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DieselJunki

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  • in reply to: Brothers complete #85911 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Pugmomsandy – It seems as though I can’t find the Wellness ‘stews’ anymore. Did they remove their stews and go with the new ‘Hearty Cuts in Gravy’?

    Edit: Nevermind! The Wellness Core came out with Hearty Cuts in Gravy. The regular Wellness Stews are still there. Silly me!

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Help us!!!!! #85780 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    You’re story sounds hauntingly familiar. My Ambull started off this way but I couldn’t find a kibble he did well on at ALL. It was hard because he was wasting away, like he wasn’t digesting. I spent soooooooo much money and got 0 answers from my vet. I threw my hands up and went and did a raw diet, that was the only thing that worked for us, I did that for 2 years and just recently switched back to kibble trying brands that I had tried before and am getting good results this time. I have no idea what happened between when he was a puppy to 3 years later but he’s doing so well on kibble I’m actually quite surprised.

    At least she is doing well on something. Halfway through the switch you say she develops the poops. Have you tried to add more of the old food back in with the new to see if that would help instead of just going straight back to the prescription food? How slow are you going with her switch? Have you been keeping track of common ingredients in those foods and tried to find another food with out those ingredients in it? Food trials take time, but anythings better than Purina and Royal Canine. In my opinion it is worth the effort. In a food trial it is best to keep all table scraps, and treats out of the mix to really truly get a handle on what it is that is causing her issues. You could use her current food as ‘treats’ and she wouldn’t know the difference I bet.

    Have you tried any probiotics, or enzymes?

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by DieselJunki.
    • This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Pet Insurance #85779 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’ve been looking into it myself but it’s still not that enticing for me. I’d just want it for emergencies but would want a lower deductible (something lower than $500) and the lower you go the higher your monthly payment. In the end would I have paid more for his insurance by the time he has a medical issue? Would his medical issue even be covered? One thing that gets me is having to still pay the cost upfront and then get reimbursed. I don’t have $1200 laying around to throw down and wait to be reimbursed. BUT on the other hand if it did happen and I HAD to pay that $1200 at least I would be reimbursed after my deductible. There are SO many things to think of and I guess I just haven’t made up my mind, my dog is three and we’ve been to the ER once due to a dog fight that cost me nearly $500, lucky it was just small sedation, wound cleaning, and some sutures.

    There are TONS of website to go to and look at if you type in pet insurance into Google.

    It would be nice if more people chimed in that maybe had pet insurance and used it that would let us know the company they used and how well they were to deal with.

    in reply to: Food for an allergic dog #85778 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    It depends. Does your dog have food allergies or is it environmental or both? Notice any fleas?

    Not all dogs have the same allergies, so we can’t recommend without knowing more information.

    What is your dog currently eating? Has the itching always been an issue or is this something that has cropped up lately?

    I will tell you that I have an Ambull which I thought originally had food allergies so we went raw for two years. He was still so very very itchy due to environmental alleriges. He does best kept inside with the A/C to keep the pollens and dusts out. Thankfully I’ve kept it under control by weekly baths and if we’ve had a day of hard play I rinse him with the hose in between baths.

    in reply to: Are Milk Bonz OK?? #85777 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I wouldn’t feed them either. Matter of fact when others ask if they can give my dog a treat I always ask ‘What is it?’ and if it even looks like a milk-bone I nicely decline and just say he’s got allergies, which isn’t totally a lie.

    What InkedMarie said, take as much time in choosing treats for your dog as you do choosing the food.

    in reply to: Smelly Dog? #85776 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    My dog has been skin scrapped so many times and nothing ever comes of it but some bacteria, which we all know if they test a raw spot of course there would be bacteria, bacteria is all over our skin. I always decline anti-biotics and just treat the area at home myself. I believe my dog has more environmental allergies as apposed to food allergies because we did raw for nearly 2 years, just recently switched back to kibble and he has always been itchy. Spring is his worst enemy, and go figure, I just moved to Cali! He usually smells as well but it’s because he is constantly peeing on his darn legs, boy dogs are the worst sometimes. I bathe once a week with Zymox Shampoo and do the Creme Rinse (which I leave on). Throughout the week I will wet a cloth, put some of the Zymox Creme Rinse on and rub him down with it. It has a pleasant smell. I’m lucky though as I have a dog with a short coat, you’d have to really work to get the Zymox shampoo and Creme rinse in there. Zymox shampoo is enzymatic and I have had good success with it so far in helping to keep the irritants at bay for my dog. If you read the reviews online others with yeasty dogs it has helped greatly as well. There is another brand called Derma-Soothe Shampoo and Derma-Soothe Cream Rinse. I just bought them and have yet to use it so can’t say whether they are good but the reviews online are decent, I plan to use the Derma-Soothe when he’s really having a melt down, last week was pretty bad here for him but we made it. What I can’t stress enough is to follow the directions on the bottle, if it says leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes after you’re done lathering the dog up, leave it for 10, or even 20, then rinse, there is a reason for said directions.

