[Cyndi]

Ok great, thank you Dori! I hope you are doing well and I hope Hannah is still doing well also! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Thank you Dori! I already give Bailey sardines a couple times a week and she loves them. Do you think that’s good enough or should I still get some fish oil and give her that on days she doesn’t get sardines? I could even give her sardines 3 times a week, instead of 2, I just don’t want to give her too much.

[Cyndi]

Thanks Dori, I’m pretty sure, so far, that is was the laundry soap. My son, when he was little, was allergic to unscented Tide of all things. He broke out in hives real bad. So I switched back to Dreft and all was fine. My vet is a moron, lol! I do really like them there, they are all so good with Bailey and stuff, but they more or less look down on me for the way I choose to feed my dog. Heck, they even had me considering going back to KIBBLE! So happy I didn’t!

I’m going to stick with what I’m doing, although the vet did suggest to start using fish oil, so, if anyone can recommend something good I’d appreciate it so I don’t have to go thru all the forum posts to find what people recommend. Dr. Dennis can kiss my ass!!!! 😀

[Cyndi]

Another Update: The vet just called and all of Bailey’s bloodwork for her thyroid came back normal. I told her I think I had the problem figured out and told her about the laundry soap, she says “I doubt that’s it, I still think it’s something diet related”. Damn her anyway! Why can’t vets get on board with raw diets!?! My dog is obviously healthy other than the current problem! I pray to god her hair starts growing back now and all this problem was because of the laundry soap. I need to find a good vet!!

[Cyndi]

Dori, I’ve been using Earthbath Mediterranean Magic for a while now.

Knock on wood (& all that superstitious stuff), Bailey hasn’t scratched ONCE today!! Yipee!!!! (knock on wood again!!) 🙂

[Cyndi]

Lol!! Melissa, when I read “Schwartz”, I just thought you had a schnauzer named Schwartz, lol! Also thought it was odd that you had a schnauzer, named Schwartz, that was 20 years old, lol! I never thought it was a typo. Now it IS funny! Lol!

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

[Cyndi]

Good to know nut (that was tough to type cuz I started with pa, lol!), thank you! I did stop using it altogether, even though my son just moved in a few weeks ago, and he commented right away that he LOVED the smell of the lavender Gain, lol! I told him tonight if he wanted to keep using it, to move back out. He didn’t reply, lol!

[Cyndi]

Ok, 5 loads of laundry done. 1 more to go. Bailey bathed and rinsed in vinegar. & me tired of doing laundry, lol! Now, we wait! & pray for no more itching and scratching and hair falling out! Cross your fingers everyone! 🙂

Katy, hopefully no more itching and scratching for Sophia & your husband, lol! Luckily Bailey never had hives, but the scratching was driving me crazy & I kept finding new little bald patches on her. I sure hope we BOTH have this thing figured out! Keep me posted!

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

[Cyndi]

Elisa, try adding some canned pure pumpkin to her food for a little while. That should help firm up her stool.

[Cyndi]

Heather, that’s the link that Naturella already posted at the top of this page.

Marie, Heather is in Spain and she said she didn’t recognize most of the foods on that list but she printed it out and will take it with her to the pet store near her. 🙂

[Cyndi]

I don’t know about what calcium and protein levels you need to look for, hopefully someone else can answer that. If you can’t find any food from that list, then keep Max on the Eukanuba, and you can include fresh foods to add to it, like eggs, or tinned sardines (or fresh) in water not oil, or plain yogurt. There are alot of foods worse than Eukanuba, so you are doing ok. You could always use fresh meat or poultry, cooked or raw, to make his meals healthier as well.

& Just so you know, just about everyone that posts here is from a different time zone. We are all from different states, some from different countries. I live in Ohio, USA and it is currently 12:51pm here. There are some people from across the country and some from Australia, so it all depends what time you post, who’s on here at the time and who sees your post. The majority of us on here don’t “ignore” people. We are all friendly and enjoy helping people out when we can. 🙂

[Cyndi]

I would suggest keeping him on Eukanuba and the cooked turkey for now. Next time you can get to one of the pet stores near you, write down the dog foods that they carry and post them here so we know what foods are available for you to buy and we can suggest something better. While Eukanuba is certainly not a great food, it’s certainly alot better than just bread and water. While you’re at the pet store, write down the canned foods that are available too. Canned food is better to feed than dry. Let us know what you have available and then someone can help you pick a better food.

