[joanne l]

How are they doing on the kibble? If they are doing okay, then you can try annameat I know it is kibble but I heard it is really good. They have a grain free low fat, but it is high in protein. They have a option 23 which is 23% protein and 10% fat which is good, with grains. Why do you want grain free? Did the vet suggest that? If you change your mind and use kibble you can cook boiled chicken breast and veggies and add some kibble for the nutrients. I don’t know any dehydrated food that is low in fat and protein, but maybe someone with more experience may be able to help you.

[joanne l]

is your dogs doing good on pro plan? If so I would stick with it. Just b/c its made Purina doesn’t mean its bad. I have bad kibble before from high end brands and better ingredients. I am not telling to not to switch, just my opinion. And another thing is, that it is hard to fine one food that makes all the dogs happy.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Never used it. I would go with something else. But that is just my opinion.

[joanne l]

I say this b/c I noticed people that have seen different color kibble usually have trouble. I think it is a red flag. Plus I had the experience in different color kibble and stool change. To me when this happens I think they are changing something or someone else is making some batches. This is nuts b/c just yesterday I buy merrick biscuts (granny’s pot pie) never had a problem and this recent bag I bought was lighter, and I said to myself oh no here we go again. Well, I gave it to him thinking well there only biscuits. And guess what very very loose stools. I just made a separate post on this particular thing to see people’s feed back. I also had arguments with a couple of companies about this issue. Their response is “batches can change due to natural ingredient’s”. I don’t buy that answer.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

That is good levels of phosphorous and calcium. I would not add the supplements you are adding to your first post I read. Unless you told your vet about it. Well I guess you can ask him why the RX diet was not on recommended by him. I know some people don’t like science diet or royal canine. However, though in this situation these diets may be better. Just b/c other foods have better ingredients doesn’t mean it is better for your dog right now.

[joanne l]

I am wondering if some dogs, when you change foods it can alter ph levels to cause this. I had a neighbor that had a dog and was feed iams for years. Anyway she switched his food b/c he was getting older and she wanted something better. After 10 months on new food he developed crystals. I really was trying to see what diet could of cause this. it may take 6 months or more on a food to have them form. Not all dogs have this issue with change, but some may. I really wish I could help you more b/c I know how frustrating it feels. I would try the prescription food, b/c crystals are not easy to figure out what can help get rid of them. I know you said about his water intake. I know hot dog broth in water may get him to drink, but the salt would be my concern. I would try to make him drink water, but not a lot, some way. Maybe put a toy in the water bowl? If I find anything out that may help I will let you know, but that’s all I know to do so far. I would not want to give you advice if I am not sure. I hope everything works out. Oh, I think the calcium and phosphorus need to be kept low. example: phosphorous 1% and calcium 1.2% I see that you mentioned that the vet said science diet but not RX why?? I just looked up Royal Canine s/o for urinary health and it has great reviews on dogs with crystals. Please ask for vet about this food. I don’t know why he did not suggest this food.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Laura, you mentioned 3 foods he has eaten. Can you tell me how long he was on each of these foods? And when he got this?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

HI, Laura have you ask the vet about cranberry pills for dogs? That may help. I think also you should try the food Susan suggested the Royal Canine prescription diet. I hope your dog gets better.

[joanne l]

what is the protein (meat) in the foods you are feeding?

[joanne l]

your welcome, I hope everything works out.

[joanne l]

Taste of the Wild is now sold in Petco, they never sold this brand before. So they are getting bigger. Also the food is made by Diamond and make a lot of brands. I wonder if companies make so many brands anything can happen to the food I guess, like contamination and product problems.

[joanne l]

me too I agree.

[joanne l]

I would get something with a good amount of meat content, make sure any type of peas is not in the first 5 ingredients. With this FDA warning about grain free it seems that Lab Ret. are prone to this condition. Matter of fact try not to go grain free right now. I like merrick and natures variety as well. I had problems with wellness just my experience.

[joanne l]

Blane, I found out that Zignature is made by different manufactures, I know this b/c I called nutrisource about the FDA thing and then ask them if they made Zignatures and they said we make some of them and other companies make it as well. I would switch foods for 2 reasons:1 b/c too many hands are in the pot and 2 it contains too many peas.

[joanne l]

Has the food change in color? Only reason why I ask is that someone on one of the post is feeding Zignatures and said when he bought another bag the kibble was a different color. Keep an eye out for that. Also, I found out that signature is made by a couple different manufactures. How about earthborn. Can your dog eat grains? if so holistic select brand is for digestive health, I know they have grain free and grain in. Merrick has a limited ingredient line that is grain free,potatoe free and chicken free they just came out with the new recipe. Not sure if the new ones are on the shelfs yet. The old ones have potatoes. Call Petco and ask them. I think you will like this brand.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Try Purina pro plan it doesn’t have those ingredients in it.

