[DogFoodie]

I believe the recommendation for milk thistle after Ivermectin differs quite a bit from the recommendation for milk thistle after Milbemycin, so I wanted to be certain.

[DogFoodie]

After all of the recent conversation about heartworm and preventative, I decided to have my dogs tested having been of their preventative since October. It was probably too soon with it not being six months, but they were negative and I feel better.

So, moving forward, I discussed preventative with my integrative vet and I decided on Sentinel. I had hoped to use Heartgard and Springtime Bug Off Garlic, but Sam seemed to react to the BOG and began developing a yeasty ear shortly after he started taking it, so I had to stop it and consider my alternatives.

I’m trying to recall what the recommendation was for milk thistle after Milbemycin. I tried to find it, but couldn’t. Can anyone help me with this, please?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by DogFoodie.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Isabel,

Try visiting this thread:/forums/topic/grain-and-potato-free-dog-foods/.

The list contains grain and white potato free foods. Some, but not all of the products listed do contain sweet potato, but at least it gets you started by eliminating two of your problem ingredients.

[DogFoodie]

The first time I bought coconut oil, I made the mistake of buying refined coconut oil. Make sure it’s unrefined coconut oil or it won’t have the same healthful benefits.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Isabel,

There are plenty of other grain and white potato free foods. Are you looking for others?

[DogFoodie]

Lilypeppers,

Evolve has been reviewed here: /dog-food-reviews/evolve-dog-food-dry/

[DogFoodie]

I definitely would’ve been annoyed at that too, Jon. I hardly ever carry any cash and put everything on one particular credit card. At the end of the month, I have one bill to pay. I would’ve also driven there assuming they’d take a credit card. Maybe some smaller feed and hardware stores that sell Victor don’t ~ I could see that being the case.

41 miles isn’t bad, I drive almost that far to work. I’m glad you found someplace that will work for you. In the meantime, keep working on that local feed store near you!

Oh, and did you find the expiration date on the bag?

Edit: Doh! You don’t have any on hand right now, do you? Nevermind!

[DogFoodie]

I recall the Victor dates were fairly hard to find. I just looked at a bag I have on hand and found the expiration date below the label on the back of the bag. It’s all the way down at the bottom of the bag if it were empty and laid out flat.

I started a spreadsheet sort by best by date when I started accumulating a lot of kibble in order to make sure I used up what I had on hand while it was still at its freshest.

[DogFoodie]

OK, this article is older now, but I find myself referring to it constantly: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/who-makes-what-in-pet-food

[DogFoodie]

It’s the Kobe line that I understand is made be Evanger’s.

I have a can sitting on the kitchen counter that I’m afraid to open.

Pretty consistently I’ve found that Evanger’s does private party labeling for Party Animal, Wild Calling, some Weruva and Great Life. I would suspect there are others.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by DogFoodie.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jon,

That’s how far it would be for me to buy Victor in the store as well. You do know that you can order it from Amazon, right. It’s more expensive because you get “free” shipping. You won’t like the price because I know what you’ve been paying in the store and the difference is significant. You can also order Victor from sportdogfood.com.

If I couldn’t get that local store to carry Victor and the food was what worked best for my dog, I’d make the drive two or three times per year and stock up.

If you’re near a TSC, you might try Grain Free 4Health. The two newest varieties, pork and duck, are made by Diamond so I’d skip those; but, the other three proteins are made by Ainsworth, so I would choose one of those. I’d check out Earthborn Holistics and NutriSource as those are both affordable and widely available. Dr. Tim’s is also a great budget friendly food and if you can’t find it in a store near you, you can easily find it online.

Sorry your store stopped carrying your food. It’s better to rotate through a variety of foods of different brands and proteins anyway, so maybe find a couple you like and add them into a rotation with Victor when you can get it.

