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theBCnut

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  • theBCnut
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    in reply to: Dark stools — why? #14862 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    The responses to this post have disappeared.

    in reply to: Darwin's raw pet food (and an introduction) #14860 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I’ve been using Darwin’s for months now and my dogs do great on it.

    in reply to: HELP! (kirkland dog food) #14855 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    My best suggestion is to go to all the pet stores that are available to you and write down the names of all the dog foods that are available, then come back and start checking on them. Cross them off your list if they are not rated high enough right away, then start looking at the individual reviews of the ones that are left. Don’t limit yourself to just one food though. It is healthier for your dog if you rotate foods. Pick a few and feed each one for a while, then switch to the next one on your keeper list. If you find one your dogs don’t do well on, cross it off your list.

    in reply to: Acana Intolerance? #14783 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    The probiotic and digestive enzymes are great to add whenever you are transitioning to a new food.

    in reply to: Does diet rotation create picky eaters? #14782 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    The idea of sticking to one food was marketing genius. Instant customer loyalty. All the people that stick to a food because that’s the way they’ve always done it are probably one of the reasons that some dog food companies have gotten away with using all the bad ingredients that they do.

    in reply to: Acana Intolerance? #14769 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Your dog needed more fiber, that’s all. By the way, Acana does have carbs, it’s just not mostly carbs, which dogs don’t need anyway. They can break down fats into sugars relatively easy.

    in reply to: Safe Dog Treats #14768 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I gave my GSDs the biggest ones because they can chew apart anything, but the one he choked on was probably defective because he used to have a thing about throwing it in the air and dropping it. I think it cracked and that was the only reason he could get a big enough piece off. It was a pretty frightning experience, fortunately by the time that happenedI had already been working emergencies at my vet hosp. for years, so I didn’t panic, I just did what I had to do.

    theBCnut
    Member

    Then instead of arguing about why the food is “good” just admit you feel safe feeding garbage. Now is not too soon to start researching what you want to switch to if he starts not doing so good.

    Oh sorry, that didn’t come out quite like I meant it to. I guess I have strong feelings about these companies that are deceiving people.

    in reply to: Wheat causing intestinal upset? #14756 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    You shouldn’t feed the same food for years, not even months. Can you not imagine what your guts would do if you started eating only one thing for an extended period of time and then all of a sudden started eating something else? Dogs are the same way, we create dogs that get upset stomachs because we believed the dog food ads that told us to feed it for life. I had one of those dogs. My JRT would get violently sick if I gave her anything that wasn’t her regular food and it took a month to switch foods for her. When I heard about the idea of diet rotation I thought that she could not handle it, but I read more about how healthy it is for dogs so I decided to give it a try. The first switch took a month, the second did too. But the third switch only took 2 weeks, and the fourth only 1. At that point I started adding a little of something different every day. Now she gets a completely different meal every single day. It is something they have to get used to, but now nothing upsets her stomach.

    in reply to: Safe Dog Treats #14755 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Funny that you mention Nylabones. That is the only thing my dogs have ever choked on. One of my GSDs bit off a chunk and before I could get it away, he swallowed it and began to choke. He couldn’t get it back up and he passed out. At that time, I literally reached down his throat and dislodged it. He couldn’t eat for a couple days after that due to a raw throat, but after that he was fine. He was never allowed another nylabone.

    theBCnut
    Member

    If you really are a DoggieDoc, you should read the commenting policy for this website. Then you should read up on what nutrition experts have learned in the last several years. Processing food destroys many of the nutrients in said food and just adding them back will never be as good as eating whole non processed or minimally processed foods. Getting a majority of your calories from starch, otherwise known as empty calories, is bad. No dog food is perfect, just like humans need a varied diet, dogs do too, for optimal health. Tell me how healthy you would be if you ate cereal bars for every meal, day in and day out. Garbage in, Garbage out goes for our pets too.

    in reply to: Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus? #14635 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    It’s OK for dogs to eat some dirt. Where I live it’s all sand so I only feed one meal a week outside. The rest are in their crates, which are pretty easy to clean. Some people feed on their kitchen floor and mop when done. Some put down a towel, sheet, or tarp and teach their dog to stay on it. It’s all what works for you.

    in reply to: Allergic to Duck? #14549 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    They use duck because most dogs are not exposed to duck, so it could be a novel protein, that is a protein that your dog has not been exposed to, so it won’t be allergic to it. Obviously that’s not the case with your dog, so I don’t know why you would be encouraged to use it unless it was an oversite.

