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NaturellaMember
Just 3?!?! OMG! This is hard! LoL.
I may have to say, almost the same as C4C’s – raw eggs (MAYBE with lightly cooked whites if I have a bigger dog in the future, but for Bruno it wouldn’t make too much of a difference so I feed the whole egg raw), canned sardines including their water/juices (mmmmmmm, Omega Fatty Acids… ), and RMBs (gotta keep the teethsies clean π ).
But if I could include more, there would be raw virgin unrefined COCONUT OIL (sardines are probably better, hence they made the cut, as they not only have the Omega FAs, but are a meat protein, with some bone for calcium, if I’m lucky a little fish organ left in there too), yoghurt/kefir, goat milk, canned food, dehydrated/air-dried/freeze-dried foods (I’m squishing them in one category), raw organ meats (livers, gizzards, kidneys, HEARTS, tongue, green tripe, whatever I can get my hands on. Yes, I know the heart, the tongue, and the gizzard are muscles. I count them toward the organs.), various fruits and veggies as treats (not in the kibble), and as needed canned plain pumpkin, Perfect Form, and maybe plain brown rice and boiled chicken for extreme tummy upsets.
NaturellaMemberHey, Meghan, I think you definitely have a pretty good list going on there. I can’t help with the cooking methods/processing question, but I’d just like to throw in there, you don’t necessarily have to eliminate foods unless your dog actually doesn’t do well on them – if she likes a does well on some foods, just keep rotating them. Diet rotation is very good for dogs, so just experiment, take note on how she does on various brands and recipes within the brands, and keep switching them up! π
March 3, 2015 at 6:35 pm in reply to: Two lab mix dogs, food suggestions appreciated #68129 Report AbuseNaturellaMemberOh, ok. For some reason I thought they were a bit bigger.
March 3, 2015 at 4:45 pm in reply to: Two lab mix dogs, food suggestions appreciated #68106 Report AbuseNaturellaMemberOk, yes, they are smaller than Acana Pacifica. That is one we are almost done with a trial size of. Bruno seems to handle it just fine, but it is surely bigger than his usual kibble. What size were your dogs again? Also, Nulo may be about 15% bigger than EH, but definitely in that range. It is small enough, I would say.
March 3, 2015 at 4:37 pm in reply to: Two lab mix dogs, food suggestions appreciated #68104 Report AbuseNaturellaMember@aquariangt, it is a tiny bit larger than Blue Buffalo Wilderness… idk if you have ever fed or seen it. They are about the size of Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch and Primitive Natural. If you tell me what you’ve fed I can tell you how the size compares maybe. They are triangular-shaped. Small enough for my 15-pounder.
NaturellaMemberAh, I see, gotcha. Yeah, I guess I could’ve done that too when mixing, but didn’t think of it – just pulled out the biggest, flattest container in the house that would hold like 20 lbs of kibble and be shallow enough to stir, and poured everything in there and stirred, then put in its appropriate places.
And cool, I see. π
NaturellaMemberI’m glad you still add toppers to their food! And that mix sounds so yummy, Bruno also likes those Nutro things. I bet they liked it too! Do you ever add some water too so it’s easier for all kibble to get coated and for the mush to be plopped into bowls, or just the tubs and kibble?
–EDIT– I am only asking because I was watching some videos of what Iditarod dogs are fed and it’s all in a bucket, a mix of high-calorie kibble, water, and raw meats of various kinds (but the good ones – chicken, pork, beef, venison, maybe lamb – basically whatever’s available), and some organs here and there. So they use a ladle and scoop the mix into their bowls and the water makes it very easy and every dog’s food is nicely mixed up.- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
NaturellaMemberP.S. How did you stir this mix up?! Even for my small 10-lb holding container I used to have to mix in a huge tupperware dish with a wooden spoon till everything was mixed evenly and then pour it into the actual container, and the rest back into one of the bags (whichever was resealable). The most I’ve mixed up is about 20 lbs at once. That took Bruno about 4 months to work through. Thank goodness for toppers and treats to spice his life up at the time (and now too). It is kind of much easier now that I don’t mix, but hey, I love seeing your pics of food mixes! π
NaturellaMemberAkari, OOOH, girl, I’m liking the look and size of that bucket and what’s in it! Reminds me of the days I used to mix food for Bruno. Did Haley and Dweezle try it yet? Reviews?
NaturellaMemberOoh, glad others are pretty excited about dog toys too! Like D_O, a toy for Bruno is almost like a toy for me! π
I really like stuffing things in the Barnacle, Bruno can spend an hour or so trying to dig up a cookie from there, but it is also really hard to get it out unless I hammer at the thing to break it apart inside and make it easier for him. I want the task to be attainable, but not super easy. It makes a decent holder for stuff on the smallest opening.
aquariangt, I really like Nina Otensson’s puzzles. I want to get a few wooden ones in the future.
I also forgot to say, Bruno has only had one toy with a squeaky, and it was gift. Thank goodness he tore it up almost immediately! We would never get those things for him, lol.
March 1, 2015 at 12:17 am in reply to: Two lab mix dogs, food suggestions appreciated #67877 Report AbuseNaturellaMemberHey, Dana, and welcome to DFA.
