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Naturella

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  • in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35889 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Bobby dog, this is pretty much almost how my friend and I are! I think we are headed toward the addiction zone, lol… But I have reached my limit. My husband is firm on not getting another dog yet, and Bruno has ENOUGH food and chews, and treats, and toys, SO, all I am allowed to do now is just window shop or sneak in a free sample or 2… or more… LoL… into Bruno’s mixes. But I’m happy with that. I have been giving away coupons to friends left and right, and trying to help people feed better food (if they’d take my advice). So far so good. I am happy and excited for my pup, and others’ pooches/kitties/other animals too. πŸ™‚

    P.S. Good job on scoring those great deals! I also have coupons for canned food as well, and most of it is free, so I will be putting some in Bruno’s kibble over time. πŸ™‚

    • This reply was modified 10 years ago by Naturella.
    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35887 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Bobby dog, thanks for the kind words!

    Yes, shopping on a budget is a necessity for both my friend and I, but finding fantabulous deals for quality food is a hobby. Luckily, she has 2 dogs – the lab and a Chorkie (chihuahua-yorkie, although he looks more like a bichon…), so she likes to stock up for both of them… She feeds them different stuff, which I find slightly odd, but to each their own, they both eat really good food. The Chorkie is stocked up with Holistic Health Extension Small Breed, Earthborn Holistic Small Breed and Coastal Catch, as well as a bag of Whole Earth Farms – Pork (I think), Halo, Simply Nourish, and Evanger’s. The lab also has a bag of Earthborn’s Ocean Fusion as well, I forgot about that.

    To add to that, we both have a bunch of PetCo coupons and wipll be using them throughout the year.

    As for me, my little JR-Rat Terrier-maybe Chihuahua in there-mutt is on a mix of Dr. Tim’s Kinesis-Nutrisca Chicken-Holistic Health Extension Grain Free-Now Fresh-Victor Yukon Salmon Grain Free-Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken + Raw Boost-Nature’s Variety Turkey, Duck, and Chicken (TURDUCKEN! πŸ˜€ ) + Raw Boost. Some is from his initial mix of the first 3 foods; the HHE bag I got for free from Petland; the Now Fresh I got on sale for $3 for 0.5lbs; the Nature’s Variety and the Victor are free samples. For treats I use those kibbles, or free samples of Victor Joint Health Grain Free and Victor High-Pro Grain free, mixed together. Lined up I have Earthborn’s Coastal Catch, Primitive Natural, and Great Plains Feast to be mixed with ALL FREE bags of HHE Original, Grain Free, and Lamb and Brown Rice, respectively. For later on, I have Victor Ultra Professional lined up to mix with Back to Basics Open Range, and the foods that I have PetCo coupons for, such as Wellness, Canidae, Blue Buffalo (Bruno has done well on it in the past), Avo Derm, Solid Gold, Nature’s Variety, and Merrick. Those last ones I will buy in the end of the year, so they will be next year’s stash.

    As for the pet boutiques, I would not purchase food from Store A, even if it’s good. But Store B I really like.

    And thank you for the compliment – Bruno is our first “real” dog (when I was little, I had a min pin for about 2 weeks, but my dad couldn’t stand her, so they gave her away… Gina was “real”, but not “mine” for very long…) and I really try to learn about what is good for him and what’s not… We really love the little guy and definitely take better care for him than for ourselves (which is not entirely good, but… eh…). πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35879 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Hey, guys! No, the expired food is 66lbs (two bags at 33lbs each), the rest is still good, she just stocked up. It is even less now since she has been feeding it for over 2 weeks.

    She bought Simply Nourish online. The Victor Ultra Pro (still good for a while) and the 2 expired Great Life were bought at Store A. Victor Beef and Brown Rice and two Evanger’s were bought at Store B. For those who live in the Kennesaw, GA area: Store A is “The Good Dog Co.” that sold the expired food. Store B is “Top Dogs” that sells expirING food but lets you know what you’re getting yourself into and if you can feed it all by the expiration date, one can make the educated decision to buy it or not. Store A didn’t give my friend that option.

    So far her lab has been adoring the Great Life, and she has now been mixing the 2 bags and feeding that so that she can get rid of them quicker. He lab kills 30lbs in about a month (more or less), so she shouldn’t be on this food too much longer… The lab is doing good for now, and I told her to monitor her, and if she notices even a slight change in her stool or behavior toward the food, to just toss it. Store A wouldn’t take it back since they said “it is still good 6-8 months after expiration”. So yeah… At least she has good quality and good (by expiration) food to get her lab back on when the Great Life is over.

    I will also relay to her what you guys recommend. I don’t want her dog to get sick, so maybe she will decide to just toss the food anyway and continue with the others in the stash…

    Betsy, special thanks for the links! I will check them out myself and send them to my friend also!

    P.S. I had hoped that pet boutiques would be more honest about kibble quality and not just try to push it on people when it’s all expired and what not…

    • This reply was modified 10 years ago by Naturella.
    in reply to: Pet Dander #35878 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Patty and Shasta, thank you as well for the suggestions! On occasion I do wonder if his skin/coat is actually greasy because it is so shiny, but I felt over him and it feels dry enough. Then again, he was recently bathed after all… The dander is mostly in his head, scruff and upper back fur. When I bathe him I have better access to his skin (his coat is really thick when dry, so I can hardly see the skin on his back), and it is always light pink, but so is his skin all over, except for the darker speckles on his tummy.

