[Barbara O]

I really think I’d feed what they love…as long as it’s a decent quality..my silly cats will eat Friskie’s canned cat food but turn their noses up if I give them TOTW…and they won’t eat the dry TOTW any longer..they love Halo…wonder what it is about the flavor they add, and I do feed fish….My cats are rescues and I have always rotated and given then fish…never been sick…The oldest one is about 17…I do feed eople salmon and people tuna…sorry…if it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for them…All other meats brought into the house is organically raised, and/or grass fed…

This is the first time I’ve not Siameses running around…We lost ours to a weird disease that causes them to go blind…it’s genetic…I’ve had two Siamese to have it…one I had in Texas, the other one here in AZ.

As long as you’re feed good quality, feed what they like…Most dogs will eat the same food over and over…cats, on the other hand, will not…they want rotation. Having a hard time feeding the Canidae…and it’s a good food…so…I gave in yesterday and filled the Halo feeder…You’d have thought I’d given them candy…

[Barbara O]

No problem…Toby doesn’t like me to thaw his…I put it in his bowl in his cage…The little Tasmanian devil has to be caged at night or we wouldn’t get to sleep…I put his favorite lunch meat from Trader Joes in the bowl along with two little rectangles of frozen Primal..As soon as it where he likes it, he eats it. In the morning, when I let him out of his cage, his dish has been licked clean…have been doing this for over a year.

[Barbara O]

Don, I have no idea why this stuff is so potent or why it works…but it does. My husband and I have been taking it for several years…I slack off in the summer but as fall approaches, I make sure it’s in our drink each morning…I have a problem with plain brewer’s yeast but not this stuff…I actually give it away to people who work for me who have problems with low immunity…I have an asst manager who got sick all the time…I started him on this, a good multi and Vit C and now he’s never sick…shows how much our food lacks…Dr Williams, a physician who lives in Texas, got me started on it…I take his newsletter and he talks about giving it to every animal on his place (he raises cattle and lives in the country) as well as all the humans…I’m very leery about what I take but I can tell you that since being on this, and a good vitamin/supplement regimen, my husband and i don’t get sick…giving up wheat, and all grains in my diet has made a wonderful difference in the way I feel…so there’s something to it…I took graduate courses in Food Chemistry, Food toxicology, Food Microbiology…and several others, and learned so much about the crud they put in our foods…no polyunsaturates in our house…they actually cause free radicals in the body, which in turn cause strokes…I’m as old as dirt and am on no medications…still running 3 businesses and taking care of 4 pieces of property…so I feel like I’m doing something right…Hey…take a chance…give it to your pets and the humans in your household…share it with friends…As I said, there’s yeast and there’s yeast…do go into the site recommended and learn more about it…sorry I didn’t have that info to pass along…again…this is a site for learning…we can learn something new every day here.

[Barbara O]

Bobby O

I am aware of the fish problem. The cats don’t get any more fish than the two humans in this house eat…I limit our fish due to mercury and now we have to worry about Japan’s radiation being sent to us via the sea…I agree that most Junk goes into a lot of our cat and dog foods…I know they would pick up spoiled meats from food markets, not unwrap a great deal of the food…just toss it into the pots with the styrofoam and plastic still on it…hopefully this has changed but I doubt it with the cheaper feeds…Purina was guilty of doing this…I took several meats courses in college and I won’t touch weiners….not eating something that mold grows on, then is cleaned off with a chemical and package and sold to the unsuspecting public…if they do this to humans, what do you think they’ve done to the animals?

I am also aware of the law regarding Taurine…there are actually some breeds of dogs that need taurine daily in their diets…You’ll note that Nature’s Variety canned food is the same for dogs and cats…and taurine is in both…

I also know if you withdraw taurine from wolf pups, they can develop cardiomyopathy, juvenile cataracts and reproduction problems…as will foxes….Provide them with the taurine early enough and all of these things can be reversed….

