[theBCnut]

No, it doesn’t depend on the vet. The vet doesn’t cause or stop the cancer. Scientific studies help us to understand the prevalence of cancer and what health issues raise the risk of cancer. Sorry your vet didn’t let you know…

[theBCnut]

Yes, it is ok after 8-10 month of age. Their body has the ability to only uptake the calcium needed after that.

[theBCnut]

Undescended testicles are a known high cancer risk.

[theBCnut]

I looked into Balance It for Micah and they do have a custom diet option, but your ability to customize the diet is very limited. I canned the idea pretty quickly.

[theBCnut]

Your dog probably has IBS or IBD and it is triggered by food sensitivities. Your dog may have become sensitive to something in the rabbit food, because food sensitivities change over time. Talk to your vet about doing an elimination diet and have him explain, in detail, what you need to do to do it properly. The tests the vet wants to do would probably give you a definitive diagnosis, but you would probably still have to do an elimination diet to treat the problem. The longer you let this go, the more permanent damage is being done to the intestines, so get with your vet as soon as you can.

[theBCnut]

Especially with large breeds, neutering early, before the growth plates close, can cause joint issues. Neutering slows down the closure of growth plates and depending on the age you neuter, some growth plates will already be close, as is natural, but others will stay open abnormally long, causing those bones to grow to a longer length than they were supposed to, which puts stress on the joints.

Citing a decrease in testicular cancer from neutering before a certain age strikes me as funny, since neutering at any age, as long as it is before the dog gets testicular cancer (which isn’t all that common anyway), completely removes the risk of testicular cancer, since the testicles are completely removed.

I have read a lot of research recently reporting that neutering may actually cause more behavior problems than it prevents, other than the desire to breed and those related behaviors. Neutered males are often cited as the aggressors in dog fights. Neutering seems to remove some caution as well as removing body parts.

If you are prepared to be a responsible owner, then neutering may be unnecessary. However, if you doubt your ability to keep your dog at home, under control, then neutering is better done early, before the dog gets to breeding age, regardless of other issues.

[theBCnut]

If you are so worried about germs, then I would suggest feeding grinds. Dogs eat them like canned food with no reason to get the juices all over their legs. If you are feeding whole pieces for the dental benefits, then you could feed those weekly outside and rinse their legs off afterward. My dogs wash like cats and I don’t worry about it. We have robust immune systems here. I wouldn’t risk it with a small child in the house or an immunocompromised family member though.

[theBCnut]

If you could take some to the vet and get Revolution for all of them, that would probably be best and easiest, not easy, just easiest. Otherwise, I would probably try mixing strongid into canned food and hope that they eat enough, about 2 cc per kitty. Strongid is OTC and found at most feed stores. You can give it directly into the mouth, if they won’t claw you up. Of all the oral wormers, it’s the only one that doesn’t taste foul(guess how I know). It won’t kill everything, but it would be a starting place. Getting a fresh fecal would be best, so you know what you are trying to kill.

If you already feed some canned food, do you add diatomatious earth to their canned food? That would be a good idea going forward.

My cats always get thinner in this heat, so you also want to evaluate hair quality. Do they seem dry and patchy, or thin coated? Are they dull?

[theBCnut]

Hi Allison

Many dogs have got some relief by switching foods, which tells me that this is often a food sensitivity problem. You may want to take a look at your dog food’s ingredients and try something very different and see if it helps.

[theBCnut]

It sounds like she really likes it. The hyper excitement should settle down pretty quickly.

[theBCnut]

For some dogs, regular expression of the anal glands causes inflammation, which can cause the glands to become impacted due to swelling in the opening to the gland. That’s why it is not recommended to express them if it is not needed. Feeding the dog something to bulk up the stool expresses the anal glands in the most natural and least irritating way, from the inside.

There are more ingredients in THK Love that Lily could be reacting to than just the beef. Hopefully, you can find a LID food that she does well on and start adding ingredients one at a time to figure out what she is reacting to. While I don’t like Hill’s and the like, they are an easy way to start an elimination diet.