[Cyndi]

Hi Dori, no, I haven’t had a chance to start any laundry yet. I worked my second job yesterday and I also wasn’t feeling well, so I put the laundry off til today. Luckily, for my full time job, I work from home, so I’m going to start washing as soon as I get back from taking my son to work. & within the next day or two, I’m going to give Bailey a bath, so hopefully she’ll be scratching less right away… Fingers crossed! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Here’s an article about bone broth for dogs that’s good for them:

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/reasons-your-dog-love-bone-broth/

[Cyndi]

I will use the vinegar as well, thanks Betsy. I’ll have to buy more of that before I start all the laundry.

Katy, it sounds like your Sophia had all the same symptoms Bailey has. Oh, I so hope this is all it is. What an easy fix! 🙂 I can’t wait to start washing all these loads of laundry!! Gee, I’ve NEVER said THAT before, lol! 😀

[Cyndi]

I’m bumping up your post so someone will see it and hopefully help you out. Good luck!

[Cyndi]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that Katy. I just bought new laundry soap tonight. I probably won’t get to washing everything til Monday at least because I work my second job on Sundays, but I’ll start with atleast one load of Bailey’s stuff tomorrow. She doesn’t have hives, but she has still been scratching alot & I’ve noticed a few more small bald spots. I’m wondering, if your dog’s fur looked dull as well. I’m not sure if that goes along with the scratching and hair loss or if it’s something different.

I’m very sorry I tried that new Gain too. I LOVED the smell of that, lol! I’d smell my clothes a few times thru out the day just because it smelled so good. Good bye Gain, hello Arm & Hammer again…

Thanks again Katy! 🙂 I’ll keep you posted!

[Cyndi]

My dog threw up some pieces of bone a few times during the first few weeks of starting her on raw too. I think it’s just their digestive system getting used to the change.

[Cyndi]

I know some people here have mentioned using vice grips to attach to one end of an RMB to try to get them to slow down. Maybe someone else will chime in and help. I’ve never had a gulper. My dog is a very slow eater and she chews up everything. Turkey necks take her a long time to eat but she does chew up every last piece.

Good Luck!

[Cyndi]

Thanks Shawna, I appreciate it. I am going to do some more elimination (I’ve already eliminated most treats) after I find out her blood work results and get new laundry soap. I’m really hoping that’s all it is.

Betsy, thank you. I’m remembering, when I got the new laundry soap, lavender scented Gain, that I washed everything in it because I loved the smell. I washed all my bedding, and have been, towels, all her bedding, the cover to her mat in her cage, everything. I’m really hoping that’s what it is. & I do try to wrap her up like a baby after her bath, but she is way too wiggly after a bath and I’m lucky I can dry her a little bit, lol! She runs around like crazy when she’s wet.

Thanks guys!!

[Cyndi]

Still waiting on test results. Hopefully will hear something tomorrow. Wondering if all this could be from switching laundry detergents? I completely forgot I did that recently, but I think it seems to coincide with Bailey’s hair loss. I’m going to get a bottle of the old stuff and rewash her bedding and mine and see if it helps…

[Cyndi]

Hi Betsy, I expected the same thing from the vet. I had a feeling she was going to say a nutritional deficiency. I really like the vets there, but I so wish I could find a vet close that doesn’t object to raw feeding and actually helps me out with it. Yeah, I knew I’d keep worrying too, lol! That’s just how I am. I just can’t figure out how to shut my mind off when it starts over-thinking things. Thank you!

Losul, you’re awesome. Thanks for clearing all that up and emailing Steve Brown again. I really appreciate it. I don’t know the percentages of organs in that organ mix I get, but I highly doubt there is all that much liver in it and Bailey only gets a small portion of it with a meal. I mix the beef, organs and tripe together, then I portion it up into 6oz. portions, so she’s not getting anywhere near 10% of liver with a meal. So, that makes me feel better. I don’t give that to her every morning, just probably 4 maybe 5 mornings a week. I will though, possibly switch to just ground beef or ground turkey or something when I’m using the SSLL and when I use the mix with the tripe and organs, maybe just use the Dr. Harvey’s Whole Food Multi VItamin and Mineral supplement that I’ve used in the past. The ingredients in that are: Bee Pollen, Spirulina, Lecithin, Nutritional Yeast, Garlic, Flax Seed Meal, Alfalfa Leaf, Kelp, Bilberry Leaf, Chamomile Flowers, Oat Straw, Ginkgo Leaf, Dandelion, Burdock, Thyme, Papaya Leaf, Rosemary Leaf, Peppermint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Suma, Red Clover Blossoms, Milk Thistle, Rose Hips, Yellow Dock, Licorice Root, Ginger, Foti.

