[Naturella]

Hi, Krista!

I feed my dog Bruno “soups” for every meal. He gets his dry kibble and a topper that varies at each meal, whether it is canned food, dehydrated/freeze-dried raw, or some other topper, such as coconut or fish oil, yoghurt/kefir/goat milk, raw egg, or canned sardines, and add warm water, stir it all together, and serve him the soup. He loves it! He has been eating soups for years now, precisely because of the added hydration.

[Naturella]

Evangers makes pate-style foods in smaller cans that I have used for my terrer Bruno. No extra liquid at all.

[Naturella]

Thank you, Amateria and Pitlove!

I will add some foods to my list and label them “MAYBE” if they have poultry fat in them, and there are some pretty good-sounding ones by Wild Calling, Addiction, and Holistic Select (I think) that are poultry-free but have poultry fat in them. So we may give them a shot sometime. I hope they work. I just fed Bruno some Zignature Duck and sure enough, buddy started scratching and chewing his legs again, and that was within 3 days on the sample (at least it was just a sample).

At least my list has gotten pretty big and I have plenty of super-safe-for-Bruno no-poultry options! 🙂 A few hours of research do pay off if I can keep him itch-free and comfortable! 🙂

[Naturella]

Hey, guys, quick question… I have been making a list of foods I could feed Bruno that are poultry and egg-free (for the most part, I have included some options with egg as I am not 100% if that’s an allergen to him yet), and wanted to know about poultry fat – I had emailed Wild Calling about the liver in their canned foods and mentioned how I wished that they didn’t have poultry fat in like every dry formula, and the response I got was that poultry fat is not actually supposed to trigger an allergic reaction.

Does anyone know if this is true?

[Naturella]

Yay! I am excited! I got mine today and I’m sipping on some collagen-enriched tea and I put a little sprinkle in Bruno’s water bowl. Let’s see how this goes… I don’t know if I will necessarily see any results on Bruno, but at least he will be getting a little extra boost for his joints.

Hope it works for Boone too! 🙂

[Naturella]

Marie, since you had some for Boone, I will assume it is safe to give to dogs! 🙂

Do you (or anyone else) think it is too early to start adding it for Bruno, just for maintenance? Also, I was thinking of adding a tiny bit once/week, but I can add it daily to his water if needed, or just a few times/week? Any ideas and recommendations are welcome!

I am excited about trying the supplement myself, my boss said it really boosted her hair, skin, and nails, and I can definitely use that! 🙂

[Naturella]

Kim M., welcome to the forum, you will find tons of useful information here! 🙂

And you are welcome, anytime! Happy to help if I can. Actually, my list has expanded as I have done more research, but just know, these are MOSTLY poultry-free (if not, it is notated), but I was not looking for potato-free options necessarily. Some do happen to be potato-free, but you would have to look into it separately. Here is my updated list:

Orijen
Six Fish
Regional Red
Tundra (duck – MAYBE)

Acana
Wild Atlantic
Appalachian Ranch
Grasslands (duck, eggs – MAYBE)
Freshwater Fish
Heritage Meats
Wild Mackerel
Lamb and Apple
Pork and Squash

EVO
Herring and Salmon Formula
Red Meat Small Bites

Nature’s Variety Instinct
Salmon
Rabbit
Raw Boost Lamb

Castor and Pollux
Ultramix Salmon
Ultramix Red Meat with Raw Bites

Merrick
Backcountry Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe
Backcountry Raw Infused Great Plains Red Meat
Grain Free Salmon and Sweet Potato
Grain Free Real Texas Beef and Sweet Potato
Grain Free Lamb and Sweet Potato

ZiwiPeak (air-dried, not kibble)
Venison and Fish
Venison
Beef
Lamb

Annamaet
Aqualuk
Manitok

TimberWolf Organics
Ocean Blue
Wilderness Elk and Salmon
Black Forest Venison and Lamb
Lamb with Potatoes and Apples

Wellness Core
Ocean

Victor
Yukon Salmon and Sweet Potato

Horizon Legacy
Adult Fish

Fromm Gold
Salmon Tunalini
Beef Frittata Veg
Lamb and Lentil

I and Love and You
Simply Sea
Red Meat Medley

Holistic Select
Grain Free Salmon, Anchovy, and Sardine Meal

Only Natural Pet
Just Fish Feast
Red Meat Feast
Lamb and Cod Air Dried
Beef Air Dried
Lamb and Sweet Potato Easy Raw
Beef and Sweet Potato Easy Raw

