[Anita L]

One thing I forgot to say that may help others.
For my digestion and sinus issues, it’s yeast.
This website was the most helpful to me (and their products which I now purchase on Amazon because they closed their store) http://www.stopyeast.com. The information explains everything and may be helpful to dog/cat purposes as well.

[crazy4cats]

Anita-
I can totally relate to your ACV story. I did something similar. Man that stuff is strong and smelly! I can’t seem to make myself put it in my dog’s food either after I thought I was going to be healthy and drink it too! Wow! It also always reminds me of coloring Easter eggs. LOL!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
Thanks for the link!

I get the ACV thing. I am bizarre, love the taste. Anyway, I only posted the information because it’s what helped Bobby through his yeasty skin issues. Every dog is different so what worked for us may or may not work for others. 😉 Did you happen to see the ACV foot bath suggestion for itchy paws? I think it is under the WDJ skin condition link.

For organic coco oil you want unrefined rather than refined. I have seen many descriptions on line, virgin, extra virgin, unrefined, cold pressed. These descriptions are referring to the process used to make the oil that keeps the most healthy benefits.

As far as using a canned topper, your pups would benefit most from a GF or 95% canned food. The most budget friendly 5 star 95% is Pure Balance from Wal-Mart ($1.25/can). I will check out my dog food spread sheet to see what I have used in the past for GF or 95% and I am sure other posters will have some suggestions for you too. Some 95% foods are only for supplemental feeding because they don’t have any added vitamins. I don’t think that it is a worry unless you decide to only feed something like this as a topper, then you would want to make sure you feed enough kibble to ensure they get their vitamins. Wal-Mart’s 95% is a balanced food.

I would also like to mention since Bobby’s skin issues have cleared I have been able to feed him GF and grain inclusive kibble, foods with potatoes, veggies, and fruits. I feed a rotational diet, I buy small bags and switch proteins and carbs with each new bag. I haven’t had any issues with yeast since I have been paying attention to the ingredients they contain. You may find you will not have to completely eliminate certain ingredients when they are healthy again; but then again you may find you might have to avoid certain ingredients, you never know. 🙂

You would refer to your kibble and canned feeding directions for the amounts to add to kibble. I add about 4 T of water to the canned food to make a gravy and extra moisture never hurts. Bobby weighs 44 lbs, on pate’ style foods I usually get four feedings and stew styles about 3-4 feedings. Some other posters will probably have some suggestions for using canned as toppers as well. Most importantly you want to observe your dogs body conditions and adjust accordingly.

[Anita L]

C4C and BObby’s Mom:
I actually love flavoring things with it and don’t mind the smell of white vinegar….I clean/dust with it and like the smell. Smells “clean” to me. HaHa

Somehow I missed the ACV foot bath link. But, I used to dip their feet in a white vinegar solution to help with the allergies that I now know is yeast. Sometimes it’s the simple things….that I forget! 🙂 This is a definite that I will do this afternoon.

Aw Poo! I meant UNrefined (on the coconut oil) being the same as virgin…..brain going in too many directions at once. 🙂

When I get ready for the canned, I guess I’ll be heading to WM. Oh how I hate WM! I will definitely have my list together and have plenty of time to wait in the long lines. Hopefully it’ll be fine. Thanks for the info on the amounts!

Man! I’m loving this! (I’m such a nerd!) 😉

[Susan]

Anita ur right about the Apple Cider Vinegar, after reading how it helps reflux & stomach acid on this site.. I told my daughter cause she’s pregnant & has real bad stomach acid, she bought some & so did I, she took 1 teaspoon & she said it made her acid worst & she couldnt get that taste out of her throat all night…I couldnt stop laughing the way she said it, lucky I never gave none to poor Patch, I think I’ll stick with using it as cleaning product & stick with quick-eze for the acid…..there’s also a book on all the good things that ACV does..

[Akari_32]

So I just took all the Pure Balance 95% back to the store. I showed the lady a picture of the huge black spot in the food and she was like “Ewwwwwwww!!!”

So that leaves us with only the By Nature right now. I’m going to email THK and see if they have a carb percentage on their grain free recipes, and I’m also going to be looking into other canned foods.

