Dori

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  • in reply to: White Lumps on puppy #71206 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Is it very warm or hot where you live? I’m wondering if it’s something like prickly heat rash. They can get prickly heat, just like babies do, in areas that don’t get a chance to really dry out. That’s my best guess but I could absolutely be completely wrong.

    in reply to: Best Alternative to Raw Feeding for a Large Dog? #71199 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    What Dog Obsessed said.

    in reply to: New and Looking into feeding Raw #71189 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Thank you losul. I’m hoping to get something of an education out of the experience. I’ve never done anything like this before seems silly for me to say and admit to since I feed commercial raw diets, but I’m hoping I don’t embarrass myself and break down into tears as I’m also pretty sensitive as to how the dead are handled in making food for others to eat. It’s a bit contrary on my part with my very opposing feelings on this issue. I just can’t save the world, just those in my cars.

    Thank you for the compliment earlier. I do my best by my charges. That’s what we’re suppose to do so I do my best.

    in reply to: New and Looking into feeding Raw #71186 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    No problem losul about my visiting them. This will be my first time ever visiting and inspecting (?) and inspecting and am also going to make sure that the owner is their to do the tour and answer all my questions otherwise it’s not worth my time and effort. I’m curious about them also.

    I don’t know whether your praise about Hannah is due to me or Hannah. Thanks either way.

    in reply to: New and Looking into feeding Raw #71176 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    losul. I’ll be checking out their facility with my husband one day next week. I’ll report back on this thread.

    Like your post very much and I can now also see the benefit of using All Provide (after visit to their facility) as a possible replacement periodically for one of the girls meals a day and the other commercial raws as their other meal.

    It would be really nice if AAFCO some day would do a profile on commercial raw dog foods. As I doubt very highly that they’ll be doing that anytime soon, I will continue with my rotational feeding and ignore whether a company is really entitled to use “meets AAFCO guidelines” on their product. It doesn’t pertain to commercial raws in any way that I can see. I’ve been feeding commercial raw foods in rotation for the past 3 1/2 years maybe a little longer and all three girls are doing well. Well, except for Hannah who is 15 years 8 months old and spent the first 12 years of her life eating kibble. Bad mama, I didn’t know any better at the time. All things considered for her age and have a couple of forms of cancer she’s doing pretty damn well. Her doctors are still stunned that she remains asymptomatic to either cancer. Her only real issues pertain to geriatric decline. Hard of hearing, night blindness, a little arthritic, stuff like that, that we, even as humans, come down with.

    I’m still not thrilled that Allprovide has no issue with the possible inclusion of antibiotics or hormones in their proteins but as I don’t feed anything feathered it may not apply to my situation.

    in reply to: Alternatives to Rimadyl #71074 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I would use Traumeel (you can order from Amazon). As for supplements I would encourage you to give Standard Process supplements: Canine Whole Body Support, Canine Flex Support, and their Canine Musculoskeletal Support. I’ve incorporated these supplements as well as some others for some of Hannah’s other geriatric conditions. The three that I recommended have made a world of difference. She’s now back to standing up on her back legs begging for treats just like Katie and Lola. Hannah hasn’t done that in at least a couple of years. Good luck.

    Sorry RescueDanMom. I just looked back and realized this was old thread. Though I hope my post helps others, I’m sorry. I should have looked to see what this forum was about who started the thread. 🙁

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Canine flu #70912 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I have no intention of having my dogs vaccinated for the new flu strain or any other strain. My dogs are not put in a position to be exposed to other animals so they’re all good. No dog parks, no walks on the street or on anyone else’s property, our backyard area is fenced with no access for other animals onto our property. No kennels, no pet stores. When a visit to the vet is needed I carry them in and out. No walking around in the vet’s waiting area. I make sure they clean the table in the exam room in my presence. It’s a non issue for me and my girls.

    Sounds like another way for big pharma to make some money. Too many people doing titers, not enough people doing vaccines?? Huh? Let’s come up with different vaccines. I’m not falling for it.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    in reply to: New and Looking into feeding Raw #70761 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Good idea losul. I’ll give them a call and see when I can arrange this. They’re probably about 30 or 45 minute drive away. Would be interesting even though as you say I’m not going to feed their foods I’ve never been taken a tour of any dog food facilities. Thanks for the idea.