[theBCnut]

I totally agree! You would think that the people at LA would educate their representatives about how they come across when they don’t identify themselves as reps, but it is later found out that they are. It makes me think the company is as dishonest as their reps.

And since when do pet stores look for foods that people don’t have to buy from them?!? Total BS.

[theBCnut]

It depends on where you live, as far as fish diseases that dogs can get, but as far as body parts go, since you are grinding, feed the whole fish. Brains and eyeballs are really good for your dog. The only thing I worry about is with whole fish that are spiny, but grinding fixes that issue.

[theBCnut]

My dog is not truly allergic to anything, but he does have food hypersensitivities. He reacts to all bird ingredients, tomato, flax, all grains, and possible alfalfa(we are still testing for that). Dogs can react to any food that has proteins in it, and there is some new research that is showing that it is possible to have reactions to fats too. The way to determine your dogs sensitivities is to do an elimination diet. If you can’t do that then you need to try foods that are Limited Ingredient Diets that do not have ingredients that your previous foods had, which means gathering and saving ingredient lists. You may want to look into Canine Caviar and Nature’s Variety Instinct LID.

[theBCnut]

My JRT used to get an upset tummy from any food change at all, but I read about all the benefits of feeding a rotational diet and I had a pup with food allergies that had to have a diet change, so I decided to commit to a rotational diet. The first 3 rotations took at least a month each, but I very quickly, after that, realized that she was able to change foods quicker with no bad reactions. I kept with it and with in 3 more months, I was feeding her something different with every single meal. She has never had an upset stomach or loose stool since, no matter what she eats. And my 13 year old dog acts like she did at 7 or 8 years old. She is trim, muscular, and very active.

I feed Nature’s Variety Instinct, Nature’s Logic, Earthborn, Acana, Orijen, Canine Caviar, Annamaet, and many others.

[theBCnut]

She means can you copy and paste the web address for their website?

And yes, a brand that is good, but not readily available in the US, may not make it on DFA. Also, Dr. Mike has a backlog of foods he is adding as he can. If you would like to see a review for a particular food, there is a “contact us” spot to click on on the bottom of the page.

[theBCnut]

Probably a food sensitivity. Take your ingredient list with you to a dog boutique and look for a food with as few ingredients in common as possible.

[theBCnut]

Growths around the anus can be removed but the surgery often damages the anal sphincter and causes the dog to loose control of bowel movements.

[theBCnut]

I also use different treats for different situations. The come-in-from-the-back-yard treat is kibble. The Micah-I-want-you-to-do-the-dogwalk treat is baked liver. Stockwork needs no treat, it is its own reward.

[theBCnut]

As far as the discrepancy between what Wellness reports and what Dr Mike reports, Dr Mike uses a standard estimated number for ash content for all foods which may be different than the actual ash level. Also, dog food labeling laws require that they report the minimums for protein and fat. These numbers are not necessarily the same as an “as fed” number and can change Dr Mike’s estimate for carbs.

[theBCnut]

This sounds like a pet store/puppy mill issue. It’s really hard to crate train dogs that don’t care about being in their own poop, but being consistent and getting her on a schedule is your best bet. Good luck!!

BTW, I’ve never had the issues you are because of worming, so maybe it’s the food or some other reason.

[theBCnut]

Why would you trust Canidae? They are made by Diamond.

[theBCnut]

In your place, I would do exactly what I already do. Accustom your dog to eating variety. Switch foods often. It takes a few months for the dog to get used to having it’s food changed all the time, but once they are used to it, you can feed pretty much anything anytime. My dogs get a different kibble weekly and different toppers every single day.

[theBCnut]

Research has shown that protein does not cause kidney problems in dogs, but there was old faulty research that said protein was a problem. The old research was done on rats or mice, not dogs, but vets don’t seem to be able to grasp the new research, which is still many years old.

