[Mom2Cavs]

I’m sure others will post, but you most likely won’t see Blue Buffalo listed on the editor’s choice selections. Even though, ingredient wise they rate high on the list they have a few problems. They use lots of co packers, have been reported to allegedly make some animals sick. These are just a few of the reasons I’m aware of. Imho, I’d choose Wellness Small Breed over Blue Buffalo hands down. I feed it in my rotation. They manufacture they’re own food now, or outsource very little of their dry. They claim to use non-GMO ingredients. They don’t contain the lifesource bits…..even though years ago when I fed it for a short time my dogs ate them, I like the fact that Wellness doesn’t have them. Wellness also sends out coupons every month and I like their newsletter. Each of us must do what we think is best for our pets and I just am not comfortable with Blue Buffalo anymore.

[Mom2Cavs]

Yes, Marie….I’ve thought about the Ginger Snaps but was worried about the sugar and other ingredients, etc. I would get organic ones, but they still have some things I don’t like…..but then again, the calming chews aren’t perfect. And, he only gets them when he goes somewhere. How soon before the trip do you give the cookies? Thanks.

[Mom2Cavs]

My new addition, Rupert, has motion sickness, too. The girls ride in booster seats in the back seat just fine so I was surprised when Rupert started drooling and throwing up while in his booster seat. I finally realized he was getting motion sickness, duh! Anyway, I took away the booster seat and put him in the front seat with a seat belt connector. After speaking with my holistic vet, I decided to put some lavender oil in the car around his riding area. She said it has calming properties. I think you can also put a dab behind their ears or on a bandanna/collar. I also bought some calming chews (two brands to try and both of them seem to work). I bought one from Ark Naturals and one from Vet Classics (also known as Natur Vet). The last two trips we took, one to the vet and one to do therapy dog work, he has done great. I hope some of these ideas help.

[Mom2Cavs]

I also feed Whimzees and love THK Beams fishskin chews.

[Mom2Cavs]

I don’t have Yorkies, but Cavaliers. All of mine came to me as retired show dogs/champions. I did do spays/neuters when needed and dentals, or anything else needed. Of course they were older, averaging 5-6 years old but they have all made great therapy dogs!

[Mom2Cavs]

I’ll bump this up…..I don’t use Brothers, but others here do/might, I think. I use Fromm, Wellness, Annamaet and sometimes Victor.

[Mom2Cavs]

Bobby Dog, have you tried Fromm Gamebird for cats? My cat, Princess, devours that stuff where she won’t touch Surf & Turf or the Beef Livatini. For her canned foods, I use Earthborn (chicken only), Wellness (chunks only), Tiki Cat, Weruva, and she loves, loves Fresh Pet Vital roasted meals. Oh, yeah, she also loves Fromm canned food, which btw I use the cat and dog versions of the Gold and 4Star (they both contain taurine).
She is kind of picky but not overly so, imo. I have also fed her Dr. Tim’s dry, which she likes and Annamaet dry, but she only likes the grain inclusive of it and I prefer to feed her grain free so I don’t buy it all that much.

[Mom2Cavs]

I started titering about 3 years ago when I switched to my holistic vet. I give only the 3 yr rabies, required by law. I plan to continue this way.

[Mom2Cavs]

One more thing. If they belong to Costco they also have some foods that a lot of people feed. Note that they’re made by Diamond, though, so that may be a consideration. Another thing I thought of is that if they have a Tractor Supply near by they have their own brand called 4Health that is budget friendly. Some of the formulas are made by Diamond, but not all. Remember, too, that feed type stores may carry some foods that are way better than Pedigree so they should be checked out, as well.

[Mom2Cavs]

First off, I feel your pain…..some of my kids have pets, but won’t let them live inside! They also live in the country. Again, they shouldn’t have them but they DO. The only thing in their defense is that they feed high quality food to them. Anyway, here are some of my suggestions:

Petco: Merrick has a line called Whole Earth Farms that is a nice budget food. That may be the only suggestion I have for Petco.

Petsmart: Petsmart has their own brand Simply Nourish that isn’t a bad price. They also have another brand called Authority and some people use their grain free, it’s also not a bad price.

