[Shasta220]

I second DaneMom on all she said. Are these foods listed as options because you’ve looked them over, or simply because there’s a limited availability in your area? If it’s the latter, maybe you could try finding one of the suggested brands online. I’ve never bought dog food online, but I know there are many on here who can recommend great places to start (I wanna say Chewy.com is one of the popular ones? Maybe Amazon as well?)

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Also, have you checked for other problems? My boy gets picky as well, and occasionally when he decides to skip several meals, we have found a problem with him. Sometimes it’s as simple as diarrhea that a bit of fiber/probiotics help, and once we found out that he wouldn’t eat much because he had a bad tooth that was bugging him.

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Forgot to mention – he’s 42lb (didn’t want y’all to think a little 10lb pooch downed seven eggs lol)

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Ah yes. Merrick is a very rich food. Possibly try something like NutriSource GF. My allergy-prone girl is doing well on it, and it’s not an overly rich food. Her stools are fine.

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What other brands have you tried? Have you tried supplementing with fiber (canned pumpkin or cooked sweet potato), digestive supplements (like probiotics), or extra oils (like fish or olive)? The reason why SD makes him poop so much is because of all the worthless fillers in there.

I went from a 1 star to a 4star food with my dog way back years ago. He went from making 7-10 BIG piles daily to only 3-5…

[Shasta220]

I chuckled when I read your post about your grandma being able to go to Costco. Exact same thing for me!!! Costco is about 2hrs away (only 20min for my grandma), and she’s the only one w a membership lol!

[Shasta220]

Very interesting topic to read over! All of the above posts are perfect help… Have you tried adding raw honey? I’ve heard of many allergy problems disappearing from adding that.

What do you bathe him with, too? I know a couple dogs that had nasty problems that turned out to not be food related at all. They got a bath with that Malaseb shampoo and were fine.

Ultimately, I’m sure the raw diet would be the best, but there’s always the possibility of that too. Can’t hurt to try 😉

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My Labrador loved coco oil. Then one day, she completely refused it! I decided to melt it and pour it over the food….it solidified when it touched the bottom of the bowl, and she ended up wasting a lot of kibble.

People on here suggested I take her off of it for a few days then give her smaller quantities. Bingo! That worked! I waited a few days, and then she would (most of the time) eat it without a problem.

When she is seeming picky, I will melt it, pour it over her food, and then pour about 1/2c hot water over (enough to cover the food completely). That way the coco oil won’t solidify and gets distributed evenly. I’m sure you could add some canned food, chicken broth, or something else to hide the flavor if your dog doesn’t like it anymore…

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I only just skimmed through the posts, so I might be a replaying record – but if you’re not able to track a food suspect, it might be environmental allergies. I heard you mention mosquitoes – that’s very possible, also some dogs are sensitive to grass, pollen, etc.

Maybe try adding a little spoonful of raw organic LOCAL honey to his food daily and see if that eventually helps. I’ve heard of honey working miracles on itchy allergy dogs. If you want a “quick fix”, then you could try Benadryl (or the equivalent for dogs, I’m assuming you can find allergy tabs)

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I feel so horrible for her. I think I will wait a few weeks and then ask the owner to try a 4-5 star food, and if his dogs don’t improve in a month or so, then he can go back to the crappy stuff….. He gives Kibbles n bits canned as well now (used to be Alpo and Pedigree). It has flavors like Burger Dinner and Pasta Dinner. UGH (they look and smell like, well, canned ravioli or something!)

But I don’t get as offended about the canned as I do the dry, honestly… I would be a billion times happier to see them on that junk canned food, but at least have a quality kibble…

I’ll keep y’all posted when/if I give him that suggestion. Poor babies…

[Shasta220]

Dang I’m so miffed! He finally gave in and switched foods since I was bugging him about it, but now they’re on Kibbles n bits.