The problem with homemade raw diets is getting enough taurine included…that’s why I’ve always kept taurine capsules on hand…I actually sprinkled it over my foxes’ food several times a week. I know mealworms provide taurine but they still got a shot of the stuff weekly in their food…They were never ill…cats, like foxes have to have it and if a raw diet is used, jut add it.

[Barbara O]

You are so welcome. Please realize that I’m not that smart…it’s called being older and learning from experience and reading…asking questions like you do…and using common horse sense when ruminating over the answers that people give you. I give a great deal of credence to people who have been around the block a few times and who spend time reading between the lines…Remember…anyone can put stuff in print on the internet…I love books that are the printed word. When Toby developed pancreatitis, between my vet and a book I have on hand, we pulled him through. I wouldn’t be without the book…It at least tells me what to do at home while I’m waiting to get an animal to the vet’s office…and some good tips after I go…I learned that we have to keep them hydrated but at the same time keep the pancreas still and not taxing itself….It was Christmas Day when Toby got sick…so we’ve come a long way and we’ve had no more problems…and it was my fault that he got sick. I had fixed a standing rib roast for Christmas and left the pan on top of the cabinet…the grease cooled and rose to the top…I had put water in the pan…I had a sick rescue Dane and hadn’t washed the pan…Toby got on top of the sink….genets can climb anywhere…and swished his tail in the pan, covering his long, long tail in the grease…these animals are fastidious..so he immediately went to cleaning it… When i finally set down after getting Mandy the dog stabilized and medicated…she had a UTI…he jumped into my lap and i felt the wet, greasy feeling tail….he had consumed all that grease…too, too much for a little 3 to 4 lb animal….The next morning he was lethargic…we saw the vet that day and he was started on meds…then we went back and they had to put 50 ccs of fluid under his skin…it took three of us to hold him down in a tube that was meant to do this…it was then i learned how to give him a teaspoon of water every hour on the hour to keep him hydrated, interspersed with a teaspoon of blended food….several times a day….My husband and I had tried to keep him hydrated with 10 ccs subcu but couldn’t hold him down….strong little cuss…first animal I haven’t been able to hold down…As I said, he can be a little Tasmanian devil….I hydrated the Dane with no problem….

Every day I learn something new…that’s why I love sites like this…It helps me tweak what I do for my own animals and it also helps me know what I’m doing right, that has worked for years and years…when something works, your animal is healthy and happy…don’t change what you’re doing…Our animals are individuals…I can’t eat wheat…developed a problem with it…causes horrible arthritis in me…I also know this hasn’t always been the case…same way with chicken…developed something called polymyalgia…docs sent me to rheumatoid clinic at our teaching hospital here…not rheumatoid arthritis so they gave it this fancy name…found out it was being caused by chicken…I was eating it almost every day…I was the one who found the connection…not the docs, just me…case in point….you know your animals better than anyone else…I told one person I won’t feed Purina…had a bad experience with it…not the quality I want for my animals…but that doesn’t mean that others have the same results…From my animal science degree, the various vet courses I’ve taken, and from working with various animals and exotic vets across the US, I have learned a great deal….All I can do is try to put together what I’ve learned to care for what the animals I’ve been blessed to have…I’m seeing too many animals with allergies…something is going on…and I’m seeing these allergies in animals on kibble, raw diets….etc…It’s so hard for me to believe this is a permanent situation….I would start questioning the surrounding environment…not something an individual may be doing but what the animal is coming in contact with that’s not food related…that’s how my allergies started…I cleaned up my environment, cleaned up my diet, starting building my immune system, and now my allergies are almost non-existent. Hopefully, this will happen to the animals out there that are suffering…

[Barbara O]

My vet says it is…the female Danes I had would eat it anytime I would give it to them…Roger won’t eat it…Any time I’ve had a dog with problems…the vet would always recommend these two things, as well as aloe vera…I don’t use low fat or nonfat because dogs, like us need fat…One of the problems with most dry food is that they are lacking in good fats…mostly cheap Omega 6s instead of good quality omega 3s…