    +1 to going to the vet and having a skin scrap done to see if it’s really yeast but if you can’t afford it try to google how others treat yeast infections in their home. I hear a white distilled vinegar rinse after a bath and leaving it in (lightly drying but not fully) is a good way to help control yeast. But this may have to be a weekly or multiple day a week occurrence where you bathe and do the vinegar rinse to get the yeast under control.

    In the mean time can we help you find a comparable priced dog food that is a bit better in the ingredient list? Maybe you can persuade her if the cost is about the same.

    in reply to: What is the best food for a 18 month GSD #85748 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    For an 18 month old I wouldn’t worry about having to feed him a specific large breed dog food. When he was a puppy feeding a food specified for large breed puppies would have been best but don’t panic if you didn’t. It’s just due to the fact that large breed dogs supposedly have slightly different nutritional requirements in their early growth stages. Now you can feed just about whatever you’d like.

    Orijen is top of the line but extremely expensive, especially when you’re feeding 4 cups a day like I do for my big guy so I just can’t swing that type of price for a 26-28lb bag.

    You mentioned you were a member of the Editors Choice here. There are loads of brands to look into there and they even have a Budget Friendly list. For my 100lb Ambull I feed Dr. Tims, Victor, and Wellness Core so far. I buy their biggest bag which is usually anywhere from 26-30lbs and change to the next protein source within that brand or change brands completely after each bag. I also top the kibble with some canned food every so often (when budget allows) and do fish oil on the kibble as well.

    in reply to: Availability vs Quality? Dog food on the go… #85713 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I live in a 25′ bumper pull trailer with my 100lb American Bulldog! ๐Ÿ˜€

    I was doing raw in it for quite some time, I bought a small 3cu foot deep freezer to leave outside my trailer. But that’s because I stay in one place usually for a couple years at a time. MOST parks say you can’t have them but I’ve never had a problem with them telling me to get rid of one.

    Anyways! You’re here to hear about kibble. SO, what I do is use a vittles vault, since my dog is large I’m always buying the big bags so mine can hold up to 40lbs of food. If I need to actually go to a petfood store like Petsmart or Petco I go for the Wellness Core brand (5stars). However, sometimes you can find other smaller shops that carry brands the larger chains might not, always call ahead if you have a brand in mind.

    I usually just order from Chewy though, that way I can get other brands. My dog is used to switching so I never have to mix food. Why are you so against mail order if I might ask? Are you really moving around that much you can’t get an order in every 5 to 6 weeks? Most places have free shipping on orders over $50.

    I used to like Merrick but since the whole Purina thing, I’m giving it a couple years before I try them again.

    in reply to: Need Feedback, advice, suggestions #85700 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    If budget is an issue for you and Orijen is too expensive (as it is for me at the moment, trust me, wish I could feed it!) there are a few budget friendly dog foods out there like Victor, which I just ordered their Ultra Pro 42 Grain Free but they do have a puppy and active dog bag. Dr. Tims is another brand, one highly spoken of here although they don’t specifically have a puppy formula they do have an All Life Stages one.

    All these can be found on the Chewy website. I live in CA, ordered Thursday and the food was here today even though it said it may be here Tuesday of next week. Very impressed with that.

    I add fish oil to my dogs food everyday. Occasionally I’ll top my dogs food with an egg, a decent 4-5 star wet food with the gravy in it, or some raw meat if it’s gotten a little freezer burned in my freezer and I don’t care to eat it that way.

    in reply to: Skin and stomach issues #85652 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    In order to get enough Omega 3 into the dog using sardines you’d need a bucket full everyday! It’s best to give a human grade fish body oils with no tocopherols in it as those tocopherols can cause allergy reactions. Most pet product fish oils have tocopherols in it, I haven’t seen one that doesn’t have that in it.