First off, I really think that getting your dogs off of the Science Diet is a wonderful decision! I also know what shopping on a budget is like, so what I can recommend is emailing/facebooking companies to ask for coupons (Nulo would send you some, it is a brand sold at Petsmart and online too), and sign up for coupons from Merrick/Castor and Pollux/Wellness. They will send you coupons as well. And if you order online, websites such as chewy.com , petflow.com , wag.com are great places to look for deals on.
Also, feeding a rotational diet will help with scooping out deals and sales – basically you will be able to rotate to different foods that are at a good price at the time of purchase.
Now, I can recommend you several brands that are mostly affordable (without coupons), and are available online. Earthborn Holistic, Dr. Tim’s, Annamaet, probably NutriSource (not affordable in my area though), Victor (available at sportdogfood.com), and if you don’t mind Diamond as a manufacturing company (lots of recalls, not handled well), Taste of the Wild and Canidae Grain Free Pure would be good options.
Most of these foods are pretty calorie-dense so you would also feed less and possibly have smaller stool. And I can actually give you an almost-personal example – my roommate used to feed the same Science Diet formula as you, and he fed it for almost 5 years to his dog (except he did feed her the puppy version when she was a pup). Then he switched to Nulo Lamb and Lentils (a grain-free, high-animal-protein food) and his dog lost weight, actually enjoyed eating her food, and her coat looks a lot better. I am not sure about stool size though. And now she eats Blue Buffalo Wilderness Red Meat. She seems to be doing well although many report issues with Blue so I wouldn’t really recommend it. Plus, it is pricy as heck.
Now, I can’t really help with the gas issues. Maybe someone else can give you direction with that and you can see what food matches others’ recommendations from the brands I suggested, and other brands others may suggest. Good luck!
NaturellaMemberHey, Joe, if you’re even still here. Although I entirely second Melissaandcrew’s statement of fact that dogs are carnivores, I just want to throw my 2 cents in there.
First off, PERSONALLY, I would not feed a dog a vegetarian diet. That being said, I also believe that if something “ain’t broke”, it doesn’t need fixing. So if your dogs are doing fine on a vegetarian diet, then hey, it is what seems to work for them… THAT being said, this may be just temporary. Because I don’t feel that a vegetarian diet is species-appropriate (as Melissaandcrew said, herbivores need to eat plant matter, not meat, and it is the total opposite with carnivores, but the same idea), I would not lie to your vet because should an issue arise, it may well be the diet’s fault. If you were feeding, say, balanced raw meat-based diet and your vet did not approve of that, I would probably choose to respectfully not discuss my dog’s nutrition with the vet. But because I see the diet that you feed as deficient in the main thing dogs need – animal protein source in their diet – I would probably put it out there, and as long as your dogs remain healthy, I would respectfully defend it to the vet as a choice of their diet. But definitely disclose it, because there is a risk of the dogs becoming unhealthy down the way should they continue to eat species-inappropriate food.
And we do not mean to bash anyone – on the contrary – I believe that we all do what we perceive as best for our companions. But we can always learn from each other, and we can all do better. Hope this helps.
- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
February 28, 2015 at 11:34 pm in reply to: Budget Friendly Limited Ingredient (Kangaroo) food? #67873 Report AbuseNaturellaMemberHi, Autumn, and welcome to DFA. I don’t know much about kangaroo-based foods, but I can’t imagine them being extremely affordable… I think Natural Balance and California Naturals both offer kangaroo formulas, why don’t you check them out? Also, you don’t mention having tried venison as a protein. If your Dane is not specifically allergic to venison, that may be a good option with more affordable choices.
NaturellaMemberMeghan (and everyone),
Welcome to DFA!
I second everyone’s recommendations, and I can attest to the quality of Wellness CORE (I have the Ocean formula lined up to feed in the next few months), and I have fed Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch and Victor Yukon Salmon with great success – my Bruno was full of energy, shiny smooth coat, etc. If your dog is allergic to poultry, try adding some variety as much as you can. Many of Victor’s foods are beef-based. Earthborn also has a bison and lamb meal-based formula, but it may or may not have chicken fat in it, not sure. Dr. Tim’s (another affordable option) has a pork and salmon-based formula as well.
As a fellow college (does Grad school count?) student on a budget, I understand your struggle, but it is possible to feed good food for less – just try to find online and in-store sales and coupons and see what happens! Wellness often emails coupons once you sign up for their mailing list.
NaturellaMemberShane, another option is 4Health both grain-free and grain-inclusive by Tractor supply. Some formulas are about $1/lb, which is about as good as it gets with decent foods. Diamond Naturals (grain-free and grain-inclusive, both formulas are better than Pedigree) gets pretty close to your budget at 40lbs for $30, although many here do not favor Diamond due to its recall handling history, but ingredient-wise, it is better than Pedigree. You can still order them online from tractorsupply.com and have them delivered.
NaturellaMemberHe’s had them before, but I don’t remember how long it took him. I just don’t want him to eat a whole one in one sitting calorie-wise. So I will let him eat half and take it. I will time him next time, but I’m hoping for a good 5-min at least.
