[Shasta220]

I think the reason is because they can also go to they can easily get to a store for something that /is/ made by Hartz. Spreading the word via internet doesn’t seem to help, as (sorry for being rude) people are idiots. They can’t decipher truth from lies – they see a story that’s obviously fake, and believe it. They see one that is just as obviously real, and they disbelieve it.

Sorry for random vent: but they once laughed and disbelieved a picture that I posted of Shasta and me when he was a puppy. It was because he did something called changing colors and growing up – pretty common with a /lot/ of dogs/breeds. I even added a pic of him and me at 6mo (in the transition period) and they still laughed and cussed me out for having a different dog. Smh.

Ah, here’s that pic: believe it or not, he’s got little-to-no GSD in him. That coloration comes from his hound, he was the only black/tan pup in the litter (others were tricolor, gray, or black)

[Mom2Cavs]

When I went back and read my post I got a belly laugh when I read “I’m currently eating….” LOL!!! I meant, of course, I’m currently FEEDING. I’m sorry I didn’t put what I’m feeding. I usually do. I do rotate kibble every now and then. I use Fromm Salmon a la Veg, Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s (though I probably won’t use it as much, Laverne didn’t do as well with it), Victor (what I’m feeding now), and I just bought a bag of Precise Sensicare at a phenomenal price so that will go in there somewhere. I also top with canned food and mostly use Wellness now. I use their 95% and stews. I will put other brands in there occasionally.

[Brandy R]

Thanks theBCnut,
I tried it and they all did wonderful my 10 month old 30# Beagle wasn’t sure what to do at first and he is usually my gulper! It took him a minute but he figured it out and chomped it down chewing the entire time. I am extremely excited to be getting my dogs on the raw diet. I can already tell just the chewing is going to help their teeth tremendously:) i’ll be back here watching and learning more vital info and maybe more questions. Hopefully one day be able to answer a question or two…lol

[Shawna]

🙂 Glad your vet discussed quality over percent!! If interested the reason quality is so important is — proteins digest down to amino acids. The amino acids are absorbed by the body. The better the quality of the protein, the more amino acids are used by the body for new cell growth etc. Poorer quality proteins are not used on a cellular level as well. If not used by the body they become waste material (or BUN) for the kidneys to have to filter. So the highest quality proteins are going to supply more of what the body needs on a cellular level while leaving less for kidneys to have to deal with. The higher the quality of protein, the more can be fed.

Heat and processing damages some amino acids (like lysine) and that is why kibbles have lower quality proteins even if using the very same protein source as used in a raw food. Since THK low heat dehydrates their proteins it is likely that very few, if any, amino acids are lost to heat. Egg is the gold standard of quality (or bioavailability). I rehydrate my HK (I use Preference with raw meats) with and egg and water. Adding the egg shell in as well will keep the calcium to phos in balance. There’s a lot of other little tips and tricks.. If you are interested in more info after reading Mary’s site, I can steer you in the direction of a few others.

Standard Process products “technically” are only supposed to be sold through health care providers. Those purchased online are not guaranteed by the company. Someone could sell really old product which in time will lose it’s therapeutic value as the products are made from foods and herbs. My holistic vet carries SP products as does several M.D.’s in my area (including mine) and many chiropractors also carry the product. IF you are interested in using but can not find a reliable source just let me know. I can get you in contact with my source at the company.

I’m familiar with Herbsmith (they make great products) but have not seen their probiotics.

[Shasta220]

Dori, I entirely respect your opinion. I thank you very much for standing up for it as well. There are cases where I don’t think a harness would work – like a large dog who’s been spoiled for a bit too long. That dog already knows he’s stronger than me, and he’s gonna drag me around if I put a harness on him. Yes, I was in that situation. I was asked to work with a 100lb Rottie/GSD who was a freight train. I attempted the harness with him, got down to the end of the road (opposite end I was aiming for), reached up to hold his collar, and bring him back to the house to reassess. I ended up using just a flat collar on him since I had nothing else. Within a day, he was doing a great loose-lead heel on my cue.

I definitely avoid the pinch/chokers whenever I can (I saw a gruesome pinch collar once….it was basically a leather slip collar. It only had 5 little double-spikes, but they were literally like sharpened nails! They weren’t that classic round blunt at all. I was disgusted to see it!). If I went collar-less for a big coo-coo dog, then I’d probably go with a head collar (yes, I’d let the dog get used to it….I hate seeing people who just throw one on the dog and immediately start pulling/scolding) or I might try one of those front-clip harnesses.

The only reason why I don’t use a harness on my well-trained boy is because I’ve already engrained in his mind that when the harness goes on, he’s allowed (and encouraged) to pull. Quite useful when I’m going up a hill though!

It’s also wonderful that you have the determination to teach a perfect heel (or at least somewhat at your side/loose leash) to your dogs with a harness 😉 we need more trainers like that out in this world.

I’ve also seen some AWESOME methods to teach a show-stopping heel. The best part? The trainer didn’t even start with a leash, OR the dog at his side. He started by teaching it to keep it’s front paws on a target and pivot it’s hips around. Sounds pretty unrelated to heel, right? I’ll have to show you the video if I ever find it….it’s so cool!

[Shasta220]

I would just like to give all of you awesome members a huge shout-out.

I am NOT a person who likes arguments, drama, debating, and disagreeance. I believe that everybody is entitled to their own opinion. As long as you can back it up by results, experience, and/or research, then I will not bash you and force my opinion down your throat, simply because I don’t like what you think.

Everyone on here is so kind and respectful. Even if y’all don’t agree with something, you very seldom directly say “you’re wrong. I’m right. Blah blah blah!” And even when you guys are /truly/ right on something (e.g. If the topic is “I love Hills Science”), you still aren’t mean or hurtful, simply informative with articles, recalls, past experiences, etc.

I’ve not been on many forums due to idiots, drama, and everyone wanting to argue with EVERYTHING I say (literally, if I would say “my favorite color is teal” I’d prob get a mob of people scolding me for it). The few forums I have been on, I left in a real hurry for those reasons. This is the only forum that I’m happy to jump on, read responses, and write my own replies, knowing that I’m not going to get chewed out for saying my thoughts.

Even on touchy subjects revolving around training, you guys say what you think/have experienced, but are never trying to lift yourselves up by tearing someone else down.

Again, congrats. You all rock….youz guys are like my dog-crazy family! =D also, I really hope I’m living up to what I just said…if I ever come across as being “mean”, please let me know and I will try to either apologize, or reword what I said. Misunderstandings are one of the biggest reasons for internet drama, y’know. Hah!

[Shasta220]

Aimee, appreciate your reply (thanks for not putting down Cesar…). Sounds like a very interesting book for sure, I’ll look into that. I guess I forgot to describe his classes better:

First class was more like doggie boot camp. The trainer is very very strict and corrective, she makes the dogs /really/ work for an award. I will not put her down, I have a huge amount of respect for what she does. I even did my other dog in her class (he was already a pro, but needed to brush up around a distractive situation like that) and he passed with flying colors and a wagging tail. There were about 20 other students though, so it just doesn’t work for a reactive dog like Loki.

Current class: only a couple weeks into it (it’s a 5wk course), but it’s much better for Loki. It’s positive reinforcement (personally I don’t think it’s working for the other people, as they are trying to always hold the treat in sight of the dog as a bribe rather than a reward) There are only 5-7 other dogs, and there is an extra room for Loki to go in. The wall is low enough for me to see and him to hear/smell, but he can get out of sight. Gradually, we leave the door open and let him come out bit by bit. If he has a freak-attack, we simply go back I the little room, take a deep positive breath, and go back out when calm. Since he already knows his obedience quite well from doggie boot-camp (first class), we work mainly on the cue for “watch me”. I was so dang proud of him when he maintained eye contact even when a dog barked at him (just one time. But hey! When I adopted him, he would have been freaking if a dog was laying down calmly across the room!)

