[Tina]

I know most canned dog food has carrageenan as one of its’ ingredients. The information that I’ve read so far explained that it is controversial. Is there any canned dog food out there that is both pâté and carrageenan free? Wellness canned dog food has carrageenan in all four of its’ pâté formulas and it seems that most pâté brand canned dog food has carrageenan in it as well. Is carrageenan really that bad? Does carrageenan have a taste to it?

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
The links for the shampoo aren’t working, they take me to the sale page, oh noooo! If I only had a little extra money, I can’t stand to walk away from a good sale! lol

I quickly looked at a few shampoos I think there are a few affordable options for you. You want to try and match at least one of the active ingredients in the Malaseb or Nolvasan shampoos otherwise, IMHO (FWIW), you are just throwing away money on nicely scented shampoos that are fine for bathing, but no other benefits. You have a few of those shampoos in your house for him now so I would focus on getting something medicated.

Any soap will kill fleas when it comes into contact with one. I used Dawn dishwashing soap before because I was at my friends house, who has no pets, and Bobby rolled in something disgusting and I had to bath him immediately. Quite a few fleas bit the dust that day lol. Crossing my fingers, no fleas right now and we are in flea season too. The last few years when Bobby’s fleas became unmanageable I would pour and rub in olive oil (just regular store brand) all over his body beginning on his collar area (not his head) and let him run around outside for about an hour with it on. It was my version of a hot oil treatment for him. lol It really moisturized his skin, but I really used it for killing fleas; like a flea dip. The oil pretty much instantly kills the fleas.

This info is for Sharon too (if your reading). I stopped feeding by Nature because they wouldn’t disclose their co-packer, but I think I just recently found who it is. I always thought their recipes looked great. I would buy them again at this time. It is up to you of course, but I think this is a great option for your little guy.

I am going to check out those shampoos, be back in a little bit. 🙂

[Dori]

Shawna: I’ve been giving them whole house filtered water for years. Hadn’t been giving them HW medication until losul had HW diagnosis and I started in again. Stupid Stupid Me!!!!
I have read about the issues with HW medication and bladder cancer just yesterday and a few of the sites specifically name Sentinel and that is the brand I’ve used for years. Obviously I’m never ever using HW medication again. Dogs are all on 3 year rabies vaccination. Hannah at almost 15 years old and bladder cancer will never get it again. I have read everything I can and everyone’s posts here and well wishes and kind words and, of course, they all make me cry knowing everyone is so caring and loving. Just breaks my heart. I’m just a weepy mess right now. My husband and close friends keep telling me what a wonderful life Hannah and I have given each other for 15 years and, selfishly, I just don’t want to hear that kind of talk. That means everyone of them is resigning them to the fact that it’s the end for Hannah and I just can’t deal. She’s the only thing that got me out of bed after my son, Matthew, passed and she’s my last tangible connection to him. It’s just too damn hard. I’ve ordered tons of supplements today and read every site that everyone has guided me to, thank you, thank you, thank you everyone. I’m now concerned of having ordered too much and making matters worse my overdosing her on supplements.

Shawna, I know how crazed and consumed your life is with your family both human and furry, so please let me know when might be a good day and time might work out for you for me to call you. I’ve been feeding all the girls raw for over a year and I think that I want to continue feeding commercial raw as I’ve been doing. Just to let you know Hannah has never had a urinary tract infection in her life, no bloody urine and her urine tests are still clear. They only discovered this because of doing ultra sounds checking her liver because of all four liver levels being so high. They have all come down significantly. Still high of normal but not sky high like before. Okay. I need to breathe right now and attempt to pull my self together because all three dogs are too attuned to my stress. Love to all and from the bottom of my heart I thank you all.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Thanks for the link Ann. The brand hasn’t been reviewed yet so I’ll forward the link to Sandy so she can add it to the to-do list (if it isn’t on there already).

[losul]

Dori, most of what I have read strongly suggests that transitional cell carcinoma in the urinary tract is possibly entirely environmental and in canines it’s suggested that’s it’s suspected causal agents may be certain flea control products and cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide is ironically used as a chemotheraphy and autoimuune disorder agent. There are other predisposing factors such as repeated urinary infections, dogs required to hold their urine for lengthy periods, etc.

Causes
Flea-control products (organophosphates and carbamate) and cyclophosphamide.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cancer/c_dg_urinary_carcinoma

[Omayra R]

Hello all.

My sister adopted a puppy last month and he is the first dog to be our family member. He will be 3 months old tomorrow (June 8th).

We were told to feed him dry mixed with wet 4 times a day, up until July 19th. After that, 3 times a day dry.

His dry is the Blue Buffalo holistic life protection brand, and his wet is Wellness for puppies. For training treats we have Organix peanut butter cookies and Fruitables pumpkin and apple flavor.

Now his poop is finally coming out solid, but at the end it’s a little mushy. From my understanding, poop must be solid and not that smelly. At first he was pooping diarrhea, but that was before he got his deworming shot. After the shot, no more diarrhea but would like it his poop to be more solid and a tad bit smelly. This morning he pooped a lot! He hasn’t pooped since. I asked my sister how often does he poop now and she hasn’t been paying attention, so bare with me. As I don’t live with my family and the dog. I stay over the weekends to watch over him. Since I have a more flexible schedule, I can take him to the vet etc.

I notice after he eats, he gets itchy. I’m wondering if he has any food allergies? I know this mix is prone to skin sensitivity. I want that itching to stop. Also read that tear stains are more proned to his food, not breed. We clean his eyes often but would to see that decrease. It’s not excessive though.

Can anyone here suggest me a new diet, please? I’m looking into the raw brand route but i’m not sure how many times a day with these foods. Sorry, this all so new to me.

I’m also in the process of looking for a well reputable holistic vet. I’m just do terrified of all the horror stories with vets and diets I’ve been reading online.

We want the very best for our little guy.

Thank you 🙂

[Akari_32]

Thanks guys! I’ll look into prices for canned foods (could do coupons or whatever depending on the brand), and commercial raw. What other brands of commercial raw have you guys seen in chain stores other than Natures Variety, and what did they cost? I’ll also add those links to my list of things to read.

For his shampoo, we have and use several. It’s just sort of whatever we pick up when manage to drag him into the tub (he really hates baths lol). We have Grreat Choice Oatmeal Shampoo, a couple sample packets of Beyers stuff (shampoo and conditioner– some sort of lipids and oils thing), and some Neosporin human body wash, which helps the most, but obviously isn’t a dog shampoo, so we don’t use it often.

Would a medicated shampoo need to come from the vet? Is there anything I can make at home to help him? I’ve started using coconut oil for Alec, and it’s helped clear his tummy out. I could butter up Bentley with a homemade coconut oil shampoo or something lol

And yes, I’ve been using honey. But just like everything else, it helped for a few weeks, and now it does nothing. He likes it though.

Oh, and I have THK trial things, too. They are kind of low protein, though, so that would leave me to believe they may be higher in carbs? (Which is why I’m not sure if I want to a premix or dehydrated complete meal).

[Shasta220]

Very interesting topic to read over! All of the above posts are perfect help… Have you tried adding raw honey? I’ve heard of many allergy problems disappearing from adding that.

What do you bathe him with, too? I know a couple dogs that had nasty problems that turned out to not be food related at all. They got a bath with that Malaseb shampoo and were fine.