Even though I know it’s equal to Beneful in quality, I refrained from looking at the ingredients….sure. I’ll pretend those weird spirally chewy ones are chunks of steak… And those meaty strips in the canned stuff? I will pretend that’s real meat, too…. *hits head on desk*

[Shasta220]

What are you feeding currently? My lab battled Otitis for many years. This was before any of us knew what dog nutrition was… She constantly had irritated ears. All the vet did was prescribe drops and washes to “neutralize” the problem.

One day, it got so far out of hand that her whole body broke out in raw spots. We had to keep a sweater and a cone on her to prevent biting/scratching. I bought her a better food and, no lie, all of the problems disappeared within a month!

She’s currently on a grain free food (I’m testing to see if her doggie dandruff is a grain allergy or not. It’s not itchy, just a little flaky now), but pretty much everything that had no corn, wheat, or soy was fine for her to eat.

[Shasta220]

Shih Tzu… Sorry, couldn’t help correcting that one… XP

Maybe try the NutriSource….avoid Purina, as it is a very low quality big-name food. Possibly add some digestive supplements (like probiotics). Canned pumpkin is a great way for a quick fix as far as icky stools go, too.

[Shasta220]

I’m agreeing with Amy. Maybe try an elimination diet…if you’re switching Kibbles, try to make a list of identical and different ingredients and which kibble he did good or bad on.

There’s that possibility of environmental allergies as well. I think you can get allergy pills for dogs, so you might try that if you’re pretty sure it’s not food related. Try giving raw local honey daily, too. I know many people who swear by it for theirs and their dogs’ allergies.

Only way to see if the shampoo does it is by ditching it and seeing if that makes any difference. My lab is occasionally itchy, so I use a medicated shampoo (I can’t remember the name of mine, but Malaseb is very similar I think).

You also might try another shampoo: Shea Moisture African Black Soap shampoo. It’s not designed for dogs, but it is an organic shampoo that has ingredients to help dandruff and itching. I use it myself and we loooooove it. (You can prob find it online, but it’s usually at Walmart, Target, and Walgreens for about 10$)

Shampoos usually won’t fix a problem though, just mask it. Get a skin scraping done to make sure it isn’t something like mange. Best wishes and hopefully you can get through this!

[Shasta220]

Thanks guys.

That’s one of my all-time favorite pics of him.

And here’s one when he was a little booger (is that googly eye not the cutest thing ever?!?)

Okay I’d better stop posting pics, I’m gonna get all choked up again XP

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Thank you so much. I still can’t believe it’s been over a year! I still miss that guy so much!!! And he was only 2 :'( juuuuust starting to come out of the “dorky annoying puppy phase.”

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I know that one….I’ve skimmed through it….there are just soooooo many posts going on there lol!

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And it’s not about money or resources, either. I think he just is already in the routine of buying the Beneful and doesn’t want to change.

I tried getting him to try a bag of Kirkland since it’s super quality AND cheaper than Beneful… Ugggggggh.

He also gives them pedigree/Alpo canned :/ lousy canned doesn’t seem to bother me as much as the lousy kibble though, lol. I haven’t bothered to talk to him about canned, since I know he wouldn’t even remotely listen…

[Shasta220]

I still don’t know what’s with him… He’s never said “I think Beneful is a great food”, just stuff like “they’re okay on this.”

I have no clue who his vet is or what they say about Beneful. But the vets here are lousy when it comes to nutrition…. Yeeeears ago, when Cassy was young and starting out w her skin problems (I didn’t know a thing about dog food. I thought the cute commercials and colorful chewy kibbles were good), my parents moved her to Beneful in hopes of helping out. Of course the vet approved! Worry not though. Cassy is a senior citizen enjoying her quality food now lol.

But I’m rather anxious about seeing Camile this weekend when I take care of her…a stroke of all things!!!? Gosh! Beneful makers, I hate you.

Gaaahhhhh if I could just know he read DFA’s review for Beneful! I mean, it’s pretty much impossible to still happily put Beneful in a bowl after reading that ingredient label (you don’t know how hard it is for me right now. I’m boarding two lab mixes at my house. They are, of course, on Beneful. I gave in and bought a bag of DN for one of them, b/c she ate a small handful of that junk and got to the point of her ribs sticking out. She is def a smart girl about what goes in her tummy!)