    Also, I think smaller, consistent intakes can prove to be better. I was trying not to overload him by giving more sardines/week, or coconut oil, but I can put like 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil in 2 of his daily feedings, and split a sardine in 3 and feed a piece daily in his second feeding of the day.

    As for the Furminator, I try to be careful not to scratch his skin too much, but I don’t know if I am or not… It REALLY helps with his crazy shedding so if there is another type of brush that will be better and not so harsh, yet still help with shedding, please let me know!

    in reply to: Pet Dander #35854 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Sue66b, thank you for the advice! I can definitely increase the sardine intake and the coconut oil too, I can maybe alternate 1 day sardine, 1 day coconut oil? And I use Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap – Almond on him, it is supposed to be oil-based and not dry up his skin… And I use oatmeal conditioner after, but I can switch to doggie oatmeal shampoo to try it out. I was trying not to use shampoo every week when I wash the dog park dirt off so that I don’t dry his skin up too much… But I can if needed. I can also start brushing him daily, it will help with his shedding too.

    I am also going to begin switching him to a fish-based food (Earthborn Coastal Catch) in a few days/week, so there will be even more Omegas and oils in his daily intake.

    Thank you again, Sue, and any other advice will be also much appreciated! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35850 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Absolutely! And good job on learning something new yourself! πŸ™‚

    And, not to beat a dead horse, but I also keep learning new things, even when I am convinced I already know the truth.
    So my friend (my success story, the one I got to switch from Shep to 3.5-5-star foods) and I recently discovered two pet boutiques, both literally 3 min from my house each, on the same street as my apartment complex! I was in heaven. Let alone the great foods they sell, they also have the awesome natural chews I like, and much more. Anywho, my friend bought 90lbs of food from Store A and maybe 50 from Store B. Well, 2 of the bags of food from Store A were on sale, which is why she bought them. We did not think to look at the expiration dates, and 2 weeks later, lo and behold, she finds out that one expired in January, and the other in February. She was pretty upset that she was sold expired food without knowing it, when Store B’s sale items are on sale with an extra sticker with the expiration date of the food right on top of the bag. She was saying that Store A has now lost her business and what not, and today I happened to be right next to Store A, and went inside to let them know how my friend was feeling because of what they had done. To my surprise, they were fully aware that they were selling expired food, and said that expired dry kibble is still good 6-8 months after the expiration date. Well, I was surprised, so I swung by Store B to ask them as well. After receiving a confirmation there, I reassured my friend that her dog will be fine (she bought the two Great Life 33-lb bags on sale for her yellow lab, along with Victor Ultra Professional 30lbs (And Victor Brown Rice and Beef 40lbs. And Simply Nourish 30lbs. And Evanger’s 5lbs to mix in. We are food nutties.). So she is much relieved, as am I, because now we know that expired food, while maybe not ideal, is still good for a little while longer. πŸ™‚ Go figure, but I’m glad I swung by the store to tell them of the “incident” and learn something, that was also confirmed elsewhere. πŸ™‚

    Sidenote – Store A’s treats and chews are cheaper, so I will shop there for them, but Store B has more foods on sale at better prices too, and FREE SAMPLES! So I am totally in heaven! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35788 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Shasta, thank you for the support/compassion. I usually try to not let things he says get to me, but when it’s about how I’m “raising my child”, especially when I’ve been doing a ton of research and he has not, just kind of gets to me. He has owned dogs his whole life, and so have his brothers – great. He listens to his regular vet who likes the Science Diet, but in writing still recommends this website, and other foods. He just won’t listen, so oh well… Thank you for thinking that I feed Bruno good stuff… I think so too, and I try to always keep an open mind and educate myself on things pertaining to his nutrition, so oh well, he can think what he wants…

    And true, some people operate on old glory, and maybe she was doing something right back in the day, but not anymore… I am sure you will make a wonderful dog trainer, especially because you customize to every dog. So go you! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35779 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Oh, and I forgot – he also told me that I am going “way over the top with all these
    “all natural” dog stuff” I get (I assume he referred to not only the additives, but also my all-natural chews (bully sticks, tracheas, hooves, antlers, raw marrow bones, etc.))…

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35777 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Hey, guys! I need to vent… sorry to burden you all, but it’s happening…

    So today I was grooming Bruno (with the Furminator – that dog sheds like an avalanche!), and my roommate saw me so he came to offer precious advice. He did help me finish Bruno up cause it was a bit of a struggle – he doesn’t like being groomed and I wasn’t doing it quite right – he was in my lap when he should have been in front of me. Either way, it all went ok, until my roommate was almost done with Bruno and noticed his doggie dander.

    And then…

    He began lecturing me on how I feed my dog “a bunch of random crap” (referring to the additives I have been giving him to help with his hard-ass stools, and just for general health supplementation, such as yoghurt, pumpkin, flax seed meal, coconut oil, canned sardines, raw egg, RMBs, etc.)!!! He then continued on saying how his brother’s dog (a rottie) lived to 14.5 years old (“when the average lifespan of rottweilers is 10 years”), and how he thrived on ONE food for his WHOLE life, and it was… Can you guess? THE SCIENCE DIET!!!

