[haleycookie]

If you want the best kibble there is and don’t mind paying a lot Young Again, Orijen, natures variety instinct and merrick backcountry are some good options. Acana is good too if your dog can’t handle anything too rich and you don’t want to spend as much as Orijen. However keep in mind that since they began producing Acana and Orijen in the states the reviews have become hit or miss. Also if you aren’t interested in actual raw things you can try adding freeze dried mixers into whatever kibble you choose. And try to add canned food wherever you can. Adds moisture to the diet and not as processed as kibble is.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

I would just go with purebites. They’re freeze dried single ingredient meats. The beef liver is very popular for training treats. They’re all breakable as well.

[haleycookie]

I’ve used natures variety in the past and have always been pleased with their foods and customer service. It’s always been a favorite of mine

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Evo is being discontinued unfortunately so I wouldn’t start using it. I think water is the most important thing. I’ve met people who had cats with constant uti and crystals and simply an all wet diet cured thier problem. So I would feed as much wet as possible and always add water to kibble.

[haleycookie]

I would go with natures variety or wellness core canned food. They both contain mainly the protein labeled on the can.

[haleycookie]

Blue has been doing this for some time now. I had a lot of people come to me because they were having allergy issues and were feeding the wilderness salmon. Unfortunately they did this same thing about a year ago to that food. Chicken is 2nd ingredient in 90% of their foods now. And they are still upping prices despite cheapening the ingredients. I would switch. The company is going down hill and fast it has unfortunately become all about the money for them.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

You can still order Fromm online from petflow or amazon. If they’re doing well on it I wouldn’t change if possible. It’s hard to find a quality food without legumes somewhere in the ingredient list.

[haleycookie]

Might just be too busy of a food for him. There’s a bunch of different proteins and both peas and potatoes. Maybe try a limited ingredient food. Like natures variety limited ingredient or merrick limited ingredient. Or maybe even the merrick classic foods with grains. Those aren’t bad and better for dogs who maybe can’t handle all the peas and potatoes and really high protein. I would only try feeding it for another week or so. If it isn’t going to get better by then it probably just never will and that would just mean he isn’t going to do well on it.

[haleycookie]

Petco’s store brand whole hearted has a lamb and pea weight formula. It’s grain free and lamb is easier to digest then most proteins.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Putting a cat with frequent uti’s onto an all wet diet 90% of the time fixes the issue. So I would definitely think about doing at least half dry half wet if not all wet for your dog. If there’s not crystals then an expensive prescription food isn’t really necessary. Just consider upping her water intake somehow other than just the water she’s drinking from the bowl. Potty breaks often, etc. just like you’d treat a human uti.

[haleycookie]

I have met many people that use whole earth farms weight loss food. It is pretty effective. You really don’t need an expensive rx food for weight loss. It’s all about watching calories. One of my coworkers buys the Royal Canin weight loss prescription diet. Guess what, he literally counts the pieces of kibble his dog gets in a day and the dog hasn’t lost a pound in 2 years while on it. For some reason he still feed it. I guess his vet has him convinced it’s doing some good even though it isn’t and he’s paying out the behind for a small bag of it every couple weeks.
Natures variety can be very fatty though. So watch for that. It’s a good commercial raw to go with but I’ve seen it put weight on some dogs. How much does you vet want your dog to weigh? Do you feed any kind of treats? What type of exercise does she get? You may just have to cut back. According to nv website if you’re feeding the patties a 20 lbs dog should only be getting one patty a day. If you’re feeding two and some kibble you’re probably over feeding. If you’re feeding the medallions it would be around 8 medallions a day if you were feeding nothing but that so I’m not sure where you could be going wrong if you feed the madallions b

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Country value is horrible. And you are over paying. You can get the 40 lbs bag for 20$ at most places. It’s meant to be fed to farm dogs.

