[DogFoodie]

My Golden was cryptorchid and as a result, at just 10 months, I ended up having to have him neutered far earlier than I intended. My integrative vet recommended not waiting due to the increased risk of cancer. The undescended testicle was in the worst possible place, but he came home with just a tiny incision. At the hands on a skilled surgeon, Sam’s surgery and recovery went very smoothly.

[DogFoodie]

A six week old pup should not be away from its mother and littermates.

Do you just have one pup, or the mother and litter?

[DogFoodie]

I use Nutiva all the time. I’ve never had an issue with mold. I have it on Amazon Subscribe and Save.

[DogFoodie]

Oh my gosh!! They’re so, so cute aren’t they. Such beautiful markings. They always remind me of my tri-color Cavalier, just in a much larger package!

[DogFoodie]

I agree with Aquariangt, it’s more healthful to leave them intact longer.

What about checking into alternative forms of sterilization. Zuetering for males, tubal ligation leaving ovaries for females, etc.

A very big decision! You’re wise to obviously be putting so much thought into this decision. You’ll make the right choice for the health of your pets.

[DogFoodie]

All of Champion’s products, both Acana and Orijen, are included on the list, Leland.

/reports/champion-petfoods/

[DogFoodie]

Hi Kenneth,

Personally, I wouldn’t touch an Evangers canned product with a 10 foot pole. Evangers has a horrible history of quality control. DNA tests conducted on their products confirmed proteins other than what was on the label being in the can. They have major sanitation issues at their product facility. When charged criminally for stealing utilities at their plant, they attempted to bribe witnesses. Etc…

[DogFoodie]

It might be the fish or even the potato in the Wellness, Jen. Try a different recipe. I couldn’t use Wellness at all because it all has fish oil in it. Check the fiber on the Wellness also. It seems like fiber is pretty high in most of their dry products. I just checked, it’s only 5%, which isn’t terribly high. One of my dog’s worst ingredients for loose stool is flax and the Wellness contains flax also.

I do understand your frustration. I’ve been at this for three years with my pup! One of the most useful tools I found to determine his problems ingredients was a journal. Save the ingredient panels for each and every food you feed him and make notes. Pretty soon, the common (problem) ingredients will start to pop out at you.

Edit: My dog’s original vet gave me I/D when my dog developed loose stool, too. It’s pretty common (the prescribing of I/D for loose stool and yes, I agree, it’s garbage). I now know that my dog was already having food intolerance issues at that point, possibly aggravated by vaccinosis.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by DogFoodie.

[DogFoodie]

OK, it sounds like you’re saying that your dog tested negative for EPI, which was my first concern. If he’s gaining weight and growing normally otherwise, I’d lean toward a food intolerance. Digestive enzymes and probiotics still might prove beneficial. Plain, canned pumpkin helps, too; but you need to remove the food first. Be sure you aren’t overfeeding (that’s a very common cause of loose stool). You can also fast him for a bit, which helps to rest the gut.

I’d switch him to a food with a different, single, protein and starch source. Keep track of every food you feed him and make notes about his reactions to them. This is how I narrowed down my dog’s sensitivities. Also keep in mind that sensitivities can be to a lot of different ingredients. My boy can’t have any fish or fish oil, garlic, chickpeas, lentils, garlic, barley, millet or flax. He tends to have a sensitive digestive system and does better with lower fiber foods and does well on Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet. That might be a good place to start.

I can tell you what I’ve found that works for me if you’d like, but if your dog is intolerant of an ingredient in one of those foods, they’re obviously not an option for you. I’d pick a very limited ingredient food and start with that. Merrick, California Natural, Natural Balance and Wellness Simple are a few other brands you might want to check out.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jen,

Your vet has run full fecal testing, I presume? You said he was eating the Canidae for “months” before the diarrhea started. How many months would you say that was? What Canidae recipe was he eating when the diarrhea started? What food/s was he eating prior to the Canidae and did he ever have loose stool before that which started while on the Canidae? Did the vet confirm a diagnosis for which the Rx food was prescribed – if so what was that and what is the food that was prescribed? OK, last question, has your dog been gaining weight and growing / gaining weight “normally?”