[Shasta220]

:/ sorry, Marie. This is why I don’t recall ever taking time to look for specific foods…. I always figure “if this person needs the food so desperately, it’s not that hard for them to take a while and skim thru DFA’s reviews themselves…”

Maybe they just come on here once in a while and will still be back? 😉

To goldie d: I concur with InkedMarie on those foods lol! Those ones and then possibly looking into canned or otherwise home made (I know you said no raw, but home made doesn’t always have to be raw…)

[Shasta220]

I wonder if it could be as simple as trying to add some pumpkin to her kibble? Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber and is always my go-to. Or maybe probiotics to help out digestion.

I’m curious to see other peoples’ thoughts, as I’m taking care of a dog who has occasional loose stools….no fun.

[Shasta220]

Hopefully you’ll have a success story as well!

Don’t feel too bad about the vet situation – we only took Cassy in a few times when she was younger. Not once did they suggest food/supplements, except for Beneful and flax oil (Beneful=garbage. Flax oil-they don’t absorb many of the nutrients). They just continued to give us expensive drops and washes, which seemed to make her worse.

We went several years without going to the vet since we knew it wouldn’t help… We finally had no other option when she got to the point of wearing the cone and sweaters.

The food change was night and day though. She acted /years/ younger, wanting to jump and play again. If I didn’t switch her food a year ago, I’m not sure she’d even be alive today (poor girl is starting to slow back down again. She spends most of the day sleeping on her fluffy bed lol)

[Shasta220]

No worries! I used to make the same mistake as well – looking at the chicken ones, thinking “oh it must have lots of chicken since it looks like chicken strips!” Boy was I wrong, LOL! Now my dogs get mostly home made treats, and for training I just buy a different brand/protein source than their regular kibble (like my dogs are on beef, chicken, and lamb. So I buy fish kibble for treats).

[Shasta220]

Also, be sure to minimize treats and other scraps. I know a dog who is very very overweight (he is probably about 120-130lb, and a healthy weight on him would be closer to 80-100lb). He has a fairly good diet, and he is given only a tiny bit more kibble than my 70lb girl. How is he so huge? Table scraps and treats, of course! He gets them alllllll the time…

[Shasta220]

Agreed about leaner meats. Try boneless skinless meats. Exercise is good, keep it up! The walks though, are they just sort of pleasure strolls, or do you try to get your heart rate up and do some speed walking? Because just strolling really won’t do too much to get her going.

Try to get some running in there. Either run some on your walks, or try to find a sport to get her into like agility, flyball, fetch, etc.

And definitely keep track of portion control. There are many dogs out there that will convince you that they’re starving, even though they just stole a whole loaf of bread from the pantry! My dogs are perfect examples – I went to feed them their daily amount, and they all gobbled up like they were starving. Then, right as they finish the last bite, dad told me “oh. I fed them all a whole scoop already.” Eeeeeesh! (At least my dogs don’t have to worry about their weight for now lol)

[Shasta220]

Sorry you’re having such a hard time! I’ve never been able to go raw (although I’d like to when I move out and can manage to find the money, resources, and space for keeping a freezer full of meat), so I’m little help. You’re not alone though. I know a dog who was on raw for a while. He seemed mostly fine, but he would get very red skin and other problems. When they put him back on kibble, he was completely normal again.

So keep trying, and I’m sure some people on here will be great help! 🙂

[Shasta220]

I’ve only skimmed through the posts, so I’m sorry if I’m butting in lol!

Our lab used to be on Dog Chow as well. She always suffered mildly from otitis (skin and ear infections). It eventually got so far out of hand. The poor girl was covered in gross raw patches. We put a sweater on her and a cone, but that was just preventing her from scratching, and not helping her feel better. Took her to the vet and they gave us tons of medications (they were really very little help. They just said “well, she has an allergy to food, environment, or fleas. It’s your job to find out which one, not mine!”)

