[Jenn H]

Thank you Michelle.
And your explanation was also very thorough and thoughtful.
I don’t think a lot of people understand what an undertaking it is to do scientific studies. There’s so very much to it. The attention to detail, observations and record keeping has to be so precise. While daunting, it’s what makes them more reliable than anecdotal evidence. Which is so uncontrolled I wouldn’t even call it pseudoscience or junk science. There is nothing scientific about it.
I want more than a few good stories about vegan dogs. At the very least I want to know about dogs that haven’t done well. If someone doesn’t want to wait for a more concrete study, then the least they should do is weigh risk/reward before experimenting on their dog.

[Jenn H]

Veronika W you go on about animal rights. Why does your dog not have a right to eat a proper diet? It has nothing to do with a pet being favored or more important than another animal. It’s about living up to your responsibility as their caregiver. If that means feeding them something you won’t eat too bad. I don’t like clipping my dogs’ nails and they hate it too, but it has to happen. That is what’s right. It’s for a good reason. Dog crap is disgusting, but I still have to clean up after them. These are unpleasant yet necessary responsibilities to keep them healthy. I feed 1 dog canned food. That’s about as gross as dog crap, but she’s doing well on it.
If you can’t find a way to compartmentalize your extreme beliefs and doing the best thing for your pet, then a carnivorous/omnivorous animal is not for you.
Animals have a right to proper care. Other animals have a right to be eaten & worn.
I am Native. It is believed that animals choose to come to Mother Earth to nourish, clothe, shelter other animals. You thank the animal’s spirit for it.
Sounds silly to some, but so does your vegan dog thing.

[Jenn H]

Michelle B You’re funny! Thanks for making my point. (With humor & sarcasm no less!) Prefect examples of Ancedotal vs Scientific.

[Jenn H]

Duane P, I’m glad you didn’t just decide for your dog to be vegan/vegetarian just because you are. Be very careful about where you get info from. I haven’t found any scientific/evidence based info regarding how safe it is for dogs. If anecdotal “evidence” is enough then you’ll have no shortage of that.

theBCnut, that’s very interesting to me. It kinda changes everything. That’s a pretty important detail that doesn’t seem to get included in the story of that dog.
Having dogs running around 30 acres I know for a fact they do a lot of hunting. I’ve seen them eating birds, frogs, snakes, baby turtles, turkey eggs, chipmunks…the list is endless with what I’ve seen them munch on.
These dogs are fed very well and get more treats and carrots than the horses. There’s no way they’re missing anything. Yet they still like to do their own grocery shopping. They are dogs. They are predators. They like meat.
I guarantee the dog got its nutritional needs met on its own while roaming. While the owner may believe it adhered to a strict veg diet, I’m certain the dog would have a different story.

[Jenn H]

It is a very sneaky and tricky disease. False negatives are very common. They are improving on that as the disease and need becomes more prevalent. (There’s a good one that has to be specially ordered. The name escapes me right now. Will share when I find it.)
When we suspect Lyme in the horses we start them on Doxy anyway. Even if the titer hasn’t come back yet. They typically show improvement within 2 wks.
You never want it to get so out of hand that it causes irreparable damage. I know a horse right now that is neurologic from it.

[Jenn H]

Olga M that is a great story. However it proves nothing. 1 dog lived that long supposedly on a vegan diet. There is no consideration to the dog’s genetics or whether the dog did get meat proteins. How do we know that dog didn’t hunt and eat whatever it caught while running free (assuming it was allowed)? Maybe this was just luck. Maybe the human is full of it and only says she fed a strict vegan diet.

My point is that there is no scientific backing of this being good for dogs long term. It’s anecdotal. That’s not enough to convince me.

There are very necessary nutrients dogs must have to survive that can only be found in meat protein. If not fed meat they must get them from synthetic supplements. If you are fine with feeding them synthetic nutrients, then have at it.

I am vegetarian. But that is my choice. My dogs (while brilliant they are GSDs) don’t have the ability to give a crap about what or where their meat comes from. They just know they need it to survive. An animal’s one & only goal in life is to just survive the day.
I do have a choice to feed them the best food possible. Whether or not I would eat a human version of it doesn’t matter. I am feeding them what is best for them within my budget.
If an animal’s dietery needs go against your ethics then that is not the pet for you.

[Jenn H]

Mary H I just reread your post. I’m glad I did. It isn’t too different from my GSD’s battle with this disease. We’re more than a yr in and still battling its effects. (Hopefully we are finally winning.)
It’s an awful disease that some vets don’t take seriously, don’t consider, don’t understand and/or blame every future problem on.
If a dog has Lyme and comes down with other issues the body usually overreacts in its immune response and this can make matters worse. At the time of a Lyme flare up their bodies are busy fighting that bacteria that they can often get something else.

