[zcRiley]

Too much protein or “too rich” is a myth. Completely not proven. The body flushes out what it doesn’t need. Ingredient allergies or diarrhea are the most common causes of changing diets. I wouldn’t want to know what that vet WOULD recommend as a good food, since he’s not a certified canine nutritionist.

[zcRiley]

They weighed him as usual and commented that a lot of dogs lose weight because of the increase of summer exercise & activities. But no one seemed alarmed at the way he looked or anything. We were there for annual shots.

[zcRiley]

No free feeding since they were born. No ribs are sticking out but you can see his spine a little. I was combing his back and kept kept hitting it. I feed Zignature Zssentials, ZiwiPeak dehydrated and Weruva canned.

[zcRiley]

1st remove the probiotics & see what happens. My pups didn’t do well on it, even though it was supposed to help. When they became allergic to Orijen, I switched them to 5 star Zignature Zssentials. No chicken, potato or egg. All symptoms stopped in 24 hrs.

[zcRiley]

Vet did the same to me. Never went past the 1st bowl of prescription food, it was disgusting. 5 star Zignature Zssentials has no chicken, potato or egg and the results were immediate, the quality & smell is just like Orijen Adult. I also switched to chemical free Aroma Paws jasmine honeysuckle shampoo. It continues to work even after towel drying from a million swims in the chlorinated pool, dandruff is a thing of the past.

[zcRiley]

What a cutie! I still can’t figure out how to put up a pic of my 2 pitties. I rotate kibble, wet and dehydrated daily so I’d be screwed if they stopped eating.

[zcRiley]

I agree, quality wet food is extremely beneficial. I put it on the side so they have an option, can easily be refrigerated again. I use ZiwiPeak beef (pate) or Weruva (like a chunky stew). They love it!

[zcRiley]

Zignature Zssentials was a lifesaver when my dogs became allergic to Orijen Adult and stopped eating. No chicken, potato or egg & is a 5 star formula under the 4 star brand. Purina may be fun for your pup but do a gradual transitional (slowly mix in the good stuff) so she gets used to something healthier!

[zcRiley]

My two pit bull and chinook mixes slowly became allergic to Orijen Adult. Constant gas and diarrhea. After making sure it wasn’t a medical condition, I switched to Zignature Zssentials, which has no chicken potato egg products. Stools were great the next day and they lost the bloated fat gain from other foods. Maybe it’ll work for your pup!

[zcRiley]

I haven’t heard that. Your dog is lucky to have different food types per day. Can you imagine eating the same food for years and years? I feed raw dehydrated for breakfast, a 5 star kibble for lunch and another 5 star brand for dinner. As a side (not mixed in), I rotate a canned food daily. The stools are medium sized firm and I make sure the total daily amount matches their activity level for the day (lots of swimming as summer approaches!). Dasuquin Advanced as treats and deer shank bones in between. Vet visits are a thing of the past. Just watch for any allergic reactions when introducing a new food.

[zcRiley]

Oh and use an all natural shampoo like Aroma Paws honeysuckle and jasmine. Little to no oatmeal as yeast thrives on it.

[zcRiley]

Time to subtract poultry, potato, egg & weird fillers that pups get allergic to. Itching and yeast is no fun. After my pups’ blood analysis came back clean, I made an overnight switch to raw dehydrated with vitamins, no thawing or mixing. By week’s end, all symptoms disappeared. ZiwiPeak lamb formula was a life saver for them, I’ve never looked back. I rotate with their beef and venison as well.

[zcRiley]

ZiwiPeak is a very clean ingredients food. Zero fillers. Easy to digest. Check out their website!

[zcRiley]

Dori, you are correct. I misread. There is a raw & a boost!

[zcRiley]

Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw is kibble with small freeze dried balls mixed in. So not completely a raw diet.

If you click on the site’s home page, there’s a review list of raw foods you may like. Frozen, mixes, freeze dried, dehydrated, etc.

[zcRiley]

Yes, please let us all know Nef’s biopsy results. You’ll get sound advice from the forum folks.

I have two pit mixes that had a slew of issues over a two year period. My recommendations come from not wanting to spend too much time second guessing ingredients when I needed to make a change fast. I needed clean results with a clean food. If your dog doesn’t eat it, it can’t affect her, can it? So I subtracted a lot of iffy ingredients with the following:

For budget: Zignature Zssentials

For raw without the thawing/mixing: ZiwiPeak air dried

It was the best risk I ever took. I said goodbye to Orijen.