Ultimately, I’m sure the raw diet would be the best, but there’s always the possibility of that too. Can’t hurt to try 😉

[Bobby dog]

Hi Leslie R:
Canned food is high in moisture, maybe stews have a little more moisture than pate’? IDK Check out these brands: Wellness Core, Blue Buffalo Wilderness, By Nature 95%, Hound & Gatos, and EVO & EVO 95%. Some of these canned foods may not be supplemented with vitamins, they are only for supplemental feeding. I am not sure if they are what you are looking for, but they could be a place to start. Some canned foods that are low in carbs may be high in fat. You didn’t write what kind of health he is in, other than his diagnosis, so these may or may not be good for him depending on his current health condition.

Also, I read the other suggestions you received about making homemade food for him. You could always look into feeding both homemade and canned as well.

Here’s a DFA link about calculating carbs in dog food that may be helpful:
/choosing-dog-food/dog-food-carbohydrate-content/
I love JRT’s, good luck finding what he needs!

[Akari_32]

He gets very little in the way of actual dog treats. He usually gets a bit of people food for treats. I yell at mom for giving him jelly beans quite often… Other than those, he gets veggies and meat scraps. Right now, his treats are Wellness Toy Breed cranberry something-or-anothers. They were on clearance lol Oh, and he steals the cats food if he leaves it and it’s not up high. Alec gets mostly Wellness Grain Free.

The only commercial raw diets locally available are Bill Jac (not sure how good that is) and Natures Variety, which is not cost effective at all (I’ve already looked into that.). There may be other brands that I’ve over looked, though.

What if we were to feed like, half raw, half Natures Variety Instinct kibble? That has freeze dried raw coating, and all sorts of good stuff in it. Would supplements be needed then? (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to avoid supplements, I just know they can be costly, so if I can find a way to balance his diet as cheaply as possible, I’d like to take that route).

[Case]

I read where somebody was questioning the year-round availability of fresh local ingredients…Is it possible to have fresh locally grown fruit and veggies in Canada in winter? What about free range poultry? Wild caught fish?

Just wondering what you guys think.

[Tina]

I’m sorry for my posts last night.
I’m a 26 year old married women who lives with her parents because I can’t afford to move out. My mom is anti-natural dog food and doesn’t believe that it can help with any of the dogs problems at all. I had 2 of my dogs die of cancer in the past and all of my dogs have skin issues. My cats are overweight, unhealthy and are very picky.
I’ve gone and researched my butt off from books to the internet and even going to pet stores and reading the labels of each and every dog food out there. When it came to All Life Stages dog food I found lots of research and most of the answers came out to be both good and bad. My mom says to “ask the vet” he has all the answers but my vet is very old fashioned and when I asked him he said the “all life stages dog food is bad for dogs and will end up killing dogs and even cats. So I got really scared and after loosing 2 dogs 2 cancer I wanted no part of it and would do my best to get people off All Life Stages dog food. Working at Petco for 3 years helped as well because you found out about the truth of these dog food companies and pet stores. They sell you anything that is on sale or has a deal with that company. While working there I would convince people to change their dogs all life stage dog food for something else and it worked. Please help me and tell me the truth of dog food.

[Tina]

I’m sorry for my posts last night.
I’m a 26 year old married women who lives with her parents because I can’t afford to move out. My mom is anti-natural dog food and doesn’t believe that it can help with any of the dogs problems at all. I had 2 of my dogs die of cancer in the past and all of my dogs have skin issues. My cats are overweight, unhealthy and are very picky.
I’ve gone and researched my butt off from books to the internet and even going to pet stores and reading the labels of each and every dog food out there. When it came to All Life Stages dog food I found lots of research and most of the answers came out to be both good and bad. My mom says to “ask the vet” he has all the answers but my vet is very old fashioned and when I asked him he said the “all life stages dog food is bad for dogs and will end up killing dogs and even cats. So I got really scared and after loosing 2 dogs 2 cancer I wanted no part of it and would do my best to get people off All Life Stages dog food. Working at Petco for 3 years helped as well because you found out about the truth of these dog food companies and pet stores. They sell you anything that is on sale or has a deal with that company. While working there I would convince people to change their dogs all life stage dog food for something else and it worked. Please help me and tell me the truth of dog food.

[Dori]

Well guys, finally got Hannah’s diagnosis yesterday after months of testing and ultrasounds and many specialists. Last month on one of the routine ultrasounds to check re elevated liver levels it was discovered that she had a small cyst like something or other at the entrance of her bladder. At that time they had a slim hope that it was just a clot from the needle that they used the day before to extract urine for sampling. Yesterday’s ultra sound showed that it is still there. It has not gotten any bigger, but not smaller and feel that if it had been the clot from needle aspiration for urine it would be long gone by now. The vets conferring in Hannah’s case including her own, feel that what we are dealing with is a transitional cell bladder carcinoma. Needless to say this has blown me away. Her liver levels have continued to go down, still high of normal, but no longer in the 400’s. This bladder carcinoma has nothing to do with the liver, it was just found coincidentally while trying to figure out the liver issue. Next week they are going to do a catheter removal of cells of the tumor/cyst to be able to diagnose it properly. If this is the case then there is no surgery that can be done but there is a medication that has been known to help and slow down the progression. They talked about steroids but have decided that that would be contraindicated because of the liver issues involved with steroids and she already has elevated liver levels. I keep thinking maybe it is still the blood clot and she’s healing slower because of her age or whatever is going on with her liver. Don’t know. I’m just in shock and freaked out at the moment. Don’t know what to do about any of it.

Meanwhile you would never think that there is anything wrong with her. She remains totally asymptomatic for anything. She is still her old self, running, jumping, barking, playing, eating and drinking. Hard to believe anything is wrong with her at all. So, of course, I’m questioning this procedure next week. They have to anesthetize her to do the procedure. Anyway, any thoughts or experiences on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I’m so happy to have all of you out there to tell my (Hannah’s story) and get some feed back. Thank you all.

[Dori]

Hi Serena. I don’t feed any kibble but definitely canned would be better. Kibble food generally has a lot of different ingredients in them similar to most kibble foods including whatever binder they are using to keep the kibble in tact. Your dog could still have issues with canned food depending on what her ingredient intolerances are but it’s easier to keep track of ingredients and intolerances. A lot of dogs with allergies and intolerances do better on canned, imo, than kibble.

When I first started doing an elimination test with Katie, the first ingredient was chicken. Then discovered that she is badly intolerant of all fowl. It’s not the same with red meats. Beef, Bison, Kangaroo, Rabbit, Goat, Lamb, Vennison will have completely different reactions from each other. Katie cannot eat Lamb or Goat but she does fine with all the others so far anyway.

If you’re going to switch to canned food please try to make sure that the cans themselves are BHA free, No Carragean (sp?) and also look for the least possible ingredients made from human food ingredients. My rule is that if I can’t pronounce or would not eat it myself then my dogs don’t eat it either. Another way you can feed your dog is to try rotating with freeze dried foods. Closer to raw, but not exactly. There again, keep in mind what the ingredients are (human grade) and what he may have an issue with. I’ve had my hands full with Katie and her allergies and intolerances since I got her at 9 weeks old. She’ll be 5 years old on 6/24/14. It’s been a challenge and she and I have suffered through it. She always comes up with something she once ate that can no longer tolerate. Some of her latest have been alfalfa in any form and kelp in any form. So you just have to keep trying.