Anonymously Lyme can cause a condition in the kidbeys called glomerulonephritis. This destroys the kidney’s ability to cleanse the blood.
What happens is the body drastically increases antibody molecules to fight the Lyme proteins. These molecules get trapped in the filtering mechanism of the kidneys.
If you suspect this have your vet test the protein/creatinine ratio in the urine. This is called an ERD test.

[Jenn H]

Even if you don’t live in an area with a big tick population you must be careful. Lyme disease has been found in all 48 continental states.
I also have a GSD that was diagnosed and treated for other things before being tested for Lyme. She was asymptomatic for it so there was not a real reason to test. She has since been treated for it again.
We have used 2 different antibiotics and both has caused tremendous GI discomfort and problems. She also has a touch of arthritis in 1 hip because of the Lyme.
Again, she showed no symptoms but her titer was off the charts when it came back. When she was a pup she had ehrlichia. Not one symptom then either.
From now on I will be having all my dogs tested for tick borne diseases at least 1x/yr.
Working with horses, I know how relentless and prevalent those stupid ticks are. There’s usually 1 horse being treated at any given time all year long. Even in winter (I’m in New England).
Another word of caution is that once your dog has Lyme vets will blame it on everything they can’t figure out. For more than a yr we’ve been back & forth to the vet. After 9 months and her last emergency visit she saw a specialist at that hospital who tweaked her diet a little. Then said to wait a while to let her gut heal and calm down. It’s been 3 months and we’re just now trying to transition her to a new diet. So far so good. [Knock on wood.] They also gave a prescription probiotic. I’ll probably add enzymes during the transition period.

[Jenn H]

Sooooooo very happy for you all!!!!!!!!!!

I hope this is going to be the end of all her troubles.

Thanks for sharing so much. I will keep all this in mind if my girl has another flare up. We’re almost at 3 months since the last time. That’s the longest she has gone in the past yr since the first episode.
Good to know also that THK Zeal wasn’t to blame..

[Jenn H]

There’s a lot of theories floating around about when to switch a lg breed puppy to adult food. Because my GSDs are very active and use every bit of fat & protein I tend to keep them on lbp food longer than a yr. Usually up to 18 months. Or I’ll switch to an adult food for all life stages and/or lg breed adult. I’ve had dogs take 3 yrs to finish growing. (Usually unaltered males.)
No matter what food they are fed I keep the calcium as close to 1.5% or less until I am certain they are finished growing.

It’s fine to start them on joint supplements as early as 6 months. My 8 month old has already been on them for 2 months.
I prefer liquid since more of it is absorbed, but I’ve also had really great results from NuPro.
Cosequin is another brand that has worked great for a lot of my horses. They now make a version for dogs.

Things I look for in joint supplements is:
***glucosamine hydrochloride
*promotes healthy joints
*enhances body’s ability to produce collagen & joint fluid
*helps body to repair joint damage
***chondroitin sulfate
***MSM
*organic form of sulfur that connective tissue needs for maintenance
*HA

Whole food supplements w/ a lot of Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs):
•sea cucumber
•green-lipped mussel
•shark cartilage
•eggshell membrane
You’ll often find these listed as sources on labels of joint supplements. Especially the mussel & shark cartilage.

Take care to find out where ingredients are sourced blah blah blah like you would for dog food.

[Jenn H]

I’m praying for you that the worst is over and all of this illness is IBD related and nothing more.
She’s a very lucky girl to have people willing to sacrifice so much for her.
I’m glad she’s feeling well and you can enjoy her.

[Jenn H]

Anytime. I know what a huge hassle it is to find food.
Zignature isn’t easily available around me. I would like to try it. Heard lots of good things. I have to get foods that are goof proof for the husband in case I need him to get it.

Whenever I am considering a food that has fish I always ask the company if they or their suppliers use ethoxyquin to preserve it. It’s not allowed to be in human grade food. It shouldn’t be allowed to be in pet food. It doesn’t have to be put in labels either.

Another question I always ask is where all supplements and vitamins come from. I try to avoid China at all costs. Vitamin C is a very common source for that.

[Jenn H]

Greg, I’m so glad Maddie is doing well. It’s certainly has much to do with her person. I sometimes feel like I’m being condescending so please don’t take it that way. Clearly you are not an idiot who will buy into and purchase all the products some vets & sites push. I’m relieved to see someone doing careful research.
I love THK and would prefer to feed only that. It’s just not possible right now as my puppy and another dog set half my kitchen on fire. The mixes they recommend for my dogs’ needs require me to add the protein.
I’m also glad to see that I am not the only person who doesn’t buy into completely raw as the cure all for every dog.
Too bad their isn’t a holistic vet near you.
I work at a horse farm. Everyone has dogs and everyone raises & feeds them very differently. I’ll people I know & trust if they’ve ever had a dog with lymphoma. We have a lot of different vets as well. Quite a few are holistic/alternative and some practice all schools of medicine.

