[sophia]

You can look at California Naturals. I have no idea about low phosphorus but I know they have a salmon version with relatively low protein, and I believe the two are related. They also have a grain free kangaroo & venison formula with low protein (21%), would have to double check to make sure there are no other meats though.

[sophia]

I think the fleas (maybe) are gone, however my dog did a number on her skin. She ripped fur from her legs and I can see clusters of flea bites there. She’s still very itchy, to the point where she’s causing bleeding in her ears (which WERE recovering from infection) and very red skin. I am going to keep up with flea treatment as if they are still there, but is there anything safe to put on her skin for relief in the mean time? can you use benedryll ointment on a dog? She takes benedryl in the pill form for allergies, but I am not sure if there is a difference. Neosporin? homemade creams? Anything safe to rub in her ear? I’ve got to get her to stop itching them before she bursts an ear drum.

[sophia]

in somewhere like Florida I wouldn’t risk going without actual heart worm preventative. If you want to limit your pups exposure to toxins, switching to heart guard is good alternative. If needed you could always add front line on a as needed basis for fleas and other parasites. my dog gets heart guard and front line, although we’re just now having our first flea problem (front line isn’t 100%!), I like giving her heart guard because I can actually see her eat it, instead of alternatives where you can apply it to the skin (although I’m sure they’re just as effective, it makes me more comfortable to give a eatable preventative), and living by the woods she gets into tick infested areas often, the front line seems to help with that. She had to undergo heart worm treatment earlier this year, and it was a terrible experience. I know that Florida has very very high heart worm rates, so in my personal opinion you should keep your dog on an actual preventative and save the natural remedies for less threatening parasites like fleas.

[sophia]

Thank you for clearing that up momofmuts! I know cats can be very sensitive so I would of done a lot of research before trying anything. The kitten just got revolution, which apparently works much better than front line, because she hasn’t been itching at all. I have vinegar and water in a spray bottle and have just been spraying them both down when I notice the itching gets bad (only like once a day). I also sprayed myself down, lol, but it seems to be working OK and from what I read online ACV is ok for cats as well-so I’ll stick to that. I lined the ground, bed, and couches with food grade DE today, so hopefully this will clear up soon. I plan on putting it on the dog after I bathe her again this weekend. I’ll leave the kitten alone until I see any itching or fleas on her.

[sophia]

She’s has never taken any interest in actual bones, I think they’re to hard for her.

I’ve heard that the Blue Buffalo brand, although a good brand, can just be too rich for some dogs, and I just have a feeling my dog would be one of them. The Nutrisca actually looks very good except I think a fat content of 16% may be too high (?). I have looked for Grandma Lucys before but have not been able to find it around here! The Honest Kitchen looks like something she will do very well on though, I plan to try and find a smaller bag to test it out this weekend, thanks everyone!!

[sophia]

OK, I think I will give it a try since I have a bunch handy and don’t have too much time to be out searching today. We’re in MI so maybe the fleas are different since the weather is so different.

If it doesn’t work and I decide to try something like lavender and rosemary oils (as toxed mentioned), do I just apply these directly to the skin? How much do I apply? Does anyone happen to know if either are safe for cats (she’s 4 months)? The dog is 50lbs, she’s a golden and either border collie or lab mix, but she has the coat of a golden retriever (if any of that makes a difference!). I feel terrible she’s so itchy, as soon as she got done having a bathe yesterday she passed out for a few hours because she hasn’t been able to sleep well, so anything to keep her more comfortable while I’m trying to get rid of them!
thanks so much!

[sophia]

OK great, thank you both so much. We just home earlier this week, and I can’t see the fleas, only dirt, so I’m hoping it’s just a few that I can take care of quick.

One more question, my mom uses apple cider vinegar for everything. She says I can spray down the cat and dog with a vinegar water mixture and this will repel the fleas while I take care of the house- does anyone know if this works or if it will harm either of them? I know it’s not toxic, but I don’t know if it will affect their PH balances. I know my mom used to use it to bathe our boxer (she frequently chased down skunks,lol) but my dog is a bit older and has had her fair share of health problems so I’m a bit more gentle with her.

[sophia]

There are also rescues for “retired” service dogs. This would subside a waiting list, and depending on her level of PTSD a retired service dog may benefit her just as much. These dogs aren’t necessarily old, the guidelines for certain service dogs are so strict they can be retired for a variety of reasons. Don’t know if that will be helpful for her, but just a thought.

[sophia]

What’s worse is just because it says “Made in the USA” doesn’t mean that the ingredients are sourced from the USA. Before I buy treats, food, anything, I call the company and ask them specifically where they source their ingredients. If they won’t specifically tell you “No we do no source from China” chances are they do.

[sophia]

This is such a terrible tragedy,this being a dog website, I just had to share a story that came to my attention tonight.

http://www.examiner.com/article/newtown-shooting-victim-can-be-honored-by-donating-to-local-animal-shelter?cid=db_articles

[sophia]

I don’t have a lot of knowledge on the natural remedies for heart worm or any of that. I can say going through heart worm treatment is not only expensive, but terrifying. I honestly hope that it’s not something you have to deal with, but I would urge you to get your dogs back on the preventative ASAP, having to kennel your dogs all day for months and getting anxiety every time they get excited is nothing worth taking chances on.

[sophia]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Tracey- can you tell me which brand of grain free food your feeding? She also suffers from allergies, I don’t believe they’re food related, however I’m wanting to try grain free to see if it provides any relief. I’ve been looking around a little, but I obviously need something low in fat. Her current food, Cal. Naturals, only has 8% fat, I’d love to keep it below 10%, any ideas?

[sophia]

she had extremely bad gas one day (like every minute) so I got her into the vet. We had just gotten a new kitten so we thought maybe she got into her food. The vet sent us home with medicine and said to put her on chicken and rice for a few days. She had loose orangish stool for a day or two, and then none at all, so we decided to go back to the vet. The vet was concerned about possible bile in the stool, as she didn’t see any blood, so we did a blood test to check on her liver. Since we were doing the blood test, and it had been about 6 months since her last one I decided just to do the fullest test to be sure, the only thing that came back was slightly elevated pancreas enzyme.

I got her a bully stick though, and she absolutely loves it! It doesn’t seem to be bothering her stomach, and she’s had the same one for about 3 days, and only eaten like 20% of it, so the little fat content it does have doesn’t worry me to much. I guess I meant chew treats though, as the bully stick is even a tiny bit hard for her, so I don’t think she would do well with a bone. thank you for the ideas though!

[sophia]

Hound Dog Mom-
really just anything healthy she can chew on that a sort of picky dog might like. She has allergies, and I am working with my vet to treat these, but the bone seemed to take her mind off of chewing on her feet. She is older so she’s not extremely active, so giving her something to keep her occupied was a treat as well.

I will check all of your suggestions. I honestly don’t know anything about bones or dental sticks, in all the years I’ve had her she would never chew on any bone I’d given her, so I was surprised when she took such a liking to this one (plus I don’t eat meat myself, so figuring out what parts of animals has more fat and what part doesn’t has been a learning process for me). I’m sure in the options you’ve listed we can find something though! Thanks so much for the help!

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