[pugmomsandy]

Got to gravatar.com and create one. You can actually make a couple avatars and switch between them if you want.

[pugmomsandy]

That’s amazing your 8 pounder eats 1 cup! As for the wet, check out the calorie count and and compare it to your kibble to see if you need to feed more or less. The calories are going to be for a dry measure before added water.

[pugmomsandy]

pacer1978

Since you’ve already introduced raw into the diet, just try out a raw meaty bone and see how they do. I have small dogs and started with chicken wings and necks. And then went to chicken legs. I do have 2 that chomp their bones pretty well and one that does a so-so job at it but in 2 years of raw meaty bones, he hasn’t had any issues. You can attach a large vice clamp onto a RMB or tie part of it to a broom stick or something like that so he can’t gulp the whole thing down and hopefully learns to not gulp. If gulping is a problem, then I would feed grinds and nothing harder than chicken bones. I would say that chicken necks and duck necks and very small turkey necks (about 1 inch diameter or less) are ok to slightly gulp down. This is what my 30 lb dog does! You can always whack the neck with a hammer first. If you want to incorporate raw and still feed kibble and other commercial products, then I would suggest chicken, turkey or duck necks 3 times a week and then maybe a couple meals of just ground meats/organ/calcium supplement (or commercial raw). Baby back pork ribs are also easy to break so that might be an option too. Frankly, I don’t think there is anything “sharp” in a small poultry neck bone so that might be a good bone for you to use. You can also buy a large leg bone just for them to enjoy chewing on instead of eating it.

[pugmomsandy]

oceans11

There are some easy recipes in “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker/Beth Taylor and there is a 4th edition which I just purchased. It makes for good reading too even if you don’t actually make the recipes. Anyhow, that is how I got started with homemade raw, but I use a commercial vit/min mix instead of the book’s recipe (CarnivoreRaw). Homemade is quite easy when you use a premix like CarnivoreRaw, Urban Wolf, The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s, See Spot Live Longer. You just add the boneless meat/organs and oil (except for CarnivoreRaw, you have the choice of with or without calcium).

[pugmomsandy]

oceans11,

Yes a mix of Instinct and kibble and bones will do!

[pugmomsandy]

Many dog food manufacturers make several different brands and different flavors, not just Blue. As far as balance of nutrients are concerned, yes Blue is not perfect. There is no perfect one. So to minimize deficiencies or overages, rotate in another brand or two. This should minimize risk. I think those life source bits aren’t evenly distributed or eaten evenly so I can understand why he says that about blue and they did have a recall in 2010 for too much vitamin D. I’ve bought 2 dog foods already that have had a different kibble in the bag from a different recipe. It happens. Few and far between but it does.

[pugmomsandy]

BTW, I transitioned my 14 yr old foster off of Hills W/D and he eats some kibble (mod/high protein) and mostly wet food like The Honest Kitchen, Sojo’s (with added protein) and various canned foods. I don’t know how long he was eating that before I got him.

[pugmomsandy]

There are several good choices to choose from but since he’s only eaten one food for 3 years, it could take some time (weeks to months) to transition him off, but don’t let that discourage you. Get a good multi-strain probiotic to help seed his gut with a more diverse population since his gut is only used to digestion RC. Since he’s eating grain right now, there are some other good grain products that are gluten free like Nutrisource small/med puppy (yes for your old guy, it’s for all life stages). If you’re confused about that statement, we can discuss it some more. Also there is Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Select Hi-Pro, Merrick Classic, Solid Gold Sundancer, Acana (might have gluten contamination in the oats). For grain free small kibble options, there is Amicus and Instinct (but I wouldn’t try this one yet, it would be too much for him, way too different from RC), Merrick grain free and Nutrisource grain free. I would suggest Amicus or Nutrisource grain free Heartland Select for grain free starters because they are “medium” range. Instinct and Merrick grain free are “high”. Start by adding just 20% of new food to his RC and don’t increase the new food until he has satisfactory output, however long that takes. At his age, I would strongly think about adding canned food to his diet (if you’re not already) or making it the majority of his diet. It is “a step up” from kibble.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/20/aging-pet-food.aspx