Also I wanted to let you know that I’m not questioning or judging your treatment choices for the lymphoma. I had a dog that would have had a miserable quality if life if we treated his cancer. But maybe would’ve have survived 6-9 months. Sadly we had 5 wks from the time of diagnosis, but is was a wonderful 5 wks. He didn’t suffer at all. That’s the most important thing.
Diet and holistic treatment had everything to do with his survival. It was sort of a freak thing that caused his death.
I was just wondering too what the other type of lymphoma it could be and what the possible treatment of that is. Is there a reason why you can’t test for it? Just in case it isn’t the probable type. Again, not judging. Just trying to learn.

Thanks for updating. We can all benefit from one another’s experiences. I hope you have many many many happy times with your Maddie and she goes beyond their expectations.

[Jenn H]

Wendeyzee sorry I’m just now getting a second to reply about your manufacturing question.
Let me first qualify my reasoning for feeding this brand:
*It is affordable without being full of crap.
*My puppy is satisfied after meals.
*I don’t have to feed him more than 4.5 cups/day. (As opposed to almost 7 cups of other brands.)
*It has 1.5% calcium max.
*He’s not growing too fast.
*His coat is beautiful. Not dull as w/ other foods.
*He loves it.
*They nor their sources use ethoxyquin to preserve their fish.
*I have asked a ton of probing questions and they answered promptly, honestly, with much information.
*2012 they began a “Positive Release Program” where no food is distributed until an independent third party tests a sample from the batch and results are received.
*They have their own people on site overseeing the process, etc.

Manufacturing:
•dry foods (most) are made at the Diamondd facility in MO (the recalls of the previous yrs were mainly from the SD plant)
*these dry foods are Wolf King, Wolf Cub, Hund-n-Flocken, Wee Bits, Buck Wild,
Lil Boss, Star Chaser, Sunday Sunrise
*all other dry foods are made at Crosswind Foods, KS
*canned are made by Simmons Pet Food, NJ. They bought out Menu foods in 2010. (After the major 2007 recall dibacle.)
*supplements are made by a company in CA that only makes animal supplements.

They also gave me info on treats & cat food if anyone is interested. I didn’t ask for all that as they don’t apply to me, but they shared anyway. If anyone wants that info I will post.

I understand where humans are involved there can & will be human error (and laziness and greed). Solid Gold seems to be doing their best to put out safe products at affordable prices.
For now I will keep this brand in the rotation. I haven’t yet started either of my adult girls yet. Plan on it this week.

[Jenn H]

Couldn’t be happier to hear such great news!
Perhaps you should get a definitive diagnosis on the lymphoma. Diet can be helpful for certain cancers.
When 2 of my dogs had cancer I used a holistic vet as well as my conventional vet & oncologists. He was a tremendous asset to their care & quality of life.
I love so much of Dr. Becker’s advice, but I do get very aggravated by her constant “species appropriate diet” preaching. She has a huge agenda in regards to that. It seems like she thinks it’s a cure all. Not all dogs do well on raw diets. Any evidence of thriving is anecdotal not scientific.
Just be aware of anyone pushing their products/agenda when seeking medical help. This is not to say they don’t work. It just may be sales is more of a priority than your individual dog’s needs.
I wish your dog has continued good health. And you have many great years with her.

[Jenn H]

Wendey I do know. I will go back to my emails and post the list. Different plants at different locations make different foods.
I will also further explain why I chose to continue to feed this despite the info.
I’ll try to reply before I head to work.

[Jenn H]

In order to avoid nutritional deficiencies put your dog(s) on a rotation diet of high quality foods meant for their size, activity, age, etc.
The only reasons you would have to supplement their food is if they’re fed low quality food, you home cook for them, they need it temporarily (due to low quality diet or illness), have a health issue that prevents them from absorbing/producing that particular nutrient, etc.

[Jenn H]

DOGS NEED MEAT PROTEIN.
People please stop pushing YOUR beliefs onto your dogs. Even if your dog could care about the animal in its food, it would still eat it if his/her survival was on the line.
Plant based protein is not good enough. Their bodies will be deficient in amino acids. (At the very least.) Supplementing what’s missing is not as good as them getting it from their actual food.

[Jenn H]

I realize this post/topic is a few yrs old by now, but I saw Hound Dog Mom’s probiotics suggestions. Figured I’d add my 2¢.
Probiotics are so good for everyone. And I totally agree w/ everything said. Just remember that if your dog is on an antibiotic do not give the probiotic less than 2 hrs before or after giving the antibiotic. It can sort of cancel out the a/b.
My favorites are:
Wysong Pet Innoculant. Excellent. Very pricey though.
Nutri-vet Food Transitional Support packets. Conveniently available at PetCo and not expensive.
Goat milk
Fage yogurt

You should also rotate probiotics just as you would rotate feeding.