    I must have not paid close enough attention to the puppy blend. I just wish dog food companies regardless of whether they’re dry, wet or raw would stop mixing everything up. There are so many dogs with food issues at this point that it’s getting harder and harder for some people to feed their food sensitive dogs.

    in reply to: New and Looking into feeding Raw #70759 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I just went back onto their site and looked over the foods again. I agree with you that the only one that I could see feeding is the puppy formula. But, as I mentioned, I’m uncomfortable not knowing about antibiotics and hormones. For my husband and myself I try to buy organic as often as I can and always make sure that there are no hormones or antibiotics as best I can. Another issue that I have with their other formulas is that I don’t like that they have more than one protein. If a food says it’s beef, I’d like not to see chicken. Same with their other formulas. I think the puppy is the only one that is one protein source. One of my dogs is highly intolerant of all things fowl.

    As far as the AAFCO statement, I really don’t pay much attention to it. That they have slapped that statement on so many foods that are so not AAFCO equivalent is appalling. So how can you believe any of it. There’s no one guarding the hen house. I’m a commercial raw feeder and all the companies that I feed are only ones that use human grade ingredients. Now, of course, I don’t know that to be a fact because I’m not an eye witness in their manufacturing facilities but I’m doing my best to take care of the girls as best I can. I’ve attempted to do my due diligence. If I remember correctly AAFCO figures were done for kibble, possibly canned too. I’ve read somewhere that they are suppose to be coming out this year with their new figures a bit more in line with the EU guidelines. They’re still not talking commercial raw foods into account so it’s not going to affect me or my dogs one way or the other. I would possibly be more concerned about the AAFCO statements on dog foods if I fed highly processed dry foods or if I only fed my dogs one food and never rotated. That could lead to a problem which is why we are always trying to get people to understand that they should research and implement rotational feeding. The FDA is their own little story unto itself in my eyes. The way they recommend or abolish products has no merit in my eyes whatsoever.

    in reply to: New and Looking into feeding Raw #70739 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    losul: Another concern I would have, as a commercial raw feeder only, is that they do use animals that have been treated with hormones and antibiotics. Their wording is very flowery intimating that antibiotics and hormones are approved by the FDA to control illness, etc. blah, blah, blah. None of the wording makes me comfortable. Though my dogs eating commercial raw diets in rotation are accustomed to high protein, high fat diets; they are accustomed to quality high protein and quality high fats with companies that I have researched and trust. I would not feel comfortable feeding any of my crew this food. One more thought I want to add is the old age adage: If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Possibly if fed by someone that rotates foods as often as I do (I rotate with every meal and I feed twice a day), but I still wouldn’t use it.

    I also haven’t found any wording as to free range, grass fed or whatever! That is another thing that I take into account.

    in reply to: TPLO Surgery Recovery #70547 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I would suggest Standard Process Whole Body Supplement. If you diffuse essential oils in your home I would suggest Transition and also Calm-Away. For the oils I would suggest you go to AnimalEO.info and check them out. You can also order Standard Process products through that site. This is Melissa Shelton DVM’s site. I use a H2EO diffuser. You can read about the different essential oils on her site and if you go to her site oilyvet.com you can check out the different Standard Process supplements and see if any of them are worth while for your dog. I think the two I mentioned would be worthwhile for your dog but there may be others.

    I’m also a commercial raw rotational feeder to my three dogs. I don’t feed anything processed.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    in reply to: What is a Dental? #70515 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Unfortunately where I live and the vets that I chose to use are very expensive, but they know my dogs so I wouldn’t have it done by someone that doesn’t know my dogs and that I don’t know them. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong. Just me being neurotic about my girls. I have always had blood work done before anything having to do with anesthesia. Also, that wouldn’t be just my choice but by the doctors orders also.

    Have your dogs teeth professionally cleaned is a must when needed. Hopefully before needed too much. It’s just like ourselves. We brush our teeth, of course, but we still go the the dentist so that the hygienist does a complete dental cleaning. Bacteria would probably also go into our bloodstream and do harm to our kidneys and liver just as it would with our animals if we never cleaned our teeth.

    in reply to: Possyum dog roll (superior chunky brand) #70503 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Marie, it’s a NZ company.

    Eve D. The food contains sucrose. There is no reason whatsoever to feed your dog sugar. Sugar is not a healthy additive. Preservatives? What kind of preservatives? Added vitamins? Are them GMO free or are they synthetic?

    I don’t feed any processed kibble types food but from what I have read on DFA Orijen seems to be considered one of the higher quality foods so why would you add an inferior product to your dogs diet? I wouldn’t.

    I wouldn’t feed this to any of my dogs even if it were available in the USA.