[zcRiley]

http://www.chewy.com has the most competitive prices. And they deliver FAST!

[zcRiley]

/dog-food-reviews/ziwipeak-dog-food-dehydrated/

[zcRiley]

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes gluten, a protein composite found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye. ZiwiPeak doesn’t contain those. Only meat/organs/bones/mussels.

Their website, http://www.ziwipeak.com/, is very informative. Customer service is great, I’ve emailed with the founder of the family owned company.

I now feed my two pups on it and all chronic or sudden allergy symptoms disappeared in 3 days. If I didn’t see it, I swear, I wouldn’t have believed it.

[zcRiley]

Seems to be more of an underlying medical issue and not food boredom. If you’re able to, I’d suggest that your pup get a wellness exam with a vet that includes fecal & blood testing. Only because 7 months is a very long time to not have a healthy eating routine. Without an analysis, it’s hard to suggest a food since we don’t know what’s going on.

Have you tried soft canned food yet? Worth a shot.

[zcRiley]

You said no “pork, milk, cheese, corn, rice, flax seed, barley, white potatoes…”

TRY ZiwiPeak Daily-Dog Lamb Cuisine Air-Dried Dog Food

Ingredients: Lamb – Meat (includes up to 3% finely ground bone), Lamb – Liver, Lung, Tripe, Heart and Kidney, New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel, Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Dried Kelp, Parsley, Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E),

Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Chelated Minerals: Iron amino acid complex, Copper amino acid complex, Manganese amino acid complex, Zinc amino acid complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate

[zcRiley]

I had the exact same problem. My sensitive pups were born into Orijen and all of a sudden in year two, appetite loss, scratching, and liquid diarrhea. My vet wasn’t helpful, tried to push pills & Science Diet.

I didn’t think I’d find a comparable kibble if I subtracted poultry, potato, egg, high glycemic fillers, you name it. Also, there’s too much weight loss with limited ingredient formulas. But I found it, thanks to this site.

Try Zignature Zssentials. It’s a 5 star formula under the 4 star brand Zignature. Looks & smells very close to Orijen Adult. Read the ingredients & see what it DOESN’T contain. I did a cold turkey change, had award winning stools within 48 hours.

I now change the topper per meal with good stuff like ZiwiPeak dry dehydrated & Weruva soft canned varieties (looks & smells like human grade). They now look & act like different dogs, I swear.

[zcRiley]

Yes, storage dust mites would definitely be a severe allergic medical issue. Kibble would have to be avoided, if that was the case.

DVM Pharmaceuticals Malaseb Pet Shampoo is effective against bacteria, fungus and yeast. “Formulated to help” with dandruff, ringworms, yeast and other bacterial infections. So if the itching is truly bad or you see yeast growth on the skin, the reviews are very good on it. It was too harsh on my pups and stripped them dry, producing more dandruff.

So I backtracked to just moisture/no chemicals AND no or little oatmeal (which increases any yeast disorders). My pups swim in a chlorinated pool twice daily and Aroma Paws HoneySuckle just keeps working (we towel dry thoroughly but don’t bathe, only twice a month). Ah-mazing stuff. I should be their rep.

[zcRiley]

Cathy M – She’s young, start rotating food, she’ll luv it! Food has a lot to do with EVERYthing about your dog, however, not so much for the grass. If you’re willing to change the food & shampoo cold turkey (if there isn’t a medical issue), you can have results by the end of the week, really. I speak this way because an ex-vet of mine had me fearing all kinds of sudden changes like it were death. There’s precaution then there’s pill pushers.

First, you could train your dog to pee/poop in a sectioned off area of the backyard (maybe a hidden area or put up a small fence). I’m sure you thought of this though.

Second, drop these allergy prone ingredients found in Wilderness (Potato Starch, Potatoes, Alfalfa Meal, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Barley Grass, Dried Kelp). Look for chicken free, potato free, egg free kibble. Try Zignature Zssentials (3 proteins with simpler ingredients, the most “free” of just about everything in kibble form). Or try ZiwiPeak raw/dehydrated (no need to freeze or mix). The latter has a clean ingredient list and superb to digest (I’m so thankful I took a risk with it!). Or mix both if you’re on a budget. BTW, ZiwiPeak makes a Venison/Fish Formula if you don’t want to mess with extra pills/gels/squirts etc.

