[DogFoodie]

I think I’d take a pass on the Wellness Simple Lamb and Oatmeal. It still contains peas, tomato pomace, chicory root extract and millet. If you suspect potato or peas, I’d eliminate them from the next food you try first.

I’d take a look at a different limited ingredient brand. Not because I don’t like Wellness, I do very much, but you’ve tried it and continued to have problems so something isn’t working. My favorites are Nature’s Variety Instinct LID, Canine Caviar, Acana (not the Regionals or the new Singles), Back to Basics or The Honest Kitchen Zeal. I’m not typically a Merrick person, but I see they have some new limited ingredient formulas. I’m also not a California Natural person, but they have a very simple lamb and rice diet that might work. And, while I despise Diamond, Canidae Pure would be worth looking at, too. I almost hoped it wouldn’t, but I found a variety that my dog with food issues does great on. Not all of those brands I mentioned exclude your suspect ingredients, so be sure to look before you buy.

Like I said, I unearthed my dog’s food intolerances though trial and error. Keep notes on every single food you try, the ingredients and how each dog reacts.

[DogFoodie]

Starting them on the Blue Buffalo (while I would personally never use Blue Buffalo products) actually helped to give you more information. What you need to do is compare the ingredients in all of the foods they’ve eaten and reacted to see what common ingredient they might have. Through trial and error, and many, many different foods, I’ve determined that my dog reacts to all fish (including fish oil), chickpeas, lentils, flax, probably garlic and likely tomato. Keep in mind that what might be a problem for one dog might not be the problem for the other and dogs that have food intolerances frequently have more than one. Randomly choosing a brand’s food labelled ” hypoallergenic,” will do nothing to help your dog if he’s intolerant of the ingredients in it.

I would look for a truly limited ingredient food with a meat protein and a starch that your dogs haven’t eaten before and see how they do on that for a while. Nature’s Variety Instinct LID is one of the foods I’ve found that my dog does very well on. Keep in mind anything you offer them could be a problem; ie: treats and edible chews.

[DogFoodie]

You might want to check out this thread for some more information regarding Betsy Farms jerky treats. /forums/topic/betsy-farms-jerky/

[DogFoodie]

LOL!!

I guess I should’ve clarified that if yours is a store bought (Costco, in particular) rotisserie chicken, you should be wary of the ingredients.

I forget that there are people who aren’t like me and CAN cook. 😉

[DogFoodie]

I have IBS (likely IBD and Colitis) and I cannot for the life of me eat rotisserie chicken. I agree with the others that it’s not balanced, but also be aware that there are a lot of additives in that chicken. Here are the ingredients for the Costco rotisserie chickens: Ingredients: whole chicken, water, salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, sugar, carrageenan, soy lecithin, flavorings and xanthan gum.

Ouch.

[DogFoodie]

I use a couple of different vets, that work together as a team, both of which do chiropractic and acupuncture to help with a variety of conditions. They also do laser therapy which can help with arthritis. Maybe you could check into alternative practices that might help your pooch, too.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Ryan,

My Golden is intolerant of lentils and has had and some loose stool when he eats foods that contain them. His stool is much better and more formed with a food with a bit less fiber. His ideal is around 4%.

I think changing foods is worth a shot. Eliminating lentils and reducing the fiber could decrease the urgency.

[DogFoodie]

My favorite place for bones is My Pet Carnivore. https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/index.php?lang=en

I’m on a local delivery route and I can get as much as I want for a $10 handling fee.

I just remembered the only raw that Sam really loves is tripe. I’ve got several containers of that in the freezer also. I’ve tried lightly cooking the Darwin’s for him, but would rather not. I’m going to start thawing some raw tonight. I WILL use up that Darwin’s one way or another!

Sorry for the hijack, Marie! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Sam, my Golden, won’t eat it. He’s OK with a for a meal (although it’s the one thing he won’t clean his bowl of) and then after that, he won’t touch it at a subsequent meal. Sniff. Walk away. He likes some raw, meaty bones, but just doesn’t get into eating raw. He prefers kibble with toppers.

Bella, my Cavalier, will eat the Darwin’s, but I feel bad giving it to her and not him – even though he doesn’t like it. I should’ve fed it to her anyway.

Then, there’s also that part of me that says, it’s been in the freezer too long and isn’t good anymore.

Should I still use it?

[DogFoodie]

Hey Marie,

I got the free trial a long time ago, and on that single shipment, shipping was included. I paid shipping (which was quite a bit) on all subsequent orders. Sadly, I had the majority of my last shipment, from just about a year ago, in my freezer. I’m on the fence about whether to feed or toss.

