[InkedMarie]

I’ve been using the Mercola probiotics and digestive enzymes for the last three weeks.

[InkedMarie]

Very late reading this but for me, I prefer a food with a higher amount of protein and one with a good amount of meat. If it’s a grain inclusive food, I want it to be meat based (such as the Dr. Tim’s Pursuit I current feed one dog).
I do not want to use a food that has known ingredients from China. As far as where foods are located, that’s sort of a pet peeve of mine. I know of people online who have two pet stores in their town; there may be other foods available in a store 20min away but they refuse to drive. Most foods are also available online.
If there is a food that is only available in a certain area (buying in person or online), maybe mention that. I’m sort of sick of people who have dogs with issues and when you offer up suggestions, they refuse it because they won’t order, they won’t go anywhere other than X store…
I would love to see you mention if a food has had a recall or production issue, just like you mention when a company has horrible customer service.

[InkedMarie]

She is such a food hound, I sort of forgot about that with shelties LOL. I have to be careful how many treats I give her. We picked up some Buddy Biscuits soft chews. I’m afraid to give her something crunchy, I don’t know if she’ll gum it or swallow it whole.

[InkedMarie]

Thank you all for the advice!

[InkedMarie]

Pug Mom Sandy: the Only Natural Pet joint supplement….I find this:

BIXBI Joint Supplement for Dogs & Cats

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Super-Daily-Vitamins–Joint-Support/999066.aspx

In Clover K9 Connectin

did you mean any of those? Yes, I could use a mortar & pestal but to be honest, with three dogs and a cupboard of stuff, I’d just as soon buy one already ground/liquid!

[InkedMarie]

oh good, glad you can see them!

[InkedMarie]

HDM: OT but can you go over to the Off Topic forum, to my new dog thread and tell me if you can see the pictures of Gemma? It’s from FB but I made it public, hopefully they can be seen by everyone. Thanks

[InkedMarie]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151335861581827.490640.820956826&type=3

see if that works, it’s set to public

[InkedMarie]

I only need a trimmer, not clippers. Looking at the Wahl Brav mini and the Wahl Pet Detailer. Also ordering some Chris Christensen Ice on Ice for her coat!

[InkedMarie]

Yes, if it was a really bad infection, we used the Zymox with hydrocortisone for a few days, then switched to the other one for a few days.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks Melissa! We sometimes bathe Boone because he fits in the sink but no one else. I have a nice pair of newish scissors but I cant’ use them on Boone. He hates having anything done to his feet and a little trimmer works.

[InkedMarie]

oops, hit send too soon. I used to need Zymox too and hopefully it will help your dogs. Keep in mind, if you clean their ears, don’t use the Zymox til the next day (I believe it says this on the bottle, it used to anyway)

[InkedMarie]

Nectar Mom: A couple things: not all dogs who are allergic to chicken as a protein source have trouble with chicken livers, fat, eggs etc. One of mine is like that. He cannot have chicken as the protein source but he does great on Brothers Allergy and he’s done fine on other foods that have chicken something-or-other in it. . Every dog is different, no way can a dog food company make a food that will satisfy every single allergic dog.

[InkedMarie]

Hey Nicci, no comment on the GL but you said you’re a groomer…do you have a recommendation for a corded trimmer? Not clippers but a trimmer, to use for pads of feet?

[InkedMarie]

HDM, thank you! We’re pretty excited ourselves. I miss having a sheltie. Pictures? Will have to post them on DFA because I don’t know how to put them here. Are you on FB?

[InkedMarie]

That’s a good question for everyone here. I immediately recognize the Rainbow Bridge as what it’s meant for but maybe Pet Memorials would be better.
Some people don’t like to read sad stuff so a separate forum might be good.

[InkedMarie]

This is not scientific, just what I’ve read but dogs need meat. IF there is some medical issue that a dog can’t have meat or fish, then maybe. Unfortunately, every single dog I hear of who eats a vegetarian or vegan diet is because the owner is a veg or vegan.

[InkedMarie]

I just ordered the chicken GL PureFormance for my new gal, hope it works well.

[InkedMarie]

Go to the dog food ingredients forum here, at the top, there is a stickie with grain & potato free foods. I advise getting a food without chicken or beef. Try a turkey or salmon food. Has she been on any digestive enzymes or probiotics? Coconut oil should help the coat condition as well.

[InkedMarie]

Iams and Ole Roy are not good foods at all. I suggest if you travel to make sure you have a small bag of what you feed always with you. For the dog with allergies, you may want to look at a grain & potato free food. If you click the link for dog food ingredients, there is a stickie at the top with a list of those foods.