Walmart: Walmart has their brand called Pure Balance that is a good deal and not bad ingredients. They also carry Rachel Ray’s Zero Grain that’s not too, too bad in price and ingredients.

If they’re willing to order online, then there’s a food called Victor that is great and is budget friendly. I have ordered mine from Sportdogfood.com. They do ship to certain states so I’d check that out, too.

One more thing….if you are a member of the Editor’s Choice forums you can check out the budget friendly listed foods there and see if they are available to you.

Good luck! I’m also sure others will post that are more knowledgeable than me.

[Mom2Cavs]

I agree. I do use kibble, too, and when I do I use Wellness Small Breed (they also have a toy breed), Fromm 4Star, Annamaet or Victor.

[Mom2Cavs]

I also am feeding Wellness. I’m using Small Breed Core and Small Breed Simple. The kibble is small size. I have one Cavalier that can’t eat larger sized. They also have Toy Breed, which may be even smaller sized, but I don’t believe it’s grain free if that’s desired. I also like Fromm 4Star. Very tasty (at least to the dogs, lol) and small sized. Annamaet is on the small size and they do have a small breed formula (non grain free) now. I always top their kibble with canned food to add variety and more moisture. I usually use Wellness Stews, Simply Nourish, Weruva, Fromm 4Star and also Vital Roasted Meals by Fresh Pet. Sometimes they just get a meal of Vital. I’ve never fed Science Diet and probably never will, but if it is truly all your little dog will eat then go ahead and feed it. Ultimately it’s your decision and your dog and we all have to do what we think is best for them.

[Mom2Cavs]

Yep, Melissa, I agree. I feel if they’re going to claim it’s a custom food, then it should be but that would be almost impossible to do with a lot of different dogs. I think it’s some marketing.

[Mom2Cavs]

Labs, I do similar and put the cat’s food on the counter. I leave kibble out for the cat but not the dogs. I also agree about the taurine issue. Fat percentages in cat food can be quite higher than dog food, too, and some dogs might have issues with that.

[Mom2Cavs]

When it first came out, Red Moon was still around….and now it’s gone. If you recall, Red Moon, was a company that did a similar thing in that you could specialize supplements, etc. I actually liked the looks of it a little better than Petbrosia. I don’t know how long Red Moon was around, and I will be interested to see how long Petbrosia stays on the scene.

[Mom2Cavs]

Petbrosia is based in Cincy, where I live. It’s founder is a former P&G executive. Anyway, when I first heard about it, I actually met with him to discuss the food and give some input about it. He asked me to come to work for him, which I declined. Up until recently, it was a grain based, chicken based food. They have added salmon as an alternate protein recently, I believe. It is very expensive, and I believe because of that there are promotions that will be sent out occasionally to try small bags at a discount. I have never tried the food for my gang, and most likely never will. I think it has too many ingredients for my taste. Also, with 3 dogs having specialized blends for all would be very, very costly and feeding one dog’s specialized blend to all 3 seems weird, lol…..so, I think we’ll just stick with Wellness and Annamaet, Fromm and possibly Victor.

[Mom2Cavs]

Just to be clear…..Fromm doesn’t really make a special needs canned food, but it may be good to use for a special needs dog. They have 2 lines of canned food, the Gold and 4Star. The Gold is in pate form and the 4Star is a shredded form. I prefer the 4Star because it is lower fat and I believe fewer ingredients. It comes in Beef, Pork and Chicken. I use all 3 to top my dogs’ kibble. I do find that the Gold line is cheaper than the 4Star line, as well.

[Mom2Cavs]

There are a few that I would use. Wellness has a Small Breed Healthy Weight and also Core Reduced Fat. The problem with Core RF is that the kibble size is pretty big for some small dogs. I prefer the Small Breed. Annamaet also has a grain free food called Lean that is good. Victor has a food, while not really a weight loss but billed as a senior food, it would still be a good one to feed for weight loss. Fromm has a food in their 4Star line called Whitefish and Potato that has less fat and fewer calories that might work, as well. These are just some suggestions. You could always just feed a lesser portion of her current food and add in some green beans (fresh cooked, frozen or no salt canned) as a filler to make her think she’s fuller. I hope this helps and I’m sure others with more knowledge than me will post later.