    in reply to: foods similar to acana #14548 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I think that soon all the food shortages that Champion has been experiencing will be a thing of the past. Now that they have their kitchen repaired, they are back in full production, so soon it shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

    theBCnut
    Member

    Any time you have screaming diarrhea, fever, antibiotic usage, you should use probiotics. That said, Fortiflora is not one of the best, it’s just readily available. You might want to go to a health food store and get the one with the most different strains. If you need to keep your pet on it long term then I would suggest you order from Mercola. They have a great probiotic. Swansons has a pretty good human one for a lot less.

    theBCnut
    Member

    I’m cuurently using Mercola to good effect, but I’m really liking what I’ve read about Swansons, and I’ll try them next. They are human grade and they actually cost significantly less.

    in reply to: HELP! Lab's Neverending Ear & Yeast Problems :( #14443 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I used Brothers Complete Allergy Formula for mine and he’s doing great. No vet visits and no drugs. The food costs more but not as much as my vet.

    in reply to: Issue #2 – Trifexia Problems? #14425 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Unfortunately Trifexis has some serious side effects for some dogs. The company down plays it so many vets aren’t aware how serious they can be.

    in reply to: fiber for anal gland problems #11868 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Try sprinkling some Benefiber or plain unsweetened Metamucil on her food.

    in reply to: Brothers shut down #11744 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Sorry, Mikey!

    I feel like it’s my fault. I’m having to email Dr. Mike to find my post in the spam filter every time I post on the forum, so even though I knew we needed to take it to the forum, I stayed silent because I wanted to be part of the conversation. I even told Dr. Mike all this in an email, by way of an apology. I have no idea how when a topic starts on the blog, we are going to transfer it to the forum, but I know we’re going to have to work it out, and when we get used to it, it will even be a good thing. Don’t go Mike, give it time.

    in reply to: question about dog metabolism of protein #11642 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I and a few others on here have been through the same thing and found help with Brothers Complete Allergy Formula. It really helps. Go to ****************.com and read their Brothers Document and their FAQs to find out more.

    in reply to: Diet and Diabetes #11627 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    My understanding of how Dr. Mike gets his carb figure is this:

    Convert the GA to dry matter basis i.e. mathematically remove the moisture content.

    Dry matter carbs%= 100%-dry matter protein%-dry matter fat%-dry matter ash%

    Evo’s carb figures probably aren’t dry matter and that is why Dr Mike’s numbers are higher.

    in reply to: ringworm #11616 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Early neutering changes how dogs mature, they kind of look teenagerish and grow taller than they would have, because growth plates take longer to close on neutered dogs. There have been some reports of increased rates of bone cancer in dogs neutered early.

    I love your water fountain idea, that way you can use activated charcoal or something, if you want to.

    in reply to: Favorite treats? #11585 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I feed grain free and would use Zukes as training treats for 2 of my 3 dogs. I have 2 that get grainfree because I believe it is best, but I allow a small amount of treats to be junk food. I have one dog that can’t handle grains or even much carbs and all his treats are pure meat except that I just got him some special grain and potato free low carb biscuits that I still only give him less than one a day. The majority of all my training treats are still meat for all of my dogs.

    in reply to: Going to look at dogs tomorrow! #11583 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I can’t wait to hear what you decided.

    in reply to: Tapioca #11528 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Thanks Toxed!! Good info, straight forward, and easy to understand.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11465 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I can just throw in a pill and mine will eat it, but one of my whole food supplements also has alfalfa in it. I actually have horses too, so sometimes it’s a handful of alfalfa in the blender with other things as part of my homemade supplement. And at one point I was giving the dogs a horse joint supplement that is sprayed on alfalfa pellets.

    in reply to: Diet & exercise, still no weight loss… #11461 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    The fact that you’ve seen her body change but have seen no weight loss means she’s adding muscle. Don’t worry about the number on the scale, it wil come with time. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so adding muscle is good on so many different levels.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11456 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I use a whole food vitamin supplement that has flax in it, but I rotate that too, so I’m not using it all the time. I use kelp sometimes, alfalfa others, and right now it’s spirulina, so I rotate that too. I think it’s safe to say I rotate everything, except my vinegar.

    in reply to: Giving Dog treats to Cats #11449 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Get your cat to the Vet. Pets are sick from kidney failure and dying from these treats.

    in reply to: protein and aggression #11445 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I’m sure you’ve done amazing managing this dog, but I wouldn’t want it in my house where it could hurt my kids. You have a very serious problem, and I don’t believe protein level is the answer, but all the food dyes and artificial ingredients could be part of the problem.