My vet would have me put small amounts the periphery of the bowl…I would do cottage one time and then greek yogurt the next. i also fed broccoli, cauliflower, fresh or frozen…Some of the girls loved apples…and pears…Their kibble was the base and then i would add somewhere between 1/2 to 1 cup of fruits and veggies to each meal…If you could see the before and after pics you wouldn’t believe they were the same dogs…they came to me and to other rescue workers emaciated…you count every rib…one looked like someone had stretched hide over a skeleton…I refused to crate them..they tore up my back yard, but who cares…they played, got exercise and bonded…they went on to forever homes where people wanted them and loved them…these gentle giants are such good companions…

Dont worry about feeding your dog something it loves…just don’t overboard, which we all tend to do…If you think the dog is reacting to it, then back off a little and don’t feed it as often….or as much…Sounds you’re doing such a good job…it’s amazing to see some of the foods our dogs grow to love….

[Barbara O]

Bobby dog,

I understand about feeding Purina…better than letting them starve but it’s still junk…My cats will eat any type of canned food…which I know isn’t always the best…Cats are carnivores…more so than even dogs…they need more protein and of course, they have to have taurine or they will die…i.e. the reason I feed dry food…I know with my Fennecs I fed a raw diet…ordered 10,000 mealworms a month…and fed pinkies…bought them frozen…Fed raw veggies and fruits…they would not eat dry food…They lived two to three years longer than most Fennecs in captivity. Was told my two outlived the ones most people knew about..Of course, I studied the animal for 6 months…on a daily basis…talking to breeders and owners all over the world..then I purchased my first one…continued to talk to people in England and Japan about fennecs and foxes.

Regarding cats…I will continue to feed both canned and raw tuna…as well as other fis I purchase…my cats are never overweight, never sick and live a very long time…so I’m doing something right…they are never allowed outside so I have plants inside they can nibble on…All my animals are spayed or neutered. Since my animals are well, have had no health problems, I will continue following the protocol I am using…They do get Primal, canned food, dry food, and raw food when I’m cooking dinner in the evening…They have the run of the house…except for our bedroom…this is because of my asthma…PS I also do not believe in vaccinations every year…this actually weakens their systems…I think whatever the animal is…when you find something that works, and the animal is content…you don’t need to be changing things just because some article or someone says to do so…It’s different if the animal is sickly…then I would be willing to try whatever would work.

[Barbara O]

OK…here I go again. I have two cats presently…a Maine Coon Cat and a Savannah. My Maine Coon is about 17 years old…The Savannah is around 5. Both were rescues, one from a breeder who was breeding the Savannah to death…the other from the Humane Society. I ordered a bag of Halo grain free cat food and my two cats are wild about it…They will turn their noses up at everything else if it’s out. They loved Taste of the Wild before I introduced Halo. I have three feeders and usually keep three types of dry food out for them, next to a waterer…I give them just a little canned food in the AM…not much, just enough to make them know it’s only a treat…The will eat raw chicken as a treat, and they love the juice I pour off the canned salmon and tuna…I rotate the canned food..sometimes it’s cheap food…sometimes when I find the best of the best on sale, they get it…as I said…this is a treat…I am presently feeding them grain free Canidae…grain free…They grudgingly eat it…wanting me to put the Halo out…I won’t feed anything Purina because I know how they manufacture the food…(animal science degrees can ruin you when you see what they dump in the food)…they will eat Natural Instinct…but above everything, they love the Halo….I will actually feed them canned tuna….people grade…A can will last two days as it is a treat…same thing with canned chicken….Feeding outdoor strays….you can feed almost anything…because they will catch birds and mice…and anything else that looks nourishing…My vet in Texas said the food for inside animals was critical but the outside cats can get by a little cheaper because they really do get the actual taste of the wild…

[Barbara O]

Nature’s Variety is wonderful food. Their dry is great…You might feed it and then add a little of the raw…My friend’s dog is medium size and she feeds one of the large packages of raw duck a month. She crumbles up just one of the patties and mixes it in with the kibble, adding water to make it a little soupy…If the dog has no egg problems, crack a raw egg and mix it into the feed…after all, it’s the perfect protein….How many cups a day does your dog eat? The only reason I like to feed the kibble is because my dog is so big that I want to make certain he gets the vitamins….and oils she needs…If you start building the immune system, many of the allergies will subside…Also..there’s yeast and there’s yeast…

