[Jackie B]

HomeAgain doesn’t charge a yearly fee to reveal your info to someone who finds your dog; the fee covers a subscription to the emergency vet line, insurance to get your dog back if he is found over 500 miles away, and to change your info. There is also a pay one lifetime fee option.

24PetWatch is what the rescue I volunteer with uses. It is basic but inexpensive.

I believe all dogs should be microchipped. It is very safe and I have heard many stories of pets getting back home due to microchips!

[Jackie B]

While switching to quality food was all my poodle needed, I came across some things relevant to your issue.

Water in the ears encourages ear infections, so if she’s swimming a lot that could be an issue.
Zymox shampoos and ear cleansers are highly helpful for skin conditions.
Watch your treats also– many dog treats are total garbage.

[Jackie B]

Grandma Lucy’s is a really affordable choice. My dog ate it for a long time. But he’s picky so he stopped eating it. So I mixed it in with some other dog food and he ate it then. I buy the Pureformance. The rabbit is very glutinous so it sticks to dogs really bad. The other flavors are better. I definitely recommend it.

[Jackie B]

The Stella & Chewy’s frozen raw, in Surf n Turf, is really tasty for dogs. My picky dog loves it. Kind of pricey, but Poms are small and don’t eat that much. LOL.

You also can try warming up her food, old dogs lose their sense of smell and therefore their sense of taste, so they don’t eat as well.

[Jackie B]

Looking at the Royal Canin SO, it says the purpose is to increase urine flow.

My dog had UTI’s, no crystals, and here is what I did: switched to all wet/moist food (4 or 5 star rated only, no white potato, I used to do all grain-free but he was gaining weight too easily) and bought him an electric circulating pet fountain (Cat Mate brand). He hasn’t had a UTI in almost 2 years, and none since I started that regimen. So try that if you want.

Also, Solid Gold makes a supplement called Berry Balance that is supposed to help with that, you add it to the food. When I called the company, they said not to use it in conjunction with prescription food. I assume that if you add it to food, it would create the same effect as prescription food but you’d be able to avoid the junky ingredients that are typical in vet food.

[Jackie B]

Prince Poodle had 2 UTI’s a couple years ago. Since I switched him to all wet/moist food (4 or 5 star rated only) and some homemade food (recipes from Feed Your Best Friend Better by Rick Woodford) and bought him a circulating pet fountain, the UTI’s have not returned. Definitely try that out. I just had him blood tested again (they tested him for diabetes after the 2nd UTI) and his blood tests has improved quite a bit.

There is one type of rare bladder stone that does not appear on x-rays. When I took Prince in for his 1st UTI, my vet told me he had only removed 2 such stones in his whole career. And he has them in a baggy and showed them to me. 😛 I’m assuming your vet is aware of that and is investigating it.

Solid Gold brand also makes a product called Berry Balance, for urinary health. Don’t use it at the same time as prescription dog food (I’d avoid most RX dog food if you can help it).

[Jackie B]

I volunteer at an animal rescue, and we get cryptorchid dogs and cats from time to time. The local vets don’t make us wait a year. PLUS, sometimes they never descend! I’d consult another vet, DieselJunki.

[Jackie B]

DFA site says a 3-star food is average. So a 3-star food isn’t bad. I have my rescue poodle on a rotation diet of 4 or 5 star foods. Sometimes I will buy an expensive new food and he will NOT eat it. Blue Buffalo Wilderness have him terrible diarrhea (he usually has no issues there). So quality ingredients don’t necessarily translate into easily digestible for all dogs.

[Jackie B]

I ran across this document, made by another DFA user, that shows prices to star ratings. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmNw5KB82-n_dGtyOEpVVXhPQ2tfeU1FUGdEdjVnTkE&hl=en#gid=1

It is fairly accurate and should give you a few ideas.

[Jackie B]

Yeah, not even Prince Poodle will turn down tripe. I buy the dried kind for him as snacks.