When looking at sites like PetFlow and Chewy, what searches should I be using? I was putting in low glycemic, since yeast feeds off sugary and starchy and whatever things, but I don’t really know if thats exactly what I should be looking for, since I know on PetFlow that EVO 95% doesn’t come up under that search.

Also, about what percentage of carbs should I be looking at? I know for the cat I aim for less than 3% for anything that makes up the bulk of his diet, but is that even possible in a dog food thats $2 or less for a 13 oz can?

[crazy4cats]

Akari-
Have you checked out the Variety canned foods at Walmart?

[Akari_32]

Sort of. I was concerned about the fact they weren’t grain free, so didn’t look too much into them. Give me a minute, and I’ll recheck them.

[Akari_32]

Ok, so looking at that, he’d need almost a whole can. For the price, which is almost $2 a can, I don’t think thats really an option. I’d rather do something at Pet Supermarket for that, where I can buy 10 cases and get one free, and use a $4 off $20 purchase coupon. I’d work out cheaper in the long run, and it’d be something he’d eat less of. Wouldn’t be bad for a back up, though, I don’t think.

[Bobby dog]

Was there an issue with all the PB 95% or just the one can? Are you not using them anymore?

What’s available at Pet Supermarket?

[Akari_32]

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

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

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

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

[DogFoodie]

Do you, or anyone you know, have a Costco membership?

[Akari_32]

Yeah, my grandma has one. She wouldn’t let us pay though. Might just be easier to avoid that route LOL What do they have there? I can use a back up list :p

[DogFoodie]

Kirkland Cuts in Gravy was replaced with Nature’s Domain Grain Free canned food. It should be around $20.00 for 24 cans. Dr Mike just reviewed it and it got five stars.

/dog-food-reviews/natures-domain-grain-free-canned/

[Akari_32]

That could be an option. How carby do you think it is, looking at the peas, potato starch, and carrots? It says meat-based at the end of the review, which is good.

[Bobby dog]

I love Grandmas, I miss mine!! 🙂

EVO 95% is a good choice. I think you want to try and aim for around 20% carbs until his yeasty skin is under control. Remember to keep fat %’s in mind too.

I am not sure who cans TOTW, I never fed that brand. You can also try to match PB 95% protein and fat %’s with other foods since he did well on it.

I’ll check out the Pet Supermarket list too.

[Akari_32]

He only had 2.5 cans of the PB, so I don’t really know how well he did on it. The roommate said he’s been throwing up the last couple days, which is why I threw one can away, and took the rest back. I’m not home during the day to see this, so I never knew. And like I said in the other thread, it never occurred to me that the smaller dark spots weren’t normal, as stupid as that sounds lol Some cheaper foods I use for the big dogs have varying colors with in the can but as still perfectly fine, so I just didn’t think about. Oh well, no harm done. Just gave him a tummy ache.

Yeah, let my know what you think about what Pet Supermarket has. Try to keep the cases under $30. I’ve looked them over several times and can’t quite decide, other than the EVO. I think he’s active enough for the EVO to be ok on a regular basis.

[crazy4cats]

Anita-
I’m going back to your how much to feed the cats question. There is a formula on the catinfo site that helps. I determined my cats (4) are fed between 110 to 150 calories each. My big male who is about 15lbs. gets the most. I figure that the average canned food is about 30 cals per ounce. My average dry food is about 390 cals per cup. They each get about 3.5 to 4 oz of canned per day. The extra calories needed are made up with kibble that I measure with a table spoon so I don’t over feed. My cats are indoor only so they are more apt to get chubby. I don’t mix the dry and canned together in case they don’t like one of them they will eat the other. I had to mix together for a while with my shelter kitty to get him to eat canned as he was a crunchy addict. Lol! I don’t have the formula written down in my notes, sorry!

Akari-
I like the By Nature canned food. It stays soft which makes it easy to mix. I use it now and then in addition to Pure Balance and the Kirkland canned. Good luck!

[Bobby dog]

C4c & Anita:
Those amounts that C4c wrote in her post about feeding her cats is almost exactly how I feed my cats and they are mostly outdoor kitties.