Oh, with the canned or any food, just cause it says Beef doesn’t mean that they haven’t added somewhere in the ingredient list chicken fat or lamb or some other protein so please please please read all the ingredients. Good Luck. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I’ve been busy with my older gal Hannah, almost 15 year old Maltese who was finally diagnosed yesterday with bladder cancer so, understandably I’m in denial and totally freaked out. My best to you and your dog.

[neezerfan]

I know how you feel. I think most of us are a little paranoid about our dog’s food and that’s why we are here. It does make you wonder if you should stop feeding it. I found this discussion; /dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-dog-food/ . Scroll down and read from about 2 weeks ago. There was also a discussion about one of the minerals being possibly too low or maybe reported incorrectly on the package but I can’t find a link to that right now. I still feed it as part of the rotation!

[Tina]

I’m sorry for my posts last night.
I’m a 26 year old married women who lives with her parents because I can’t afford to move out. My mom is anti-natural dog food and doesn’t believe that it can help with any of the dogs problems at all. I had 2 of my dogs die of cancer in the past and all of my dogs have skin issues. My cats are overweight, unhealthy and are very picky.
I’ve gone and researched my butt off from books to the internet and even going to pet stores and reading the labels of each and every dog food out there. When it came to All Life Stages dog food I found lots of research and most of the answers came out to be both good and bad. My mom says to “ask the vet” he has all the answers but my vet is very old fashioned and when I asked him he said the “all life stages dog food is bad for dogs and will end up killing dogs and even cats.” So I got really scared and after loosing 2 dogs 2 cancer I wanted no part of it and would do my best to get people off All Life Stages dog food. Working at Petco for 3 years helped as well because you found out about the truth of these dog food companies and pet stores. They sell you anything that is on sale or has a deal with that company. While working there I would convince people to change their dogs all life stage dog food for something else and it worked. Please help me and tell me the truth of dog food.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Tina.

[Tina]

I’m sorry for my posts last night.
I’m a 26 year old married women who lives with her parents because I can’t afford to move out. My mom is anti-natural dog food and doesn’t believe that it can help with any of the dogs problems at all. I had 2 of my dogs die of cancer in the past and all of my dogs have skin issues. My cats are overweight, unhealthy and are very picky.
I’ve gone and researched my butt off from books to the internet and even going to pet stores and reading the labels of each and every dog food out there. When it came to All Life Stages dog food I found lots of research and most of the answers came out to be both good and bad. My mom says to “ask the vet” he has all the answers but my vet is very old fashioned and when I asked him he said the “all life stages dog food is bad for dogs and will end up killing dogs and even cats. So I got really scared and after loosing 2 dogs 2 cancer I wanted no part of it and would do my best to get people off All Life Stages dog food. Working at Petco for 3 years helped as well because you found out about the truth of these dog food companies and pet stores. They sell you anything that is on sale or has a deal with that company. While working there I would convince people to change their dogs all life stage dog food for something else and it worked. Please help me and tell me the truth of dog food.

[Tina]

I’m sorry for my posts last night.
I’m a 26 year old married women who lives with her parents because I can’t afford to move out. My mom is anti-natural dog food and doesn’t believe that it can help with any of the dogs problems at all. I had 2 of my dogs die of cancer in the past and all of my dogs have skin issues. My cats are overweight and are very picky.
I’ve gone and researched my butt off from books to the internet and even going to pet stores and reading the labels of each and every dog food out there. When it came to All Life Stages dog food I found lots of research and most of the answers came out to be both good and bad. My mom says to “ask the vet” he has all the answers but my vet is very old fashioned. Working at Petco for 3 years helped as well because you found out about the truth of these dog food companies and pet stores. They sell you anything that is on sale or has a deal with that company. Please help me and tell me the truth of dog food.

[Tina]

I’m sorry for my posts last night.

I’ma 26 year old married women who lives with her parents because I can’t afford to move out. My mom is anti-natural dog food and doesn’t believe that it can help with any of the dogs problems at all. I had 2 of my dogs die of cancer in the past and all of my dogs have skin issues. My cats are overweight and are very picky.

I’ve gone and researched my butt off from books to the internet and even going to pet stores and reading the labels of each and every dog food out there. When it came to All Life Stages dog food I found lots of research and most of the answers came out to be both good and bad. My mom says to “ask the vet” he has all the answers but my vet is very old fashioned. Working at Petco for 3 years helped as well because you found out about the truth of these dog food companies and pet stores. They sell you anything that is on sale or has a deal with that company. Please help me and tell me the truth of dog food.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Tina.

[Mike Sagman]

I have already posted the answer to this question to the very best of my ability many times. Both in the forums and on our FAQ page.

Just the same, I’ll repeat it again for you here.

Editor’s Choice designation is based upon the subjective opinions of this editor and our research staff. Removing a company from the list should not be interpreted as the discovery of some crucially important finding.

Choosing brands for Editor’s Choice is based on as many facts as I can put together. And I’m perfectly willing to disclose those facts when appropriate.

However, it’s also based upon subjective opinion, insider tips, hunches and everything else I might personally know at any point in time. Yet sharing these unprovable notions publicly would be irresponsible — unfair to the companies and misleading to readers.

For legal and ethical reasons, I will never knowingly publish any unprovable (non-factual) opinion about any company anywhere on this website just to appease a reader’s curiosity or expectations for an explanation.

And that’s not ever going to change.

However, being able to freely add or remove products from Editor’s Choice without concern for avoidable legal consequences will allow me to do a much better job of helping you choose great brands while also protecting your pet from potential harm.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Akari_32]

Well I had a fun day today. And by fun I mean terrible, for both my mental and financial well being. -_-

Left for class like normal this morning, everything was good, blah blah blah. Got home, cat was in his usual spot on the couch. Went over, said hi, took Bentley out to go potty, and decided to take Haley for a walk. I was gone for like 30 minutes, came home, kitty-kitty was waiting in the window (where he’s not supposed to be unless the blinds are up, I might add). He came over to me, said hi and hung out for a few minutes, checked out the terrifying giant monster (yeah, right lol) that is Haley, decided it was best if he just left the living room, got half way to his cat tree, made a really nasty sound, and puked all over the place.

Like. Everywhere.

More than any cat should ever puke.

So I kick Haley out to the yard and lock Bentley up, and clean the mess up, and I look over at Alec, and he just looks terrible. Laying spread out on his side, looking litterally like some sort of road kill, kind of hic-upping, or something like that.

I figured maybe something was stuck i his throat, so I’m trying all kinds of things to get him to try and throw up again or cough it out, or something. At the same time I’m calling my vet. Which, go figure, it’s 5:04. They closed at 5. I call our secondary vet, and they’re closing in 5 minutes by the time I get their number. So they told me to call the emergency vet. By the time I get to the emergency vet, it’s been 45 minutes since he threw up.

They took him back right away and gave him an exam, and what not, while the lady at the desk took all my info and whatever medical history I could give them.

First they came in with a huge long list of crap. Xrays, tests, shots. Like $600 worth! I was like, that ain’t happening. I know this game! Not that i said that or anything. I was on the verge of tears since I realized something was wrong with him lol Even still, I didn’t have that much money to name, so clearly that wouldn’t work anyways.

