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pugmomsandy

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Viewing 50 posts - 601 through 650 (of 865 total)
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  • pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Yes probiotics (preferably a multi-strain probiotic) will help with gas. Also digestive enzymes. I give both to my kibble feeders couple times a week. I don’t believe Nutrisource has had recalls. You can find this in stores and online. It’s mid-priced. $50 for 30 lbs and is mid-protein range. I feed the grain free recipes to my foster dogs. They don’t have gas issues with this food even though some of them don’t get supplements. For probiotcs I have mercola brand and Dr Langers by Swansonvitamins. I also give kefir sometimes instead. It’s in the milk section at the grocery store. Some people make their own kefir too.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Yes, the Quadiguard. Contains ivermectin, pyrantil pamoate and praziquantel. All three are antihelmintics.

    http://www.medicationdaily.com/quadriguard

    in reply to: Post your recipes! #18529 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Alexandra,

    Young Again Pet Food has a raw food supplement for mixing in meat only or meat and bone.

    youngagainpetfood.com

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Another EFA (esterified fatty acid) is cetyl-myristoleate. I’ve bought Cetyl-M by Response Products and Jarrow True CMO and I give raw trachea.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Transitioning to a higher protein food can take longer than 1 week. And for some dogs you just have to take baby steps depending on the healthy (or non-healthy) state of their digestive tract. I was feeding poor quality food (1 star foods) for about a year or so then transitioned them to a ā€œmiddle of the roadā€ type of food like Merrick and Castor and Pollux and Blue (all regular with grain) for a couple months and then started incorporating grain free/mid-high protein foods. The final transition to Instinct took about 2 months for one of my dogs.

    I didn’t know about probiotics or digestive enzymes back then either which would have helped alot. My fosters get a moderate protein diet (Nutrisource grain free Lamb) and I give them ground psyllium for just a couple days for fiber and give them probiotics for their gut and they usually transition without diarrhea. I also find that wet foods don’t have much fiber so I will add some fiber to that too or chia seed.

    You might consider a limited ingredient diet for a little while to give his bad digestion a break and start giving him a multi-strain probiotic.

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/05/22/pet-probiotics.aspx?e_cid=20130522_PetsNL_art_1&utm_source=petnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130522

    http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Is he still having loose stool? Have you tried giving him some fiber? Like a tablespoon of pure pumpkin puree or a teaspoon of chia seed or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of psyllium? Or are you going to try a different food? My fosters usually transition well to Nutrisource grain free. I use the Lamb or the Heartland Select (but this one has chicken). The Lamb has lamb and salmon. They also have a fish one – Seafood Select. Wellness Core Ocean has more fiber as well and no chicken in it.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    The Addiction rehydrates and just looks like ground canned food.

    in reply to: How Much Tumeric #18506 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Here’s some good info with dosing:

    http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/11/turmeric-and-curcumin-good-for-your.html

    Omega-3’s (fish oils) are good anti-inflammatories too. Also products like Medizym-Fido (wobenzym-N is the human version), and Actiflex 4000.

    http://www.medizym.com/shop/index.php?p=product&id=10&parent=1#

    http://www.coxvetlab.com/products.asp

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Jan,

    I have Sojo’s and Addiction dehydrated right now and the dogs are doing fine on it. No extra stools either. I mix other stuff with it for more protein. The Sojo’s has visible greens and meat in it but the Addiction is all mixed up and brown, no chunks. I have the Black Forest Delicasies.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    For cans, Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms, Costco’s Kirkland Cuts N Gravy and I believe Simply Nourish by Petsmart are budget friendly.

    in reply to: All natural dog shampoo #18474 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I have Mercola, Earth Bath Mediterranean, Green Bulldog and Brothers with Tea Tree.

    in reply to: Doggie summer treats #18448 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I don’t think the 2 TBS of honey in the whole recipe will be a problem. I wouldn’t give my small dogs more than 1 tsp a day total of honey so the small amount in the treat recipe would be ok.