    Country Life is a brand of fish oil (anchovy and sardine) that is human grade and has 0 preservatives, flavorings, or other nonsense in it. It’s specifically called ‘Country Life Super Omega-3’, but do be sure to look at ingredients as they have other fish oil products that may be called something similar! These are only in capsules however.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: weight management formula #85429 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’ve never fed a weight management formula before but Dr. Tim’s seems to be a budget friendly brand that has a decent ingredient list on their weight management formula. If it was me, I would try cutting back on what you feed, and that means cutting back on scraps and treats as well or completely eliminating them!

    *How many cups a day is your dog eating?
    *What is your dogs ideal adult weight? (not what he weighs currently.)
    *Have you looked at a dog body condition chart? Usually these charts are a better indication of whether a dog is over or under weight. I don’t ever weigh my dog, I just watch his body condition and put my hands on him to feel his ribs.

    When looking at weight management brands the one thing you want to watch out for is how many carbs are in it. That’s the real killer, and like Susan K said, many weight management formulas have a lot of fillers, thus relating to a lot of carbs, and a lot of carbs = weight gain in non active dogs.

    in reply to: So I made a tool for dogs with allergies… #85421 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Oh! I LOVE THIS. Thank you thank you thank you! For putting this together! You ROCK!

    in reply to: Keeping kibbles fresh #85405 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I use those vittles vaults to store dry dog food. Canned food, once opened, goes in the fridge.

    I do notice that once a big 30lb bag is nearing the end (lasts me about 15-20 days) my dog is less interested in it. This is just due to the fact that every time you open the container air gets in and the kibble, eventually, a little stale.

    +1 to cutting the expiration and lot number off it! I tape mine to my bin in case I ever need it.

    in reply to: Costco pet food causing pets to get sick #85404 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I want to trust Diamond, I really do, but I just can’t after all that has happened over the years. They are a budget friendly food for sure and they get decent ratings but man all the stuff that happened and is still currently happening worries me.

    in reply to: Nominate a Brand for Editor's Choice #42888 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Anyone say Wysong yet?

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #26079 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I actually know exactly whats in my dogs food. Chicken, Beef, Turkey, and Pork, including all their bone (well except for most of the beef, to dense), and organ! No euthanized pets in my dogs food! But then again I feed big chunks of raw meat and not kibble. I have watched that youtube video. It is very disturbing but something that will never stop until more people really start to care and research their CARNIVORES dietary NEEDS.

    in reply to: raw feeding while traveling #25464 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    When I travel since I live in a camper trailer right before I know we are getting ready to go I’ll empty my small deep freeze (by feeding the dog not throwing it out) and not buy anything else. Most of the time we only travel 2 or 3 days max depending on where the next job is. I’ll then buy a pork picnic usually around 10lbs this lasts my dog about 2 days of chomping on. I have a designated dog cooler in the back of my truck since in the morning my dog eats out on the job site so I just throw it in there after with some ice and keep on trucking. There is always some sort of half eaten, covered in dirt, slimy, piece raw meat in the back of the truck. Works well for me.

    If I ever need another piece of meat I just stop at a grocery store and grab a whole chicken or another large cut of meat and do the same thing.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Hare Today Gone Tomorrow #25461 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’ve bought from Hare Today several times. Actually I just placed a $500 order for ground whole pork since I’m boarding my dog for 3 months and they’ll feed raw but not chunks and no bone. The grind is very fine and something I’m not used to being a MPC customer too. But it doesn’t bother me or the dog lol. I bought from her because she’s a small business and she was always friendly to me threw email and when I was starting out on raw she gave me a wealth of info. She also had the baggies instead of the containers which help me and my boarding place fit more in their freezer. However be warned most of these bags will have holes in them so thaw in sink or bowl. But honestly what’s so hard about that? Prices are of course a few cents more expensive but I like helping small businesses.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #25368 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Actually I can’t even believe that this forum would have a sub forum for vegetarian dog food. Shame on this forum when you know it’s not right!

