) made with unreliable US (or, soon, “worldwide”) ingredients, meeting untrustworthy US guidelines for healthy nutrition, in factories held to unreliable US standards of sanitation?

I have sent a letter to Champion explicitly asking whether the reality of this change is that their Canadian products will only be available in Canada, Europe, and Asia, as their FAQ suggests. I will share whatever reply I receive.

Certainly, for us, if “Made in Canada” becomes “Made in USA” we will stop purchasing Champion’s products immediately.

[neezerfan]

Help! I’ve had my rescue guy Reo for 3 months now and he’s always been kind of anxious, pacing and spinning and generally nervous. He’s always slept in the kitchen because I need a break from him at night and after the first few days with us, he’s been OK with that. Tonight, I don’t know what set him off, but he was howling, barking and banging against the cabinets. I ignored him till 2:30 but DH needs to sleep so I came down stairs. Reo was in such a tizzy, pacing and panting. I didn’t talk to him or make eye contact. I gave him Benedryl (looked up appropriate dose), then put some chicken and pumpkin in a Kong. I’ve been sitting where he can see me but ignoring him. He’s been quiet but still pacing and panting behind the gate. Not really interested in the Kong. Actually, it’s been an hour since the Benedryl and he’s starting to lay down and be calm now.

I had already been looking at both Rescue Remedy and DAP spray for him but I don’t know if those things work. Has anyone tried them? Good or not? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

[Corey K]

Thank you for all of the feedback. Think I still need help so will give more specifics in hopes that there might be some easy answers but I fear not cause things at my house are far too crazy! I live with my husband and adult daughter and between us we have 4 dogs. 3 of them have food issues that cause me questions:

Missy – 12 year old bearded collie – Would eat nothing but frozen Bil Jac her entire life until she got acid reflux issues 6 wks ago and changing her food was extremely tough. She is now eating (begrudgingly) one cup of natures’ recipe easy to digest chicken dry food, one half cup of rice and one half cup of either boiled ground chicken or boiled ground beef per day.

Max – 11 year old bearded collie – no health issues – will eat ANYTHING including what he finds in the back yard when he beats me to it. He is currently, happily eating two cups per day of the natures’ recipe easy to digest chicken dry food.

Frankie – 3 year old dane mix – he is currently eating IAMS large breed proactive years 1-5. Many days he wants nothing to do with it. Also concerned about what I am reading about IAMS testing on animals, but the plus is they do sell it in 50 lb bags at my Costco. I tried mixing in canned with the dry and he wants nothing to do with the wet food. He is having some teeth issues, with mild gingivitis and we are working on that so not sure if that is factoring in.

Last but not least my daughter’s new puppy Rerun – he is 4 mos old. Rerun is half beagle and half siberian husky – now 30 lbs – vet estimates will be around 60. She is currently feeding him Kirkland signature puppy. He does not seem to like it. He eats very little of it and wants no more.

I feel like 60% of my life right now revolves around feeding dogs and it is becoming more difficult to manage than I can handle. Of course with the 4 of them in the house, feeding is an event, not just an all day graze – you eat what you are given or you dont get any – but now that everyone but Max has decided to become picky – it now involves each of us coralled to a designated space with our charge for the better part of an hour to hour and a half while we coax whichever dog we have to eat so that we can go on with life.

I know that most might want to provide the advice that we just have too many dogs, and I’ve talked way long enough without going into why we have this many dogs at this time in our lives lol! I think I’ve read enough to have learned that the better the quality of food the less tasty. Do I need to find a middle of the road senior food that is palliative enough for my older dogs to eat and wont bother their stomachs? (is there such a thing?) If I can coax my dane to eat the IAMS for awhile longer, what happens when he gets to 6 years old – the bag says 1-5 and he’s almost 4 and weighs 100 lbs. What about this puppy – do we start trying other puppy foods to find one he likes? We tried adding canned (have only found adult canned where I shop) and he then eats the canned and spits out the dry. Very sorry for such a long post – and look forward to any suggestions!!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Laura,

These are some tips that were sent to me by the company when I first transitioned my dogs to Darwin’s, a commercial raw. They’re ideas specific to their product, but you might find some of them useful.