In reality, older dogs lose some of the ability to get protein out of their food but their need for protein is not reduced AT ALL. Because of this, senior dogs may actually need as much as 50% more quality protein just to get the same amount of protein from their diet. BUT quality is the key phrase, real meat is healthier than more kibble

[theBCnut]

As far as pork body part treats, like pig ears, they are part of the reason that pork got a bad name. If your 5-10 lb dog eats a whole pig ear, it might eat way too much fat and get pancreatitis. I don’t think that makes pork bad, but the owner of the small dog might.

What LM said about all the chemicals in them is very true of the cheap ones. They have some pretty awful stuff in them. There are natural ones. They cost more and you still have to make sure your dog doesn’t eat too much of them.

[theBCnut]

There have been some reports that some dogs can’t handle processed pork fat. If your dog doesn’t have an issue, I wouldn’t worry about it.

My dogs eat pork regularly, however it’s raw pork. Commercially raised pork has next to no danger of Trichinosis anymore, because of the practices used when raising it. Pork that is raised more humanely needs to be frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 2 weeks before feeding it raw, I freeze for longer, just because I always lose it in the bottom of the freezer.

[theBCnut]

Yes, canned pumpkin is an excellent choice to try. When you open the can, freeze what you won’t use immediately into ice cubes so it won’t go bad. One ice cube a day is about the perfect amount for a 13 lb. dog.

[theBCnut]

Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit LID is rabbit and tapioca based. Both ingredients are not typically found in common dog foods. The best thing to do is the gather the ingredient lists on the foods you have tried and start comparing them to see what ingredients they have in common and look for foods that do not have those ingredients. Best if a food that is made up of a novel protein and a novel carb.

[theBCnut]

I have 2 dogs who do not have these issues at all with any food and one that has these issues with every food that is low fiber. I take that to be an issue with my dog, NOT the food.

I have cooked and puree pumpkin and it works great. I live in a hot climate, so I don’t melt the ice cube first, but you definitely could. I give it before I freeze it the first day I open the can.

Rice and other grains are cheap, so dog food companies use them to bulk out the calorie count on cheaper foods. They do have some fiber in them, but are primarily carbs.

[theBCnut]

My old Jack Russell has to have fiber added to her food when she is fed a high protein food. Her stools are dry and hard otherwise. She does really great on Acana, as long as I add some pumpkin to it. I just get a can and freeze it into ice cubes and drop a pumpkin ice cube into her meal. She loves it and it works great.

[theBCnut]

I think it is PART of the issue, but not all of it. My vet has had several dogs come in severely dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea while on BB and these were dogs that have been on it a while so should not suddenly be sick from it. Her clients were reporting that it started after they started on a new bag of food. BB is the only brand she has ever told me not to feed, and she isn’t picky about what people feed their dogs.

[theBCnut]

NutriSource is good for sensitive dogs.

[theBCnut]

When you are just starting a rotational diet you need to take it slowly. Choose a food you like and slowly transition to it and then go choose the next food you want to try. When you get near the end of the first bag, start mixing in the new one. Start out with changing monthly, then as your dog gets used to rotating, you can decide to rotate more frequently or keep it at monthly. You can also add canned, fresh, freeze dried, or whatever as toppers and change those more often.

I rotate kibbles weekly and feed half raw, which I change daily, but everyone does it differently.

[theBCnut]

Blue would be an OK food if they weren’t having so many quality control issues right now, but they are the only ones that think they are the best. They drank their own Kool Aid.

[theBCnut]

Dog were designed to eat as much as they can stuff into themselves and then go days without eating. There are a couple health/medical problems that make dogs that have them need to eat daily or multiple times a day, but they are by far a minority. Feeding every day or twice a day is what we do because we anthropomorphize our dogs, not because they require it. Some people feel that fasting a dog once a week is important for their health. It allows their intestines to rest and detox.

[theBCnut]

For some reason, it takes a while for the picture to show up the first time.