[joanne l]

I feed pro plan focus for about almost 1 year and it seems to be okay, and he does love the pro plan. I too want to switch for a little while just because for him to get different nutrition but right now it’s pro plan. Maybe try to use the focus line that is what I am using. The sport line didn’t agree with my dog. As far as corn goes, who knows is it better or worse than peas?? The vitamin K is just a very tiny bit in there I am not sure either about it, but at least it is not in large amounts.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Purina pro plan large breed adult has large kibbles that is what I feed.

[joanne l]

I am furious right now! I called a pet food company and asked them about uses peas and chickpeas to boost the protein in foods, she told me oh, a dog doesn’t know the difference between proteins as long as its protein. WHAT, I said to her!!!! I told her a piece of my mind. I said plant and pea protein are lacking in a few amino acids, where meat has them all. These people are looking out for $$$$$$$$$$$$ period.

[joanne l]

Thanks for the info pretty interesting. I have found some info to and I want to share it. But sorry I can say where I got it b/c it is confidential. Anyway I found out that a good amount of dogs with this condition were eating Zignature dog food among a few other brands. Does anyone think that these exotic proteins are maybe not good quality? like kangaroo, it is not from here and I don’t think they are killing good kangaroo’s for food, I bet they are diseased and something wrong with them, but I guess that can be any food. Just a thought.

[joanne l]

This is so sad, some of these dogs were young with heart problems and some very serious. There is a few brands I think pointing to this: Zignatures, pure vita and Acana.

[joanne l]

I agree grain free foods are just a new way for companies to make more money. Dogs are not meant to eat BEANS of any kind. I know they should not eat grain either but something has to bind the food and grains are really not a problem for most dogs. If you think about it wolves eat grass and who knows wheat in the grass but never BEANS. And even when they eat the animals stomach contents, what animal eat beans?? If I ate chickpeas, lentils, peas I would live in my toilet. LOL but that just me and my opinion.

[joanne l]

Hi I would try to cut out the milk bones and or try a food with some grains in it. I heard that puppies do better with grains. Holistic Select makes a good line and it is made by wellness also Fromm like the other post said that is good also. But use grain in diet right now.What type of protein are you feeding now?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Oh. another thought is that they did not clean out the machine and the previous food got mixed in with another batch.

[joanne l]

I would go by the dog. if he likes it and he seems healthy feed it.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I don’t use that brand, but I had some experience with color change to with other brands. If the dog doesn’t have diarrhea and is acting okay I would say its fine. Did the dog notice any differences? I know when this happened to me the dog won’t eat it, their nose is way more powerful than ours. As far as “new” equipment, I don’t see how that can change the color. Maybe the turkey meat changes like dark meat white meat but not sure. Hopefully others that feed it can help you out.

[joanne l]

Thanks, for the info. I just bought a bag of pro plan chicken and rice just to see if it is the chicken before I switch brands. I figured if I bought a different brand with chicken I really won’t know if it is the chicken or the brand if it didn’t work out. I hope I am going the right way to find out. because chicken has been eliminated in his dry food for a while now, so we’ll see what happens when I interduce it, I will do it slowly. About the fiber you mentioned, some dogs do well with more and some don’t. If your dogs do good with it then I would think it is okay. But some may poop more which probably is not good b/c they loose nutrients. Well I guess we will have to wait for awhile with this FDA outcome and see what’s what. Hopefully some of these grain free companies will lay off on putting too many peas in their recipe, that will be better for the dogs. So it is a good thing that the FDA steps in on these things. These companies are out for the buck, and peas are cheap protein boosters and it is not fair that people spend a lot of money and get too many cheap ingredients.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Hi Sarah, sorry to hear that about your dog. Try a good grain in diet and choose the same protein your dog been eating. I don’t know how you feel about pro plan but you could try it. Or maybe merrick with grains and nutrisource has ones with grains.

[joanne l]

For anyone that is interested in grain in I found another one castor and pollack chicken and oatmeal. Looks very good. I think it does have peas but not high on the list.

[joanne l]

My dog doesn’t have DCM thank God. I just don’t like grain free diets, it made him poop too much. I am using pro plan now and I was telling others about chicken if my dog can tolerate it still not sure. However, I was going to try whole earth farm chicken with grain, but I wonder if I should get the pro plan chicken since he is already eating pro plan lamb and rice and see that way first before going to new brand? I try to tune in on all the dog food things because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So even though I don’t use grain free food now I try to keep up with updates and if I know anything I like helping others if I can.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I was looking at that one too. I may give that a try seems more simple than the merrick classic. Thanks and thank you all for your help. By the way what dog food were you feeding?