    in reply to: Demodectic Mange #18425 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    This is for 4Life Transfer Factor:

    http://www.justaskshirley.com/tfvet.htm

    I clicked on the above link from here:

    http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/AnimalWellness/Pets.aspx

    in reply to: What to feed any dog #18406 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    That’s quite a broad statement. Meat and eggs do not make a complete diet. Dogs also need bones and organs and even green tripe has some vegetation in it. Fish (of course there are certain ones to avoid) is also good to incorporate into their diet. Also these days, the meat from our feed animals and farmed fish are not very healthy so certain vitamins and essential fatty acid supplementation can be necessary.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Anesthesia is a medication with varying side effects. Different dogs can have different side effects. Also it could be from the pain meds (if they gave him some) or from the antibiotics.

    in reply to: Demodectic Mange #18404 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Swansonvitamins(dot)com, as Patty mentioned above, also has Immunel Colostrum Fraction with Transfer Factor. I would avoid if possible applying topical meds like flea/tick products if you can too since they are pesticides and affect the immune system unless you have some that don’t contain pesticides (ones made with essential oils).

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Not sure if you’re talking to me but..

    sojos.com and another brand The Honest Kitchen is thehonestkitchen.com. They all have different calorie counts to take that into account. Sojo’s is low calorie so he gets to eat alot but for not alot of calories. I also just bought some Addiction dehydrated to try on him too. Addictionfoods.com. It takes the worry out of balancing the diet since they are already balanced. You can buy these online even on Amazon or at better pet stores.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Do you think she’s getting too much bone? Chicken legs and thighs and turkey necks have more bone than say – a whole prey that is about 10% bone.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Maybe she’s getting intolerant of chicken. Are you feeding with fat on or off? Have you adjusted her portions up or down? Could she be overeating?

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Cyndi,

    Was there a time when she had normal stools? What was she eating then? Can you go back and start over? Give her a longer time to acclimate? Or just give her old food for one meal and raw for the other?

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Sojo’s Complete is grain free and is for ā€œall life stagesā€ so it does have vits/minerals. This would be something you could use if you needed something convenient in between making homemade food. I always add kibble or egg or sardine to this since it is low in protein. I also give digestive enzymes with this food for all the veggies in it. I am currently feeding it to a 14 yr old right now.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    rypke1,

    You might try gizzards and heart instead of liver for the diarrhea. They are considered muscle meat.

    Patty, mydogisme,

    I must admit, there’s Ramen noodles in my pantry! Haven’t had one in a couple months! But now that ya’ll got me thinking about it…

    in reply to: Flea and Tick treatment #18336 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Boxermom,

    I was wondering the same thing – Only Natural Pet sells one too.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Patty,

    1 minute Paleo Muffin (bread). Haven’t tried it myself.

    Ingredients
    Ā· 1/4 c. Almond Flour
    Ā· 2 Tbsp. Flaxseed Meal
    Ā· Pinch Sea Salt
    Ā· 1/2 tsp. Rumford Baking Powder (Aluminum-Free, Gluten-Free)
    Ā· 1 Large Organic Egg

    Cooking Directions
    1. Oil a 4 1/2 inch ramekin. (I have used all different sized dishes)
    2. Whisk egg.
    3. To the egg add almond flour, flaxseed meal and salt. Mix well with a spoon.
    4. Sprinkle with baking powder and mix one more time.
    5. Spoon into ramekin and microwave for one minute.
    6. Remove from microwave with dish towel and invert on a cooling rack.
    7. Split in half and toast!

    That’s it…make a ham sandwich, a breakfast egg sandwich, add a dash or two of cinnamon and a handful of raisins. The options are endless!