    Dori
    Member

    I highly doubt it’s anything you would feed your dogs Marie. I know I wouldn’t.

    http://www.naturaldogfoodcompany.com/adults-c-2/

    Whoops! Just took another look to check out the treats that the OP was asking about and realized that the prices indicate it’s a European Company.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Doggy Dementia #70492 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    L M. Marie, Myself, Labs, and quite a few others have been counseling, advising, and pleading her to get Ginger’s dental done since the first week she got her. That is well over a year ago. I’d also like to remind you and others on this thread that she has repeatedly asked for advice. We have repeatedly given her the advice she asked for. No, no one has to take anyone’s advice even if you’ve asked for said advice. Then stop asking for the same advice on the same issue over and over and over again if you know you’re not going to do anything anyway. Have you read all 15 pages of this forum thread? If not and when you have a moment, you might want to read it from the beginning. I think that you and others may think that we are being too hard on Akari and need to take it easy on her. It is inhumane to allow anyone, anything to suffer as long as the poor dog has suffered due to the condition of Ginger’s teeth.

    We all have had old dogs at some time or another and we all dread the exams. I for one have had my Maltese, Hannah, all her life. She was 15 years old last September. She has two types of cancer (bladder and lung), she’s been hypothyroid almost half her life. She has two degenerated discs mid spine. All these issues I’ve been treating medically, holistically, with SP supplements, homeopathically, with the aid of not only her own vet but with counsel from holistic/homeopathic vets and specialists for her conditions. Also I have often asked for advice here on DFA. It’s a wonderful place filled with loving, caring, compassionate people and when we see and hear these stories we have to speak up and point out what we know is wrong and is abusive behavior. Hannah is not suffering in the least. She’s eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping. Playing with her two “sisters” all the time. Barks at everyone passing the property. She long ago decided that she was our watch dog and door bell all rolled into one. Each and every time I have to take her to any of her vets, my heart is in my throat. I all but break into a sweat. But that does not stop me from getting her to her doctors appointment. And when the day comes that my husband and I feel that she is suffering we will do what is best for Hannah, not for ourselves. We will let her go because to do otherwise would be selfish to the maximum on our part. We have had to make that decision in the past and you never ever get over it. It stays with you forever. All my dogs have been like my children. My own “human” child died 8 years ago last August. Let me tell you that the pain and longing is not much different than losing a furry member of your family. You miss them, you think you hear them, you think they’re just sleeping in their bed, or laying on the sofa with the t.v. on. You think you hear their dog tags jingling. I still have each and every dog collar and all dog tags and all ashes from each and every dog I’ve ever had including a yellow naped Amazon parrot I had about 30 years ago. In the end the decision should be about what is best for them, not for ourselves. Of course we don’t want them to be sick and/or die, but what needs to be done for “furry family members” that we brought into our homes to care for and protect means from beginning to end it is about them! Not us! Again, if I sound harsh on the subject of the decisions that Akari has chosen in her care of Ginger it is because it pains me that Ginger is still (a year or so later) in the condition that she is in and has been allowed to be this way since she was brought into her home.

    I’m proud of all of us who have spoken up. So many people in this life will turn a blind eye because they don’t want to get involved. That’s not me and neither is it the posters that have seen something wrong happening and we do get involved. When I see abusive behavior in any form in my day to day life I am one of those that do speak up. I’m not so afraid that I’m going to pretend that I don’t see or hear what’s going on. It’s one of the problems that society has right now. People don’t want to get involved, they don’t want to upset the apple cart. I don’t care if the apple cart topples over so long as I have been instrumental in getting someone to open their eyes and see what they’ve done.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    • This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Doggy Dementia #70467 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hi Akari. Ginger has been on my mind since I saw her molar and the condition that it was in. I feel that it would be total neglect on my part not to speak up. I know that I championed you on bringing her into your home initially but now I have to say that I wish you hadn’t. Had you not taken her into your home Ginger would have crossed over the rainbow bridge a long time ago and she would be pain free. I am all for doing all that I can for my dogs so long as the longevity of their lives is quality for them, not longevity for me. I am not going to say that what you are doing is bordering on abuse, I am going to say it outright. It is inhumane what you have put Ginger through and are continuing to do so. You are very quick to make your mother the “fall guy”. You say Ginger’s your mother’s dog and you have no say in the matter. That’s not true. You took it upon yourself to bring Ginger in to your home and convince your mother into letting you keep her. That makes her your dog. You have put Ginger through more rounds of antibiotics in the short time that you have had Ginger that most dogs have in two life times. I have two dogs that have never been on antibiotics with all their problems. You are always very proud of your purchases with coupons, be it for dog food, fish food, cat food and cat litter. You’ve got tons of it. The caring, loving, conscientious dog guardian would have spent the money on Ginger’s dental work. When ever it is convenient you chose to call Ginger your mother’s dog. She’s not your mother’s dog. She’s your dog. I wish you had let her go. She’s in pain, she’s suffering. I fear you are much too young to know the difference between quantity and quality. I am apologizing here to Ginger for encouraging you to have become her guardian. I truly from the bottom of my heart feel that she would have suffered less had you let her go.

