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  • in reply to: Good food and budgets #16889 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    In my opinion, the top budget friendly foods in my area (Cincinnati):
    1. Whole Earth Farms
    2. Fromm Classics
    3. Earthborn
    4. Nutrisource
    5. 4Health
    6. Sportmix’s new food
    7. Rachel Ray’s new grain free food
    8. Simply Nourish at Petsmart
    9. Authority’s grain free at Petsmart
    10. last on my list because it’s…well…Diamond – Diamond’s new grain free

    There may be more than this but it’s all I can think of.

    in reply to: Nusentia? #16888 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’ve heard of them, but haven’t used them. I’ve used Mercola, and Total Biotics/Enzymes. My new favorite is from Herbsmith called Micro Flora +.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    A few foods I would recommend are: Wellness Core Reduced Fat. It’s available at both Petco and Petsmart. Not all that inexpensive, though. I also think a new food by Natural Balance looks interesting for weight loss. It’s called Fat Dog lol. Note, though, it’s not grain free. However, it does have a decent amount of protein (for a weight loss food) and lower fat and higher fiber. I would try it for mine if they needed to lose weight. I also think this food might benefit a dog that had pancreatitis issues. Fat Dog by NB is available at Petco and I think it’s price range is average for this kind of dog food.

    in reply to: Probiotic or Digestive Enzymes #16280 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’ve been using a new digestive supplement for mine from Herbsmith and I’m liking it alot! It’s called Microflora Plus. It comes in a capsule and contains pre/prob/enzymes along with some herbs that help with digestion like cinnamon, ginger and licorice. I just open a capsule and divide it among all 3 at each meal. It seems to be helping everyone, especially Laverne (who is my allergy prone dog).

    in reply to: Pill Pockets #16277 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’ve used them, too. They do work for my picky, picky mixed breed who won’t take anything! Sometimes she won’t even take a biscuit brand that she’s eaten many times before! Anyway, I stopped using them now and I use cheese. Another favorite is coconut oil….but you have to pill quickly or it’ll melt in your hand lol.

    in reply to: Need help finding a food #16183 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I don’t know about all the ingredients, but Wellness Core Small Breed meets a lot of those criteria. My Cavaliers are eating it as their dry now and Lucy is eating the Small Breed Healthy Weight (not gf).

    in reply to: Natural Balance has new weight loss food #16092 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Oh, btw, it lists crude protein as 26% min., crude fat as 7.5% min., fiber as 10.5% max.
    It is low on calories at 250 per cup and the omega’s seem low, as well. But, like I said above, it may be useful for a special needs dog.

    in reply to: pet portrait? #16065 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Hi…my daughter is an artist. She is a professional photographer by trade and also does fine art. Her pet portraits are different than others because she does them in Salt! She dyes the salt with food coloring and then makes her portraits (like painting with salt). She uses a photo to go by. Please go to her website…www.kellymccollamphotography.com, then look at the bottom and go to fine art, then go to the salty dogs section listed at the top. The 2 Cavaliers are 2 of my dogs. She commissions the portraits. She can do them any size you want (the final product is a framed print…and she can give you the salt she used in making the portrait, if you like), but the most common size that people buy is an 8×10 framed that costs 90.00. Shipping would be around 5.00 extra for this size. She doesn’t have pic. of a cat on her site, but she has done a pic of my cat….I have it on my wall at home, so she has done cats as well.

    in reply to: Help (Duplicate Topic #2) #15985 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Well, I’ve heard that it’s normal for Boxers, too, but I’m not sure I believe any gas that’s constant and considered horrible is normal. Perhaps he needs a different food, but you definitely might try adding a probiotic to his diet. Some people use plain, natural yogurt but I’m not sure it’s always strong enough. Some use probiotics made for humans, but I always use those made for dogs. I like a few brands. Some are: Mercola Pets, Ark Naturals Gentle Digest, Vetri Science brand and Naturvet brand. There are many more brands, of course, but I hope this helps some.

    in reply to: dog has pancreatitis #15984 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’m not a vet, but when my Shih-Poo, Desi…rip, had an attack of pancreatitis the food that worked best for him was Wellness Core Reduced Fat. There are some very good enzyme supplements on the market. The Mercola brand uses animal based instead of plant based and are considered very good. They also make a probiotic supplement with multiple strains. Go to mercola.com in the pets section to read about them. Some sources to read about pancreatitis are: dogaware.com, b-naturals.com and askariel.com to name a few. You could also ask your vet about the enzymes….my vet gave me some when Desi had his attack.