NaturellaMemberNice! Well, maybe these will work for you then! Even if Haley and Dweezle don’t have them. Seems like Bentley would enjoy them quite a bit! π
And I tried cutting mine with the best knife we own, no way no how, it is way too hard for knives I think. And since we don’t have kitchen scissors, I will just have to give them to Bruno like that and watch when he gets to about half of it and take it away. The second halves I will stuff like you for Bruno’s RMB/raw meal replacement/week too, I think it is a great idea! π If that goes well and BBS still has the 50-piece on sale, I will probably get it too. π
NaturellaMemberAkari, that’s great that Bentley’s tummy is made of iron! π
I will try the knife tomorrow… Or in a few minutes, lol.
Here is something I thought you may be interested in: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/3-inch-trachea-dog-chews-50-pack Pretty affordable, eh? It will make for many special meals for Bentley and/or Haley and Dweezle if you still feed them a raw meal replacement/month like you used to. π I may get these for Bruno.
NaturellaMemberHi, Dawn, and welcome to DFA! I commend you for the decision to switch your babies from Beneful – it is really one of the worst foods out there, along with other popular brands.
What I would recommend is switching your dogs gradually over 1-2 weeks to a mid-grade dog food at first, because switching directly to a 4-5-star food may really upset their tummies. I have a couple of recommendations. You can use Rachael Ray from Walmart, Nutro Natural Choice, or Authority (a PetSmart brand) as your mid-grade food. Look on this website for foods that are around 3 stars to begin with. Once you have transitioned to such a food and your dogs’ stool is good, and they are ok on it (keep them on it for about a month), I recommend Pure Balance (a Walmart store brand dog food, but it’s actually pretty decent) grain-inclusive and grain-free, Rachael Ray Zero Grain, Nulo (a Petsmart brand), Earthborn Holistic, Dr. Tim’s, Annamaet, and Victor are all pretty good, reliable foods in the 4-5-star range. I have fed many of these foods to my dog and have some lined up to feed for the future as well. Many of these you won’t find in big box stores like Petsmart and Petco so shopping online would be the way to go. Websites like petflow.com , chewy.com , wag.com often have deals on many of these good foods. Victor you can get from sportdogfood.com The kibbles are nice and small so even the chiweenie can eat it, and such is the case with most of these foods except Dr. Tim’s – the kibble is a tad bigger, but not huge at all.
Also, feel free to try all of the above brands – rotation of foods is essential for the dog’s health and you can learn more about that here: /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/
Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes!
NaturellaMemberOMG, so many ideas!!! Snow day project for tomorrow – found – a reliable stay with ignoring any and all distractions! Let’s see how little guy does! π
NaturellaMemberOoh, thanks, @aquariangt, I am heading over to check it out! π
NaturellaMemberBCnut, I see, thanks! π
Anyone got any ideas on what else we can teach Bruno to do, or if we should just work on his struggle areas?
NaturellaMemberSo sorry to butt in, but I just want to thank Marie for her “gift” to Dori, as I’m benefiting from it too because I live not too far from her – my University is closed today and tomorrow. Hopefully Friday too! π
I got nothing regarding the spots…
- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
NaturellaMemberHey, Crista, and welcome to DFA!
Yes, Beneful is not a good food at all, so I would definitely advise you to change your Yorkie to something else. However, changing directly to a high-quality food may seriously upset his tummy, so I would recommend switching him gradually to Nutro or some other medium-level brand, and after a little while, switching him over to a good-quality food.
Off the top of my head, Castor and Pollux Organix is a good-quality dry, organic meat-and-veggie-based food. Their other line, Ultramix, is also really, really good, but not quite all-organic. http://www.castorpolluxpet.com/our-products
Since you are an Editor’s Choice member on this site, I believe you have access to a list of GMO-free foods: /reports/gmo-free/
Just look through that, they are all quality foods to choose from. Good luck!NaturellaMemberD_O and aquariangt, I see, ok, so high-value treats are good for learning new things and enforcing commands that Bruno struggles with. But low-value treat parties work too. I shall keep that in mind! π
Bruno needs to work on recalling, heeling, waiting (not allowed to get a treat from my hand until I say so; we use “leave it” for things he wants to get from the ground and he’s actually pretty good with it) and staying on command, and hopefully learning to potty quicker when taken out to do so, lol.
All his other little tricks like sitting, shaking “hands” and alternating the paws when told so, laying down, rolling over, turning around in a circle, going up and down on command, pawing at something specific, giving high-fives and high-tens, sitting with front paws up (on his butt), standing on hind legs, jumping, going into his crate and onto his bed, going to “see” (more like lick) me or Brian on command, giving kisses on command, barking on command and being quiet when told so (FINALLY!!!) – he is pretty good with those, but still need to polish up the ones noted above. I am also trying to think of what else to teach him, maybe walking for some time on hind legs, or bringing various items on command… IDK. If I can get to an agility course, I would love to teach him agility type “tricks”, but we don’t have one super close to where I live. Maybe one day! π
Also, aquariangt, I don’t think I will be going to Colorado anytime soon, and quite possibly if we go, it won’t be for dog training, lol. But I hear it’s beautiful and outdoorsy, so if we move to the North West we may visit Colorado. But feel free to share whatever else you want (I promise not to bug you about it!), just whatever is good about training for a person who doesn’t train professionally to know. π
Thanks again for all the tips, everyone! As usual, it is much, much appreciated! π
NaturellaMemberD_O, thank you for sharing this! Are high-value treats ok to give in larger amounts until the dog learns a new trick? I guess I can try to break some of them up, or cut them small… Would they still be considered high-value by Bruno then too?