[InkedMarie]

Jan, I’m two days late but I am so very sorry for your loss. Run free Stella, you were very much loved

[InkedMarie]

We adopted a dog who should have weighed about 23 pounds but weighed 43.7. She had arthritis and hip dysplasia. We used Wellness Core’s reduced fat food, giving her the amount of food for what she *should* weigh. Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Take a look at Dr. Tim’s. I don’t know if they’re appropriate for two giant breeds but if you call the number on their website, you can ask. They’re very helpful

[InkedMarie]

There is no rice bran in it now, the ingredient pdf even say no rice.

[InkedMarie]

hi Mom2Cavs (is it Jan??)
thank you for responding! It turns out the in state place that carried Answers does not any longer so that is not an option. My dogs didn’t like the NV and Primal is more costly than Darwins and I’d have to drive over an hour, one way, to pick it up.
What can you tell me about Steve’s?

[InkedMarie]

A feed store not too far away is selling Answers; HDM likes it but have you fed it? Anyone else? What about Steve’s real food? Anyone feed that?
I’m looking at all options, beside Darwins. Mine love it and I think it’s the best pre made out there but it’s so costly. We have a new dog coming this weekend and I’d really like to have all three on a pre made for one meal.

[InkedMarie]

I believe he did not like that on another thread, I asked Dr. Mike if it is ok that he advertise the jerky he makes. I believe it is against the rules of both DFA and the forum.

[InkedMarie]

James,
It has nothing to do with you. I am pretty sure that there is to be no advertising anymore of pet products that people have on either DFA or the dfa forum. If you can post yours, then others should be able to post theirs.

[InkedMarie]

Hey Mike, I thought the forum was the same as DFA and there’s not advertising products; what gives?

[InkedMarie]

I will give you some advice as it pertains to one of my dogs. I did not do allergy testing but an online friend gave me a list of ingredients to avoid: chicken, corn, wheat, soy, rice and flax. I have since found that Boone does fine with flax but cannot have yeast. He has done the best with a grain and potato free foods. Beef can be a common allergen, I have read. On this forum, go to the dog food ingredients board and the stickie at the top has the list of those foods.
Boone does best with fish and turkey foods. He eats a pre made raw in the morning and some of that is beef and he has no issue with it. His pre made is also turkey and duck. He eats Brothers Allergy, which has chicken liver & chicken at but is doing great on this food.
Something to keep in mind. You have to be mindful of every morsel your dog eats. That means treats as well. If you feed him a grain free food, feed him grainfree treats. Scour that ingredients list. Also, you wouldn’t think about it but supplements as well. Mixed tocopherols can be soy so the salmon oil I give him is just that, salmon oil (it’s a liquid). I once gave him a salmon oil capsule that had soy as a secondary ingredient. We use Bug Off Garlic for the insects and we cannot use the chewables because there is yeast in it.
I advise trying a few different foods, by different makers. I like doing that because you never know if a food will become unavailable or you see a sale on another one he can have. Hope I’ve been of help!

[InkedMarie]

We’re adopting this one, she’ll be here a week from tomorrow! We don’t foster, I know me, I’d be a foster failure first time out LOL

[InkedMarie]

SheltiesMom: oh, you have little shelties! i have had three. My first was my a tri color, my very first dog, from a byb who was overweight (20 something years ago). Second was a blue merle, 20″ tall and 34 pounds! My last came to me at age 11, she was 14″ tall and weighed 43 pounds, was a red sable. We have our fourth coming a week from Saturday. She’s a 9 or 10year old sable named Gemma. Can y ou tell me more about your shelties?

[InkedMarie]

Great pictures, wish I could get them to work but I haven’t figured it out yet.

[InkedMarie]

I hear you, Hound. I order online, alot. When something says “in stock”, I assume I’m being sent my product, especially when I have an email with a tracking link. Don’t give me some bs when I call that you’re expecting in a pallet. I know lots of people who order from this place but this sort of soured my view on them.

[InkedMarie]

thanks for the warning. I had trouble with one company; I ordered specially priced 4 pound bags of Nutrisca, their site said they were in stock but I did not get them. I did get a UPS email with a link saying it’d be here on a certain day, when I called to ask, they gave me a long speech about how good the price is, it;s on backorder, coming such & such day. I finally called and asked them to cancel the order. I wish places would charge your card when they have the food, at least, not when you order.

[InkedMarie]

I would not call them raw if they aren’t. I’ve never fed a freeze dried but I think, years back, that THK called their food dehydrated raw but they don’t anymore. To ME, raw is just that, raw food, not cooked. For that reason, I’d think it should be dry, canned, frozen, freeze dried and dehydrated

[InkedMarie]

Does your dog have any allergies or anything? I have a yeasty dog and just found out, this week, that I need to make sure he has an animal enzyme, not plant. We’re all still learning but glad to read you don’t want to put him on the vets food. Don’t!!