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #25367 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I just love Dr. Becker.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #25361 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    They are NOT adapt at digesting carbohydrates nor are they adapt at digesting plant matter. It goes out the same way it went in. Why? Because they are CARNIVORES! Seriously do some more research and study way more than you have been because all I’ve been pointed to is DOGS ARE STILL CARNIVORES.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #25360 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Dogs are Carnivores! If you can’t stomach the fact they they NEED meat get a freaking rabbit.

    in reply to: Ear issues #20905 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    If you think it might be food related perhaps going back to square one?

    Try just feeding one thing for a little while see if that clears it up using the Zymox and stays clear after for a few weeks. Then add in another food and see if the ear infection comes back. Process of elimination. Then you will at least know if it is really the food that way.

    in reply to: Science Diet killed my dogs #20904 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Dendad that is a wonderful idea. And I am proud to say that my “smarts” all started with this website! I was once in the same boat as you not just a few months back! I have really gotten into dog nutrition since then and pretty much spend all my time after work reading about something to deal with that! This site helped open my eyes that’s for sure.

    in reply to: Science Diet killed my dogs #20896 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I have never fed Science Diet and luckily become dog food savvy before getting sucked into the “My vet knows everything” deal. I do know the ingredients are crap, however.

    Dendad, have you looked up all the 4 and 5 star foods here? I personally would stay away from Blue Buffalo and anything Diamond has had their hands in making. Here is a link to the Diamond (people who make blue buffalo among others!) recalls
    /dog-food-recall/diamond-dog-food-recall-expands-again/

    I know some people here feed Nature’s Variety, Orijen, Fromms, Annamaet, Brothers, just to name a few. I know some people on here are have found a decent brand at their Costco that is pretty budget friendly but I have forgotten the name. If you want to know of more 4 and 5 star foods on this website just click “Home” at the top and on the left there will be a link “Dry Dog Food.” click that and from there you have the option to click how many stars.

    Remember though variety is key! Choose a couple different brands and rotate at the end of every bag, or every couple months. Change the protein source, if the source in the food you are feeding is beef, choose chicken next time, so on and so forth. And remember to rotate SLOWLY, especially if you know your dog gets an upset tummy when you switch to fast.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: RC and RF overly moderated. Ugh! #20810 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    It’s a sister group to the yahoo group Raw Chat and Raw Feed. They just put it on facebook. And any comments about things with plants are automatically deleted as wolves in the wild don’t eat such things and if they do it comprises of such a small bit of their diet that why bother feed.

    in reply to: RC and RF overly moderated. Ugh! #20806 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Sorry I had to rant. I just get sick of it sometimes. Did I mention that after my post was deleted that one of the moderators mentioned Dog Gone Pain that has the exact same anti-inflammatory supplements I had mentioned! Good Lord!!!!!!!!

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Which type of Salmon Oil #20396 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    You don’t need the premixes. Honestly I think it would be a waste. I know it’s scary with the ratios but look at it like this. You want meat, meat, more meat, some edible bone, and some organs (not including heart, heart is considered a muscle meat). Bigger food is better as the dog has to rip and tear at it which helps with teeth cleaning.

    in reply to: Which type of Salmon Oil #20395 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’ve head if you are going to use salmon oil that you should be making sure it says “from wild caught salmon”. Wild caught salmon aren’t fed grains like those ones that are mass farmed, making the oil better. I read it somewhere. I’m pretty sure there might have been other benefits too I just can’t remember.

    in reply to: Soft Stool Not Stopping. #20322 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Oh also I have been checking his stool but haven’t found anymore worms as of yet. He went on the 18 so I figured I’d see them come out by now.

    in reply to: Soft Stool Not Stopping. #20321 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Patty the vets never found the worms. His stool sample was clean as a whistle like it always has been. All I know is they were white and about as long as my pinky nail. They gave him the wormer anyways. Of course I never thought to bring that poop I saw them in with me! I figured if I was seeing them then it would show up on a sample.

    I now incorporate 2tbsp of DE into his morning meal and since the 3rd day on raw I am happy to report his loose stool issue has ceased so far! So hopefully if the wormer didn’t take care of it the DE will, but I’ve read it can take anywhere from 30 to 60 days. I however will be feeding DE every day 365 days a year from now on. Will keep this problem from cropping up again.

    in reply to: My roommate free feeds her dog #19794 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Is the reason she free feeds because she doesn’t want to put her dog on a schedule or because she’s to busy?
    Could you offer to put her dog on a feeding schedule for her?