My big hyperthyroid kitty gets a little more canned food when he wants it. His weight is good and since he has health issues I figure he needs a little extra nourishment. He eats the best out of all my kitties because he is not finicky. My other kitties are still addicted to fish, dry food, and kitty crack (a.k.a. Purina). lol

Akari:
Pick up some more by Nature since it’s still on sale along with the EVO 95%. IMO that’ll do for a rotation for now and both foods are within your budget.

I quickly looked at PS selections and keeping your budget in mind and ruling out Simmons I believe EVO is your only choice for a balanced 95%; nice choice IMO. I’ll check out the GF selections to see if there is something you might want to consider as a back-up when I have a bit more time.

I don’t blame you for wanting to stick with 95% foods, I am sure this is really helping to heal his skin. I fed (and still do) PB 95% for two months straight, maybe more, without rotating any other canned foods while I was getting Bobby’s yeasty/dermatitis skin healed. That was the only 95% that fit my budget other then when I could find other brands on sale. I think Bentley having two nice brands is pretty good! 🙂

Do you need to stock up on canned food for your guys? Did you see the awesome deal they had on Solid Gold canned food? If there was a PS near me I would be buying out their stock of Solid Gold! 😉
http://www.petsupermarket.com/products/petsupermarket/dog/dog-food/solid-gold-dog-food.aspx

[Akari_32]

Daaaang, that is a good price! I may look into that…. lol I have so much dry food right now, and probably 20 cans, for the big dogs that I don’t know if I even have the space for anything else! I wonder how long it’ll be on sale for….? I’ll swing by in a couple days and check it out lol

I was really liking the looks of this canned food for Bentley because it was salmon based, which should give him some extra good stuff for his skin, but I see that it has Selenium Yeast in it. Thoughts?

http://www.petflow.com/product/Artemis/artemis-osopure-salmon-formula-canned-dog-food

[Bobby dog]

Selenium yeast is the natural form of sodium selenite. I assume pet food companies use ss as opposed to sy because it is cheaper; the natural form is best. It looks like a nice choice.

Akari, ever think about probiotics for Bentley? An affordable way to add probiotics is to buy plain kefir. Since he has responded to the his new feed and bathing routine, I would bet (and I only bet on sure things!) probiotics would really send him on his way to better health. I use Lifeway from Wal-Mart; they have coupons on their website too.

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

http://www.drharveys.com/blog/tag/148

Bobby loves it, but I can only get one of my cats to eat it by mixing it in his food. Luckily it’s the kitty who needs it the most, the hyperthyroid kitty. I give it to Bobby a few times a week. I give it to my cat daily, it has made such a huge difference in his skin and fur. I do plan to buy probiotics to mix in food for the rest of my cats, just haven’t decided on which one yet. Since I am only feeding two animals I freeze it in icecube trays and put a cube in the refridgerator to thaw for the morning.

[crazy4cats]

I’ve never heard of pet supermarket. Do you guys have Petco and Pet Smart as well? That is a lot of pet stores!

[Akari_32]

I was looking around for some probiotics on the clearance shelf the other day, but couldn’t find any. Just a bunch of vitamins and stuff lol I may try the kiefer. I like that idea. I always forget about it lol how much should I give him?

Yep! We have also have PetLand if you go a bit more north, and various shops. My favorite shop just closed down because PetCo moved in down the street and took a lot of their business 🙁

[crazy4cats]

Akari-
Have you checked out the Swanson’s supplement website? Some of their stuff is so inexpensive. Almost half of what Amazon charges for some things. I ordered a soil based probiotic a few weeks ago from them. It is a human product. On another note, that is sad when the big box stores close down the smaller specialty stores. 🙁

[Akari_32]

How do these look?

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-dr-stephen-langers-ultimate-16-strain-probioticwith-fos-60-veg-caps

Or this one?

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-probiotic-complex-120-veg-drcaps

Ooh, look at this yeast one!

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-condition-specific-formulas-yeast-defense-essentials-120-caps

[crazy4cats]

Hi Akari-
The 16 strain one looks like a great deal. Appears to be buy one get one right now. That sounds right up your alley! It contains prebiotics as well. I would think that would be a good choice. The other one with grapefruit extract, looks good, but would do a little research on that ingredient. I’m not sure if it is recommended for dogs or not. Good luck.