    in reply to: Need Food Advice for Allergies #15982 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’m sorry your dog is going through this. There are a few foods that might help. Wellness has a Simple line that is hypoallegenic. I don’t know if your dog has had all the proteins they include in their line, or not, but you could look into those. There is a mail order food called Brothers that has a good allergy food, but it comes in only one flavor (turkey, I believe). You might look into that, as well. And, even though I don’t agree that Natural Balance uses Diamond as one of their manufacturers in this case I’m going to recommend them for your dog. They are limited ingredient, grain free, and have some novel proteins like duck, venison, rabbit. Nature’s Variety is another company with limited ingredient diets. They come in Turkey, Duck and Lamb. California Natural, by Natura, can be a good allergy food, however, they are going through a recall for salmonella (I think) at the moment so I wouldn’t consider them at this time. Most of the foods I’ve mentioned also have “matching” treats and canned food to facilitate use. I’m sure there are other good foods and I’m also sure other posters will let you know soon. But, these are some that came to my mind. I hope this helps some.

    in reply to: Springtime natural supplements #15822 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’m assuming you mean Springtime, Inc. And yes, I’ve heard of them and have used them off and on for many years. I really like them. I’ve used their Fresh Factors (great whole food vitamin which I like because Lucy hates most things mixed into her food) and I’ve used their Joint Health and their new Advanced Joint chews. They worked great for my deceased Shih-Poo, Desi, who had both rear luxating patellas. And the Advanced Joint worked when Lucy hurt herself once. I’ve also used their Omegas 3-6-9 and liked them, as well as their Bug-Off Garlic chews for fleas. Love the stuff and they always have b1g2 deals…and if you buy so much you can try free stuff.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Betsy, I haven’t tried the Nature’s Logic yet….we still have some Acana Duck and they are doing so well on it that I haven’t had the urge to change it. When these bags of Acana are almost gone, I’ll probably start mixing in the Nature’s Logic. I do want to try the Ranchlands Acana or the Lamb & Apple, if I can get my hands on it locally. They are loving the Primal freeze dried added in. I haven’t used cans in awhile…been using Primal and Stella & Chewy’s and Vital Essentials FD. I like them better than canned. Still have lots of good canned food, though. I do give a church member dog food for his Yorkie and his daughter’s dogs, so I most likely will give them some of my hoard of food. I’ve also noticed that Laverne does have intolerances and if I’m not careful will have bouts of colitis. So I really need to narrow my rotation down to what works with her and leave it at that for awhile.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Believe it or not, I’m not ignorant on all the facts. I have done my own research to my satisfaction and I have concluded I don’t want to feed foods with corn, or that contain any of the things I mentioned in my post above. You can do whatever suits you and your dogs, and I’ll do what I feel is best for mine.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Thanks HDM for saying what I couldn’t seem to lol. I appreciate your remarks. I must admit I’ve never had someone try to “push” foods with corn to someone like me….a staunch advocate for a more natural approach to feeding.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    You’re right, I do believe my vet…I switched to this holistic vet which is almost an hour away because my old vet did not diagnose one of my dogs correctly and treated me badly (which was the last straw). The old vet also knew nothing about nutrition. My new vet actually carries Nature’s Variety in his clinic, along with Steve’s Real food. He’s very knowledgable about nutrition, among other things…like the breed I own, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. And no thanks, I won’t be speaking with Bil-Jac anytime soon. I am very happy with my Acana and Primal. Thanks, though. We each have our own opinions and I just prefer to leave it at that.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Via my vet, corn, wheat and soy can be highly allergenic in dogs. Also, sometimes they are added to bump protein levels while using less meat. So, after hearing that, I’ve never fed foods with those ingredients. If my dogs have issues with other ingredients I am feeding, then I will stop feeding the food they’re eating. So far, my dogs have done exceptionally well without eating corn, wheat and soy. This is just the way I want to feed my dogs. I’m not against grains and I do sometimes feed foods with whole grains included in the ingredient panel, like Acana Duck & Pear which contains oats.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    gebo, one thing I want to say about your post is that the suggestion you made “call a few companies” might be the wrong one…..any company you call is going to recommend their own food, aren’t they? I do believe in feeding what works for your dog, but I have to set some parameters. I wouldn’t feed my dogs just anything because I felt it might “work” for them. There are just some ingredients that I will not feed. I still say there are some foods that are reasonably priced that contain better ingredients than Bil-Jac (which btw isn’t all that inexpensive, if I remember correctly from working at a pet specialty store that carried it). I won’t feed corn, wheat, soy, artificial preservatives, synthetic vit. k, ethoxyquin and dyes. There might be a food that my dogs seem to do well on with these ingredients, but we’ll never know because I won’t even look at them twice. Those are the parameters I start with, along with others like made in the USA, sourced in the USA and preferably made by the company selling it (this is one I might let slide). Anyway, after a food passes all these parameters then I’ll consider feeding it. If it works, great…we have a winner. Again, I’m glad you feel Bil-Jac is working for your dogs but it would not pass my parameters to even be considered for mine. Differences of opinions, certainly.