    I guess if that doesn’t work then crating him would be the other option.
    I’ve never seen a cat that couldn’t jump a baby gate. Unless perhaps she is older.

    I know some dogs do fine being free fed and can regulate themselves but it is tough if you have another dog in the household that doesn’t.

    in reply to: Raw feeding question #19792 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    If you do end up going to your vet, don’t be afraid to tell him or her, no. They tried to put Moose my AmBull on Hills Science and to stop feeding raw. I told them no way, of course in a respectful manner. I also explained my reasoning a bit. My vet realizes now that if he is going to help me help my dog then he is just going to have to live with the fact that I won’t stop feeding raw. I also brought in some of my research and printed off a couple articles that HDM had posted here. Not sure if he’s read them but I think it allowed him to see I was doing my homework before attempting this.

    Also just because they say, he needs this, and then that, doesn’t mean you have to take it right away. Go home and do your research. You may find that what they are suggesting isn’t all that great after all.

    If all else fails and your vet is extremely pushy then I would be on the lookout for another. If I was in that situation anyways. Don’t let them push you around or pressure you into anything ๐Ÿ™‚

    in reply to: Soft Stool Not Stopping. #19572 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Well it has been confirmed, Moose has worms! Ugh! The kennel called me to let me know they had spotted them in his stool today for the first time. Which I imagine would explain why he’s not gaining anything. I imagine he must of picked them up at his first kennel because we had a stool sample done a couple weeks before we sent him there and I can’t imagine him getting them at home but who knows.

    That still doesn’t explain his soft stools problem since 8 weeks though.

    in reply to: Pictures of Dogs Eating Raw & Raw Meals #19123 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Oh man… I want to get a whole cow head and have Moose eat it on the walk outside. That’ll freak the neighbors in my apartment out! Hahahaha.

    in reply to: Updating Bailey – Exploring Raw #18811 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I have noticed my 7 month old dog doing the same thing. It is so disheartening because I’ve fed what I thought to be good kibble, then switched to THK. I’ve noticed him chewing/licking his paw and you can tell because the redness of his skin sticks out like a sore thumb underneath his white short hair. I will be switching to raw here in a few weeks, got the freezer all stocked for a months supply. Hopefully it will help the issue, although I’m sure it could be worse, it’s just his white hair brings out the tiniest of skin irritations. Will definitely have to get some duck instead of chicken once he gets accustomed to the beef he will be on.

    Just remember raw isn’t a cure all overnight type of thing, so don’t be disappointed if things don’t improve drastically over a week, but it is the best thing you can do for your animal.

    I’ve never tested for allergies before but perhaps you could call your vet for a quote? Honestly I think you’d spend more money on different bags of food trying to figure out exactly what ingredients he’s isn’t good with.

    in reply to: Soft Stool Not Stopping. #18730 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I called the vet just to ask some questions. They said they would like to do a physical, and another fecal test. If it came back negative they would do more tests, like blood tests and testing his gut to see if he is even digesting his stuff correctly or if his gut needs something. I think instead of jumping the gun on this I will wait and on the 18th when I bring him home I will start him on raw and see how that goes for about another month. I will start the fiber if in 2 weeks that he is on raw his stools haven’t improved, that way I know which one worked for him if any at all :). If it fails off to the vets I go. Who knows maybe he just needs a bit more time to gain. I mean he is acting normal, hyper puppy, loves everyone, eats all his meals. If he was acting sickly and off his food I would go right away for sure.

    The kennel he is at doesn’t have a scale so they are just going by body condition. I don’t have a dog scale either but usually stand on the bathroom scale and then pick up the dog and stand on it again and minus out my weight. So the true answer of whether he’s gaining even just a little is a mystery.

    My vet isn’t totally opposed to the raw diet, but have “heard many people’s pets don’t do good on it.” I assured him that I had done the appropriate research and that my dog will eat raw when he got back from training. I told him if the kibble and honest kitchen haven’t done his stool any good now, the raw won’t hurt him one bit ๐Ÿ˜› .

    And it sounds like to me I need to be getting some of that DE!