[joanne l]

Hi Susan, you are right the corn does produce a firmer stool. I have him on pro plan lamb and rice, thanks for the heads up about the salmon one, I don’t use it b/c my dog hates salmon. I think the barley and brown rice maybe the culprit like you said. I know my dog does very well with oatmeal and white rice. I just bought a bag of Merrick chicken with grains here are the first few ingredients:
Chicken, chicken meal, peas, turkey meal, brown rice, barley. I wonder since brown rice and barley are lower on the list should I try it? It is hard to find one with oatmeal high on the list which I would prefer. I know peas are on the list but it is only listed once maybe not a problem.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Hi Jessica, the foods you mentioned that you tried are maybe too rich for him. First Blue Buffalo has a lot of issues. Pure Vita has too much fiber I think, and Merrick is a little rich for some dogs. I know you might not want to feed this, but I think you should try Purina pro plan. Just give it a shot. A lot of dogs do well on it. Just my opinion.

[joanne l]

All that are mentioned sound good, I myself look for good grain in diets. I just bought a bag of Merrick classic (grain in) and hope my dog can adjust to it. Right now I feed pro plan and I like it, I just want to try something different once in awhile.

[joanne l]

I think vegetarians diets are not good because they don’t contain taurine unless the company supplements it in the food. But dogs need meat for the natural occurring taurine. This is a vital nutrient. They only way a dog should be feed a veg diet is if the vet says so for medical reasons.

[joanne l]

I have a unrelated question. I am not sure if my dog can eat chicken, I boil chicken for him and he is fine, but I noticed chicken in dry food causes digestive issues. I have him on pro plan lamb and rice and he is doing fine. I am surprised b/c there is chicken by products and he is okay with that. I usually rotate his diet but I haven’t did it in awhile. I guess since he is going better I hate to switch. Should I try another brand chicken recipe? By the way the chicken recipes I have tried in the past also contained duck or turkey or fish. I am wondering if I should try something with just chicken as the protein instead of a mixture?

[joanne l]

Thanks a lot for the info, I just read it. I guess for people that use grain free might want to talk to their vet about it. Or check the ingredients and make sure peas and such are not listed to many times in a row.

[joanne l]

Hi Susan, I understand what you are saying about grains. However, grains been around for a long long time, and there is not really many complaints about them. I personally feel that a little bit of grains is not a bad thing, they don’t have as much protein as peas and such and they balance the food nicely. In my personal experience with grain in and grain out, my dog does better with grains I have noticed. His stool is firmer and not as frequent. Also there is another problem with peas and lentils. These beans bind with other minerals, making it harder for the dog to absorb nutrients. Now that’s a little science behind it. Grains on the other hand don’t seem to have that affect. And as you know dog food needs some kind of binder to make the food. Me, I would rather see the grains. There’s always an up side and down side to all things, however this grain free seems to be more of a problem than grain in. Just my opinion.

[joanne l]

I never liked grain free foods. I can see why chickpeas, peas and lentils is a problem:
number 1, they are high in protein, and this protein does not contain taurine. These companies are taking grain free to their advantage, which means they can up the protein level with these ingredients with using less meat which equals less taurine! Now a bag may read meat as the first couple ingredients, however it follows a lot of peas. Furthermore, these peas and lentils contain a lot of fiber which in turn can cause more stools or loose stools. Also making it hard for the dog to absorb the nutrients! They may even have it listed 3 times. NO GOOD! Grains are much better. The old school is better than the new school. Most dogs don’t have a problem with grains it is usually the protein. I hope to see more grain in diets please!!!

[joanne l]

does anyone know is Wellness dry dog food is still good??

[joanne l]

I make treats for my dog, I use 2 cups of oatflour (you can use any flour you want) and I use beef baby food (infant ones) it only has beef and broth for ingredients, and 1 teaspoon oil and 4 ounces of water., mix the tough and roll and cut with bone cookie cutter. bake at 325 for 30 minutes and lower to 300 bake for 30 more minutes.

[joanne l]

try fromm or dr gary’s best breed.

[joanne l]

if your dog can eat some grains try Fromm they have fish formula’s and or dr garys best breed.

[joanne l]

My dog use to throw up bile when he ate pro plan after switching he don’t do that anymore. I feed Dr. Gary’s best breed give that a try. I think the food you are feeding is the cause.

[joanne l]

Hi, I would suggest trying Dr. Gary’s best breed. Very good food, I know the police in Ohio use this on their police dogs. Its made in Ohio and all natural. I use the lamb and rice. If you like grain free they have that to.

[joanne l]

try dr. gary’s best breed. I am not sure if it has barley but they have a lot of reciepes and it is a great food. I feed the lamb and rice formula and there is no peas I don’t care for peas.

[joanne l]

I heard wellness makes some food at their plant and some are co packed.

[joanne l]

not all wellness products are made there.

[joanne l]

blue is nothing but lies period.

[joanne l]

Hi everyone, I am having the same problem my gsd was eating holistic select grain in food and his poop was great, I put him on Fromm grain free and he is pooping large and more.
I am wondering if it is caused by too much fiber and or the peas chickpeas and lentils in grain free foods. I would assume some grain free foods have too much fiber and I noticed any weight management formula have more fiber, I don’t use it I am just using that as a guide.

[Author]

Posts