[Mom2Cavs]

I would also contact Wellness (Wellpet) and ask, but I’m pretty certain their foods are ethoxyquin free.

[Mom2Cavs]

I think your pups are lucky, too. 🙂 Laverne is doing fine and the spot seems to be clearing up. I think you’re right about her allergies taking a toll on her immune system. I have Fresh Factors on hand and started them a few days ago. I wanted a whole food vitamin so began them. I also have spirulina wafers and might add them in later (one thing at a time). I’m back to adding in the fiber because I feel it’s needed for her glands. Personally, I’m not sure this is food related allergy (maybe inhalant). I plan on taking her back to the vet in a few weeks for a relook. Let me know how Bella continues to do. I hope she feels better soon, too. She’s just a youngster, lol, all mine are seniors with Laverne being the oldest I have now with Lucy gone to the bridge.

[Mom2Cavs]

Betsy, sometimes Laverne does seem to breathe heavier than the other two. She’s not overweight at all according to the vet, but I think she could lose a pound and be even better. Now, she only breathes like this when we are walking a lot, not normally in the house or anything. And I Laverne isn’t congested at all. I still say this might be seasonal. Btw, how old is yours?

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Betsy. It very well may be seasonal….Laverne has started with some itching and anal glands again, even though her stool is normal!? She was just at the vets this past Thurs. because I noticed a bump on one of her front legs. The vet expressed her glands and said they were bad, ugh. Vet said it’s probably staph and could even be caused by shampoo being left on and not drying properly or fully (this was said because of where the infection is located). She gave me some muricin salve to rub on the bump. But I may call and get an oral antibiotic for her, as well. Don’t usually like them but want to be sure this doesn’t turn into something even more difficult. Laverne is mine that has allergies, of course, and who snores a lot. She also does reverse sneezing at times. She has a murmur, about 3-4/6, (came on about 2 years ago) but doesn’t cough . Her nose runs sometimes (again allergies). She is eating Wellness Small Breed Simple for kibble and Wellness Stews or Weruva or Simply Nourish for canned topper. I have been giving the Firm Up, but was wondering if she has become intolerant of it? It could be lots of things. I do also give them coq10 3 times a week (30 mg). Right now I decided to not change anything in her diet except removing the Firm Up for awhile, and switching probiotics up. Hazel was checked as well and the vet could barely hear her murmur and rated it a 1/2…..she’s had a murmur since birth with no meds. She has no symptoms of anything and doesn’t snore at all. Rupert, who is on enalapril twice a day and has heart disease (MVD) and a grade 5/6 murmur is doing great. He snores occasionally but not that bad and does not cough at all. He has no other symptoms. I would say this is probably seasonal, but if I were you, I would have your vet or Cardiologist (if you have one) check things out thoroughly. I don’t want to scare you, but I think these things can come on suddenly. According to Rupert’s breeder his came on suddenly, but not really sure…maybe just wasn’t caught before now. I also decided to not really try to reduce the sodium (just making sure it’s not on the too high range). Like I said before, the only heart supplement I have been using regularly is coq10. You could also try adding other things, like fish oil, hawthorne, l-carnitine, coq10 and of course taurine, if you’re not doing so already. There are some all inclusive supplements like Bio-Cardio by Thorne, Vetri-Science Cardio Strength. Also Standard Process Cardio is one my vet likes (but they always prescribe Standard Process). I’ve used the all inclusive ones in the past, but recently have been trying to keep things as simple as I can. I’ve probably not answered your question but hope I’ve helped some.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I also use the litter locker for my one cat. Her litter box is actually in our family room, where we watch TV, in a cat cage….don’t ask, lol….we needed this arrangement for Desi, who was cat aggressive and even though he’s at the bridge we are still doing it. I scoop her box every morning. I use World’s Best, but sometimes I will use Blue’s new litter if I have a coupon. I put the clumps in the litter locker and it holds the smell in quite well. My cat doesn’ t have a lot of smell to her output, though….I think feeding good food helps. When the bag is full, I change it out. Works great! I used to flush her clumps when her box was in a bathroom in the basement but now that she can live with us like one of the dogs it’s not near a bathroom. Sorry for rambling….I think this would be a great idea for someone in an RV as long as they can buy, or stock up on, the refills when they’re on the road.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

Wellness and Fromm are both on the Editor’s Choice list, as well.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m not willing to guarantee that 4 nights would safe…probably, but if I were you I’d contact the company and ask them. I usually use one within 2-3 days.