[haleycookie]

There’s nothing wrong with addin. Something into the food. It helps increase the amount of non processed high water content food into their diet. No matter how great the kibble is it is still cooked to death and extruded at insanely high temps. Making it void of most nutrition and moisture. Which is why food companies have to include that long list of supplements at the end of the kibble. Can dog food is still cooked at high temps but not as bad. They tend to have less add artificial supplements and even better you can top with something you get at the grocery store which is the cheaper way to go. So basically you’re making hamburgers for dinner? Before you add seasonings and such cook up a bit that you aren’t using and use that as a topper. Same with other meats and veggies.
I like natures variety, wellness (their puppy core food is the best as it’s formulated the best for large breeds, nv regular puppy is not nor is regular Orijen puppy. Go with large breed Origen if you go with that), merrick, solid gold and Fromm large breed puppy.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Protein levels don’t affect how puppies grow and there’s no real proof they affect kidneys in any negative way in a healthy dog. So there’s nothing wrong with nv puppy or Orijen puppy. As for the merrick have you tired adding water? Or toppers? Toppers can be anything from raw meats, plain cooked meats, or canned or pouched dog foods. It’s a good way to entice them. Also make sure your meals are scheduled the same times. I have a chocolate lab in the family. He eats canidae all life stages multi protein food and he eats at 6 am and 6pm everyday at the same time. If you’re lab is rejecting food it’s very possible he doesn’t like it. Most labs will inhale anything lol.

[haleycookie]

I agree with this. It’s annoying and it just followed you around and is so bright.
Also is the recent comments section gone for good?

[haleycookie]

Strange how we are forcing (mostly) carnivorous animals to be vegan when we still have ppl running around talking about how great murdered animals are how they can’t wait to eat them. Let’s instead try and change ourselves (we don’t need meat and it has been studied too much that we actually show negative side effects with meat in our diet) we make a greater impact than our animals do

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Gonna have to argue with you on that anon. Dogs may contribute from some of the heathier more bioavailability grains but cats do not. Cats are obligate carnivores and only need a balanced diet in meat , bones, and organs to live a healthy life. Grains and any plant matter is completely useless for them. I’m tired of brands like science diet saying corn is a healthy source of protein to cats and dogs. Especially cats when it is not. Kidney disease is on the rise in cats by an astronomical amount. With more cats dying from kidney failure then any other type of illness. That is because of this garbage kibble people are told to buy. Science diet does nothing but mask problems and create more problems down the road.
I do however second a dental exam. If he just prefers softer foods though canned or rolls (Freshpet) would be good options as well. Most grain free foods will have a smaller more dense shape so you might have a hard time finding something suitable.

[haleycookie]

Majority of family and friends use bravecto. You have to understand it’s a very very low chance your dog will be negatively affected. If you really feel that uncomfortable. Use half of the chew one day and monitor your dog and give the rest a day or two later. I find it’s one of the best things to use. Depending where you get it it avarages around 20$ a month. The chew lasts 3 months.

[haleycookie]

I like merrick. They have a good grain free limited ingredient diet. Also they have some regular grain free recipes that are poultry free. The salmon and beef formulas are free of poultry. The best allergen tests will be blood tests through your vet. Saliva ones arent always the best.

[haleycookie]

Zignature is ok if your dog has allergies. But for a regular diet too pea heavy for me. Merrick, Orijen, performatrin grain free, are all great brands to try if your dog isn’t sensitive to anything.

[haleycookie]

Looks like all of the gentle leaders petsafe makes are sold on their site. They have an extra large but I’m not sure if they are any wider than the large as far as the nose strap if they are not it’s likely a wider strap doesn’t exist. Might try contacting petsafe to see. I know halti brand used to make a headcollar for giant dogs but the store I work at discontinued them. I did see them on amazon though.

[haleycookie]

You should be fine mixing them. Just watch their poops. If you have dogs with healthy stomachs changing flavors within a brand shouldnt matter much.

[haleycookie]

I like solid gold. Barking at the moon and sun dancer are two good varieties.

[haleycookie]

Anon chewy deletes comments. 99% of the thousands of products they sell have 4 and a half stars. There’s no way no one has an issue with none of their products.