[aimee]

Anxitane is the brand name of the supplement the trainer is referring to. L Theanine is the active ingredient. It is in blends of other supplements as well at lower levels than in the Anxitane. Anxitane is my preferred product and I have seen it help facilitate behavior modification.

Desensitization and counterconditioning of dogs with profound anxiety is a process whereby attention to detail and keeping the dog below threshold is important. I know as I own such a dog. I don’t like to ever see reactive dogs on neck collars. Initially I used a head collar and/or front attachment harness. The most frequent mistake made is putting the dog in situations that he/she is not ready for. This takes time… a lot of time and realistic goals.

General obedience classes may be inappropriate for your dog as many dogs are over threshold, Feisty Fido classes where the ratio of trainer to student is often one to one and they use screening between dogs to keep them under threshold until they are ready for contact can be helpful

You might want to buy Patricia McConnells book Feitsy Fido which is an excellent resource. If you are not familiar with BAT it is a useful technique https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WrseJPY09k

Working with a board certified vet behaviorist, a CAAB or a vet interested in behavior would be an excellent idea check here http://avsabonline.org/resources/find-consult

or hook up with a Karen Pryor trainer which you can find here: https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer?source=kpctnavbar

[Susan]

My boys gulping started last December, finally Im working out what the problem is, its stomach acid reflux coming into his throat.. he manly was having it early hours of the morning 1am-6am, Ive found kibbles high in fat made him worst, At 8.30pm I give him a dry biscuit a human biscuit then Ive been giving him Zantac (Ranitidine) similar to Pepcid (Famotidine)…at 9pm, I wake him up & give him 1 third of a Zantac, this has helped so much.. I read ur post Bunny how ur giving Sulcrate (Carafate) this must be giving on an empty stomach 1 hour before foods as it coats the stomach & if there’s food in their stomach it will just coat the food, ur better off giving Pepcid or Zantac as this helps settle their acid after they have eaten, the meals before bed make sure they are very low in fats as fats cause stomach acid, I also try to have my dog sleeping with his head higher then his bottom, so he’s sleeping like a human with a small pillow under the head, this way the acid can’t wash into their mouths causing the burning in their throats, everything that u’d do for a human with GERDs, I do for my Patch… Its funny I suffer from GERDs & now Ive rescued a dog with the Gerds….

[Mac T]

I am a veterinarian and feed Blue Ridge Beef products to my 3 Boxers and have recommended it to many other folks. I have used it for 3 years and find it to be of excellent and consistent quality. I have never observed charcoal in the product. Before I started using the food I had emailed the company and found their responses professional and timely. The dogs I feed it to are healthy and do extremely well fed BRB products exclusively. I am a breeder and also do a lot of obedience work with my dogs and credit their excellent health and performance to this food. I rarely find in necessary to supplement, as I feel most supplements are sold and used based on marketing and perception rather than medical/scientific fact. I have no affiliation to the company whatsoever, wish I did so I could get a discount though 🙂 Are there other raw foods that you can use, certainly-there are many, are BRB products worth feeding your dog, IME yes. I like BRB products due to quality, consistency, affordability, variety, and convenience. I prefer feeding a ground product instead of so-called prey model-just a personal choice. I have a lot of first hand experience feeding their products and I like them. One thing about internet info is that some times folks bad mouth something they have never used and that can be unfair. I have no vested interest in convincing anyone to use BRB, but I thought some actual first hand experiences about the products might help those considering them. I have no inside info about the company so I can not address some of the issues raised in this thread about their ownership or business connections, I just have experience actually using the products. I will be glad to attempt to answer any questions or inquiries about my dogs.

[Case]

Is there unfavorable information about this brand? I’ve read mixed reviews but have used Canidae without any issues.

[jakes mom]

just started grain free canned trying to help one of my cats with chronic ear infections. All 5 of my cats absolutely loved Wellness turkey formula, but none liked the chicken flavor.
As far as dental health, I read somewhere that giving them a bit of meat to gnaw on helps scrape off some plaque/tarter. Anybody have experience or opinion on that? I’m a little nervous about giving them raw meat altho I know there’s a lot of raw food fans out there.

[michelle e]

Hi I am not sure where to post this. We have an adopted Chiweenie that is 7 mo old now and 5.5 lbs up from 4.5 when we got him in Dec 2013. He is very finicky and getting him to eat is becoming a game. Anyway, he will eat Stella & chewys chicken if the cat is sitting waiting to gobble it up, but I dont know if he needs a kibble too. He will eat a couple pieces of Blue puppy kibble and will gobble up tbe Blue cat crunchies if he can sneak to get them. Is there a puppy kibble that Iis as tasty as the cat crunchies? I would like to find a kibble he likes as much as that. Already tried The honest kitchen, Wellness, Artemis, and the petsmart brand I forget the name now. Likes cooked chicken but I dont give him that often and peanut butter is his fav treat flavor…. oh forgot to say he likes the Stella and chewys salmon and cod treats too. Wish there was a daily food thst was so tasty. Thank you for suggestions.

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~

First, I hope more people will chime in here with helpful advice. Now, to get to your questions as best I can.

It looks like your family is adding a lot of new members to the family. How great for all of them to be able to grow up and play together – and be fed raw. Looks like you’ll have your own little support group!

1. From all my reading on forums and Facebook, finding green tripe can be tricky. Some places ban the sale of it directly to consumers while others seem to be able to get it locally. I’m currently getting mine from MyPetCarnivore.com. I’m hoping that when I find someone who will sell direct, that they’ll also be able to provide the tripe. You’ll just have to ask and if they can’t, perhaps they’ll know where to get it.

2. Sure, you can grind necks. They aren’t terribly meaty, but they’ll grind easily enough. You should be able to start giving them whole when your pup gets a bit older. Chicken necks are tiny and I give them whole to my seven month old cat. I’ve been giving whole duck and turkey necks to Mystery since I started raw, he was 10 months at the time – he’s getting a turkey neck as part of his dinner tonight.

Different nutritionists/homeopathic vets will have various opinions on what, when, how and why to feed certain ingredients. I tend to lean toward Kymythy’s advice at the moment. She raises Newfies and feeds them raw as early as four weeks. The proof is in the health of her pups and adults.

3. I’m still not feeding veggies or “super” greens. Not a “purist” or anything but I wanted to first be sure I was feeding correctly the balance of meat/bone/organs and then get a blood panel or hair sample analysis – I’ll be scheduling that next week. Mystery’s only issues are a skin flaking problem – solved with coconut oil, and motion sickness – I’m still working on that and hoping he’ll grow out of it. So, until I get an analysis that says he needs more of this or that, I’m holding off on supplementing. I do give Mystery garlic for natural pest control and I also supplement with curcumen and vitamin C because Goldens have a high cancer mortality rate. I know a lot of people use “super” this and that as well as create their own veggie mashes. I would lean toward making my own purees since I believe nutrition from the source is best.

4. Most fruits have a lot of sugar in them. I would avoid most or feed them judiciously. I’ll share a banana with Mystery from time to time as well as give him apple slices, but not as a regular part of his diet. Here’s a basic chart that lists not only veggies and fruits that are toxic to pets but also plants as well as symptoms to watch for: http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/toxic.htm. And of course, you’ll find other sites that list fewer or additional foods.

5. Ah, SWEET potatoes. I haven’t read anything that shows a good reason to add most starches. That includes potatoes, peas, some beans. Many of these veggies convert starches to sugar when cooked. I used to give a tablespoon of pumpkin when our Sunset would have loose stools, but Mystery has had no problems there – and especially not since going raw.