I knew as soon as we ran out of those meds, then she’d be back in itchville. So I found DFA and then got her on a food without corn, wheat, or soy. In all her 12 years, I have never seen her NOT shake her head constantly and rub the ears after I clean them out. She stopped stinking, her fur grew back, she never scratched again, and now her ears are soft and she lets us pet them! Before, her ears were waxy and gross, and if we even touched them, it’d send her into an itching spree…

She also gets a raw egg, fish oil, and coconut oil daily (she gets a bit under 1tbsp, she’s 70lb. She was getting a bit over a tbsp, but then she refused to eat the oil. I dropped it for a few days, then offered her less, and she ate it all). I’m trying a grain free food with her right now, just to see if it’ll help with her dandruff. It’s very mild dandruff, so if the GF doesn’t help, I’m not worried at all.

So that’s my success story of a very similar situation 🙂

she’s pretty rotational with the kibbles. Let’s see, she’s successfully been on Dog Lovers Gold, Pure Balance GF, Diamond Naturals, Wenaewe, Paramount GF, and one or two others, can’t remember off the top. Right now she’s on the pure balance GF – I’ll probably move to NutriSource GF when this bag is empty. I tried her on NutriSource grain-inclusive…I don’t know if it was coincidence or what, but she broke out horribly (I might try it again in the future, as she’s been on worse foods without a problem)

[Shasta220]

I don’t know anything about the manufacturers and stuff, but the ingredients of canine carryouts are really cheap nasty ones…

[Shasta220]

C4C, yes, ret leashes usually have a couple buttons/switches push the first one down to lock, and the second one to keep it in that position. I’ve had really bad experiences with the locks though…

[Shasta220]

Suburban Gal – that is not true about any leash causing tension like retractables do. A ret leash is constantly trying to pull itself back (even though it is just a /tiny/ bit of pressure). The only way this can be prevented is to leave it in a lock until there’s slack, which I have never in my life seen a ret leash where the owner trained the dog to leave slack.

A normal leash will only have tension when the dog pulls, instead of all the time.

When I was younger, I realized that constant tension only makes matters way worse (found this out when walking a neighbors dog. They had it on a choker, and all it did was make her pull harder). However, a properly-timed quick tug will not encourage pulling. It discourages it.

And dogs who are used to slight tension will get used to that, and will always be pullers. They think a walk means “keep at the end of the leash” as opposed to “stay near mom and enjoy myself.”

I’ll stop on my vent though, because I know it does absolutely nothing of benefit.

The issue of heeling. I know you don’t care, but I do. If my Loki is anywhere out of a heeling position, he is immediately noticeably insecure and realizes that he’s taken over the leading. He gets tense, holds his tail straight, starts prancing, and keeps his ears high up. If I tell him to heel though, he lowers his tail/head and lays his ears back – which is VERY important as he’s a highly reactive dog.

My other dog, Shasta, isn’t very reactive (he’s just an emotional grump lol)…. I /could/ walk him on just a loose lead, but having him be at my side/behind me keeps him happier as well. I know most people think a walk is a walk, but I find it to be a source of infinite training, bonding, knowledge, and communication IF it’s executed correctly.

Sure, there’s plenty of free time for sniffing, rolling, and being goofy….but it’s always on my mark. They aren’t allowed to pull over for a sniff unless I give the okay. (Because I’ve walked dogs who are allowed to sniff wherever. Not fun at all, especially if they’re 120lb rotties LOL)

[Shasta220]

Hmmm…..what started out as a question ended in quotations and disagreements lol!

Every tool has it’s own place. A retractable lead does has it’s place – with a well trained non-pulling dog in a wide open area (such as a beach). Sue had mentioned a smaller retractable lead that she uses. If you feel you have control over the dog, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I always teach my dogs proper heeling and leash manners. A retractable lead is very awkward to hold for a heeling dog, to say the least.

But I think I’ve said my opinion enough already and the majority agrees w me…saying it again prob isn’t gonna change anyone’s mind.

I would never ever use one on a 80+ lb puller though. That’s a job for a 6ft (or 10ft) lead and lots of training.