[Jackie B]

My dog loves California Natural. It is pretty affordable and it is 4 or 5 stars.

[Jackie B]

Dogs have different reasons for forming bladder stones. You need to figure out what type your pup had so you can choose a food that is low in the mineral that contributed to the formation. Also I recommend feeding exclusively wet or moist food, and getting a circulating pet fountain. The more moisture moving through the system, the better urinary health.

[Jackie B]

Scoop of plain canned pumpkin in his food. It should firm him up. Don’t buy seasoned pumpkin, just plain.

[Jackie B]

Check out Sojo’s products, they’re a less expensive but good quality dehydrated food. They have a grain-free mix where you can add your choice of meat. That’s the one I buy. It is easy enough to make and my dog really loves it. I believe dogs will be healthier if they eat a more natural, moist food.

I also like MelissaandCrew’s suggestion about serving size variation. You can just measure their food into proper portion sizes, depending on which dog it is for.

[Jackie B]

What have you been feeding?

[Jackie B]

It is difficult to transfer cats to wet food, but really it is better for them in the end. Male cats are prone to bladder stones and can get urinary tract obstructions, especially if they only eat dry food. My friend’s cat had to have surgery on his urethra– he was an all dry food cat. A circulating pet water fountain can encourage cats and dogs to drink more. Although it doesn’t help with supplements.

[Jackie B]

Some dog breeds just have trouble with anal glands. Raw food (including the commercial raw diet) results in some of the firmest poop. Firm poop naturally expresses the dog’s anal glands when the dog defecates. Raw is worth a try!

[Jackie B]

I met a family with their Boxer, a female which looked excessively itchy and miserable with raw, red skin in many places. I asked tactfully why she was like that, and they told me that the vet had been treating her for “mange.” For the last 12 MONTHS. They were taking her in every 3 weeks for an expensive skin treatment. I asked what food they were using– Pedigree. Apparently, their vet had not even mentioned the possibility of the skin problems being related to food allergies or that she might have poor health due to poor food. I of course gave them the DFA website and strongly suggested that they check out the review of Pedigree.

There are plenty of people who listen to vets exclusively and don’t go beyond and do their own investigation.

[Jackie B]

The vet will probably have a commercial pet cure to sell you… Maybe you should look into a supplement for your pets. Like Solid Gold Seameal (which I use for my dog’s joint, hair, and skin health) or Missing Link (just bought some but don’t have an opinion on it yet). A little extra health boost might prevent some future outbreaks!

[Jackie B]

/best-dog-foods/best-puppy-foods/ Read this article, all the way t the end. It explains how an All Life Stages food is right for both dogs and puppies. If you’re worried about it still, you can always switch to a puppy food.

[Jackie B]

I still would use heart worm preventative. While I do live in a high mosquito area, I’ve seen puppies younger than 1 year with heartworm. Not defective or abused or overvaccinated or anything. Just pups who weren’t given preventative. I would never risk the health of my dog by not giving heartworm preventative. Flea and tick, you can skip if you want.

And there are probably plenty of undiagnosed cases of heartworm; you can’t rely on anecdotes or recorded case numbers. They aren’t an accurate reflection of the actual number of heartworm cases. Plus, some dogs with heartworms will be asymptomatic for a long period. And if they die w/o an autopsy being done, you never know what killed them.

[Jackie B]

I switch through foods a lot because Prince gets bored of foods very fast. On his rotation are homemade recipes from Feed Your Best Friend Better, Stella & Chewy’s frozen raw, Sojo’s Grain-free (with raw beef), Artemix Fresh Mix Beef, Party Animal Venison, and some Merrick grain-free foods.

I do feed the Solid Gold Seameal. Recently I purchased some Missing Link supplement as well, so I might start doing both of those. They have different stuff in them.

[Jackie B]

Dehydrated food like Grandma Lucy’s or Sojo’s is usually cheaper per pound than canned food. Just add water. And obviously the dehydrated food is much lighter. Mix it half and half with kibble if you want.