    I also apologize to anyone on DFA if anyone feels that I am being too hard on Akari but this has been going on for over a year. For over a year that poor little old dachshund has suffered more than anyone one of us would have let our dogs, cats, children or ourselves suffered. I for one am tired of hearing about all the excuses why this poor little dog that should be showed unconditional love should still be suffering. If anyone doesn’t like my post, frankly I don’t care. I’m saying what most on DFA forums have been thinking but didn’t have the guts to say.

    in reply to: Doggy Dementia #70418 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hi Akari. When I first started giving coconut oil to my three girls I had to start with teeny tiny little bit otherwise they would get very loose stools.

    Denamarin is sold on Amazon and a few other on line sites. My vet even told me to get it on line cause it would be less expensive. I get the chewable for small dogs. Denamarin is not a prescription only supplement.

    I understand that it’s you mother’s money but you were the one that brought her into your home and your mother didn’t want Ginger to begin with so that makes Ginger your dog, not your mother’s dog. Ginger’s your dog, but I guess your mother is paying the bills.

    in reply to: Doggy Dementia #70404 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Wow, Akari. I’ve never seen a dog’s tooth in that bad a shape. You weren’t exaggerating when you said Ginger’s teeth were in bad shape. She has got to be in pain with the condition that her teeth are in. If the dental is not going to be done, which by the way I definitely think should be done, they you’re probably better off not putting water in her food so that she’s forced to chew and maybe lose the worst of the teeth. Just make sure she’s drinking plenty of water of it’s going to screw up her kidney’s. Also so that you know, even though she will lose the most offending teeth, that isn’t going to do anything for any disease that she has under the gums that will eventually get into her blood system if it hasn’t already.

    As for the Denamarin, as you know Hannah had very high liver levels though not as high as Ginger’s were/are. Hannah’s is due to the tumor in her bladder and the mass on one of the lobes of a lung. Because of her age I have been told not only by her vet but also by two of her specialist vets that Hannah will be on the Denamarin for the rest of her life. I give her one whole tablet (specialists and her vets recommendations) 1 1/2 hours before her dinner every single day. I have been doing this for a year now and her liver levels are now in the normal range. We tried dropping it to 1/2 tablet per day but her liver levels started to rise again. I have forgotten to mention to you all along that Hannah is on the chewable version. The tablet is scored and I just break it in half for her and she chews them both up. She loves the taste. That might also be another way for Ginger to loose bad molars.

    When the vet got her blood work back I thought he didn’t want to due the dental because of her liver and kidney levels? But now he feels it’s okay even though he hasn’t done blood work again? I don’t understand? Look, I’m no vet that’s for sure but I’m seriously thinking that her liver levels and perhaps kidney, are due to the constant infections coming from her mouth. I also think it’s doing tremendous harm to have her on antibiotics as often as the vet has. He’s just treating symptoms which vets seem to like to do. He’s not really treating what’s wrong with her. Antibiotics are horrible for the organs and the gut and every other part of your internal body. I think your mom has gotten so attached to Ginger that she’s afraid to lose her. Can Ginger die through surgery? Yes. But so can anyone going under anaesthesia (sp?). At some point as guardians of animals we have to realize that the quality of their lives counts more than our not wanting to let go. Honestly, I’m thrilled to hear that Ginger is doing better and also that she lost that horrible molar. Are you giving her 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil a day? If not, you should be. Ginger has probably been so snappish when anywhere near her mouth because she’s been in so much pain for so long. You know how painful it is yourself when you have a tooth ache. One of the worst pains. Toothaches, back aches and child birth are by far the worst pains ever. I’d rather give birth again than deal with tooth aches.

    in reply to: Good supplements #70392 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    The commercial raw foods that I feed are:

    Primal Raw Frozen Formulas
    Primal Pronto Frozen Formulas
    Natural Variety Instinct Frozen Raw Diets
    Vital Essentials Frozen Raw Food
    OC Raw Frozen Food
    Nature’s Logic Frozen Raw Food
    Answer’s Detailed Frozen Raw Food

    I used to feed Darwin’s but I stopped. They add more fat to the diets now and also lowered the protein level of their diets. And, of course, they raised their prices.