My first thought was that he may have had an intolerance to something in the Canidae and then again to something in the Wellness. Could be the same problem ingredient, could be different ingredients. You could try plain, canned pumpkin during a very slow transition to the new food along with Perfect Form by The Honest Kitchen.

[DogFoodie]

I wouldn’t touch anything canned by Evangers.

Recently though, I did contact Evangers to ask how manufactured their dry diets. Brett Sher responded immediately and confirmed that Mid-America Pet Foods in Texas co-packs their dry diets. On principal, I would generally not use anything Evangers, but with my dog with an abundance of food intolerance issues, I have to consider all options.

[DogFoodie]

The only fermented food I can think of might be Answers. I’m a big advocate of fermented foods too! For Christmas, I have my dad a big batch of kimchi, a set of airlock jars and a book of fermented food recipes! I’m waiting for him to whip me up a batch of something!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Maikwe,

I’m still curious about the raw food you mentioned!

[DogFoodie]

I would definitely use fish oil over flax oil. Dogs aren’t efficient converters of ALA to DHA.

For my dog that is fish intolerant, I use organic algae oil.

[DogFoodie]

What other foods do you feed that’s fermented, Maikwe?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Chris,

I’ve used, for myself and my dogs, Thorne Research and Standard Process supplements. My vets, both of whom are integrative, recommend their products as well.

Thorne Research: https://shop.thorne.com/products/veterinary/all-veterinary-products
Standard Process: http://www.standardprocess.com/Veterinary-Formulas

[DogFoodie]

I didn’t see that Karen mentioned shots, LM. Was that in another thread or something?

Karen, I would suggest adding the coconut oil, but would offer it with meals by mouth rather than topically.

Also, shouldn’t you be pointing out that you’re one of the owners of the company when you post, MaggiesDad? Each time I see one of your posts, the way it’s written appears as though you’re a consumer. That seems a little misleading (not to mention spamming).

I looked at the Allprovide product once, unfortunately, it has added fish oils and other ingredients to which my sensitive dog reacts.

[DogFoodie]

Have you ever tried a limited ingredient food, Karen? I’m not a fan of Blue Buffalo at all and guaranteed, your girl is eating chicken if she’s eating Blue Buffalo products. But, keep in mind, food sensitivities like your girl has can be the result of exposure to problem ingredients far beyond chicken and grains. For example, one of mine can’t have fish (including fish oil), flax, chickpeas, lentil, tomato, garlic, barley or millet. Right now, he’s eating Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Duck. He’s doing well, but has recently developed what appear to be seasonal allergies – which yours could be as well. I’m using some supplements (Quercetin with Bromelain and Papain), but something as simple as a foot rinse each time he comes back in from outside helps eliminate the pollen that he tracks into the house.

How old is your pup and how long has she been having sensitivities? How long has she been eating the food she’s eating currently.

Even if the vet thinks it’s not the food, it’s worth a try and easy enough to change.

[DogFoodie]

I think it comes down primarily to portion size. And yes, some dogs “do better” on higher protein, lower carbs, etc.; so, yes, it’s also about finding the combination of nutrients that works for your dog. If you cut your current portion, you might see some better results. Remember to include the “extras” in their total daily intake. Especially with smaller dogs, it’s easy to overfeed.

You didn’t mention whether or not you were a kibble feeder, but currently I’m feeding this to my Cavalier, who is a notorious little piggy and gains weight very easily: http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=dog&pid=93

I’ve had great success with the Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight. My Arabella has lost the weight finally! This food has fewer calories than a lot of the high quality foods that you might have been feeding.

[DogFoodie]

If you don’t remove the offending ingredients, regardless of what supplements you add to your dog’s diet, the reaction isn’t going to stop. Also, keep in mind that sensitivities can also be environmental.

[DogFoodie]

You can copy and paste the information into a Word document and print that. It won’t look as pretty, but at least you’ll have all the information.

You should also be able to register with Google docs and then be able to print.

[DogFoodie]

This is the list of foods that have appropriate Calcium levels for a large breed puppy: https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

You would just need to research what the prices would be in your area.

