[Pitlove]

Hi Ivan- Congratulations on your pup firstly. Malinois are absolutely stunning dogs.

Like GSD’s, Malinois’ are most often over 50lbs at max weight which means they are a large breed. Large breed puppies require a very strict diet and a food that is formulated to meet the needs of a growing LBP. This means, a food with controlled levels of calcium which will help the body grow slowly, reducing the risk of your pup developing devastating orthopedic disorders even later on in his/her life. Another thing to make sure of is that you do not overfeed too many calories. So no free feeding!

Here is a link to Dr. Susan Wynn’s site which you will find an article about Large Breed Puppy nutrition that you download to Word. Dr. Wynn is a very well respected veterinary nutritionist.

http://www.susanwynn.com/Literature.php

Also a link to the Hill’s website about LBP nutrition-

http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/special-diet-needs-of-large-breed-dogs

Some food suggestions to look into that are known to have safe levels of calcium are Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, and Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy. There are a lot more out their including Royal Canin, Hill’s and Purina if you want to go that route- those I listed are just my personal favorites.

Edit: Oh you mentioned Taste of the Wild. Both their puppy formulas are formulated with safe calcium levels and would be fine for a large breed puppy.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Does Diamond manufacture that formula? I know they still manufacture some formulas for Solid Gold.

[Pitlove]

Hi Sarah- I too have a dog who enjoys my kitties canned food. Usually I can catch him in time and if I make a loud noise he’ll stop. He isn’t interested in her dry food though. I agree with Crazy4cats that a small amount of cat food will not harm them, but eating cat food in larger amounts over time could.

My dog did at one point like the cats poop, however one thing that helped was changing the style of litter box to a storage tub with a hole cut in it. If that ever becomes an issue for you that could be something to try! Cats also really enjoy roomy litter boxes.

[Pitlove]

Hi- My pit had a similar lump on his ribs some time back. Turned out to be nothing more than fluid build up. They did a fine needle aspirate on him, got him on some antibiotics and the lump has yet to come back. No clue what caused it to this day, but the vet didn’t seem too worried about it.

Hopefully yours is something similar! Best of luck!

[Pitlove]

http://www.chewy.com/dog/nutrisource-large-breed-puppy/dp/38141- $1.56 per/lb

http://www.chewy.com/dog/taste-wild-high-prairie-puppy/dp/34836- $1.19 per/lb

http://www.chewy.com/dog/whole-earth-farms-puppy-recipe-dry/dp/101864- $1.19 per/lb

These three foods are safe for large breed puppies and could fit within your budget. Chewy.com has great customer service and they ship fast. Many of us have used this site frequently.

[Pitlove]

Gwen- Thanks! yeah they make t-shirts, sweatshirts you name it with this picture. I forgot the guy’s name but he paints all sorts of pictures of pitbulls like this. I’m getting the sweatshirt for Christmas that looks like my picture here 🙂

[Pitlove]

Hi Gwen- I’ve asked myself the same question time and time again, being that I have a dog who has suffered with skin issues. I’ve seen dogs on Kibbles N Bits, Purina Pro Plan, Beneful etc that look better than my dog. I’d say Anonmously definitely has a point about good genetics. I too have felt that is a key factor. I know shiny coats are from high fat content, but why some dogs get violently ill and even die while eating some foods that other dogs thrive on is so hard to say why. It even happens with the “high end” foods. Some dogs are ill on 5 star foods that are said to be the best of the best.

[Pitlove]

Hi El Doctor- You said: “Are not people capable of the same thing?”

Yes of course they are and we classify those people as sociopaths. But Dick was not talking about humans.

You then said: “And failed to understand the message he was trying to convey about the horribly inhumane way that food animals are treated.”

I haven’t failed to understand anything. I was simply pointing out a flaw in his logic that a dog would “feel bad” watching an animal be slaughtered. Just because I chose to focus on that part of his arguement and not the rest, it does not mean I wasn’t able to understand his point. That is what you failed to understand.

[Pitlove]

Dick, you said: “consider how your dog would feel watching those animals being slaughtered and tortured. Probably just as bad as you would, I’d imagine.”

What makes you think a dog could connect on an emotional level with watching an animal be slaughtered? Are they not capable of brutally killing other animals with no second thought? My co-workers dog just the other day got away from him and killed their neighbors cat.

And yes, I’m inclinded to agree with Marie and add that the barrage of insults does not make your opinion more credible.

[Pitlove]

Hi Desiree- This happened to my pitbull after switching flea and tick meds (no swollen privates though, just the “ringworm” spots). Have any changes like that been made recently? The meds are almost out of his system now and its starting to heal. He could be reacting to something that has been recently introduced; new food, new bedding, new meds etc.