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Soft Stool Not Stopping. #18687 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I will definitely have to try that then Patty. I always viewed it as masking the issue but the way you explained it makes sense as well. It will have to be after the 18th as that is when he comes back but I will get a few cans of pure pumpkin. Is pumpkin the only way you can add fiber to the diet? Or can I add it other ways? How much pumpkin per lb of dog do you usually give?

    The kennel also called and said that he is drinking a lot. They say they have to pull him away from his water. This is a little concerning. I’ve never really had a problem with that before, but then again he’s never been in this kind of hot weather either. The kennel has a/c but they go out and train multiple times a day and sometimes go on field trips as well.

    I do notice with The Honest Kitchen that much of the stuff still comes out whole in his stool. I wondered if any of you guys have fed this food and also noticed this?

    As for that earth stuff I’ll have to give it a look into. I’ve seen it on some raw sites but never paid it any attention as I had no idea what it really did.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: Soft Stool Not Stopping. #18668 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    The kibble he has been on, in order from 8 weeks old, are:
    Natures Variety: Chicken (Which was an oops on my part due to the calcium issue)
    Wysong: Epigen 90 (I think this was what it was… I can’t completely recall exactly. I only used a small bag of it as it had a awkward smell to it I thought.)
    Natures Variety: Rabbit
    Annamaet Salcha Poulet Formula Grain Free
    Fromms 4-Star Grain Free: Surf n Turf

    Then we hit The Honest Kitchen: Love and he is still on this at the moment. When we first started him on this he had firm stools for a few days and I thought I found the right food and then it was all soft again.

    Trying to find a similar ingredient in all of these foods but they all seem so very different.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: What to feed any dog #18433 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Wow, launicaliz, you make a really good first impression.

    in reply to: Flea and Tick treatment #18368 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’ve used the Wondercide products that have Organic Cedar Oil and Hydrated Silica. I used it for a few weeks so can’t really say much about fleas but it certainly didn’t work for ticks. My dog is always in constant danger of getting ticks and at one point the work truck was infested with them (not from the dog from us! Grossssss). I used it on myself as well as the dog and I was still coming home with 21 ticks latched onto myself and at least that many, if not more, on the dog. We have since moved from that grassy area about the same time I put the K9 Advantix 2 back on him and am not sure if it was just that area or because we put the Advantix back on, but so far only a couple ticks. I hate to use a product like that on him but until I find one that works well for ticks I see it as my only option.

    in reply to: Gulping #18064 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’ll have to try the vice grips and watch to see how well they work. I’m not sure how big he’d have to be to get a whole thigh down but I wish he would have gotten it on video. That must have been something to see. I still have a few bully sticks laying around the house as well, will definitely have to try this out on those, Moose really does love them.

    Now to get a pair of big enough vice grips where Moose won’t think that might be a snack as well. I found bits of a plastic fork in his poo this morning… sigh, he must have picked that up at the campground we were at yesterday.

    He locked himself in the work truck 2 mornings ago (It was running and stays running all day with the A/C on for him), well my foreman (who happens to be my boyfriend which is why Moose gets to come to work) had bought a slim jim for himself and stuck it in his door where he usually puts it. I watched in horror as Moose ate the whole thing, plastic and all. It was just as I described about him getting half of it down his throat while still chewing the other half to get it down. After he had devoured the slim jim and began working on a hat and glove we finally got the door unlocked with the antenna. He is acting normal and having regular bowl movements but I am waiting for that to come back out, I’ve looked everyday, I wouldn’t think plastic could be digested and just expected to find bits of it or a long piece in his stool eventually. So far nothing…

    in reply to: Help in Feeding Raw #17950 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    +1 on the tripe. I used the Tripett with some warm water for my picky puppy and he wolfed his food down like no tomorrow when previously he wouldn’t touch it.

    DieselJunki
    Member

    I too was very nervous about starting raw. It seems overwhelming at first. I’m starting mine on it next week. I asked a lot of questions and then read some more, joined a few raw food forums and Yahoo Groups. When I finally put together a menu for a month I put it on here and got lots of wonderful feedback. I adjusted my menu accordingly (well hound dog mom helped Alot with that) and put in an order.