[Akari_32]

Did a little googling for the grapefruit thing, and it seems I may have a winner!

http://www.nutriteam.com/pets/

Now to figure out dosage… Lol

[crazy4cats]

Well, that article makes it sound great! I would try to not use that type of ingredient long term though.

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari and C4c:
How do you like my Avatar? It’s Archie, my hyperthyroid kitty. I finally took the time to pick a photo. Lol

I am glad you’re considering probiotics! I threw kefir out there because I know you are kinda taking on the costs of Bentley even though he’s not your responsibility. It has 11 strains of probiotics and it costs between $3 to $4; awesome price for that many beneficial strains. To answer your question about dosage for small dogs 1 tsp – 1 Tb. I dose my cat daily due to his health issues; Bobby gets kefir 2x/wk. More dosage info is on the Ottawa Whisperer link.

Swanson is always recommended by regular DFA posters so I think you are making a great choice. Buy one get one free, better yet! I would even give it to Alec and your guys a few times a week. I agree with C4c, if you are going to spend the money for a probiotic you should buy one with the most strains to get his immune system back on track, the whole point of adding probiotics. The grapefruit yeast supplement only has two strains; IMO that would be something to try when he is healthy again. I also am not sure of the “yeast” included in the title. The probiotic complex is a little better, it has five.

[crazy4cats]

Bobby dog-
Ok, now I see your kitty in there! Very handsome. I just love kitties! LOL!

[Bobby dog]

Thanks! It’s my “where’s Waldo” pic of Archie. He’s the naughty one that always makes a nest in the flower beds! What are you going to do. I was walking by and he happened to sneeze or I would not of even noticed him. I also had my camera handy (which never happens) because I was taking pics of flowers.

[Susan]

Hi all, I didnt know dogs could take human probiotics, I even asked the Chemist man last year as it was becoming expensive $65 for just 2 months, & the chemist said that humans stomach acids & Gi track is different to dogs…I always buy Patch the animal powdered probiotics that I mix with water & he drinks it…I’ll have to do some research mite work out cheaper, the vets Protexin probiotic cost $65 must be kept in fridge… now Ive been going Pet Barn & buying Vitafarm for $19 a shelf probiotic & Paws have just released a new probiotic Digestive care 60 multi-strain for $36…

[Bobby dog]

Akari:
I found these prices today on by Nature 95%, thought you might be interested. How is the little guy doing?

http://www.chewy.com/s/canned-food,by-nature?query=by+nature+95%25&dept=dog

[Akari_32]

I did see that, yes 🙂 I had a credit to use with PetFlow, so I used that up. I plan on using chewy for the rest of my By Nature purchases, unless I find a better deal somewhere else.

He’s doing pretty good. His hair is growing back some 🙂

[Bobby dog]

I am putting it on my shopping list too along with the Newman’s organic beef that Archie likes. I probably won’t need to order on-line until the end of summer, but it is their regular price so hopefully it will stay that way.

Thanks for the Bentley update! 🙂

[Anita L]

Hello my friends!
I’m pretty sure this is a good deal so I wanted to share. Not sure if there is a place for this kind of post. (if so, let me know so I’ll know for next time).

as seen on: http://www.southernsavers.com/2014/07/petsmart-b1g1-30-5-30-10-60-15-70/
PETSMART is running a great sale right now. They have select products up to 30% off thanks to their “BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR“.

Along with that sale, there is a promo code that is buy one product and get the next one 30% off. The code is “GET30714“. This deal can be applied to the already on sale items!

On top of all this you get $5 off a $30 purchase, $10 off a $60 purchase, or $15 off a $70 purchase.

Shipping is FREE your order is over $49 or you can opt for in store pick up! The sale ends 7/20.

🙂
After I order 1 bag of food, I qualified for free shipping so I was excited. Plus I needed a couple more things and found deals. Now I don’t have to go to the store!

Good Luck and happy shopping!
🙂

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Anita L.

[crazy4cats]

Anita-
Thank you. Looks like some great deals. I was at the store last week and took advantage. But, I really think I ended up spending more than I would have if there wasn’t a sale. LOL! You could have put this on the coupon thread next time.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
That is an awsome sale! I got a few good deals myself. As C4c mentioned there is a coupon thread Akari started that posters put sales, coupon, and other info on if you’re interested. I for one love hearing about a good sale! 😉

/forums/topic/coupons/

How are your dogs doing?