NaturellaMember@aquariangt, this was super helpful actually! And I’ve been eying the THK Quickies for a while, I may just invest in some in the future, when at least most my kibble samples have been used up. π
I never thought to use high-value treats for commands Bru struggled with! I would just use extra low-value ones, for example 3-4 pieces instead of just one kibble. But I will try to implement that! Maybe Bruno will learn to go potty quicker if I am about to give him a piece of a knick-knack or something! And to come when called (lil’ sucker struggles with recalling when in a new environment too). Also, I don’t know if this is “training proprietary info”, but what is counter conditioning fear? Basically teaching a dog to not be afraid? If you can’t explain (like, if you normally get paid to explain this), then you don’t have to.
Also, would it be safe to throw him a stuffed Kong to help with any potential separation anxiety when we leave the house? I don’t think Bruno’s really bad, he just looks super miserable when we’re leaving, but he finally stopped getting into the trashcans (his only menace), and more often than not we find him just waking up from a nap when we come home, so he’s good now about not destroying anything.
NaturellaMemberHey, Dori, you are making perfect sense, no worries! Thanks for responding! π
That is kind of what I thought because we normally give him various kibble as treats and when he sees a kibble sample baggie he gets pretty excited, but when I head to the closet where his special treats are (bully sticks, cow/lamb ears, pig snouts, chicken/duck feet, Etta Says chews, knick-knacks, tendons, tracheas, etc.), or to the fridge/freezer where the RMBs and Kong/other stuffed chews live, he gets SUPER excited, so I understand now. He only gets those on super special occasions, and the regular kibble on the daily for little training sessions or what not. Ergo, special treats are high-value treats. π
NaturellaMemberD_O, gotcha. Well, hope it helps! My local store had the small bags of Acana and Orijen for sale for $2 down from $4, so I grabbed me one of each and I’m trying to use them up pronto because they expire soon, so he gets Acana on Tuesday and Orijen on Thursday for breakfast. I think they will be gone pretty soon cause I also use them as training treats/treats in general. π We like them.
NaturellaMemberAhh, we don’t, unfortunately… I will see what else I could use though… Thanks for the idea!
And Bruno wouldn’t care either, but if he ate 6 inches of a wide trachea, even if not stuffed with anything, it would give him jelly stool, lol. So I need to shorten them.
NaturellaMemberD_O, nice! Hope all goes well with both transition and elimination. What are you switching her off of, Nulo?
NaturellaMemberAklari, OMG, such an amazing idea! I was looking for things to stuff tripe in and this will work great as I also have a few tracheas (not from the recalled ones), but I just need to figure out how to cut them in half cause they are huge 6-inchers, and too big for Bruno. But they are so hard, I feel like I need a hatchet! LoL.
NaturellaMemberHey, all! So, today Bruno had his first beef green tripe can – Solid Gold Green Cow. It smells like vomit. Like someone had lamb innards and then vomited them, lol. Naturally, Bruno LOVED it! Then again, he loves everything, lol, little vacuum cleaner. I gave him about 2 heaping tablespoons (it’s a big can, we gotta use it up soon) and reduced his kibble too, so he had a nice dinner. His breakfast was Acana Pacifica with some yoghurt, and the dinner was Wysong Quail with the green tripe.
I also got him a new Kong toy, the regular but in black for heavy chewers, size small. It won’t fit his food serving, but I plan to use it for just goodie treats, like the tripe, doggie “ice-cream”, etc. So I stuffed and froze his new little Kong, 2 hooves, Casey’s medium-sized Kong (I have permission to give her dog-friendly treats and concoctions), and the remnants of a horn (won’t be buying those anymore as they are not naturally-shed. Hooves probably aren’t either, but mine 2 were a gift, so I will still use them). And we still have some of the can left in the fridge probably for both breakfast AND dinner tomorrow… Or I can feed half tomorrow, half Thursday, we’ll see. π But yeah, Bruno likes it a lot, I just really wish I either had more stuffable toys, or they sold small (up to 6oz) cans of green tripe so I can feed it quickly. Oh well. I was so excited to have the Kong and stuff it with the tripe that he had dinner a little early today. He didn’t mind, lol! π
- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
NaturellaMemberMissie, I second what everyone else said. And whenever I mixed (and when my friend mixes), I used to mix the foods in the same container back when I discarded the bags and kept food into the container itself. I then used to keep the food bag into the storage container and now I use sandwich/freezer bags to bag smaller portions of food at a time and keep the rest in the fridge or closet, lol. But I feel bad about it since I’m using so many plastic baggies and there aren’t enough recycling places around where I live… π Anyway, nvm about that.