    His next advice was that I need to not mess with my dog’s GI tract by giving him my random crap, because:
    a. I will spoil him and he won’t ever eat just dry kibble again.
    b. I will mess his digestion up
    c. I will mess his skin and coat by adding the stuff I add.
    He then went on to brag about his dog, who has only been on Science Diet as well, and how she has no pet dander and how she is the “epitome of health” according to his vet and how whatever he’s doing, he shouldn’t change ever (and he plans to do exactly that); how she never has tummy troubles because he has found one food that she likes and does her so much good and he will never change it… And how I SHOULD DO THE SAME, how I need to choose between Nutro, Blue Buffalo, or Science Diet, and find something Bruno likes, and keep him on it forever!!! GAH!

    In between some of his tirade I managed to sneak in a word or 2, such as: “The random crap I feed him is to help with his stools, and is carefully researched and selected to fit my dog’s dietary needs” – response “Yeah, but you give him too much of it, plus, hard kibble is designed to be balanced and give the dogs all they need, so they don’t really need any other crap, additives, or soft food, for the a, b, and c reasons above.”
    Me – “I am about to put Bruno on a fish-based food soon” (referring to his pet dander).
    Him – “Why?”
    Me – “Because fish is really good for dogs’ skin and coat, and has Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, just like flax seed (minus the Omega 6) and coconut oil.”
    Him – “… Yeah, but lamb is better. Casey (his dog) has been on brown rice and lamb and her coat is so shiny and soft (not nearly as much as my dog’s, I promise), and she has no pet dander, and she loves the food, and you really shouldn’t switch his food so much.”

    Maybe he is right, maybe lamb is indeed better, but can someone please explain how it could be better than fish, in regards to Omega 3 and 6, and skin and coat benefits?

    As for the rest, the convo ended with him saying that he doesn’t usually like to tell us (my husband and I, which he NEVER tells him – he only speaks to me about the dog) how to take care of the dog, cause he feels like “we” (read “I”) get pissed off, but he wants us to do what’s best for Bruno…. I don’t know how I didn’t lose it and yell at him that I already am, and that all I do and feed is because I do daily research on it, and educate myself on what is good for Bruno… I just thanked him for helping me with the grooming and went to wash my dog…

    Sigh, annoyed… The other problem/reason why I didn’t pour some emotions and knowledge down his head, is because:
    a. he clearly won’t take it
    b. he is helping us financially with the place a lot, i.e. paying more than us
    c. I’m a chicken (or, how I like to think of it, I pick my battles).

    SO, this is it… I just really needed to vent… Sigh, I will go walk my “messed-with” dog… Poor guy, having all kinds of variety with his food… I should be ashamed of my dog parenting skills… LoL,.. Sigh….

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35476 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Thank you, Dori, will do so! πŸ™‚

    And yes, I buy my natural chews online from bestbullysticks.com and they source from USA and Brazil, I believe. I really trust them, never had a problem with their products, and Bruno loves them!

    I will keep y’all posted on his recovery, but he should be just fine, I believe!

    Thanks again, all! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35471 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Dori (and everyone),

    Bruno is doing much better! Last night poor baby must have been starving because he tried to eat my roommate’s dog’s food, and turned over his empty food dish and was chasing it around and licking it in the bathroom… It was pathetic, so I took it away. He slept all through the night and when taken out this morning, he didn’t poop. I fed him some of his kibble softened with warm water, and left home because I had to attend an event. When I just came home, he looks fine, no poop in the house, and when I took him out, he pooped a good amount and it was soft, but normal-soft, not weird-soft. It was formed and everything!

    I think we are on the right track, so I will feed him the same for dinner too. He should be like new by tomorrow, if he keeps going this way! πŸ™‚

    Thank you all for the advice and concern, we really appreciate it! πŸ™‚

    P.S. Dori, in my research and in speaking with some vets, I was told the total opposite – that small dogs mature faster than large dogs, and can be considered adults by 7-8 months. I am confused now… As far as food goes, he was on puppy food until he was about 8 months or so, then went to all-life-stages food and will be on that for a while. How long should I consider him a “puppy”?

    P. P. S. Also, before the treat incident (which were also good for him treats, with freeze-dried liver, bananas and carrots, not like a hot fudge sundae, lol), he was doing great on a variety of additives to his kibble to help with his usually extremely hard stools. He would get a canned sardine once a week, one raw egg/week, an RMB/week, coconut oil every other day, and pumpkin, ground flax seed, yoghurt – a couple times/week, and cottage cheese once a week. Also, natural chews, such as ears, bully sticks, piggy snouts, etc. (not all at once, maybe 1-2/week). So when can I reintroduce those, since he was fine with them (we have been doing this for 2+ weeks).

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35463 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Dori,

    Will do. Soft, moistened kibble twice tomorrow it is.

    Bruno is about a year now… Our guess is that his Birthday should be somewhere between March 1st and April 30th (I know, big range… But we’re so not super sure, he was changing his puppy teeth to adult teeth through October of last year, so if he was 6 months in October, he should have been born sometime in April…). So I would guess maybe April 1st-15th is a better guess…? Really have no idea though. But, yes, around a year or so now.