[Jackie B]

The grain-free didn’t cure him entirely, he still has noticeable stains. But they aren’t as bad as they were. If you live near a veterinary opthalmologist, they could probably help.

[Jackie B]

Human yeast infection meds (like Monistat) can cure ringworm in dogs. Kind of gross, but less expensive too.

[Jackie B]

I have tried just about everything to cure my rescued mini poodle of dark eye stains. Distilled water, filtered water, eye wipes, vinegar, PH urinary health supplements (I thought they might discourage yeast, I didn’t end up using them for long enough to tell for sure so that still might work), on and on. I did not want to use a popular product that contains off-label chicken antibiotic, Angel Eyes. It would really just kill the yeast, not eliminate the reason for the tears, and I have reservations about cosmetic non-prescription antibiotic use.

Eventually quality grain-free food and a daily dog multivitamin (Solid Gold brand Seameal) have reduced the stains by about 50%. I believe that a lot of the tearing is environmental allergy related, or perhaps due to the structure of the eye.

I’ve never thought about peas.

[Jackie B]

Z Bones are supposed to be good for dogs with pancreatitis. They are made by Zuke’s company.

[Jackie B]

Zymox brand shampoos are great for dogs. My friend who runs a giant breed dog rescue uses them. And they have excellent Amazon reviews.

[Jackie B]

I help at an animal rescue and have seen first-hand the terrible effects of heartworms on dogs. It is just awful. I wouldn’t skip heartworm preventative. Most dogs tolerate it very well.

[Jackie B]

Thanks for the tips, Shawna 🙂 My pup’s knee is not a very high grade, 2 vets have said it would not require surgery. But it definitely did hurt him more before I started the Seameal.

Hound Dog Mom, I’m not sure what ingredient in the Seameal that helps, but I am pretty sure it is the flax seed. I actually discovered the product when I asked the company if they had any products to help with the limp, and this is what they recommended. Most people use it for hair growth in pets. It does a great job of hair growth too!

[Jackie B]

You can soak the kibble in water or broth (I make a homemade one so it doesn’t have extra salt, just boil a chicken carcass in water), it will plump it up and the dog will feel more full.

[Jackie B]

Labs are supposed to be extremely active dogs. They were bred for water retrieving. So they need a whole lot of exercise. If you have a yard, invest in a toy called a “Chuck It.”

The DFA site has a suggested weight loss foods page already also: /best-dog-foods/weight-loss-dog-foods/

[Jackie B]

My dog loves the Sojo’s pre-mix. I added raw ground beef roast from the grocery and froze it into portions. Pretty easy! I also have a homemade dog food recipe book, Feed Your Best Friend Better. It has a lot of easy recipes that are nutritionally balanced. I looked online before I bought the book, and there are a lot of AWFUL unhealthy recipes out there. But the ones in the book are pretty good.

[Jackie B]

Dogs like to eat human food, but they need a balanced diet. Check out a book called “Feed Your Best Friend Better.” It has plenty of human-style easy recipes that are balanced. And dogs love them. My extremely picky dog gobbles them down. I was getting discouraged– he was turning his nose up at $3 a can wet food. But now I can make a whole bunch of food for a lot cheaper, and he actually eats it.

[Jackie B]

Prince Poodle’s #1 favorite treat is the Zuke’s Mini Naturals. They are low calorie and fit perfectly in his Kong Wobbler treat puzzle. He’s very smart though so he can empty it really fast. Unless I use irregularly-sized treats. Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Kisses work well. He also gets True Chews treats, he likes most everything they make.

[Jackie B]

I’ve purchased True Chews for my mini poodle. He’s very picky but loves them. They are kind of thin for the price, but he prefers very thin bully sticks. I also have ordered treats from Best Bully Sticks and have been pretty happy. The green tripe is a favorite and a good deal for the amount you get. I do wish they had more items with free shipping… They offer a lot of discount codes at least.

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