    in reply to: Scooting & Licking – need food suggestions #15246 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    gebo, I’m glad Bil-Jac is working for your dog but I did do my research and don’t want to feed it to mine because of the ingredients. I also remember when I worked at a pet specialty store that carried Bil-Jac it, along with Purina products, were the foods that got “buggy” most often, so that alone will keep me from using it. I’m not saying other foods can’t get bugs in them, of course they can, but this happened often at our store and we were very careful about storing things correctly. Also, you don’t have to be rich to feed a good food. Merrick has Whole Earth Farms that is cheaper than Iams in a lot of places. Tractor Supply, and many feed stores, carries foods that are very budget friendly and have decent ratings and ingredients. I choose to feed Acana (the formulas with oats, so not grain free) and I also choose to use freeze dried raw along with some highly rated canned food. Now these foods are more expensive than alot of others, but thank God I can afford them right now. If that ever changes, I have done research on cheaper foods that are still better quality…you never know in this world what life might bring. My point is, you should feed the best food you can possibly feed within your budget that works for your dog. It is okay to read rating sites and forums for other people’s opinions but you should do your own research in the end.

    in reply to: Natures Variety Instinct Raw Boost Question #15220 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Yes, I post to dogster, dogforum, dogforums, cavalier talk, dogfoodchat, and here, of course! I also like Vital Essentials freeze dried, but it’s harder for me to get than the others.

    in reply to: Natures Variety Instinct Raw Boost Question #15209 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I haven’t fed the NVI Raw Boost kibble to my dogs, but my cat eats it for her kibble, along with her canned and other moistened freeze dried foods, like Stella & Chewy’s and Primal. She loves this kibble way more than some others I’ve fed her….Orijen/Acana, Fromm, Nature’s Logic….so this is what she gets.

    in reply to: Probiotic or Digestive Enzymes #15045 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Wanted to note that in my reply above I listed some of my favorite products that I’ve used with success for my dogs over the years. I didn’t list Mercola enzymes for mine (even though I feel it is a good product) because they use animal based enzymes and not plant based. My dogs do better on plant based, it seems.

    Oh, and I think the site Ask Aerial has some good looking products. I just haven’t got around to ordering any from her. I’m pretty sure she has a Cavalier, too, lol!

    in reply to: Probiotic or Digestive Enzymes #15028 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I have some favorites:
    Wholistic Pet Digest All Plus (pre/probiotics/enzymes)
    Ark Naturals Gentle Digest (pre/probiotics)
    Fresh Digest or Optagest (same product, different name, prebiotics/enzymes)
    Mercola Probiotics
    Vetri-Science Mega Probiotics (pre/probiotics)
    Hoistic Solutions (pre/probiotics/enzymes)
    Naturvet (pre/probiotics/enzymes)
    Nature’s Farmacy has some good supplements, too, that I like

    in reply to: Where Can I Find . . . ? #14983 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    While Natural Balance does use Diamond for one of their manufacturers (and I won’t feed a Diamond food), they might have a food that fits your bill in their LID food, Potato and Duck. They have it in dry and canned form and even biscuit treats. And since you’re already using Blue, have you considered trying their Turkey and Potato grain free Basics food? I also want to mention that I’m using Acana Duck currently and it seems to be working with my sensitive stomach dogs. It does contain potato and while it has your normal vitamins included it doesn’t have many ingredients and is considered hypoallergenic. Pinnacle is another brand that has a Turkey and Potato food that might be worth checking out. Wellness also has Simple Solutions, which is their hypoallergenic food and I believe it may have a Duck formula. I hope this helps some.

    in reply to: Therapy Dogs #14976 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Thanks, Marie! It’ll be awhile before we can start our visits….got to do all the paperwork, which takes awhile. Can’t wait, though!

    in reply to: Therapy Dogs #14938 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Thanks, HDM!

    in reply to: DinoVite #14875 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Patty….if I ever wanted to feed a homemade raw diet, I would try their “recipe”. It looks easy enough and I would add their supplement to it.

