[crazy4cats]

I have two 13 1/2 lab mix “pups”. They are litter mates in very good condition for their age. I have been feeding them Purina One Vibrant Maturity dry food along with a dollup of canned food. They also get some fish oil and a GlycoFlex supplement daily. One of them is on carprofen due to some stiff joints. They are doing great!
I wouldn’t add any vitamins or minerals to a diet that is already considered complete and balanced. It could potentially throw things out of whack!
Good luck to you. It really stinks that they get old so young.

[crazy4cats]

Chip-
I 100% agree! The rating does not mention that it is to be used as a “cat food complement” only. It is very misleading and possibly dangerous if not noticed by consumers. Good catch! I stick to companies that have been around for years, that do testing and have a team of experts that formulate the food.

[crazy4cats]

I disagree. Those are some of the best companies to buy from, especially if your fur baby has a health condition. They employ experts and do extensive research and testing on the foods. It’s tough to analyze the quality of pet food by the label. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Check out the review side of this site. You will find them there:

/dog-food-reviews/brand/

[crazy4cats]

Hi Chris K-
Thank you for the warning. Where did you buy the food? Could it be a storage issue?

[crazy4cats]

Wow! That is very scary. I think Primal is a pretty popular food. The Vitamin D issue seems to be rampant these days. I wonder why?
Shame on them for not recalling all lots! Who can we trust these days?
Good point about people so concerned about the ingredient panel when they are often incorrect and manipulated to look good to us. While safety protocols should be of the upmost important!

While I haven’t fed any raw for years, thank you for the information. I hadn’t seen anything about it.

Where do you find this information?

[crazy4cats]

What a disappointment. There is so much evidence! I hope it gets refiled . It would be nice if people quit buying those expensive fancy rawhide chews and put them out of business!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Chandra-
Sorry to hear about your pup with chronic diarrhea. Can I assume you have done fecal tests to rule out parasites? Giardia can be cyclical and tough to get rid of.

High fiber food and Panacur helped my dogs get over chronic diarrhea.

However, one of my cats has presumed IBD and I tried several different foods. After going to an Internal Medicine Specialist, he is stable by feeding him a novel protein Rx food, added fiber to his wet food, Tylosin powder and probiotics. He also had a series of Vitamin B shots that really helped.

He eats Royal Canin rabbit or venison both dry and wet.

Think about going to an Internal Medicine Specialist if you feel your regular vet isn’t finding a solution. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Good news, M&C!

[crazy4cats]

Hi M&C-

Are you familiar with: http://vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Cats.pdf

I unfortunately, do not brush my cats’ teeth, but I do give them either Greenies or Dentabites. I belive they help, but brushing would be best. Hope this helps!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Julia-
Sorry to hear about your dog’s upcoming surgery. One of my previous dog’s had it. But, I believe it is different and improved these days.
Has your vet or the surgeon given you any instructions on what and when to feed your pup?

[crazy4cats]

Have you brought a stool sample in? Giardia and Coccidia are fairly common in puppies. Also common when getting a new home and things are scary and different. Give it time and do not keep switching food every couple of days. That can make it worse. Congratulations and good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Interesting? Do you keep the ears dry and clean?

Purina and Royal Canin have many different formulas. You can check out their websites or Chewy Carrie’s many of their different food lines you could sort through. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

PPP was actually recalled to excessive Vitamin “D” (not E) in one of its prescription diets.

[crazy4cats]

My senior dogs do great on Purina One. I vote for it! I know what you mean about food getting so expensive. I think it goes up every time I buy a new bag.

Anyway, much to the surprise of many people, Purina is a great company! They have been around for a long time and know their stuff. They employ a team of experts, own their own manufacturing facility, and most importantly, (in my opinion) do feed trials.

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Aimee and Mutts & Cats-

Thank you for the link Aimee. I took a look and it’s very overwhelming! Too bad they don’t let me copy any part of it.

Also, M & C, I agree that there is something wrong with the forum. I also have to log in before it shows the up-to -date version. It always reverts back a few months. You wouldn’t know if someone posted unless you log in with username. I’m not sure who to contact to get this fixed as it did not use to be this way.