[Pitlove]

Hi again Anja- She sure does sound like a Bully! How cute! Pitbulls are wonderful dogs.

Great news about deciding on a food. Fromm is excellent. I personally have never used FirstMate but have heard good things about it. My pitbull was on Fromm, but he started being picky again so he’s now eating my other dogs food which is NutriSource and loves it even more than he loved the Fromm Gold. I’m pleased with both brands. Fromm is probably always gonna be one of my favorites because it’s the first food that helped his skin problems.

[Pitlove]

Hi Eric- I couldn’t tell you because I’ve never used NOW so I’m unsure how big the kibble is. I’m currently using the NutriSource formula I mentioned and its some of the biggest kibble I’ve seen personally.

[Pitlove]

Hi Anja- Wow a pitbull that’s 40lbs at 16 weeks? Sounds like you may have an American Bully. A few foods that you could look into are: Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy, Orijen Puppy Large and even NutriSource Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice which despite the name is an all life stages formula with safe calcium levels.

[Pitlove]

Hi Eric- NutriSource Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice is actually an all life stages formula that is safe for large puppies. The pieces are huge and it has high palatability for training. This food could definitely work for you.

[Pitlove]

NutriSource would be an excellent choice. I switched the newest edition to our family to it after he had been eating Purina ONE for 4 years. He likes it a lot more than Purina and no GI issues. I find it to be one of the best foods for dogs who have sensitive stomachs.

[Pitlove]

Sascha- Not all vet’s are alike. The one that I bring my dogs to has never once pushed a prescription food on me, even the hypoallergenic food for my pitbulls skin problems he has had. I told him I was feeding Fromm and he felt that was a great choice.

Dog Food Advisor is not a bad source of information, but it is only one source. It should not be taken as bible. You can research via the internet what boarded veterinary nutritionists have to say about the issues going on with your dog. Some of them, like Dr. Susan Wynn, have their own website where they provide nutritional information. I even read the Hill’s and Purina nutrition information just to see all sides of the spectrum. I have even agreed with some of what they have to say. It does sound like seeing another vet that might be more willing to work WITH you rather than just dismiss all of what you are already doing for your dog as wrong, would be helpful.

Personally, and this is only my opinion based on my own dog, depending on what exactly the GI issues are and how severe they are, I find you do not need a prescription food to fix them. Example; my dog threw up 7 times on a Sunday and we simply fasted him for the night and hes been fine ever since. The only vet (in PetSmart) that was open wanted him to go on a prescription food, JUST by talking to me on the phone.

[Pitlove]

Its not on the Editors Choice list likely because its ingredients did not earn it a 4 star or higher rating.

Hill’s T/D does have a VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal stating that it slows the onset of plaque and tartar. Here are the protocols for a food or dental chew or anything else obtaining this seal: http://www.vohc.org/protocol.htm

The food may aid in reducing plaque and tartar, however regular dentals at the vet (just like humans do with their dentist) and brushing the teeth are the best ways to prevent diesease.

Is the vet wanting to put your dog on this prescription food? If so, why?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Definitely bad business practices. I’m not sure that the FDA can help in this matter. I would look up who to report unethical business owners to. Can’t think of the organization off the top of my head. Department of Labor maybe?

[Pitlove]

Dogs that will be a mature weight of 50lbs+ are considered large breed. Also even if the dog will be close to 50 lbs it’s offered recommended to still feed them as tho they were large breeds.

[Pitlove]

Hi Karen- Personally I disagree with Anonymously on that advice. While its nice that foods contain glucosamine and chondroitin, they don’t contain a theraputic amount. Especially if you have a senior dog that is showing signs of stiff joints. The only time I’ve ever heard of additional supplements causing any of the problems that Anonymously mentioned is when they were overfed. You can certainly still double check with your vet, but most of these supplements are safe to feed along with a food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin.

[Pitlove]

Jenn- When my dog first presented with skin issues, everyone told me to avoid chicken at all costs. I fed him beef mainly and other things. Turned out everyone was wrong and beef, not chicken, was the problem. Each dog is different. We can’t forget that.

[Pitlove]

Aimee- Your words make me think of this quote: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible”

[Pitlove]

I agree with Orijen Senior. That or any all life stages food with high protein would be good.

[Pitlove]

Taste of the Wild makes 2 puppy formulas that are safe for large breed puppies, both of which are chicken free.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/taste-wild-high-prairie-puppy/dp/34836

http://www.chewy.com/dog/taste-wild-pacific-stream-puppy/dp/34840

[Pitlove]

I’ve been feeding my adult pitbull Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult for a few months now and within a month of feeding that food plus salmon oil daily his hair started growing back and the dandruff was reduced. Also your vet is operating on some very outdated info. The protein levels in Taste of the Wild will not cause kidney problems. Fromm Gold is similar in price to Taste of the Wild btw (at my work at least).