But, we finally settled on xrays, a few shots (antibiotics, subq fluids, anti nausea) and staying over night on an IV. We were worried that he could have fluid in his lungs, or something lodged in his throat, since his breathing was terrible, and his gums were white. X-rays showed neither.

Turns out, he’s got something (she couldn’t even tell what– she sent it off to be looked at) lodged right at the end of his stomach. It was the same color as the bones were, and pretty big. I can’t think of anything that he could’ve gotten that would match up with that. So that changed our plan again. For the cheaper at this point, thankfully.

She didn’t want to give him any anti nausea medicine because she didn’t want to mask any symptoms of him trying to rid of whatever’s stuck in there. Makes sence. And she didn’t think he needed to stay overnight, either. So she gave him some fluids, told me to keep him confinded, and said no food or water tonight, and go to the regular vet in the morning for a follow up if he got worse and didn’t get any better.

Dished out $360 and went home, and got him set up in Haley and Dweezles cage (it’s huge) with a towel, bed and litter box, and there he’ll stay till morning I guess.

He’s looking better as the fluids absorb. He can support his weight now and isn’t all limp anymore. His breathing has slowed, but still looks a little labored. And he’s responding to my touch, and leaning in for cheek scratches. When he purrs is real gurgley and wet sounding, but he’s looking much better. His front half looks like a little fury sausage :p He doesn’t look sick any more, just more like sleepy-drugged kitty (he’s not drugged, though), but he’s alert to sounds, which I know is really good.

So yeah. That was our fun adventure for the day. I think it was worse for me than it was for him, though. I’m such a baby when it comes to animals being sick or injured. I was like crying all the way to vet, all the while making fun of myself in the back of head for being such a retard *rolls eyes* :p

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Martha –

Not all foods that are highly rated will be included in the Editor’s Choice. The star ratings take into account the ingredients and general analysis only – not the company itself. You can read more about how the Editor’s Choice companies are selected here.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Bobby dog]

Hi camano:
Welcome to Akari’s cat food recommendations thread that we hijacked from her! lol I second everything that Akari and C4c wrote! If you get tired of reading through this thread or just don’t have the time, just post a question, we all pop in at one time or another to comment. I have fed brands from grocery stores, Wal-Mart, pet store chains, feed stores, and specialty stores. I keep a list of them; mostly so I don’t waste money buying something they don’t like again. So if you are thinking about trying out a food and want to know if anyone has used it before, just ask, one of us has probably fed it before.

Here’s some links to the pages I reference mostly on the catinfo.org site that C4c mentioned:
Home page: http://www.catinfo.org/
Commercial Foods: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods
Cat Food Nutritional Composition Charts: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/SortableCatFoodChartCatinfo.org2-22-13.htm

If you have a budget to keep in mind, check out Akari’s “Coupons!” thread under off topic forums. You’ll find info on sales, coupons, and deals on pet foods there. If you have any coupon questions, Akari is the person to talk to. We discuss our pet food scores on this thread too though:

/forums/topic/coupons/

My five cats’ ages are between 6 -15 years; one has a hyperthyroid. I feed grain free kibble and canned food; I also rotate both foods. I feed mostly low carb foods and try to stay away from gravys, sauces, starches, glutens, grains, fish, and artificial ingredients. They are addicted to fish so I feed it a few times a week.

For kibble I feed Wellness Core Turkey & Duck, Innova Nature’s Table, and Merrick Chic. I am currently feeding EVO kitten & cat food that I got a B1G1 free deal on. Looking for something to replace Innova since Mars bought the P & G pet division.

Right now for canned I am feeding Wellness Complete Health Chic or Beef & Chic, Tiki Cat Sardine, Natural Balance Turkey & Giblets, Innova, Triumph Trout or Turkey, Pro Plan Select Chic & Liver, and Sheba pate’s without fish. I always have Friskies Poultry Platter, Fancy Feast Turkey & Giblets, Chic & Liver, Tender Beef Feast, and Fish & Shrimp Feast Flaked on hand and sometimes Purina One Turkey Pate if I have coupons.

I am trying out Grandma Mae’s canned and all my cats like it. It’s GF but there is fish in all the recipes. The flavors all have similar ingredients just switched around. It went over well so I will probably buy it again. I have to rotate the better canned foods because they get tired of them, so next month I will feed other brands; but, they always eat their Purina. lol

If you are comfortable ordering on-line, check out the on-line retailers mentioned on this site and sign up for their e-mail updates. Chewy, Wag, Petflow, Petco, Petsmart, I know I am forgetting some. Those sites sometimes send through sale info and free shipping deals. A lot of them give discounts for first time customers and discounts for auto ship orders. I tend to only order on line when I definitely know it is a food my guys will eat and of course it has to be a better price than what I can get it for at a local pet store. I have ordered from Petco and Petflow without any issues. Petco.com has great deals about every other month. They will do no minimum purchase deals with free shipping and handling. They also sell smaller bags of kibble for half off during these sales. Another deal Petco does sometimes is buy $100 of products and you get $30 off your order with free S & H.

[Naturella]

Good job, Harper’s Mom! 🙂

Ok, guys, so my donation includes:

TOTW High Prairie Puppy – 5 lbs – $13 from PetLand
TOTW Pacific Stream Puppy – 5 lbs – $13 from PetLand
NutriSource Grain Free Lamb – 5 lbs – $14 from PetLand
NutriSource Grain Free Seafood Select (Salmon really) – 5 lbs – $15 from PetLand
2 free Castor&Pollux Organix Adult Samples – free from a health food store
4 cups of Bruno’s food mix – Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch:Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension:Victor Yukon Salmon in a ratio of 3:1:0.5 in the overall mix – free-ish from my stash, lol
4 J&W Small Chew bones (the nylon ones) – @ $.97/piece from PetSmart
3 rope toys – @ $.94/piece from WalMart
3 chew/rope toys – @ $.94/piece from WalMart
3 tennis balls for fetching – two @ $.99/piece and one @ $.01/piece from PetSmart
2 clickers – @ $.99/piece from PetSmart, but I already had them, so free-ish, lol
1 frisbee – @ $.99/piece from PetSmart
1 stuffed turtle toy – free gift from Petland
1 Small Greenie – free gift from Petland
8 Meow Mix Souffles – @ $.49 or $.50 from Target and PetSmart respectively

All for: $38 (includes also 12 more Meow Mix Souffles for friends’ cats, not the shelter ones)!

Here’s how it adds up: for the PetLand foods I had a coupon for $10-off a $25+ purchase, and they have a one-time promotion of buy-any-TOTW-bag-get-one-NutriSource-Free! So hence the cost of the NutriSource is nulled and for about $17 (with tax and stuff) I got 20 lbs of good food! And added the extra stuff, that can be used as treats! 🙂

Now, I just pray TSA doesn’t raid my bag and snatch it all up, cause I’d be sad… And hope the animals in the shelter like it all! 🙂

For reference – 4 bags of food, plus 2 plastic bags of toys, samples, and cat food, cost me under $40, while 2 non-full plastic bags of gifts for the family and friends cost me over $70. So I think I did good! 🙂

P.S. I think PetLand hates me though… sigh… Meh. lol

[Mr Corbette G G]

Although I have joined the Editor’s Choice area, I am finding it still difficult to select a good food for my cane corso. There is still a lot of choices to review even in the Editor choice area. What is really confusing and misleading is the Editor’s Top picks displayed above shop at an online retailer in the gray box that is displayed once a food choice is made. Once clicked its asking for subscription fee that already has been paid for Editor’s choice. Is this another area to subscribe to or is it just another description for the Editor’s Choice? I am considering ZiwiPeak dehydrated, there are no “red” controversial ingredients listed, any feedback?