6. I must defer to Kymythy on adding anything at all to an eight week old puppy’s diet. If you’re balancing 80/10/10 your calcium/phosphorus ratio is in perfect sync. Adding anything may not only increase the amount of calcium but may throw off that balance. Mess with that ratio and excess calcium can be deposited on the outside of the bones causing a number of issues. We had no idea that there was an issue with LBPs and calcium when we got Sunset 11 years ago. Before she was two, she required double-hip surgery. We got her from a backyard breeder (another ignorant move on our part), didn’t know much about hip scores and fed her what surely is on the one- or two-star lists here at DFA. I’ve been ultra focused on calcium since before I got Mystery.

An excerpt from Kymythy’s book, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats:
By the time the young are ready to go to their new homes, they should be eating whole necks and regular meals with all the extras, and you may discontinue the enzymes and probiotics (although they may help counteract the digestive stress a youngster endures when going to a new home). Youngsters may be fed three times per day from eight weeks until four to six months old, then twice daily from four to six months old until one year of age, and once daily after one year of age. Giant breeds of dogs may need to be fed twice daily occasionally during growth spurts from one to three years of age. Either feed two complete meals or one complete and one of meaty bones (bones with ample meat) only. Observe your pet and adjust amounts accordingly. Do not feed so much that the stomach becomes overly extended. Do not let your pet become obese. A very thin layer of fat over the ribs is healthy, but too much weight puts extra stress on growing bones, joints, and hearts. A healthy wild animal is a lean animal. If your pet needs to lose weight, reduce its food intake. If it needs to gain weight, increase its food. Keep in mind that growing youngsters will eat more per pound of body weight than adult animals.

Schultze, Kymythy (1999-10-01). Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats (p. 67). Hay House. Kindle Edition.

Note the information on probiotics and enzymes is directed toward breeders who feed and wean pups to raw. If your puppy has been weaned to kibble, you might want to add some kefir to his diet for a time.

7. See #6, but I will take a look at the three products you mentioned for future use. I am not trying to discourage the use of any supplementation, just use caution and be sure you’re feeding only what is essential and beneficial.

8. I’m assuming you’re referring to the products in question 6 and maybe 7, not 8. LOL! I couldn’t find a guaranteed analysis of the Urban Wolf Balancer so I would be very wary of adding it. They do provide a recipe that uses their products with an analysis and it looks good. If you feel a strong need to supplement… Questions regarding their recipe ingredients might include, where do they get their fish oil from; is it guaranteed not to contain any toxins; if you use “canned” fish, do the cans contain BPA; if natural ingredients are better, why so many dried/powdered ingredients in their mixes? This is the hard part for me – giving my money to companies that sell premixes and toppers when I can just hit the market for fresh ingredients.

9. When you’re deciding on recipes, remember that your eight week old puppy is capable of handling chunks of raw meats, organs and bones. Even if he’s been weaned onto kibble before you get him, there should be no need to transition him as he hasn’t developed an addiction to the sugars and starches yet. I’d been feeding my kitten a kibble diet for about five months when I decided to transition the cats. Since he’d been stealing raw food from the dog, I went straight to raw with him and he jumped all over it, including chicken necks and other appropriately sized bones. I feed grinds only when the weather’s so bad that I can’t even put Mystery on the screened deck, usually when it’s too cold. The cats get fed in the tiled bathroom since they don’t feel the need to drag food all over the place – yet!

Any time you freeze or cook food, you’re going to lose a bit of nutritional value. Most of us have large freezers because we buy in bulk so frozen it is. Be sure you thaw foods and try to bring them to room temp before feeding. As Alpha in my house, I pull food from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter until I’ve finished my coffee – then they get to eat. I know some people feed frozen foods but I wouldn’t do that to a puppy. Ever get brain freeze from drinking a shake too fast? Imagine a puppy’s digestive system trying to warm up frozen meat. There may be other opinions out there on this, but I would definitely feed three times a day for the first six months and then move to twice a day until he’s at least a year old. You should be feeding him 10% of his current weight until that exceeds 2-3% of his target weight.

I love Mercola. There is a chart floating around that shows who is fighting GMO labeling and who is supporting it in WA. I use it when I go shopping and yes, some of the products I’ve purchased in the past come from companies fighting WA. Let me know if you can’t find it. I get that having to label a product 50 different ways could put a hardship on business so I would support a federal label that is nothing less than FULL disclosure. That said, I don’t trust the FDA or any other governmental agency to have my best interest at heart. I’m a big fan of personal responsibility. The government assumes I’m ignorant…, I believe it’s a choice. (Whoops, gone political.)

I’m glad you were able to find a farm so quickly to meet your raw needs. Don’t forget to pick up chicken feet, green tripe, testicles, heart, kidneys… Go for goat and rabbit as well as chicken, turkey and beef. Something that I would have gotten wrong is differentiating between what are considered organs and what is not.

Organs: Liver (5% of the diet), kidneys, spleen, brain, thymus gland, panaceas and testicles (the other 5%)

Not organs: Heart, Gizzard, Tongue, lung, trachea, green tripe (all considered as part of the 80%).

Another site for learning more about feeding raw is here: https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=116. It’s a culling of articles from a variety of sources.

I better turn my attention to the vacuum and washer now or I’m going to be overrun by tumblefurs. I look forward to seeing you on Facebook soon.

[MastiffLove]

Thank you very much for your help RDM and yes i meant question 7….so if i recap i can mix the meat(s) fruits and boiled veggies and freeze and once thawed out add the supplements before serving.

Thank you theBCnut for that info! there’s actually alot of em in my area, i will make some phone calls! 🙂

should i grind the tripe like the meat or have it coarse grind to get Zeus to chew on it to get some teeth brushing going on? From what i read its a chewy type of organ?

Sorry for all those questions but i wanna make this right (still have a long way to g but i’m working on it) and have a healthy family member! 😛

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jan,

I’m so glad you responded! I knew I recalled that you weren’t pleased with Merrick and while I mis-stated it had caused GI upset, I now recall that it was more of a QC issue after reading your post.

I definitely believe that a product has to pass the sleep test. If my gut instinct causes me angst and worry, I won’t use it. I really have to feel confident in products that I choose. So, I think I’ll continue to take a pass on Merrick.

I”ve also tried Victor and unfortunately, it didn’t work for Sam. We tried the GF ALS formula in the red bag. It worked fine for Bella, but Sam doesn’t seem to do well on foods with lots of fruits and veggies, which it had. I would however, recommend it to others. It was great to find a fish free food though! There are plenty of other products; ie: Merrick, that the entire product line contains either fish or fish meal that I’d love him to try, but can’t. I also bought a bag of Victor Lamb Meal & Brown Rice, which is closer to a more limited ingredient food and its also fish free. I’m going to try that after he finished what he’s eating now, which is Canine Caviar.

[Arlosmom]

Hello, I’m looking for some advice and hope to find help here. I’ve read through the wealth of info on LBP nutrition here – thank you to all contributors! I just picked up our new Boxer pup (expected to top out at approx. 80lbs or so based on parents) and have had him home for just a couple days shy of 1 week. He is 9 weeks tomorrow. The breeder had the pups on Fromm Gold puppy supplementing with rice, beef, sardines, yogurt, pumpkin. Upon bringing him home, I thought I’d keep him on the food for a couple of weeks and the same regime. I have added toppers of Wellness and Trippet – just a spoonful. I planned on switching to Large Breed puppy Fromm and also wanted to pick another food from HDM’s list. I discovered yesterday that he is knuckling over – more pronounced on his left front than right but both seem to be effected. What I think it might be as that upon getting him home I instituted 2-3 very short walks each day (5-10 minutes max.) I have 3 other dogs so he has also engaged in play and my floors and the ground outside that he is on are all hard surfaces. I thought I should discontinue the walks immediately and have done so. Any advice is welcome – should I change foods right away? Information is conflicting – I’ve read that when this happens protein should be reduced and vit. C introduced?? Do you think the short walks contributed/caused this?? I can send pics as well but would need direction on how/where to post. THANK YOU in advance.