    For a dehydrated, once in a while I’ll use The Honest Kitchen Zeal. It’s the only one that I feed.

    As treats I only give them small pieces of fruits and veggies. Whatever I happen to have in the refrigerator or counter.

    I don’t feed any commercial treats. Too many recalls, too many grains.

    Please feel free to ask any other questions.

    in reply to: Good supplements #70390 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Oceans11. Thanks for the compliment. That’s Hannah my Maltese. She is 15 plus 8 months old.

    Your comment about Oliver not liking to get his whiskers wet may be something that, at some point in trying to get him to eat different foods or any food, you may have concluded yourself. Thinking that must be the reason. If a dog is hungry and really likes what he’s being fed, I don’t believe, of course I could be wrong, that getting his whiskers wet are going to stop him from eating.

    Just fyi, I have three toy dogs and they are all on commercial raw diets. I rotate with different proteins within the brand and I also rotate brands. If you want any info on the brands I feed please feel free to ask.

    in reply to: Good supplements #70384 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Please remember that dogs are not born picky. All so called “picky” eaters are made that way by their owners. I will also include human children in my statement. I’m glad you are going to follow Marie’s suggestion.

    One more thing. No treats in-between meal treats. You’ll fill your dog up on treats and won’t be hungry for meals. Just until your dog knows that when food is put down (twice a day) it needs to be consumed within 15 – 20 minutes or it’s going to disappear.

    in reply to: 14 year old 16lb poodle no teeth #70246 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I think she’s asking for a recommendation for an all purpose vitamin, not dog food. I could be wrong.

    Candace S. If you are asking us for recommendations for what we as individuals think is the best over all vitamin for our dogs, unequivocally, I would recommend as the best and only overall vitamin that I would use and do use: Canine Whole Body Support by Standard Process.

    in reply to: Your Most Recommended Dog Treats? #69793 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    zuponicafe. If you feed kibble, a lot of the time you can just use their kibble as their treat. Dogs are typically food motivated. If you put some of their kibble in a separate jar or a baggy when you are out then they think it’s a treat. When I was feeding kibble I always did that. It always made my husband and I laugh.

    in reply to: Your Most Recommended Dog Treats? #69785 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Just read this and thought I should come on over and share. I don’t feed jerky but I know a lot of you do.

    http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=36295&callshare=1

    in reply to: Doggy Dementia #69714 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hi Akari. I just read your posts on the comments side and wanted to tell you that Denamarin IS a combination of Sam-e and Milk Thistle which is why the vet has Ginger on that particular medication. Hannah has been on it once a day since beginning of last Spring. She takes the chewable version. She thinks they’re a treat. She gets 225 mg daily as per her specialist. I also give her 1/4 teaspoon of canine immunity by Standard Process. All of this is for her liver which is now on the lower range of normal. I also give her daily a vitamin E capsule once a day. The vitamin e I poke a hole in the capsule with a pin and squirt it on her food. She’ll be on this routine for the rest of her life. The Denamarin I give her one and a half hours before her p.m. Meal. Easier for me and her than having to get up so early to give before breakfast. Of course she gets a ton of other supplements and essential oil and aromatherapy but those are for her cancers. She’s doing remarkably well on the cancer issues. She also only eats raw.

    Anyway, I haven’t been on DFA in a while and probably won’t be again but I did see your discussion with crazy4dogs where she was telling you to add milk thistle and I wanted you to know that you already are. It’s one of the components in Denamarin. If I can help any more regarding Ginger either email me or go to my FB page. One more thing. Amazon has better prices on Denamarin than the vets do. That’s where I buy mine. It’s the same exact product. My vet is the one that told me to buy it on Amazon. Night!

    in reply to: Vomiting Shih Tzu #68793 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I’d be more concerned that she’s not drinking than I would that she’s not eating. Often just like us, if they’re not feeling well or have gastro upset they will know enough to fast themselves and, in my opinion, that’s a good thing. Right now it’s more important to get liquids into her.

    If she greeted you at the door today tail wagging even just a little or even just the fact that she greeted you at all means that she’s feeling a little better. When she does start to eat, please just give her very small meals every few hours for a few days. You can add a little bit of canned pumpkin (not pie filling) into each of other very small meals.