Thank you again losul!

& C4C, Thank YOU!! I have no idea what I’d do without this site. Well, on second thought, without this site, my Bailey would still be eating Purina One or Pedigree probably. I am so thankful for ALL you guys and your knowledge and help and expertise and your friendship! I have real friends that I can talk to in person about stuff, but then I have my awesome DFA family and friends that I am so very thankful for when it comes to stuff like this!!

I know I’ve said it before, but thank you to EVERYONE for keeping me sane and thinking clearly (for the most part, lol!)

[Cyndi]

Thanks losul and C4C. I sincerely appreciate your input. & C4C, no apologies necessary, your question basically ties in to what I’m dealing with too. I’ve always assumed ground beef or the like is just that, ground beef. No organs. I would think ground turkey or chicken is the same, just ground meat, no organs.

I agree yesterday I was thinking in my head that I wouldn’t have all these problems if I just went with a good kibble. Thanks for talking sense into me everyone. I guess if I use just ground beef and maybe tripe in the am with the SSLL, that would be much better. Bailey already does get liver a couple times a week with dinner.

Maybe if I even did one meal of commercial raw, if it’s not too expensive, that would balance everything out. Or just tweak her am meals a bit? Didn’t I say I was going to quit thinking so much til after the blood work?? Lol!

Thanks again you guys, for all your input. I really do appreciate it!!

[Cyndi]

Thank you Dori. I replied to you in the other thread. 🙂

[Cyndi]

Dori, Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it. The vet didn’t run another set of blood tests today, she had that done including the CBC a few months ago. She said she didn’t feel it was necessary. However, she is having blood tested for anything thyroid related. Results wont’ be for a few days.

& Betsy, thank you as well, again. I really do appreciate different thoughts and perspectives on stuff like this. I’m gonna try to let my brain rest, and not think of any of it for a few days. Bailey isn’t THAT miserable. She’s shedding more than she is scratching, so she’s good until I figure out what I’m going to do. & yes, I WILL continue to do right by her, thank you! I appreciate that. I’m going to do right by her if it kills me, lol!

[Cyndi]

Hi Barbara, I agree with Leah, it sounds like an allergy to something in his food. What kind of food are you feeding?

[Cyndi]

Thank you USA, I really appreciate you finding that out for me and emailing Steve Brown. I was so busy today at work I completely forgot. That is good to know. So, her morning meals are pretty ok then. She does get veggies added in the morning occasionally.

I’m just going thru a bunch of options in my head. I haven’t decided anything yet. I’m gonna wait and see what her blood work shows and see how she does not getting the Sentry Natural Defense, like you said.

It’s just all so confusing.

[Cyndi]

Ok, since my vet update I’ve been thinking. If I switched Bailey from raw to canned or kibble in the am, does anyone know if I should do it gradually or just start giving it to her? She’s been on raw for about a year and a half. I don’t want to upset her stomach, but she is used to eating alot of different things. Thanks again, in advance for anyone’s help!

[Cyndi]

I get mine from my butcher, chicken backs and turkey necks. I also order from Hare Today and they carry chicken necks, duck necks, turkey necks, etc.

[Cyndi]

Hi everyone! Just back from the vet. She did do bloodwork and is sending it off to check her thyroid. Won’t know the results of that for a few days, BUT, as I expected, she thinks Bailey has a nutritional deficiency because of her raw diet. She encouraged me to atleast, if I wanted to keep her on raw, go with a premade raw like Bravo or Primal or something like that, so it’s already balanced.

I was going back and forth in my head the past few months and thinking I might switch her to a good 5 star kibble in the am and either raw of Freshpet or something for dinner. For the year and a half she’s been on raw, I have been wondering if I’m meeting all her nutritional needs. I know she eats better than most dogs, but I don’t want to risk her health in doing so.

So, until I find out different from the blood test, I’m going to assume it’s nutritional related and started shopping around for the best kibble and just do healthy toppers as well. Thanks for everyone’s help! I really appreciate it!