    I also forgot to say that they are mail order only, unless you live close enough to pick it up.

    in reply to: DinoVite #14871 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Well….no, I have no problem with it. In fact, I’ve used it before. I must say that I didn’t see a change in my dogs either way (better or worse condition using it), but my dogs didn’t have any issues to address to begin with so maybe that was it. I was using it to assure they were getting enough nutrition at the time. I’ve done lots of different things over the years lol. I think it’s similar to missing link but I do think it might have some enzymes or probiotics in it, where as missing link doesn’t (one formula now does, I found out…Wellness formula). The company is not that far from where I live. It’s located in Kentucky, right over the river from me, so I could actually pick up the product if I wanted. The owners really seem to know their stuff. I’ve met the woman (half of the married owners) and she’s really nice. Their customer service, in my experience, has been great. They advocate a more species appropriate diet, as well, and give you a “recipe” for making one with ground beef and adding their product on their site. They have various products for sell, not just Dinovite. They have omegas, natural flea products, natural shampoos, treats, and products for cats. Bottom line, I don’t think it’d hurt to try their stuff. Btw, they do recommend trying it for 90 days at minimum to see the difference. And I will admit that I probably didn’t use it that long before I stopped. Some people think it’s rather expensive, as well, but I think it’s on par with lots of other things like it. I hope this helps some.

    in reply to: Does diet rotation create picky eaters? #14811 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Betsy….I thought I was the only dog food hoarder lol! It’s a sickness I can’t seem to control, hence all my other dog people friends tease me about it all the time. I think it started when I worked for a pet specialty store and was told I needed to learn all I could about different foods because that’s what they wanted me to do, help customers choose the right food for the right reasons. Little did they know they were creating a monster hahahaha! This is when I decided to switch my dogs’ food, and the rest is history!

    in reply to: Does diet rotation create picky eaters? #14779 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I feel that rotation is what keeps Lucy from being the picky dog that she was when we first adopted her. I’ve been rotating for many years now and Lucy, who was very picky when she first came to live with us, looks forward to every meal. Rarely does she turn any food down that I give her, and if she does then I know she’s not feeling well. When Lucy used to “turn her nose up at foods” I would take up the bowl and wait for abou 15-20 mins. then offer it again. If she refused again then I would wait and not give her food until the next meal. I would also offer different food at the next meal. It only took a short while until she would eat anything I put down for her.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Yes, it is your decision and your dog. You are doing what you feel best and I’ll refrain from commenting anymore. We all do what we feel is best for our pets because we love them.

    in reply to: Paw licking Yellow Lab #14772 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    veggienut, which poster are you directing your comment to? Bailey, the originator of this thread has resolved his issues by eating a limited ingredient, grain free diet. Yay, glad you’re doing better, Bailey! Allergy testing can be quite expensive and sometimes not all that accurate (as I’ve read and understand it) and an elimination diet might prove to be the best route to go in determining allergies/intolerance in the diet.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    veggienut, I understand your frustration and I’m usually a firm believer in using what works, but I do have parameters and corn cannot be in my dogs’ food, so I would be looking for a new food still, if it were my dog. Alas, it’s not my dog, so….

    Btw, I posted on the Acana Intolerance thread, as well.

    in reply to: Acana Intolerance? #14770 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Wow, veggienut, that sounds terrible! I don’t know if it’s the food, but I do know a couple of people with Yorkies and they both feed high protein foods to them and they do fine. Foods like Acana, Fromm grain free, etc. And I’ve been feeding Acana Duck for about 2 weeks now and my dogs are doing well on it. I’m also topping with either Primal FD or Stella & Chewy’s FD and adding probiotics (which I do to any food I feed). I do believe that some dogs may need certain percentages of things or certain supplements depending on their overall health issues but, I’m sorry, I don’t think certain breeds need foods made for “Yorkies”, “Poodles”, etc. For instance, I have Cavaliers and they’re known for heart problems so I sometimes supplement with things that benefit the heart, like coq10, hawthorn, taurine, l-carnitine, etc. I have an old mixed breed and she has bladder problems so I give her a urinary supplement. If certain breeds need to eat certain brands/foods made just for them, then where is the “Cavalier” food? I’m not trying to be rude, just my opinion. Also, you state your Yorkie needs carbs in his diet and Acana has none….it really does, because all kibble has to have some carb binder to hold it together. Some may have more than others, and of course there are different kinds of carbs to use. The fact is that not one food will work for all dogs, so I just think that Acana may not work for your Yorkie. Perhaps in the future, when his digestion settles down, you can find a different food to try for him that is better quality than RC.