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35460 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Dori,

    This makes sense – I will definitely just stick to kibble, and won’t include uncooked rice.

    He usually eats 3 meals/day with additives, but if it is just kibble, it is usually 4, 1/4cup at each meal. So I can still feed him just 2 if you think it is better.

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35459 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    FreeholdHound, thank you for the clarification. I may try this on Wednesday if tomorrow he is not better.

    Dori, thank you for the recommendation too. I think this may be the first thing I try, just soak up his kibble and mush it up. If that doesn’t work, I will try rice and/or pumpkin (although I did yesterday, in 2 separate meals, to no avail…). And then, on Wednesday, I will try pasta.

    I think each dog is different, so pasta MAY just do the trick for Bruno if his plain kibble and rice/pumpkin don’t. But I will give each advice a shot, and, if he has zero or too little improvement by Wednesday night, we will just go to the vet.

    P.S. I think little guy is hungry now, he tried to eat my roommate’s dog’s food (Science Diet Lamb something). So I put him in our room again, he’s back to sleep. I think this no-food-for-24-hours is really keeping him sleepy (clearly, no caloric intake=no energy, so it makes sense). Soon, little one, soon you shall have breakfast!

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35392 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Shasta,

    This is amazing that your lab has had such a turnaround! It is so amazing to see and hear success stories of better food, so I am always ecstatic to see my friend who switched to good food.

    As for my other friend, I took her to my favorite store today, and they hooked her up with over 15 samples of 4-and-5-star foods for her old rottie who has been on Beneful and Pedigree so far… She was happy, I was beyond excited, and I can’t wait too see which one he likes/does on best, and which one she gets. I think she should incorporate a joint supplement in whatever she feeds anyway. But I think we’re on a good track there! Hoping for a smooth transition and great results. Also, I did recommend to her to start with may a 3- or 3.5-star food first, and then go to a 4- or 5-star one.

    Shasta, I would have never guessed you are a teenager! You rock! πŸ™‚

    And also, I agree with both Shasta and aquariangt – although some people feed Beneful and the sort because of price, it is true that good foods can be found for much less online or at clearance/sales racks in pet stores/boutiques. But I can understand how uninformed people can suffer from commercials and misinformation, and I also believe that once they are open to at least checking this website out, they will also get hooked. Like with Shasta, that’s what happened to me. I just stumbled upon it googling something, and bam. That was it for me. I just wish people weren’t so headstrong about what they choose to feed and at least entertain the idea of learning something from someone else… My roommate, however, said to me, after I had had Bruno for about 2 months – “You have had a dog for how long, 2 months now? What do YOU know about dogs. I GREW UP around dogs and have had my own for over 3 years now.” Then it was clear to me that he just wouldn’t ever take anything I tell him, and, sadly, even his vet recommends this site, and other foods (NOT the SD), but he would still not listen, or research so meh… It is what it is.

    And another dog that I take pride in being put on good food is my own. When Bruno was first found, he had the worst case of fleas the vet had ever seen. His fur was falling out, and he had patches of sores and wounds all over. The couple that found him (the second ones; the initial “founders” did not even give him food or water for 2 days before the other couple visited them and took the puppy from them) did a great job de-fleeing him, having him dewormed, given food and water, and a good safe space to live for a while until found a forever home (that would be us!). They had him on Purina-Something and he looked fine (I wasn’t able to tell he had fur missing before), and only had 2 scabs left from when he had sores. It wasn’t until we got him on Blue Buffalo Wilderness that his fur got really shiny (that’s when I realized it had been dull before!), and he started growing fur on his tummy (I thought it was supposed to be bare, not that it was actually missing fur!). So good food helped my little guy too, and like others, at first I did listen to the pet store associates and even my roommate (the Science Diet guy), but even then, I preferred grain free and higher protein food, I guess by instinct. So once I found this site, I have never looked at dog food again, let alone any grocery store’s pet aisle, lol.

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35388 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Hm… I wish I had white bread now! I only have one 12-grain one, and 2 multi-grain ones… Would they work at all, or should I just not try them and risk making him worse?

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35387 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    FreeholdHound,

    This is interesting about the pasta. I don’t have elbow macaroni, but I could crush up some fettuccine, that should work, right? I can try this on Wednesday if the rice on Tuesday is not working out. And he has had some of the same treats before, but in a much smaller amount, like maybe up to 3, and he was ok. Oh, and did you add anything to the macaroni? Just broth, or some meat too?

    in reply to: Mucusy Soft/Gel-Like Stools and Pooping Often #35384 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Everyone,

    Thanks so much for the advice!

    I think he probably did have too many new things in one night, and I usually use his kibble for training, but I decided to give him a little treat, since I had the liver and chicken treats… Sigh.

    As for the diet – I think he knows what’s best for him too, because that breakfast kibble – he still hasn’t eaten any of it. I will take it away and give him food tomorrow. His water bowl is always kept fresh and full, so he can have as much as he wants. Yesterday he was his usual energetic self, and looked like he had tons of fun at the friend’s house (they have a husky), but today he has been sleeping most of the day.
    Thus far – very little poop in the morning and afternoon, he shouldn’t have too much left in his tummy with all the pooping he did throughout the night.