[DogFoodie]

Where do you put her crate, Sam? If her crate is an another room from where you are, maybe you could move her crate to your bedroom.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Christine,

The soft stool could definitely be the result of a food intolerance. My dog with food intolerances gets soft stool from lots of things, especially flax.

The first thing I would do is put him on a limited ingredient with an appropriate Calcium level for a large breed puppy; ie: Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Rabbit.

Loose or even soft stool for a prolonged period is a problem that you can’t allow to resolve on its own without taking action. I would change the food and add canned pumpkin to his food to help firm the stool and ease the transition to a new food.

[DogFoodie]

I wouldn’t use Blue Buffalo products at all. My concern about Canidae is that it’s made by Diamond. Some, but not all, of their Pure line is made at their own manufacturing facility, Ethos, but you have no way of knowing what you’re getting for sure. I infrequently use Canidae Pure Sky in rotation for one of my dogs with lots of food intolerance issues, but I’m hyper-vigilant when I do. It’s one of a very small handfull of foods he can eat.

That said, if your dog isn’t accustomed to switching quickly, loose stool isn’t at all unusual if you made a quick switch without a transition. I’d switch back to whatever she was eating before the Blue Buffalo until the loose stool stops. I’d add some canned pumpkin to help firm up the stool. I’d probably also skip her next meal altogether. When things have settled down, I’d switch slowly to the new food. By slowly, I mean no more than 25% new and 75% old for several days and I’d only increase the ratio of new to old when the stool quality is good for several days. Canned pumpkin is your friend when changing foods especially if your dog isn’t accustomed to switching.

What food was your dog eating before the Blue Buffalo? Are you looking for suggestions for new foods?

[DogFoodie]

Here’s a link to the list of foods Hound Dog Mom compiled that have appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

I had a link to a document that breaks down foods by price based on star rating, but it’s several years old by now. I’d suggest you look at the link above, see what looks good to you and start researching prices at the places you prefer to shop.

[DogFoodie]

It looks like the product you’re using contains about 352 kcals per cup. Unless she’s super active, like Losul said, that does sound like an awful lot of food for a 13 pound Chi.

[DogFoodie]

I had recently been using Nature’s Variety Instinct LID treats, and I still really like them a lot, but had to stop using them. Even the small amount of flax that Sam gets in an occasional treat was causing problems for him. I’ve gone back to using Brothers Complete treats again and they’re perfect for us. They’re a crunchy biscuit treat, the same size as the NVI LID treats and Sam loves them. They come in venison, buffalo and turkey. They’re not labeled “limited ingredient,” but they basically are – not a single one of Sam’s problem ingredients! I’m so glad to have something that he likes that doesn’t cause any intolerance issues. I’m especially happy to be able to use a product again that I trust. Bella just finished a bag of Brothers Complete venison kibble – she loved it and did great on it.

Here are the ingredients from the venison treats :
INGREDIENTS: Venison meal, cassava/tapioca, peas, pea starch, chicken fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), dried Chicken Liver, alfalfa, carrots, potassium chloride, sea salt, choline chloride, dried Whole Cell Algae (a pure source of Omega 3 DHA), Rosemary extract, Green tea extract, organic long chain branched Inulin Prebiotic, Celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinich, cranberry pomace, Lysine HCL, DL-Methionine, Lecithin, Taurine, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, folic acid, biotin, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, L-ascorbyl 2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C activity), zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, Vitamin B12, L-Carnitine

[DogFoodie]

Hi AJ,

I’d also take a look at the raw threads in the forum because the diet you’re currently feeding doesn’t sound properly balanced. Are you also feeding some organ meats?

[DogFoodie]

Charlee Bear treats were created by Steve Brown, a highly respected expert on raw feeding and canine nutrition. Steve is the author of Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet and has made contributions to this site. If you have questions about his products, shoot him an email. He’s very responsive.

[DogFoodie]

Hi RebeccaRose,

I would have no problem at all with the low sodium canned chicken stock! If you are so inclined, you could whip up a bunch of bone broth in the Crock-Pot. It takes a minimum of 24 hours, but it’s so nutritious and delicious. My dogs love it!

My Cavalier is by no means picky and she’s a very good eater. I rotate her foods constantly so she’s eaten lots of different foods, but she’s eating Fromm Four Star right now and she literally goes crazy for it at meal time! The Fromm Four Star Whitefish and Potato has 12% fat. Have you ever tried Fromm?

[DogFoodie]

I agree with Marie. It’s a very long thread, but there are lots of great articles in the first few pages. Definitely take a look; here’s a link: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Here’s a list of appropriate foods (from page 36 of the thread) for your giant breed pup: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

It’s Calcium you need to be concerned about that contributes to skeletal disorders, not protein.