[Jenn H]

When Blue Buffalo first came out it was excellent. I was able to get 1 of my dogs off of z/d because he tolerated it just fine. The only reason I had gotten it was because another of my dogs had osteosarcoma and was getting picky about food (not sure if the treatments/meds/supplements made foods tatse different). He did very well on it also and liked it a lot.
Until about a year ago I had it in the rotation. The dogs still liked it and were fine. It wasn’t until someone mentioned to me that they were becoming a bit shady did I start digging.
Lesson learned. Before rotating back to any food I check them out again like it’s a new food.
Bottom line is I won’t use Blue Buffalo anything anymore. Any company that sells out, lies, is questionable, etc is not a food for my dogs.

[Jenn H]

Linda I usually use chicken liver as a training treat as well. What I do is subtract from his regular food. That way he doesn’t go over the daily recommendation of Ca.

[Jenn H]

Saireah you’ll want to use the serving suggestions on the package as a guide.
Then weigh your pup regularly ( I weigh mine weekly). And make sure he has a fairly steady growth, but not too quickly.
For example, my guy has gained 2lb/wk pretty much every wk if his life. Some weeks he’s only gained 1 lb, but the next he’ll gain 3. These are usually when he has a noticeable yet tiny growth spurt.
It’s all about controlling the rate of growth. Not trying to get him as big as possible as quickly as possible.

[Jenn H]

Thank you so much. I have GSDs. And my 7 month old has the confirmation of a show dog which has me so worried about his future.
I am so careful and militant about what & how much he’s fed. I can’t believe how much time I’ve spent contacting dog food people because they put the minimum only on most labels. I’m trying to find out how to change that and make it so the max be required.

Another thing worth mentioning with large & xlarge dogs is at 6 months they can be started on joint supplements. I prefer to give the types that don’t have extra vitamins & minerals. Just the usual ingredients for joints only like glucosamine,, chondroitin, HA, MSM, etc.

[Jenn H]

I’m so sorry to hear your Maddie is in hospital. I hope something works for her soon and forever. It’s the worst when they can’t figure out what exactly is wrong.
At first they thought my girl’s problem was acute pancreatitis. Then figured inflammed bowel from the powerful antibiotic to treat Lyme. She had every imaginable blood test and a lot of x-rays & ultrasounds, sub-q fluids (she tends to stop drinking). Went on that ride twice. And other things in between.
This last time I took her to a specialist referred to by the emergency hospital. It was him who said to stop all raw & blah blah blah. Her numbers went back to normal with all his suggestions.
I did have another dog a long time ago that had IBD/IBS. At the beginning he was on Prednisone and Imodium. Then weened off both. Tweaked his diet and he never had a really bad episode again. When symptoms did start he was given a much smaller dose of steroid, bland diet for a few days and he was fine again.
My point is that if your usual vet isn’t getting you anywhere, then have another take a look. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes sees something else. This last ultrasound he looked at every single organ very carefully and didn’t blame everything on the Lyme.

Make sure when she gets home you put a lot of water in her meals. Dehydration makes things so much worse and it helps to keep things going thru the gut.

If it means taking meds and/or supplements for life that’s a small price to pay for her being otherwise healthy.

I truly hope you get answers very soon and she gets well. It’s heart wrenching to see them suffering and uncomfortable and not being able to do anything.

Please keep us in the loop. Best of luck. She’s lucky to have a person like you.

[Jenn H]

Jeffery T had some good advice.
My dog has also been experiencing symptoms of IBD and pancreatitis off & on for the past yr.
After much research and different gets & specialists I have it pretty under control (knock wood).
The most recent specialist was adamant about not giving her any raw meat or goat milk. She was put on a probiotic, pumpkin, bland diet, etc.
It’s been 2 months w/o relapse so I’m thinking of getting her off the prescription can food and trying something else. She gets very little kibble. Not even 1 cup/day.
She continues to get 30 mg Pepcid 2x/day and 2 Tbsp pumpkin for breakfast.

My problem with changing her diet is that low fat is recommended and she’s so active. Keeping weight on her can be tough.

I’m told to try a food with highest protein possible, low carbs and 10% fat on DRY MATTER BASIS (cans seems to be working better for her). Because she’s a GSD that’s kind of low as they really should have about 19% fat. So we’ll see.

The lower the meat protein, the more carbs there will be in the food. The source of the carbs can be difficult on the GI.

The kibble she gets now is Wysong And then
Her wet food is i/d. Usually turkey. Sometimes the stew (not her favorite) or chicken (that’s low fat).
I’m about to try Wysong Epigen cans.

Basically I have had success so far by cutting out raw animal products, probios, pumpkin and lower fat & carbs.

You may find adding enzymes to be helpful also. And maybe even try a novel protein. (If you choose fish be certain no one uses Ethoxyquin as a preservative.)

Remember to make sure the makers of your supplements aren’t sourcing anything from China.

Good luck to you.