Wysong
Epigen Fish
Epigen Venison
Anergen 2 – Rabbit

Canine Caviar
Wild Ocean
Wilderness
Open Range
Open Meadow

Earthborn Holistic
Coastal Catch
Great Plains Feast

Zignature
Whitefish
Trout and Salmon
Kangaroo
Lamb
Zssential (turkey, duck – MAYBE)

Canidae Pure
Sea
Land

AvoDerm
Trout and Pea
Lamb and Sweet Potato

NutriSource
Seafood Select

Pure Vita
Salmon and Peas
Bison and Pea
Venison and Red Lentils (fat product – MAYBE)

Farmina (eggs – MAYBE)
N&D Grain Free Fish and Orange
N&D Grain Free Lamb and Blueberry

Weruva (eggs – MAYBE)
Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin
Lamb Dinner with Lentils

Taste of the Wild
Pacific Stream Puppy
Appalachian Valley (egg, duck – MAYBE)
Pine Forest (egg – MAYBE)
Southwest Canyon (egg – MAYBE)
Sierra Mountain (egg – MAYBE)

Dogswell LiveFree (egg – MAYBE)
Salmon
Lamb

Nutrisca (egg – MAYBE)
Salmon and Chickpea

[Naturella]

I agree with DogFoodie, I think the idea behind it is great. Hope someone else makes a food like it, I would totally like to have it on my list of foods I’d feed the Bru. 🙂

[Naturella]

@DogFoodie, thanks for the info! It’s a bummer because I really liked their food, just fed it in rotation, which for a small dog means not very often… I hope someone else picks up the organ meat-based kibble and make some other food like it.

[Naturella]

Another good site is OnlyNaturalPet.com – they have really good, cheap food and all kinds of natural foods, chews, toys, supplements, all kinds of stuff!

Also, if you don’t mind the membership fee, ThriveMarket.com is a site where basically Costco and Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s/Sprouts had a baby, and it’s awesome! They carry pet stuff too, and it’s all good stuff.

[Naturella]

Oh, no, I did not!!! What happened?? Maybe that’s why the website is over and out, lol

[Naturella]

Try The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form – it is an herbal blend with directions on the package on how to use. Regulates tummy and stool troubles in a SNAP! I always keep at least 1 package at home for such issues.

[Naturella]

I have used bully sticks with my pup when he was teething (still do, he loves them things), and they worked pretty well. I would give no more than 2-3 inches per day for a small dog. I have used fish skins, stingray tails (those last a LONG time for us), even small rugged antlers. He still gets all those chews as an adult dog just because he loves chewing, but when he was a pup, they helped keep his mouth occupied (and not destroying other stuff, like underwear) and they are all healthy chews. Lamb ears would work for small dogs as well (the bully stick you can take away after 2-3 inches are gone, or get some small ones from http://www.bestbullysticks.com – they have great natural chew options). The carrot is a good idea. A small celery stalk may work too, if you want to go the frozen veggie route. Brushing is pretty important too, so I won’t repeat what anonymously suggested, just second their opinion. 🙂

[Naturella]

I think it is a great idea as long as there is monitoring of the use of the “Report Abuse” button. There should be a review of the account that was reported as abusive in case a user was just upset at another user and wanted to pettily ban them from the site for no real reason. If such measures were put into place, I am all for it! 🙂

[Naturella]

Just as an example, my 14.5-15-lb dog Bruno “should” get 1-1.5 cups of his current food daily. He gets a little over 1/2 cup (or a bit less than 3/4 cup) of his food together with additives, so calorie-wise he probably gets around 1 cup of dry per day, but it is not all from the dry. If I wanted him to lose weight, I would reduce the amount of dry I fed him as well as the amount of additives. But for his metabolism and daily exercise, the current plan works well for him and he is in his ideal body condition. Also, make sure you go by the body condition more so than the weight itself. Here is a link you may find helpful: http://fremontanimalmedicalclinic.com/dr.-lurz-s-tid-bits/how-to-body-condition-score-your-pet.html

[Naturella]

I would probably reduce their intake just a bit. The feeding recommendations on the bags are just that – recommendations. It all depends on the dogs themselves on how they process the food. I also wouldn’t look for lower-protein food. Try feeding a little less for a while and see how they respond. If anything, you may need to find a lower-calorie food so that you can still feed them an amount that they are used to, but they would be getting fewer calories from it.

Possibly others may give you more recommendations, also on what brands might be good.