[Susan]

Hi, when I first rescued my boy he would have the gurgling Bowel, I took Patch to the vets & vet said it was Colitis & to put him on a low fat diet, so vet put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal this kibble has stopped the gurgling bowel & rumbling, its a low residue kibble that breaks up easily & the fat% is 10%..I also could hear his bowel from another room & he too would not eat when this was happening of a morning he’d only eat grass also I would make him a piece of dry toast with either honey thinly spread or a fish paste very thinly spread as soon as he’d have his toast the gurgling would stop..Try a kibble with a low fat% 10% or under also watch what you feed at night… I dont give Patch no treats, nothing at night after his Eukanuba Intestinal kibble, this has also helped him….Have you tried the Wellness Simple range Limited ingredients they have the Duck & oatmeal & fat is min-11% u’d have to email Wellpet & ask what the max fat% is, they have the Simple Healthy weight at 8% fat its Salmon & Peas formula Im not sure about the peas thats why I havent tried as peas would give more wind pain..Ive been introducing Patch to the Holistic Select Senior also made by Wellpet cause the fat is min-10% I emailed Holistic Select & they said that the max fat is 11.98%.this kibble is a Hydrolized kibble & breaks up real easy.. I found when Patch ate real hard kibble he’d get the noisey tummy/bowel, so what I do know if I try a new kibble I boil the jug I put about 2 kibbles in a class of boiled water, I count to 40 sec then I get 2 small teaspoons & I place 1 of the kibbles that was in the boiling water on one spoon then I get the other spoon & push down, a good kibble should crush easily, a hard kibble wont crush & sometimes flings away..thats why I put 2 kibbles in the water just in case this happens but the Holistic Select Senoir or any of the Holistic Select kibbles are nice & soft after being in water after 40sec as the protein is hydrolized better on their digestion, Ive been trying to work out Patches health now for 1 year & we have it just right at the moment with the Eukanuba Intestinal & the Holistic Select senior Chicken meal & rice I only mix the Holistic Select & Intestinal for his lunch meal at the moment, But he was just on the Holistic Select for about 7months before I found the Holistic Select Senior, I did try a few other brand kibbles but they were too hard to digest.. Good-Luck also watch the fat if you give any treats or meats I do boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin for breakfast as the rice irritates Patches bowel I have also tried the Eukanuba FP as Patch has itchy skin & the fat% was 15% too high gave him the rumbling tummy/bowel then diarrhea, the Eukanuba Intestinal is for their tummy/bowel & for skin problems it cleared all his itchy skin up but at the end of summer he gets seasonal allergies from pollens & grasses & there’s nothing you can really do for that except put him in a plastic bubble & keep him looked up all summer Lol

[Raffaele C]

I’ve been wanting to try alternate methods for preventing fleas/ticks for quite some time now but had a lot of difficulty finding reliable information. I didn’t even think that I could ask for some advice on these forums but then I came across the Off Topic. I did read through a few threads on here already about this but I was hoping to get a clearer and specifc recommendation for a natural flea/tick prevention program (specific product links, times of year, etc). Both my small dogs are on Frontline and are due for another dosage so I am hoping to try something new soon.

I’m really nervous about making this transition so I want to make sure I do it right. Can anyone help offer some advice?

[mogavero1955]

I had replied under shiatsu then read advice on how to post. I am desperate. My vet said science diet for sensitive stomachs but it is junk I’m told…..One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nat R –

Just so you know, no studies exist demonstrating that protein has negative effects on giant breed puppies or adults – anything you read about this is myth and nothing more. There is, however, a lot of research proving the protein is not harmful.

Feeding Large Breed Puppies by Susan Winn DVM (Featured in IVC Journal)

“A common misconception found in many internet articles is the claim that dietary protein should be controlled in large breed puppies to prevent skeletal abnormalities. This theory was disproved some years ago (Nap, 1991). Most commercial puppy foods contain more protein than is thought necessary, but studies have shown that protein contents of 23% to 31% (dry matter) do not have a deleterious effect on growth.”

“Decades ago, we considered some adult diets appropriate for puppies. However, a calorie-calcium mismatch is probably common. Adult maintenance foods are often less calorically dense than puppy foods. Additionally, these diets may have calcium and phosphorus levels that are higher in relation to energy density than a large breed puppy diet. If a rapidly growing puppy has to eat more food to obtain enough calories for growth, a calcium overdose is possible.”

“Most nutritionists recommend that large, fast growing puppies eat diets containing AT LEAST 30% protein and 9% fat (dry matter basis).”

The Effect of Breed Size on Nutritional Considerations for Growing Puppies

“Excessive intake of dietary protein has been suggested as a contributing factor to skeletal developmental problems, such as osteochondrosis, in large breed dogs. This hypothesis was tested by feeding Great Dane puppies either 15%, 23% or 32% dietary protein (13%, 21% or 29% of energy). While the low protein diet reduced growth, no detrimental effects from the higher protein diets were observed.”

This is a FANTASTIC article (one of my favorites) on large breed nutrition written by Susan Lauten PhD – I would HIGHLY recommend reading it in its entirety, however here are some of the highlights:

Nutritional Risks to Large-Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years

“Currently, no evidence exists to suggest that high-protein intake contributes to the development of orthopedic disease in growing large-breed puppies. Previous studies suggesting a risk for high protein and DOD were confounded by higher energy intake in high-protein foods. In general, large-breed puppy diets are formulated to contain approximately 30% protein (DMB) similar to other puppy foods.”

“…feeding adult foods to large-breed puppies before 1 year of age is not recommended because the calcium-to-energy ratio is generally lower in adult foods compared with large-breed puppy food. Feeding an adult food can actually result in greater intake of calcium than feeding puppy foods. Because the puppy must consume a larger portion of adult food to meet energy needs for growth, total calcium intake may actually be higher than with a properly formulated large-breed puppy formula.”

Here is the link to a study done on Great Dane pups that was featured in the Journal of Nutrition. The study concluded: “the differences in protein intake per se did not affect the occurrence of disturbed skeletal development in young Great Danes.”

Do You Know What to Feed Your Large Breed Dog? By Karen Becker DVM

“Studies have repeatedly concluded dietary protein levels have no effect on the development of skeletal problems in large and giant breed dogs. But still today, many breeders of large dogs, owners and even some veterinarians will tell you protein is the problem, even though there is no evidence to prove it. Protein excess is not the problem. In fact, it’s often a dietary protein deficiency that contributes to skeletal problems.”

You may find this of interest as well. Here Dr. Becker interviews a Newfie breeder (not Great Danes I know – however Newfies are generally considered to be a giant breed). This breeder feeds his dogs HIGH protein raw and his dogs don’t experience many of the health problems typical to giant breed dogs and his dogs live much longer than most giant breeds (he had a dog live to be 17 – the typical life span of a giant breed is about 8).