Also when I used to mix, I would keep Bruno on one food for a week, then add the next over the following week, and then just mix freely if he wasn’t sick.I also think that Wellness is a quality brand and maybe Maisie just reacted to the fish in the food with BO. It happens to some dogs. Bruno (my little guy) must be a lucky exception because he doesn’t get smelly on fish-based kibble.
But canned sardines and coconut oil, and fish oil are high-quality additives that I also feed to Bruno (once/week he gets 1/2 of a 3.75oz can of sardines and twice/week he gets a teaspoon of coconut oil. About once/week he gets a dehydrated fish skin to chew on too). His skin and coat are really great on those additives. But like pugmomsandy said, just make sure to keep her caloric intake consistent and at the level for her desired weight (25lbs or less). You can use the food calculator tool on this page to see how many calories/day she needs approximately and adjust from there with the additives and by removing some of her kibble when you add the extra stuff. π
Good luck and keep us posted! π
NaturellaMemberHello, Missie and Maisie! Welcome to DFA!
Good thing you’re trying to keep Maisie’s weight under control! I have reduced my Bruno’s portions over the winter due to lack of exercise also. So you don’t NECESSARILY have to use a weight-management food, you can also simply reduce the calories from regular food by reducing the amount to induce weight-loss, or weight maintenance.
As for the mixing of foods, myself and other forumers have done it and some probably still do. I also have a friend who feeds her pack of 5 dogs nothing but various mixes, and I used to do it myself, until I realized that with just one small 15-lb terrier mix, any mix of even just 2 small bags of food, even if they’re different flavors or brands, will produce 8-10lbs of a “single-flavor” food that my Bruno will have to eat twice as long as a “single-flavor” food for 1 month and then a different single-flavor food for another month. Does this make sense? Basically, once you mix and feed the food day in and day out for a while, the dog will taste different bites, but in its head, it is all the same food because it’s served together kind of. Like, if you ate beef and salmon (surf and turf) for two months – it is still different proteins and different ways to cook the salmon and the beef, with different “spices”, but overall it is one dish. Next two months, you would be eating chicken and pork (for example), two separate recipes, but in one dish. Vs. one month beef, one month salmon, one month chicken, one month pork, etc. Nutritionally though, if you mix separate brands and flavors, that will expose it to more protein variety and vitamin and mineral composition, which is good. That is what my friend does, she always mixes different brands AND flavors, and that’s kind of what I used to do (I would mix same flavors, different brands – brand A chicken + brand B chicken). The only other caveat to mixing is that should Maisie get sick on a mix, you wouldn’t be able to tell which food made her sick (unless you give each food about 2 weeks separately to be sure that neither makes her sick), and you would not be able to alert the manufacturer(s) because you wouldn’t know which made her sick, so you also wouldn’t be able to return their food for testing and/or a refund. This is another reason I stopped mixing and now I just switch foods with every small bag (more or less).
I would probably look for a food that while I’m transitioning to it, my dog has better stools and less gas, and hope that when I fully feed it, the results will stay the same. But, you can do what you think is best for Maisie. π
NaturellaMemberHey, all, sorry I’ve been MIA – I had a family friend – a high school classmate of my Mom’s, she’s like a substitute mother or just a mother figure to me, very loving of Brian and I, visit Atlanta for basically just under 36 hours, so we were spending some time with her and I couldn’t respond to your posts.
It is good to know that other dogs also do need to do the whole sniff-around-think-about-it-go-somewhere-else-think-some-more-sniff-some-more dance… Males OR females. Sometimes, Bruno would get as far as even lifting his leg and then deciding against peeing, and moving on… This is particularly annoying, lol, cause he’s more than halfway there. And Bruno also dry-marks too, lol (he’s all out of urine but still has to try to lift his leg and try to squeeze a drop out). We also have tried with treats and the clicker even, but it still was taking a while to go. Ideally, when we have a yard, I would do like BCnut, let the dogs in the yard to do whatever, wherever, but on walks they won’t get to mark and sniff around. And as for Bruno, IDK, should we still try to teach him the one-spot policy, or just let it go altogether? We will try to get him to play inside before going out some and even run around and jump some so he can move his intestines quicker when outside, lol!
- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
NaturellaMemberAkari and Bobby Dog, I see. I thought it was normal, so I will feel super bad if we don’t have a yard by the time we have another dog if I have to basically stand like a post while the poor thing pulls in all directions cause it wants to find the best potty place… So I just hope we’ll have a yard by then! And try to not get a dog till then. π
NaturellaMemberC4C, hm, strange that the recommendation is basically double between the ABC Diet and the Whole Dog Journal! Either way, yes, just give somewhere in the middle, or whatever. I give half of the ABC recommendation anyway and Bruno is fine and dandy with it, lol. So yeah, Zach, you can give anything between 1 and 2 cans of sardines/week and your pup should be fine. π
- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
NaturellaMemberC4C and Zach, Steve Brown actually recommends two 3.75-oz cans of sardines per week for a 50-lb dog. But you can also modify it. He recommends 1 can/week for a 15-lb dog (like mine), but I only give 1/2 of the sardines and all the juice to Bruno.
- This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.