[Pitlove]

If it’s within your budget have a look at Orijen Senior. Chewy.com offers the frequent buyer program for Orijen even though its not advertised on their site and you get free shipping at 49$, plus they have excellent customer service as others mentioned.

[Pitlove]

Allison- Senior dogs have an increased requirement for protein as they do not metabolize it as well as their adult counterparts. Is Petco the only place available for you to shop or do you have a small up-scale pet store near you or can you shop online? If so, I’d look at Orijen Senior. It’s argued as the best Senior kibble on the market, but you will not find it at Petco or PetSmart.

[Pitlove]

Hi Kristine- I have no advice to offer, I’m sorry, but I really wish you and Koji a lot of luck in figuring out whats wrong with him. Be strong!

[Pitlove]

Hi Julie- I agree that some large breed foods aren’t really well a “scam”, but they aren’t always formulated to meet the calcium needs for large breed puppies. A lot of people opt to feed an adult maintenance food with the correct levels of calcium, but I’m not comfortable with offering advice on an adult food. I don’t think it matters as long as the food has the controlled levels of calcium that is needed for optimal growth. I’d say that this point, since your dog is not a giant breed, you could switch to an adult maintenance or all life stages food and continue feeding to maintain ideal weight. I feed Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult to my pitbull and he does very well on it, but since you are not a fan of Fromm I will not suggest that one. My 5 or 6 year old Chocolate Lab is being transitioned to NutriSource Large Breed Adult and he really likes it. It is chicken based, but NutriSource seems to have good palatability. You could look at some of their other foods as well. They do make grain free if thats the route you’d like to choose.

[Pitlove]

Hi Harley- Look into Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy for your boys kibble. It’s highly recommended in the Dane community. My boyfriends brothers Great Dane has been on it since he was a puppy ( he’s on the Adult formula now ) and he grew perfectly. He’s lean muscular and very healthy.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Catherine- A Google search will tell you Fromm is canned by Performance Pet. I found the info easily.

[Pitlove]

Just monitoring his appearance and use the Purina Body Condition System to make sure he’s keeping a healthy weight. That’s the best way to know that he’s recieving the correct amount of food. It sounds like you’re doing everything right and yes if he has Mastiff in there that explains the size! I hope Natures Variety works well for him!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Jenn- Do you know if there is any proof other than the consumer reports linking this bacteria to Fromm? Without understanding how the bacteria forms or why it forms you can’t expect a company to recall food that can’t be directly linked to this type of bacteria.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Have a look at NutriSource Large Breed Puppy. The quality very similar to Fromm, however it’s my go to recommendation at work for dogs who have loose stool or any other GI issue. Fromm is usually easy on the GI tract, but I find NutriSource is even better.

When choosing a food for a LBP, you can’t forget that overfeeding plays a huge role in orthopedic disorders, not just controlled levels of calcium/phos. Protein makes no difference in their growth and neither does grain or grain free, so really it comes down to feeding controlled levels of calcium (which Fromm has) and not overfeeding. The Hill’s website states that Boxers should not exceed 80lbs at mature weight for males while other sites say 70. Does his vet feel he’s at a good weight?

[Pitlove]

Hi Jenn- I’ve been feeding Fromm (Gold and now Family Classics) to my adult pitbull for several months now and I have not had a single issue. If anything, my dog has greatly improved on both these formulas (his hair was falling out etc etc). I’ve started taking both positive and negative consumer reviews with a grain of salt as of late. I find that it’s too hard to make a decision about the right food for your dog based solely off other people’s experiences.

What I can tell you is that, as a company, Fromm has a good history and reputation. I don’t find this company to be one built on keeping the loyal customers they have, by lying to them. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with reps (I work for a small pet store and see our rep often), the food and the company overall.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy actually gets fairly good reviews on this site, however whats a star rating if your pup won’t eat it, right?!

My vet actually likes Fromm and says it’s one of 2 natural foods he recommends to his patients. Do they know what caused the bacterial infection?

[Pitlove]

Vomitting from overfeeding is very common and doesn’t actually indicate a sensitive stomach. If he is underweight the problem is going to be getting him back to an ideal weight without causing weight gain which can lead to skeletal and growth problems. He’s a large breed, so he needs a large breed puppy food with controlled levels of calcium to promote slow growth. This will also aid in preventing skeletal and growth disorders. They will also be higher in calories, but you and your vet will need to determine his ideal weight so you know when to start feeding to maintain that weight.