I’m impressed you are trying to do all the calculations. Not an easy task and not one I want to take on! I just stick to the big companies now that do all the research for us. Here is a recommended list of questions that the WSAVA believes are important things to know about a company. Maybe some of them could be helpful during your search of good and safe food for your pets!

https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Mutts and Cats-
Here is a helpful link that contains some of AAFCO’s ingredient definitions. Unfortunately, you have to pay to get them all!

https://talkspetfood.aafco.org/whatisinpetfood

I find this information very interesting and useful! Hope it helps. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
I think Purina has some grain free formulas. If you are absolutely set on feeding one. Give them a try!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
Yes, you are correct, they shouldn’t hide the ingredients origins. But, I still don’t believe that proves their quality. And you are absolutely correct, they should know that dogs can synthesize their own taurine using the sulfur
Amino acids both methionine and cystine.
You are now understanding how important it is to check out the company’s knowledge (and truthfulness) on how to formulate a complete and balanced food!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
I’m not as concerned about the origin of the ingredients as I am about the quality of them and how well they all work together to make sure my dogs are getting the appropriate amino acids and nutrients to be a complete and balanced food. Also, the safety protocols the company has in place is important. In addition, as you have mentioned, digestibility. I think feed trials would need to happen to determine this. You really need to know if the company knows what it’s doing with these ingredients that you’ve listed. Happy New Year, by the way! 😊

[crazy4cats]

I definitely would not make your own unless you will be working with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. It is very difficult to get the correct balance.

The only commercial raw pet food my vet recommends if a customer insists on it, is Nature’s Variety Instinct. She feels they have good safety protocols in place and do some feed trials. It’s best to check out the company very closely before purchasing raw food.

Welcome to Washington!

[crazy4cats]

Purina has many different formulas and price points. I steer clear of any grain free foods. There is no benefit to them and may be correlated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Thank you for fostering!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jordan L-
I have not tried any of these with my dogs. However, I have a couple of cats who do very well on Royal Canin’s prescription foods. Unfortunately, they are probably the most expensive of the three.

It’s probably just going to be a trial and error for you on how well your pup likes the food and which works the best. Are they all readily available to you? I often buy the food through Chewy or VetSource.
Good luck to you. I hope your pup responds well to one of the foods.

My dogs do well on OTC Purina One and it is a little more affordable than the other brands.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Amy H!
How were your pup’s allergies determined? Most allergy tests are not reliable and most dog allergies are usually environmental, not food related.

That being said, the best way to determine food allergies is by an elimination diet. An elimination diet might be started with a novel protein or a hydrolyzed Rx food to clear the system and then slowly adding in a new protein one at a time to determine a possible allergy.

Glad you are not feeding Orijen any longer. It along with Champion’s other formulas are some of the most that are correlated with dilated cardiomyopathy. Mars is a great dog food manufacturer. They employ experts, own their own manufacturing plants, do a ton of research and perform feed trials.

Best of luck to you figuring this out!

[crazy4cats]

RC Ultamino while expensive is a great way to help determine if your dog has a food allergy since it is hydrolyzed. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Thank you, Aimee. I just read that study on The SkeptVet’s FB page. I tried to post it here unsuccessfully.

I hope more people take notice and take it seriously.

[crazy4cats]

Is there a production date as well as an expiration date posted on the bags? I’ve only noticed expiration dates.

[crazy4cats]

Thank you and same to you!

[crazy4cats]

http://vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Dogs.pdf

Check out this link. It lists chews that are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
Have you tried Nature’s Variety Instinct raw food? I used to buy it to mix into my pup’s kibble, but haven’t for quite a while. I only use can food now as a topper. But, my dogs did like and did fine with the raw when I fed it. It gets expensive and I have a lot of pets to feed!

Anyway, as you probably have noticed, I value Aimee’s opinion and she has mentioned Nature’s Variety a couple of times. Just thought you may want to give it a try since you seem to be in search of something to add to the kibble.

I feed Purina One to my dogs and either Royal Canin, Purina or Hills to my cats. I am very happy with those choices.

Hope you find something you’re happy with.

[crazy4cats]

Super expensive rawhide! I’ve never seen it at PetSmart. But, it looks like Chewy has a lot on their website. 😒

[crazy4cats]

In addition, bob D, I would steer clear from grain free. There still has not been a clear answer on why and increased amount of Dilated Cardiomyopathy is happening in dogs.

Diet-Associated DCM: Research Update

[crazy4cats]

Hi bob D-
Congratulations on your new puppies! It sounds like they are most likely going to be large breed puppies. There are specific calcium guidelines that you want to make sure to follow to ensure that their joints grow properly to help eliminate any issues down the road. Especially hip dysplasia and torn ligaments in the knees and elbows.
You may be surprised, but Purina or Royal Canin would be your best bet while they are growing puppies. Both companies have done extensive research and feeding trials. Make sure you pick a formula that specifically states it is for large breed puppies in the AAFCO statement.

Here is a helpful link with more information: https://skeptvet.com/Blog/2010/01/nutrition-in-large-breed-puppies/

Good luck and have fun!

[crazy4cats]

I can’t believe this company is still getting away with this! Way to stay on top of it.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Gals!
Interesting discussion for sure. Looks like there are some changes to ingredient labels in the works!

