[Hannah D]

I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve tried countless brands and have yet to find the ideal food for my dog. My 9 year old chihuahua has hiatal hernia and does better with lower fat. The past year or so she’s had a musty smell within days of being bathed, so there’s probably a yeast issue. I’ve had her on various grain-free Honest Kitchen recipes. She’s currently on Marvel because I wanted to avoid potatoes of any kind, but she’s gained weight on it.

K9 Naturals was recommended. I had her on the venison food, but she wasn’t nuts about it. Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried didn’t seem to satiate her and neither did Ziwipeak.

Ideally, I’d like a grain-free, starch-free, yeast-free food. I don’t want to feed her beef and I usually avoid chicken when possible. But I’m open to all suggestions, wet, dry, raw, etc. I have absolutely no experience with raw food except for the dehydrated or freeze dried kind.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi, have you thought of cooking?? you have a very small dog so you can make a batch of food & freeze meal, with cooking you can feed what you want to feed…….Kibbles with grains & grain free kibbles both need a carb to bind the kibble & some grain free kibble have more starchy sugar carbs then the kibbles with grains, when a dog is sensitive to an ingredient they start to get that yeasty smell & start scratching…… I bath weekly in Malaseb medicated shampoo, it’s excellent & kills the bacteria on their skin & leaves them feeling so soft…
Have a look at Dr Judy Morgan site http://www.drjudymorgan.com/articles/food-therapy/
Dr Judy Morgan also sells supplements to balance the meals & has easy recipes on YouTube to follow…. I think it’s her husband that’s in some cooking videos….

There’s also “Balance It”
http://secure.balanceit.com/ Click on link then it will say “Click here Free Pet Recipes” & you fill out the quick questionnaire, all your pet health problems, if you tick too many health problems, it will say you need to make an appointment with one of their Nutritionists, but if you click a few health problems then recipes will come up to cook then you add the “Balance it” to balance the meals…..Fresh foods are best, I cook & I feed kibble… Kibble for breakfast-Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & cooked meal for dinner…. I cook my meal sometimes & make Patches meal as well, we eat the same meal some nights, he eats lean pork mince or lean veal mince made into rissoles that I bake in the oven & boiled sweet potato, cabbage, broccoli, I freeze all this in meal sizes….
I feed 1 cup meat/rissoles cut up mixed with 1/2 cup mashed veggies….feed low glycemic veggies, Patch doesn’t get many veggies cause they are high in fiber, Patch has IBD & needs a low fiber low, fat diet….

[theBCnut]

When it come to kibble, starch is what holds it together, so if you want starch free, you have yo go to canned, raw, cooked, or homemade. If you do go the homemade route, make sure you do your research on what needs to go into a dogs diet. Homemade diets often have some amazingly glaring errors, like no source of calcium, so make sure you cover your bases.

[anonymously]

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea kibble, check the reviews on chewy.com. It is small kibble, ideal for small dogs. No potato, no grains, no chicken….

PS: Don’t free feed. Offer measured amounts twice a day or whatever your vet recommends. Some senior small breeds do better on 3 small meals a day, add a splash of water to meals or presoak the kibble. Maybe add a topper.
Has the dog had a senior workup, labs and an exam to rule out medical issues for the weight gain. I would start there.
Is she getting enough exercise, brisk walks….

[Hannah D]

Appreciate the responses! I’m aware kibble isn’t great. That’s why I’ve had her on the Honest Kitchen and various freeze-dried raw. I’ve tried to use the balance IT site in the past, but it only gave me recipes for cats after I checked a couple health issues. I don’t free feed. I’m almost militant about my precise measurements. She gets her daily exercise and that hasn’t changed. I’m wondering if the tapioca and beans in THK are too starchy for her.

Thanks for the Dr. Judy link and malaseb recommendation. I’m definitely going to try bathing her with that. I’m a little intimidated by the home cooking idea because I’m so afraid of not giving her the correct amount of nutrients, but it sounds like it might be the best way for me to clear up some of her issues. I’ll check out the links and do more research on it.

Thank you again for your responses!

[pitlove]

Hi Hannah-

If you are interested in trying to homecook there are a few things you can do to make sure the meals are properly balanced. Best thing would be working with a board certified veterinary nutritionist, however that can be expensive. Another option is Wysong’s Call of the Wild supplement.

http://www.wysong.net/products/cotw-dog-cat-supplement.php

[Susan]

Yes, also look for another food that has no Tapioca, Patch cant eat any kibbles with Tapioca he starts to smell yeasty & itch, also once you get a good supplement, it will balance the diet, I use Digestavite Plus Powder an Australian brand that’s seems to last forever, I only need to add 1/4 teaspoon to 1 meal a day & I use Omega 3 6 9 Oil a couple of squirts on a meal, Dr Judy Morgan sometimes uses the Honest Kitchen Base Mixes to balance some meals in 1 of her videos… You can go thru a Nutritionist, I went thru a Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan with Patch & use all her supplements……

[Author]

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