A couple of my friends (I’m in the U.S.) chose Zignature and Earthborn Holistics for their giant breed pups because it has appropriate Calcium and they’re two of the more affordable foods. Any chance you’re able to buy those where you are?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Sally,

I just realized my post above said “central” issue, that should be dental issue! LOL! Darn auto-correct! Sorry for any confusion. 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Hi Sally,

When you say refrigerated food you bought at Publix, would that be FreshPet? If not, that’s a food that I would suggest for you. She might prefer it over kibble. She might prefer it warmed, too. You could put it in a waterproof container and immerse that in hot water – don’t microwave, that kills nutrients. She might also like The Honest Kitchen, a dehydrated food that you reconstitute with hot water. By way, has she been to the vet recently? Could she possibly have a central issue that makes it uncomfortable for her to eat kibble?

It’s fine for her to have those other healthy human foods in addition to her food. Just keep the toppers to no more than 20% of her diet to avoid throwing off the nutritional balance of her food.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Melissa,

I would definitely consider a food change. Your dog may very well be having a reaction to an ingredient in his food. My Golden has numerous food intolerances and when his anal gland begin to smell strong, that’s usually my first sign that he’s eaten a problem ingredient. A quick switch to one of his safe foods, thereby eliminating the offending ingredient, has always solved the problem. He’s never had to have his anal gland expressed.

I would switch your pup to a limited ingredient food. Choose a simple recipe with a protein, and preferably a binder, that he hasn’t eaten before. Keep track of the ingredients you feed him and soon you’ll begin to see common ingredient and the specific reaction that results. My favorite limited ingredient diet is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets.

It could also be a fiber issue. He may be needing more bulk in his diet. You could try adding some plain, canned pumpkin puree, Fruitables Digestive Supplement or some Firm Up dehydrated pumpkin.

To be safe, I’d switch foods and keep pumpkin on hand in case he develops loose stool.

[DogFoodie]

I did read your note, Susan. Did you read mine? I directed you to the review for the Duck and Potato product and the Chicken and Vegetable canned food. But, you apparently glossed over where I had mentioned the Chicken and Vegetable dry food not having been reviewed yet. Glad you were able to find the reviews.

To say that I attacked you is incredulous. I tried to offer links that might help you find the information you were looking for. No need to be so rude.

[DogFoodie]

Susan C,

4Health Grain Free Duck and Potato dry food has already been reviewed; and you can find it here: /dog-food-reviews/4health-grain-free-dog-food-dry/

If you’re referencing 4Health Chicken and Vegetable Stew canned food, it has already been reviewed; and you can find it here:
/dog-food-reviews/4health-dog-food-canned/ If this is the food to which you are referring, it cannot be made by Diamond, as they have no cannery. But if you are in fact referring to their new dry food, it does take some time to update all of the reviews and that DFA product page was just updated on 08/22/2014, so it might be a while.

Diamond has had more than a “blunder from time to time,” and is far, far from being “one of the best.” Yes, that’s my opinion, and I’d be willing to go out on a limb and say that’s likely the EC opinion as well.

Can you please share the links to the independent web sites which reflect that Diamond has “greatly improved their processing and testing procedures,” please.

[DogFoodie]

There are only two AAFCO nutrient profiles for dog food; they are: growth and reproduction; and maintenance. Foods labeled “puppy” are growth and reproduction foods. Foods labeled “all life stages” are also growth and reproduction foods. Growth and reproduction foods generally have a higher standard of nutrition. Foods that don’t meet the growth and reproduction profile may still be allowed to be labeled adult maintenance. Growth and reproduction foods frequently have more protein and yes, they’re often more calorie dense. Just monitor the portion control.

I feed my adult dogs growth and reproduction foods, including those labeled for “puppies” or “all life stages” exclusively. I feed them a variety of kibble, canned and fresh whole foods. I rotate brands, proteins and binders after each bag of kibble. I buy smaller bags that my dogs will finish within a couple of weeks to avoid rancid days as much as possible.

[DogFoodie]

Hi William,

It’s important to feed a large breed puppy a food with an appropriate level of Calcium. Here’s a list, which includes grain inclusive, grain free and raw, acceptable foods: https://docs.google.com/a/dogfoodadvisor.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1

If you haven’t already, take a look at this thread, especially the first few pages and read the articles that Hound Dog Mom shared: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

In addition to appropriate Calicum levels, you should keep your pup lean during growth and avoid over-exercising him, which can stress growing joints.