Fromm and NutriSource both make excellent LBP formulas that are highly palatable.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Regarding breed specific foods- Even the nutritionists at Hill’s (Science Diet) state on their site, that breed specific foods are nothing more than clever marketing. Aside from oddly shaped kibbles, I wouldn’t say there is anything tailored to a yorkie in the RC Yorkshire Terrier formula.

I feel a mixture of canned and dry is good.

I wouldn’t worry about kidney damage from one grape. The dose makes the poison.

Allergen free is a relative term, since you aren’t sure if she is reacting to something or what it is. Some foods are marketed at “hypoallergenic”, however they are only “hypoallergenic” to your dog if they don’t contain any of the ingredients your dog reacts to. A couple foods that my dog thinks are tasty(he’s picky) are Fromm and NutriSource. I will agree with Marie about the constant switching though. I switched my dogs food every 5lb bag and it made him more picky.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

No problem. Here what chewy.com has for their selection of LID foods. This might give you some ideas

http://www.chewy.com/dog/dry-food-294/limited-ingredient-diet

[Pitlove]

Hi Joseph- I had a similar experience with that Pro Plan formula when I gave my dog a sample of it. Not sure why he reacted to that one, but not the ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach.

Zignature has some good LID formulas you could look into. So does Natural Balance, Canine Caviar, Merrick and a few others that I can’t think of off the top of my head.

[Pitlove]

No! You’re fine. It was totally my fault for not mentioning where I got the information from. Was a really bold statement to make without clarifying who my source was!

[Pitlove]

Oh- Sorry I should have noted that I was quoting my dog’s vet on that comment about seizures and also that it was part of the reason for her wanting to switch my dog to it. Sorry for the confusion!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

My dog has been on NexGard his whole life and we recently just switched to Bravecto for certain reasons. Never had a reaction to any oral flea and tick med. Bravecto is also safe for dogs who have seizures, NexGard is not.

I am really really sorry for your loss

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Karen- Glad your dog is doing so well on Bright Mind. I hope he has continued success with it.

[Pitlove]

I agree with both Susan and C4C about looking into another RX food if Hill’s isn’t doing the trick. Also, not that I think Hill’s is a great food (ingredient wise), but it is a nutritionally sound food. So you don’t have to worry about your dog not getting the nutrients he needs on the RX diet.

A non-RX food you could look into is NutriSource. I’ve recommended it at my work to a lot of pet parents with dogs who have sensititive stomachs and I’ve yet to have them come back and say it didn’t work.

Oh I also wanted to mention that I find that for my dog, he does better on a grain-based food. My personal feeling- and many will disagree- is that once cooked, brown rice etc is a bit easier on the stomach than super starchy peas and potatoes.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

I found one of the answers for you. Simmons cans for Dogwells. And it looks like Fromm might be canned by Performance Pet out of South Dakota.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Edit: I just realized you were talking about canned food. There are a limited number of canning companies around the US so it can only be one of a few. I would try contacting the company yourself and ask. I see no reason why any of those companies to not share who manufactures their canned foods.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

C4C- Yikes indeed! I don’t have any of those kinds of kids yet 😛

Also, do you or anyone else know who cans for Ziwipeak? I know they are New Zealand based, but I’m curious if they use one of the US canneries for us in the states.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Debbie- When I first started researching nutrition for my dog, I felt the same way as you did. I thought grains were bad and all dogs were automatically prone to reacting to them, I had to feed a 5 star food or my dog would be unhealthy etc. After taking a deep breath, I realized that while this site is a good jumping off point, you have to find a food that works for you, your budget, and your dog and his/her needs. That may or may not include a 5 star food. I have fed a lot of 5 star foods starting with Blue Wilderness and ending with Orijen. My dog did ok on these 5 star grain free foods, but still had skin issues that I couldn’t seem to resolve. Now, my boy is eating a food that this site gives only 3.5 stars to, but for us its a 10 star food. His hair has grown back, his poop is the best its been and best of all he loves the food (hes picky as can be). It’s grain based and doesn’t have the meat content that some of the 5 star foods have, but it’s working great for us and I couldn’t be happier with the food.

The brand I use is Fromm and they make a great budget friendly Adult food in their Fromm Family Classics line.
http://www.chewy.com/dog/fromm-family-classics-adult-formula/dp/32646

[Pitlove]

C4C- Yeah, I totally understand. You have many more kitties and dogs to feed than I do!

Thanks for asking. The surgeon opted not to do the surgery because when it came time for him to prep her for it, he and the other vets couldn’t find the hernia. He called me and told me he didn’t want to open her up and fish for something that may or may not be there. I’ve been keeping an eye on it, like he told me to do and so far so good. I haven’t felt it. She did end up with a shaved belly though! The hair is finally almost grown back lol

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