NaturellaMemberTom K, yes, veterinarians’ nutrition lessons in vet school are sponsored by Purina/Royal Canin/Science Diet. When they become practicing veterinarians, said companies begin “courting” them and offering them all kinds of perks and discounts, if they push and promote their sub-par products. This doesn’t mean that vets don’t care about the animals they serve. They have just been brainwashed by these companies since vet school and don’t know any better. Some holistic or just good vets do, but most don’t. So there you have it. That’s why. I second M A – just keep doing what you’re doing if it’s working. π Good luck!
February 18, 2015 at 2:19 pm in reply to: Spaying/Neutering after maturity? + Dog Boxes? #66969 Report AbuseNaturellaMember@Oleanderz, Bruno loves his puzzles too, we have that Trixie one and a DogIt one for him, plus little puzzle/treat dispensing toys. He surely loves the food that comes out of them better, lol.
Ok, so yeah, a medium bag would probably last her about a month, but really it’s up to you how often you want to switch – every big bag or every medium bag. And good for her, for being 4-5! π Extra muscle would never hurt though. I know she will get there, and I hope she does like all the foods in her new rotation! π
You are welcome, anytime! Glad we could help! π
NaturellaMember@Oleanderz and @Dog_Obsessed, I too am guilty of online window-shopping! I too put stuff in my cart and just stare wistfully at them, lol. Then I “X” out of the tab, till next time the urge hits, lol. I do need to get Bruno a new Kong, maybe I will for his Birthday. π
@Oleanderz, antlers are either deer, elk, or mousse antlers that are cut up and sold as dog chews. There are varying opinions on them, some think the dog may break a tooth on them, some love them for the minerals they have and the hours of chewing pleasure they provide the dog, and I fall in the latter category. Bruno has been on antlers (and beefy/fishy goodies like bully sticks, fish skins, cow, pig, and lamb ears, pig snouts, etc.) since we got him basically, and although he also had a few Nylabone-type chews, we prefer the natural antlers. Of course, a dog needs to be supervised at all times when with an antler or any chew, so yeah. And how cool that March 1st is your cousin’s Birthday! π
Yes, Bruno can swim, although he is not a huge fan of it, lol. I’m not worried about him – his paws are webbed and he does perfectly fine in the water, you just gotta distract him by playing fetch and tricking him to go in, and make sure he’s not on a leash, or else he freaks out. I can swim so-so, so I don’t go in more than chest-level of water, waist-level is more common, so that I can retrieve the dog just in case. πAs for dog parks, we personally really like them – I like having an area where Bruno can be off-leash, run his terrier energy out, and be free and play with other dogs too. Our local parks don’t allow off-leash dogs unless in the dog area, so we don’t really have anywhere else to let him be free other than inside the little 2-bedroom apartment. So yeah. Dog parks rule! π
As for Lucille, do you know if she freezes because she’s startled, anxious, angry, or just alert? Has she ever been socialized with other dogs? Dog parks are not necessarily socialization areas, they are run and play areas for dogs that choose to engage in it. But real socialization is done in a neutral place (a park is fine too), with little or no distractions, and with responsible owners who understand dog behavior, and can see when a dog is uncomfortable and needs to be isolated for a bit, or they know how to make the dogs associate good things with being good around other dogs. Some dogs naturally have “chemistry” and immediately become friends and engage in play. Some take more time to learn what they can and can’t do to other dogs. Normally they are good about letting each other know their boundaries and learn to respect them. Human supervision is always necessary though, as you never know. Anyway, sorry for the novel again. πFebruary 17, 2015 at 2:45 pm in reply to: Spaying/Neutering after maturity? + Dog Boxes? #66827 Report AbuseNaturellaMember@Oleanderz, we have the same dog puzzle at home! Bruno loves it! π And she is just adorable. She’s not huge, but probably still can be classified as a “large breed”? Idk… Sorry. We got just a small guy, and the roommate’s dog is about 55-60 lbs, but she doesn’t look too big either. I think the medium bags of each food should be lasting her about a month, no? How long does each of the large EB bags last her? Also, on sportdogfood.com all of the GF Victor bags come only in 30-lb bags, just FYI. But it’s still a great food, and even if all the other bags you feed are mediums, it’s fine if the Victor are the large ones.