    in reply to: Safe Dog Treats #14742 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I’ve found a great chew that my dogs love! They are small dogs so I buy the smaller size but the treats are made in a larger size, as well. These treats are The Honest Kitchen Beams….dried catfish skins! Even Lucy, who generally hates all chews and most treats, loves these!

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Betsy, Thanks! I ordered some last night and I’ll definitely let everyone know how it goes. Currently, we have to get through the bag of Acana Duck (which I’ll keep in our rotation). I ordered a few small bags to start (I’m a dog food junkie lol!). If I remember correctly, I ordered Lamb and Duck & Salmon kibble and Lamb canned.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I know guys…I just got the email, too. I could relate due to the weird thing I had happen with the Merrick Pork kibble. @Betsy….what Nature’s Logic do you think I should start with? I have senior dogs and kinda want to get away from chicken. Thanks!

    in reply to: Allergy Test Results & Food Recommendations #14668 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I don’t usually recommend California Natural, but they might work in her case and they are not all that expensive (at least where I live). If I think of others, I’ll post them.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Hi, jnconner. I supplement with canned food or freeze dried w/water added for moisture and variety and taste. Lots of people feed just dry, but I recommend adding something to the kibble, at least every now and then, for moisture or freshness, taste and variety. You can do lots of different things. Some people add veggies, fresh meat, sardines, egg, canned food, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Also, Nature’s Variety is not sold at Petsmart, but is sold at Petco. Hope this helps.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    @Marie…Oh…I guess I didn’t connect the dots. Senior moments happen alot to me lol. I post there, Dogster (but not in awhile), Dogfoodchat, Dogforum and, of course, here! There may be a few other places, but I can’t remember them lol.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    @Marie….yes, that’s me LOL!


    @Betsy
    ….Thanks! I also knew that Susan Thixton likes it. I think I’m gonna rotate it in next (I also change foods alot because I, too, get bored hahaha!). My dog owner friends laugh at me all the time because I’m constantly trying something different with the girls. Hazel (my Black & Tan) sometimes gets dry and flaky, so this might help her…worth a shot. I also found it at Chewy.com. I know who carries it locally, but they will have to special order it for me and sometimes their special ordering isn’t the greatest, so I’ll just order it online.

    in reply to: What to feed? #14630 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    As far as I remember, Fromm’s Surf & Turf has tiny kibble, as well as some of their other formulas. Nature’s Variety Instinct also has tiny kibble pieces. I’m sure there are others but these 2 came immediately to mind. Oh and Wellness Core Small Breed plus Wellness’s regular Small Breed. Blue Buffalo also has a Small and Toy formula, I think. Hope this helps. 🙂

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Sorry to hijack…Betsy, how long have you used Nature’s Logic? Which formulas have you fed? Sorry for the questions, but I want to try this food for my girls. While I like the Acana Duck, I do so like the fact that NL doesn’t use synthetic vits. I’ve been going back and forth on it because I either have to have it special ordered or I have to order it online. I’ll do that, but it is kind of a pain. I’ve als been thinking about adding Nature’s Variety Instinct LIDs to their rotation, too.

    in reply to: Allergic to Duck? #14623 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    No advice, but I find it odd that your vet wanted you to use a limited ingredient diet and then recommended Acana Grasslands, which has lots of ingredients in it. If I were to use Acana I would use their Duck and Pear food, which is one of their 2 limited ingredient diets…the other being the Lamb and Apple. These formulas contain one protein and one starch (oatmeal) and have way less ingredients than the other Acana formulas.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    suztzu…Core has developed some new formulas now that are different than regular Core. They have Core for small breeds, puppies, etc. I’m not sure about the size of Core Puppy kibble, but the Small Breed size kibble is tiny.

