[julez4you]

Thanks for the quick response HDMom! I haven’t heard of that or had Bentley tested, but I certainly will. If he does have it- are there any good treatments for it?

Also, any thoughts on whether or not I need to be concerned with trying to add in the herbal supplement that has herbs that are known calcium sources? I’d sure hate to find out I’m improving one thing and potentially breaking another 🙁

Thanks!

[julez4you]

Help! My 4 month old GD pup is off to a bit of a rocky health start and I need some advice. When I brought him home from the breeder he had just finished his 1course of antibiotic from a case of puppy acne. He was being fed Purina- so my 1st objective was to get him switched over to a better food- but given my experience with Danes and their sometimes sensitive tummies- I played it safe and switched him to GO! which has acceptable calcium levels but is not very high in protein.

About 1 week after he came home he had a horrible episode of blood in his stool- so vet put him on Metronidazole and bland diet while tests came back. Turns out he had worms (dont recall which one but it was long and white when it came out in stool- so she treated him with dewormer.)

During this this time I was also trying to transition him to a higher protein food slowly and tried adding in HK Love or high meat cans. Both ended up producing loose stools even in small quantities, so I decided to try and do a slow switch to a higher protein kibble such as Canine Caviar. After 2days of adding in only a little bit of the new kibble (1/4 of overall quantity) it was like a water hose. At first I thought maybe it was just something in the formula- so I tried NV LID Turkey (again- only tiny amount) and he had nonstop diarrhea that brought us back to the vet and once again, back on Metronidazole and bland diet.

At this point I’m petrified to try anything new in his diet. He’s currently on straight GO! Duck formula and daily probiotic and enzymes. I eventually want to switch him to raw- but with my older dog 100% raw fed, the expense of having a growing Dane pup on raw too is a bit much.

2 weeks ago, he also broke out with a bad skin infection around his genitals- red, pussy, scabby bumps which I’m sure are the end result of his multiple immune suppressant treatments- and fearful at the thought of yet another antibiotic treatment, I’m trying to treat with medicated shampoo at the moment.

I also want to help boost his immune and digestive health more and have a great organic canine wellness blend from a local herbalist, but since I noticed that one of its benefits is joint/ mobility and it has horsetail and oat straw in it- now I’m wondering if I need to be concerned about added calcium this my be contributing? Any thoughts on whether or not I should continue giving it to him?

Also- if you have any tips on diet or skin problems- I’m all ears. I’m trying to do the best for him but seems that for every good intended actin I try to take- I just end up causing him more problems. 🙁

And at 4 months he still hasn’t had his 3rd distemper or rabbies vac because he’s had something chronically going on since.

Please help! Julie and Bentley

[julez4you]

Thanks for the replies. I wouldn’t be so concerned with frequency if we weren’t still in the potty training phase- it’s just makes it a little more intense. And the volume concern only has to do with my perception that if he has lots of waste, perhaps his body isn’t processing all it could/ needs to.

I believe it’s a good food, and definitely better than just kibble, but right now I’m only using it as a topper and his waste is more frequent, more abundant, and a bit mushy.

I hope it regulates as I would like to switch him over 100%. Maybe I will try the Trippet. I’ve just always been scared to open the can 🙂

[julez4you]

@Sharfie and others…
Glad to hear your pup is doing much better on raw. I’m a firm believer as well- but with my senior dog 100% raw fed and my lack of desire to make my own, I just can’t afford the expense for a growing Great Dane pup. But I do hope to make the transition some day as I believe it’s what saved my former Dane life when I switched him to raw at 8.

In the meantime- wanted to share some info that might be helpful to there as they transition to new foods and/or have periods of loose stools not as a consequence of something more concerning. My Dane pup was having them as I transitioned him from Purina to a quality holistic food. My friend told me about Honest Kitchens Perfect Form herbal supplement and this stuff is amazing. It’s all natural, and I just add a little in with 2 of his meals each day (along with a probiotic) and now everything is looking good.

My next step is too hopefully transition him from kibble over the THK Love dehydrated raw.

[julez4you]

HDM:
Finally heard back from Canine Caviar with their grain-free levels. I know you are working to update your list- so wanted to pass along in the event you had still not heard back from them.

All the Guaranteed Analysis can vary by 0.03% Minimums at 2.10% would
be a maximum of 2.13%. Maximums of 4.10% would be a minimum of 4.07%.

Formula Calcium Phosphorus
Chicken and Pearl Millet 1.63% 1.53%
Lamb and Pearl Millet 2.13% 1.53%
Wilderness 1.03% 1.01%
Wild Ocean 2.43% 1.73%
Open Sky 1.03% 1.01%

-Julie

[julez4you]

Hound Dog Mom:
I know you are working to compile updated lists, but I’m running low on my pups current bag so hoping to switch. I just transitioned my pup to Petcurean Go Chicken, and calcium levels are a bit higher than optimal. What do you think of this formula? http://www.petcurean.com/for-dogs/go/sensitivity-and-shine-duck

The guaranteed anaysis as fed is provided.

Also- how would you compare feeding something like this or even a higher protein grain-free kibble vs. The Honest Kitchen Love?

I’m a big believer in raw- my lab/mastiff mix is 100% raw fed. But I don’t have the time/desire to make my own, so I buy commercial raw and I just can’t afford to have my senior dog plus a 9week old Dane pup on raw right now. I do eventually hope to make the switch though once he’s past the high growth years where he’d be eating us out of house and home 🙂

Thanks again! I’ve really been struggling with this one.

[julez4you]

Hound Dog Mom-
Thank you for all the research and info you’ve shared regarding a list of quality foods for Giant Breeds. I have a 9 week old Great Dane pup that the breeder had on Purina One that I just switched over to Petcurean Go! But after learning the max levels of calcium/ phosphorous- I’m not sure that’s the food I want to stick with.

I considered Canine Caviar as I’m a fan of their ingredients and like that the food is extruded vs. baked, but in reviewing the nutritional levels on their website (also noted in the list you prepared)- the 1% calcium level is listed as a min (not a max.) When I tried calling customer service to obtain the max levels, I was told they do not publish a max since the levels vary which made me very nervous.

I know you had indicated that you called and/or emailed all the companies on your list for max levels where they were not indicated. Did you receive 1% as the max from Canine Caviar?

Thanks!

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