[Cyndi]

Thanks Marie! Our appointment is in an hour. I’ll let you know what I find out…

[Cyndi]

Yes my vet does know I feed raw, and does NOT agree with it. I haven’t been able to find another vet that does, and this vet that she goes to is AWESOME with her as well as everyone that works there. I really like the place, they just don’t agree with the feeding raw, but they do know.

I’ll keep you posted on what happens at the vet….

[Cyndi]

Good idea losul, thank you. I’ll email Steve here shortly.

Thank you again!

[Cyndi]

Ok, I just made a vet appointment for her for today. I’m going to have them run blood work again so I can check it against the results from March.

Also, losul, today I was going to make up another batch of her a.m. mix. Should I not use the tripe and organs and just use the boneless ground beef. I really hate to waste the organs and tripe because I just got a Hare order not too long ago and I have like 5 of each of the beef, organs and tripe. Or maybe just not feed her that for a while? I’m so confused now! Lol!

[Cyndi]

Hi losul, thank you for bringing all that up about that study amy read. I read about that as well, and completely forgot about it.

I thought the SSLL pre-mix was only supposed to be used with boneless meats (which I use in the am) but I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to use it with organ meat. The am meal I mix up for her is, from Hare Today, and it is Boneless ground beef, ground beef organs and the ground tripe. The organs consist of (heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, gullet and trachea) and the tripe does include the spleen. Bailey gets that mix about 4 or 5 days a week. Ugh!! Maybe that’s it right there and it’s just been getting worse over the past year?

On her blood work that she had done in March, I don’t see anywhere it lists anything about T-4 or thyroxine levels. I don’t know what all the letter and stuff stand for though. I know she had a low monocyte level and there were a couple of other number in the high normal range.

Thank you so much for your response and bringing that up. I guess I’ll have to change her morning mix now too. Ugh!! I wish she could tell me what’s going on!!

EDIT** I forgot to comment on the goat gonads, lol! Thanks Betsy! Goat Gonads???? Lmao!!! Enjoy!!

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

[Cyndi]

Wow! I thought I looked at the ingredients on all those before I bought them, but I guess not. Thanks Betsy! Bailey is/was about 53lbs. (might be a bit more now). She has me trained though, every time she comes in from outside she gets a small treat. Except, when I know she’s playing me and goes out, sits on the deck for a few and comes in and expects a treat. Then I tell her to get a life and go lay down, lol! She doesn’t like any raw veggies or anything, so I’m wondering what I could use for her in the mean time as a small treat when she comes in? & she will go thru an 8″ bully stick in about 45 minutes. They’re too expensive to buy a whole bunch. I do get them occasionally though, and she loves them.

I have also, I just thought of, been giving her Wellness Core grain free food in her kong a couple nights a week when I work my second job. I started using that not too long ago along with Pure Balance wet food. I use a half of one of those little “tubs” in her kong with the Wellness. Geez, maybe it’s a combination of all of that stuff.

My mind has been going nuts, ‘Maybe its this?’ ‘Maybe its that?’ Ugh!!

[Cyndi]

Hi USA,

Thanks so much for the response. I hope I don’t forget to address anything. First, I do have Bailey’s blood test results, that the quack vet ran. I don’t see anything on them that says T4. Would it be called something else?

Also, I was possibly thinking that it could be from the Sentry Natural Defense, but then I thought, that’s supposed to “Natural”. I just started using that on April 12. That could possibly be it. Her next dose of that is supposed to be this coming Saturday. Maybe I’ll hold off on that and bathe her real good today or tomorrow and see if that helps.

Also, the new treats I’ve started giving her, which I started about June 6 or so, are: Grandma Lucy’s Blueberry Oven Baked dog treats, Newman’s own Organics Chicken dog treats and Nature’s Variety Prairie Oven Baked treats with Bacon & Apple. She was also eating Merrick’s dehydrated beef lung, but finished those up a few days ago. She’s been eating those for a long time though.

I think I may hold off on the Benedryl too. Because when I give her a bath, I want to see if she’s still itchy and stuff.

Thank you again! I’m gonna keep thinking and probably still make a vet appointment.

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

[Cyndi]

Thanks Labs! 🙂 I hope so too!

[Cyndi]

Betsy, I do use a vinegar and water rinse on her feet, but never thought about doing that for her belly. Also never thought about using benedryl. I’ll pick some up tomorrow.

Bailey does like to lay in the grass, but she hasn’t been doing that a whole lot lately, which is weird. I think I might get her in to the vet and have them take a look at her.