[DogFoodie]

I can buy ZiwiPeak locally, but have also ordered it online. I believe I used to get it from Petflow, but Chewy has better prices on it. It’s crazy expensive! I used to feed it to Bella (both the canned and the air dried) before Sam came along. There’s no way I could afford to feed it to the two of them regularly.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by DogFoodie.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Dori,

I’ve fed ZiwiPeak canned. It’s a great product. Very dense. I know it’s not, but it looks and smells much like a commercial raw product.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jan,

I’m so glad you responded! I knew I recalled that you weren’t pleased with Merrick and while I mis-stated it had caused GI upset, I now recall that it was more of a QC issue after reading your post.

I definitely believe that a product has to pass the sleep test. If my gut instinct causes me angst and worry, I won’t use it. I really have to feel confident in products that I choose. So, I think I’ll continue to take a pass on Merrick.

I”ve also tried Victor and unfortunately, it didn’t work for Sam. We tried the GF ALS formula in the red bag. It worked fine for Bella, but Sam doesn’t seem to do well on foods with lots of fruits and veggies, which it had. I would however, recommend it to others. It was great to find a fish free food though! There are plenty of other products; ie: Merrick, that the entire product line contains either fish or fish meal that I’d love him to try, but can’t. I also bought a bag of Victor Lamb Meal & Brown Rice, which is closer to a more limited ingredient food and its also fish free. I’m going to try that after he finished what he’s eating now, which is Canine Caviar.

[DogFoodie]

I’m not able to print it either. That’s frustrating, I know. I did however discover that you can copy and paste it into another document type, I use Word Perfect, and then print that.

[DogFoodie]

Unfortunately, Farmina isn’t available in the U.S. and therefore doesn’t meet the widely available criteria for EC selections.

[DogFoodie]

I’ll post it again in case something got cut off or messed up: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

It’s a Google document, I think someone said you might have to be registered with Google to open it.

[DogFoodie]

Darn it, I looked through every single Merrick dry product and every last one of them contains fish or fish oil. Many of them also contains lots of fruits and veggies, which Sam also doesn’t seem to do well on. There are so many things I’d like Bella to try, but I can’t justify buying more while she still has Sam’s hand me downs. It would be so much more fun to have two dogs that can eat almost anything like Bella. Poor Sam.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Tina,

Here’s the most recent list of foods with appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/preview?pli=1

You’ll want to call the manufacturers to find out about the Sodium levels.

[DogFoodie]

LOL Patty! Me too. : )

[DogFoodie]

I’m curious… how do you guys feel about Merrick? I had a bag and returned it unopened when lots of others were talking about GI symptoms for their dogs that had previously done well on it. I believe I recall Jan saying that she had decided to discontinue Merrick as a result. I’ve looked at their products plenty of times, but think Sam couldn’t handle most of them due to his intolerances. But, I am still curious.

So, for actual users of the product, I’d love your input.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Laurie A,

Those are both great suggestions. I agree, both are wonderful products.

Last Fall, I wanted very badly to try Answers. I thought I had found a local retailer for the product, but she had just stopped carrying the raw product and carried the goat’s milk only. Answers is fairly hard to find and I know that Dr. Mike took into consideration how readily available products were. I don’t know for certain, but would think that the lack of ease of availability could hurt its chances here.

[DogFoodie]

Ditto Naturella!

Hey, Dr. Mike, remember when we had the option to upvote posts in the forum? It seems like it was only for a short time in the very beginning, but I’d love to have that option again.

[DogFoodie]

The thing that concerns me about Weruva is that Evanger’s is the co-packer for some of their formulas. Maybe that’s why it was passed over.

[DogFoodie]

Doh! Indeed it is! : )

I went back to look and see if NutriSource was on the list, but my brain skipped right over the Earthborn when I did. To me, for some reason, NutriSource and Earthborn always go hand in hand.

[DogFoodie]

I believe Diamond makes the Solid Gold foods that contain bison like Just a Wee Bit and Wolf King. Still, I like Solid Gold and would feel so much better about them if they’d sever ties with Diamond completely.