Use an all natural dog shampoo/conditioner (meaning you could use it if it weren’t PH balanced for dogs). Drag her to the tub and use Aroma Paws Shampoo, Honeysuckle Jasmine Formula. Just trust me on this one, we had dandruff city over here, LOL.

[zcRiley]

I can’t find the ingredients list either. It a very general description like “We start with gently cooked beef, chicken, lamb, salmon or turkey. To that, we add jicama, yams, fresh green peas, fresh carrots, blueberries, flaxseed, ocean kelp, olive oil, wild salmon oil, and vitamins and minerals to make a complete meal for your dog.” Maybe it’s on the bag itself.

[zcRiley]

Good luck with the Wellness Core! It’s definitely well priced for the quality. I recently switched to Zignature Zssentials for rotational purposes, $59.99/27 lb bag. It’s very very similiar to Orijen but without the pizzazz of chicken, egg, potato. And I love Chewy.com, don’t go anywhere else.

[zcRiley]

Just a heads up on Nutrisca, a recent recall on the chicken formula:

February 11, 2015 – Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc. of Perham, Minnesota, is voluntarily recalling specific lots of Nutrisca Chicken and Chick Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

[zcRiley]

I’m going to try out a small bag of Dogswell Nutrisca Grain-Free Lamb & Chickpea Recipe for the next rotation, looks easy on the tummy! As long as their stools are formed…..

[zcRiley]

I have a genetically high anxiety Pit mix that sucks on a towel to, I guess, “relax” after big meals, hard playing, before a nap. His brother is as calm as a flat ocean, go figure. However, body part sucking/biting or anything, I stop it right away unless they’re itchy. Then I scratch it for them or scrub with a cool cloth on the hot spot.

YOUR CASE if there’s nothing medically wrong with her leg:
Flank-sucking, which is a condition where the dog sucks on the very top of one of its hind legs, can become pathological in some cases where it is done excessively, almost with compulsion, and eventually causes damage to the skin. The fact that flank-sucking does seem to run in lines and is seen in family groups suggests a genetic component to the problem.

For causes & ways to reduce your dog’s stress, you might be interested in this link:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_9/features/Dogs-With-OCD_20062-1.html

[zcRiley]

Check out Darwin’s at http://www.darwinspet.com/

3 different types to choose from:
Natural Selections™ – free-range meats and organic vegetables
ZooLogics™ – conventional human-grade meats and vegetables
Intelligent Design™ Veterinary Meals for Dogs

[zcRiley]

All puppies’ digestive tracts are a bit different & dietary changes will occur as they age. If you’re able to, give them food for “puppies” (very different nutrient levels from adult food). Then take them off of it after they’re 1 yr. old (since they’re big breed). They may have been allergic to the grains etc. in NutriLife All Gold (Brown Rice, Pearled Barley, Oat Meal, White Rice, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal). Also ask your vet if a full thyroid panel test would be a good idea (increased metabolism with concurrent weight loss issue).

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Formula is a great choice. Orijen Puppy Large Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is outstanding. But as I said, it’s all trial and error until A) you like what you’re buying & B) you see outstanding stools & weight formation that’s appropriate.

If you’re not already, spread out the meals as evenly as you can during waking hours, small portions equal to the daily amount (or what they’ll consume) 3 to 4 times per day. It’s easier on their tummies.

[zcRiley]

You said they’ve been dewormed multiple times. Did you mean the worms kept coming back or that they don’t have a parasite?

[zcRiley]

Such promising news! You’re completely on top of it. Less meds, more good food, I say. My pups lost weight during the LID phase so just watch the weight/energy level. 😃

[zcRiley]

Here’s 179 so-so reviews on Fresh Pet (link below). If you start with the lowest ratings first, you’ll read things like pets wouldn’t go near it, the food “sparked” in the microwave, and pups vomiting or getting ill. It also contains Carrageenan. I always see their products in open refrigerators (no flaps or doors) and wonder who would buy products from iffy temperatures.

https://www.influenster.com/reviews/review/freshpet-pet-food/reviews

[zcRiley]

I’d love to nominate ZIGNATURE ZSSENTIALS! The brand is listed under 4 star but this formula is rated 5 star.

My pups were raised on Orijen for 2 yrs until it recently started giving them liquid stools. Terrifying yes. They lost too much weight when I switched to the bland Wellness Limited Ingredient, which is all potato, by the way. Then I took a chance on the very unknown Zignature (not the limited ingredient ones). Smelled great like Orijen, only 3 proteins AND no grains, gluten, chicken, egg, potato, guar gum, carrageenan, etc. Stools were excellent the next day and I was one happy Mom when all their tests came back negative!