I do agree with some of the other comments – I HATE seeing people w their little (or big) dogs on retractables, zinging out wherever they wanna go. I don’t care of the owner says “Fifi is nice, don’t worry!”. Guess what?!? My dog might not be nice!!!! He might have a space-bubble and will react horribly if it’s popped! I know the leashes have those locks on them, but I’ve had so many times where the lock snapped – just imagine if that happened while the dog was trying to run infront of a car out of fear, or run away/towards an angry dog!

Okay…..vent over lol, I’ve pretty much repeated what others have said.

Training equipment is such a hot topic, eh?

[Shasta220]

Great job on catching him, staying on top of it 🙂 I know what you mean about the treats. I had a trainer advise using treats to try distracting Loki whenever he saw another dog. I shoved it right by his nose and he had NO desire to move his focus away from the other dog lol! (And they were the super yummy stinky ones!)

[Shasta220]

Awesome job!!!!! *high fives* often a new accessory/pressure point will be enough to catch a dog “off guard” so you can start things from scratch. Glad he’s making progress so far!

[Shasta220]

Ah yes, the back ones are definitely hardest lol! That’s how Loki is – I almost never need to clip his front ones since he runs on the driveway, but the back ones don’t get filed down as easily.

[Shasta220]

Sorry things didn’t go super well….I know how tough it can be to mess with nails lol! Did Loki’s for the second time ever the other day. Let’s just say he disliked them XD

Weekly sounds good though. I pretty much never trim Loki’s nails anymore since I run him on the driveway. Maybe you can get away with walking/jogging Bru down a sidewalk daily, and then using just a file every week?

[Shasta220]

But I will add ^ even when Shasta has the harness and retractable leash on, he knows to stop pulling the instant he feels tension(he’s only 50lb)…..a harness+retractable leash might spell disaster for a big dog (I used to have a 90lb solid-muscle APBT mix. He was thoroughly leash trained, but I’d NEVER put the retract on him! I’d buy him a long lead if I wanted to work long distance or something)

[Shasta220]

If you want to be a kite to your dog, go for it….. I say big no nos to them though.

I always always teach my dogs to heel when walking, so I prefer the classic 6′ leather or nylon lead (material doesn’t matter at all, really). But since my dogs never move out of heel position on walks (except at potty breaks), I sometimes get the 3-4ft ones…

You really should teach your dog good leash manners. Start with a regular lead, holding just the handle. Walk forward, and the INSTANT there is any tension on the leash, turn and walk the opposite direction. He will probably turn and run back ahead of you, so be prepared to turn around again as soon as there’s tension. Continue doing this (when I first taught my rescue dog w this method, I literally took one step, turned around, took one step, turned around.). It’ll seem like there’s no progress, and then one minute SNAP! He realizes “oh…pulling isn’t getting me anywhere….let’s try NOT pulling!” If you’re content with a dog infront of you, then leave it as is. If you want him closer to you, shorten the leash a foot or two and restart the process.

And with collars vs head collars vs harnesses: I’ve said before – I’m not opposed to about any tool as long as it’s used properly. I know everyone has their own opinions about equipment, but I’ve used it all – every dog is different, and sometimes changing stuff can work too (I am babysitting a dog who is an extreme puller. She usually wears just a buckle collar. I popped a pinch on her just to see where things would go, and she didn’t pull ONE single time! I barely even touched it! She was a perfect Heeler from that moment on lol)

Okay, back to retractable leashes: I highly advise you do not get one for walks. They are prone to breaking, give you little control, and absolutely worthless when wanting a dog to heel. They ENCOURAGE pulling as well since there is always a tiiiiiny bit of tension on them. I do have one that I use though. Shasta is a very well trained and obedient dog, but he is part hound. If the leash goes off, he goes off and forgets what “come” means. (Loki is opposite – he’s not top-notch in training, but he always stays nearby). So if we are at the beach/lake, then I put Shasta’s harness on and the retractable leash (he knows harness=leash freedom. Collar=stay nearby)

[Shasta220]

Ah, I see you posted in the FB group 😉 that page sometimes is full of drama (which is why I never post anymore), but if you can find the nice members, you’ll be fine. Best wishes with Bear! 🙂

[Shasta220]

Yes! definitely avoid any grains…. Where did you get this pup? Was it a breeder?! If so, that person has ZERO right to be breeding wolf dogs without knowing about the wolf’s nutritional needs! Any proper WD breeder would encourage a raw diet, or at least stress the GF and high-protein needs. DN is not a super protein-rich (animal based, not grain/plant based) and is a lousy choice for a wolf.