[Mom2Cavs]

Pretty much what you said….I don’t know all the ins and outs of the suit but I won’t feed either one so it doesn’t apply to us. If you google it I’m sure there are lots of info. on the actual happenings.

[Mom2Cavs]

I second Betsy’s Wellness recommendation, but want to add that not only do they have a small breed line they have a toy breed line, and I believe the kibble size is even smaller for the most tiny dogs. I love Wellness, and Fromm is great, too.

[Mom2Cavs]

I agree that most of the time, unless there is mucous or some other thing found in the stool, then it depends on the color of the kibble. I am using various formulas of Wellness Small Breed. When the dogs eat the fish based ones their stool is darker than when they eat the multi protein or mostly turkey, chicken based ones. I’m assuming the stool is normal otherwise in the poster’s dogs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I posted back in Feb. and still stand by what I said there. I would like to say again that I love Fromm and Wellness foods. For chews, I love a product called Whimzees (made in Holland) and THK Beams, which are dried fish skins. My boy Cavalier loves antlers, but you do need to be watchful with very hard things that might bread or crack teeth.

[Mom2Cavs]

I usually donate to a few rescue/foster groups where I live. My husband is a pastor of an inner city church and some of the congregants can’t always afford to buy good food for their dogs and cats so I give food to them, and also to their neighbors and relatives that have dogs. I give supplies, too. I’m going to look into pet pantries here, I’m sure there are some. I would like to give there, too.

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi! I have one sensitive Cavalier, too. The other two can eat pretty much anything within reason. They are all doing great on Wellness Small Breed….I alternate between Simple, Whitefish, Healthy Weight and Senior. I love their SB Senior but it only comes in 4lb bags. I have been topping with a small amount of canned food…Wellness, Weruva and Simply Nourish. I also am using, atm, Ark Naturals Gentle Digest (a pre/probiotic) and a supplement called Firm Up, which is dried pumpkin and apple pectin (a tsp. a day divided between meals). Three days a week they get a coq10 supplement, too. I haven’t had any gland problems since doing this. There are some other foods I like and would use, too, and they’re Annamaet, Victor, Dr. Tim’s and Fromm.

[Mom2Cavs]

So sorry to hear this. My new Cav has MVD and takes enalipril. Cavaliers are genetically predisposed, as well. We will be visiting the cardiologist every 6 months, too. (:

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I second the Springtime, Inc. Joint health chews. Have used them many, many years with success for a Poodle mix with both rear luxating patellas. The vet always said he may need surgery one day, but he never had to have it before he went to the bridge.

[Mom2Cavs]

Yes, it’s last years, but no harm if we repost. The expiry dates seem to be 11/14 so someone may still have a bag hanging around and not know about the recall.

[Mom2Cavs]

It’s still around. I saw it at my grocers the other day, however, I would never feed it. I don’t like the ingredients at all.

[Mom2Cavs]

I also want to add Wellness’s new Small Breed Senior to the mix. It’s formulated to have a lower sodium percentage. I’m feeding it in our regimen. I’m also using other Wellness Small Breed formulas. I have 3 senior Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. All 3 have some level of murmur. My 2 girls are not getting any meds, just supplemented with coq10. My male (my newest addition) has MVD and gets enalipril twice a day.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m so glad the NB Lamb has worked for your dog. I wouldn’t change much, yet, until he’s settled for awhile. I do know that NB was bought by Del Monte, which is not a good thing, imho, so just be diligent in feeding it. Sandy above has made some good suggestions for later. I feed Wellness to my crew.