[theBCnut]

Yikes!! I screwed that up. I wasn’t talking about Darwin’s at all in that second paragraph. I was saying that in the Editor’s Choice FAQs it says that renewal will be automatic each year if you don’t specifically cancel your membership. I didn’t see that mentioned anywhere before I signed up. It doesn’t matter, except that I never would have known if I hadn’t read the FAQs and I like knowing things like that before I sign up for things.

[Cyndi]

HDM, that’s where I found that info. When I click on Edit your membership, at the bottom it says Subscription start date is Sept. 27, 2013. I just signed up today. Someplace else I read that I have been a member since April 2013, or something like that, which is when I signed up on DFA.

Can anyone else check their subscription start date and see when it says?

[Haywood U]

Thanks. With all the recalls and other things going wrong with things we give our pets (treats and toys), I just get worried. I read some of those things where the dogs stop eating because the food is causing problems, but eventually the dog is going to get hungry and eat. Then I look and see the other dog is eating the same food and no issues…but each dog is different. Of course the kicker was seeing her have no problems eating the same exact food from the other dog’s bowl.

I do sort of rotate food out – we buy several different brands and mix the food.

Previous dogs were always fed the “bad” food – Alpo, Ol Roy, KnB. All lived to 12-15 years and never had any vet tell me they were anything other than healthy. Somehow we managed to miss all the food recalls.

The new dog was quickly transitioned from Hill’s (rescue shelter said that is what they used, but she never seemed interested, always ran to the other dog’s food), to Puppy Chow, to finally forcing me to renew my Costco membership to get Kirkland.

So now it’s basically a 40lb bag of Kirkland and a 20lb bag of other stuff and mix it up in a 2:1 ratio (good to “bad”). Used to be out of financial necessity, but now it’s basically just for the variety. I guess we could just as easily mix up the Kirkland Chicken with the Kirkland Lamb and get the same results, but it’s also nice to know that if we ever run out, or are out of town, we can just run to the closest Walmart and grab a bag of food.

I’d like to stick with the twice a day feeding – seems to work the best for the older dog, and no need to upset the routine. I know I wouldn’t want to have to eat my entire daily food in one sitting and have it all sitting my system trying to digest.

[Naturella]

Bruno (my Rat Terrier Mix) has been doing the same recently – my guess is that he’s getting bored with the current food and is ready for a change. Lucky for him, I am beginning the switch Thursday or so. He has been on this food for about/over 3 months or so. He wouldn’t eat all day, and then eat about the whole amount he was supposed to eat split into 3 feedings, almost all at once.

As Patty said, try a rotation, and keep the food away for a while, then reintroduce. I have been mixing a little bit of canned in Bruno’s along with other additives for other reasons besides general health, and he loves it when there is a little something extra special in his bowl in addition to the same old kibble and eats his portion just fine. This helps me keep him at 3 meals a day.

[Akari_32]

He’s approached me several times again tonight! He tends to hang around for a minute or two, then go off a short distance (like the back of the couch behind my head), and keep “guard” or watch the dog. He’s also hitting off a bit better with Bentley. He likes the dog from a distance best (hey, even I don’t blame him for that LOL), but tonight the cat was starting games with him. Annoying games. Like, flat-out-sprint-across-the-house-and-see-if-the-dog-can-catch-him games. Omg I was ready to kill them both LOL

Anyways, I made room in the dog food cabinet for all this cat food. Before I started, I pulled out two bags of food to make room for the cans, went into the kitchen for a minute, and came back out to this…

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/3019261A-8FC0-40F7-BCE2-E9981B2546A9_zpshqvhkfxd.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/E1BA8B04-AD9E-4F98-A609-FBF141BE380F_zps5ztpaqhj.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/2A46772B-40BA-4DE5-890C-83F400CFB78C_zpsl9lecxr5.jpg

I guess the dogs have a new item on their menu LOL

Anyways, I sorted out all the cat food so that he gets Friskies Special Diet every other day to every two days. There’s too many to spread it out more than that, but it should be ok, I think. Here’s my stash:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/5040055C-2DCF-4C23-B06C-15605A8EA106_zpshzqnomrz.jpg

That can of Pedigree (sshhhhhhhhh), that’s it. Everything behind that is cat food. I could have stacked more, but I was trying to keep daily portions as separate as possible. This cat is set for a while, that’s for sure! Lol

• This reply was modified 12 years ago by Akari_32.

[Haywood U]

Having an issue with my dog – we feed her in her crate (2 dogs, so feed them separate), and very often she will not touch the food, skipping meals altogether.

She hasn’t been sick, stools look normal, and energy levels are normal.

At first we thought she just didn’t like to eat in the crate, or was worried about not being able to get out to relieve herself, but this is the same routine we’ve had since we got her.

Routine is always the same – they go outside for 20-30 min morning romp. We bring them back inside, and into crate with bowl of food for 15-20 min. Back out for more romp time while we get ready for work – usually 30-45 min depending on the weather, then back inside.

Funny thing is, she will eat the same exact food if we put it in the other dog’s bowl – as if she’s sneaking it and doing something naughty.

Would love for that to be the answer, but we can’t crate the older dog (he’s too big, too old, and too stubborn), and we don’t want to deal with baby gates to keep him from eating again. And quite frankly I’m not going to pamper her – this is the same routine we’ve had since we got her a year ago.

She just had her check-up and everything was normal and healthy.

Sometimes I will take the food bowl out when I put her back in the crate, and other times will just leave it for her. Many times my wife will come home and the food is still there.

Should I be worried, or is this just a sign of her not being hungry?

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~

YAAY for you, more so for your dog!!! In addition to Dr. Becker’s book, get Kymythy’s book too. Amazon has it on Kindle so you can start using it right away.

If you’re going to go raw, I’d just go for it. Pups aren’t addicted to kibble the way adult dogs who’ve been raised on it are. There will be no need for a transition period. When I decided to transition Mystery to raw, I thought I’d feed raw in the morning and kibble at dinner. A couple days later it occurred to me, if he’s eating the raw in the morning, why not just feed raw for dinner too? I pitched the kibble. So far, I haven’t had any problem feeding Mystery any kind of meat. Unless there’s something inherently wrong with your pup (what’s his name?), everything should be considered fair game (NPI), just keep an eye on him as you introduce new food. Supplementation should be done on an as needed basis.

Since he’s a pup, keep it as simple as possible. I fretted over all sorts of stuff – for no good reason. Mystery’s first few meals consisted of an organic whole chicken that I brought home and cut up myself. It was about five pounds and lasted two days. The liver, neck and gizzards were included so he got those as well. You’ll hear a lot about “balancing over time”. This simply means that you’re to feed 80% muscle, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organs (the balance) over a period of a few days or so. You don’t have to make sure every meal is balanced, just perhaps the week’s meals are.

Mystery’s first couple of weeks weren’t entirely balanced at all while I was trying to locate sources of raw food. When I finally made the decision to go raw, I knew I didn’t want a bunch of frozen patties and chubs. I wanted to feed whole slabs of meat. I’m still working out local sources for purchasing a half a cow here, 20 chicken there, some rabbit… A number of folks here suggested a company that ships whole foods so I started there but the shipping is expensive which is why everyone needs local sources. Do some Google searches for raw food co-ops in your area.