Sorry about the rant on wolves…. But if you have a Facebook, then try finding the group “For Sale Wolf Puppies.” I have a friend (wolf dog breeder…she breeds between about 60 and 90% WDs) who is the main admin for that page (she calls herself “Obie Wolf” on there)… I’d suggest trying to get into that group, then shoot Obie Wolf a message. She will give amazing tips on where to get meat and how much to feed.

I also agree with Hounddogmom’s suggestion about that book. It’s a very good read 🙂

[Shasta220]

Out of those options though, I’d probably go with Blue Wilderness or Core (I’m guessing it’s Wellness Core, right?). But you really should, at the very least, top with a minimum of 20-50% raw meats. Or even canned food. I still am leaning very very strongly on raw for a wolf’s diet…

[Shasta220]

Is this your first WD (wolf dog)? Wolves have different dietary needs that dogs, and kibble is usually a bad idea for them. I know some WD breeders personally, and they say that kibble containing grains can be disasterous.

I’d definitely suggest looking into a raw food. If you don’t want to take the time for that, then definitely make sure the food is grain free and has a large amount of meat…

[Shasta220]

I’d definitely agree with the above posts. If you want to get adventurous, possibly try a really cool DIY detangler. I’ve never tried it, but I know people who swear by it (for themselves), not sure if it’d work on a dog. It’s easy as pie tho – a cup of water and 1/4c flax seeds in a saucepan, heat until it begins to thicken, then strain out the seeds.

I use Showsheen on my dogs sometimes as well. I know it’s geared towards horses, but it does say that it’s safe for dogs – as well as pigs, camels, goats, sheep, and cattle lol!

[Shasta220]

Cheerios are not good for weight loss. Grains don’t help dogs like they do people, plus most dogs get more than enough grain in the average kibble. Try coconut oil instead – I’ve heard countless weight/dander problems solved…

[Shasta220]

Oh my goodness! A meat (by product) isn’t even until the 5th ingredient?!?!? Daaaang that’s nasty!

Ugh. Sorry for vent on cheap food again – but I’m being reminded of what it’s like having a dog with a lousy diet. I brought 2 dogs to my house for babysitting, and they eat Beneful. (The smell makes me wanna puke, lol! The owners like good prices tho, and thought Beneful was good, so paid 20$ for 30lb. I’m trying to talk em into moving to a better food at only 25$ for 40lb. They sound like they might when they come back from traveling, yay!) Anyway, since they’re only 2, there aren’t many signs of the bad food other than constant weight-changes and bad odor…but gosh do they poo a LOT! One made a huge pile (normal, not too hard or mushy at least). Not 10min later, she made another equally large pile.

Within an hour of them being at our house, we had 5 big doggie-piles… Booooy they made Loki and Shasta’s doo-doos smell like chocolate and peanut butter! XD

[Shasta220]

(What does W/D stand for?) I used to have an APBT mix, Otto. He used to be stuck eating Dog Chow. He went through 9c of food daily, and I cleaned his area out every 24hrs. I got 6-10 piles (they were nice big and thick, not mushy or skinny). He was not an overweight dog at all either. He was 90lbs and could have gained 6-10 without looking tubby. I finally convinced mom to get him a better food, so she got Nutra Nuggets (lamb, peas, and wheat were first 3 ingredients). He went from 9c to 2c without gaining or losing a single pound! And he went down to 2-5 piles instead of 6-10!