    in reply to: Need Help Finding a Cardiac Health Dog Food #14499 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I agree with HDM….but, even though I sometimes use human supplements most of the time I use those made for dogs. Like HDM I also mix into their food for both meals. Lucy is taking a urinary supplement atm, though, that is a soft chew so I don’t have to mix that in. And definitely check all ingredients for dog safety. Another note, when I buy dog supplements I usually do so at a pet specialty store (generally big box stores don’t have the brands I want) or I order them online. http://www.onlynaturalpet.com is a good site for supplements. Most of the dog supplements I buy have the NASC seal on them but not all. Hope this helps some more. 🙂

    in reply to: Need Help Finding a Cardiac Health Dog Food #14464 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I have Cavaliers, who by nature of the breed, can have heart problems. One of mine has a murmur, last time assessed at a grade 2. As far as I know, atm, the other one is currently fine. My oldest was heart clear until about 10 years old and then I was told she had a grade 5 murmur and probably heart disease. She actually never really had any problems of note, though, with her heart. She just recently passed to the bridge at 12 years old, but it wasn’t her heart….she had a neurological disease (SM) that Cavs also are prone to and that caused her death. Actually, having a Cavalier reach double digits in age is great! Anyway, on to your question……while I don’t feed a “heart diet” I do try to feed as top of the line food as I can (which my holistic vet is fine with). I know that prey raw or homemade is probably the best, but either is not my choice. I have fed a variety of different kinds of food over the years. I’ve fed premade raw, freeze dried raw, dehydrated raw, canned and kibble. I’m currently feeding Acana Singles (Duck & Pear or Lamb & Apple) topped with either Primal or Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried raw or The Honest Kitchen Embark. Sometimes I top with canned foods like Instinct, Wellness Stews, Weruva, etc. I was using Merrick grain free kibble until I had an issue with a bag of the Pork grain free (strange looking and colored kibble pieces caused diarrhea). I’ve also used Merrick canned but have decided to go away from them, too, as they contain carageenan, and ingredient I’m not too comfortable with. I do know about BPA in cans, as well, and that’s why I like the freeze dried or THK. With each kind of food I have often supplemented with a heart targeted supplement (again at the advice of my holistic vet, who btw carries Nature’s Variety in his clinic). Some of my favorites are: Bio Cardio, Cardio Strength, Nature’s Farmacy heartwise and Standard Process Cardio Support. I’ve also given pre/probiotics and enzymes which I think can’t hurt. The heart supplements often contain things like COQ10, hawthorn, taurine, L-Carnitine and omega 3’s. You could also supplement these things individually. Please note that I’m not a vet, but a furmom with babies that more often than not have heart issues. I hope this helps some and gives you something to think about. 🙂

    in reply to: raw feeding while traveling #14427 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Hi Judy! I don’t feed the premade raw atm, but I used to. When I traveled and took the dogs I fed either the freeze dried version of the premade raw or a dehydrated food, like The Honest Kitchen. I’m currently using freeze dried raw and thinking about buying some of The Honest Kitchen, as well. I usually use it to top my dogs’ kibble but sometimes I will just feed a meal solely of the FD or THK.

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I love Simply Nourish, too, but also use Weruva and just started Tiki Dog (local petshop just started carrying it). Some other good canned foods, imo, are Instinct and Wellness Stew. TOTW’s canned food is decent and lower priced. I try to stay away from foods with carageenan. I know about the BPA in cans, too, so some days the dogs get freeze dried raw on top of their kibble to lessen the exposure.

    in reply to: Problems with Merrick kibble #14211 Report Abuse
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Yes, thank goodness. Let us know if they are normal now. All 3 of mine had normal stool today, Yay! Knock on wood, lol, it stays that way. I’m feeding mainly the Duck & Pear (5 lb. bag) with a couple of sample bags of the Lamb mixed in with it. The dogs love the taste. I’ve been topping with a pattie of S&C’s, Fresh Digest, and adding water. Today, tho’, Lucy (Mixed Breed who has been known to be picky) wouldn’t eat! I was hoping it wasn’t the Acana….I dumped out the food and put some Wellness Stew canned in her bowl with some Acana and the Fresh Digest instead of using the S&C’s patty and water. She ate just fine. I think maybe she didn’t want to patty for some reason…? You never know with her hahaha. She is turning 12 this year and has a mass of some kind on her bladder. We know this and she does get supplements for urinary. We aren’t doing anything else, atm, because she isn’t acting sick at all (praise God!). But, when she gets picky like that…I will try to cater to her a little bit :).

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