[Pitlove]

What is he licking mainly? Paws? Butt? Is he stratching his ears a lot?

[Pitlove]

Angel, Fortunetly you are very wrong. With a more nutrient dense food, you do feed less. If you are feeding a food with fillers (which you are) they aren’t able to metabolize the food as well and it takes MORE to actually meet the dogs nutritional needs. Not true with higher quality foods, regardless of how many dogs you have to feed. My 65lb pitbull eats 2 cups a day on a high quality food and it meets his nutritional needs, he’s not hungry later on and he maintains his muscle definition and his ideal weight.

Edit: Here is my case in point. My dog would be eating 4 cups a day if I fed Pedigree based on their feeding guidelines from their website. That is literally twice as much than what my dog eats now.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Brie- Always nice to meet a fellow pitbull owner and first let me just thank you for taking one in with some behavioral issues. They are often euthanized for being aggressive etc.

My male pitbull has some skin issues as well, his mimic seborrhea. He gets patches of oily flakey skin and when the skin falls off it takes his hair with it and the end result is a sore that heals and the cycle is repeated. My vet firmly believes that his skin problems are environment related with possibly a minor food component.

So far I’ve tried a lot of different foods and I’ve used different supplements etc. I haven’t gotten around to going to the dermatologist like my vet recommended, but I’ve seen a vast improvement in his skin condition with the addition of salmon oil to his food. A lot of his hair has grown back and the flakey patches have reduced in number. He eats Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult which is mainly duck and chicken based. He is intolerant to beef, but it seems hes just fine on chicken.

My suggestion is to find a food with a protein and a carb he has never had before (there is no reason not to use grains if he is not intolerant to them. I view all carbs as fillers, but thats just my opinion) and see if there is any improvement. True elimination diets are not always easy or fesiable to do for a lot of people and it also takes getting everyone that comes in contact with the dog on board and monitoring them like a hawk. They can not have ANYTHING but that food.

Pitbulls are more prone to skin issues and I see that your girl is mostly white, which is also a contributing factor. My pit comes from a very bad breeder, who bred these skin problems into the litter. I didn’t know any better about backyard breeders when we got him, but now I feel as if I did rescue him even though most would say I didn’t.

Getting different opinions from different vets is also a good idea. 3 out of 3 vets I saw confirmed my boy was reacting to something in the environment. It might be helpful to talk to more than one vet and see if there is a consensus about the food intolerance.

Best of luck, keep us updated!

[Pitlove]

I use a vet prescribed shampoo that treats fungal and microbial infections. We used to soak my dogs feet in it because he would get yeast infections under his nail beds. That helped a lot.

However, the licking at the paws is usually associates with an enviromental allegry and given the fact that he is in the water so much, there is a chance that something either in the water or somewhere else in the environment is causing the reaction. I would suggest keeping him away from the water and excersizing him in another way until you can get to a dermatologist and see if it helps.

[Pitlove]

Glad shes eating Jane. I agree with Red’s sentiment about asking for a rabies waiver.

Keep us updated

[Pitlove]

My pitbull has the same problem. My vet is certain is it related to environmental allergies. best thing you can do is talk with a canine dermatologist. my boy has also benefited from salmon oil with his food.

[Pitlove]

I like Nexgard as well and my dog has not had a reaction to it. It works very very well.

[Pitlove]

i really have no advice, but i just wanted to pop in and say good luck and i hope she makes a full recovery.

[Pitlove]

I agree with Marie. My philosophy is that if you can’t get a straight answer or a concensus from multiple people from the company, it’s not worth risking your pets health. I have never seen anything like that on a bag of food before (the date in the crease of the bag).
Best of luck to you and your dogs, I hope the puppies recover soon and all make it. I use Fromm, it’s a family owned company that has never been recalled. Something worth looking into in my opinion.

[Pitlove]

I have no problem with seeing a named meat meal as the first ingredient. Some do. I’d rather see a whole meat followed by 2 meat meals or another whole meat, but meat meal doesn’t not bother me.

[Pitlove]

As far as I know the only thing that makes it for a small breed is the portion size. I am unaware of any special dietary requirements small breeds have (unlike large and giant breeds) other than that some prefer smaller kibble and they generally make the portion sizes smaller as they eat less.

From what you’ve said, it sounds like she’s just fine though. I wouldn’t worry about the petite entrees being marketed towards small breeds.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Chris- Ya I definitely think you should stick with Merrick until if/when changes are made. I was more thinking about it for if that does happen. I know how hard it can be to find a food that works for some dogs who have issues, so I probably wouldn’t be changing foods if I were you either, Purina or no Purina.

[Pitlove]

Lazaro- Fromm has a wide range of formulas, some budget friendly, some not. However, I am a picky person about what I feed my dog, especially because of the issues he’s had with his skin and I would feed literally any single product Fromm has put out. Including their budget friendly Family Classics line. He’s currently eating the Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult and doing quite well. Definitely something to look into. They make a weight management formula, which is the Gold Coast formula. It’s fish based.