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

Look into Amicus and Nature’s Logic, Nutrisource small/med breed puppy, Nutrisource grain free Lamb, Nature’s Select Hi-Pro, Brothers Complete Beef, and Nature’s Select grain free (this looks almost identical to Evangers grain free). After he’s been eating mod-high protein foods for a while, you might also try some Instinct and Back to Basics High Protein, or Core small breed. These are the smallest kibbles I’ve used. Feed a variety of foods. No need to pick just one. Evangers has had some issues in the past – stealing electricity, a food testing for the wrong protein as it was labeled. I cross out gluten (Royal Canin) from my list of foods in general. http://dogtorj.com/what-is-food-intolerance/gluten-intolerance/

[pugmomsandy]

How long has he been eating RC? Is that the only food he had eaten?

[pugmomsandy]

You can do that. In fact you can alternate anything and everything – kibble, canned, freeze dried, raw. If he’s used to change you can mix up his meals, or you can feed one type of food per meal. My boys are used to change. This morning they had some raw, canned and freeze dried together. Now I wouldn’t have done this 2 or 3 years ago. But they’re used to it now.

[pugmomsandy]

A couple hours of outside heat won’t do much harm. It’s already been in a small, closed delivery truck for days. I buy food online all year. But order more at once during the cool months. Petflow usually delivers fast and you get a tracking number so maybe you could time it right and get delivery on the weekend.

[pugmomsandy]

Nutrisource grain free chicken and lamb formulas are 1.67/lb on petflow. You can find this at retailers as well. Tractor Supply’s 4Health grain free food (not made by Diamond) is 1.23/lb. Merrick Whole Earth Farms 1.23/lb (not grain free). I’ve also heard Victor is reasonably priced. http://www.victordogfood.com. Dr. Tim’s with grain 1.50/lb. Fromm 4 Star Nutritionals Chicken a la Veg 1.80/lb. And Hit-Tek Naturals grain free.

[pugmomsandy]

Bully sticks are bull penis. LOL! I think sometimes they’re called Pizzle Sticks in certain areas of the country. There are also tendon chews, tripe chews, snout chews, trachea and ears, etc. They even make treats out of lungs! As far as bacteria go, any treat can be potentially contaminated with bacteria. Pig ears have been recalled before.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

I chose the horse version since it didn’t have “beef flavor” or something like that and it makes it a real small dose. The raw feeders in my group large dogs use the horse version.

[pugmomsandy]

Boobear27,

What are you feeding for dinner? Necks have alot of bone compared to meat. Could tend to make harder than normal stools. Just FYI. And raw fed dogs have small, formed stools that turn ashy in color BTW. For dinner, I would suggest some muscle/organs or whatever they are normally eating. I can feed 3 meals a week of RMB without worrying about nutritional deficiencies. I give my pugs 1/3 to 1/2 a turkey neck or 1/2 a duck neck. Actually I should give them 1/2 a duck neck, but I gave the whole thing! Generally speaking, they would only need 6 oz a day total of raw food so when I give them a big bone like that, they only get a small snack for dinner. Chicken necks are alot smaller and easier to measure out. I gave mine chicken wings when I first started too.

[pugmomsandy]

The big dog people in my raw group suggested using Actiflex 4000! A gallon goes a long way.

Under 25 pounds:

½ tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
¼ tsp. daily maintenance dose

25-50 pounds

1 tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
½ tsp. daily maintenance dose

50-75 pounds:

1 ½ tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
¾ tsp. daily maintenance dose

> 100 pounds

2 tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
1 tsp. daily maintenance dose

[pugmomsandy]