[DogFoodie]

My three favorite “senior” foods are Wellness Core Reduced Fat, Go! Fit+Free Senior and Orijen Senior. All three are quality products made by manufacturers I trust, of quality ingredients. All have protein in excess of 30% and a bit less fat, but still high quality fats.

[DogFoodie]

Sometimes when it asks me to sign in again, I just refresh the page and somehow magically, I’m signed in.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Kathleen,

If you click on your own screen name, you’ll have an option to click on all of your posts. I think this might be the one you’re looking for: /forums/topic/poultry-free-grain-free-help/

[DogFoodie]

Not all dogs need a lot of fiber. One of mine is fine with high fiber, the other (which is also the one with several food intolerances) would get terrible loose stool with high fiber.

Orijen is far from limited ingredient. Multiple animal proteins, plus all the extras… you’d be hard pressed to figure out what the dog was reacting to if the Orijen didn’t agree with him/her.

[DogFoodie]

Take a look at Wellness Core Reduced Fat.

I was just looking at several varieties of Addiction canned foods last night that might work for you, too.

[DogFoodie]

Oh Drew,

I have to say, I avoid Evanger’s like the plague. I don’t trust the company. At. All. I live in the Chicago area and Evanger’s has made the news here in the most unfortunate sort of way. Evanger’s is located in Wheeling, Illilnois, a suburb of Chicago.

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm255000.htm

City Sues Evanger’s Pet Food Plant for Putrid Stench of Rotting Meat, Maggots, Waste, Open Sewers

Busted! Owner of Evanger’s arrested on felony charges

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-09/news/chi-man-accused-of-trying-to-bribe-witness-20130209_1_bribe-witness-power-lines-gas-flow

Update on FDA’s Warning Letter to Evanger’s Pet Food

Oops…More to the Evangers Story

http://truthaboutpetfood.com/tag/evangers-pet-food/

[DogFoodie]

My Golden has developed what I believe are seasonal allergies for the first time this spring. Our local Chicago weather-people tell us that pollen levels this spring are the highest in 20 years.

I’m getting ready to start my dog on Quecertin with Bromelain and Papain. I’m already using coconut oil and algae oil (the best I can do for Omegas since my guy can’t have fish oil). All help with seasonal allergies.

[DogFoodie]

Try this: http://dogfoodwizard.com/

It’s still under construction and isn’t foolproof, but definitely a good starting place.

[DogFoodie]

My dog that is intolerant of fish has always turned up his nose at fish foods as well, even long before I confirmed his sensitivity. You’re better off adding delicate Omega 3 oils to your dog’s food just before serving. The fats in fish based kibbles oxidize and go rancid more quickly anyway.

[DogFoodie]

Does that “Dog Allergy International Group,” still exist? I thought I found it once on Facebook and requested to join, but maybe never been approved. I can’t find it on Facebook at all and the links you provide are all to a secure page that can’t be accessed.

[DogFoodie]

Orijen Senior would be a good choice. It offers the higher level of quality protein that seniors need while lowering fat a bit and increasing fiber. While any “all life stages” food would be appropriate, this is just one option. It’s far from the limited ingredient food you were feeding though and occasionally, when you have a dog with one food sensitivity, it’s not unusual to end up with more.

Here are the ingredients: Boneless chicken*, chicken meal, chicken liver*, whole herring*, turkey meal, boneless turkey*, turkey liver*, whole eggs*, boneless walleye*, whole salmon, chicken heart*, chicken cartilage*, herring meal, salmon meal, pea fiber, chicken liver oil, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, yams*, chickpeas, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, blueberries*, kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

Protein – 38 %
Fat – 15 %
Fiber – 8 %

[DogFoodie]

I’m not a Blue user either, on principle.

It could also be stress or over-nutrition.