[Mom2Cavs]

I see you like the game Chess, lol! Yes, you definitely need to get these boys acclimated to their leashes. I don’t have much to add because I feel one of the best ways to leash train is to stop in your tracks when they pull and when they come back to you then, and only then, start walking again. I also like the reverse move then they are pulling. This helps them to keep focus on you because they never know what you might do next. Also, working on “focus” or “look at me” helps, too, before you begin walking. Are you using a regular collar and leash? Some people recommend head halters or no-pull harnesses for training. I’m not really a fan of either, but with larger dogs they might help.

[Mom2Cavs]

Life’s Abundance is not a bad food but I would never pay that much for a bag of food, and I don’t have a budget where my pets are concerned. I agree with the suggestions of those above and will add some. Annamaet, Wellness, Nutrisource are just three more to consider.

[Mom2Cavs]

HDM, I like Annamaet’s treats, too.

[Mom2Cavs]

I actually used to feed TOTW Pacific Stream, when I was trying to get Laverne’s gut straightened out. I still like the food, BUT…and it’s a big but (lol…) it’s a Diamond food and I will not feed Diamond foods. I know that any company is at risk for recalls but Diamond has a bad history where recalls are concerned and so their foods are no goes for me. I agree with theBCnut and her suggestions.

[Mom2Cavs]

Robin B….it was my understanding that Wellness is not using Diamond anymore since the last Salmonella recall by Diamond. I could be wrong, though?

[Mom2Cavs]

Smart Pak has been around awhile. I’ve thought about using them in the past but just never got around to doing it. Something to think about, though. Missing Link has been around a long time, too. I know lots of people that use and recommend it. I used it some years ago for my dogs but not recently. I have used it for my cat within the last 6 months, though. I used the Wellblend kind because it’s good for cats and dogs.

[Mom2Cavs]

It just goes to show that not every food works for all dogs. Mine eat Wellness Small Breed (Simple, Senior and White fish and I’m going to use Healthy Weight soon) and love it and are doing great on it. I’m sure you can find another food that works for your crew. Some I like are Dr. Tim’s, Victors and Annamaet. Holistic Select is fine, too.

[Mom2Cavs]

Thanks to everyone and their sentiments toward Lucy. She will definitely be missed, that’s for sure. It’s always hard when one of the family passes.

[Mom2Cavs]

I use Whimzees, too, and my dogs like them and have done well with them. The treats I have been using most are Wellness Biscuits and Wellness Pure Rewards.

[Mom2Cavs]

I agree with the heat, but I do love Summer best. Rupert is doing fine, thanks for asking. He’s such a doll! We love him to pieces, especially my husband! Lucy, my mix, is not doing so well, though. I don’t know if you heard she has a rare skin cancer. My daughter, who is very bonded with her, came home from the Summer Camp she’s working at to visit one last time. She didn’t want to be present when she does go to the Bridge. We will be putting her to sleep on Wed. unless something else happens in the mean time. It will be sad around here for awhile, but all my other animals do keep me busy.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

Cyndi, I’m in Cincy. I didn’t know you were from here, either!

[Mom2Cavs]

I used to vaccinate when I went to my regular vet, who btw loves to vaccinate and give steroid shots like crazy. Stella (who is at the bridge now) and my cat Princess definitely had vaccine reactions and this particular vet would just give a steroid shot to help, and then vaccinate the next year. I would even bring up the reactions and he would still insist. Can’t believe I went along with this then, but I was ignorant about vaccinations and flea meds at that time. After a very bad experience at this particular vet and learning a lot more, I finally switched to my holistic vet who does titers, except for Rabies because it is required by law. I’ve been titering now for 3 years and give the Rabies vaccine every 3 years. I do natural flea meds, but I do heartworm (use Tri Heart Plus) around every 35-40 days because we have bad mosquitos here in Ohio. Everyone is doing fine. I will continue to do this with any pet I have from now on.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m not sure what it could be. What flavor is this? I found stuff like this in Merrick cans and I stopped feeding them because I just couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t mold. I would try to contact the company (hard to do with Wal Mart, I guess) and see what they say. Is there contact info. on the can?

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