[InkedMarie]

I haven’t tried it but I want to,

[InkedMarie]

Late in replying but the only thing that Boone has done a little over the last month that he hasn’t done since being on Darwins/Brothers is paw lick. Not bad but he had stopped for awhile, was back to it and haven’t noticed it this week, knock on wood

[InkedMarie]

We’ve always had two dogs, usually three and the times I have one food here is rare. Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

HDM: so, I should leave the sticky as it is and not remove the Great Life foods?

[InkedMarie]

I was doing some figuring yesterday, at the Hare Today site. I think it would be $12 more to get their mixes/grinds than Darwins so I guess I’ll stick with Darwins. No sense having to repackage to save $12. I was kind of disappointed.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks HDM. I need to do some ordering today so trying to figure it out. I have to order a crate pad for the new gal coming too. Plus a collar. Maybe a leash. Some girly color of course LOL

[InkedMarie]

Good morning all and thanks to those who responded. I apologize for taking so long in coming back to my own thread!
A few questions. Some of you have seen that we have another sheltie coming in the next couple of weeks. She’s in foster care but I don’t have a whole lot of info on her. She is 9 or 10, apparently healthy except for her teeth. She is in desperate need for a dental and after looking at her mouth, she has some extractions coming. She will have the dental and get spayed this week or next, then coming home with me. So, here is the rundown on the dogs:

Boone-almost 7, allergy and/or yeast issues. He will stay on Darwins in the morn and Brothers in the
afternoon.
Ginger-2.5yrs old, currently eating THK in the morn (Darwins a couple times a week) and Dr. Tim’s grain
inclusive (Pursuit) in the afternoon. She has no issues outside of frequent pooping on anything except
the same regimen as Boone but due to cost, can’t continue with that so that is why we’re trying the
Pursuit

Gemma-new gal coming. She currently eats Purina ONE chicken & rice senior. Even with her icky mouth
that must hurt, she eats dry food. I have THK Zeal here and Wellness Core’s salmon topper. Thinking
I should mix either the THK or canned with Ginger’s kibble. If I see any signs of arthritis or anything,
I will put her on Brothers since it’s grainfree.

So, what do you smarter than me DFA friends think I should do for probiotics and enzymes? Should they all get both? Kefir….where do you buy that? Is that something you order? Is it a pill or powder?

[InkedMarie]

PattyVaughn can’t post, still but she emailed me so I will answer her here:

“Congratulations on the new family member…..How long before they spay and everything so you can bring her home? ”

Thanks Patty, and everyone else! The foster person will schedule the spay & dental tomorrow and someone will call me with the date. Since the vet who is doing it is over an hour away, I assume it would be best for her to heal at the fosters house (even tho I’d rather she didn’t) in case of any complications. Hmm, thinking now, maybe I should call one of my local vets and ask if they’d see her if I brought her home the next day. Also depends on the day of the spay since it’s a longish drive in the country and we want to do it in the daylight.

[InkedMarie]

I did not update yesterday, Melissa so you’re right on time! Boy, it was very hard. I really want both but Steve does not want four dogs. I made him make the decision because I was torn. We’re bringing home Gemma, a 9 ish year old sheltie, after she is spayed & has a dental. Her mouth is a mess. Steve made the right choice, she’s outgoing so probably better for our current two. I would love to bring Mitch home too, he is shy but just wants love. I wanted to bring him home yesterday. I’d post pictures but no idea how to post here

[InkedMarie]

HDM: since shelties are *my* breed, I’m pretty confident we will want one. I’ll probably want both. My fear is that Gemma, the female, will love us and vice versa, then Mitch, the male, will crawl into one of our laps and won’t want to leave. Then what? In a few hours, we’ll know.

[InkedMarie]

There is a semi local (in state but not around me) breeder of Dogues who also sells raw. Prey model raw people can buy their stuff but she also makes her own pre made. I think you have to just add supplements. I am going to seriously look into this because there is a good chance we will be adopting a sheltie very soon, going to meet two of them tomorrow at the foster home. I’d love to have all on raw but cannot afford to do so with Darwins.

[InkedMarie]

HDM: do the bags of Primal say if they are HPP or not?

[InkedMarie]

Weimlove: I actually do believe he is protected for life. The only time I’d say no is if a pup came from a backyard breeder or puppy mill. If you have your dog titered, you’ll know if he’s protected or not.

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