Sadly, he didn’t get a chance to have the dogs’ current 4 star food, as he passed a year ago…

[Shasta220]

So to sum that story up: I learned the hard way that nope. The vet don’t always know best. I’d try to find a vet who has had a /proper/ course on nutrition, not some that was funded by a big name brand (in that case, why don’t we have McDonalds go fund some people nutrition courses?!)….but there aren’t many vets here, and they don’t seem to force nutrition down your throat. If you say “she’s fine on her food” and they obviously can’t argue the glossy coat, healthy build, and wiggly tail. So they nod and go onto the checkup.

Woooah. I was just looking at the hills reviews. I’m so surprised that I actually found 4 star formulas! The Ideal Balance puppy kibbles are four, count em, four stars! Not that I’d ever buy anything from Hills, but at least there are a few people out there who get tricked by the big name and still get at least a tiny bit of nutrition in their pooches, lol! (I got curious about the Ideal Balance after seeing a TV ad saying no corn/wheat/soy. I just thought, “wait. Is that even possible for Hills to do without going GF?!?”)

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Shasta220.

[Shasta220]

It’s a pet board on a makeup site lol, so I hang out there since not too many people know much, and I feel like even I can answer most of the health/behavior questions, haha! (Plus it’s fun to post pet pics)

I feel so awful that I actually fed Hills to Cassy one time. My parents could only afford a 3 star food (Nutra Nuggets lamb & rice) at the time, and I had enough money to buy one of the three dogs a more quality food. I decided to buy for Cassy (even though she’s the only dog that I didn’t bring home lol!) since she’s the old lady. I started with NutriSource and that made her flare up horribly, so I moved to Dog Lovers Gold, which she improved on. The vet asked what food I fed her, and I said DLG – he said “only food I recommend is Hills. I do not recommend DLG.” I had never been on DFA or any similar sites, so I obviously didn’t realize that most vets don’t truly recommend the best.

I bought her two bags total. I’m rather surprised to this day how well she did on it, considering it’s only 2.5 stars. She definitely did better on DLG though lol…..I went to DFA on the second bag of Hills (after I finally read the ingredients, and didn’t really understand why “corn gluten” was one of the top ingredients if it’s supposed to be an “amazing” food). Eeeeesh I wanted to hit my head on the desk so hard after spending as much on a lousy food as I’d been spending on the 4 star ones. Grrrrrrr!

But now Cassy is on Pure Balance GF (I’m just testing to see if grains have anything to do w her dandruff) and is a happy healthy old lady.

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Ironically, I was just on the subject of Hills myself! It was a different forum, someone had asked what’s good kibble for their cat – said they were feeding Hills. I suggested DFA for some head starts on good brands, and warned about the gross junk in Hills.

What happened? A bunch of people chewed me out how “…if your dog needs a prescription diet, you have no other choice.” I still said that I would never feed such useless fillers to my dogs, and would rather look into home made diets for the “prescription” benefits. They said, and I quote, “…you just don’t understand, do you! THERE IS SIMPLY NO OTHER OPTION!!!!!” – eek! They tried to caps me to death! Ohhhhh the pain!

Eeeesh! I’m sorry, I don’t care how bad my dogs get and how “absolutely necessary” a prescription Hills or RC kibble is needed, I would never feed it to my dogs! I’d rather take time to find some sort of home made diet and supplements that had the benefits without that added trash.

Okay, my vent is over too 😉

(I use shudder for the description as well, I almost never use shiver except to describe when I’m cold lol)

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Shasta220.

[Shasta220]

Oh I completely understand! My Shasta gets under my feet, then if I accidentally touch him, he cowers down like I just kicked him. Annnnnd then I usually end up in an awkward jump-trip, trying to avoid his lil toe-toes! Ahhhhhhhh!

[Shasta220]

I don’t mind separating eggs. I just crack the egg and drop the yolk between the two shell-halves. If you want to do several, I’ve seen a trick to crack the eggs in a bowl, then use an empty water bottle, squeeze it a little bit, then put the end over the yolk. It sucks that yolk right up.

I’ll probably keep with the raw eggs, since it’s so much easier to crack an egg right over the food – but if I ever have a leftover egg white, then I’ll be cooking it a tiny bit.
Thanks all for the help

[Author]

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