The cost for raw food is definitely more expensive than cheap kibble, however, the tradeoff is that you won’t have as many vet bills to pay because your dog will have an awesome immune system. You will learn though, to shop for deals, look for co-ops, find a friend to share a cow – yeah, you might want to start looking for a freezer so you can spend less by purchasing in bulk.

I could go on, but I’m going to suggest a few more places you will find helpful. One is the LBP raw thread (just two pages), where you’ll find some newbie questions answered: /forums/topic/feeding-raw-non-commercial-to-large-breed-puppies/. I would also point you to Facebook, something I had no use for until our eighth grandchild was born – okay, the kids kept beating me up about joining, but I now use my page mostly for raw nutrition exchanges with others who are likeminded. There are a number of raw feeding groups – search “raw feeding”. Some are better than others. Search for me – I’m currently using the same image of Mystery for Facebook that I use here, and I’ll share my opinion on which I like and which I don’t. I’ll also check with some Canadian “friends” to see if they’re near you and can help you resource food.

What I’m sharing with you is nothing more than what I have gleaned from forum members here, a weekend-long webinar on raw feeding featuring holistic vets and nutritionists, and folks who attended the conference that have been feeding anywhere from a few months to over 30 years. Just wanted to be clear that I’m still new at this too. And if folks who’ve been feeding raw for 30 years still feel like they can learn something new, I’m happy to be in their company. The raw community is amazing!

[MastiffLove]

Sharon,

Thanks again for your reply!

After talking about all the dog food kibbles and other food types we can give to our puppy and reading and watching videos on http://healthypets.mercola.com/ (thanks HDM) me and my wife decided that we will go raw! It might end up being more costly in the end but at least we will know for sure what is precisely in his dog food and we can have a better control on his diet plus it just makes sense to feed him that way …you don’t find kibbles in the wild!

I’ve ordered Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats Cookbook, Probiotics, Krill Oil and Spirugreen Superfood, that way i’ll have everything on hand for whatever needs our dog has. (just mentioning what i bought so far, still more to come for a complete diet like Coconut Oil and such).

I am currently researching for a meat manufacturer that provides food stores to get the best price, luckily for me there are several in my area.

We have bought the breeders kibble (1st Choice Large pup) for the first 3 weeks, then i was thinking of switching him to Orijen (i know the calcium lvl is a bit high) for the next 2 weeks to get him on a better kibble. Then mix Orijen and Raw to finally end up to only raw.

Should i switch 1st Choice and mix it with raw after the first 3 weeks and increase the raw dosage and skip Orijen entirely?…i don’t know, it would be a faster way to get him on a better and proper food balance but he would be on 1st Choice longer and honestly i really dislike the ingredient in that kibble.

[Olivia R]

Akari_32…I just wanted to clear something up. I am the breeder with Mazer Klaver and the thread you found on the pit bull chat happens to be a breeder in California not me : ) I know both the breeder and the buyer and I had nothing to do with that situation. If you read a bit further on the pit bull forum you can see that there is a different breeder listed.

[Shasta220]

Thanks for the help, guys! Ah, yes, Dori. Drives me nuts to see everyone say that kibble cleans teeth. I mean, yeah, it’s probably better than canned, but it still gives gross buildup – if it didn’t, then my dog wouldn’t have lost a tooth! I’d love to do raw, but resources and wallet just don’t allow it.

I’ll definitely check into those brands recommended. Good to know that I’m not the only one who thinks water additives do virtually nothing. The best breath-freshener for my super picky dog (he is DISGUSTED by ANY tooth products, he’s way too smart to fall for that “chicken” flavor, or “flavorless” stuff lol!), was to smash coconut oil into the edge of a bowl and let him lick it off. That way it’d eventually spread all through his mouth; if I’d just let him chew/gulp it down, it wouldn’t have time to get everywhere.

For sure, next time I get a puppy (not seeing that for another 5-10yrs at least), oral hygiene will start right away. My rescue guy has naaasty teeth with strange brown tartar/stains that won’t come off regardless of brushing/scraping. His personality/energy makes him seem about 3y.o., but those teeth look almost as bad as a 7-8y.o. dog…dang I wish I could know about his past LOL!

[Sharon Buchanan]

MastiffLove ~
Don’t try adding too much to the kibble you feed. All those toppers add to nutrients already in whatever kibble you decide to feed, including perhaps calcium/phosphorus – which should be your primary concern until your Mastiff is at least six to twelve months old. Not saying you shouldn’t add anything, just be mindful of what they’re adding to the diet.

When feeding kibble, it’s unlikely that you’re going to find the perfect food for a large breed puppy. When I brought Mystery home, I’d already done several months of research on food. Although I would have preferred grain-free, I couldn’t find it with an acceptable calcium percentage. I put him on Innova LBP (which has since changed their formula and I’m not sure I’d recommend it now but it’s still better than Pro Plan, Science Diet, Iams and others). I moved Mystery to Orijen LBP when he was about nine months old and able to process excess calcium properly. Orijen will tell you that they shoot for their minimum percentage but as long as they think their maximum is acceptable (and they do hide behind the AAFCO guidelines), I wouldn’t have been comfortable with it in those early months.

Mystery is now a year old and has been on a raw diet for about two months. We’ve transitioned two more Goldens in Korea with my husband and I’m working on four cats (the kitten didn’t need transitioning). If I were to get another puppy today, she’d go straight to raw where calcium/phosphorus is perfectly balanced among protein and organs in a whole-prey diet. And still I don’t add a lot to his diet. He gets coconut oil because of a skin condition, vitamin C and curcumen because of the high cancer mortality in Goldens (though the raw diet and minimalist vaccine schedule will help that as well), and garlic for pest control. I haven’t started adding any fruits & vegetables as I’m still researching their benefits (or lack thereof).

Good to see your note about not feeding RC!

[Susan]

Have you tried the elimination diet where he just eat 1 food for 1 month like kangaroo or chicken or fish Etc then if that meat seems ok then after 1 month add something new here’s a diet for yeasty itchy skin
1cup ground beef human
1/4 cup beef liver or kidney
2 eggs scrambled or boiled
1/2 cup steamed or boiled broccoli
1/2 cup cooked yellow crookneck squash
1/2 cup yogurt
serve meat cooked or raw combined with the cooked vegetables eggs & yogurt, If serving the meat cooked wait for it to cool before stirring in the yogurt..
intstead of the beef mince u can use chicken mince, pork mince or a tin of salmon or mackerel drained..
This was from this book called ‘Raw & Natural Nutrition for dogs’ The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals by Lew Olson PhD… an excellent read explaining all health problems & what to feed dogs, there was more meals for skin problems, I just borrowed it from my Library…its raw & cooked Healthy meals, also a good shampoo is needed like Oatmeal shampoos..

[theBCnut]

Orijen LBP has too high calcium

A percent is a proportion, no matter what volume you are talking about. If something is 1% of X then it does not matter if you are talking about a single kibble or a ton of it, one part out of every one hundred parts will be X.

I know this is a long thread, but you need to read at least the first few pages of it and read the links. That will answer a lot of your questions and will provide you with a list of foods that have appropriate calcium levels. You will have to figure out which of them are available in Canada, I’m afraid. I believe the people who are on here regularly from Canada have small dogs, so don’t follow this thread.

Make sure that you feed your puppy to keep him lean/thin until he is completely mature at around 2 1/2 years old. This helps his joints to develop slowly and helps to keep the stress of carrying too much weight off of them until they are completely formed. Also make sure he doesn’t overdo exercise, which is another big factor in joint development.