    But before, while I was researching, I’ve been feeding The Honest Kitchen. Reading about them (reviews on this site and others as well) and going to their website seeing that they only use human grade food in their food just kind of sealed the deal for me. However it is a bit pricey. Around $95 for a 10lb box. But your dog being on the smaller side it will last you much longer than it lasts me.

    Some sites you can order raw food and have them ship it to you are:
    My Pet Carnivore
    Hare Today Gone Tomorrow
    Carnivore Feed Supply (this is a yahoo group)
    Or if you live close enough you can go and pick it up and save on shipping.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Have you thought about a dehydrated food?

    Edit: Oh, well you did say dry food didn’t you. Well it starts off dry at least ๐Ÿ˜›

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.
    in reply to: What would you need for a full month? #17930 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Thanks HDM. I will start the coconut oil everyday as you said. It’s embarrassing to take him out as I feel people look at me like I am a horrible owner and starve my dog! Ahhh.

    You really have a ton of knowledge on this stuff. I think you should make a website or write a book on it! I’d buy it!

    in reply to: What would you need for a full month? #17918 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    Ok so I think I got what I want to do down.

    Moose is 50lbs (Just weighed him). Feeding him 4% of his body weight to start off I think and will adjust from there (He got really underweight at his boarding kennel, his hip bones are exposed, I’m pretty angry about it, someone could have called me and told me so I could tell them to up his food. Grr). I have decided to start off I’m going to do what HDM does and feed a grind in the morning and then an RMB at night which will probably be turkey necks.

    If I were to feed 1lb of the chicken grind from MPC in the morning and then 1lb or turkey necks at night for a whole month does that sound like a pretty balanced diet for a 7 month old large breed (American Bull Dog) puppy? It’s the whole bone/calcium thing that kind of scares me.

    Since coming back from his boarding kennel (I brought his food with him so he has been on THK since he has been there also) he has been super gassy and he poops 5 times a day at least and they are very very soft. I have upped his feedings to 2.5 cups in the morning and 2.5 at night to try and put some weight back on him so he doesn’t look so emaciated. I really am angry they allowed him to get that skinny. Really kicking myself for boarding him there, but they had excellent reviews and we even did a puppy class with the trainer and it seemed like a wonderful place. Can’t wait to get him right again.

    in reply to: Recommendation for Probiotic #17581 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I’m not sure the Purina would really help anything (It’s an awful food in my opinion)… I would put him back on the Fromms. The Fromms is at least a much better kibble and then add in a probiotic. I use the Mercola one’s but if price is an issue for you the Swanson one’s would definitely be cheaper per dose.

    I heard you say he doesn’t like to eat sometimes, Hound Dog Mom suggested Trippet for my puppy when he was a picky eater. A couple spoonfuls and he was chowing down!

    Vets really aren’t all that great when it comes to the nutritional requirements of a dog. If all else fails and you can’t get the yeast under control think about raw. I’ve heard many stories where feeding raw helped allergies, smelly dogs, yeasty dogs, ear infections, ect. Not that it fixes all problems but I believe what I read was that kibble is full of carbs that contribute to feeding the yeast.

    in reply to: What would you need for a full month? #17232 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I was reading around and heard that watching your dogs poop is the easiest way to tell if your giving to much bone (or organs). If your are feeding to much bone the poop is hard and white, feed to much organ and it’s runny and soft.

    I’ve also read in many places where people that are experienced with raw just say “do it.” Just start it and make adjustments as you go. It just makes me so nervous because I want to be sure I am not making a mistake that would harm him you know.

    I also read that if you feed grinds that they don’t get the benefit of a teeth cleaning that tearing into a chicken leg or whole chicken would be. I wouldn’t think that would be a huge issue if you were feeding some turkey necks or something mostly whole once or twice a week right?

    I believe to start off Patty I might order those grinds from their site. I have 2 weeks to really make up my mind and get my act together before he gets home from being boarded. At least it will give me piece of mind knowing he’s getting what he needs and until I get completely comfortable with it. Until then, more research! ๐Ÿ˜›

    in reply to: Hare Today Gone Tomorrow #16891 Report Abuse
    DieselJunki
    Member

    I haven’t ordered the beef tripe mixture from them but I have ordered things like sardines and turkey necks from them. They are a great company and if you shoot her an email she will be more than happy to answer any of your questions you have about it.

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