[haleycookie]

I think perhaps you are a bit lost. Have you tried contacting a real veternarian nutritionist? They tend to have a better opinion on foods that are healthier and will help stabilize your dog. Even if it’s a balanced raw diet that you are seeking. I don’t believe in all the low quality prescription diets either and I CERTAINLY do not believe that when a dog is sick nutrition isn’t optimal. Of course it is. How would a sick dog on a garbage diet ever get better? If he is starting to do ok on the ultimo try and keep him on it for just a second. Contact a vet nutritionalist and see what they recommend as far as a prescribed balanced raw diet for him. It’s gonna be a long road figuring out what he’s sensitive to and maybe raw just isn’t for him but maybe you can at least switch him back to blue with is better than science diet and the Royal Canin in my opinion.

[haleycookie]

What all have you tried feeding him other than the science diet and blue buffalo? Did you take him off the probiotic after you got the vet diet for him? Are his poops ok now that he’s on the vet diet? Why did you switch off blue? It’s odd to me. I’ve had some people use the science diet and that usually works for them. It isn’t the best. Blue in my opinion is much better (but still not the best) however usually dogs that aren’t even sensitive to anything have issues when switched to blue from my experience.

[haleycookie]

I’ve used Baskerville with good results. Just gotta make sure you’re dog is ok and desensitized towards muzzles. And it also depends on the breed u have and how the muzzle fits. Try going around to pet shop and see what they have as well and if they don’t work to your likings keep your receipt and return.

[haleycookie]

Las- unfortunetly vets usually don’t have much of a clue when it comes to nutrition. When it comes to cats they are obligate carnivores. They need to get the majority of their calories from meat. Not plants. So you have the right idea going grain free. Just be sure peas or potatoes aren’t too high. Dogs can be on a grain diet easier than a cat can. Cats need meat to live and anyone that tells you different is wrong. I’ve never really heard of this food but the dry seems to be ok and the pricing is ok as well. Just try and include wet food if possible as cats have a natural low thirst drive and kibble is very low in moisture.

[haleycookie]

A healthy dog should be able to easily switch between brands in my opinion. Switching brands can help avoid recalls if you’re particular brand has one so you have different options. Also helps prevent allergies further on as feeding the same protein for prolonged periods of time can cause allergies to that particular protein. I rotational feed my cats (a bit different I know) and it’s mainly because my female cat won’t eat the same food twice usually. Especially canned food. So she gets a different kind of Can everyday. As far as kibble goes I switch around mainly whole earth farms, natures variety raw boost, and performatrin. I don’t really like whole earth farms dry for cats but she likes it. Those are the only three foods she’ll eat with any kind of passion. They never have diarrhea or any other issue. I don’t feed fish really and they all have super soft plush fur. I brush their teeth as well. Kibble doesn’t clean teeth just a little fwi if you didn’t know.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by haleycookie.

[haleycookie]

Should be feeding the same exact amount as before. Wellness core original is a little under 2 cups a day and 421 cals per cup and zignature essentials formula is a little under 2 cups and 422 cals per cup.

[haleycookie]

Can’t find pricing on it anywhere. For the big bags though I’d hope they’re ~50$. Seem like you’re run of the mill dog foods. Nothing special. Reminds me of merrick a bit, or solid gold grain free foods.

[haleycookie]

I know a lady that has a senior french bulldog, he’s fought cancer many times and recently it has returned. She has decided to not fight it this time. So she uses a form of medical canabis in his food just to bring him some relief. He isn’t in much pain while on it. It’s good for pain but it isn’t going to fight anything. Just let them have peace before passing on or help relief pain and the anxiety that goes along with it while having treatment for something painful.

[haleycookie]

What other foods did you feed? Did they share common ingredients?

[haleycookie]

First have u had her dewormed? Second why are you still feeding the same food if it’s always been soft poop? Try changing to something else. Make sure she’s in health as well from the vet. I have a family member who has had multiple labs and they’ve all been on large breed puppy then adult by blue buffalo with no issues.