    As to the original problem or what started this particular episode: It could very well be that the vaccines upset her system but I doubt that the stress of going to the groomer would have her vomiting and with diarrhea so long after her grooming. And, her problems started a long time ago. As others may have mentioned, I believe she has a food intolerance/sensitivity. You need to get to the route of what ingredient in the food you are feeding is bothering her. I don’t believe switching her to a low fat diet is going to be a “cure all”. This really does sound like food intolerance issues to me and until you figure out what she is “allergic” to this is going to continue to happen. If you’re going to keep her on kibble or canned try a limited ingredient food with a protein that you have never fed her before. See how she does on that. If you’ve been feeding chicken, or beef or whatever protein, just avoid them for a while. Make sure that on the ingredient list there is no chicken or turkey fat or any beef or whatever else you’ve been feeding her. Sometimes because a food says it’s Venison on the package doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other animal proteins in the food. It’s a difficult task finding what food intolerances a dog has but it is well worth it in the end for your dog most especially but also for yourself.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Weightloss food question. #68790 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    In my opinion, and that’s all it is, I would change their food. They’ve been on this particular food for a long enough time that you know they are not losing weight. Feeding them at the low end (25% below their intake plus on the low side) could cause health issues of another sort. Recommended guide lines of manufactured dog foods will mean that more or a little less, they will get their nutritional needs from that food given the approx. amount they recommend. If you are always given them less then or at the lowest end of recommendation could possibly lead to nutritional deficiencies.

    My suggestion would be go find a 4 or 5 star rated quality food from a reputable company with a moderate to high protein, moderate fat and low carbs and I wouldn’t feed any of the foods on THE list. I checked almost all of those foods earlier today and they are all low in fat and high in carbs.

    I may have mentioned that I have three toy breed dogs that I keep on the lean side. I feed them all commercial raw diets. I rotate proteins and brands. Commercial raw dog foods are all very high protein, high fat and low carbs. I don’t have to adjust the amount of food that I feed them going from one to the other commercial raw food because they are all accustomed to high protein and fat diets with low carbs. As a matter of fact there are times that I will feed them more than their normal amounts to get a little more weight on them. My feeding method for them is that I feed them between 2.5% and 3% of their body weight. I bought a cheap digital kitchen scale on Amazon. I think it’s a more precise way of knowing that you’re feeding them the correct amount of food each of them needs. I’ve never liked measuring dry kibble (when I used to feed it to them over three years ago) because not all dry foods are the same exact size so that the cup size will always vary somewhat in the amount your feeding them.

    in reply to: Weightloss food question. #68784 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Wellness Core Reduced Fat has low fat, but it has 42% carbs which is quite high. The decision to take your dogs to the vet for blood work is, of course, yours. But the fact that both dogs are not losing weight would suggest to me that it’s the food and not that they are ill. That would have to mean that they are both ill at the same time. Of course, this could happen in theory but really rare in practice unless they have caught a contagious illness. Do they have colds or any other symptoms other than not losing weight? Are they coughing, do they have running noses, diarrhea, constipation, foul smelling poops? Just trying to help out here.

    I hear what you’re saying that Wellness Core Reduced Fat is on the Best Weight Loss Foods, I’m not questioning Dr. Mikes reviews or thoughts, I just wouldn’t feed a high carb dog food to any dog of mine let alone one that I am trying to get to shed some weight. It all depends on whether one believes that fat causes weight gain (which a lot of people do) or one believes that carbs attribute to weight gain (which a lot of people do). Remember also that, even as with humans, not every diet works for everyone. I’m going to check out the thread on Best Weight Loss Foods and see what else is there I keep all three of my dogs on the lean side so I’ve never looked at that list. I’ll do so now.

    I just noticed that you mentioned that both your dogs are around 9 years old. Are they siblings? Are you thinking they might both have hypothyroidism? Has your vet made any suggestions in the past as to weight loss?

    I did check the Weight Loss thread and that thread and those suggestions are based on a dog losing weight on a lower fat diet as opposed to low carbs. There are a lot of studies and there has been a lot of research suggests that just like people, low carbs is what will shed the weight. If you do want to have blood work done on your pets, please mention hypothyroidism to your vet and also having the blood work done may alleviated any fears or stress you may have thinking that there may be something else going on with the dogs. It certainly can’t hurt having the blood work done.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Weightloss food question. #68779 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    In lieu of the fact that you’ve chosen a food that is low in fat I’m going to assume that you believe that fat makes dogs fat. It doesn’t. Please choose a food that is low in carbs. Carbs are what cause weight gain and also makes it very difficult to lose weight. So look for a food that has a decent amount of protein, moderate fat, and low carbs and you should see your dog start to lose weight.

    People have the misconception that since “fat” is a word that has been used to describe overweight people and animals that they must be getting that way due to eating fat. Nope! It’s the amount of carbs in their diet. Also check out the carbs in their treats.