How old is your pup and what breed?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Barbara,

Is this food higher in protein that what your dog was eating previously? It’s my understanding that a dog will naturally drink more when switched to a food with higher protein as the body’s natural response to eliminate the unused protein.

[DogFoodie]

Are you trying to eliminate flax because of its phytoestrogen properties?

One of my dogs cannot have flax (among lots of other things), but he’s fine with peas. So, these foods are flax free, but you’ll need to check for peas in them: Addiction Viva La Venison, Canidae Pure Sky (Diamond, I know yuk!), The Honest Kitchen Thrive, First Mate Chicken and Blueberries, Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear (original formula, not “Singles.”).

Flax is frustrating, I know. It’s everywhere, isn’t it! My dog gets terrible loose stool when he eats flax. Do try the Dogfoodwizard.com like C4C mentioned. I asked the site creator to add flax and last I looked, it’s an option on the search tool.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Lori,

By mixing brands do you mean rotating from one brand to another or do you mean combining two foods to make a single food?

I always rotate from one brand to another. I think it’s important to rotate all ingredients, not just protein sources.

[DogFoodie]

How’s your pup today, RebeccaRose?

[DogFoodie]

Hi William,

Since I identified my dog’s food intolerances, he no longer has ear infections. His ears are clean and healthy. Makes me so happy!

The best thing I found to clean ears with is an enzymatic cleaner called Zymox. It’s amazing stuff and literally digests ear gunk. I prefer the one without hydrocortisone.

I know food intolerances are incredibly frustrating. I’ve been doing food trials for a long time now and keep track of everything I feed Sam. FWIW, so far, the intolerances I’ve identified are fish, barley, chickpeas, lentils, flax, garlic and tomato.

[DogFoodie]

I’d probably request blood work, also. I’d be curious to know what her liver levels are currently. Do your best to keep her hydrated in the meantime. Bone broth would be great for her right now, but it takes a long time to make it. Pedialyte would be helpful, too.

I’m fortunate to have an outstanding large university veterinary clinic nearby. I’d choose that route, if needed. They have 24 hour emergency services. Do you have something like that nearby?

I have a dog with food intolerance issues and have a hard time finding foods for him. Those that work best for us are Nature’s Variety Instinct LID, Addiction Viva La Venison, Canidae Pure Sky (Diamond, yuk… but it works great), FirstMate Chicken & Blueberries, Acana Duck & Bartlett Pear, Canine Caviar and The Honest Kitchen Thrive. Do you think you might be able to interest her in a little bit of Wellness Core Reduced Fat canned food or THK Zeal?

I’m really sorry you and your girl are going through this.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Joanne,

I’m not a Merrick fan, but know others who do who haven’t had issues. Personally, I chose not to use their products.

You can only get Timberwolf via mail order and that might be inconvenient for your sister. I once ordered some samples of Timberwolf and was disappointed that the samples I bought were so close to expiring and that the ingredients were different that those listed on the website. Maybe I bought my samples in between the updating of the website or something. Either way, I chose not to use it further.

Personally, if one of my dogs had ever had a seizure, I’d avoid rosemary at all costs. There is enough evidence to support that it can cause seizures in those dogs that are seizure prone.

Like I said before over on the review side, I’ve always like Canine Caviar. They’re in the process of changing some recipes. So, if you go that route, I’d make sure to look at the new foods and be sure that’s what you’re using because the old formulas will no longer be available soon.

Will your sister be feeding a rotational diet? I feed both of my dogs a rotational diet of all kinds of kibble, canned, dehydrated, raw and fresh, whole foods. That’s one of the ways I satisfy my passion for trying all those great foods that are available out there! Plus, it provides a more complete nutritional profile and limits exposure to less desirable ingredients – especially ingredients like carb sources; ie: grains, potatoes, peas and other legumes.

Edit: I was just recalling that I believe Timberwolf may be available in some retail outlets. I live in the Chicago area and have never seen it in a store near me.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by DogFoodie.

[DogFoodie]

How is her mood, RebeccaRose? Does she want to be held or left alone? Is her behavior “normal?”

[DogFoodie]

I’ve used the VE tripe treats. The dogs love ’em. There are gobs in a big bag, too. Most are pretty well sized, but some are scrawny.

[DogFoodie]

Is one of these the product:

http://www.grandmalucys.com/product/tiny-tidbits-cheeseburgers/
http://www.grandmalucys.com/product/pot-roast/

I definitely wouldn’t have expected them to be hard. I’ve never tried them before. Talk about a choking hazard.

[DogFoodie]

When you say she still has issues going on, what do you mean, Tracy?

Can you describe her symptoms?