Chris- Have you used Fromm’s store locator function to see if they have a retailer near you? Chewy.com, like Lazaro mentioned, is very easy to order from and they even offer autoshipping. idk I love this food and its doing wonders for my pitbull and his skin and his pickiness. I recommend it all the time at work as well.

[Pitlove]

What about Fromm?

[Pitlove]

Is your vet concerned about her weight at all? If not then I’d say the portions you have created are fine. Her caloric intake is most important even though she is going to be a medium sized Golden and not a larger one. Weight gain for any puppy or adult dog is a serious problem.

What are you worried about in terms of the petite entrees being marketed towards small breeds? not meeting nutritional needs?

[Pitlove]

I would put my kitty on Fromm as well if the canned food was cheaper 🙁 My dog is doing great on Fromm and of course I love that it’s family owned and the 2 sons are being prepped to take the business over from their parents.

[Pitlove]

Getting a new friend when your ready could help, but I think a good suggestion was what zcRiley said. It sounds very much like depression, however dogs do move on faster than humans thankfully.

[Pitlove]

They will say the same things they have been saying on their Facebook page. That they will continue to remain independently operated and will continue to make top of the line dog foods. Only time will tell and all we can do is be vigilant.

[Pitlove]

Hey Chris, I understand your concern. Just be vigilant and pay attention to any bag changes or anything that seems off about the food or your dogs reaction to eating it. If it’s working for him and it’s hard to find a food he does well on I think thats a good reason to stay with Merrick until changes are made.

[Pitlove]

Glad Merrick is working for them. It’s always a relief when you find a food a picky dog likes. I know the feeling!

[Pitlove]

C4D, I am wary of them. But I’m not going to be one of those crazed people returning my cans of WEF that I purchased before the buyout. I actually did start looking into other foods for my kitty just in case because I wanted to be prepared to have to switch her.

also yes i know the old NaturaPet products don’t exist anymore, I should have said the former NaturaPet products

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

I don’t know that my age has anything to do with whether or not my dog did fine on EVO after the buyout.

As I’ve said, no one is forced to use the old NaturaPet brands, Iams, Merrick or any other brand if they don’t feel comfortable. No one has to support Purina if they don’t want to. And if someone wants to continue use of the food until a change is made that is their choice as well.

[Pitlove]

I used EVO well after the buyout and had no problems. Could have been a bad lot.

[Pitlove]

Jo O- All of the available vegan dog foods that are on the market have been reviewed

[Pitlove]

Chantelle- Are you switching to Science Diet per your vet’s recommendation or another reason?

[Pitlove]

If Merrick/WEF was never apart of your rotation, then really you can’t miss what you never had. I know Crazy4Cats dogs are doing really well on WEF and she does not want to change them unless she has to. But for those that don’t feed Merrick and don’t care to, theres so many equal or better foods out there thankfully.

[Pitlove]

Yes, thats true about Purina’s jerky situation. It was also true for Dogswell and others. I do believe that Purina stated that their jerky was sourced from China back then and I do believe they admit that their vitamin pack is sourced from China as well. For me that would be the main cause for concern with Merrick/WEF. If they started sourcing the vitamin pack from China, I would probably find another food.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Because sourcing from the USA doesn’t mean they will choose quality ingredients and leave out the junk. However, if they leave Merrick and WEF the same and continue sourcing from the US like Merrick Pet Care did, there is no cause for concern about the quality being lowered.

Main point is, there are a lot of choices of food out there. If you don’t feel comfortable feeding Merrick or WEF because of the chance that Purina might mess with the recipe or the sourcing, it’s easy to find something the mimics those brands.

It’s of my own accord that I will continue to use WEF for my cat. It’s working well for her and I don’t feel like changing til I have to. It also works well for my budget.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

As far as I’ve heard from people who have asked Purina, they source from the USA.

[Pitlove]

I have heard that EVO did change, however I still find it to be an excellent food. All the previous NaturaPet brands are owned by Mars now.

[Pitlove]

I’m not worried about Purina changing Merrick or Whole Earth Farms. I intend to continue using the canned Whole Earth Farms and possibly the dry as well for my cat. My dog eats Fromm, so he’s of no concern with this.

Purina bought the treat company Zuke’s a few years back and has yet to change the recipe.

[Pitlove]

You have to convert the wet food to a dry matter basis to get the actual reading of how much protein it is. Meaning the moisture has to be factored OUT.

[Pitlove]

There is no reason to switch foods just because of the buyout. Purina doesn’t intend to change the formulas and I feel they won’t. They bought Zukes treats awhile ago and haven’t touched it.

My cat eats Whole Earth Farms canned and I plan to keep her on it.

[Pitlove]

Unfortuntely you can not fix an allergy to fleas with food. They have nothing to do with each other. Even one flea bite can create a reaction that lasts for a long time. Keeping him on his monthly preventive and spraying the yard and the house during flea season is probably the only way to make sure they are dead and can’t bite him.

Again, feeding a better food you will not be going through 50lbs of food in a month.