    For tomorrow’s feeding, I am thinking of soaking a few kibbles in warm (not hot) water for a bit, then mushing them up with bland brown rice and a teaspoon of pumpkin, and feeding that and seeing how he does. If he seems ok, I will feed a larger amount of the same for lunch, and maybe the normal amount he would have at dinner.

    My roommate suggested putting some uncooked rice in his food, because supposedly it soaks up any excess acid better than cooked rice. Any thoughts on that? Is it safe?

    Also, of course, if little guy is not better by the end of Wednesday, we’re hitting up the vet on Thursday.

    One of my friends asked if it may be worms of some sort – I don’t know, because it all happened literally overnight, so I think it’s the dang treats, but could it be any worms that could be causing this?

    Thank you all SO much for the concern and advice! For now, I will just snuggle up with the little sick guy and study…

    in reply to: Another Beneful vent… #35351 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    I think I have mentioned being in a similar situation with my roommate who feeds his lab-hound mix the Science Diet. While not as horrible as Beneful or Pedigree, he can still do MUCH better, especially because he has the means to! But he just believes he knows a lot about dogs and would not listen to another opinion. This weekend he was out climbing and I was in charge of feeding his dog. Many times I debated whether I should sneak some good food into her crap, or at least a sardine, some coconut butter, or some healthy additive, but never did, precisely because of what neezerfan said. The dog is somewhat picky and if she doesn’t eat the food and he gets home and sees it, he will be upset. Or, if she eats it and gets sick, he will be upset. So while it is heartbreaking to me to not feed her good food, I am working on coming to terms that this battle is one I will never win.

    I have, however, gotten a really close friend of mine and a former roommate to stop feeding her lab and chorkie (chihuahua-yorkie mix) dogs the Aldi brand dog food Shep (1 star), to feeding 3.5-5-star foods, such as Blue Buffalo, Great Life, Earthborn, Holistic Heath Extension, Evangers, Nutro, Victor, etc. She can clearly see the effects of better food on her dogs, especially her lab, whose coat has gotten soft and shiny. Her and her dogs are my pride and joy! Now, if only I can get her to stop bathing them every week and giving them “greenies” every night, I would feel complete, but that’s another story, lol. She does give them bully sticks-antlers-marrow bones-hooves-himalayan dog chews-other natural chews, so I guess they are ok for the most part. πŸ™‚

    Another “battle” is with a classmate, who is a vet actually, but studied in Colombia, back in the day. Her husband feeds their rottweiler Pedigree (1 star) and stuff like that, so I am going to slowly introduce her to other foods for a great price too (Victor for example, and Earthborn, and HHE). I am giving her a bag of free samples of better foods I got from the nearby pet boutique, and I will hopefully get her to switch to Victor Joint Health or something like that soon. πŸ™‚

    Overall I have spoken to many friends who have dogs about dog food, and some take my advice, and some don’t, but if I can even help one dog, I would be happy. I would always want to help more though, but you just have to be careful, and really gauge how to speak to a person about what they feed their “baby”.

    in reply to: 5 Star foods and prices #35166 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    My local Petland sells the Earthborn Holistic (Grain free is 4.5 stars, I think) for the least amount of money ($25-$28) for 15-lb bags. Also, Victor (the grain inclusive ones) are mostly for UNDER a dollar/pound, and the grain free (5-star ones) are for a little over a dollar/pound. Petland’s Holistic Health Extension (4-stars except for the grain free, which is 4.5 stars) run for $12-$14 for 4-lb bags.

    Online, just watch for sales on websites that sell dog food, such as petflow.com and chewy.com , or pet store websites. If there are pet boutiques around you, they usually put bags that expire soon on mad sales, so you can get a 5-star food, 5lbs for like $8 or 40lbs for $35!!! So just browse around, and good luck!

    in reply to: Sugar #35165 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Thank you, Shasta! And yeah, even Bruno has eaten a chocolate chip once and survived, lol, so he should be fine! Thank you for the support and responses though!

    And, dang, is that tonight? πŸ™ I don’t like this time of year… Sleep is a precious commodity I need more, not less of… Sigh…

    in reply to: Sugar #35141 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Dogspotindia,

    Thanks for the advice! Yeah, he has been having water and eating just fine so I think he should be alright!

    in reply to: Sugar #35080 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Thank you, Shasta!

    He was completely normal yesterday, no vomiting or anything of the sort, and no hyperness – he was actually pretty calm and lazy-like for his usual terriery self. But, he did refuse to eat his kibble. As I have been adding goodies to it, he only slurped up the egg with ground flax seed from lunch and the yoghurt from the dinner. His only real meal he had was his breakfast kibble with something, probably pumpkin. I thought he was being spoiled by the additives and becoming picky, but I think it was the sugar that he was probably still craving or something…

    He has been eating normally today, especially since I added a free sample of Nature’s Variety Instinct GF to his usual mix – he loved it. I have a few more samples to add and will definitely include this food in his rotation.

    And a big YAY for free samples – I found this other pet boutique nearby that has free samples of almost everything, and, my favorites so far, Nature’s Variety Instinct GF and Victor GF. This store is my new addiction, lol.

