[Jackie B]

There are plenty of canned foods on the Editor’s Choice section– all the foods there have been researched extensively so referring to that section is a real shortcut. I feed a rotation of some of these and a couple other brands that have good ingredients and customer service.

[Jackie B]

If you click any of the reviews, there’s a section at the end that mentions any recent recalls. I don’t remember how many years back it goes, but it is a quick way to check on any product that you’re considering.
There’s also an alphabetical recalls list on DFA.

[Jackie B]

I’m kind of late here, but stores like Petco and Tractor Supply sell a freeze fried chicken liver treat that my dogs love. If your cat likes the texture it would make a good cat treat too. They also sell freeze dried beef liver and chicken pieces, etc. It is in a plastic tub and is a pretty economical price. I can’t remember the brand name but it shouldn’t be hard to spot.

[Jackie B]

I have purchased the “puff” version of these. I did buy one of the harder kind, but I was worried it would be too hard on my dogs’ teeth. And since it wasn’t a quick treat, it caused too much dog-to-dog conflict. The puff ones are a crunchy crumbly mess but are a hit with both my small dogs.

[Jackie B]

My older boy definitely prefers the “pate” texture. I recommend avoiding proteins like turkey and fish. These seem to be more soupy. Lamb seems to be a relatively solid protein, same for beef. You can also refrigerate the cans. I feed canned food and have noticed that the food is more solid when it is cold.

[Jackie B]

I feed canned food exclusively. The ratings on DFA are ratings for the type of food. So, a 3 star dry food is average for a dry food. A 3 star wet food is average for a wet food. But as you pointed out, there’s some belief that wet food is superior to dry food. I personally prefer it because it has more moisture in it, fewer preservatives than most dry foods (canning is a type of preservation), and my dogs seem to like it better. I also will buy the dehydrated foods (and serve them rehydrated) sometimes. Just my two cents on the matter!

[Jackie B]

I wish HEB would post the information online for these foods! It would be nice to have a review.

[Jackie B]

I have Trupanion pet insurance. It doesn’t cover routine visits, and there is a per-condition deductible. So, I chose the deductible that I felt I could afford in an emergency. You do pay your vet up front and then submit the claim for reimbursement. On a bill of about $1,200 for my older poodle falling off the garden wall and wrenching his hip (we thought at first he had snapped a tendon, luckily it wasn’t that bad), I was reimbursed $550. My deductible was $600, but some part of the bill was excluded from coverage. (Side note, he fell off that wall after living in that house 14 months with NO issues. 2 weeks before we move, he falls off the wall. Good grief.).

[Jackie B]

I did call HEB about another of their products and their customer service representative called me back with detailed information. Definitely contact them. I wish their website had the food’s info listed so it could be reviewed.

[Jackie B]

A pet water fountain is also a good way to add water to a dog’s diet. Something about the running water encourages dogs to drink more. I use the CatMate brand one for my miniature poodles, but they have some for sale that are for larger breed dogs.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by Jackie B.

[Jackie B]

Sometimes dehydrated foods (add your own water) can be a cheaper alternative to canned, but they have just as much moisture once rehydrated. Worth checking out. I do not know if any are suitable for the treatment of struvite crystals.

Also, a dog water fountain that you plug in worked for my UTI-prone dog. The Big Dog Max is for larger dogs (I use the CatMate for my little ones).

[Jackie B]

The test results showed heartworm negative! And she has a strong heart and lungs. Peachy does have a hernia that was not noted on any previous records, and the vet said that while it is not an emergency now it will need to be repaired at a future date (possibly during a dental or other procedure).

Also, Peachy graduated from basic obedience class. She is 90% on housetraining, can walk on a loose lead, sit, kiss, stay, watch me, touch, and is working on down and paw. She is a smart little dog, and very full of joy.

[Jackie B]

Oh yes, she also taught my older poodle to roll in the dirt!!! Nothing like rolling in the grit, grass, and dust to get rid of that “just bathed” smell.

[Jackie B]

Peachy is settling in! Her housetraining is mostly complete. She has learned sit and loose leash walking and is in a basic obedience class for other skills. Having her around has really perked up my older rescue poodle, he is eating more regularly and is chewing on chewies and playing more. They are still not best friends yet, my older one treats Peachy like an annoying little sister. But I think that things are going really well.

In 2 weeks we go in to recheck that her heartworms are really and truly gone.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Jackie B.