[Anita L]

Yes yes yes (on the coupons)! love me some deals!

Pups are much better. Joe still does not like a bath so we went to PSP. I was just as soaked as he was and I was wearing one of their aprons! It was pretty funny! When I went to pay, I told the cashier, 2 dog baths and 1 human. She looked at how soaked I was and laughed with me.

Mostly now, their feet/legs bother them some (itching) but not nearly as bad as it was. We were out of town last week (much needed last minute vacation). Pretty sure they got their supplements and food but past that, who knows. They were loved on very much by my niece who stayed with them, so that’s the good part.

Now it’s time to perfect those foot baths/soaks. If I have a (big) bowl of vinegar solution ready, go outside and use a wash cloth to run it over (or drizzle…or pour), hopefully they won’t fuss too much. I’m gonna hope for the best.

Thanks for asking Bobby-dog. That’s why I love this site. Everyone cares and wants to help! Which is why I wanted to share that sale with my DFA friends 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Anita:
That’s good to read!!! 🙂 When you have time you’ll have to come back and let us know what worked for you. That’s how I pieced Bobby’s routine together. Some info came from cat sites I visited before I came to DFA, some info from DFA, and some info from Vet Med sites. Glad to read I am not the only one who gets a bath when my dog does. lol

[Anita L]

I copied and pasted the sale to the coupons page. Thanks for letting me know. Still so much to learn on this site.

[Akari_32]

Hey guys. Just updating. No baths in a few weeks, but his hair is growing back really well (new growth is about an inch long), and his skin is no longer red all over. Still red at his paws and up his hind legs some, and around his nose, but his body is back to pinkish-white, and he is chewing and scratching much less (and doesn’t smell nasty all the time). I’ve been giving him 3/4 of a can of By Nature 95% one day, and the next day he gets the rest of the can, and 1/4 cup of THK, mixed with however much water it needs to thin it back out to the consistency of just canned food.

He does need a bath right now (some one *cough* mom *cough* cleaned up pee in the hallway around his cage and then thought it was a good idea to put the pee towel in the cage because she didn’t want to walk it to the laundry room…), and I’ll use his medicated shampoo, and then wash him with his new shampoo and conditioner (supposed to be really good for their skin and coat, and has keratin in it– I’ll get the name of it in a bit).

I’m looking at some other foods to add in to his diet. I’ve emailed several companies and asked for the as fed carb values of their foods. My answers so far:

Purina Pro Plan:
“We appreciate your interest in our products. Please know that this information is not something we have readily available and takes time on the part of our nutritionist to determine. We cannot provide it for each and every one of our products.

However, if you can narrow your choice to a particular flavor or two, we’ll be happy to fulfill your request. Please understand it may take some time to process this information. We appreciate your patience.”

What the crap is that?? You don’t keep this info on hand?? Yeah, ok. Anyways, I went through the review side, and picked out all the four star formulas. More than they asked for, but whatever. My thought on the Pro Plan is that maybe an “average” food rather than a “fancy” food would do him some good. Some dogs don’t do well on high quality foods– we all know this. One of those if its ain’t broke sort of deals. Just an idea for a back up food. It’ll take some time to get an answer from them, I’ll assume.

Hill’s:
“Thank you for visiting HillsPet.com and sending us your message.

Due to your special pet’s medical condition we would suggest that you speak to your veterinarian for a food recommendation. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. offers a full line of therapeutic products which are formulated for the management of certain health issues that can develop in pets. The product that will work best for your pet depends upon his or her individual circumstances and is something that your veterinarian will have to help you to determine.

We appreciate your interest in Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. If we can help in any other way, contact our Consumer Affairs Department toll-free at 1-800-445-5777 8AM-5PM CST, Monday-Friday or revisit HillsPet.com.

Sincerely,

Consumer Affairs
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.”

I was hoping to get some values on Ideal Balance. Another “average” food sort of idea. But looking at the values on the can today at the store (they have dry matter basis on the Hill’s website), I’m ditching this food. Way too low protein and just 4.5 and 5%. And toooooooons of carbs. Each can has a protein source, and then three or four carbs sources. No thanks!