[haleycookie]

I like wellness core reduced fat and whole earth farms if you’re on a budget. 2.5 is plenty for weight loss. If she needs to be at 60 lbs I’d cut her back maybe even to 2 cups a day. For an in shape 70 lbs dog they typically require 3 cups. Depending on the food. And if you can keep her inside to stop the eating of random things that would likely be helpful as well.

[haleycookie]

Might try a puppy food until you can get weight on her. I know natures variety raw boost is a higher calorie food. But any good quality puppy food will likely be high in calories to put the weight back on her.

[haleycookie]

Blue Buffalo is far superior to puppy chow. Puppy chow is mainly corn and not a whole lot else. Blue Buffalo isn’t the best of the best by way better than puppy chow. Also if he’s overweight and also malourished at the same time how is that possible?? A lot of vets hate Blue Buffalo which I totally understand. Seems to give a lot of dogs diahrea. But a family member of mine has have her chocolate lab on blue for 7 years since he was a puppy and he’s the picture of health. So if he’s having good bowel movements, strong nails, soft fur not shedding much he should be just fine. But also try the puppy cans of food for now instead of the kibble. Just for a couple weeks if you can then I would switch to their large breed puppy food if you think the dog with get over 50 lbs.

[haleycookie]

That stared out thing is insta gram

[haleycookie]

A raw diet is a very good diet for some dogs. If you have an Instagram check out flynnandace.eats. She has it private because of hateful fear mongering ppl such as anon above but just request and she’ll usually accept a few days later. She has four dogs on a raw whole prey diet. She mainly videos her two working breed shepherds on a whole prey diet. They eat whole rabbits sometimes. She’s had all four of her dogs on whole prey for a long time with only positive effects. Bones aren’t a scary thing if you feed the right kind. There are many accounts I follow that do whole prey raw diets and none of them had had any issues at all.

[haleycookie]

I put this in to be reviewed about a month or so ago. If you go down to the contact us page and find where to suggest foods and suggest this as well maybe it’ll get reviewed a bit faster. However it tends to take a couple months to see something reviewed

[haleycookie]

It probably is bone. And from my understanding when it comes to these higher quality foods that have more real whole meats and are less processed to preserve the ingredients a little better that bones do appear sometimes. I wouldn’t be severealy worried about it. They look tiny and you’re dog is a large breed. However I would continue to pester champion and see if they can give you a more accurate answer as to what exactly it is.

[haleycookie]

Consumer reviews is a silly sight. Most reviews are paid for. However I have heard totw is having some issues with their food. If you scroll down to the comment section here on dfa on the totw page you’ll see many ppl complaining. But it’s up to you if you try it. There are better foods. I like merrick, natures variety, and wellness core. I think those are some of the best foods. Orijen and Acana are probably some of the best as well I just don’t have as much experience with them as the others. There’s tons of options on chewy if that’s here you’re buying. If you have any questions about any other brands I’m sure someone will be willing to answer them.

[haleycookie]

What stores are near you? Can you order from chewy.com? You could try wellness core small breed. Or the wellness complete health also has a toy breed formula with tiny pieces for dogs 10lbs and under. Not a huge fan of blue buffalo but they carry a couple toy breed foods as well with tiny pieces. Whole earth farms has a small breed that is pretty decent with little pieces as well.

[haleycookie]

It’s unfortunate anon that you don’t let your dogs be dogs. I’ve met other like yourself. That are so scared something will hurt their dogs they don’t let their dogs enjoy themselves or live their lives naturally. I have a co worker who’s little dog hurt his knee a few months ago. He’s only 6 not old at all. And my coworker has made the absurd decision to get rid of all his toys and not throw any of them or play with him anymore purely out of the fear his dog will hurt his knee again. He has to be supervised to prevent any running in the yard so that he doesn’t hurt his knee again. What a sad life I can’t imagine not being able to enjoy things that are natural and fun and heathy. He’s also already over weight and on a high carb prescription weight loss diet that is doing nothing and his owner is so blind to the fact. He also seems to believe that milk bones clean his dogs teeth. Letting a dog chew on a bone is not homeopathic science. It’s nature. And a much better teeth cleaner than a milk bone. That’s for sure.