[Naturella]

You are very welcome! Hope you can find something that works for you and let us know if you have any more questions. 🙂

[Naturella]

I have a list of foods for my dog, for whom I need to use chicken-free foods, and I would steer clear of all poultry just in case, but I have all those foods on my list, plus some more. I would share it with you, but I didn’t look for potato-free options – you can check them out and see which ones fit your bill – but the foods mentioned above are all meaty and potato-free from what I saw, so they should work for you. 🙂

Here is my list, in case you are interested, and FYI, not all are labeled if they have eggs – only if they have the actual meat like duck or turkey:

*Orijen*
Six Fish
Regional Red
Tundra (duck – MAYBE)

*Acana*
Wild Atlantic
Appalachian Ranch
Grasslands (duck, eggs – MAYBE)
Freshwater Fish
Heritage Meats
Wild Mackerel
Lamb and Apple
Pork and Squash

*EVO*
Herring and Salmon Formula
Red Meat Small Bites

*Nature’s Variety Instinct*
Salmon
Rabbit
Raw Boost Lamb

*Castor and Pollux*
Ultramix Salmon
Ultramix Red Meat with Raw Bites

*Merrick*
Backcountry Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe
Backcountry Raw Infused Great Plains Red Meat
Grain Free Salmon and Sweet Potato
Grain Free Real Texas Beef and Sweet Potato
Grain Free Lamb and Sweet Potato

*Farmina* (eggs – MAYBE)
N&D Grain Free Fish and Orange
N&D Grain Free Lamb and Blueberry

*Annamaet* (has potatoes)
Aqualuk
Manitok

*TimberWolf Organics*
Ocean Blue
Wilderness Elk and Salmon
Black Forest Venison and Lamb
Lamb with Potatoes and Apples (obviously, has potatoes)

*Wellness – Core*
Ocean

*Victor*
Yukon Salmon and Sweet Potato

*Horizon Legacy*
Adult Fish

*Fromm Gold*
Salmon Tunalini
Beef Frittata Veg
Lamb and Lentil

*I and Love and You – Nude*
Simply Sea
Red Meat Medley

*Only Natural Pet*
Just Fish Feast
Red Meat Feast

*Wysong*
Epigen Fish
Epigen Venison
Anergen 2 – Rabbit

*Canine Caviar*
Wild Ocean
Wilderness
Open Range
Open Meadow

*Earthborn Holistic*
Coastal Catch
Great Plains Feast

*Holistic Select*
Grain Free Salmon, Anchovy, and Sardine Meal

*Zignature*
Whitefish
Trout and Salmon
Kangaroo
Lamb
Zssential (turkey, duck – MAYBE)

*Canidae Pure*
Sea
Land

[Naturella]

Orijen is another great option, with 2 of the formulas being poultry-free; Acana has some that fit the bill; Timberwolf Organics too (but has sweet potatoes), Nature’s Variety Instinct, Farmina (has eggs) – those are all options you may wish to consider. 🙂

[Naturella]

Oops, here is a link to I and Love and You: http://www.iandloveandyou.com/product-category/dog/

[Naturella]

How about Only Natural Pet’s Canine Power Food: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Canine-PowerFood-Dry-Dog-Food/999219.aspx

two of the formulas are poultry-free.

Also, I and Love and You is pretty meaty and potato-free, at least 2 of the formulas are (I would use the Nude Food line, it is the better kibble they have).

[Naturella]

Also maybe try to make kibble (food) interesting by putting it in a Kong, a Tower, or any other kind of a puzzle toy that she has to figure out how to get to the food to eat it. Makes it more interesting and she will think her food are all treats! 🙂

[Naturella]

Try Zignature – they have no grains and potatoes, and plenty of formulas with no poultry. 🙂

[Naturella]

Thanks, C4C!!! It’s been a while… Good to hear from you! 🙂

[Naturella]

I am happy to report that once Bruno was off of chicken for a couple of weeks, the severe itching has stopped, the chewing on his own legs too, and his fur is growing back and he is happy and itch-free. Boo for no chicken, but oh well, yay for happy and healthy dog. 🙂

[Naturella]

My Bruno is currently on the salmon and trout food and he also had a sample of the kangaroo formula. He was itchy on the food he was previously on, so my local pet store recommended Zignature as it is LID. He liked it the first few days, but is not super crazy about it. I usually serve his food with toppers but I have eliminated those for about 2 weeks, due to his itching. I hope he will like it more when I re-introduce some of the toppers. I use the kangaroo formula as treats but he’s not crazy about that either…