    Why do you feel they need blood work because they are over weight?

    in reply to: Taste of the Wild / Canine Caviar #68778 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Please don’t suggest any foods that contain any form of rosemary in it. Rosemary and Rosemary extract have been known to trigger seizures in seizure prone dogs even if they’ve never had a seizure before. There have been studies that have confirmed this for humans. My step daughter has suffered from epilepsy after a car accident many years ago and she was told to avoid rosemary. She, of course, is on seizure medication because hers were constant and severe. No studies, to my or my vets knowledge, have been done so far on canines and due to the cost may never get done. I know vets do site the human studies and feel that it’s probably best not to feed a dog with seizures or possibly seizures in the canine family background rosemary and rosemary extract with the thought that this would also carry over into the canine world. If home cooking or giving dogs leftovers for meals they should not contain any rosemary either. Why chance it. Better safe than sorry as the saying goes.

    A good kibble that doesn’t contain rosemary (but please double check any and all recommendations) is Nature’s Logic. I know the sardine formula doesn’t contain it.

    Nature’s Variety Instinct kibbles do contain rosemary and/or rosemary extract so please do not recommend that kibble. I do feed the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Foods but they don’t contain rosemary. At least not the ones that I feed.

    in reply to: Your Most Recommended Dog Treats? #68776 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hi Kevin. I don’t feed any bully sticks as my dogs are much too small and my concern for them is that they could potentially be a choking hazard.

    I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned this on this 14 page thread but have you given any thought to buying a Kong, appropriate size for your dog, actually a bit bigger, if you don’t already have one, and filling it up with some tasty food and freezing it. I keep a few on rotation in the freezer as many other posters do also. I rehydrate a freeze dried food and then stuff the Kongs with the food, freeze them and the girls spend hours on end trying to get every little itty bitty morsel out. They have absolutely no interest in the Kongs if there is nothing in them.

    in reply to: Vomiting Shih Tzu #68758 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    In all seriousness I would start feeding your dog a commercial raw diet. Also if she continues to vomit, diarrhea and not eat during the weekend you need to start administering plain, non flavored Pedialite which you can buy over the counter at any pharmacy or grocery store in the baby/infant aisles. Also purchase a syringe. If she won’t drink it, then start administering small amounts, maybe 3cc’s at intervals. You need to keep her electrolytes in check. Make sure it’s plain unflavored so that it doesn’t contain any sugars.

    in reply to: Grandma Lucy's Meatballs #68736 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    And on your recommendation I won’t buy the Grandma Lucy’s meatball type treats. They’d probably crack some of my tiny girls teeth. They should put some sort of a warning on those things or at least mention it on the site.

    in reply to: Grandma Lucy's Meatballs #68732 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I use the Vital Essential Tripe treats for the girls. If you’ve ever used Vital Essential Freeze Dried food (they only make it in beef), then just to let you know that their tripe treats are much smaller in size and they are hard and crunchy like the food, not soft. I can hear them crunch as the girls eat them. It’s my only way of getting some tripe into their systems. They LOVE them. As DogFoodie said, there are a lot in the bag and they do vary a little in size.

    in reply to: Taste of the Wild / Canine Caviar #68728 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I’m not a kibble feeder but there are a number of posters on this site that feed Canine Caviar and seem to like it, I imagine, or they wouldn’t be feeding it. I don’t recall anyone actually advising anyone to feed Taste of the Wild. If forced to feed kibble, and forced to feed one of those two foods, I guess I would have to choose Canine Caviar because of the more favorable reviews from long time posters on this site.

    in reply to: Grandma Lucy's Meatballs #68725 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    D. O. I think he’s referring to the “cheeseburgers”. In their description on line somewhere they described them as snack size meatball treats. When I looked at the site I thought of them as being crunchy since they’re freeze dried but I can certainly see them as a choking hazard for larger dogs them mine. They look about the size of Vital Essential Freeze Dried Beef food. I’ve never fed Grandma Lucy’s treats so don’t really know anything about them other than what’s on Grandma Lucy’s site.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: What to feed 4 year old Toy Poodle #68692 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Riley and Molly. If she is your only dog then there is no reason why you could not afford to feed her a good quality commercial raw diet. I have a Maltese, a Maltipoo and a Yorkipoo. They have all been on a rotation of commercial raw diets for the past three years and all are doing phenomenally well. A toy or small breed dog does not need a different diet or food than a regular dog other than a large breed dog puppy that needs less calcium in its growing years.

    in reply to: Senior Dog Food #68690 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    It is a marketing ploy to appeal to the guardians of senior dogs. Senior dogs do not need a senior food. In fact, more senior dog foods on the market are totally inappropriate for senior dogs. Senior dogs need more protein, not less. It is out of date thinking to advertise lower proteins to senior dogs. I have a very senior dog and the foods I feed her are between 38 – 68 % protein. 38% is on the very low end of what I would feed her or her two sisters.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Doggy Dementia #68578 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    What were the vet’s thoughts on going forward with the dental? How high were the levels?