Add fish oil. It’s anti inflamatory and the omega 3s in it are easily damaged in kibble.

Good luck.

[MastiffLove]

Hello everyone!

I would love some help in figuring what would be the “best” diet for my dog. Alot of you here seem to have alot of knowledge about this subject and i want to give the best diet to my dog so he will be in top health, shape and growth so he can live a great life without issues due to his diet.

On the 9th of April i am getting my Englsih Mastiff His dad is 220pounds and his mom is around 185 pounds he will be 8 weeks old he is one of the biggest of the litter. I am mentioning this so we can have an idea on an average he could possibly weight once adult and i want to promote growth and size without risking ANY health issues due to exessive or poor feeding.

I’ve been reading for quite awhile and theres so much information to consider that i’m getting overwhelmed with info lolll.

He is currently being fed with First Choice Puppy Medium and Large Breeds (4stars on the reviews here) and i will switch him to Orijen Puppy Large once i feel he feels confortable in his new home (most likely after 3 weeks he’s been here) .

I have read on here that mixing a puppies diet with diferent brands and types of food is a good thing also mixing dry kibbles with canned food is good and/or adding home food to his meals will supplement for whats missing.

But here are my questions:

1.Should i keep him on Orijen after his “switch” has been done until he reaches a certain age/weight or should i right away start “mixing things up” to best his diet?

2. Would any supplements or additives be used as a mixing ingredient to his kibbles?

3. Orijen has a Calcium (min/max) of 1.2/1.5% as wirtten on the 13kg (28.6pnd) bag enough or too much calcium? And could it be clarified, is it per portion served, over the whole bag, in one kiddle alone and such…how does those precentage work? so i can in the furture know what i’m dealing with.

4. Could someone give me a good idea on how to proceed thrue all of this like weeks old you do this, at a certain weight (considering hes not over or under weight and such) you start adding those kind of things…so on and so forth.

I understand theres alot of factors to consider like activity levels, too fat too skinny, etc. and so i will be monitoring his weight and growth weekly thrue his first year so i can spot anything different at a certain event like using a certain type of food or supplement etc. So try to be positive in giving as much detail as you can…i want to learn and i love precise and detailed info.

P.S. I live in Canada Quebec both parents are American living here in case you wish to suggest some food brands please consider i might not have access to it other then by shipping.

Sorry for the loooong post i’m french and i try to be clear on what i’m concerned about.

[Shasta220]

So I’ve mentioned the retired man with the two GSDs who suffer through being on Beneful dry and Alpo/Pedigree canned, right? Well, I’ve previously dropped a bug or two in his ear about some fairly good foods at great prices, and he still thinks that Beneful’s “…wholesome ingredients like wheat, soy, and egg…” are doing his dogs good.

I was pet sitting them the past couple days, and noticed that his giant male, Caesar (he’s 150lbs and is NOWHERE near overweight), had a disgusting hot spot on his thigh. The owner had mentioned that the female, Camile, sometimes gets them, and he just puts some anti-itch spray on. That’s usually enough to make them go away (for a little bit at least…). I decided this time, I will get as “firm” as I will ever get.

I know I’m not making the /best/ suggestion, but virtually any food is better than Beneful, so here’s what I just messaged him:

“…I noticed a huge hot-spot on Caesar’s rear leg. I sprayed it with some of the anti-itch spray.

Not sure how often they get itchy, but Cassy used to get so bad that we had to put a cone and a sweater on her. We switched her to a food without corn, soy, or wheat, and she hasn’t itched since.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com is my favorite website to compare brands and quality. We found a 4star food (Kirkland) for less than $1/lb. ”

What do y’all think? If you were uneducated about dog food, do ya think you’d switch? 😀 and yes, I will warn him about being extra careful for a slow transition if he sounds interested in switching. Gosh I REALLY hope he switches….those poor dogs have dull coats, bad breath, and a NASTY odor 🙁 if he doesn’t get some good nutrition in soon, they’re gonna go downhill FAST (they’re already 7y.o.)

[mountainhound]

There’s really no need to add vitamins if you feed commercial food since it’s already fortified. You can add whole foods like raw eggs or fish oil, but giving synthetic ones like the tablets you see sold at big box stores can lead to vitamin overdose.
there are some holistic premixes that also incorporate whole foods like flaxseed and kelp, I would use those instead.

[Bobby dog]

I feel your pain. My five cats eat me out of house and home, but I just adore and love them. You are much more diligent than me when it comes to proportions, good job! Thinking about it I estimate what each cat is eating in canned food. On average 3 – 5 ounces/day with ¼ cup of dry food each. But if they are begging for more they get it because there are no weight problems and other than my one cat with thyroid issues, everyone is healthy.

I know I always mention Tractor Supply, but if you are near one or happen to be by one at some point, their 4Health cat food is priced the same as Friskies, maybe 3 cents higher, at 49 cents 5.5 ounces or $1.00 for 12+ ounces. They don’t have the 4Health canned cat food on their website. They have their Friskies version (Paws & Claws) pictured with the 4Health logo under it. Just like C4c buys Authority as one of her budget friendly foods, I buy 4Health to throw into my mix. I mix it with the good stuff here and there. They use named meats, no wheat, corn, or soy etc. The only thing I don’t like about it is their recipes include brewers rice or potatoes as ingredients, so it is probably higher in carbs which is why I don’t just feed that brand; it just helps keep costs down and the other ingredients are pretty good in it.

You probably already have done this, since you are the coupon guru, but sometimes on the Fancy Feast and Sheba websites they have coupons/special offers. I got a free sample from Sheba not too long ago. When they are on sale or I have a coupon I buy those brands also.

[Akari_32]

I’ll just let you guys figure out what my hobby (singular LOL) is. I have 3 dogs (ok, two, but I care for the other one, because his “mommy” works out of town 4 days a week), 4 reptiles, 5 aquariums from 6 to 50 gallons (and a major upgrade to a 100 gallon is probably in my near future! Yay!), 2 ponds of 125 and 150 gallons, a few thousand mealworms and darkling beetles (for the reptiles) and I recently acquired a cat. I takes me about an hour an a half to get to bed every night, making sure every one is fed, reptile tanks are clean, everyone has water, and so on. I pretty much go to work or school in the morning, depending on the day, then come home, do some cleaning up after the animals, feed them all and go to bed LOL In between classes, and on my lunch breaks at work, I’m surfing fish and reptile forums (and DFA, obviously), and researching the next brand of food I want to try everyone on next. I pretty much work to feed my pets, and go to school so I can afford to care for them even better later on, as well as care for others (going to school to be a vet!) 🙂

Actually, today, I picked up a book for the first time in years (The Hunger Games. Its pretty good! I’ve already seen both movies though lol)! God I miss reading! I used to play piano and trumpet, but since I no longer am taking piano lessons, or in band, and I can’t read music worth a crap (7 years combined of playing piano and trumpet and I STILL can’t read music??), that’s faded away, but I still can’t resist playing my favorite songs on a store’s keyboard, or breaking out my trumpet when I’m cleaning my closet (I’m horrible at it now LOL) :3

I guess one thing I really love that I don’t get to do often, given where I live and fiances, is hiking. I love being in the mountains, but nooooooo, I live in stupid Florida! lol I do try and get out to the closest state park when I can, but its a 45 minute drive through the old person capitol of the world, and it costs like $5 to get in after that. I don’t mind paying to get in (I practically grew up there, and I love it), but the drive alone is enough to keep me away, especially in season! Dang snow birds can’t go the speed limit….