It depends on the cuts of meat you’re using for the homemade raw and if it’s regular, free range, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc. You probably don’t want the regular chickens that have been injected but rather get some that are less processed, no antibiotics. You can find discount prices when the sell-by dates are coming up. At the health food store, I can get a package of turkey neck with giblets for around $1.49/lb. But duck necks are about $2.69/lb. Ground beef 80/20 is less than $1/lb and containers of heart and gizzard are under $2/lb. I guess it also depends on your area of the country. There is an initial investment of freezer space and a meat/bone grinder but they are well worth it. Or you can use boneless meats and supplement with bone meal or other source of calcium. The recipe book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker/Beth Taylor has simple recipes with and without bone. I would say my average (guessing) would be $2.20 a pound and my dog would eat 6 oz per day = 11.25 lbs per month = $24.75 per month PLUS supplements. Kibble would be $15.60 per month for me ($79 for 100 cups). I don’t ever use the $0.39/lb bag of chicken thighs!! But yes, you can get homemade to be real cheap. Let’s say a combo of ground beef 80/20 or 70/30 and chicken heart/gizzard and some supplements would be cheap, in rotation with the Core. I think it would work out. You can also join a local raw feeding group and order in bulk with them. I like to buy tripe which is $2/lb for me. I also feed raw sardines which I bought on sale for $1.19/lb. You can also add up to 20% of unbalanced raw food to his diet without having to worry about extra vit/min supplementation. Maybe give him a chicken wing, a heart and piece of gizzard a couple times a week.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

weezerweeks,

Can you get Amicus? It’s grain free, toy-breed so it is tiny pieces and they have a lower fat recipe (Senior/Weight Management). http://www.horizonpetfood.com

And there are only three grain free choices at Wellness: 1) Core Small Breed and 2) Simple Limited Ingredient Diet GF Turkey or (3) Simple LID GF Salmon.

[pugmomsandy]

Canned plus dry is better for a dog. Whole Earth Farms canned food is pretty reasonable and good quality. So is Petsmart’s Simply Nourish and Costco’s Kirkland Cuts in Gravy. Giving him bones to gnaw on will help keep his teeth clean. The food you asked about is fine to feed in a rotation with other higher protein foods or with some added canned food. You can even just put a scrambled egg with his kibble.

[pugmomsandy]

I hit refresh after logging in (if it didn’t work) and then I show up. Doesn’t happen all the time.

[pugmomsandy]

You can check into sending his blood work for a full panel to Dr Jean Dodds – thyroid expert!

[pugmomsandy]

Nancy M,

Sorry to hear that, but I wouldn’t have started off by giving fatty marrow! Now he might need a bland diet for a week. How about starting with just a bite or two of regular raw food. Just a bite or two per day and increase from there. Instinct comes in bite sizes and you know Primal comes in the small 1 oz size. Half an ounce in the morning and the other half at night when he feels better. Be sure to check the guaranteed analysis on the different flavors and make sure there’s less fat than protein.

[pugmomsandy]

She can cut the meat off the rib bone and yes restuffing cowhooves and marrow bones can add variety. Also stuffing them with something that is not tripe allows them to eat it in the house!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

Maybe she needs more time to adjust. Do you still have her old food? Maybe one meal of her old food, and one meal of raw until her poop situation is stable. You can even (instead of using her old food) feed some canned food or feed her some dehydrated food (they generally have veggie matter that will give her fiber) with her raw meals or feed her pumkin daily. Raw poops are usually alot smaller and can be firm but it can be concerning when they seem constipated. The vet can also administer an enema. Does she chew the bones down or is she a gulper? If she’s a gulper, you might consider feeding ground food or tie the piece of meat onto something so she can’t swallow it whole or smash the bones with a mallet. I mostly feed ground but do give necks and pork ribs whole. And mine still eat kibble too.

[pugmomsandy]

Beef rib bones, cow hoof, and I think trachea is just cartilage, no fat, and some empty marrow bones, braided bully stick.

[pugmomsandy]

It’s similar to Nutrisource grain free Heartland Select in protein content. I would feed it but only with something higher in protein mixed in some. Maybe at least 1/4 BB. But that’s just me. It would be bbetween 3.5 and 4 stars.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

Nancy M

I buy my kibble online and from the local feed store/garden supply store. I buy canned foods from a wholesaler but there are alot of them that get dented on the delivery so it would be better for me to pick the order up from the loading dock but I do buy several cases at once. Basically, I just bought about a dozen cases, not for sure. There’s several still on the floor that aren’t on the shelf! There is also a non-profit store where fosters can buy food for dirt cheap like Merrick cases for $2.50 (and they are in date, not expired). I haven’t bought from them so my cases are around $16-$30. My preferred cans are Weruva, Tripett, Merrick, Wellness, Nature’s Logic, just ordered some Hound & Gatos. For freeze dried/dehydrated I’ve used The Honest Kitchen and Sojo’s with added protein, and Addiction with added protein. My other favorite freeze dried is Vital Essentials freeze dried nibbletts since I get a big bag of this for $15-$18. For kibble, I keep Nature’s Logic, Nutrisource, Brothers Complete, Instinct, and Epigen, sometimes Nature’s Select grain free. I have anywhere from 6-12 dogs at a time and when they leave my house, I send them with a gallon ziplock bag about 3/4 full and a couple cans. I like to use wet foods on their kibble, but usually make sure to feed the seniors extra wet food. My raw is from a local source or with a group bulk order from GreenTripe.com in California. Retailers also carry this brand but for twice as much as when ordering with my raw feeding group.