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    in reply to: Rotation Diet #18223 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    25-30 lb bags have around 100-120 cups of food.

    in reply to: Cans & BPA #18216 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant
    in reply to: GM Salmon Oh No! #18188 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I heard GM pineapple for Del Monte got approved as well šŸ™

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    in reply to: Cans & BPA #18186 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    He’s special!! I would list him first in my will if he would live that long!! I’ve fostered over 180 pugs now, and still going!

    in reply to: Bulk Sourcing #18175 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    You can ask your Costco if you buy by the case if they have a discount or seek out a restaurant supply company. They sometimes sell to the public.

    in reply to: Flea and Tick treatment #18173 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I’ve been using natural flea/tick products since last summer and no infestations. These include Mercola natural spray, Halo Herbal Dip, and Only Natural Pet Natural Defense Herbal Oil. I have 3 dogs and many fosters and they use a doggy door and go out whenever they want to.

    in reply to: Cans & BPA #18171 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    There was an article a while back at truthaboutpetfood.com

    Some cans that are claimed to be BPA free are Merrick and Weruva and some others but I guess you would need to contact them direct and see if they still are.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Angels6121,

    Look up these foods or brands and look through their different varieties:

    Canine Caviar GF
    EVO cans
    Fresh is Best dehydrated
    Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance freeze dried
    Great Life GF
    Honest Kitchen Zeal dehydrated
    Hound and Gatos canned
    Merrick 96% canned
    Natural Balance LID dry
    Nature’s Logic canned and dry
    Only Natural Pet Easy Raw and MaxxMeat dehydrated
    Pioneer Naturals GF
    Sojo’s Complete dehydrated
    Smack dehydrated
    Tuscan Natural Simply Pure dry
    Weruva Marbella Paella
    Wellness Simple canned
    Wellness cans – duck, turkey, venison, whitefish

    in reply to: Dr Harveys #18084 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    wantthebest4myk9,

    I’ve been using Sojo’s Complete on one of my dogs (14 yr old pug) but I either add in some high protein kibble or some eggs since it’s a little low in meat. I also give digestive enzymes with it and the stool only has a few visible pieces of veggies in it. For my personal pugs I prefer at least 30% protein. If you’re looking to make homemade, ā€œReal Food for Healthy Dogs and Catsā€ by Dr Becker/Beth Taylor uses a 75% meat/organ/bone to 25% veggie/fruit mix. I’ve also used The Honest Kitchen Zeal.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    in reply to: Rotation Diet #18065 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I usually have 3 different bags of food open at once and either feed one at a time or mix some of it up in a large container. I also have a dozen different canned foods I’ll use as toppers. Sometimes I even give them some dehydrated foods (rehydrated, of course) mixed with some kibble and I also give them freeze dried foods as well. Hopefully once you start offering a variety, your dog will be able to eat something different at each meal without a problem. Adding probiotics and digestive enzymes will help.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Just wanted to add my pugs’ ages range from 2 to 14 and they all eat the same various things. Good luck on your search for new foods! I’ve probably tried over 2 dozen!

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    My dog sitter has a maltiepoo or a maltiepootzu. Something like that. Anyways, HDM gave great advise. As far as kibble goes, my pugs and foster pugs eat a variety of foods (mostly grain free except for the puppy food). The foods also have a varying level of protein and fat and they have no problem going from one food to another. The kibble is also small – Nutrisource grain free, Brothers Complete, Nature’s Select grain free and I still have a few small bags of Epigen fish laying around. They have also eaten Amicus (for toy breeds). Since you only have 2 small dogs you can probably keep 2 or 3 different small bags of food around at once to offer a variety. Or heck, I can just mail you some because I always get big bags since I have at least 9 dogs around at once! Currently I have 4 different flavors open.

    If you go to some of the dog foods’ websites, you will see that the toy/small breed foods are generally higher in protein than regular and large breed foods.

    There are some days my toy breed dogs just get a piece of chicken leg or whole sardine or just tripe. Just protein and fat, no carbs.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Transitioning can be as slow or fast as you want but I would suggest going by how their output is. If your dog has only eaten one food for several years it might take longer to transition as they are not use to the different kinds of ingredients. I’ve even taken two months or longer on one of mine. Basically I got to 80% new/20% old for over a month but I was transitioning them to a high protein/fat diet – Instinct. I usually go with 25/75 for at least a week and if there stools look good then increase to 50/50 for another week until their stools look good, then 75/25 etc. I didn’t know about probiotics or digestive enzymes back then so those probably would have made transitioning easier. You can even feed a mix of kibbles. I usually feed 2 different kibbles together and mix them up in a 1.5 gallon container in different ratios everytime it gets empty.