What about Artemis? I believe that’s a Diamond product.

Oh, and we now know that the two newest 4Health Grain Free formulas, pork and duck, are made by Diamond while currently the other grain free formulas are made by Ainsworth.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Donna,

I’m far from having read all the content on here so far, so I didn’t recall seeing anything in particular about Artemis changing; but isn’t Artemis made by Diamond? I would be surprised to see a Diamond product on the EC list due to their recall history.

[DogFoodie]

I bet that had something to do with the original launch date Cyndi. Dr. Mike will be glad that you pointed it out so soon.

[DogFoodie]

Two brands I think are great that didn’t make the list of budget friendly foods are NutriSource and Earthborn Holistics.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Weezerweeks,

The granules were more cost effective, but if you only have one small dog the chewables might not be that much more expensive and worth the convenience. That said, I’m not finding the the granules inconvenient at all. My 20 lb. dog gets a total of one scoop once daily. I divide it 1/2 scoop each meal. Whatever they’re eating, even if it’s dry kibble, doesn’t matter ~ it seems to stick and gets eaten right up.

The granules are just garlic and the chewables are garlic, but also contain nutritional yeast and beef liver. Something to keep in mind in case your pup can’t have either of those things.

[DogFoodie]

Hi losul,

I don’t know the answer to your question, but take a look at these links and see if you find anything useful:

Homepage

http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-dogs (go to the studies tab and scroll down to the bottom of the page)

Also, I found this: “Whether frozen garlic has any appreciable health benefits or not is a function of whether it is frozen whole or chopped or crushed first. Garlic that is frozen whole has few, if any, health benefits as the alliinase is neutralized by the cold and while it remains flavorful, the polysulfides never form. On the other hand, if you crush or finely chop garlic and wait about 15 minutes before freezing, it will have formed the allicin and the sulfides will form upon thawing and result in the health benefits that studies have shown for garlic.” http://www.enonvalleygarlic.com/About_Garlic.html

Also, I remember a while ago, several people had some great secrets for super easy ways to peel garlic. Maybe they’ll share their secret again here!

[DogFoodie]

I think what I’ll do is stop the BOG and see what happens with his ears.

We happen to be headed to the vet this afternoon for SNAP 4DX tests and heartworm medication. I’ll talk to the vet about (gulp) combination products, just in case the BOG is the problem.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Marie: Yep, I’m using the granules. I almost hope it’s the Canine Caviar and not the Bug Off Garlic since I accidentally doubled my order and am the proud owner of six huge jars of the stuff! LOL! Not really….

Hi Dori: Sam’s reactions to stuff usually happen fairly quickly. I do have confidence in the Springtime product and believe it’s very safe to use. I know a lot of folks here have used it with no problem AND with great success. They even carry it for sale in the holistic vet’s office where I go to see Sam’s chiropractor. Sam has eaten some foods recently and had a reaction to them, that he ate previously without any problem. I’d hate for it to be the CC since that’s one of two foods he “was” able to eat without a reaction. Like Patty said, it’s a matter of Sam’s food intolerance issues and NOT a Springtime issue. Just follow the Springtime directions and start slowly, giving your pups just a sprinkle for the first week or so and gradually increasing their dose. I hit Bella with a little too much, too soon and she had some loose stool, but is totally fine now.

[DogFoodie]

I can’t believe what I’m seeing! Sam was doing fine on the Canine Caviar, one of two foods that work for him.

I added in the Bug Off Garlic and within a week, he’s flapping his ears, which are now gunky. So, either the CC wasn’t working or he can’t do the Bug Off Garlic.

I’m getting so frustrated!

[DogFoodie]

Dori, I’d definitely agree with Patty about the horse connection. My Dr. Dan doesn’t even have his own office, he works out of a couple different clinics, some boutique pet stores, etc. A large part of his practice consists of making house calls on horses!