    Aimee’s suggestion of professional assistance is right on the mark. It’s much better to spend a little money now and learn how to fix this problem than to continue trying to manage it and fear the one time you fail. Please take the extra time and effort to help your dog before it’s too late.

    in reply to: Quandry-Large breed or not??! #11401 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Just me, but these dogs have tons of stress on their joints because of their crooked legs. I would still want to pay close attention to calcium levels.

    in reply to: What do dogs need? #11378 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Since dogs in the wild would get digestive enzymes from eating prey, I go ahead and give mine some. The foods I’m feeding have some in them already, so I only give a half dose.

    in reply to: Coconut Water #11361 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I found it to have a very mild flavor, still like coconut milk, but kind of watered down. Oh wait, the second ingredient on my can was water

    in reply to: Vaccinating #11360 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    How much is titering where you’re at?

    in reply to: Coconut Water #11352 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    My husband just decided to open our single can of coconut water and give it a try. He passed some around to whoever would try it. That would be me. He was not impressed, as I figured. I sure liked it, so I read the label. 110 calories per can. Ingredients: coconut water, water, sugar, green coconut pulp, and a couple chemicals I had to be careful to pronounce for freshness and to protect color. We likely won’t buy more unless desperate.

    in reply to: duck treats #11345 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Google Hare Today and order duch hearts and slow cook them in the oven to dry them. I would then freeze them on a cookie sheet and put them in a ziplock in the freezer and take out as needed. Yum!!

    in reply to: True Chews Bully Sticks #11342 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    That is an excellent idea for some dogs.

    in reply to: Lower Protein and lawn urine spots #11331 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Shawna said pretty much what I was thinking. Try going to a food that the protein is meat protein instead of plant protein. I would never feed as low a protein food as you’re feeding now and I certainly wouldn’t go lower especially for an older dog. I also feed a high meat protein diet to my 3 dogs and don’t get spots in my lawn and my dogs always go in the same area.

    in reply to: Heart worm prevention #11309 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I grew up in LA and they didn’t do heartworm prevention there, then(1970s). But when we knew we were moving to FL starting prevention was the one thing our vet insisted on before the move, which tells me FL has a much higher prevalance.

    in reply to: Quandry-Large breed or not??! #11307 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    As best as I understand, there is no down side to feeding a puppy as a large breed. Controlled calcium is not bad for small or medium breeds. Slow steady growth is good for all puppies.

    in reply to: Flea prevention #11299 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Heartguard has lost some of it’s effectiveness in Florida. There are some heartworm positive dogs every year that have been on Heartguard at the proper dose. My vet will no longer prescribe it.

    in reply to: Transitioning to raw #11283 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    You might want to try an organic essential oil shampoo instead of oatmeal. It soothes the skin too, and there is some concern that oatmeal shampoo may feed bad organisms on the skin.

    in reply to: Coconut Water #11278 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    My husband who doesn’t like anything had to get coconut water to try, in case anyone got the flu. Everyone but me got the flu right before Christmas, and there the coconut water sits, because nobody was willing to even try it. We’ll probably still have it 10 years from now.

    in reply to: Coconut Water #11259 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    All I can tell you is my husband read those same reports and just had to have coconut water on hand. He doesn’t like coconut in any form, is really picky about how things taste, doesn’t like to try new things, etc. so I will probably have a can of coconut water from now to eternity. But it sure wouldn’t hurt to offer some to Bella after her anesthesia wears off. Though she may agree with you about it’s taste.

    in reply to: GM Salmon Oh No! #11254 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Oh yeah!! What will they mess with next?

    in reply to: prescription dog food #11199 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I feed raw meaty bones to my dogs and their teeth are really nice.

    in reply to: prescription dog food #11198 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I feed raw meaty bones and my dogs’ teeth are really nice.

    in reply to: Hemorrhagic Gastroentritis #11191 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    First and foremost, what are you feeding her? My first thought is to try and get her on a high meat protein diet, with moderate fat and low carbs, no grain or white potato. Add digestive enzymes too, so her body has to do as little work as possible to get as much as possible out of her food. I’d like to suggest that you go to ****************.com and read their Brothers Document and their FAQs. A lot of allergy and digestive issues in dogs are because we don’t feed them a species appropriate diet and Brothers was designed to address that issue. In my opinion, the only thing you can do better is to start feeding balanced raw.

Viewing 50 posts - 3,651 through 3,700 (of 3,749 total)