I can see the problem with lamb, chicken, and bison, as they are what is called “hot” foods..and chicken is a food I even have to curtail for myself as it can cause inflammation in the body. I am surprised with beef…Duck is not a hot food…it is more neutral…maybe you could purchase a 5 lb bag of Nature’s Variety Instinct…their dry kibble…grain free…and feed it to him…buy a very small package of the frozen and add only one small patty, this is for a little boost in protein and for flavor….I sometimes give Roger several of the genet’s Primal, thawed and mixed into his kibble….It’s not expensive this way…oh…he still gets an egg each feeding…I think Primal and Nature’s V are about the same in cost…Nature’s Variety has had sample frozen packages…you might try them as they’re cheap….Toby’s 3 lb pkg of Primal is $16.00…and it lasts about a month. He gets 2 of the little rectangles a day, along with his precious shaved, preservative free turkey meat…people lunch meat…He will eat the beef but he loves the turkey…I like the Primal because it has veggies in it along with the supplements they need…And…if you found two foods he really likes, you could mix them together….What does he eat, 2 cups per meal?

[Barbara O]

Have never used anything from Mercola…Our Dane Rescue group using good ole Costco Glucosamine with MSM and chondroitin…or Sams. The first rescues I had took the pills with no problem…Roger, on the other hand spits them out faster than you can say pickle…So…I put them in a whiskey jigger…cover them with water…when they’ve dissolved, I put it in his food. I always wet kibble, never feed it dry…ever try eating crackers without any liquid…that’s how the dog feels…anyhow, he eats it down…before I got smart and did this, I bought the dog liquid….and added it to the feed…As soon as he finishes it, I’ll go back to dissolving it for him…And yes…give the adult dose to the larger dogs…My vet told me to give the danes a generic claritin a day during allergy season…really helps..I use the 24 hour…she said if in 12 hours, their eyes are still bad, to add another one…so the Danes all get allergy pills…because they are rescues they are highly stressed…She said every time we move them, the allergies and any other problems they might have will flare…and allergy pills do help…

[Barbara O]

Ok…the stuff I’m talking about is actually from Diamond V Mills, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They found that the employees that worked with the stuff were always well…This is a form of yeast and is used in horses as a probiotic…wow…Some of the employees had not had colds or flu since working there and had improvement in their allergies, etc…maybe this explains why I’ve gotten so healthy….They actually make a concentrated product for humans now, but I’ll keep taking this cheap stuff since the whole house can take it…

You want to use the Diamond V XPC…based on the yeast saccharmoyces cerevisiae. A 50 lb bag has gone up to $1.50 to $1.75 a pound…still cheap for a product your whole household can use…and if it’s good enough for this Texas Doc, it’s good enough for me…and it works….You can order it from Consumer Supply, Marion, Iowa. You can call them at 319-377-5528. Also…try your local feed store. Tell your feed store you need it for your dogs and other animals to build their immunity…don’t tell them you might use it…they’ll think you’re crazy…Have not taken the flu shot or had a cold…no cold in 20 years…no flu in 9 or 10 years…no flu shot in 7 or 8 years. No anything…Add this as your pro/prebiotic to your animal’s food…

[Barbara O]

OK….warming or hot protein is lamb, venison, bison and chicken/turkey….

Neutral protein (which is what you want to use most of the time) beef, pork, duck, fish, rabbit, and egg

Some of these are toward cooling but the neutral is great..this is why I feed beef…and my friend switched to the duck, which her dog adores…of course, it’s one of the most expensive…but You have to decide how much to feed each dog, especially if you’re using a kibble with it. If you can’t find any of the stuff to build the immune system, I’ll send you some…will find the name of it

[Barbara O]

Wow…will put on my thinking hat…She feeds Pure Vita….as long as she adds the Primal, her dog will get enough protein…I wish she would feed the one without the rice as we don’t yet know how much arsenic is too much for our animals and arsenic is found in all rices…but the lowest amount is in basmati rice and we don’t use it in dog food…I don’t eat rice, corn, wheat, soy…so I don’t feed my animals these things..all but rice is GMO…and rice is full of arsenic…My brain is not kicking in on the name of the disease her dog has, but the dog is old and happy. She spend a great deal on the meds but like she said…if you can’t afford to take care of your pet, then don’t have one…and I agree…I know that lamb is a hot food…In AZ I don’t feed lamb any time of the year….But…I’ll look this up.