[theBCnut]

I believe the canned has bones in it, so it would not need calcium added, but watch the sodium levels on canned salmon. Also remember that salmon, as one of the longer lived fish, is more likely to have heavy metals in it or be affected by Fukashima, so don’t feed it too often.

[theBCnut]

Not a dachshund owner, but many of us here believe that no food is perfect, so we rotate brands of food. I feed Annamaet, Acana, Canine Caviar, Earthborn, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety, Orijen, and others. When you rotate foods, you can feed bargain foods here and there without harming your dog’s health and you can take advantage of sales and coupons.

[theBCnut]

Sardines have bones included, so for salmon, you have to add a calcium supplement.

[theBCnut]

After a recall, Diamond ALWAYS clean up their act for a while, but since the corporate attitude has not changed and they don’t do a major house cleaning and get rid of all the employees that are so ridiculously lazy, the improvements never last. There have been many complaints about some of their foods very recently and they have had a recall on cat food since the recall on dog food in 2012. They do not respond quickly when they do have a recall and they recall as absolutely as little as possible and then find out that they need to widen the recall…several times, risking the health of far more people and their pets. It would take a whole lot more than Diamond making claims of improvement, and Diamond inviting people to tour their company when they have plenty of warning that they need to clean up their act, for me to trust them again.

[theBCnut]

The rule of thumb is to leave them on puppy food until they are 80-85% of their expected adult weight, or longer. There is no age when you must be off of puppy food.

[theBCnut]

That’s a good one!!

[theBCnut]

I strongly believe that no dog food is perfect. All of them have minerals that are not balances, highs that are too high, lows that are too low, too much of one amino acid, too little of another, etc. Because of this, I believe that the best you can do is to rotate foods and feed a variety of different types of foods. Can you think of any single meal that it would be OK for you to eat day in and day out for years? I can’t.

I don’t have any problem with my dogs when I feed Merrick, but they get it for about a week and then we move on to something else.

I feed dry, dehydrated, freeze dried, canned, fresh, and raw. My dogs never have stomach issues either, because they are used to eating variety.

[theBCnut]

I get supergreens in bulk from Swansons and mix my own usually, because most supergreens for humans have green tea in them. I couldn’t read the ingredient list on your product, so I don’t know if it has green tea, but that’s the common ingredient to avoid for dogs. Good luck!

[theBCnut]

When you turn chicken into meal, it does NOT have the same nutrient profile as beef meal or any other meal, not even turkey meal.

[theBCnut]

Microwave or otherwise boil water, add dish soap, make a depression in the middle of the pile, and pour in the water as fast as it soaks in. The dish soap helps it absorb into the ground faster and the too hot water kills ants and eggs. If you get enough of it in there, you might get lucky and kill the queen. You can add poisons to this to get them in the pile faster, but I always try the least toxic methods.

[theBCnut]

Rotate. Feed a variety of different brands, flavors, and even protein levels. Yes, all other things equal, higher protein is better.

[theBCnut]

Yes, for some dogs, low fat is very important, but it really depends on the reason for the issue and whether or not you are dealing with the cause. My dog does not do well on low fat, in fact, he is actually on a high fat diet, but I almost immediately got him off of all his trigger foods. I started mine on an elimination diet pretty quickly and only ever had issues come back when I added back in a food that he was sensitive to.

[theBCnut]

Your dog’s symptoms do not sound like pancreatitis, they sound like acid reflux and possibly IBS. Your vet is treating for acid reflux. Often this is caused by a food intolerance and a generally unhealthy gut. My dog with these issues can’t eat any grains of any kind or he starts having these problems. He also has issues with other ingredients, but the grains cause the acid reflux for him. Start looking at ingredient lists and try to figure out what ingredients his problem foods have in common. I also had to add a little apple cider vinegar, probiotics, and digestive enzymes to my dog’s food to get him straightened out, but he never has issues at all anymore unless I feed him one of his trigger foods.

[theBCnut]

Of the 2, CC is definitely better than TOTW.

[Author]

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