[Jackie B]

Some Spoos are naturally very lean dogs, and some are a little neurotic and have trouble gaining weight. I know that there is a supplement recipe online called Satin Balls that can help– some of my forum friends with show poodles use these before shows to put weight on their dogs. And one of my friends, her Spoo lost so much weight that the vet put him on a human antidepressant (can’t remember which one) which in dogs causes the dog to have more appetite.

My mother-in-law’s 10 year old standard has been bony his whole life– but healthy.

[Jackie B]

A 3 star food is average for that type of food. Your average DRY dog food may not be as good as your average RAW or WET dog food. So a 3 star wet or raw dog food may be superior to a 3 star dry food. I typically look for 4 or 5 star rated foods within the category that I feed to my two dogs.

[Jackie B]

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

Make sure and check out the large and giant breed puppy food discussion. You can add a little canned plain pumpkin to his food also, that should help with his stool (as long as he doesn’t have worms or giardia, etc).

[Jackie B]

I tried everything– parsley, distilled water, eye wipes, food with no dyes, grain-free, hypoallergenic, yeast starvation diet, on and on. Finally I broke down and bought Tylan powder. 1/8 tsp twice a day for 3 weeks– and my mini poodle’s eye stains are gone and have been gone for weeks now. This is the same antibiotic used in Angel’s Eyes, and previously I wanted to avoid antibiotics, but he was miserable with the scratching and eye rubbing. Buying the Tylan by itself is cheaper than the Angel Eye’s. The taste is horrible and bitter but my dog didn’t seem to care.

[Jackie B]

Thanks everyone. Dori, Peachy is about 2 years old, we think. She has some plaque on her teeth but is SO puppy-like in her energy and behavior. I do not know how long she was a stray… the person who found her picked her up out of the middle of a street. She was not spayed or microchipped (the city she was found in requires that all pets be altered and microchipped) and sadly was heartworm positive when rescued 🙁 The rescue treated her with the fast kill method and we will be retesting soon to confirm that she is now heartworm negative.

Prince was 5 when we got him and was in better shape physically than Peachy. I think someone cared more about Prince as he was also housetrained. He was also a matted stray but someone had put a tattered, faded Harley jacket on him (his shelter name was Brando thanks to the jacket– the different woman who found him also running in the street had just watched “A Streetcar Named Desire”)! Peachy is not housetrained (we are working on it, and she is catching on faster than a puppy at least), not leash trained, and knew no commands of any kind. Luckily she is naturally very gentle with Prince and seems ready to learn to be an inside dog.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Jackie B.

[Jackie B]

Canadavet.com has some good coupons and sales on heartworm medications. I got 2 years of Heartgard Plus there for $113 total. But there are less expensive choices even than Heartgard Plus. But I use it because it also has a dewormer and my yard has visitors– birds, deer, cats, squirrels, etc. Who knows what kind of worms might get tracked in??

[Jackie B]

Last pic! Peachy is getting used to being indoors and has quickly taken to all the comforts of being a spoiled and beloved pet.

[Jackie B]

Awww, and here is her sad “intake photo” at the rescue. She is so full of joy and happiness. It is hard to understand why her old owners let her get into this shape.

[Jackie B]

There are a few things you can do.

A hypoallergenic food can help.

An otic cleanser like Zymox or an ear powder like Thornit (have to special-order from the UK, a poodle rescuer friend says this is the best) are also good things to try.

You also have the physical attributes of the ear to consider. Dogs have a vertical ear canal, unlike humans, so moisture will fall down into the ear canal after swimming or bathing and is difficult to remove. Keep the ear canal well-plucked, use cotton balls in her ear during bathing to keep out water, and consider shaving her ears. If you can’t bear to shave her whole ears, shave about a 1.5 inch wide strip. A friend of mine with a Standard male does this, and while it looks different it does have kind of a cute pig-tailed look– and the lack of hair helps the ear canal dry out and become less hospitable for bacteria.

Good luck!

[Jackie B]

My friend just recommended this same mixture to me! I have GOT to try it on the weeds growing up from the alley.

[Jackie B]

Acana and Orijen are both made by Champion pet foods. I think they would definitely be worth a try.

I hate when a good food gets discontinued! I do rotate foods because my older poodle is so picky, but it takes time to select appropriate foods and when a go-to food is no longer sold it takes work to find a good replacement.