Sorry to bombard you with reading, but large breed nutrition is one of my favorite subjects and I like to make sure people have the facts. 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[nat r]

Hound dog mom-

Hi, as I have said I do not own a great dane, and will not until I know the ins and outs of care and diets for them, I am going on what I have read up on, no breeder websites that I have found up to now, explain any diets. I’ll get to the bottom of it haha. Both theories do seem to make sense, and with great danes known for a short life span anyways, I would not like to speed that up by buying the incorrect food for them I know they defiantly need only a small percentage of fat, like most dogs so that there frame can hold there weight but other than that, I have read 1 million different reviews about these subjects and I really can’t decide which one to believe because as I said they both make sense.
And by puppy food, I meant not normal puppy food as it has a lot of energy boosting products in, great danes stomachs are prone to bloating etc which can lead to many problems, so they need a proper, good, trustworthy puppy food, they should rest for a while after eating so they do not bloat, therefor I wouldn’t want to give them a puppy food that would send them hyper, other than that, they’re better off eating adult food.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nat R –

There’s no reason a Great Dane can’t eat a high protein food and, in fact, they should. It’s also not true that they should not eat puppy food as puppies, they need to eat a puppy food with controlled calcium levels appropriate for large breed growth. There’s a lot of information about this on the large breed puppy thread. Many many years ago it was believed that high levels of protein caused joint issues, it’s been known for quite some time now that this isn’t true however there are still a few vets, breeders and pet owners that believe this myth.

[nat r]

I do not have a great dane, however I am doing A LOT of research on these dogs as I am crazy about them, but refuse to have one until I know I can give it the proper care, diet and love it needs. I have read so many things about the typical diet for great danes that they need a diet that is under 24% protien, however I have also came across things, such as this argument, explaining otherwise. I will share one thing I have found out about these dogs and there diet. On every website I have came across it has advised me to feed a great dane food that has protien 24% or less and never feed them puppy food even when they are pups as it can cause bone problems. Now to all of you arguing that protien does not help grow bones, I agree! However it does help grow muscle, and to a dog with such a huge frame that is likely to develop bone probolems already, I don’t think that a dog of that state would need extra weight put onto there bones until they are a little older, so out of everything I’ve heard, just to be on the safe side, when I do get my great dane, I will feed it food with 24% or less of protien, and never feed it puppy food.

[Zanes Mom]

From what I have read the KY plant will be up and running in 2016 and will supply the US market. Acana Regionals has been a wonderful product for my dog but I too am concerned about the change. Using regional producers can be a good thing but where will the fresh fish come from in western Kentucky? Will they continue to meet European standards and have it passed fit for human consumption? Those are just a few of my concerns and I guess it is time to contact the company. In the meantime I will work on adding other brands into his diet rotation which I know is recommended anyway. I did try Natures Logic but by the end of his first large bag it was a struggle, he didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either. I never thought I would feed home made because we travel but I can see the sense of it on many levels. Sigh!

[Akari_32]

Don’t worry Sharon, I’m right there with you! Took me like an hour to sort out the cat food tonight after a great haul of coupons 🙂 Most of it was fish based foods, so I had to work it out so that he only got the fish ones as less often as possible while still making the rest of the menu as fun as possible LOL I don’t have OCD issues or anything. Why would anyone say that *rolls eyes*

New cat food (all the purple cans here are tuna….)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/37331B65-17A4-4A8A-8D2A-B79194513662_zpsuiw3cgkj.jpg

Finally got it all worked out, on a four day rotation. Day one, Wellness Complete Health. Day Two, Friskies, and/or Wellness Grain Free Chicken and/or Turkey. Day three, Wellness Complete Health. Day four, Wellness Grain Free Tuna (with the exception of the first row, with those little 3 oz cans). Then it starts all over again.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/262DF199-505E-4060-90E3-97789CC1735A_zpsgo1oav49.jpg

For the full breakdown of my coupon trip, see the coupon thread 🙂

Oh, and this cat does finally have a name! Gary Alec Jasper (then our last name). To understand this, Bentleys full name is Bentley Henry Eddie The Biebs (then our last name). I was sticking to the theme mom created lol Now it’s just a matter of breaking the habit of calling him “Here Kittyyy” and calling him Alec LOL

Also, I’ve created separation anxiety cat. When I make it into the bathroom alone, he sits outside the door and cries and scratches. If I leave the bathroom door open (or don’t close it all the way, and he gets in), he sits in the bathtub and hunts me till I call him out. If I’m in the shower and gets in, he sits on the counter and stares a hole through the curtain till I come out. When I go in my bedroom and start to close the door, he runs full speed to come in with me. When I try to get out the front door, he tries to slip out with me (he doesn’t do this with anyone else). He comes to me to for attention, comes when called (when I call him, anyways), let’s me do whatever I want to him (my favorite game is Shaken Kitty Syndrome :p lol). He’s bonded with me very strongly. Not that I’m complaining 🙂

[indietheaussie]

Hi all,

I noticed Acana is changing their Singles line very soon to include legumes over oats and through some research it seems that this is a very controversial change. On top of that, it seems people are very unhappy with Champion overall.

A few years ago, when I worked at an independent dog food shop, I had the opportunity to learn about how they made their food, how they ensure freshness, etc and I was really impressed. On top of that, they were a Canadian company and I really wanted to support a local food, especially given some of their proteins were sourced from literally neighbouring towns from me. I basically intended to feed Champion to my future pup.

Fast forward a few years, I have an Aussie pup name Indie, who came to me on TOTW Wetlands but I switched him off due to the calcium/phos levels and didn’t feel it was fitting for a growing pup. Thought “Why don’t I try Acana?” I was familiar with their practices and they are local so I switched him to Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear at about 3 months old, and he has been on it since. He’s 9 months now, for reference.

He’s done well on the Acana, albeit a bit of a finicky eater and could have slightly better stools (usually when he isn’t eating full meals), and we’ve recently started a rotational diet. He’s actually almost done his first bag of Acana Chicken and Potato, which is when I discovered the Acana formula changes in researching what food to put in the rotation next. Obviously there are still people out there who support Champion, but I read about many who are very against them, and those people have gotten to me. I’m a natural worry wart when it comes to Indie. I mean, what’s the consensus? Is Champion really just going downhill? I’ve never been opposed to other companies but now I’m feeling driven to find an alternative in case they aren’t the company they used to be.

I feel like a fish out of water, like I’m starting fresh in the food world again. I just feel like I am unsure where to go from here. My pup has been on both GF and grain-inclusive and I haven’t developed a preference. Since he’s not a big eater and is on the skinny side, I am inclined to keep him with a grain-inclusive food but I feel like I just don’t know anymore haha. He has no aversion to any protein so the world is essentially my oyster and it’s stressing me out.

I don’t know what advice I’m looking for but if any one has any insight at all. Let me know!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Sharon:
“I have never met anyone that is so ambivalent and unable to make cat food decisions as I am…” I don’t see anything wrong with this approach. It always breaks my heart when I read someone leaves their pet on a food for over a month that clearly does not agree with them. I know it only takes one time for a food not to agree with me and I won’t eat it again. I can’t imagine someone making me eat something that didn’t make me feel well for more than a day let alone weeks or months at a time.