Rachael Ray Nutrish comes in a 40lb bag for 38$ at Walmart. You could also try Tractor Supply if you have one near you. Diamond is usually fairly cheap and a bit better than what you’re feeding currently. They do make 50lb bags of some of the Diamond foods.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Zignature makes all their products without chicken. Perhaps they have something that will work for you.

[Pitlove]

Happy to hear the W/D is working well for him. I don’t always feel rX diets are needed, but certainly in your boys situation it does show that they can really be life changing.

I’m not Susan, but I wouldn’t think there would be anything wrong with eventually adding fresh to the W/D. Obviously his body will show you fast if the fresh meats aren’t agreeing with him and then you can discontibue them or find a leaner, lower fat meat.

[Pitlove]

You haden’t mentioned the age of your pet which is why Dori asked why you wanted to use a senior food. I agree that Orijen Senior is a good food.

[Pitlove]

If you are not sure what is causing the skin problems it is going to be hard to recommend a different food though I do think changing to another food would be a good idea. It may seem like you are getting a better deal with Pedigree, but in the long run you are paying more because you have to feed more of the Pedigree to meet their nutritional needs.

Unfortuntely you will need to have testing done to see what they are allergic to. Could be something in the environment, could be something in the food.

Look into Fromm Family Classics Mature. Much better quality food and you can get it online for a little over a 1$/lb for a 33 lb bag.
http://www.chewy.com/dog/fromm-family-classics-mature-formula/dp/32644

[Pitlove]

If he is not intolerant to chicken look into Wysong Epigen 90

[Pitlove]

Taste of the Wild is a good food in terms of the ingredients, however because it is manufactured by Diamond, it will not make the EC list because of Diamonds infamous recalls.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Allison, thats great that you finally have an answer even though it’s probably not something you wanted to hear. Susan gave you some really good info. I know shes been dealing a lot with this with her Staffy. I know the Hill’s looks terrible, but if it’s working then I think that you shouldn’t feel so bad about feeding it for now.

[Pitlove]

Great! Glad you’re deciding to give it a try. Hope it works out well for you. My picky pitbull loves it 🙂

[Pitlove]

A lot of foods claim to be hypoallergenic, however that is more of a marketing thing than a proven scientific fact.

True food allergies are very rare in dogs. More commonly food allergies are mistaken for environmental allergies or food intolerances. There is a possiblity that your dog is intolerant to an ingredient in the Blue Wilderness. While it is very hard to give a recommendation for a food when you are not actually sure what your dog is intolerant to, or if food is even the problem, what you could do is switch to a different food with a protein and carb your dog has never had before. A limited ingredient food could be a good idea as well. If you don’t see an improvement, food is probably not the issue. Someone I know got their dog tested for environmental allergens and come to find out he was allergic to the wool blanket he was sleeping on. Food will not improve something like that.

The best thing you could do would be to get in contact with a canine dermatologist to properly diagnose your Boxer’s skin condition. Especially if you have a Boxer that is predominantly white, they are known for having skin issues because mostly or all white is unnatural for them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Karen- Unfortuntely it’s very difficult to link a food to a dog illness unless testing was done on the food and yields some result like salmonella that could prove it was the food. Switching foods definitely could not hurt. My dog is on Fromm. It’s a small family owned and operated company out of Wisconsin that has never had a recall. They have been in operation since 1904 and the 2 sons are next in line to take over the company.

Purina actually did just recently buyout Merrick, however I do not feel they have any intentions to change the Merrick formulas. From what I know from the rep for our Merrick distributor at the small pet store I work for, Purina is investing in Merrick to give them more funding and more plants for production.

Also just wanted to clarify that Nestle owns Purina, not Mars. Mars owns Pedigree, so that might be what you are thinking of.

[Pitlove]

Nothing wrong with switching up your dogs food, however very sad to hear that ONE bad comment about Fromm turned your boyfriend off to the food. It’s an excellent food, but you will find bad comments for just about every single food on the market Zignature included. I definitely think Zignature is a great food. We might be bringing it into the small pet store I work for. I’d go with that over the NOW.

[Pitlove]

Hi- I’ve never given a probiotic via a chew treat or anything else. I’ve used Kefir, which is a type of milk essentially that is very popular in the Jewish community. My boy never had any issues with that.

[Pitlove]

Hi- Fromm is an excellent food. I use it for my 1yr old pitbull. Which Fromm formula is that for the senior? The Family Classics Mature? Senior dogs do have a higher protein requirement as they age because they can’t process protein as well. However, the problem is that most senior formulas are really too low in quality animal protein.

[Pitlove]

Ah ok, so borderline large breed. I love hounds and thank you for rescuing 🙂

[Pitlove]

Alright, well if he’s only going to max out at 40lbs, then you should be ok. It still isn’t a bad idea to feed a medium size boarderlining large breed dog as though they were a large breed to minimize any risk of growth problems though.

Could you maybe order online for them? they have autoshipping, so it would take the money out of their bank account and deliver it without them having to worry about ordering it every time.

[Pitlove]

EVO Chicken and Turkey comes in under 2$/lb on chewy.com for their 28.6lb bag.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/evo-turkey-chicken-formula-dry-dog/dp/32557

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