[DogFoodie]

I’m not familiar with your dog’s condition, but my first thought was xylitol?? I always thought xylitol was dangerous for dogs: /red-flag-ingredients/xylitol-dog/

[DogFoodie]

Just a thought here… one of my dogs has food intolerance issues and I always know that he’s come into contact with one of his problem ingredients when his anal glands start to smell strong. If your dog has food intolerances to chicken and potato, he may very well have other sensitivities you aren’t aware of that he’s being exposed to in his current diet.

[DogFoodie]

Good job, Melissa! LOL!! 🙂

Maybe they’d like a dehydrated food that you reconstitute with water, like The Honest Kitchen, Sojos or Dr. Harvey’s Oracle. They have complete mixes with protein included or pre-mixes to which you add your own fresh raw, or lightly cooked meats.

[DogFoodie]

I think he just prefers your cooking to kibble. 😉

I’ve used raw for my pups, but one of them refuses it. I bet he’d love cooked foods though. If I had the time, I’d love to cook for my dogs.

If you’re able, maybe try it for a month and see how things go.

[DogFoodie]

Does he have any dental problems, Melissa?

[DogFoodie]

My favorite limited ingredient food is Nature’s Variety Instinct LID. As much as I like Wellness products and would recommend them, I cannot use their Simple diets because they all contain problem ingredients for my pup with intolerances.

Switching to a LID would certainly narrow the list of potential problem ingredients, but let’s hypothetically say that peas are the offending ingredient, and if that’s the case, your pup continues to react if you feed a LID food that contains them, like NVI LID. You must first identify the problem ingredient/s; and while eliminating certain ingredients, such as grains or chicken, might be a start, it may not be the answer at all. The only way to truly know is to do an elimination diet with the help of your vet.

There’s also a great article about conducting an elimination diet in the March, 2015 issue of The Whole Dog Journal, is you’re a subscriber.

I’ve been doing what I call a modified “elimination diet” of sorts for over 2-1/2 years with my Golden who’ll be 3 in May. I finally found a food that worked for him after identifying one of his problem ingredients, fish. After I found some fish free foods, I continued to closely monitor the ingredients in the foods that I fed him and through a process of elimination (many foods, lots of notes and money), I identified several more ingredients (none of which are animal proteins and only one of which is a true grain) that he also reacted to.

Mine reacts like yours with the ear infection to some of his problem ingredients. It’s so important to identify the ingredients that he’s reacting to as the inflammation that presents in his ear is happening elsewhere where you can’t physically see it. The more the ear reacts, the more damage that’s done to the ear canal and that’s a recipe for disaster.

I’ve found a few foods with varying proteins and binders that my dog with intolerances can eat, but am always trying new foods because I believe strongly in a rotational diet.

It’s frustrating and time consuming, but keep good notes, be diligent and persevere!

[DogFoodie]

Hey Melissa,

I’d be curious as to what foods you tried previously.

If you’re heading out to look for something new, you might consider Nature’s Variety Instinct, Victor, Farmina or Horizon. Those, to me, seem to have pretty strong aromas (Farmina in particular) or appear to be pretty palatable.

[DogFoodie]

Hi James,

If I remember correctly, we did discuss exactly that a while back and I seem to recall that the manufacturer wasn’t interested in participating in the information gathering process that Dr. Mike and the team go through when considering brands for the EC section of the site.

That doesn’t concern me a bit though. I think NutriSource is a great product and I’ve recommended it regularly for several years. I would not hesitate to use it (or Pure Vita or Natural Planet Organics) as part of a rotation. There are several other regular posters here who use or recommend the brand as well.

[DogFoodie]

Hi James S,

On the forum home page, there’ll be a search bar on the right side of the page near, but not at, the top of the page. It’s only there on the home page though.

[DogFoodie]

That’s great, Melissa!

Take a look at this book by Dr. Karen Becker, “Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Cats and Dogs.” http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0982533128/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1425224476&sr=8-1&keywords=real+food+for+healthy+cats+and+dogs+Karen+Becker&dpPl=1&dpID=51H8J0njUBL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

[DogFoodie]

I feed a rotational diet so mine are always getting something different. They’re always getting something different and I don’t think they have time to get bored. I feed kibble and rotate after each bag. In the morning, I usually feed kibble with a fresh or canned topper of no more than 20% to avoid throwing off the balance and mine have been loving The Honest Kitchen for dinner for the past couple of months.

[DogFoodie]

Are you in a position to be able to prepare home cooked meals for them? There are some excellent recipe books I could direct you to that would help you create a balanced, home cooked diet. It sounds like that’s their precedence. I can certainly understand if that doesn’t work for you though!

[Author]

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