Dramatic changes to pet food labels proposed by AAFCO

[crazy4cats]

Do you know who makes it?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sarah-
I would listen to your vet. Science Diet is a good company that puts a lot of research into their diets. I have a couple of pets on Rx food and it is keeping them very healthy.
You sure are adding a lot of extras to the diet. You may want to stick to the Farmina without the extras. It is hopefully formulated to be complete and balanced.
Maybe try an internal medicine specialist if you don’t have a good feeling about your vet.

[crazy4cats]

Thank you, Aimee. Interesting, but concerning article for me. I do feed my IBD kitty’s brother the Rx food too for convenience. I may need to rethink that!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Aimee-
Any study on DCM being associated with cats on grain free diets? The Rx food one of my cats is on contains peas. It’s the RC novel rabbit protein food. One of the FB groups I’m on for cats, suggests staying away from grain free for cats as well. Any opinions?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tyrion’s Dad
How is your pup doing?
I have a cat with IBD and tried the fecal transplant with unfortunately, no improvement. I’m curious if you tried it?
Mine is on a novel protein diet with added fiber (psyllium husk powder) and Tylosin. Luckily, It is keeping his diarrhea under control.
Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

As the link that Patricia posted states, allergy tests are very inaccurate. Unfortunately, an elimination diet is the best way to determine the problem ingredients. You would need to feed a prescription hydrolyzed diet to clear his symptoms and then gradually add a protein one at a time to see if there is a reaction. The hard part is he will not be able to eat anything else during the trial.
Rx diets can be very useful! I have a cat with presumed IBD on one. He’s doing awesome! Another, on an Rx urinary diet that saved his life. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

I can’t believe how long this is taking. This company is getting away with lying and basically cheating their customers. This product appears to be VERY expensive fancy wrapped raw hide!

Keep up the good work, Aimee!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Aimee-
Good information! The fact that diet change can resolve or reverse heart abnormalities has me convinced. Only well researched dog food without the offending ingredients for my dogs and cats. Currently, my dogs are on Purina One dry food with a small amount of various wet food. Thanks for the links!

[crazy4cats]

Interesting, who knew? It’s too bad that companies will lie to the customer to make a sale when it could cause harm to our pups!

I was at Walmart the other day looking for dog chews. I saw a bag of “Pork Chomps” that stated they were rawhide – free. When I looked at the ingredients, the first one was pigskin, then chicken and bacon flavoring. Does pig skin not fall under the definition of raw hide? Is pig skin safer for dogs?

Thanks for your information on this subject. I know you are trying to help us all get to the truth concerning raw hide.

I remember your posts about the the class action lawsuit against the Earth Animal no-hide company. Any word on that yet?

[crazy4cats]

My dogs have been doing great on Purina One dry and wet food. It’s a little bit less expensive than most of the recommended foods. Any of the grocery store foods made by Purina might be a little less as well.
However, all pet food seems to be shooting up in price. It’s very frustrating to those of us who have multiple pets or on a shrinking income!

[crazy4cats]

Lauren-
Wow! I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I’m so glad you posted this here. It’s important for dog owners to be aware of the correlation between grain free boutique type foods and DCM.

How is she doing? Any improvement?

[crazy4cats]

My best advice for you is to listen to your vet’s advice! Blue Buffalo has had their fair share of lawsuits . Their ingredient panel did not match what is actually in the bag. They do not employ a board-certified animal or veterinary nutritionist.

The “big 5” employ full time experts, do feed trials and own their own facilities. They include, Royal Canin, Iams, Purina, Hills and Eukanuba.

We all need to give veterinarians more credit when it comes to nutrition!

Hope your pup improves with a new diet. I feed Purina One to my pups with great success.

[crazy4cats]

In my opinion, you do NOT want to feed your dog grain free dog food. A few years back the FDA sent out an alert that there may be a link between grain-free diets and a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). It was first noticed in Golden Retrievers. It was found that DCM was reversed when the grain free diet was discontinued.

I feed my lab/golden mix dogs Purina One. It has the shredded bits. They seem to keep them more interested. They really like it and are doing great on it.

There are several articles and FB pages about the issue.

Is Grain-Free Dog Food Bad?

Good luck to you!

[crazy4cats]

Hi! Looks like they have a moderate calorie hydrolyzed food. Would that work for you. Royal Canin is frustrating right now for sure. So many of their foods are out of stock. Makes it stressful when you have a pet with medical issues needing them.

Another idea is to give RC a call or shoot them an email asking what they recommend for an alternative.

Good luck! Hope you find an alternative.

[crazy4cats]

I would check with a board certified veterinarian nutritionist. Feeding a complete and balanced food to your pup is extremely important!

Most home made diets are found to be lacking in some way or another, especially for a young large breed pup.

BalanceIt.com is a site run by experts that will help formulate a diet for your dog. Check it out!

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