    • This reply was modified 10 years ago by Naturella.
    in reply to: which dog do you like best #34940 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Ever since I was little and saw the movie “Fluke”, I have been in love with Irish Setters. I adore their coat color (copper-ish, looks like a shiny Fall leaf, it is gorgeous). Also, as of recently, I like Australian Shepherds – really pretty dogs! I am noticing an affinity in me toward longer-haired, flowy, copper-ish/brown/golden coats. I have never owned a setter or an Aussie, yet, and maybe won’t ever (I would MUCH rather adopt a mutt in need than buy a pure-breed), so I can’t speak as to their personalities, but beauty-wise, those are my picks.

    As for character, of course, I love my furry baby (not a baby anymore – he is a big guy at 13 lbs and around 1 year old now) Bruno. I would rarely choose a small breed over a medium or large breed, but he stole my husband’s, and then my heart too. We love his face, muscular body (yes, he is STRONG for a 13-lb pup. One of his nicknames is “muscle-pup”), soft fur, pied pattern, everything about him. Because of him, I notice more Rat terriers/Jack Russells and have a positive view of them. But unless another little one steals our hearts again, I would like a bigger dog for our next friend.

    I have noticed, at least locally, when I take Bruno to the dog park, we enter a dilemma – he loves to play and rough-house with big dogs, so we put him in the big dog pen, and sometimes owners of larger dogs get nervous for the little guy and pull their dog away when they start roughing it with Bruno. So sometimes he can’t even play much because of his size. On the other hand, when at the small dog pen, a lot of small dog owners freak out at the slightest grunt (he is a vocal one… Never aggressive, just likes to snort, grunt, growl, and sneeze a ton during play) or hump from Bruno because they fear for their little yorkies or chihuahuas. So he doesn’t get to play much there either… I feel like often he just doesn’t like to play with small dogs period. So thank goodness he has some good small and big furry friends to schedule play dates with and rough-house galore! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Slowing eating #34705 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    aquariangt, I see… It will be a while before I get Bruno an agility set, but I was looking at them out of curiosity. I love the puzzle toys though! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Slowing eating #34682 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    aquarianqt, this website is amazing! I have been looking for doggie games/puzzlez/agility sets for a while now, and lo and behold, there they are! πŸ™‚

    Thanks for sharing! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Beef Trachea from Best Bully Sticks #34623 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Oh, and I JUST received my newest batch of chews from them, which includes a 5- or 6-pack of beef tracheas, excited to give one to Bruno soon! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Beef Trachea from Best Bully Sticks #34622 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    I am a HUGE fan of all Best Bully Sticks products – great quality, all-natural, and Bruno loves them!

    I once got him a cow ear from Petco that smelled like BLEACH and made him sick. Never again. I will stick to BBS. They also have great customer service through their website and Facebook! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Budget friendly dog foods #34450 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    It worked! You can just email me now about the stuffs! πŸ™‚

    P.S. Coupons have been claimed, all!

    in reply to: Budget friendly dog foods #34449 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Hey! GRRR, my email crashed, may need to restart! But I got you, friend! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Budget friendly dog foods #34444 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Hello, budget-conscious people (like myself)!

    So, early this year my now husband and I purchased this calendar from PetCo with a TON of coupons inside.

    I have clipped all of them except the small animals coupons, but I intend to clip them too. Of all the coupons, there are some I would not possibly be able to use, so I am putting them up here for grabs.

    Shout out to Akari – I know you have some reptiles, maybe fish, plus the 3 dogs, so you can have dibs on the coupons, IF you want them!

    They are for:
    $5 off Beneful – one bag, any size
    $5 off Canyon Creek Ranch – one bag, any size
    $5 off Purina One – one bag, any size
    $5 off Purina Pro Plan – one bag, any size
    $5 off Eukanuba – one 14lbs or larger bag
    $5 off Eukanuba EXCEL – one 14lbs or larger bag

    Plus some more coupons for non-food related items.

    Also, I can mail the small animal coupons since I have no friends with small animals, but they are a lot, so I don’t want to list them all…

    I promise I am not a creeper (I will need an address to mail the coupons to), I just want to share some deals if anyone is interested. Now, I know these foods are by far not the best out there, but they COULD be a good deal if coupon is combined with other sales in the store (or matched by another store), and when mixed with a better food, it may be ok. As I said, up for grabs, if anyone wants them.

    If anyone does, feel free to email me at: [email protected] or contact me on Facebook – my name on it is Aleksandra Ninova.

    Thanks, guys, and let me know! If nobody on here wants them, I can find a local shelter or something to donate them to, if they will take them.

    in reply to: Is this a food issue? #34396 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    I am so happy you are already seeing improvement in your boy, Fatcakes! πŸ™‚
    Good food, chews/treats, and supplements really do work wonders on our beloved pets from the inside! πŸ™‚

    Keep us posted on how his dandruff issue goes!

    P.S. I am about to switch my Bruno to fish-based food in about a month or so, so good to know my apartment will smell like an aquarium as well, LoL!

    in reply to: Birthday? #34360 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Thank you, Sue’s Zoo!