I do love to travel, though, and every year or two, my mom, grandma and I take a girl trip to somewhere we’ve never been before. I’ve gotten to see a good portion of the US, including Alaska. My friend and I talk about taking a cross country road trip one day, and I’d love to go back to Alaska. It was by far my favorite trip! If I’m ever rich, I’m gunna do tons of traveling 🙂

[InkedMarie]

Alexsandra,
There are limited slip collars, they tighten but only so much so a dog can’t actually choke themselves. Look at yellowsnowdoggear and Lupine.

Laws are different everywhere. Here, off leash is fine as long as the dog is under your control. Your roommate is nuts to think the dog would always listen to him. Not long ago, I read where a trainer had the stupid thought to let their beagle off leash. Dog saw something ran across the street, died when hit by car. I can’t chance it.

[B D]

It’s been a while since anything was posted on this thread, but I couldn’t find anyway to post on a more recent one that referenced this link.

I’m currently talking with Steve Iea about the quality of his pet food. Information on this site does raise some issues to be sure. Mr. Iea emailed me today that there is no 3D/4D meat in their products and all the beef is on the hoof as it comes in to the plant. He did not address my question about whether the meat and poultry as it comes into their plant is USDA inspected & approved for human consumption. Remember that once meat is processed in a non-human facility, it can no longer be called “human grade”. That distinction can be made however prior to the manufacturing process. I have asked for clarification on that and am waiting for a reply.

I would also like to correct something about charcoal as a denaturing products. Some years ago when I was purchasing goat direct from a packing house in Georgia, the USDA inspector found out that it was for dogs and ask the plant to denature it with the purple ink they use to stamp grades on the meat or coat it in charcoal. I had to go to the head USDA guy for the region in Atlanta to get that request withdrawn. The charcoal has nothing to do with covering up smells, it is simply there to make the meat unpalatable for human consumption as far as the USDA is concerned. If packing houses are using it for other purposes, that is not the USDA’s doing.

Cheers,
‘B’

[Shasta220]

Greenies around here aren’t liked too much, I’ll admit. And I will agree with everyone else – they stink, have gross ingredients, and really don’t clean as well as they say.

Try getting on a routine of brushing daily (or at least weekly if you have a difficult pooch), and you can use raw bones as well as other natural chews. I also went to the extremes of a water additive for my oldest girl, but I don’t think that’s nessicary.

I do, however, love Zuke’s Z-ridge bones. The textur is similar to greenies, but they are made of better ingredients like potatoes, fruits, and natural breath help from plants. Plus they seemed to actually work. I broke a big one in half and gave a piece to two of my dogs – by the time they were done, they have /really/ good breath. Greenies? Not so much. I’m not sure how good they are ever since Purina bought them though :/ all I know is the packaging has already changed (I miss the old packages) and prices have skyrocketed… Ugh!

[Michelle J]

We have a 9 year old Siberian Husky who is diabetic and has been for about 2 years. We started out feeding her Hill’s W/D as recommended by the vet we were using at the time. However it was difficult to purchase because you had to have a prescription for it and where we lived we could only buy it at the vet’s so it was not easily accessible. Also we were uncomfortable with the main ingredient being corn. That being said we started searching for a better alternative and started feeding her Hill’s Science Diet Adult Light. She was eating it like it was going out of style. This past weekend we purchased the same kind but she is not eating it. This makes it impossible to be able to give her the correct amount of insulin 2 times a day. I was wondering if it could be spoiled or if there was a recall on it? Is there a use by date on it that I can’t find? Also since there are a lot of you out there that will hopefully read this, can you suggest a better food for diabetic dogs? I would appreciate any help you can give! Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Shasta, this isnt about where u can buy coconut oil BUT are ur dogs medium to big dogs that love to play with anything, Buy them a full coconut, I read about it on a F/B Staffy site how the lady buys her boy a coconut to play with & he plays for hours trying to bite it open to get the juice & coconut out…a healthy treat & toy..

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi Patrick. I don’t have experience with GSD’s specifically, but I do know that large breed puppies have specific dietary needs. You have to have the correct amount and balance of calcium and phosphorous in the food or they could develop orthopedic issues. Also, you must not overfeed. Slow and steady growth is best. The large breed puppy nutrition thread is a great resource.
/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Hound Dog Mom, a very knowledgeable member made a list of foods appropriate for large breed puppy growth. All foods on the list are 4 or 5 stars. See here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

There are some affordable 4 and 5 star foods that won’t break the bank. You can get the best selection and price by ordering online. I like Chewy.com and Petflow.com. Both ship free with a $49 order. The most affordable foods with grain from the list are: Dr. Tim’s Kinesis, Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy, and Victor Select (Chicken & Rice or Lamb & Rice). The most affordable grain-free is Earthborn Holistic (Meadow Feast or Coastal Catch). Other grain-free foods I would consider are Wellness Core Puppy and Nature’s Variety Instinct Turkey. Grain-free foods are more expensive but you can offset the cost of feeding grain-free by alternating with grain-inclusive foods as long as your dog tolerates both. It’s best to rotate through different foods and not feed the same thing all the time. I hope this helps. Someone else may chime in and give you more specifics about GSD’s specifically.

[Susan]

Thank-you Melissa & Aimee, Patch had a blood test 3 weeks after a flare up, I asked for one, He was on the Metronidzole last December for 2weeks, this stopped the fermenting smell that was coming out of his mouth & stopped the sloppy poos, now his mouth smells normal again, vet gave me a script if I run out.. I cant get the R/C Venison/Potato here is Australia I tried & rung R/C up when he was first ill, we just have the Low Fat, Sensitivity Control, or the Hypoallergengic..Ive tried the Hypoallergenic & the Sensitivity Control & they made him worst. He’s good at the moment he’s playing running, but all he has eaten is his toast for breaky, Ive just boiled a chicken breast, its cooling maybe thats why he’s running around he knows he’s having chicken, Ive tried this before boiled chicken, I’ll try it again & see how he goes this time, I need a kibble with No Fish Oil, no Flaxseed, nothing with oils, I dont think there are any, Oh, when I looked in the supermakets the real cheap kibbles have no fish oil or flax seed etc, maybe that mite work.. I did find a low fat 8% called ‘Opitmum’ invented by a vet here in Australia but it has Chicken By-Products, everytime I read the ingredients I put it back…But being a rescue dog I’d say he was feed a real crap diet, cheap diet… Ive never given him the supermarket kibbles, he mite do better on mostly grains he does good on toast..just gave him his chicken so far no pain yet or licking… I never gave him his Zantac either..How much chicken do I feed a 17kilo dog, I dont want him losing weight.

[losul]

Sorry about the delayed responses.

InkedMarie, Thanks for posting. I did find the link you provided helpful. Helped me to realize more, that while it is a really scary and serious thing, but that there is a difference between being HW positive and lower levels of worms and having significant HW disease. It also got me to thinking more about using some supportive supplements.

Shawna, again, very helpful links, not just about timing for seasonal HW preventatives, but also other things. Thank you. I’ve never posted a pic of Turbo yet, but it’s on my to do list as soon as I get caught up on things. Because of the cumulative effects, I guess the advantage multi could be started a little earlier than the others and stopped earlier for using seasonal HWP. But it’s also because of those cumulative effects and the added and unwanted flea killer, that I doubt I will use for HWP, beyond using for treatment. I also noted in your second link that advantage multi is not often even used during treatment.

I’m also thinking now that it is still senseless for me to give Turbo HWP’s year round. (once he is HW free). Even if I up the dosage months to 9 or 10 months, a break of 2 or 3 months from it, is better than no break, and shouldn’t be any risk of infection anyway during the coldest months.