[Jenn H]

Congratulations!
Boy are you in for a surprise. I think you’ll find the puppy to keep you much busier than cats. But I assure you it’s all worth it. When it comes to training you get what you put into it. All the other stuff you get so much more though. It’s a wonderful experience to raise a puppy.

A great starting point is nutrition. Proper feeding can go a long way in overall health.
I’ve only had large breeds so their requirements are much different.
There’s no lack of advise here when you reach out. I’m sure you’ll find this site very helpful.

[Jenn H]

When in doubt throw it out.
Or take it back to the store you bought it from and get something else. The merchant may have had other complaints. They should be told about it anyway.

You have no idea if that hair came from a human or a rat. Why risk it over $10/$20? I understand that’s a lot of money these days, but it’s nothing compared to vet bills and certainly not as important as a priceless pet.

I’m glad you’ve decided to just give up on that brand. Nothing is worth risking the health of your animals.

[Jenn H]

I wouldn’t feed them that food.
Obviously the quality control (in that batch anyway) isn’t very good. If there’s hair in it who’s to say there isn’t other questionable problems that aren’t visible? Like bacteria.
The company isn’t responsive in a timely manner.
1 of those reasons alone is enough to stop feeding it and move on.

[Jenn H]

The amounts on labels are really just guidelines. You shouldn’t feed more than what is suggested, but you can cut back. Feed your dogs according to their ideal size and activity level.
For example a dog that is overweight probably isn’t getting enough exercise. Therefore they don’t need as many calories & fat.
I never feed more than the max amt on bag. Even for my girl who is very active and difficult to keep weight on. With her I tend to add 1/2 can. Overfeeding kibble can cause bloat.
If your dogs seem unsatisfied after meals because you cut back you can always switch to a higher protein food and/or add pure pumpkin, give carrots, sweet potatoes, whole oats, etc. Just watch the fat and overfeeding food.

[Jenn H]

Wendey, it is my pleasure to share what I have learned from any experience. I feel it is our obligation. Otyerwise what is the point of experiences if we don’t learn from them and share our lessons? Knowledge is power.

If it makes you feel any better about protein and pano the Solid Gold Wolf Cub has MIN of 26% protein. (Can’t remember max off hand.) I’ve fed other pups 28% min without problems.

While pano seems to still be an idiopathic condition, I wouldn’t be surprised if someday they find too much calcium and/or not controlling the growth rate to be the cause.

No matter what age I can say without question that the proper & appropriate exercise for that animal is absolutely necessary. (I work with horses. Many of their lameness issues have greatly improved from the right exercise alone.)

[Jenn H]

Wendyz I had replied this morning, but am just noticing that I must not have hit “submit”. Therefore I apologize for the delay.

I will say that after about 20 GSDs in 35+ yrs only 1 of them had pano. That was when I was a teenager. Therefore I had no control on what the dogs were fed. I just fed them according to parents’ instruction. At that time Pedigree, Purina, Blue Seal, etc were considered great food. Canned was to be used very rarely and only to give pills or extra during very cold times.
That dog grew very big very quickly. At 2 he was heading toward 100#s. Since he died suddenly at 2.5 from torsion we’ll never know what he would’ve topped out at.

With the exception of a couple of dogs I have adopted as adults, none of the 20ish dogs I’ve had have gotten hip/elbow dysplasia, OCD, arthritis, etc. With the proper diet, exercise & supplements the arthritic dogs became noticeably better. (Supplements are a whole other conversation.)

I worry about my pup because I have no idea what his father is like. His mother was a “midnight rescue”. She is 90+ lbs. His confirmation isn’t ideal. Angulated hips, roach back. Since switching him tho he has developed more muscle tone which I think has gotten him to stop walking on his hocks and has a better coat. He is also more satisfied after meals despite being fed much less amt.

It appears that quality of the proteins is more important than the quantity. Stay away from plant based. Go for meats/fish/eggs as a source. Higher biological value. Protein is important to build muscle.

You also want to control the rate of growth. GSDs can grow until they’re 3 y/o. My boy has steadily gained 2 #s/wk his whole life. Once in a while he doesn’t gain anything, but will gain 3#s the next wk.

It’s perfectly fine to give joint supplements at 6 months. Right now he gets 1.5 tabs Cosequin DS (the kind WITHOUT vitamins & minerals).

Make sure that if fish is in the food it is NOT preserved by the supplier or manufacturer with Ethoxyquin. Solid Gold & their suppliers do not use that.

If you want to have more control over proteins The Honest Kitchen may be a good choice. Even if you only feed 1 meal/day or a few meala/wk. When I contacted them regarding the puppy they suggested this:
4-6 mon Thrive
After 6 months transition/rotate with Embark, Love, Revel, Brave (that’s a LID of fish).
They make human grade dehydrated base mixes. You add the protein yourself. They include the suggested amts, but really it’s up to you.

I like to keep my puppies on the leaner side while they grow. A roly poly puppy is cute, but not ideal. I find 22-25% protein to be a good amt. But I care more about what type and the calcium.