    I will just call March 1st his Birthday and settle on it! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Is this a food issue? #34276 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Fatcakes,

    Hope we helped! I second everything Shasta said, from the pumpkin addition, to testing for food allergies, to the raw egg – Bruno will be getting one/week starting next Thursday! Also, I swear by coconut oil (make sure it is UNREFINED too though – extra virgin, cold-pressed, UNREFINED – it is the REAL deal) – miracle worker. πŸ™‚ But the food you got sounds great, hope your boy likes it! And yay for fish, just hope he’s not allergic to it or something. Orijen is a great brand from what I read though! πŸ™‚

    I rotate Bruno’s food once his mix ends, which is about every 4 months or so. And I go through a few flavors/proteins of the same brand before I switch brands. Now he has enough food to last throughout March for sure, maybe even April. Next batch is Earthborn Holistic GF Coastal Catch (fish) mixed with Vets Choice HHE Original (chicken mostly, but other meals in there. Some grains too. Meh, I got it for free and it is 4-stars, so I’m good with it.), then Earthborn Holistic GF Great Plains Feast (bison and some lamb) mixed with Vets Choice HHE Lamb and Rice (I know. Rice. Not grain free. Oh well. There’s lamb in it too.), and then Earthborn Holistic GF Primitive Natural (chicken) mixed with Vets Choice HHE GF (chicken). THEN I have Victor Ultra Professional GF mixed with Back to Basics lined up, and then the Victor Yukon Salmon GF mixed with probably Back to Basics again. THEN I want to try Wellness Core. I think I have Bruno’s meal plan set for like 2 years to come, lol.

    As for THK Beams – if you have any local boutiques that sell all-natural dehydrated chews (which is what the fish skins are), see if they have them in bulk – my closest pet boutique store sells them in a jar by the skin, and the big ones are just $1, and I can cut them in like 8 Bruno-sized skins! Bruno is a Jack Russel – (miniature?) Rat Terrier mix, @ around 1 year. I will claim April 1st as his Birthday. We are not 100% sure, he was found in some bushes… But was changing puppy teeth throughout August-September of last year… Any guesses on approximate Birthday? Anyone?

    in reply to: Is this a food issue? #34257 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Fatcakes,

    Fish oil is great – I would keep him on it for a while. You could also try a fish-based food for the sake of rotation and varying the protein intake. Lamb is good for skin and coat too, I hear.

    As far as fiber, my pup is currently on a mix of Dr. Tim’s Grain Free (4.5% fiber), Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpea (7% fiber), and Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Grain Free (5% fiber). He, however, suffers from hard stools, as high in fiber as his diet is, so kind people in this forum have recommended pumpkin and flax for him, and maybe even yoghurt – they are all good additives, and the latter REALLY seems to help him. All the foods he is on currently are 5-star rated (except for the Vets Choice – that is 4.5 stars I think) and grain free.

    I am switching him to Earthborn Holistic Grain Free mixed with Vets Choice, and Victor Ultra Professional Grain Free mixed with Back to Basics after. All of that will have even less fiber than he has in his food now, but I will be adding the pumpkin, flax, and yoghurt daily, I don’t mind. I really like Victor and can’t wait to get Bruno on it, and they also have a salmon-based grain-free recipe. It is also very affordable and 5-star-rated.

    That is for the fiber. As for the dandruffy-ness of your guy, I can just share my experience, and it is that my pup, when found, was so flea-infested, the vet had said she hasn’t seen a case this bad. He has had skin sores and wounds all over. With much TLC, grain-free food and daily fish skins (I used Beams by The Honest Kitchen), his skin healed up completely and coat is super soft and shiny. So this is why I may consider more fish in his diet, plus, I am sure more knowledgeable people in the forum will chip in with more advice.

    in reply to: Poops a lot #34256 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    robertdee,

    Thanks for the link! I will definitely look into this product!

    So, I looked up the guaranteed analyses of the current mix of food I feed Bruno (Dr. Tim’s, Nutrisca Chicken, and Vets Choice HHE GF), and their fiber contents are 4.5%, 7%, and 5% max respectively. So the mix is actually kind of good on fiber.

    I have been adding all kinds of stuff to his kibble though, such as plain yoghurt, pumpkin, ground flax seeds, the usual coconut oil and once-a-week RMB, his first marrow bone (raw, and the bone is still around for gnawing and chewing on), cottage cheese, raw egg, and canned sardines, as well as the occasional dehydrated natural chews (ears, bully sticks, fish skins, chicken necks, lamb tendons, etc.). I am going to develop a schedule for adding all these in his weekly meals so that the additional calories, fat, fiber, and protein are somewhat evenly distributed in his diet. I am also cutting down his kibble to 3/4 cup from 1 cup because of the additives, but I will make sure the calorie intake stays about the same.

    So far his poops have overall improved, and I have a feeling it is the additional moisture, and the yoghurt. I always keep plain yoghurt at home (love the stuff), so Bruno will have access to it too, just have to figure out how often. But yes, I feel like we are on track with fixing his stool and/or any digestion problems he may have had. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Dog food for Pomeranian? #34151 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Sheltie_Pom,

    Considering you have other dogs too, I think you can do much better with the food choices. I don’t know if you can have food delivered if ordered online, but as noted, Victor is a MUCH better brand than those you listed, and you can get it for around $1/pound.