Did you just being her home?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Susan,

It could be a reaction to an ingredient in the food she’s eating. Probiotics and reducing carbs are a good start. I’d do everyone I could to avoid the oral steroids, which in addition to masking symptoms, can cause problems of their own. I have a dog with both food and seasonal sensitivities – no true allergies, that’s entirely different. I’m getting ready to start my dog on quercetin with papain and bromelian. Quercetin is a natural antihistamine which works synergistically with the enzymes. Something else I wonder about with your dog is thyroid. Has he had blood work and a complete thyroid panel? Fish oil can also help calm the itch. My dog is sensitive to fish and fish oil, so unfortunately for me, that’s not an option.

Sorry for the sketchy post, I’m running out the door!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Chris,

Beneful contains some ingredients which are essentially addictive.

How long has your dog been eating Earthborn and how long was s/he eating Beneful?

[DogFoodie]

Here’s information from a source I trust: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/milk-thistle-for-your-dog/

Dosing information is at the end of the article.

[DogFoodie]

Yes, that’s it! Thanks BD!

[DogFoodie]

We had a conversation about this a while back (probably a year or two ago now), and I hope some of the others who recall it weigh in also.

There is also reason to believe that milk thistle can slow the transit time of certain types of heartworm preventatives. So, it is important to wait for several days for the medication to clear the liver before offering milk thistle.

Sorry I don’t recall the details. I look for more information when I have a chance, but I’m in a rush right now!

[DogFoodie]

There used to be a “report” button, but it seems like it was removed because people said that were accidentally flagging posts when they meant to hit reply. If it would give you the option to confirm the flag before submitting (like on the review side) that would solve the problem.

[DogFoodie]

I think she’s working on it!

[DogFoodie]

Amy G, do you have an actual brick and mortar store, or is yours a virtual storefront?

[DogFoodie]

According to her website, Amy G. is an “Independent Field Representative” for Life’s Abundance. Why do LA reps always try to be so sneaky? We see right through it every single time. The way they project themselves diminishes the product’s credibility in my mind.

[DogFoodie]

I think you’re referring to the FreshPet Select bagged meals that I mentioned previously.

As I said, I use them and like them. Use, they do have to be refrigerated and used within seven days of opening the bag.

[DogFoodie]

Nope, it’s crunchy kibble. It does look good and apparently smells tasty also. I’m eager to give it a try!

It’s my guess that they’re competing with the soon to be released TruFood Wellness products.

[DogFoodie]

The only reason I didn’t think think she was talking about the Fresh Baked was because that’s definitely like a kibble. It’s not soft, it’s crunchy. We were talking about it recently and it does have fairly low meat based protein and is pretty pea protein heavy. I did pick up a bag for my Cavalier, but haven’t opened it yet. I’m going to use it next. The bag has little pin-holes on the sides and my pup was sniffing around it like crazy this morning!

[DogFoodie]

I’m not sure which FreshPet formula you’re referring to in particular, but in general, I like the product very much. I use it occasionally in my rotation and would use it more frequently if my wouldn’t be so expensive to feed it to my big dog. My dogs like it, and their stool quality is excellent when they eat it. I prefer the Select Grain Free bag meals (as opposed to the chubs) simply for convenience. I’m eager to try their new Vital Raw Patties. I’ll occasionally pick up a big to mix things up a bit for a day.

[DogFoodie]

Excess Calcium contributes to skeletal disorders, NOT protein.

First, read this article recently published by Dr. Mike: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

Take a look at this thread and read at least the first several pages (taking particular note of information and links posted by Hound Dog Mom) for lots of additional information: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here’s a list of foods (which appears on page 36 of the above thread) that have appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies: https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

[DogFoodie]

Canine influenza is no scare tactic where I live. The anti-cruelty society has cancelled their largest fundraiser of the year due to more than a thousand reported cases and at least five deaths in the Chicago area.

http://vetmed.illinois.edu/veterinary-respiratory-expert-explains-kennel-cough-causes/http://jgriggs46.wix.com/i-bark-in-the-park
http://abc7chicago.com/pets/bark-in-the-park-2015-canceled-by-dog-flu/644459/

[DogFoodie]

I live in the heart of the epidemic area. There have actually been numerous dog deaths here. There is a vaccine that’s reportedly effective. I won’t vaccinate however. I don’t board and don’t do dog parks anyway, but certainly won’t now.

[Author]

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