[Jackie B]

My mini poodle suffers from UTI’s after periods of stress. You can help stave them off by making sure your dog gets plenty of water AND has plenty of bathroom breaks. The extra water flushing through the bladder keeps bacteria levels lower. I feed all moist food (no kibble) to my boy and I also have a pet water fountain (Cat Mate brand). My pup is 19 lbs and the size is fine for him. He has been UTI-free for several years using this fountain and moist food combo; prior to that I fed him kibble and bowl water and he had 3 UTIs in about 8 months. The UTIs occurred 2 out of 3 times during times of stress.

I was not feeding any Nature’s Variety products during the times he got his UTIs. So I do not know if there is a correlation between UTIs and brand or simply UTIs and stress and dry kibble.

[Jackie B]

The tip about rotation is a good one. In addition to other benefits, it allows you to be more flexible in order to take advantage of sales and coupons.

[Jackie B]

Check out the website Cuckoo For Coupon Deals. She does a pet food matchup and links to printable coupons. Also, PetSmart’s facebook page has fan-only coupons that are pretty good. When I lived by a PetSmart and Target I would use all the coupons I could to get free food or very cheap food, and donate it to the local animal rescue. Every little bit helps.

I found that Nature’s Recipe had a lot of good coupons. And the PetSmart marked down food in the middle of the week, so you could get a slightly older bag of dry food on 25% or 50% off AND use the dollars off coupon and not pay much at all.

[Jackie B]

My mini poodle was scared of his dog dish (his ID tags would hit it and make noise when he ate). So I put his bowl up on an overturned orange crate so the angle would be different. I’ve done this for a month or so. And now that I think about it, he IS burping less frequently. It seems harmless enough to me!

[Jackie B]

I never notice a smell with bully sticks. Now, dried tripe sticks are a favorite for my mini poodle, but they DO have a distinct garbage-y smell. Beef tendons can be a good alternative chew for strong-chewer puppies. There are many on the market. Just try and avoid any brands that seem sketchy so far as processing and ingredient-sourcing goes.

[Jackie B]

Check out the Editor’s Choice report on Merrick. /reports/merrick-pet-care/ It has a lot of the information you just asked about.

[Jackie B]

I feed only canned, rehydrated, or fresh/frozen type foods. I rotate my dog’s food every 3 to 5 meals, feeding twice a day. Rarely he will try a food and get indigestion, but because he is used to variety he does OK with most foods and proteins. Like humans, dogs can get used to a varied diet and have fewer digestion problems.

Rotation keeps diets interesting, covers more nutritional bases, and you can buy foods that are on sale. Plus, I think it is just plain fun to pick out a “menu” for my dog.

BTW, I started my dog’s rotation diet about 8 months after I adopted him. When I adopted him he was 5 years old. Because he was an unclaimed stray, his past history is uncertain. The rescue was feeding him a popular low-end kibble dog food that they receive regularly due to a grant from the company.

[Jackie B]

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/ Here is the direct link to large breed puppy foods. I hope your pup lives a long and happy life.

[Jackie B]

I’m very excited that EC is finally out! I have been waiting a long time for it 🙂

[Jackie B]

Fish-based cat foods can be high in phosphorus, which is especially bad for kittens. Adult cats can have some fish-flavored canned food.

I definitely recommend at least some wet or fresh/raw food for cats. They tend to dehydrate easily because they don’t like standing bowl water… and chronic dehydration can also lead to urinary and bladder issues (especially bad for male cats). A pet water fountain can help encourage cats to drink more, though.

[Jackie B]

My poodle suffers from hypothyroidism. When he was diagnosed my vet said that walking your dog with a collar can damage the thyroid gland, and to switch him to a harness immediately. I use the Ruffwear Webmaster as he is a Houdini dog with a harness. I have also heard great things about Walk Your Dog With Love brand, if you have a dog who pulls.

Poodle is microchipped and also wears ID in the house on his collar. I just don’t walk him with it, but I always keep it on him. Microchips should be a backup plan, ID tags are a primary plan (and in my city it is illegal for dogs to not display ID tags).

[Jackie B]

I feed nearly all canned food. Sometimes I buy commercial frozen raw when I am in the vicinity of a pet store that carries it, which is not very often. I do make homemade food from a recipe book or pre-mixed sometimes, maybe once a month I will make 5 days worth.

I really wanted to go with THK for a lot of the time, however my dog will not eat it. Same story with Grandma Lucy’s and I and Love and You. He will eat a little but has yet to finish a whole bag.

