[Pamela S]

I chuckled when I read you post. I rotate my dogs kibble every day with a different 5 star brand. So every 5 days my dogs get a different kibble. Like you I also have my magic elixir I like to add, like you I make it in big batches and freeze. Mine is close, different meets cooked in water, organic vegetables. I have 4 dogs two rescues Sammi 9 lbs, Quinn 20 lbs and two Bernese Mountain Dogs. I am most concerned with the BMD’s because of their size, I want to keep them healthy so I am always researching, feeling guilty about not having them on a raw food diet, reading various web sites of feeding and generally driving myself crazy in the process of feeling like I am not doing enough for them.

So I posted on a BMD website and asked for advice, because the breed is not know for longevity (9 years) So I question people who had 10 years and older BMD’s what they attributed longevity to. The answer surprised me. I was sure I would pick up feeding tips. But the most prevalent answer was: it is just the luck of the draw. Some had dogs that lived long lives, some were short. It didn’t matter that they were all fed the same. Some people reported they did the raw diet and the dog died young while others that they fed cheap food to live to ripe old ages. Again and again the answer boiled down to luck of the draw.

So that made me try to not be so neurotic over food. I think what you are doing is great. I think the most important things are to keep them slim, as few shots as possible, and plenty of love. I am no expert, but that is pretty much the advice I got from knowledgeable owners.

Pamela

[Pamela S]

my advise would be to fast him for 24 hours (you would be surprised what a 24 hour fast can do for humans and dogs alike) then give probiotics like someone else advised, like Dr. Mercola brand. Also your vet will have a high level probiotic. Then start on food.

I would also try a dog nutritionalist. Seems there is something wrong with his stomach.

Keep posting on various sites someone will probably have an answer.

[Pamela S]

Most independent dog store (i.e. not Petsmart) carry small samples of quality foods. The one I go to usually has them out, but most keep them behind the counter so people don’t over indulge. I would call some of your local small pet shops and ask if they have them.. They usually contain about a cup of food in each packet.

[Pamela S]

my question is what ingredients in ANY dog food could help a dog born without hip sockets. Here are the ingredients from their web site:

Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Threonine, Taurine, Soy Lecithin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Chondroitin Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

you could get the same outcome with vitamins. First ingredient is corn, how is that good for your dog. I think most vets are out to make money, they try to give unnecessary shots and scare you into buying science diet from them. Just my two sense.

[Pamela S]

I suggest you go to petflow.com You can chose grain free kibble and it pulls up the grain free it carries. Once you see your choices then you can go to this web site and review its ratings. I generally feed my dogs grain free, they currently are eating Orijen, Arcadia, Wellness Fish, Health Extension and Evo and Solid Gold.

[Pamela S]

Sorry for your loss, but you are not going to win against Hills Company. What I would suggest is use this as a painful learning lesson. Take charge of your dogs health with reading about all these shots that vets insist on giving and how bad they are for your dogs (not saying that is what happened)

Also I am an advocate of food rotation. If they are eating different foods from different vendors all the time, chances of dying from, say a bad batch of food, are greatly reduced. Mine get a different brand and different protein every day.

Educate yourself with this site, Dr. Becker is great for her teachings on line. Dog naturally and of course Whole Dog Journal are all things you should be reading.

I would not feed my dog Science Diet. Your anger may be justified, but you will never be able to prove they did anything wrong.

[Pamela S]

Two things I can address. One I would use Petflow.com. I live in a small town and it is great, mostly quality food, cheaper than I could buy at a store. If you are looking at Canadian made Orijen and Arcadia are absolutely the best. They use locally sourced food.

The allergy, I would spend the money and use a dermatologist. My Bernese started itching. I opted to take her to a dermatologist. Based on what I told him, without doing testing, he said it was a type of mange (she had no hair loss or bald patches) He gave me mediation and all dogs had to get it. My vet wasn’t happy that I opted for a dermatologist and said it was allergies. One month later Molly was itch free and has been since that time. My vet had to eat crow. What is very important to the dermatologist is information, when did it start any thing new or unusual. It could also be something as simple as a year of bad pollen.

Good luck. Pam

[Pamela S]

Hi, I have always rotated my dogs food, since they were puppies. I have one 12 year old, a 9 year old rescue and 2 bernese, 1 year old and one six months old. I have 5 different foods and rotate daily. For example I have Fromm, Wellness, Evo, Acadia, Health Extension and Orijen. The puppy has different puppy formulas. They are all different proteins, like, fish, chicken, buffalo, etc. I buy at different times so I am not replacing all foods at once. Usually I am replacing one bag every two months. I only use 5 star rated foods from this site or from Whole Dog Journal.

When I had just the small dogs, it was relatively cheap as I was using small bags. Now since I have the big girls I have to have storage bins. As I run out of one food, I will get another one they haven’t had in the last 6 months.

It just makes sense to me that they should eat a variety of foods. Because they get such a variety they can eat anything. They never have gas, they never have loose stools. They are very healthy. It has never made sense to me that you should have a dog on one food forever. Since mine have always been on rotation, I have never had to slowly change food. Again they get a different food daily.

[Pamela S]

That is horrible news. If this is true, I won’t purchase Merrick anymore or any Merrick products. Purina is just a horrible company putting out horrible products. Even if Whole Earth Farm formulas stay the same, I wouldn’t want my dollars going to support ANY Purina executive.

[Pamela S]

My one dog Quinn is 11 he has always eaten grass. Everyday my dogs get a different dog food, I believe in variety. Quinn just likes grass I get blood draws every year, his levels are always perfect. He doesn’t throw up from it, it always the tall grass. He also eats almost any vegetable I put before him.

I think as long as they are not throwing up they are fine. Just make sure it is not sprayed.

[Pamela S]

I haven’t read everyone elses posts. But my Bernese (1 year old) had crystals and vet suspected probably stones. Ever since I went to vet they were pushing science dietl. I feed top rated foods from this site and from Whole Dog Journal. I also feed a different brand every day so they have variety. (vet absolutely hates that!) So as soon as vet said crystals need to feed special diet ie Royal Cain or Science Diet. I did research, I immediately added a two to one ratio of water to food (two cups water to one cup kibble) and stated giving cranberry vitamin gels. Went in next week, no crystals, no stones. I am not saying that it worked that She is doing great!

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