Other LBP foods on my short list are:
*Orijen LBP/Acana
*Fromm LBP Gold although I’m hesitant to try it since a lot of people are complaining their dogs are getting sick from their gold line.
*Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Lamb & Rice. I used it when I couldn’t find Wolf Cub

Just an aside…I appreciate that you asked for my advice and am very happy to help. I am not a vet or a nutritionist. All I have is experience. Dogfoodie, Pitlove, Houndmom (I’m pretty sure that’s her name) are about the only 3 people who seem to be as conscientious as I and have offered some valuable & helpful advice. They are very good sources to reach out to also. I know there are some significant differences between GSDs and other large breeds, but there’s more similarities when it come to prevention of musculoskeleton problems.

Another aside is that I think I may switch my Lab mix to Solid Gold Barking at the Moon. I can let you know how that goes.

Good luck with the pup. I’m sure he’ll be just fine. I doubt that bout of pano will be a problem. You understand that calcium should not exceed 1.5% and the calcium/ phosphorus ratio should be around 1:1-2:1.

If I think of anything I may have forgotten I’ll let you know.

[Jenn H]

Wendy I’d be happy to share. Right now I’m on break at work, but when I get home I’ll have my lists.
Until then at the moment I’m feeding my 7 month old GSD 4-4.25 cups Solid Gold Wolf Cub bison. That’s split into 3 meals. He’s about 70 lbs.
He’s done really well with it. His coat looks good and he’s really been building muscle since switching him completely 1 month ago. As a result of the muscle tone I’ve noticed his confirmation improving.
My 7 y/o GSD has been having GI issues since having to be on 2 courses of antibiotics for Lyme and 2 other antibiotics for other issues and a bout with pancreatitis. For her right now I’m giving 2 meals of 1/2 can i/d and 1/2 cup Wysong Anergen. I’m about to switch the i/d to Anergen cans. She’s 67 lbs right now. It’s winter. Nomally she is much more active and eats more but her normal weight is 60-63 lbs.
I have a 10 y/o Lab/Pit mix (more Lab) that’s about the same weight as my 7 y/o. She gets Wysong adult 2 times/day. 3/4 cups. She has nothing but muscle. No fatty lumps or anything! Best looking Lab/Lab mix I have ever seen at her age.
They are all healthy & energetic (even my sick girl).
Once my pup requires more kibble I’ll probably sub it/add Solid Gold cans. I’ll have to figure out the amts on that first.
Before this food he was getting about 61/2 cups Wellness Core Grain-free Puppy. He did pretty good w/ it, but I was going thru so much food. And his coat & muscle tone wasn’t like it is now.
The reason I fed that and not the Wellness large breed puppy was because it had 1.5% calcium. The lbp has more than that surprisingly.
Solid Gold Wolf Cub (bison) has 1.3% max.
All of them also get 2 Tbsp pure canned pumpkin (Libby’s brand from the market.)
Every once in a while I give them goat milk and/or cooked & cooled whole groats oats just to fill them up a little or put a couple extra pounds on for cold weather.

So it goes like this:
Puppy: 1.25 cups Solid Gold am & pm
1 cup middle of day
2 Tbsp pumpkin in 1 of the meals.
Lab mix: 3/4 cups Wysong Adult am & pm
2 Tbsp pumpkin

I’ll get back to you later with the other foods I’ve tried/like.

[Jenn H]

Kathleen I’ve been very lucky to avoid recalls by switching every few months. And keeping up w/ the brands I like before switching back & forth.
I’ve also heard really good things about Weruva. Haven’t been able to find it easily or consistently enough to try it.

Dogfoodie as always thanks for the input. If I do try it I’ll know better.

[Jenn H]

I’m trying to find out how to get the FDA to require that minimums & maximums be included on the guaranteed analysis as well as the preservatives used from the sources (like fish sources and if they use ethoxyquin). I also want labels to include any vitamin & minerals that came from China.
It’s going to be a huge undertaking, but it is possible. This is ridiculous.
There’s no reason it should be OK that dogs be fed ingredients that aren’t allowed to be fed to humans. Fish for people cannot be preserved with Ethoxyquin, but dogs can. Who handles the food? People.
That’s just 1 tthorn in my side regarding dog food ingredients and labels. I’m sick of it. I’m grateful to be able to have avoided my dogs from illness plqying this guessing game. Honestly affordable dog food of human grade ingredients shouldn’t be so difficult and doesn’t have to be so expensive.
The only reason I haven’t gone with homemade yet is 1.) I’m the worst cook ever. 2.)I don’t have the time and ability to commit to it right now. 3.) It will take some saving up to get the initial ingredients to get started.
I’m working on all that too.

[Jenn H]

Oh a couple more things I forgot to mention…
For some reason adding water to food can make GERD worse.
And bone broth is another good thing to help the lining of the gut and the intestinal cells that promote healing.