    I understand the coupons thing, I use coupons too, but once those are used up, I would look for better options.

    in reply to: Dog food for Pomeranian? #34135 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    I second both Shasta and dchassett. I have fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness with no problems and really good results, but it is a bit pricy. I do recommend stocking up on food, but watching the “Best by:” dates. The bigger the bag, the less per pound it is, as Shasta noted.

    Here is another link for Victor foods that should be right on the money: http://www.victorpet.com/#!buy-organic-dog-treats-online/c13qg

    Make sure you do some research as well, visit local feed or pet stores, shop online:
    http://www.chewy.com
    http://www.petflow.com
    http://www.wag.com

    Have good deals and sales often.

    And do try to get a 4-5-star-rated food. It IS possible, even on a tight budget, we promise! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Dog food for Pomeranian? #34128 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    This company has some good deals: http://www.victorpet.com/#!sport-dog-food-store/ci6h especially if you choose the 40+20lbs, this brings it down to $0.95/pound.

    in reply to: Poops a lot #34127 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    crazy4cats,

    I will look into both! And thank you! I love my little guy and want to do all I can to keep him around as long as possible, and keep him comfortable and healthy. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Issues with Raw Food? #34105 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Thank you for the info and the congrats, losul! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Poops a lot #34098 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Crazy4cats,

    Thanks for the info, I see the numbers now. I have Earthborn Coastal Catch and Great Plains Feast, both with 4% fiber (haven’t started them yet), but I really wanted the Victor and the Primitive Natural… I guess I can just add extra fiber when feeding those, because I like their nutritional profile otherwise. So hopefully Bruno will be ok with some extra pumpkin, carrots, pineapple, etc. I think he may quite enjoy it even! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Issues with Raw Food? #34092 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Marie,

    Wow. Thank you for the information! I was hoping this affordable, somewhat local raw would be a good choice, but I guess it may be a bit iffy… I may stick to grocery store raw – it should be at least fit for human consumption, so it will be good enough for Bruno.

    in reply to: Issues with Raw Food? #34065 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Oh, my goodness, I absolutely feel the same way – I REALLY need to watch my nutrition and exercise as closely as I watch Bruno’s, so I can be around him and my husband and I’s future human and furry babies longer…

    But yes, I have stocked up on Earthborn and Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension for DAYS – a total of 42 lbs of Earthborn (3 varieties @ 14 lbs each), and a total of 12 lbs of HHE (3 varieties @ 4 lbs each), so 54 lbs so far, and I want to now get Victor Ultra Pro (GF) and the Yucon Salmon GF, 15 lbs each – that will be a total of 84 lbs of food for $110 altogether (great coupons I got). I also plan to add raw ground, RMBs, and marrow bones for gnawing as well as dehydrated natural chews… I am a mess… I need to REALLY stop shopping for Bruno after I get the last of Victor, and raw… And watch those “Best by: ” labels!

    But yes, if you ever want to come up to Kennesaw to go to that store, and would like to meet up (there is also a great park with dog off-leash areas really close by), you can let me know if you want. You can add me on Facebook, my name is Aleksandra Ninova. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Slowing eating #34064 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Ops! Forgot to check the “notify by email” box, so I had to post something again!

    in reply to: Slowing eating #34063 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Akari,

    THIS sucker: http://www.naturalpetwarehouse.com/JW-Pet-Treat-Tower-Treat-Dispensing-Dog-Toy-Small?gdftrk=gdfV26390_a_7c2271_a_7c7625_a_7cJW435051&gclid=CIDy25PL17wCFUYS7AodMgIAcg
    has helped Bruno slow down so much – each colorful level has adjustable size holes for “difficulty” levels, and depending on the size of the kibble, and it makes them figure out how to get the stuff out, little by little at a time. Plus, they have fun! You can use it for one or more of your feedings (I feed Bruno 4 times a day, 1/4 cup at a time), so about 2-3 of those are in the tower or treat bowl.

    in reply to: Poops a lot #34061 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Crazy4cats, are Victor Ultra Pro and Earthborn Primitive Natural low fiber? I just ordered the Victor and was planning on buying the Earhborn too? My pup doesn’t poop too often, but has really hard stools, so I was advised to add fiber to his diet, which I can still do with low-fiber food, but if it is good on fiber to begin with, that may help!

    in reply to: Issues with Raw Food? #34060 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    But, maybe I should just get my friends with pups good food first before I adopt a new baby. We are really not in that position right now… So I will just spread the word of the store and if I come accross more coupons like some other ones I had, I will give them away. πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Issues with Raw Food? #34059 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Same here! And lucky me – the store with the most brands is the one 5 min away! I am in serious dog food heaven, I am considering adopting another pup just because I want to buy all the food in the store and my Bruno only eats 1 cup/day, and already has almost the whole year covered food-wise, maybe even more! πŸ™‚

    in reply to: Issues with Raw Food? #34056 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    I see! Well, welcome to Cobb County, lol!

    And yes, this little tool is so useful, I can’t believe I never clicked it before! It prompted me to a store 5 min from my apartment, that carries amazing brands and much more! I am one happy pet mommy!

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