Since I have been rotating Bobby’s diet there have been only two instances that food clearly didn’t agree with him. One made him itch uncontrollably and the other he regurgitated within a half hour of eating it two times. The food that made him itch was a free sample which he finished before I realized it was the culprit, the other food went into the trash after it made him sick the second time. So you keep being ambivalent and unable to make cat food decisions if that’s what it takes to keep your kitty happy and healthy! 🙂

[Bobby dog]

I don’t know of any, but check out catinfo.org. There is lots of information regarding different brands of cat food;the site belongs to a Vet, Dr. Pierson. She does not rank the food so much as she provides the nutritional content of different cat food and how they can affect the health of your cats. Here’s some links to the site:

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/SortableCatFoodChartCatinfo.org2-22-13.htm

There is also a thread named “cat food recommendations” started by Akari_32 here. You can find it under the off topic forums. Read through it or just post a question and maybe one of us can help you through our experiences in trying to find cat food for our fur babies. 😉
/forums/topic/cat-food-recommendations/

[Mike Sagman]

I can understand your frustration with some of the topics that have been created by other members.

However, these forums were never intended to limit any discussion to “the Editor’s Choice foods” as you suggest. The only restriction here is that one must be a member to participate.

And although ideally it would be nice if members would stick to subjects related to which dog foods they consider to be the best, we also recognize the need for many pet owners to introduce additional topics that are important to them and their pets.

So, these discussions frequently include topics like cancer, allergies, kidney problems, cost savings and (yes) even dog treats. The only time we feel compelled to delete threads is when they have nothing to do with dogs.

And of course, as a member, it’s always your choice to select which ones you choose to read or reply to.

[Shasta220]

And it’s not about money or resources, either. I think he just is already in the routine of buying the Beneful and doesn’t want to change.

I tried getting him to try a bag of Kirkland since it’s super quality AND cheaper than Beneful… Ugggggggh.

He also gives them pedigree/Alpo canned :/ lousy canned doesn’t seem to bother me as much as the lousy kibble though, lol. I haven’t bothered to talk to him about canned, since I know he wouldn’t even remotely listen…

[DogFoodie]

Hi Cars,

I’d take a look at Victor. They do have a fish based food called Yukon River, but it also contains sweet potato. They have lots of other varieties that include fish, but aren’t fish based.

You also mention it had to be fish based. Is there a reason for that? I ask because fish based foods are more readily subject to rancidity than other proteins. Great WDJ article about that here: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html. if you must buy fish based food, buy the freshest you can and only as you need it. Don’t stock up on fish based kibble.

Now, if you’re wanting fish based for the added Omegas, you’re far better off adding fresh, whole food ingredients, such as tinned sardines two or three times weekly to a meal of kibble.

Here is an amazing little download written by Steve Brown, who also wrote the article I linked to above: 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 worth its weight. It explains the advantages of adding fresh whole foods to your dog’s diet and how doing so, even one day per week in place of ameal of kibble, can make a huge difference in your dog’s overall health!

[crazy4cats]

Well, now I’m confused. There is a veterinary royal canin formula actually called gastro fiber responsive that l have used. It was high fiber. But now that I re-read her post, she said my dog has fiber responsive diarrhea. So maybe fiber does cause her dog to have diarrhea and she is not using the fiber responsive food after all. My apologies. Hope she has it figured out! Lol!

[Susan]

Hi, the Royal Canin gastro is a low fiber kibble at -1.7% & dietary fiber- 8.6% & low fat-7% as my boy suffers from IBD & Pancreatitis, I could either pick the R/C gastro or the Eukanuba Intestinal.. I picked the Eukanuba as there’s was no by-products & the kibble breaks up real easy (low residue), the Eukanuba cleared his diarrhea up within 2 days.. the vets first tried a higher fiber kibble the Intestinal Plus at 4% fiber which made him worst…my vet wanted Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 1 year to heal the bowel, dont rush these things as you can have a set back & ur girl may get her diarrhea back again, I know the vet prescription food has ingredients that no one likes but it has helped her, the vet prescription diets are made for a reason, Im not a fan but I too got all excited when Patch was pooing beautiful & I could go on a walk & pick it up, so I did the same thing after 3 months I went looking for a better kibble last Nov-Dec, 1 week into slowly changing Patches kibble he got his diarrhea real bad again as soon as he’d eat he’d run to the front door to have to go poo, it was water no blood thank god. I had to put him back on his Eukanuba Intestinal & then 2 days later he was all good again.. Im in the middle of changing is kibble again thats after Patch being on the Eukanuba for 9months now to the Holistic Select Senior he’s only 5years old Patch but the Holistic Select Kibbles are all Low Residue kibbles & they break up real easy… I do my hot water test.. I put a couple of kibbles in boiling hot water, I count to 40 then I pull out 1 kibble, I put the kibble inbetween 2 small teaspoon & crush if it crushes real easy after 40 sec without much pressure I know its a good kibble that will break up easy in his tummy, I’ve tried the Nutro Natural Choice Chicken & rice as this kibble is guaranteed that your dog will do firm poos, Patch did firm poos but he got stomach reflux from the kibble so I tried the lower fat Nutro kibble Lamb & rice he still got his acid reflux, when I did the hot water test the Nutro was a hard kibble it didnt crush easy very hard, so back to the Eukanuba Intestinal, now we are trying the Holistic Select as there’s a good range of flavours & the fiber is low 3.50%…Just take it so slow & its not that bad that she’s on a vet prescription just for now & Ive being soooo slowly changing Patches kibble, Ive been doing it for 1 month now just mixing about 1/4 of a cup to his Intestinal, I also give boiled 1/2 shreaded boiled chicken breast & 2 tablespoon of pumkin mashed together for breakfast his poo is a bit soft eating the chicken & pumkin, I know cause he does 2 poos a day the morning poo is brown/orange (pumkin) & a little softer then his lunch poo which is nice & firm that must be his kibble poo… Lol if you change find a kibble with the same % fat & fiber at first, but Im pretty sure the R/C gastro is a low fiber diet so is the Eukanuba Intestinal at 1.7% fiber..Good-Luck..also you can email the kibble companies for more info as some will say min fiber 3% or min fat% 10% I email them asking for maximum fiber % & fat %, Wellpet is very good they respond within 1 day, Holistic Select is ‘Well Pet’ so is Wellness range & Eagle Pack another low fat & low fiber kibble but I havnt done the test to see if the Eagle Pack breaks up easy..I know the Wellness complete health & Core kibbles are very hard that’s the one that gave Patch the runs again the White Fish & Sweet potato complete health kibble…

[DogFoodie]

Darn it! I posted a response, but it disappeared. I hate that! I’ll try again.

My Golden, Sam, just turned two and he has some food intolerances. He can’t have fish in any form, garlic (apparently) or chickpeas & lentils. He’s eaten a lot of foods that he did great on, once; but, when I feed it again, he reacted. When he’s exposed to something to which he’s intolerant, he develops a red inflamed right ear that quickly turns into a yeast infection in that same ear. The chickpeas and lentils give him horrible gas and loose stools. He also doesn’t seem to do well on foods with lots of fruits and veggies, like Orijen and Wholesome Blend. He does well on Darwin’s raw for short periods of time at a stretch, but I think you’re looking for kibble. I have to pay attention to his protein, fat and carb levels and know what ranges he seems to work best within. I recently started him on Udo’s Choice DHA blend, an omega supplement, and the poor thing had gas so bad it woke me up at night after just one teaspoon per day for a week. There are so many foods I’d love to try him on, but wouldn’t dare; but, it’s very important to me to have multiple foods for him, so I keep trying. So far, the only food he can eat without reacting is MS Lamb. I’m getting ready to try him next on Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Duck next and have my fingers crossed. My Cavalier can eat most anything, but it does seem that chickpeas and lentils cause her to become constipated. She doesn’t have anything that I consider to be “true intolerances.”