But, it has helped alleviate his itching and stool is great on it so that’s good! 🙂

[Naturella]

anonymously, I did look at the allergy-related topics, yes. I will take Bruno to the vet if the itching were bad, but my mother-in-law reports that she thinks it’s subsiding after he got on Zignature Trout and Salmon. I also put coconut oil on his most itchy spots and that seems to help tremendously. So if it keeps going well, I will just keep doing what I’m doing. I really hope it does turn out that the food was the culprit, because that one is already eliminated and I will know to not feed him chinckeny, potatoey, or tomatoey stuff. So fingers crossed!

Oh, and Happy Holidays to all who are celebrating!!! Bruno got new green hemp-made collar and leash, and the new food, lol.

[Naturella]

I have had great success with Earthborn Coastal Catch and half of the Earthborn GF recipes (except Primitive Naturals – Bruno seems to be intolerant of tomato pomace, and the Meadow something, the lamb one – too low in protein so I haven’t fed it). So really Coastal Catch and Great Plains Feast have worked well for us, but I like them a lot and would keep them in rotation.

[Naturella]

I second aquariangt. I feed my 14.5lb terrier mix about 1/2 cup of kibble/day (the high-cal kibbles) or a little more (if the kibble is below 400 kcal/cup). I use canned food at dinner time and some other additives as toppers at breakfast so he gets calories from that too, and he is at ideal body condition – lean, good muscle toning, high energy. He also gets about 3-4 treats/day, and if we do training, I use kibble for that and I just count it toward his daily kibble intake.

So for your dog, if you’re feeding just kibble, start with the recommended amount for the weight she should be at, and you can add some coconut oil as a start and see how she responds. For coconut oil, use the unrefined, extra-virgin stuff. Costco has a very affordable 52-oz jar of the good stuff for about $15-17. Haven’t found a better deal yet.

[Naturella]

@aquariangt, I totally forgot you live in a fracking state! If we do decide to move there, may I consult with you on good areas to live in? Lol!

[Naturella]

@crazy4cats, I have never been to WA. My husband grew up in Olympia and I would love to visit and settle down in WA, Oregon, or Colorado… Although I am worried about the fracking stuff going on in CO… Anyway, I bet it is gorgeous up there, I seriously can’t wait to check it out myself!

@pitlove, I know, right? I wish people had more common sense down here than to leave dogs outside in the blasting heat or walk them on hot asphalt/cement/concrete/pavement… My Bruno is short/medium-haired double-coated dog and he sheds a ton… all the time… LoL.

[Naturella]

I second Bobby Dog – I get emails with deals ALL the time, sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. But it is always good to know! 🙂

[Naturella]

I would say yes, buy a small bag of SD and do a longer transition – 75%SD, 25%BB for a few days, then 50-50, then 75%BB-25%SD, then fully BB. See how they do at each stage and go back to a lesser amount of BB if needed. Some dogs take longer than others to transition, so it is all up to your dogs.

[Naturella]

I second Marie and pitlove’s sentiments. Good food and regular brushing are key. My terrier mix sheds a ton, but on good food and supplements like coconut oil, canned sardines, fish skins, etc., his coat has become super shiny and soft, though shedding hasn’t stopped.

On another note… @pitlove, you live in the South too? So cool! So do I and a few other regulars (there are 3 of us in GA on here that I know of). I may be joining C4C up in the North-West sometime in the 5-year future, I hope! 🙂

[Naturella]

@pitlove – my understanding is that Coconut oil is great for cats too but I’d ask in the Cat food recommendations thread.

[Naturella]

Chris, have you tried petflow.com and wag.com? They may have decent prices. Just open all 4 sites at once and compare the prices of Orijen.

[Naturella]

Hey, Kaitlin! I completely agree with Red and pitlove up there. Look up rotation on the home page of this site (type it in the search box) and read up on it some. The foods they mentioned are pretty good and I have personally fed my dog some of them.

Also, another thought – I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but in GA, USA it is pretty hot. My terrier mix is double-coated with thick short to medium hair and he had a day-day and a half that he barely ate. I attribute it to heat. He is eating fine now, but your Chow may just be a bit hot to eat as much as he/she normally does.

[Naturella]

The one I swear by is sold by Costco – $17.99 or so for a 54oz-jar! And it is pure, extra-virgin, organic, cold-pressed, unrefined, the whole shebang. Love it! We use it in my homemade products and to eat for us and Bruno, and on Bruno’s coat. It is called Carrington Farms.

