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susan k

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  • in reply to: FDA DCM notice #142567 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    I feed Wellness Core kibble — the poultry variety. It’s a five-star food on Dogfoodadvisor’s best food list and has been for a long time. It does, however, have peas and potatoes listed as fourth and fifth ingredients, and legumes in particular may be problematic in the long run. Dogfoodadvisor and other sites recommend switching foods and brands regularly, but — I trust Wellness. The company adds no toxic preservatives, the food is “natural,” they do add taurine (because low taurine was a problem in cat foods some years ago), and both this dog and my last one have eaten it exclusively for years. Last year when the DCM scare was first announced I had my dog taurine tested, because he’s been on grain-free for so long, and his taurine is fine. Further, neither Wellness Core nor Cairn terriers are included in the published data on dogs with DCM. In short I feel safe with Wellness and want to keep feeding it to my dog (along with a bit of no-salt deli turkey, which I always add to his bowl), but I worry about sticking with one brand for so long, and about the grain-free formula with peas and potatoes. So, two questions: 1) Do other people feed Wellness Core, and are they hesitant to switch to a different food because they trust this one? and 2) if peas and potatoes may be problematic, why has this food been rated 5-star for such a long time?
    Susan K

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #121333 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Susan, thank you so much for filling me in — I’m happy to learn that Wellness Core isn’t on the list and neither are Cairn terriers.

    Crazy4cats and Pitlove, thanks for your concern. But here’s why I’ve stuck with Wellness Core so far: first, the data are still not clear and we simply do not know what is causing the increase in DCM. Some dogs that have it have perfectly normal taurine levels, some are NOT on grain-free foods, and most, to date, are still Goldens and a handful of other breeds. I am still feeding Wellness because the “big brands” being recommended by most vets contain questionable additives, including various preservatives that may be carcinogenic (remember, DCM isn’t the only problem — there’s been an apparent increase in cancers in dogs in recent years), as well ingredients that may come from China (remember the melamine scare), and and inert bulk ingredients like “dicalcium phosphate,” which is a cheap, inorganic form of calcium that isn’t bioavailable. Calcium buildup in arteries is bad for the heart, of course — this is why people with high blood pressure take calcium channel blockers. I’ve looked at all of these high-end big-manufacturer brands and right now I don’t see anything I can enthusiastically feed my dog. In other words right now there is NO GUARANTEE that Purina ProPlan or any of the other high-end foods from big manufacturers is ANY BETTER than grain-free Wellness (which DOES have a nutritionist on staff and is AAFCO approved, if that means anything).

    Since my dog is absolutely fine right now, since we simply don’t have answers to the DCM controversy in dog food yet, and since Wellness Core is free of questionable additives, I am waiting for more data before making any decisions. I would home-cook using BalanceIt powder and BalanceIt recipes (I have done that with previous dogs) but there’s actually no guarantee that that’s a better alternative, either, and my vet (I live in Madison, and my vet is at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine) isn’t a fan of home-cooking. Unfortunately, DOG NUTRITION IS STILL A BLACK HOLE.

    It is my hope that DCM issue and the controversy it has stirred among dog people will force pet food manufacturers to make changes in the near future. In the meantime I am keeping an eye on the issue, and I may switch to the BalanceIt method of home cooking if there is no resolution in the near future — simply because at least I get some control over what my dog is eating if I cook for him.

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #121307 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Hi crazy4cats, thanks for your reply. I’m interested in Wellness Core Original kibble. My dog was taurine tested (I posted his excellent test results here). Potatoes and peas are on the ingredients list, but Koby is in terrific health and he is happy and healthy on his Wellness Core kibble (which I supplement with no-salt deli turkey and people food (he gets a little of what I eat, as long as I know it’s safe for him — a bite or two of chicken or salmon, a bit of banana, an occasional lick of fat-free yogurt, things like that). He’s also a Cairn terrier, and they haven’t been on the predisposed list. I just want to keep on top of all of this and of course I want to know if any dogs on Wellness Core original formula are having problems.

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #121304 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Could you please copy the low taurine dogfood list from facebook and post it here? I’m not on facebook and don’t want to join, but I very much want to see this list. Thanks!

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #120166 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Hi Susan, thanks! I feed Wellness Core Original — thought I mentioned that somewhere. I don’t think the data — at least the data I’ve seen (the UC Davis study) show any clear patterns re: is is legumes, is it potatoes, is it low taurine caused by high legumes, etc. But yes, some dogs are predisposed, which is a large part of the problem. Cairns are nowhere on the list, luckily for me, and while some Wellness Core varieties are mentioned in the UC Davis data I think it’s only two or three times, and all the dogs with problems are Goldens.