    Also are you feeding a grain food or grain free food? That might also factor in the transitioning. I went from 1 star food to 4 star food to 5 star food over the coarse of a year.

    Of course my fosters get zero transition time. I have know idea what they ate in their previous life and what they ate at the vet. I just give them probiotics, digestive enzymes and ground psyllium and hope for the best. They might have soft stool for a few days and that’s it.

    I have found that they transition well on Nutrisource grain free and even Nutrisca. Petflow (and probably other online retailers) offer free shipping when you order a certain amount. Petflow’s amount is $49 so a large bag is usually free shipping. I’d get two large bags at once. They’re packed in the box tighter than one single bag.

    Once you know how to read ingredients on dog food, it should be the same for treats. I used to give Beggin Strips, Pupperoni and even cheese balls as treats. Even fed one of my fosters Moist and Meaty after jaw surgery not knowing any better. Right now I use Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets and Dr Becker Bites and Nutrisca freeze dried for treats. For chewing treats I give dry roasted trachea and tripe chews (very stinky) and fresh chicken feet and fresh trachea.

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_4047600x450_zpsf34c6610.jpg
    Just remember to cut the claws off!

    A whole sardine is an easy additon too.

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_60801024x821_zpsad7d39eb.jpg

    Duck and turkey necks are great for chewing and cleaning teeth also. I can find small turkey necks at the health food store sometimes. Chicken necks are always at the ethnic grocery store and so are chicken feet and other kinds of feet.

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_3998594x640_zpsf920079d.jpg

    I don’t think you even mentioned raw food so I’ll stop there!

    Yes homemade jerky treats are a money saver. You can even use your oven. Set it to the lowest setting and bake for at least 3 hours thinly sliced strips of chicken or other meat/organs on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I guess the new silicone nonstick bakeware will work. Store in the frig.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Anywhere from 9 to 12 usually!

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    My dogs eat (mine and fosters) Nutrisource grain free Lamb or Heartland Select and occasionally the grain-inclusive puppy formula, Nature’s Select grain free and occasionally the Hi-Pro (puppy) formula, Nutrisca (all 3 flavors) and Brothers Complete Beef and Fish formulas. I feed puppy formulas sometimes to the emaciated ones. I’ve heard alot of people say their dogs do well on Victor dog food. For cans I use Wellness stews, Merrick classic and Merrick 96%, Weruva, Addiction, Tripett, Nutrisca and I have Sojo’s Complete (dehydrated) and Addiction (dehydrated) also. It has more volume when served but not alot of calories to I add kibble or eggs to it for added protein. The Costco brand Kirkland Cuts in Gravy is only $1 a can but I don’t have Costco near me.

    The dogs usually get kibble with a different can several days a week and I have 3 bags of kibble open all the time. So they could literally eat something different every day or every meal. And that’s not including my raw fed dogs that also eat a variety.

    I will say that I started out having 2 bags of food open and when one ran out I would get a different one so the dogs would always get something ā€œnewā€ with their ā€œoldā€ food so they wouldn’t have tummy upsets. But I’ve changed so often they don’t have that problem anymore. Probiotics and digestive enzymes help with that too.

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/2012_12_28cannedfoods765x1024_zpseae4fea6.jpg

    in reply to: Struvite Crystals #17879 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    All my dogs have struvite in their urine but no infection and they are 5, 5 and 9 yrs old. I give vitamin C (recc’ by my vet) and d-mannose almost daily. My vet is more holistic. She even sells raw foods in her clinic and didn’t even mention any Rx foods. They have never had a UTI. That is not to say that some dogs aren’t more prone to get UTI’s and then have problems with stones.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    How old is your dog? Two of my dogs had an elevated liver enzyme at one check up and then normal the next. It is not just diet that can affect it but also things like medications and pesticides (ingested or topical like heartworm/flea/tick meds) that are filtered through the liver. Ask you vet about milk thistle and have the enzymes rechecked. What are you currently feeding your dog?

    in reply to: Raw Food Calculator #17814 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Thanks! I checked it out. Just give it about 20 seconds to fully load!! 75 lbs of pugs only need 34 lbs of raw a month!