Nutro:
” Dear Danielle,
>
> Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Our canned food for dogs average about 5% carbs. Canned food is low in carbs because they are primarily water or broth (around 78%). We do not make anything that will have lower values than 5%.

……

Hi Danielle-
None of our dry foods will have a carbohydrate level as low as 15%. They average 30-45%. Canned food, by nature, will have the lowest carbs, as they are primarily made of water/broth. The Ultra™ and the Natural Choice® Chunks & Gravy formulas have the lowest amounts (approx. 4%). Hope this information helps!”

All of the Nutro Natural Choice and Ultra cans are right in our price range, at $21 to $28 a 12 can case. The Large Breed recipes seem to be the best looking as far as how much to feed, and protein values. And if the carb values they gave are correct, they are right where I want to stay. Very nice looking line. I don’t tend to follow the whole dog’s size and age marketing thing, but he’s only 8 pounds. Would a large breed (puppy and adult food) be fine for him? He’s two years old, and should be about 8 pounds (he’s probably 7-ish).

And theres always EVO. Good price point, but high fat. Not a food I’d have him on all the time. Maybe I’ll use it to keep his weight up. I’m having trouble keeping his weight up with out him eating us out of house and home. I’m trying to do the best by him and by moms budget. $20 a case where he’s eating the whole can every meal is not helping the budget issue. The By Nature is great, but its not high calorie enough, and I don’t think high fat enough, either. He’s an active little guy, and needs something that can keep him beefed up.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts or input or anything, throw it out there!

[Akari_32]

Ok, so I heard back from Purina on two flavors. I asked if they were going to look in to the others I had asked about as well. We’ll see what they say about that lol

Purina® Pro Plan® brand Dog Food – Select™ – Classic All Life Stages – Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Entrée – Plus Essential Vitamins and Minerals Dog Food – 3.80% carbohydrates as fed.
Purina® Pro Plan® brand Dog Food – Select™ – Classic For All Life Stages – Natural Beef & Brown Rice Entrée – Plus Essential Vitamins and Minerals – 3.10% carbohydrates as fed.

So either of these could be an option, I think. I asked for as fed, and then just now also asked for a dry matter basis. Just to see how it really stacks up.

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
Nice update!! Glad he is physically more comfortable and the hair is still growing back.

Those are the two Pro Plans I feed, nice to know, thanks for posting the info.

The main parts I disagree with about feeding an “average” food versus “fancy” food are the artificial/chemical ingredients. I believe it is best to avoid a food that contains added colors, chemicals, artificial preservatives and flavorings etc which is what you find in most average foods, not all. IMHO those chemicals are detrimental to a pets’ health in any amount. I feed the Pro Plan’s you received info on and the Purina One Ground Classics; they don’t have the artificial preservatives/colors, starches, glutens, and various grains that I like to avoid for Bobby in those recipes.

Check out this link Tabatha posted on the forum today for a pet food analysis calculator:
/forums/topic/pet-food-label-help/

You have done some nice sleuthing. I would guess you might have provided too much info for some of the companies. Nobody wants to be held responsible for any information provided when a possible medical condition is involved. Maybe just ask specific questions about the food without going into detail about Bentley’s condition if you contact other companies.

If I wanted to up the calories or protein content I would probably add a little fresh meat to some or all of his meals. I would also probably add EVO to a rotation, but I understand your concern and you would know best. I am not sure about the large/small breed food differences. Never really looked into it, but I have fed Bobby a few large and small breed canned foods before, he’s a medium sized dog.

[Akari_32]

He’s definitely doing better. Got a bit of a ways to go, but we’re getting there for sure.

I agree with you on the chemical and such side of that. What I meant by average is brands (like Pro Plan and Hills) that promote themselves to be the best of the best, and have minimal (chemical, etc) additives to them, but also have some thought and research behind them. Not that I think either of these brands are overly good, but they do have their places, and at this point I’m about ready to try anything. But I do know to stay away from certain things. The price point on these two Pro Plans is great. Like $15 a case usually. That’s something we can definitely handle. It’d be good for keeping the cost down and for some variety.