    Here are the ingredients in Wellness Core Original — peas and potatoes are fifth -seventh on the list, which seems like a lot (maybe they’ll get rid of some of this since several of us have called or emailed them):

    Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Potatoes, Dried Ground Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Chicken Liver, Natural Chicken Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Spinach, Vitamin E Supplement, Broccoli, Carrots, Choline Chloride, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.

    the other Susan

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #120163 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Thanks, crazy4cats! Koby is the apple of my eye — I would do anything for him! Best wishes to you too, and to all your kitties!

    I think they don’t really know what’s causing the increase in canine DCM cases. The New York Times article as well as other things I’ve read tend to say the common thread is grain-free, but actually on the UC Davis spreadsheet it’s clear some of the dogs with DCM are NOT on grain-free. And some grain-frees (like Wellness CORE) add taurine. Most dog and cat foods these days have added taurine, but a lot of them have it as a very minor ingredient, way down at the end of the list. CORE does have peas and potatoes (which obviously aren’t preventing Koby from absorbing taurine, though that may not hold for all dogs) right after the meat, but taurine is the first of the added vitamins/supplements after the food ingredients.

    I hope the dog food companies subscribe to this list — I think they should see how panicked everybody is about the state of pet food these days!

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #120158 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    I promised crazy4cats I’d report the results of Koby’s taurine test — he’s been on Wellness Core chicken formula ever since I got him two years ago, as I’ve reported earlier. I do feed him bits of whatever protein I have for dinner — eggs, salmon, chicken — and sometimes a little cheese for a treat — but the basis of his diet is the Wellness Core, which is grain-free, and it DOES have potatoes and peas, though not in the first four ingredients. I am delighted to say that Koby’s taurine test is fine — in fact his taurine level is a little above normal.

    I think we are all tired and frustrated with the dog food industry and everyone on this forum is trying to figure out how to solve a problem that is, in large part, beyond our control. So I am trying to let the several scolding replies I’ve received about saying I was staying on Core till I got my dog’s taurine test results roll off me like water off a duck’s back. But I want to point out that my delight and relief at Koby’s excellent test results does NOT mean I advocate grain-free food for all dogs or any such thing. Again, we don’t know if taurine deficiency (that is, if peas and potatoes result in inability to absorb taurine) is the real cause of this epidemic of heart failure in dogs, since some dogs in the studies do NOT have low taurine, AND some dogs in the studies who DO have LOW taurine are eating foods rich in grains. And again, the great majority of dogs who’ve developed heart failure that provide the data for the studies we’ve been debating are Golden Retrievers, not Cairn terriers. What Koby’s test results DO mean (in addition to the fact that he is enthusiastic, active, a major walker/jogger and a shiny, happy boy) is that for now, he is doing FINE on Wellness core. I will have his taurine checked annually from now on, and I will have him seen by the cardiologist if he EVER develops any heart symptoms, food-related or not. But because his appearance, behavior, and taurine test all point to good health unaffected by the fact that he is on Wellness Core, he will STAY on Wellness Core, at least for now. I will keep an eagle eye on this story as it develops, and on the dog food industry — and I hope all our protests about the problems with the industry are not falling on deaf ears. We all want MUCH better dog food options for our beloved companions, and we want them SOON.

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #120100 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Thanks so much, crazy4cats. I will post the test results as soon as I get them.

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #120097 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Crazy4cats, many thanks for your suggestion — I got on the FB page and found the spreadsheet I was looking for. NO Cairns on the table and NO Core chicken formula, which is what I feed. So at least I feel better about that, for the moment!

    Pitlove, grain-free products are not necessarily the problem — it’s true that legumes / potatoes may be blocking taurine absorption, but some dogs (almost all Goldens) on the spreadsheet had low taurine / DCM on grain-full formulas including Wellness Complete Health (and many other foods). Wellness Grain-Free does add taurine, and I also feed toppers — chicken, eggs, tuna, salmon, a little bit of whatever protein I have as long as it’s OK for dogs to eat (no onions, no grapes, no chocolate, none of the stuff that we know isn’t good for them).

    The truth is we’re all upset about this and we’re all trying to figure out what to do. Nobody has any real answers yet, which is why since my dog shows no signs of illness and we like his food I’ll stick with it FOR NOW unless his taurine test comes back deficient.