[haleycookie]

All of those things are such extreme circumstances they make me laugh. Do you know all the things I’ve seen dogs chew on and eat that haven’t hurt them that are far less digestible than a bone? When a responsible dog owner watches their dog and only allows certain amounts of time with a raw bone theyre will rarely be any negative corcumstances. I know way to many dogs that eats raw bones of all kinds of animals on a daily basis that are included in raw diets. Bones are necessary in raw diets especially. Dogs digestive tract, teeth, stomach, and esophagus are still that of a wolf. Wolves eat small bones whole, break them with their teeth, and shatter them to pieces and eat them. I’m not concerned with leaving my dog or any dog UNDER SUPERVISION with a raw bone. And neither should anyone else.

[haleycookie]

RAW bones such as the frozen primal bones sold at petvalus are safe but there are always risks with anything. Just always make sure with ANYTHING you give your dog you are watching them while they chew on it. I often get ppl that ask me “what is something I can leave with my dog to chew on?” The answer is nothing. Don’t leave your dog to chew on anything alone. Which you did not do and I’d imagine you’re smart enough to know that. Great that you taught your dog drop it too. I also wouldn’t recommend a rotted bleached bone off of a mystery carcass. Go to a petvalu if you have one near and pick up one of the raw primal bones or I believe they can be ordered online. I have used those with several different dog sitting dogs and they all love them. Don’t be scared of bones, I find they are a great way to clean the teeth of tartar. I also toss raw bones within 24 hrs of opening. And if I ever purchase those filled bones or meaty bones from petco I toss those once the dog has pulled out the center filling or pulled off all the meaty bits from the bone.

[haleycookie]

You don’t need a vet to understand what those words mean and you obviously already know what they do mean Kathy. However it’s really irrelevant in my opinion. Find a food that has the first three or more ingredients as meat. Those will be the foods that are most likely superior. Also it kinda just depends on the dog. If you want to feed kim something like acana/Orijen and he does great on it then great. Those are some of the best most meat based foods you can buy. But maybe a little extra if your dog is sensitive. If he can’t handle rich stuff like that then maybe try fewer protein sources. You can still find a meat based food with a smaller amount of sources. This site also explain if the dog food that is rated is “meat based” or “plant based” at the bottom of the review. But yes if you see potatoes or peas as the second or third ingredient and maybe just “deboned chicken” as the first ingredient it’s fair to say it’s going to be a plant based food. Whether or not you’re ok with feeding it is really up to you and your dogs taste/tummy. 🙂 good luck

[haleycookie]

There are thousands and thousands of dog treats out on the market. Unfortunately the maker of this site just doesn’t have the time to review all of them. But home cooked treats are the best. You have control over what goes in them and you can pick the ingredients your dogs like. There are many online recipes you can find for meaty treats or buiscuit treats.

[haleycookie]

Whatever food you feed I would just use the suggested feeding chart while he’s a puppy. Start at the lowest for his weight and adjust as you feel is needed. If you give lots of treats. That means a little less food at breakfast and dinner time. If you mix 6 oz of wet food in then that’s usually a half cup of food maybe a 1/4 depending. But most dry food bags will have an indicator of what to do when adding wet food in and the wet food cans also sometimes have a guide on mixing with dry.

[haleycookie]

No problem, I like victor too. Thats a good food for the price for sure. High protein in my opinion would be anything above 32% and low would be anything below 30%. High fat would be around 20% and up and low would be 10% and below. That percent is often seen in weight loss foods. High fiber is typically found in weight loss foods as well as “indoor” foods which is usually used in cat food to help with fur balls and keeping lazy house cats in shape. Fiber just makes dogs poop more usually that’s why it’s good in weight loss foods so that dogs can poop more and loose weight easier. High fiber is gonna be like 8% and up lower will be around 2-4%. And carbs are typically higher in cheaper foods with lots of grains or lots of peas or potatoes as fillers. Carb can be a good source of energy but tend to cause weight gain more easily if not exercised properly. But good luck with victor it’s a good food too. 🙂

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