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I’ve used Mercola probiotics for about 2 yrs now but have just purchased some Dr Langer’s also (for me to use too). It depends on what I’m feeding. If it’s wet food, I like to sprinkle in the probiotics, if dry kibble, I just like to give them a pill without having to wet the kibble. It’s quite time consuming sometimes to wet the kibble with canned food. This week I’m feeding 12 dogs. Maybe it’s not so much time consuming but the dogs are sooooo impatient when I pop open a can and it can get quite loud!!

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    That’s carnivorefeed-supplier. Have you thought about making homemade raw? There are recipe books you can buy and it ends up being alot cheaper. You can also supplement his diet with 20% of unbalanced food like giving chicken wings/necks/backs/gizzards/heart, etc.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Have you looked at the other products available where you buy the Primal? You might also find a supplier at carnivorefeed-supply. It is a yahoo group you can join where suppliers post. I buy 2 lb bags of ground frozen for around $2/lb and I make my own grinds too. Alot cheaper that way!

    in reply to: fleas! help! #17711 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Hi Betsy,

    I used it last year and didn’t have any problems. I’m in TX. My senior girl also liked to sunbath and lay outside alot and she and others didn’t get fleas. I haven’t seen mosquitoes yet around here but I’m sure they’re coming! At the end of the year I also tried out Halo Herbal Dip. I used it concentrated and put a couple drops 4 or 5 on their harness. It can be put on cloth. And also mixed with water for a spray. I would carry a collar with some drops on it out with me when I went out and I didn’t get bit either. I just bought some essential oil or eucalyptus citriodora to add a few drops to the mercola bottle. I also put in a little neem oil. I treated my yard with garlic, neem and cedar oil sprays last year too and once maybe last month. I have about 6 bottles in the cupboard. And none of my pugs got heartworm or tapeworms since I don’t give anything for that. They all had their check-up in April.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    The best diet (if your feeding kibble) would be to feed your lab a variety of foods, not just one brand or flavor or form. Rotate foods to maintain a healthy gut and give probiotics and/or digetive enzymes. Commercial kibble will always have some shortcomings. I like and use for kibble Nutrisource grain free, Nature’s Select Grain Free or the Hi-Pro formulas only (made by Mid America Pet Foods), Brothers Complete and sometimes Wysong Epigen and Nutrisca. I foster so I have lots of mouths to feed. I also feed various canned foods from Wellness, Nutrisca, Addiction, Tripett and Weruva. And also give freeze dried foods and raw foods.

    in reply to: bladder stones #17692 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I don’t have any advise for a diet for 3 types of stones (what are they?) but if you go the homemade route, be prepared to do frequent urine tests to make sure all is good. You can get urine pH strips and check for that yourself but will need to drop a sample off regulary to see how the crystal situation is going.

    in reply to: Advice needed #17689 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I know she doesn’t have teeth but are you afraid of feeding her kibble for that reason? As dogs don’t chew food anyways (most, can’t say all). But I don’t think a dog of her size would have any issue with small kibble. Many old foster pugs are toothless or only have a few and not the ones to crush food with anyways. I don’t know what all she has in her pantry, but just some Honest Kitchen with another one of her foods so she just gets the fiber/veggie bulk from HK to help with the slow poop. Whether that is HK with raw or HK with canned or HK with kibble. And are you still using olive oil? Or the herbal?

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
    in reply to: Advice needed #17680 Report Abuse Edit Post Visibility
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Give her a spoon or two of Honest Kitchen with whatever else you’re feeding her if it makes her poop. I’ve been feeding my 14 yr old Sojo’s with eggs and kibble. He’s still such a food hound so the added volume of food from Sojo’s helps him stay full too.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
Viewing 50 posts - 601 through 650 (of 865 total)