The Pet Vet, who has a radio show here, says Nature’s Logic is so good for dogs with allergies…and I notice the food gets a 5…It’s just become available here….Regarding food allergies: The more simple the food, the better it is for your animal…And…allergies can change…As I’ve built my immune system, my allergies and my asthma have all but disappeared…you can do this with your animals…There is a product called sacchromycetes (sp?) that is organic and found in feed stores…I get a letter from a doc in Texas, and he recommend I order it…remember don’t tell them you’re going to use it for humans…and I ordered a 50 lb bag…still using it…divided it into containers…give a teaspoon a day to each of your critters… will build the immune system…I put it in our morning drink…Am going to start giving it to Roger…If you buy the pills, they are 39.00 for a month’s supply for one person…I’ve had mine for 4 or 5 years…most feed stores carry it…I’ll find the name…given to horses a great deal…None of my animals are ever sick and none have allergies…I’ll find out about the hot or cold…but it’s my understanding the hot or cold refers to the weather and how it makes the animal feel. If I lived in cold climate, I’d definitely feed lamb in the winter…I’ll get back with the list…I know that beef is not a hot food so I feed it here in AZ…neither is salmon…makes sense since it’s a cold water animal.

[Barbara O]

Yes…you can feed Primal with just about anything…And…I think the large animal feed is mostly the size of the biscuit…look at the back of the package and compare the medium/large size analysis…I think they’re the same…I know for little dogs, the bites are much smaller…like a cat’s size. My friend mixes her Duck Primal with her kibble…her dog is on medication which is costly…prone to seizures, etc…and this food has given her a 2nd life…much more energy, walks twice a day…and is ready to go, even our AZ heat….

Oh…I also feed Nature’s Instinct raw food, as well. The reason I stick with the Primal for Toby is due to the veggies in it…he won’t eat fruit or veggies…so I sneak them into his diet this way…You can find Natural Instinct frozen, when you cannot find the Primal.. I bought it in my home town in Texas, but they didn’t have Primal…and it’s very good…so don’t be afraid to feed it…you can probably feed a little frozen mixed veggies…you dog will pass the corn whole but the other veggies will be mostly digested…you can feed a little apple, also. My vet has had me add cottage cheese…don’t go overboard and plain Greek Yogurt……as well as Kefir…plain…this will help with digestion,.

[Barbara O]

If you’ll read, I believe they have a digestive enzyme…I feed twice a day also…but I either add in the AM or the PM….He gets his salmon oil in the mornings…I usually give him his glucosamine in the evening…I was giving him Costco pills but he would spit them out so I ordered the dog liquid from Vita Cost…then I discovered I could put the two pills in a jigger of water and they would be completely dissolved by the time I fed…

I rotate my brands….but I always feed grain free to all my animals…including my cats…I have a Maine coon cat and a Savannah…which is a cross between an African cat and a domestic cat…They also get canned food and some Primal..I don’t feed Primal to Roger all the time…because he gets raw bones…If he didn’t get these, he would get some Primal every day…remember, his cousin, the wolf, eats raw meat every day…I’m at work right now but I’ll look at the digestive enzyme I have at home…Toby, my genet, had a case of pancreatitis at Christmas, and I started him on the enzymes after he recovered…I’ll get the name…