[pugmomsandy]

Neezerfan,

Yes, it is like a pet store! I’m going to have shelves put in for my stuff. There’s stuff in that room, stuff in an upstairs bedroom (cases of toys and harnesses, leads, etc, crate mats, etc) and stuff in the garage (not food). I’ve been fostering for over 4 years so I’ve accumulated alot and keep on buying, it’s an addiction!

[pugmomsandy]

Nancy M,

I don’t think there is one correct way. You could start for the first few months of slow transitions between some of the foods you pick for your rotation and use probiotics to help “build up” the gut. Then after a while, you can try switching foods without a transition. Change every bag or change 3 or 4 times a year or even have 2 or 3 different foods open at once so you can feed a different food for each meal. I use different toppers – cans, freeze-dried/dehydrated, raw. No particular pattern. Just whatever I feel like grabbing. I don’t fast the dogs each week like HDM does.

[pugmomsandy]

That is beyond me, weezerweeks! Although it looks like he is under stress. I had some weird test results before I started my thyroid pills though, even elevated liver enzymes.

[pugmomsandy]

Molzy,

I use CarnivoreRaw without Calcium in my meat/organ grinds. The one that neezerfan mentions above. I asked Urban Wolf about their’s and it’s only for boneless meat.

[pugmomsandy]

Sojo’s Complete is low calorie – only 333, something like that. Compare that to The Honest Kitchen Zeal which is around 500. You could increase his serving size like neezerfan suggested or find a more caloric dense food.

[pugmomsandy]

You can add calories to her diet by adding some oils (fish, coconut, Udo’s, etc), you can also add fattier cuts of meat, and you can add Abady granular food (around 100 calories per 2 TB) to what she’s eating now. There are also recipes for Satin Balls on-line that you could try and adjust it to your liking. Feed these as treats throughout the day. Are you using Sojo’s Complete or Sojo’s mix?

[pugmomsandy]

Well, I hope he tells you everything! I can see how hypothyroidism can make him feel bad. I just got a thyroid diagnosis last month and I’ve been feeling off for at least a year! Affected my digestion, muscle weakness and I’ve been exhausted for the longest time. I didn’t see my doctor for 3 years though. If it were my dog, I probably would have taken him a long time ago!

[pugmomsandy]

Stella & Chewy’s makes small freeze dried treats as well (Carnivore Crunch and Carnivore Kisses). Fresh is Best has plain meat treats as well. http://www.freshisbest.com/products/pet-treats-chews

[pugmomsandy]

There’s only so low-carb you can go if you’re looking for mid-protein and low-fat. Middle protein will be around 30. That’s Nutrisource, Amicus, Pulsar, Nature’s Logic lamb, Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets, Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Chicken, Merrick Classic, Avoderm Revolving Menu, Simply Nourish grain free, Wellness Small Breed, Wellness Simple grain free, THK Thrive and Embark. The 4 to 4.5 star foods are mid-protein, generally speaking. A few of them are 3.5 because they have some potato or pea protein or other gluten meal boosting the protein content. You can always mix two kibbles up to get a combo that you like.