[Jenn H]

There are different causes of GERD which can require different treatments/diets. If you can afford it I strongly suggest you get you get your dog scoped to find the actual cause. It could be megaesphogus like you assume or a hiatal hernia or a couple other things.
In the mean time some things seem to work across the board. The low fat foods and 4-6 small meals. Avoid all grains, starchy vegs, legumes, refined sugar. Give pumpkin or squash instead. Raw, unpasteurized honey. No/low fat cottage cheese or kefir. Naturopath options like enzymes & probios.
Some think it’s a good idea to feed from a raised bowl. I had a dog with very mild reflux who was fed from a raised bowl. He eventually died of bloat. Which I later found out that there can be (not always) a connection between reflux & bloat. No one has yet to figure out weather a raised bowl is good or bad for dogs, it is suggested to raise the bowl only a couple inches from the floor. Dogs are designed to eat standing up from the ground, but some need a very slightly elevated dish. (I tend to agree feeding dogs & horses with ground feeders. It is more natural.)

I have a dog right now who has some GI issues as a result of a lot of antibiotic treatments. The longer she goes without a meal, the more likely she is to have a rumbling belly, nausea, discomfort, etc. Smaller meals throughout the day helped her a lot when she was really sick.

[Jenn H]

Almost all Vitamin C is sourced from China. (Even if you/someone says they got it from elsewhere. Still probably originated in China.) I’m sure lots of other ingredients still do too. It’s not required that it be on the label. Just like it’s not required that ethoxyquin be on a label. Doesn’t matter if the actual source of the fish uses it as a preservative. No one has to tell you.
I’m so glad it’s not a suit brought on because of sick animals, but a suit that will hopefully prevent such tragedy while forcing full disclosure on labels. I’m tired of having to dig for all info regarding the ingredients before I buy dog food.
I’m so close to attempting homemade.

[Jenn H]

DogFoodie good to know. Pitlove had me a little scared when she told me Diamond makes their food. Here I thought I finally found a great food w/ low calcium that Diamond didn’t have their grubby hands in.
After communicating with them I feel pretty confident in my decision again.
I’d still like to find another food for rotating in a few months, but it’s daunting looking for something w/ less than 1.5% calcium. Even large breed puppy foods have too much which blows my mind. Shouldn’t they know that’s too much?

[Jenn H]

I heard back from Solid Gold again today. They have been nothing less than forthcoming as far as I can tell.
After the 2012 recall they began implementing the “Positive Release” program. Which means they have an independent third party test a sample from every single batch and await for negative results before distribution.

I feel good about adding this to the rotation. Especially for the puppy. It’s almost impossible to find a large breed puppy food that doesn’t go over 1.5% calcium.

As for their supplements…they come from a company in CA that specializes in supplements. I haven’t really put a lot of effort into finding all the details on this side of the business because I don’t use a lot of their supplements and those aren’t usually recalled.

Hope this helps anyone considering Solid Gold.

[Jenn H]

Deanna I’m glad you’ve been to the store and actually met a person who is part of the creation of a product. That’s a very rare & lucky thing. And thank you for sharing your opinion. You can only get so much from email.
Did you ask if they use independant third party testing before releasing their products? That’s now part of my question list when I contact a company. Unfortunately it was not when I asked about their products in the past.
The website is very skimpy and lacks a lot of pertinent info. They really should do something about that.
All I can say is contact them and ask.

[Jenn H]

Wendy that was an incredibly kind response.
Admittedly I sometimes get discouraged and angry when I think about the lifestyles and feeding of the dogs we had growing up and how hearty and healthy they were compared to the dogs I’ve had as an adult.
The dogs I had growing up ate food from the market and lived outside pretty much 24/7/365 and all but 2 lived on the east coast. (Not my choice. They would’ve lived inside and come everywhere with me. They were never just pets/working dogs in my mind.)
Now we know more about nutrition and treat our dogs as family and appreciate the truly wonderful beings they are.
I spend hours every week looking for the exact right food, treats, supplements, activities, etc to extend their life with quality, health and happiness. Sometimes it seems all for not.
Eventually I come to my senses and know that it’s all worth it and to stop fretting and enjoy them now.

[Jenn H]

I have used some of their products. No issues at all.
When they came out with a dehydrated food I contacted them to get maximum amounts of calcium & phosphorus as I have a large breed puppy.
They were very quick, thorough and helpful in helping me decided which to feed him and my other dogs.
They love the treats and foods.
And I love how forthcoming and nice the company was. Didn’t seem like they were just rattling off a script, but knew what they were talking about.
Those things matter a lot to me.

[Jenn H]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I have seen this brand at the vet. A long term edible preventative did make me a little worried. Glad I didn’t try it.
Whenever a new product comes out, is redesigned, sold, etc. I tend to take the wait & see approach before using it on my animals.
There’s some natural preventatives that seem to have very good results as far as repelling fleas, ticks, mosquitoes. I haven’t tried them yet, but plan on it. There’s also a lot that are useless.
With horses I find the natural options dependant on the individual horse and their body chemistry.
Perhaps it’s the same with dogs. It may be certain products will work better than others on different dogs.