So, that said, foods that I trust and that Sam has eaten, at least once, and did well on are Canine Caviar, Horizon Legacy (my Cavalier eats Amicus sometimes which would be great for your little guy), Nature’s Logic, Dr. Tim’s, Brother’s Complete, Wellness Core, Earthborn Holistics and NutriSource. Of these, I most wish I was still able to use the Horizon and Dr. Tim’s.

If it weren’t for those intolerances, there would be many more he’d have eaten. One food I like and tried a couple of different formulas for Sam is Victor. I was disappointed the Victor didn’t work, it’s a great product and the price is a huge unexpected bonus! A couple of foods I wish I could use for him are Go!, Now Fresh, Farmina and Annamaet, but those all contain triggers. I’ve considered fermenting some veggies to add to his foods because I often wonder if it’s the cabbage in the MS that’s one of the reasons he does so well on it. Commercial raw and canned foods are a completely different story ~ are either of those options for you?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Christina K:
Plain Kefir has more strains of probiotics than yogurt; you can usually find it in the yogurt aisle. Kefir has 10 different strains as opposed to yogurt’s typical 3 strains. If you do buy yogurt, read the label to ensure it states it “contains” live active yeast cultures.

I suggest adding anything new to his diet slowly, one at a time, and in small amounts building up to recommended portions. If there are any digestive upsets, this will help you pinpoint any possible culprits a little more easily.

[Susan]

Here in Australia dogs & cats have been reunited with their owners years after going missing, we had a cat on the news about 1 month ago, that went missing 8 years ago & ended up on the other side of Australia in a pound, the owners still lived at the same address & Qantas airlines flew the cat home for free & he was reunited with his family, a bit thin but he’s alive & well, the little girl who loved him was a teenager now, a feel good story… We have just gotten some new scanners that can read all M/C like you said some scanners couldn’t read new or old M/C but also what happens here stupid people M/C but dont follow thru with their councils & registered their animals, so if they are found no name or address will come up, sad as a few dogs have been PTS alot have gone to rescue aswell…

[Nicole V]

Hi mah4angel! Ugh, I can totally relate to the flea frustration…I live in Orange County and I also have to battle fleas naturally. My terrier mix is very sensitive to chemicals and would get pretty sick when I applied spot-on flea treatments. Once I read how dangerous they can be, I decided to take a different approach. Here’s some of the products I use for flea control, with web addys to purchase them. The following is cut & pasted from an email that I sent to a friend earlier this month…hope it helps you!

Diatomaceous earth (food grade) – I make a dry shampoo with this stuff (2 parts DE to 1 part corn starch stored in a glass jar) and rub it into the fur around the base of Cookie’s tail and around her neck and ears after her bath. From my own experience, DE is very effective against existing fleas.

Cedar spray – This can be sprayed onto a slicker brush and combed into a dog’s fur, if your dog is not sensitive to strong smells. Cookie is sensitive to everything, and was “depressed” after I applied this to her. She also acts “depressed” when the groomer sprays dog cologne on her, so it’s just her being a weirdo, and not an issue with the product. We sprayed some on the beagle and he was fine. It helps repel and even kill fleas and mosquitoes. It also can be sprayed around the home. I spray it on my screens and on the front door threshold. It smells like a campfire, so that’s the only downside.
CedarCide Original Pest Repellent Spray

Herbal collar – I got this for Cookie to wear outdoors only…it can be stored in a Ziploc to maintain potency. It’s pretty much just an extra repellent and it actually smells pretty nice.
Natural Research People Herbal Collar with Cedar

Neem spray – This is just to help relieve any general itchiness, and also works as a mild repellent. I may spray this on her legs and tummy before a hike or visit to the dog park. She doesn’t get “depressed” when I put this on her. Mostly I just got this to use on myself. 🙂
DERMagic Organic Shampoo Bars for Dogs

Apple cider vinegar – This is the method my students’ families use for their pets, and they swear by it! They mix it with water (50/50 ratio) and spray it on their dogs to kill and repel fleas. I haven’t tried this yet because I’m sure Cookie will hate it.

Vacuum and washer/dryer – This is my most hated method, but I have a strong feeling that it’s helping a lot. I vacuum at least 1-2 per week, and wash all bedding and blankets every week. Boo…it sucks.

[L. G]

I have 3 pugs (6yrs old) & a pekingese(5 yrs old). The pugs have had a weight problem, mostly due to our mistake in allowing them to free feed as they wanted. Our vet convinced us to feed 1/2 cup 2x daily & treat them with green beans , carrots or apples. We have been doing this for 5 1/2 mo & they have lost weight and are doing great. They are on Natural Balance Fat Dogs. I’m concerned that perhaps the Natural Balance is not high enough quality, & I keep hearing of recalls & quality control since they were purchased by Delmonte.

I’ve been considering Orijen. My concern there is I read about the high protein content being dangerous. I also prefer a grain free food for them to avoid the problems that a diet with grains can cause.

Any advise would be so greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

[Gina R]

Hi! I am not new to Dog Food Advisor but am a new member. I have a JRT mix who is 9. He had what was to be a wart on the inside of his left ear (for about a year)- my vet tried to freeze it off but all it did was bleed for about four hours. He ran a few tests and it was found that it was a mast cell tumor. It eventually fell off (looks great), I took him to the best oncologist who gave me a couple options. Chemo or take the ear off. Also, I was luck as the cancer had not spread to any parts of his body. I chose chemo – which the first treatment almost wiped him out! The oncologist said he’s in the 2% of dogs who have such a bad reaction. Well, after 3 weeks he is back to eating, running, playing and telling me off when I get home late as he is hungry! I’ve opted to not finish the chemo or have the ear removed as it would go beyond the ear. I will be taking my angle to a holistic vet soon. I have read a lot and it seems that a diet of decent protein, good fat and low carbs is the way to go – not to mention no red meat. I have him and my other 3 dogs on Weruva, Ziwipeak, Wysong. I mix it up and they all do fine. Has anyone out there had/have an angel who has cancer or someone out there who is knowledgeable and can recommend a good food. I use to home cook for them but it got to be too much as I work a lot.

Thank you all and many blessings!

[Bobby dog]

Jakes mom:
You know I Googled HK cat trials just to see if there were any deals for HK cat food, couldn’t find any. lol I did check out the HK site before I ordered the trials to see if they were old or new recipes. Not that it mattered just wanted more info on the trials recipes. I agree if you were buying HK regularily it would probably benefit the budget to buy directly from HK.

I would only buy this again if I ran into a sale. My preference is fresh or canned over HK at this time. But, I feel it is fine as a topper on a rotational basis for Bobby. He didn’t seem to be too excited to eat it after the third day.

I tried for a few weeks to get my cats to eat the Primal Chic & Salmon, only Archie liked it. Only three of my cats like NV medallions, but won’t eat them regularily. They were pretty much equivalent cost wise to premium canned foods. Those darned kitties just don’t seem to be open to anything new to eat. 🙁

I have read mixed reviews about Petflows customer service, but I am definately keeping an eye on their sales. They have great prices and I cannot complain about the customer service I received!