[pugmomsandy]

I like adding in Vital Essentials freeze dried nibbletts. It firms up anything here. But you could add more raw mix to his meals. The bone content generally helps. Have you tried ground psyllium? 1/4 teaspoon per 10 lbs. This is my first choice on my fosters and they actually only need about 1/4 per 20 lbs. Or even chia seed, dosage varies, but I give mine 1 teaspoon for 20 lbs. Ground flaxseed and hemp seed has fiber too. I’ve heard of people using some oatmeal too.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/chia-for-pets/

Also, sometimes feeding a little less helps since you’re adding calories with the add-ons. Also, are you giving kefir and enzymes and tripe in the same meal? That’s like triple duty. Just use one.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

You’re welcome. Just remember, some companies change their recipes fairly regularly. Don’t become dependent on just one dog food. And keep the ingredient label from the bag of food and periodically check their website for changes.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

Nature’s Variety Instinct Healthy Weight Raw Boost Chicken Meal is 32%. You might be able to find Nutrisource grain free and Solid Gold (Sundancer recipe) at PetCo/Petsmart as well. The grain free foods range from 25-28% and Sundancer is 30%. At a feed store/tractor supply store, you might find Amicus 30%, Pulsar 28%. All of these are actually in the “medium range” of protein.

[pugmomsandy]

Nature’s Logic sardine, and it’s low fat. If you’re worried about the amount of protein, cut it with another kibble. Core has Ocean formula but I would call it a small/medium in shape because it is pyramind-shaped or a triangular prism in shape. Not flat. But I used it a couple years ago so it may not be shaped like that anymore. Then there is Instinct Salmon. I also used Prairie Salmon in the past. Hi-Tek has a grain free fish formula too.

[pugmomsandy]

Sheena,

You might look into these:

Smack Salmon dog food http://www.smackpetfood.com

California Natural grain free Lamb Meal

Canine Caviar grain free Wild Ocean

ZiwiPeak Daily Dog

[pugmomsandy]

Any dog food plant can have a recall. ANY. It’s run by human beings. The thing with Diamond is that they are SO BIG, so they make alot more food and the CHANCES of a recall are increased. You would think having a recall has increased food safety, protocols and testing procedures.

[pugmomsandy]

I don’t know what that product is (nutrident) but I wanted to suggest ProDen Plaque Off (a seaweed) and some oral gels (Petzlife Oral Care or Mercola and other similar products). Have you tried raw chicken feet? I’m not sure what the size difference would be to compared to duck feet. My boys also like beef rib bones, roasted trachea, cow hoof and pig snout. Just throw those away when they become soft enough to swallow whole.

[pugmomsandy]

It’s the supplement product that the recipe uses at homemadedogfood.com.

http://www.dinovite.com/catalog/product/view/id/208/category/167/

[pugmomsandy]

Have you tried any behavior therapy/training? Acupuncture, Tellington Touch Technique, Bach Flower Essences? You can add some fiber (ground pysillium) to his food too. Try about 1/4 teaspoon per 10 lbs. Not a full dose in the beginning though. Just try a little and see. You can also try some chia seed. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/chia-for-pets/

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/flower-power-for-pets-to-the-rescue/

[pugmomsandy]

ringohop,

give some probiotics and digestive enzymes to help with the stool (especially the smell)

[pugmomsandy]

You could do chicken/rice, then chicken/quinoa, then chicken/millet to give a variety. Maybe later add in some organ meat like heart/gizzard. Or start adding back in the kibble in a couple weeks.

[pugmomsandy]

Well, chicken/rice and dinovite and fish oil can be a complete and balanced meal. LOL! And he’s so little, you could make a big batch to last a whole month. Who cares about “dog food”!! Oh, you’ll need to add eggs.

This site says 1/2 cup daily, but you know how that goes:

http://homemadedogfood.com/chicken-and-rice-dog-food-recipe/

There was a reason I didn’t say rice. I can’t remember what it is. It was a Shawna recommendation. Also, I guess I wouldn’t feed rice everyday either since there is some arsenic in it. I know lots of foods have arsenic in them…but daily, long term rice I would avoid.

[pugmomsandy]

Well you would need to transition the dogs to the Core because it is a different type of food. Also ‘small breed’ food generally is smaller in size, and might have a little more protein than regular food. Generally, you don’t want to keep a bag of dog food open for more than 3 or 4 months. The food has fat in it and the fat goes rancid when exposed to air so if you don’t use up a big bag by then, it might go bad unless you keep it in an air tight container and roll the bag down to get as much air out as possible. Other small kibble alternatives would be Nature’s Logic, Instinct, Amicus, Simply Nourish small breed, and Nutrisource grain free lamb. No you don’t need a small breed food, just mainly a small bite.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

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