[Jenn H]

As with most things follow their lead. Waiting until 6 months was just the advice I had been given by vets, my dog food merchant, other people more experienced than me. Figured it can’t hurt. He was being fed a much better food than he was weened onto and it was agreeing with him. “If it ain’t broke…”
However, if the food suddenly seems to be less agreeable then by all means find something else.
Even when my dogs are puppies I give them tiny amounts of other things that they’ be given throughout their lives. Pumpkin, goat milk (which he was supplemented with as a puppy anyway), green beans, carrots, bananas, chicken liver, etc.
Diarrhea loves puppies so I always have the right probiotics on hand.

After 30+ years of having GSDs I have learned to take in all the advice & info from those I trust and ultimately go with MY gut. No 2 dogs are exactly the same. Even if they are littermates and raised similarly.

When transitioning I take forever. Usually at least 2 wks. Every single day all the dogs get pumpkin. Since adding that I haven’t had any case of diarrhea. Not from the pup or my dog that has Lyme which has reeked havoc on her body and the antibiotics for it had caused a lot of GI issues.

To sum up this ridiculously long post…
Follow your dog’s lead.
Always have probiotics and pumpkin at the ready.
Transition slowly.

[Jenn H]

I heard from Solid Gold yesterday. They were so prompt and forthcoming in their answers. That’s huge to me.
Before I share where everything is made, I think it’s important to let you know that they test samples from every batch prior to distribution. The tests are done by an independent third party.
I just asked how long they have had this practice in place.
When Diamond has had recalls I discovered Solid Gold has also voluntarily recalled their foods despite testing negative for salmonella. Again I think that’s huge. They are willing to err on the side of caution even though it’s monetarily costly.
I cannot believe how much research I have to do these days go avoid feeding my dogs something that may harm them.
Onto the answers…
Solid Gold Manufacturers:
dry dog food distributed from Diamond in Missouri
-Wolf King
-Wolf Cub
-Hund-N-Flocken
-Wee Bits
-Buck Wild
-Lil Boss
-Star Chased
-Sunday Sunrise
**all other dry dog foods and their dry cat foods are distributed from Crosswind in Kansas**
all canned foods are distributed by Simmons in NJ
treats from Mountain Country in OK
-Cinna-bones
-Cinna-bits
treats from Mountain County in Utah
-all jerky treats
****I think it’s important to mention that most of the recalls were from the South Carolina plant.****
I am awaiting a reply as to when they began implementing their independent testing and where the supplements are manufactured/distributed.

I am as convinced as I can be that Solid Gold is proactive in preventing illness from their foods. I’d feel loads better if they stopped using Diamond all together.

[Jenn H]

I’ve fed different Wellness to my dogs. They all like it and do well. It’s not the best choice for us economically however. I find that for the puppy anyway I had to feed him twice as much than what he gets now. It wasn’t very satisfying either. Other than that I have no complaints. I like how they handled recalls and basically took back control of the company. They are in the next town from me and have actually said I was welcome to come by and see where they distribute their food.

Since I have begun rotating my dogs’ food I have learned that it’s something that should be done anyway. It helps to ensure they do in fact get balanced nutrition. Also helps their bodies make its own good bacteria. And as a bonus I have avoided recalls. Seems we have been lucky to stay a step ahead.

[Jenn H]

Feeding a rotation diet is a great idea for a lot of reasons.
Since your pup is still so young it’s best to keep her on the Wellness until 6 months. Once she’s 6 months old, then you can start the rotating.
I did the same thing as you. Once I took my guy home I started him on Wellness Core Puppy. I wanted him off the Purina ASAP. I had trouble finding an easily available brand with less than 1.5% calcium. (He’s a large breed so I have to be careful about that.)
It’s best to leave things be for now. Puppies have very sensitive digestive systems that aren’t really ready for a lot of dietary changes. If the Wellness works for her don’t mess with it.

[Jenn H]

I just learned that today. Am about to find out. Will let you know.
(Cross your fingers they don’t. But they seem to have a part in everything.)

[Jenn H]

When I found out about the buyout I contacted Merrick. They said they won’t be changing their formulas or sources. I replied that I don’t believe a word of it since every company has said the exact same thing and did exactly the opposite.
I can forgive past recalls. It was a smallish company, reasonably priced, goof proof for my husband to pick it up when I needed him to, dogs did well and they were very good about righting mistakes (as far as I know).
I cannot forgive them selling out or using untrustworthy co-packers. A lot of huge recalls happen because of copacking.

[Jenn H]

KristinS they don’t rate the food based on the manufacturer or copacker. The food is rated based on the ingredients.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Jenn H. Reason: Typo

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