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68557 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Marie, so glad Boone is back to “normal”. Good news. Let’s hope Ginger starts acting more like her self soon.

    Weezerweeks. The little black one is Lola, 5 1/2 year old Yorkipoo that I’ve had since she was 9 weeks old. She weighs 5 lbs.

    It is seriously ridiculous when there is a loving home that is willing to give a young dog a home and yet, the rescues, seem to be living in the dark ages when 60’s was considered old. I’m 66 years old with three small dogs. One 15 1/2 years old and two that are 5 1/2 years old and I got the two younger ones at the same time. Yes, I’d initially thought I was going to go insane having two 9 week old puppies and all it entails at the same time but, guess what, this “old lady” survived. I really do think that it’s just old fashioned out of date thinking. Or they know that the puppies can always be rescued and they’re trying to find loving homes for the older dogs? I certainly wouldn’t consider a 3 year old dog too hard to handle and, unfortunately, a lot of these rescues and placements are run by much younger people so I guess instead of their thinking of us as experienced, with lots of time on our hands, they think of us as old. Just wait till they catch up to us and see how old they think mid 60’s really is.
    I love having the little toy dogs. I couldn’t possibly handle larger dogs and since I’m allergic to animals it’s usually the toy or small breed dogs that have hair as opposed to fur.

    in reply to: Grandma Lucy's Meatballs #68544 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Grandma Lucy’s makes meatballs? Like Marie said, never heard of them. Huh? I’m gonna check it out.

    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68542 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Oh poor Ginger, Marie. If only we could explain things to them and know they understood us. I hope she’s not still wondering where Gemma is? These stories just break you heart. How is Boone?

    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68535 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hey Marie, there are days I would be tempted. Of course, I’d have to come live with you guys too cause Jim would surely kill me.

    I’m still so sorry about Gemma’s passing. I hope you’re all coping. My three girls together only add up to 18 lbs.

    in reply to: Coupons! #68528 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Oh, sorry jakes mom. I saw your post a few days ago but couldn’t help as I don’t have any cats. I figured some of the cat people would have helped you by now. I’ll try to reach out to C4C for you. Also, your post and mine will bump it up in the forum column.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68527 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Thanks Akari. We think they’re pretty cute too!

    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68525 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Cheryl, I just figured out photo bucket just before I posted. It’s called photobucket.com It’s a place where you can upload photos that are on your computer, elsewhere too, maybe? Not sure? Anyway, then you can copy and paste it on a forum. LOL I had to go on to youtube to get a couple of tutorials before I could figure out how to copy and paste to the forums. That’s about as much help as I can give you. TheBCnut use to say how un-techie she is so the other day when she posted the Rachels I figured I should at least give it a try once again cause I am fairly tech savvy but the posting of pictures has always eluded me. Now that I’ve done it I realize how easy it is, of course, that’s after looking at the tutorials over and over again.

    Thanks for the compliment on “the girls”. Yep, they were having a tea party. They got freeze dried Vital Essential Tripe treats for their “cookies”. They were trying to give them some of their real cookies so I ran into the pantry for “their” cookies.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68520 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    A better look at Lola in her tutu. 🙂

    Lola in her tutu photo IMG_0538_zpsjnids1yh.jpg

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68518 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hannah’s none too happy being dressed up. This was one of my granddaughters idea of playing dress up.

    The Girls:  Hannah, Lola & Katie photo IMG_0451_zpseqxx1k8w.jpg

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Something entirely unrelated to dog food. #68516 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hannah, Lola & Katie photo IMG_0082_zpsuzhupxtp.jpg

    The Girls. Hannah, Lola and Katie. Katie with her bedhead look as usual. Lola is kind of blurry so I’ll post a different pic.

    Thanks BC. Finally decided to take your lead and go onto photo bucket.

    • This reply was modified 9 years ago by Dori.
    in reply to: Purina Veterinary Diet JM #68502 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Finger’s crossed for Ginger’s blood work Akari. We who know you know all that you have done to help Ginger. As for the others, just ignore them and, hopefully, they’ll just go away.

    There’s no need for you to defend yourself and your choices for your dog to anyone. Ginger’s better and that’s all that matters.

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