[DogFoodie]

I was really curious about their Longevity product. I like that it contains both bee pollen and spirulina.

[DogFoodie]

DC means licensed Doctor of Chiropractic.

[DogFoodie]

Dr. Dan was a referral from my regular vet. My regular vet practices integrative medicine. I just remembered that my vet used to work at Natural Family Pet, Dr. Becker’s clinic (which is also not too far from me), before she came to the city in which I live. Maybe ask your traditional vet if she works with lasers. Anyway, I started out with Dr. Dan because I was worrying about Sam’s limping on his front leg (which was pano) and his right front leg sometimes trembles.

Did you look at the ACVA link, here are the doctors in Georgia with several near you (I once lived in the South so I have a general idea where you are):

M. Spencer Newman DVM Marietta GA 404-822-1110
Heidi Bockhold DC Kingston GA 678-207-6678 drheidi@bellsouth.net
Kara Yarbrough DC Marietta GA 678-612-4488 drkaraoconnor@yahoo.com
Evelyn Laura Orenbuch DVM Marietta GA 678-803-2626
Charlene Kickbush DVM Bishop GA 706-769-0230 kickbushdvm@earthlink.net
Gaile Daley DC Pendergrass GA 770-851-7849 http://www.heartfelthealingarts.com
Kimberly Neff DVM Cumming GA 770-906-1030 http://www.horsesnhoundsvet.com
Bill Connolly DVM Snellville GA 770-972-0447
Karen Voss DC Savannah GA 912-312-2046 vosschiropractic@earthlink.net

Very exciting stuff!

I’m running off to church and will check in with you when I return!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Dori,

I would totally look into that if I were you! I started taking Sam to a TCVM who practices both (actually my regular vet does acupuncture too, but she suggested that I see the other vet) and I felt like it helped Sam a great deal. Sam would come home after an adjustment and be so calm and just nap away. When Sam starts limping, I take him in for a recheck. When I was dealing with food intolerance and the resulting reoccurring ear issues, my TCVM helped me with that as well and actually, chiropractic adjustments can help with some of those symptoms as well also. I give it a big thumbs up! Wish you were close to me, I’d take you to my guy. : ) http://www.avcadoctors.com/avcadus.htm

Edit: Actually, I know that laser therapy is something that my vets do quite a bit of for joint pain / issues also. I’m also adding a link to my vet, even though I know you aren’t close to me, I seem to recall he had some interesting info on his website. You can see him do an adjustment on a horse! http://evetclinic.com/

[DogFoodie]

Hi guys,

I just received the Springtime Inc., 2014 Spring flyer this past week. It had a lot of very interesting education type information in it.

I just pulled it out and found this page, which is also on their website: http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-dogs. Click on the “studies” tab and take a look in particular at the yellow-ish colored box toward the middle of the page that begins with “Conclusion.” Also, if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this same page, you’ll see they’ve provided links to a bunch of different garlic studies.

I think also the reason that the Springtime garlic products are safe is because they don’t contain the allicin that fresh garlic does. Ah ha, found the article on their site I was looking for: http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-horses. Again, click on the studies tab and scroll down to an article titled, Top U.S. Garlic Expert.”

After reading the flyer this week, I feel much better about giving my dogs this product daily.

[DogFoodie]

Well, not proud to say that lately I’ve been feeding about 95% kibble and the remaining 5% is dehydrated or raw. I still have a load of Darwin’s in the freezer, so they still get a weekly meal of raw. I continue to feed an occasional bit of Dr. Harvey’s Oracle mixed in with the kibble and water.