Anyway, as for the tripling the toppers – I highly recommend buying this e-book: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK – it is just under $3.00 but very informative about adding fresh toppers (such as eggs, canned sardines, raw or cooked meat) and in what proportions based on the dog’s weight. You won’t necessarily have to triple the toppers just because she weighs 3 times more than Bruno – maybe double them, the book will tell you, particularly about the eggs and sardines. But, for example, Bruno used to eat 1/2 of what Casey (our roommate’s dog) eats, and she ate 2 cups of food/day, at 55-60 lbs. He ate 1 cup ever since we got him at under 10 lbs or so,
and a little pup. When I began introducing toppers, I put him on 3/4 cups of dry/day, and then added toppers and treats, and that was when we were exercising very vigorously in the summer. I think then he was getting a bit more than 1 cup dry calorie-wise, but he was burning it off and his body needed the extra boost. Now he’s at 1/2 cup dry with toppers (we’re not getting as much exercise :/ ), so calorie-wise he’s still at around 3/4-1 cup per day, and then the occasional treat. I watch more his body condition than weight, and speaking of, here is a good link for that too: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CDMQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fresearch.unc.edu%2Ffiles%2F2012%2F11%2FCCM3_032387.pdf&ei=M5jjVJCwLYOuggSfnoSwAw&usg=AFQjCNHtVxv9oSG6wDJy-eYgbHFmyKag_Q&sig2=T1KHIfunn_GiCqOKGXYcfg&bvm=bv.85970519,d.eXY 4-5 is ideal, so that’s what we strive to keep Bruno at. That’s what I should strive for myself, lol!And lol! Well, whatever works for you, your fam, and Luci! LoL. And good, glad we’ll be having you around! π
NaturellaMember@Oleanderz, I would probably be the odd man out here, because I don’t see most of what I do for Bruno as “spoiling” although others have told me that he is spoiled, lol. If I feed him good food with good toppers, take him to the dog park, play with him, do his nails, brush and bathe him, get him healthy treats and keep track of what treats he likes (it is pretty easy – he likes everything, lol), get him a new antler when the old one is almost chewed up, get him novel chews/toys, I don’t see any of it as spoiling. Now… we’re not really into dressing him up and probably wouldn’t buy him doggie shoes unless we lived somewhere real hot or real cold most of the year, so he only has one raincoat that he doesn’t like so he never wears, lol. Only clothes we would get him are probably NY Jets gear, lol! π
And we don’t really know his Birthday, but it is probably something like early March… March 1st maybe, IDK. So I can just pick a date, but I am so finicky, I can’t decide when I want to think he was born, lol. But I do know the day we adopted him, July 27th, 2013, so that’s his “gotcha” day and I didn’t celebrate it last year, but I want to from now on. I would probably feed him a balanced all-raw meal or something, go to the park/lake, let him run, play, swim, then wash him up and snuggle him up!
I guess one way we “spoil” him is that during the night he’s not allowed on our bed – he sleeps at the foot of the bed in his favorite bean bag, which used to be my husband’s desk chair, lol. Well, Bruno claimed it and we let him, especially because Brian has an office chair now. So Bruno has the bean bag, and a bed in the bathroom (Costco bed, really nice, washable covers), and a bed on the deck that used to be his bathroom bed till he started eating his RMBs on it, so now it’s an outside bed for that purpose, just to eat RMBs on. Nowadays he has dried chicken or duck feet inside instead of an RMB on Sunday, cause it’s been so cold, but when it warms back up, he will have his RMBs again!
But, back to the spoiling – in the morning, when we start waking up, Bruno wakes up too and sleepily staggers onto the bed and comes over to shower us with puppy kisses, and we snatch him up, put him under the covers with us, and snuggle him for some snooze time. He loves snoozing in our arms in the morning. He is so peaceful and cute when asleep/sleepy! So I guess that’s his daily spoiling. πNaturellaMemberAkari, I am so happy for Ginger! Don’t let her mood swings get you down! I am sure she loves you and your mom to bits! I hope they stay at or below 5% of the time only! So happy everything else is overall going well for her! The Purina JM diet must really work for her – who knew!
You are super duper cool to adopt her and show her that she is not disposable and unwanted! And I am sure she knows that! π
February 17, 2015 at 1:28 am in reply to: Spaying/Neutering after maturity? + Dog Boxes? #66812 Report AbuseNaturellaMember@Oleanderz, Lucille looks so cute in your pic! π But the link you posted says I don’t have permission to view it or something…
Yes, I would probably have her stay overnight. She won’t hate you, I promise. And yeah, I would say she is about medium… I think large breeds are the ones 50+ lbs when adults.
And awwh, you’re welcome! I hope it helps! I really tried to make it as diverse and balanced at possible. I would say that for a start, 4 brands are fine to rotate between. By the time you finish the suggested schedule, you can decide whether to repeat it or add more to the mix. I personally always add more, cause there are so many foods I want to try on Bruno, but many of the pros here stick to just a few brands and rotate between them and the flavors. I think 4 brands is a good start.
If Luci doesn’t have a grain allergy, it won’t hurt her to have grains again. It is only 2 formulas with grains anyway, and if you notice her reacting to them, just keep alternating between the Kinesis and RPM GFs.