Well, I better get off of here. We are having a tornado warning and the city sirens went off a few minutes ago. I think Bailey and I will go hang out in the bathtub for a few…

Thank you so much for your help and suggestions Betsy. I’ll let you know what works and what I get figured out.

[Cyndi]

Thanks Barbara O. In my second post, I wrote what I feed her. She is on a raw diet and she gets a few raw eggs per week, as well as tinned sardines a few times a week. I also give her coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil when she get the Dr. Harvey’s Veg 2 bowl occasionally.

[Cyndi]

Yes Betsy, she is itching and scratching. Mostly the belly area. She has a few almost bald spots on her lower sides, by her belly area. I haven’t noticed any bumps, but her skin is a bit red in areas she scratches alot. I just went over her real good again, and no fleas. Just to reiterate she is scratching AND shedding. The shedding is worse that I’ve ever seen.

I’ve been using the same shampoo that I’ve always used for her. It’s Earthbath Mediteranean (sp?) Magic. I also got, after the increased shedding and itching, Dr. Harvey’s Herbal Protection Shampoo.

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

[Cyndi]

Betsy, I was thinking environmental too. She does like to lay in the grass, but she’s always done that. & she really hasn’t done that too much this year because of how hot and humid it usually is. She mostly goes out, does her business and comes right back in. & it seems we’ve gotten more than our share of rain the past couple months as well.

I guess, since she has put on some weight (I thought it was just weight she gained over the winter) maybe I better get her thyroid checked. I don’t want to miss something major while I’ve driving myself crazy going over her food intake.

You could have used the Mercola’s spray by itself. I really think it works and I do like the smell of it. Now you and I both have a big bottle of that Bug Off Garlic going to waste, lol! Bailey refused to eat it, now I just use garlic capsules.

[Cyndi]

No lethargy, but she has put on a bit of weight I’ve noticed so I’ve cut down on her feeding by a few ounces per meal. I check all the time for fleas, I go over her with a flea comb and when I bathe her I don’t see any at all. I was thinking too that it could be something outside. The weather here is nuts. Really hot and humid one day, the next day in the 60’s, tons of rain, but mostly just really humid.

I keep a log of everything she eats and I keep going over it looking for something that it could be. I hate to go spend a ton of money on a bunch of blood tests and have it be something silly like treats of something that aren’t agreeing with her.

Oh the worry these pets cause us is right, C4C! Lol!

[Cyndi]

Thanks C4C, me too! & you’re very welcome! 🙂

[Cyndi]

Thanks for the reply Betsy & C4C. Betsy, why did you send the Mercola stuff back? I wondered if maybe she could be allergic to something in that, but I used it last year too and Bailey was fine. The only thing I started her on recently was the garlic pills, and she was itching and shedding real bad before I started those. The premixes and stuff I’ve been using since she’s been on raw, so I don’t think it’s any of those.

I never thought it could be health related. I think I might have to get her to the vet and have that checked. I did just have blood work done on her not too long ago (when I went to see that quack “vet”), would a thyroid issue have come up on bloodwork or is there a different way they check for that?

Thanks you guys!

[Cyndi]

C4C you can use the ground turkey from a store. I’ve done that before. It would probably be cheaper than buying from Hare Today or MPC anyways. I usually get my meat like that from my butcher, because they use stuff from free range places with no added hormones or any other crap like that. “Sardine Sunday”? I love that, lol!!

[Cyndi]

Here is everything she eats: AM: Ground Beef, Ground Beef Organs and Tripe mixed, with either See Spot Live Longer or Dr. Harvey’s Veg 2 Bowl, along with either an egg, or sardines and coconut oil, a garlic pill, veggie baby food. I use Fresh Pet occasionally and give her that for breakfast every once in a while. PM: I switch it up between Rabbit grind, a chicken back or leg quarter or a turkey neck along with liver, or gizzards or heart. That’s pretty much the staple of what I give her on a weekly basis.

I have been using Mercola’s flea & tick spray & Sentry Natural Defense flea and tick topical.

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

[Cyndi]

Lmao @ losul!!

[Cyndi]

Find one of their posts on the review side and reply to it with a link to this thread. That’s what I always do…

[Cyndi]

🙁 I’m sorry you have to make this decision. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I’m sure you will make the right choice. Hopefully you’ve had someone to talk to…

[Author]

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