[Jackie B]

I have an elderly friend who fosters small dogs. She trains every foster to a treadmill. She uses treats and a leash at first, then eventually most dogs will walk on their own without the leash. She uses a human treadmill she purchased used. It is a great idea for Texas summers. The mid-day heat will blister your pup’s feet and the heat is miserable.

[Jackie B]

There’s a Hypoallergenic dog foods list in the Best Dog Foods section on the main site.

I also sometimes homecook for my dog. I use a book by Rick Woodford, Feed Your Best Friend Better. It is easy and uses common ingredients. There are instructions for if you want to supplement with it or if you want to feed all homemade. Easy.

[Jackie B]

Cats, especially males, need plenty of wet food. As people have already stated. If I was able to have a cat, I would seek out a brand like WildKitty where you can make your own raw at home. I feel like it is the optimum food for cats. That being said, if you want to do kibble and supplement with canned, any can is better than none. But a canned food without red-flag ingredients (same standard as for dogs) would be my pick.

A friend of mine who fosters many cats and kittens says Authority is her budget-friendly but still quality canned food choice.

Also, you can get a pet watering fountain. Cats love them. I have a CatMate brand one for my dog.

[Jackie B]

Microchips are a backup plan, of course. And they might fail. BUT THEY MIGHT WORK. Don’t you want to give your pet every chance to get back home? I sure do. I keep ID on him at all times, along with the chip. But I would never say that you don’t need a chip– even if they are not perfect.

[Jackie B]

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
This existing post is VERY long but should answer most any question on large breed dogs/pups.

[Jackie B]

Hi Jon.

Unfortunately, since the FDA does not currently require manufacturers to disclose the source of each ingredient, only the pet food company itself would know the nature of each component in its products.

[Jackie B]

Dr. Mike plans to come out with a Cat Food Advisor someday. Cats are easier than dogs though. They are obligate carnivores. The more meat in the diet, the better for them. And if they will eat wet food, that is preferable to dry (especially raw wet food but cooked should be OK. People say raw preserves more nutrients and I’m sure it does but cats are picky.). You should at least supplement dry cat food with the wet food several times a week to help prevent kidney issues and other problems down the line.

My friend who is a cat expert feeds Authority wet food from PetSmart. She fosters cats so she has to pick a budget friendly but still good food. If I had a cat I would likely feed a frozen raw product.

[Jackie B]

GSDs can also get anal tumors. It is unfortunately pretty common in the breed. If the food suggestions don’t work, I’d get a second opinion.

[Jackie B]

Pet fountain, as another poster said. I have one for my UTI-prone dog. It is a Cat Mate brand. Since I switched him to all wet food (or fresh, or rehydrated, etc) and the fountain, he has been UTI-free. Berry Balance from Solid Gold may also be a good idea, it contains the cranberry powder.

[Jackie B]

Try Solid Gold’s SEP product, maybe that will help. One of my forum friends said it works on her dogs. Or pick up quickly after her, if you can. Not that it will help with cat poo.

[Jackie B]

Supposedly, cooking bones is what makes them sharp and splintery. That is why raw feeders feed raw bones only. Although when I tried raw bones (even small chicken wing size ones) they made my dog throw them up (in my bed). I do know that Merrick sells a canned food called “Wingaling” that contains pressure cooked chicken bones, soft enough for a dog to eat.

As for premixes, I’ve had great success with Sojo’s. The grain-free mix smells kind of strong (like smelly broccoli) but it is easy to add cooked or raw meat to and my 7 YO rescue dog loves it. I mix up a big batch and use an ice cream scoop to put portions on wax paper on a cookie sheet, freeze, then put the frozen portions in a container to thaw as needed.

[Jackie B]

A DFA fan made this spreadsheet a while back. Probably a little out of date now but it should be helpful as a starting place. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmNw5KB82-n_dGtyOEpVVXhPQ2tfeU1FUGdEdjVnTkE&hl=en#gid=1

I order online, from doggiefood.com mostly. The food is so much cheaper than at PetSmart– and for the same or better product.

[Jackie B]

Check out a book called “Feed Your Best Friend Better” by Rick Woodford. It has quite a few balanced, vet-reviewed recipes. I do think that homemade should make up 50% or less of your dog’s diet, just to be extra safe. Food isn’t rocket science, but there is still a possibility of nutrient deficiencies from feeding an unbalanced diet. Hound Dog Mom is (as usual) correct.

[Author]

Posts