Eggs: dogs’ digestive tracts are much shorter than ours, so the probability of them getting salmonella is much lower. They were meant to eat raw food. If it bugs you though, you can totally lightly or fully cook the whole egg and give it to her. You can use coconut or olive oil to cook it in, or no oil if you’re poaching it. It is, in fact, recommended that you lightly cook the egg white, and not cook the yolk at all, because there is an enzyme (I believe) in the egg white that could mess with the dog’s body properly absorbing the biotin in the yolk. If you cook the yolk, some of the biotin goes away too, is my understanding. So cook the egg white lightly. BTW, for Luci, I would probably give her 2 eggs together when I do give eggs, and a whole 3.5-oz can of sardines if I were to give her any. She is 3 times Bruno’s size after all. π
Now, for food storage and rotation. As long as you keep it in a dark, cool, dry place, as long as you use it up by the BEST BY date, you should be fine. I personally have a bit of a stocking-up (NOT hoarding… Not yet, hopefully not ever!) problem with dog food because of amazing deals, so I basically stocked up enough food to last Bru till the end of this year. Luckily, I will be able to use it by or close to the BEST BY dates. But for the future, I would probably still get 3-4 months’ worth at a time, depending on deals, because in case a food doesn’t work out for him and I have to scrap it, I don’t want him to be foodless till I order or buy the next bag. So, what you can do, is stock up with say, the first line of medium-sized bags of EB, Dr Tim’s, Nulo, and Victor (medium-sized should be good, just so you see how she’s taking it) and start going through them and when you get to the Nulo, order the next line. This way you will always have about 4-5 bags at a time in case something goes wrong. Plus, at all times there will be an EB there if she can’t or won’t eat any of the other foods. But I hope she likes them!
As for the keeping track – make sure your family doesn’t feel like Big Brother is watching, lol. It is mostly important for feeding to keep track of times, amounts, and toppers, etc., as well as making sure no treats are given till she learns to eat her food quickly when put down. It shouldn’t take her too long. After that, still make sure she’s not getting too many treats to make her skip her next meal. And that’s about it. Exercising with a dog can be fun, so I’m sure someone will do something with daily, it doesn’t have to be super tracked, but you can do it if you want. I probably will track everything one day when we have kids and another dog though, lol! But that’s still far in the future.
One last thing that I’m sure you probably know, but I will just throw out there – all the foods in Luci’s future rotation, including EB, are pretty calorie-dense (Especially Dr. Tim’s Momentum). So keep track of how much she is being fed also, because she may just be one of those dogs that can self-regulate and between possibly too much food and too many treats, she is skipping meals. Use the bag feeding guidelines as a guideline only, not as a rule, and just adjust accordingly. She should have a waist when looked at from above, and her ribs should be easily-felt.
I am happy if I have been able to help with anything. Please do stay around in the forums, keep us posted, and let us know if you have any more questions! π
February 16, 2015 at 7:53 pm in reply to: Spaying/Neutering after maturity? + Dog Boxes? #66767 Report AbuseNaturellaMemberHahahaha, Dori… I see your point also, and true, little buddies also do have to go out, but I would rather deal with him and do my research from the warmth of my home than go outside and drive around and take a test (main reason I want the ice/snow, lol)! I have also seriously considered wee wee pads a few times, but it may just be too late for Bruno to be trained with them also, lol.
February 16, 2015 at 7:50 pm in reply to: Beams/Catfish Skin, Pancreatitis Risk? #66766 Report AbuseNaturellaMember@lovemypuppy, I am not a BT pro, but I have a Jack Russell-Rat Terrier-looking mix of sorts (small dog at 15lbs), and I also fed him the Beams since 1 month after we got him, at about 5-ish, or 6 months. I probably would feed them to a younger puppy as well – they are a healthy and natural chew, and they really helped Bruno’s coat a lot! He probably didn’t get more than 3 in one week anyway as I was alternating with bully sticks, antlers, etc. So I probably wouldn’t worry about it. But maybe someone else will be able to chime in with better explanations.
February 16, 2015 at 7:29 pm in reply to: Spaying/Neutering after maturity? + Dog Boxes? #66747 Report AbuseNaturellaMemberCheryl, I literally laughed out loud with true sincerity! π Thank you so much for the kind words! I am not amazing, lol, but I do try to stay organized. However, I can be flexible too – I would skip a food in a heartbeat if it smells funny, Bruno doesn’t eat it, or it makes him sick. I’ve done it too, with Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit. It just did not work out. Oh well.
Also, 2 of his weekly meals, chosen at random, are just plain kibble eaten from a puzzle toy of some sort, just for entertainment and brain stimulation. Or fed during a training session. I use kibble as treats, and I use samples of various other foods than his main food at the time being to add variety, so sometimes the dry meals are all “treats” (different kibble), some “treats”, some normal food, or all normal food. On Tuesdays I will be trying to use a fish-based kibble as his meal (I used to do it on Saturdays, when he got Sardines anyway, but too much fish in one day is probably not as good as some fish twice/week), so Tuesdays he will be getting a fish-based kibble from my samples stash.
Dori, hoarding some THK and Orijen (for us kibble-feeders) may not be too bad of an idea. Especially today as we are supposed to be iced-in in GA. I hope we are and I hope schools and Universities are closed tomorrow. I want a day off mid-week-ish. So rebellious! LoL! π
***EDIT*** – Oh, and Cheryl – wouldn’t it be nice if they could just tell us what they want to eat on a particular meal from the closet/fridge/freezer? It would be soo much easier on us! π But, they can’t… So they just get what they can, and we just try to make it as healthy, yummy, and diversified as possible. π
- This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Naturella.
February 15, 2015 at 11:11 pm in reply to: Spaying/Neutering after maturity? + Dog Boxes? #66695 Report AbuseNaturellaMember@Oleanderz, you were right, Dr. Tim’s does come in 5-lb bags at chewy.com!!! Woohoo!!! Happy me! π
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