Aimee, I agree 100% with your critical thinking in the the case of Mr. Piggy/Dr. Falconer.
Not so sure either about his “homeopathic” remedies, i.e. sulphur, calcarea carbonica, graphites (is that actually given internally?)

I also got to reading some other alternative treatments elsewhere such as black walnut extract, wormwood, etc. Some of those seem would be as/or more so, toxic as conventional drug treatments. But I think I will start using some garlic.

Update: Turbo had his X-rays Wednesday. The vet went over them with me, and in general thought they looked pretty good. He didn’t see anything at that time that would cause him to downgrade him from class 1 to class 2. Although he did have some things he wanted the visiting radiologist to look at and review (the heart) when he comes in again, I think on April 8. The lungs looked mostly pretty clear and pulmonary arteries he thought looked pretty good. I’m definitely leaning towards a slower kill protocol (rather than the harsh immiticide, steroids, and painkillers, and the vet seems fine with that, although he is still adamant about continuing with the Advantage multi, rather than ivermectin, me I’m not entirely sure Advantage multi will be as effective as ivermectin on fully mature worms, according to what I have read. Also if not going with immiticide, he wants to get going on the doxycycline sooner. He is saying just 2 weeks of doxy. Most of what i read says 4 weeks, or pulsing it. I also told him I had a 2nd HW test done that indicated low antigen, and that that vet thought it indicated lower worm load.

• This reply was modified 12 years ago by losul.

[DogFoodie]

I would definitely take it back also. If it were one small bag that I’d get rid of quickly, I might go ahead and feed it (assuming that it looked and smelled OK and my dogs gave it their ultimate approval), but you’re talking about 171 pounds of food here!

There is a way to calculate the manufacture date based on the expiration date and the estimated shelf life of the product. So, for those that have a shelf life of 18 months that are three months past their expiration date, you’re talking about food that was manufactured close to two years ago! Even sealed, in the bag, fats can go rancid when something is that old. What if it wasn’t stored properly at the store, that can decrease even the 18 month shelf life.

I started accumulating a little too much kibble, so I made a spreadsheet of everything I had on hand ordered by expiration date so that it can be used well prior to then. I’m sorry that I’ve accumulated what I have because it should be the goal to buy and use the freshest food possible.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/17_2/features/five-common-mistakes-buying-feeding-dry-food_20910-1.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/7_10/features/Dog-Food-Expiring_15658-1.html

[pfeiner]

OK – so have been doing some reading etc. about RMB and feeding to my two Labs who presently eat a commercial raw diet. I am looking to start making my own and am fearful of smaller RMB. They eat beef shank/marrow bones regularly with no issue – the older boy is more aggressive w his bones (typical Lab) and the pup is more mellow with his. So… are chicken & turkey necks safe for Labs? What about chicken feet – found them at a market the other day. I had read somewhere that I should avoid wings as they are too small. My market often times has frozen organic chicken bones. Can I feed them? I guess Thanks loads for your feedback!!

[Akari_32]

He’s not going to the litter box *often* but when he does visit, it’s usually just a small amount, about 2 inches across, and it’s bloody (not bad, but there’s a pink tinge). I noticed a few days ago, after being locked in the bathroom, that his spot on the counter was peppered with blood, but since it was literally all over the counter in teeny tiny spots, I figured he broke a claw off, or scratched himself, or something. It was the next day or later that day that I found only a small amount of pee in the box with some red in it for the first time. I’ve also been reading that his behavior could be from a UTI (he’s naughty!), but he’s also adjusting to a new life, so I can’t say for sure. His pee also has a strong smell to it, too. Like, a sweaty, BO, sort of smell. But for all I know, male cats could just smell like that anyways. He doesn’t seem to be uncomfortable, though.

[Diana R]

Thanks for your responses. I can’t afford the vet bills right now. She is getting better everyday since I have quit the Dinovite. Right now she is out in the yard and barking, which is a good sign. I think I read where someone else’s dog also got the congestion after they started the Dinovite. I think all the weight she has put on is what is causing the listlessness and trouble breathing. She is a smaller framed dog so this extra weight is strain on her body.

[andrew b]

So I have a Staffy who is almost 18 months. She has already been allergy tested, and on a scale of 0-4 scored a 2 on numerous things, different types of grasses/weeds, dust and so on, with yeast also registering. We have also done a food trial prior to intradermal testing with Royal Canin HP and her itching really never got better on it. The main issue is she scratches herself bloody. Her neck, under her arms, her face. It’s a sin. We use Temaril-P when needed and it does help, have tried Atopica which didn’t work at all, have tried a new medication called Apoquel that didn’t work at all. Usually when she’s extremely bad(she was at the vet Tuesday, she sees a dermatologist at UPenn), she comes back positive for a yeast infection on her skin. She also started immunotherapy 5 months ago.

The worst of foods(on a relative scale) she has eaten would be Taste of the Wild as a puppy, and when the itching started around 4 months, we have tried, all for nearly 2 month periods, Earthborn, Acana, Nature’s Variety LID and now back to Earthborn since it doesn’t seem to matter.

Where am I going with all of this? Before I fully delve into trying a raw or cooked diet and seeing if it helps, should I just try the lowest carbohydrate food I can find to try and cut down on the yeast issues? If this doesn’t work, I am going either raw, freeze dried or cooked at the end of May. I was going to try Brothers Complete Allergy Formula but I’ve read it’s fairly high in carbs. Would I be better going with something that is 25% or so carbohydrates based on this site’s calorie weighted analysis, perhaps Orijen or Nature’s Variety Raw Boost, or something else?

We’ve tried so much…supplements, oils, she gets Phytovet CK baths 2-3x a week, and it doesn’t improve unless she’s on Temaril and we obviously don’t want that, but when she’s bleeding and will scratch herself for minutes straight unless you stop her, you have no choice.

Any ideas welcome, especially food related. Thanks all, love the site, been lurkin forever.

[Akari_32]

He ticked me off last night to the point where I locked him in the bathroom for the night, and had my sister lock him up today when she left for the day (I left at 6:30 this morning for work, but let him out while I got ready). He’s got so much pent up energy because he’s used to roaming in the woods. He won’t play with his toys (catnip mice, and those stretchy, bouncy figure 8 shaped things that smell like catnip), but he does like Bentleys bell on the front door, and shoe strings. Since we’re now apparently trying the cat out, I’ll (besides name him lol) buy him some stringy toys that I can fling around and play with him with. Hopefully I can tire him out enough to keep him out of trouble.

The biggest thing with him is keeping him out of the blinds. I’m home alone most of the week, and our neighborhood sucks. I won’t open the blinds most of the time, not even when moms home. I don’t want no druggies knowing I’m here by my self all week. But I do understand that windows are like TV for cats, and he loves getting up in there and laying in the sill, even if he’s not looking outside. I may run the idea of keeping the spare bedroom gated off so the dog can’t get in there, in stead of keeping the door completely closed, and keeping his litter box and such in there, and keeping just enough of the blinds open that he can get in and out of them ( the ones in there are vertical hanging blinds, much more suited for naughty little cats trying to be in the windows). My sister is here on spring break and has her cat in there right now, but that’s only until Sunday… Hmmm…

[theBCnut]

Hookworms can cause bloody stools, whipworms can cause pale nasty smelling soft stools. The ivermectin in Heartgard only affects certain types of worms, the others have developed resistance to it, same with some of the regular wormers. It is important that you actually know what you are deworming for so that you use the right product.

There are a few things that fecal floats are not good at detecting, so once a year I have a fecal sent to the lab for analysis. It costs around $20. I haven’t needed one of my dogs wormed in several years, except for new puppies with roundworms. However, one of my cats needs deworming regularly. She has feline herpes and so already has a challenged immune system.