I’ve been trying so hard to find kibbles that work for Sam with his intolerance issues, that I’ve been feeding straight kibble to see how he responds without adding anything to it. For various reasons, I cannot do raw full-time, and I choose to continue to use kibble as a base. So, there are frequently meals that he eats just kibble to which I’ve added water. Right now, I am basically down to two kibbles that Sam can eat… big sigh… He can eat Canine Caviar (either lamb or chicken with pearl millet) and Mulligan Stew (lamb only). Even things that he used to do well on aren’t working for him anymore so I’ve had to scratch Horizon Legacy and Nature’s Logic from his rotation.

[DogFoodie]

I plan to start this evening! I decided to mix mine in with a bit of Oracle tripe while they’re getting used to the taste of it.

I believe the jar said that it takes from two to four weeks for the garlic to permeate the tissues. I can only hope the weather breaks within a month. This winter has been just horrible.

Thanks for your feedback on the human products too, Jan. So glad you’re having some relief! What a blessing! I have lots of herniations in both my neck and lower back and I know how miserable a sciatica flare up can be. Like you, even if it’s a placebo at work, bring it on… I’ll take it!

[DogFoodie]

So, is the consensus that it’s safe to give Bug Of Garlic daily during flea season? I plan to start it this week and the recommendation is to give it daily.

Even though we still have snow on the ground and in the forecast and the high today was 17 degrees, I am a person of faith and I truly believe Spring will eventually arrive!

[DogFoodie]

I’d agree that bacon is gimmicky, but I wonder why they feel pork is “not great” for dogs.

[DogFoodie]

That threw me off also (Simply Nourish at a boutique store). Isn’t that the PetSmart house brand?

[DogFoodie]

I would definitely take it back also. If it were one small bag that I’d get rid of quickly, I might go ahead and feed it (assuming that it looked and smelled OK and my dogs gave it their ultimate approval), but you’re talking about 171 pounds of food here!

There is a way to calculate the manufacture date based on the expiration date and the estimated shelf life of the product. So, for those that have a shelf life of 18 months that are three months past their expiration date, you’re talking about food that was manufactured close to two years ago! Even sealed, in the bag, fats can go rancid when something is that old. What if it wasn’t stored properly at the store, that can decrease even the 18 month shelf life.

I started accumulating a little too much kibble, so I made a spreadsheet of everything I had on hand ordered by expiration date so that it can be used well prior to then. I’m sorry that I’ve accumulated what I have because it should be the goal to buy and use the freshest food possible.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/17_2/features/five-common-mistakes-buying-feeding-dry-food_20910-1.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/7_10/features/Dog-Food-Expiring_15658-1.html

[DogFoodie]

Oh Jan, that’s so great! I’m really excited for you!

I don’t dare look, because it would be too tempting to add another Cavalier to my home. They’re just so sweet!

[DogFoodie]

After having two dogs at once, I’d never want to have just one again. My two are best buddies. : )

[DogFoodie]

Beard? What kind of dog is he? I thought maybe he was a Schnauzer or a breed that might have some unique nutritional needs.

If you’re in a position to have to do a quick switch, I’d give NutriSource Adult Chicken & Rice a big thumbs up.

[DogFoodie]

Hi traceearsena,

Are you kidding? The best part about all of this snow is that it covers up the poop! I figure it’ll be there when the snow melts. Tell your hubby to have some hot chocolate and chill. ; )

I tend to agree with Sandy, maybe it’s just that the food doesn’t agree with him. If I were you, I think I’d try a different brand altogether. While there are obvious differences from one Earthborn variety to another, there are still a lot of similarities. And, I’ll second the Victor recommendation Melissa made. I have a Golden with a sensitive system and a fish / fish oil intolerance. He needs just the right amount of fiber or he ends up with loose stools. Right now, he’s eating Victor Grain Free ALS (the one in the red bag) and its doing great on it. It’s fish and fish oil free, the fiber is right and it contains montmorillonite, a natural stool hardener.

My Sam was having a reaction to his previous food, so I made a quick switch to the Victor and his stool has been perfect. Plus the upside, it’s very budget friendly.

[Author]

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