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #120086 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    I think some of our alarm over this may be premature. Most of the dogs who’ve presented with DCM are Golden Retrievers. A few others are in the mix who aren’t typically prone to DCM like Goldens are, which is what triggered the alert. The common thread seems to be grain-free and/or exotic diets (kangaroo and quinoa, things like that). I considered home cooking with a good vet-approved supplement, but home diets aren’t ideal — it’s hard to get them right. Most vets recommend AGAINST home cooking and ARE recommending a big-brand grain-included food (Royal Canin, Iams, Purina, etc.) — but 1) most of those foods do have pea/legume ingredients and/or potatoes somewhere in the mix, and 2) most of the cases of DCM (though not all) have taurine deficiency. Low taurine has been pinpointed as the culprit in DCM in cats for many years, and many dog foods now have added taurine. It’s important to note that most dietary taurine comes from meats, not grains — it’s not the lack of grains that’s the problem with grain-free foods, though added potatoes and/or legumes may block or diminish taurine absorption. I feed Wellness grain-free Core (chicken variety) and Koby and I both like it — it’s not full of chemical additives like the big-name brands are (which may be carcinogens), its protein level is high, Dogfood Advisor gives it 5 stars, and it does have added taurine. I have just had Koby (who shows no signs of heart failure or any other health problem) tested for taurine — I don’t have the results back yet but they should be in this week and I will post them. In the meantime, while we wait for more information on what’s really going on here — and unless Koby’s taurine level comes back low or he shows signs of DCM — I’m continuing to feed Wellness Core because it’s AAFCO tested, human grade, good protein level, taurine added, and Koby likes it and has always been very healthy on it. He’s about 4 (he was a rescue and a stray before that) but I’ve had him over two years and he’s been on this food since I got him (and when he was in foster through Cairn Rescue he was on another grain free, don’t remember which) — so he’s been grain-free for quite a while.

    One or two of the Goldens with DCM in the UC Davis study were on Wellness Core — but Goldens are much more likely to develop DCM than most other breeds. I don’t recall whether these Goldens were taurine-deficient. Someone on this thread posted the link to the spreadsheet from that study, or at least I think I got it from this thread, but I can’t find it now. I would very much like to find it again — if anyone out there reading this is the one who posted the link, PLEASE post again!

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #119773 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Thanks crazy4cats! I used to use BalanceIt, with formulas I got from that company’s nutritionists. My very picky, stomach-challenged Cairn didn’t like the BalanceIt at all — would only eat her homemade chicken and rice if I didn’t put the powder in it! I will wait till Koby’s taurine test on Tuesday before deciding what to do — almost ALL of the dogs that tested low in taurine (there’s an Excel file from UC Davis someone kindly posted, above) are Goldens, and none are Cairns, though one was on Wellness Core kibble like Koby is. If his taurine is low I guess I’ll try BalanceIt again — my vet suggested I go with one of the big brands (Purina, Iams, Hills, Royal Canin) and overall I really trust her but I just can’t go with all those chemicals. Anyway I will post the taurine test results when I get them — probably later next week.

    in reply to: What’s your take on this from the FDA #119742 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    Hi all, I also feed Wellness Core (my dog has been on it since I got him two years ago) and also contacted Wellness by phone. They do add taurine to their formula and told me companies that are suspect are being contacted by the FDA — Wellness has not been contacted. As a helicopter dog mom this wasn’t enough information for me so I did some digging. Wellness Core does have peas as its fifth ingredient — kind of high up the chain — and the problem seems to be that peas, lentils, etc., are blocking taurine absorption, which is what’s causing the problems with heart failure. I spent a lot of time reading labels for other foods and got scared off by all the added chemicals the larger manufacturers use. I considered home cooking, but I’ve had some experience with this and it can be hard to find the right supplements to add — my last dog loved home cooking but hated the supplement powder I was adding to her food. So I asked my vet if they could run a taurine test on my dog, my theory being that if after two years on Wellness Core his taurine level is OK the added taurine to the food is enough to head off heart problems. My vet thought that was a reasonable approach and said they usually run taurine tests (simple blood test) on cats but it can be run on dogs. I scheduled my dog for a taurine test. If you decide to try this, be sure it’s done right — my dog had blood drawn today but because they don’t do this very often the vet tech put the sample in the wrong tube and they have to draw more blood and do it again. I scheduled for Tuesday morning and should have the results back later next week. I will post the results in case people are interested in whether Wellness Core is still one of the safer foods.

    in reply to: Pet Food Lawsuits and Other Internet Noise #119461 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    I read this this morning in the New York Times — posting it here FYI. I feed Wellness Core Original Formula kibble to my beloved Cairn terrier. What do people think about the dangers of grain-free? Anyone have experience with heart issues from this diet? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/health/grain-free-dog-food-heart-disease.html?hpw&rref=health&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

    in reply to: Heartworm medicine #98221 Report Abuse
    susan k
    Member

    You can get Ivermectin compounded for your dogs by weight at any good compounding pharmacy that does pet meds. And it’s 100% effective if you only give it every six weeks (not four). That way your dogs aren’t getting de-wormed for every conceivable kind of parasite — just heartworm. As long as they aren’t boarded, don’t drink puddle water, or eat dog poop or road kill on the street, all you really need is heartworm protection. I’ve been having Ivermectin capsules made for my dogs for several years now. For two or three days prior to Ivermectin and two or three days after, I also give them liver support drops — in my case Senior Support by Animals Essentials, which I get from my local holistic vet (but it’s available from Amazon). Ten drops added to food twice a day. This helps the Ivermectin pass through the liver. My dogs still get a tiny bit lethargic, I think, but this whole system is gentler than using Heartguard Plus or any of those other powerful deworming meds.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)