[Naturella]

I would be one to make my own kefir, but the ready-made one is kind if convenient if it were closer. 🙂

[Naturella]

Hey, Chris!

All questions are always welcome! So happy you have been doing research and homework and that you have gotten new stuff for your boy. I hope he likes them all.

As for the Kefir, I think the plain one from Walmart is what you need, but you can find info on making it yourself here: http://www.kefirlady.com/prices.html and in general if you google Kefir grains. You can purchase them online or at specialty health and natural herbal stores locally.

[Naturella]

Hi, Cindy! From my experience, it is okay to feed both raw and kibble. If they are two separate meals, you should have nothing to worry about, but I’ve even heard of people feeding raw and kibble in the same meal with no issues. So it really just depends on your dog – watch their stool and overall behavior for any signs of discomfort, but with me, it has always been fine. I feed a raw egg with kibble on Wednesday mornings and I feed kibble and canned for breakfast on Sundays and raw for dinner on Sundays with no problems.

Maybe others will chime in with more advice, but I think it should be totally fine.

[Naturella]

For my Bruno – a 14.5lb Rat Terrier-Jack Russell mix, we gave him antlers since we adopted him at 4-5 months of age. We also gave stuffed Kongs, bully sticks, fish skins, Nylabones, Himalayan dog chews, etc. He is a moderate chewer nowadays so he still gets the same things, plus stuffed and frozen hooves.

For a heavy chewer, stuffed and frozen Kongs would be your best bet, I believe. I never had a problem with hooves or antlers, even when Bruno used to be a heavy chewer in his puppyhood, but just make sure you always monitor your dog when chewing on toys to prevent any disasters. Bruno used to try to swallow 2-3 inches of fish skins whole, so we started putting vice grips on them, and now he chews them up all the way properly.

[Naturella]

I have read/heard accounts of people who swear by consumption of all-raw and improvement in teeth condition of dogs. But brushing or an equivalent method is also essential. What I use on Bruno are small gauze patches wrapped around my finger with some coconut oil on them, and I scrub his teeth with it. For the back teeth I do need a brush though because his mouth is small.

[Naturella]

LM, thanks for the info! Yeah, Bruno is on a roundworm preventive pill, and I will monitor his stool even when one day we have a yard, but I would feed him raw on the grass. But good to know!

Also, he digests bones well, but it essential for every pet owner to monitor their pet while chewing on chew toys, natural or artificial, or consuming an RMB. So yes, if the dog is having issues, then they should be given something else, but it is a good thing to try as it has many benefits for their health.

Chris, as for the venison, I would be just fine giving it raw. Also, you can even feed grocery store (human grade) meat. Organic and grass-fed is best for humans and dogs, but the “regular” grocery store one is OK too. So I would be pretty comfortable with the farm-fresh meat from your butcher, but that’s me. Just watch your dog, his stool, and go from there.

[Naturella]

Pitlove, if I fed my RMBs in a yard, I would not be worried one bit about grass and/or soil getting on them unless I’m using some chemical or toxic pesticides. If you are not, i think grass and dirt are ok. Maybe someone else can confirm or refute that though.

As for Chris, I second Bobby Dog – adding fresh foods to kibble is pretty good. I add coconut oil (UNREFINED raw organic extra-virgin cold-pressed is ideal but as long as it’s at least unrefined it should be okay), yoghurt/kefir, raw egg, canned sardines in water, and the RMB in addition to the canned/pouches I mentioned earlier. I also use some treats and natural chews here and there.

[Naturella]

If you can get some Raw Meaty Bones, like beef ribs, and some meat, fresh from the farm and at a good price, I’d go for it, yes. RMBs are really good for dental health and raw is really good period. Balanced raw, that is. But as an addition, it would not hurt if it is under the 10% of total meals.

[Naturella]

Oh, wow, pitlove, an embalmer? That’s kind of cool! 🙂

And Chris, you live on farmlands… Can you not get fresh raw meat from it, or is it a veggie farm?

[Naturella]

LoL, lucky you! I would still touch it and feed it and all… But still smells real bad to me! Oh well…

[Naturella]

Yay! Glad he loved it! What did you think of the smell?

[Naturella]

Thanks, Bobby Dog! I have seen, it has grown a lot! 🙂

And yeah, I may just ask a question on it later on, lol.

[Author]

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