All I said to them (all of them) was that I needed a low carb food. I’m thinking Hill’s response was them thinking they were going to get my money anyways. Silly Hill’s– I’m not that stupid LOL

I know small breed foods typically have more calories per cup, which is great in my case for Haley, my 11 year old 60 lb lab mix. She can’t stomach too much dry food at once, so toy and small breed foods are typically a good choice if I can’t get a puppy or other higher calorie food. And large breed puppy foods, if formulated properly, have certain calcium and phosphorus levels and ratios. Beyond that, I don’t know if makes any difference giving large breed food to small breed dogs lol

[Bobby dog]

Very nice for Bentley!!!! 😉

Gotcha on the average brands. The Pro Plan and One recipes seem to go on sale every couple months so I started adding them to Bobby’s rotation. I don’t like any of the other Pro Plan or One canned recipes (other then the ones I listed) and sometimes they don’t have them in stock so he doesn’t get them consistently; he likes them and does well on them though. Sounds like you have a few more choices for your rotation. I’ve also fed Ideal Balance grain inclusive venison, Bobby liked it too.

Those are long winded responses for just asking for carb %’s. lol I am sure Bentley appreciates your work. 🙂

[Akari_32]

Just a little update 🙂

Hair is growing back pretty well, and he’s starting to keep on weight. I think I’ve finally balanced his diet out in a way that has him eating minimally, while still getting the calories he needs.

I’m having trouble finding the Pro Plan I want. I have a few more places to check though. Apparently, they are 5.5 oz cans? Does that sound like what you get, Bobby Dog? And I have some more looking in to for the Nutro Ultra.

I was thinking of getting him a pre-mix, like THK’s new ones, and using pork for the protein. It’s cheap, but it’s still raw. But I’ve heard some different things about how digestible pork is and isn’t, so I’d like to see what you guys have to say about that first.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Akari-
Glad to hear he is doing better. Have you been adding any eggs to his diet? I have noticed a significant difference in my dogs’ coats after I have been giving them about 4 eggs each a week. They are noticeably shinier. I’m not sure about pork either. There are a few foods that contain it. I don’t see why it should be a problem. Keep up the good work.

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
I hope your mom appreciates your dedication to Bentley!

I second C4c’s vote for eggs. Although I initially used them to help with the healing process, Bobby still gets one poached egg a week; he won’t eat raw egg anymore. His skin and coat is in great shape.

I haven’t posted the ink info yet because I have forgotten where I put the files with the info on my computer. I think I will just post the info that my Professor relayed to me to use as a guide when buying generic cartridges from memory; that could be scary. lol

I was just working on my pet food grocery list and saw your post in my e-mail. You would be proud, I have a $5 off entire purchase that expires tomorrow and a free dog toy with $15 purchase coupon (and various others) I don’t want to waste so I thought I better get organized.

There are some Pro Plan recipes that seem to only come in the 5.5 oz. the rest are regular size cans; or at least I haven’t seen them in larger cans, but I haven’t really looked.

THK was okay, but I don’t think I will purchase any of their products at this time. Bobby liked them the first few feedings, now not so much. There was also a fabulous pro/con discussion regarding the food on one of the THK reviews that was very interesting! I don’t really have any comment on their pre-mix because I haven’t looked at it and I don’t know of anybody who has fed it.

I really have not done any in-depth research on making food for Bobby. I would try to feed lean, organic meat if I was making his meals, but never looked any further as to what type of proteins would be best for him. At this time if I were to purchase a pre-mix it would probably be See Spot Live Longer or Urban Wolf. I think C4c just purchased SSLL so you will be able to get a first hand review if you are interested. I don’t have the time to research the subject properly so I bookmarked some sites when I do. Here’s a link to some pre-mix info:

http://dogaware.com/diet/dogfoodmixes.html

[crazy4cats]

Hi guys-
Yes, I did order SSLL premix. However, it hasn’t come yet. 🙁 He doesn’t charge shipping so it is probably coming regular old mail. One of my dogs basically won’t eat THK anymore either. Kind of weird. I won’t be buying again either. In fact, wondering what to do with the boxes I have left.
BD (Bobby dog)- hopefully you like your new nickname. Just one egg, huh? Hopefully I’m not over doing it by feeding two twice a week each. But I think that’s what the chart said. My dad said Griffey would make a nice rug. Lol! I guess that is a compliment.
Take care all!

[Author]

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