I feed the canned Costco no grain dog food mixed in with the kibble, also. It gets a 5…Natural Instinct is wonderful…I fed the grain free by Merrick…can’t think of the name, and he really liked it. I’m feeding a grain free now and I won’t buy it again, but I bought it in a pinch…maybe called Natural Balance…really having to boost it with meat. Tomorrow I will pick up a bag of Costco Grain free salmon….To this I add an egg at each feeding…the perfect protein for both man and beast….I haven’t fed this…my vet said to be careful feeding chicken…you will need to add fat to it…So if I buy Costco, I’ll just buy the salmon or beef grain free and add more protein…since it is a plant based feed…The vet said it is a good feed, though…better than most and very budget friendly…of course, I spend the difference on the things I add…I like Taste of the Wild….it is a 4 and is plant based, though many of the vets here love it…and Danes need to keep watch on the protein due to their size and joints…they grow awfully fast, and Roger is about a year old. He has never had a problem with me just switching brands..no stomach upsets, etc…Just use common sense and ask yourself, would I want someone to switch my diet around all the time? I’ve been taking in orphan animals, raising wildlife, doing wildlife rehab work since I was about 16 or 17, and that’s a long, long time. If I ever learn how to post pictures on this site, will send some before and after pics of the Danes I’ve rescued…and will send a pic of the fennecs and our little Tasmanian monster, Toby the genet.

[Barbara O]

I got several posts on the subject of Primal..I feed the Primal frozen…It is raw meat and veggies…with supplements added. It is manufactured in a facility that passes inspection for human food manufacture…The product is wonderful. I have a small spotted genet that eats it daily. I have mixed it in cat kibble and dog kibble…My friend has a dog that is very picky and it is a big dog…she mixes the duck with the kibble and the dog eats it like candy… I travel with it frozen. If you order it frozen…order as much as you can afford…that way the shipping will be cheaper. Check your local feed stores…those that carry dog and cat food…Also…check with any of your pet shops. I’ve found it in odd places when we travel. When they ship it, it is packed in dry ice…I order organic, grass fed beef for my husband and me and it is shipped from the midwest to hot Arizona in July…always comes completely frozen…ready for my freezer. By adding the Primal to the diet, you are assured of getting everything your animal needs…and you can add your own fruits and veggies to the food…I am assured the kibble, even if it is plant based, meets my Dane’s and genet’s needs…and they both are shiny and healthy. Have been raising and caring for animals longer than many of you have been alive…have a heavy background in animal nutrition in my undergraduate degree plus a few vet courses under my belt as well as human food chemistry courses…have tried to stay up with the research…Don’t believe everything your vet tells you…any vet that tells me how good Science Diet is, I run away from….Am fortunate I have a vet that has taken care of all my exotics and will call over the US getting answers to questions we might both have…have raised raccoon, ring tails, Fennec foxes…had some of the oldest in captivity…due to diligence in diet….both were spoiled pets….a animal fed a well balanced diet with added good oils and digestive enzymes, etc., is one who’s immune system is going to keep them healthy….Remember…corn, wheat and soy are not good for dogs…and raw bones to gnaw on are a blessing…cleans teeth and gives them B vitamins they need….They don’t have people stomachs…they have a straight tube so don’t give them too much variety at a time….They are a carnivore….not a cow…they have teeth for tearing…not for grinding…And….when the diet is high in protein and low in carbohydrate, the back yard is much easier to clean…

[Barbara O]

I feed Primal chicken…only because it’s the only one Toby will eat…He has done exceedingly well on it..I’ve fed him Instinct frozen but Primal has some veggies in it…this is not a dog…this is a genet…My friend feeds the Duck Primal mixed into the kibble she feeds…it has made a great difference in the dog’s health…It has a rare disease and this food has prolonged the dog’s life…The medicine alone runs her about $200.00 a month…so she’s picky about what she feeds. I cannot say enough good about Primal…and Instinct also..I do Great Dane rescue and all dogs are different…The one I’ve adopted is a triple recessive…he will be prone to skin and hair disorders…so I’m trying to meet this head on…the other Danes I’ve had the past year loved raw veggies, raw bones and their kibble.The woofed their feed down, whereas Roger is a slow eater. Just use common horse sense with your dogs…Make sure they get enough fat as most foods limit this or use an inferior oil…salmon oil is best…they need the DHA…most oils are omega 6 that you find in their feed…just remember…eliminate wheat, soy and corn…these are inferior feeds for our domestic animals..they are carnivores, kin to wolves, and need animal protein…they are not kin to cows…which are omnivores….