You can try these tips if you haven’t already (singly or in combo):

1. Adding cheese or canned food is usually a good trick to start with. Also adding spices can increase interest.

2. You can feed Darwins very warm. You can either float it in its bag in hot water or, at least to start, cook it a little on the stove or in the oven. This will release some of the fat molecules in the meat and hopefully overcome some of the veggie smell. Also put just a small amount in the bowl. No sense wasting food and also a small amount might be less intimidating. Add more if your dog eats the first offering.

3. Mix either straight ground meat or some healthy table scraps into the Darwins. Some people find that mixing ground meat into the Darwin’s at a ratio of about 30-50 percent warm Darwins with 70-50 percent fresh ground meat for a few days will convince their dog to start eating Darwin’s.

4. At first only feed the meat variety that your dog is used to eating. Also, it seems that many dogs take to the turkey and chicken faster than to the beef. It might be the smell of the meat itself or it might be that the beef contains bone meal instead of ground pieces of bone and some dogs don’t like the smell of bone meal. Also, I think the red meat variety smells more of organ meat than do the chicken or turkey. Unfortunately the veggie smell is the first noticed smell and it is the same in all Darwin’s varieties; so dogs who didn’t like their first meat variety might think that all the Darwin’s is the same since it all smells the same. That’s when using trick 3 is helpful to get them started by cutting the percentage of vegetables and, thus, reducing the smell.

5. Warmed chicken or beef broth poured over the food to make a soup or stew sometimes works, if your dog will eat a very wet food. Some do not like soup.

6. Make sure your dog is good and hungry and don’t feed anything else if the Darwin’s is refused. Just try again next meal. . Easier to get a child to eat broccoli if he or she hasn’t had access to McDonalds for the past few meals.

7. Cook the food like a meat loaf (325 for 30 – 40 minutes or so) and start there. You can mix in raw Darwin’s with the crumbled cooked loaf slowly until you are transitioned. Or mix the crumbled loaf into the food that your dog is used to eating and then transition to raw once you have convinced him/her to eat it cooked.

8. Adding Green Tripe to our meals is an excellent idea for notoriously picky eaters. It is highly palatable, and considered a “superfood” for dogs. We do offer Green Tripe in 1lb packages, and can be added to your standard order any time.

[spaniel39]

Mimi, thanks
My Sophie is so sweet too; I knew the importance of socialization given the protectiveness
factor as an adult and I think I went too far.
If she sees anyone walking towards her or across the street, she will sit and “smile”
and wait to greet them. Impossible to take her/walk her anywhere lol
but I don’t mind, She is just starting to form her “cords”
I didn’t read your post carefully. Sorry, didn’t realize you had been on raw.
I found it much too expensive and kibble has come a long way (Acana, Orijen, etc)
and you can always supplement it with a tablespoon of a good canned lamb/duck/etc.
or in Sophie’s case last night, a big extra lean, Hamburger!
I forgot to mention Evangers!
They’ve done research for decades on large breeds
They have a meat lovers with Rabbit, not real expensive, my dogs loved!

[arwyru24]

Here it is! At my local store they started closing out the dog stuff months ago, and then the cat stuff has been more recent. I had my eye on a 17lb bag of Canidae that I was going to donate if the price got low enough, last I checked it was 21.99 and I had a $4 coupon from their calendar I got , well last I went there it was marked down to $9.99 but I missed it, someone had already snagged that last bag, but it would have been a phenomenal deal at 5.99.
It was at Petco that I got some great deals a week ago or so… a 3.5lb bag of Purina One for $1.98, and cans of Iams at 40 cents a can or so, but it seemed like the clearance stuff went pretty quickly and I never got deals like this lady did.

http://www.pennywisepaws.com/