[Barbara O]

Ok….maybe trying to do too much….Also….how often are you bathing the dog? This can cause dryness…If it were me, I’d try using the frozen, balanced food, either Nature’s Variety Instinct raw food or balanced raw, frozen Primal….Give the dog time to heal…The problem may just be too many different foods…give the animal time to heel. Sometimes we try too hard to help our animals….as a result we overdo what we feed…Make a decision to use one of the balanced frozen foods and stick to it for several weeks…use just one oil….salmon oil, which is the best for pets…then take a look at whether there is some progress or not…make changes slowly…

[Barbara O]

It seems this year is really a problem. More and more dogs are having, itching, loss of hair, even dry hair. In our part of the southwest, we have dry weather whereas in Texas, my grandson has hot, humid weather…seems the summer is the problem…So…is your raw diet one that you haven’t mixed yourself or is it from something like Raw Instinct or Primal? There is a difference…. Sometimes just waiting and using the least amoount of balanced food can make a difference. I’ll go back and try to find the complete raw diet you’re using…

[Barbara O]

JENNIFER….Who did the testing? What was the testing called? I’m skeptical….you might try to put the dog on a raw diet temporarily…Natural Instinct has a frozen raw food that is balanced…also Primal is wonderful…It is frozen, raw, balanced food. You can look at the different raw meats….Some foods are very hot while others are very cool. My friend has a dog who has all sorts of problems…It has a disease that means the dog can only eat certain foods. She went to the Primal Duck and the dog is doing better than it ever has…She uses an expensive kibble that is human grade and then she uses the Primal…it seems to do the trick…It’s hard to eat a raw diet and have it balanced so if you can, try feeding the raw balanced diet…It might do the trick.

[Barbara O]

How much quality oil is the dog getting? Most dog foods have to limit the amount of fat they put in dog foods due to danger of rancidity. My grandson’s lab began doing the same thing. They took her to the vet and she was treated for allergies. I sent them some salmon oil and recommended they add a whole raw egg to the diet. She has cleared except for one small spot. I volunteer for Great Dane rescue and we have been having the same problems with the Danes…dandruff and itching. I began feeding the one I have just adopted the salmon oil and a raw egg at both feedings. He is slicking off, the itching has all but subsided and his coat is becoming shiny. He has been on the egg for over a month and the salmon oil was started last week. Please don’t be afraid to feed the eggs. Several years ago I had several orphaned puppies that were brought to me. I lived close to a vet school and was taken courses there…I talked to one of my professors and he recommended I mix a concoction to feed the puppies…this was whole egg, canned evaporated milk and raw hamburger meat. I also added baby vitamin drops. The pups grew, were shiny and had no health problems…
Sometimes keeping the diet simple is the best. Our dogs are canines…carnivores…they aren’t meant to eat a diet of grains and too much vegetables…
I own a genet and he eats Primal frozen raw…It has some ground veggies in it…I’ve been doing rescue of one sort or another for years…dogs, cats, wild animals…almost all have been carnivores….A very old vet told me one time to feed an animal as close to his native diet as possible…this eliminates many digestive problems. So…I feed grain free food…I have to keep the feeding pans around that slow down the eating process for many of the Danes I get…they have been half starved and abused…they eat so fast food can come back up…Amazon has some wonderful stainless steel ones.

Always feed the dry food wet…not mushy….just wet. Have you ever tried to gobble down a sandwich too fast? It sticks in the throat…This happens to dogs…puppies and grown dogs need moist food…In the wild they would never eat totally dry feed…You can add a small amount of raw veggies to the dry food. My doesn’t like the veggies but the other Danes I’ve rescued love them…One ate broccoli and cauliflower as a treat…Also..someone mentioned gas….eating and gulp air causes gas…

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