[zcRiley]

Thanks Jane, I’ll do a full panel thyroid testing. I didn’t ask for the T4, they just did it due to my concern for loss of appetite. I was wondering what about all the other T’s, LOL.

Alice, yes, I always have 2 huge GLASS bowls of fresh cold water available. One inside, one outside, raised off the floor. Changed every morning and filled as necessary. I stay away from the filtering water bowls with pump, breeding ground for unseen mold/bacteria. For food, I was doing one even cup per meal 3x per day. I tried to switch to 2x per day with 1.5 cups per meal. It was too much in one sitting, they wouldn’t finish it. I tried much less, they ended up starving at weird times & losing weight. Which is why I started this topic. AS FOR A GREAT DOG FOOD (other than the popular Orijen) that I found with only 3 proteins AND without grains, gluten, potato, egg, chicken, guar gum, carrageenan is ZIGNATURE ZSSENTIALS. It fixed a loose stool problem they eventually had after 2 yrs of Orijen. It’s 5 star but the brand is listed under 4 stars, I think. Hope you try it out!

[zcRiley]

After 6 years, yes, transition very very slowly. Seriously, start with 5 pieces of Orijen for the day & increase like that. Yes, you’ll have to probably buy two more bags of TOTW to do this. Runny stools maybe if you don’t. Worth the patience though, Orijen is considered the best (for pups who don’t have super sensitive digestive tracts).

[zcRiley]

“Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Dry Dog Food” is the closest I’ve found with a lot of controversial ingredients deleted. Only 3 proteins and grain-free, gluten-free, no potato, chicken or eggs, no guar gum or carrageenan, etc. HOWEVER, chickpeas are listed as the 5th ingredient, which is already a very small amount but if your dog is allergic…..

Primal Freeze Dried Formula is great. Portions can be mixed with your cooking, etc.

MY DREAM DOG FOOD would be Zignature Zssential (dry) without the chickpeas. Or any dry dog food with zero fillers like various Potatoes, Legumes, certain Peas, Tapioca, Clay, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal……..it’s just not what dogs would eat in the wild. And the amount of yeast disorders they can produce is disconcerting.

[zcRiley]

On Chewy.com, you can test a small 4 lb. bag of “Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Dry Dog Food” for $11.99. Only 3 proteins and grain-free, gluten-free, no potato, chicken or eggs, no guar gum or carrageenan. Quality without all the “certain” ingredients that can be controversial. I sometimes mix in a little limited ingredient food (bland but super crunchy) and use our meaty leftovers (but rinse off the oils/sauces/spices 1st then finely chop). It’s less expensive, than say, crumbling a freeze dried as a topper. And the pups love the variety. Good luck!

[zcRiley]

A biopsy is your best bet since they’re multiplying. Arm yourself with dates of when you 1st noticed it, when the others flared up, etc. It’d be good to catch right away for removal if it’s fibromas, fibrosarcomas or nerve sheath tumors.

[zcRiley]

Sounds like a reoccurring anal gland abscess that can be drained. Do not wait for it to rupture. Various infections cause this.

Usually benign, tumors of the sebaceous and modified sebaceous glands are quite common in dogs. They include nodular hyperplasia, sebaceous adenoma, sebaceous ductal adenoma, sebaceous epithelioma, meibomian adenoma, meibomian ductal adenoma, meibomian epithelioma, hepatoid gland adenoma and hepatoid gland epithelioma.

Malignant sebaceous gland tumors are sebaceous carcinoma, meibomian carcinoma and hepatoid gland carcinoma.

The vet must refer you to someone who can do a proper diagnosis, otherwise, he/she is just guessing at a solution, which is horrifying.

[zcRiley]

Go to the vet asap. Loss of appetite, fearfulness, shaking can be signs of body pain or an illness that has grown over time.

[zcRiley]

I heard that they won’t reveal certain aspects of their company/food when directly contacted.

Zignature Zssential (5 stars on this site) is the only dog food (that I know of at the moment) that kept fewer key proteins but deleted all forms of chicken, egg, potato, grain, corn, soy, dairy, gmo, high glycemic binders, etc.

It’s truly not a well known brand at all, very few folks buy it/review it.

[zcRiley]

A reduced amount of high-quality protein and high moisture content are essential, but phosphorus intake must be restricted. Fluid therapy is a must during this time. If you’re unable to make your own food or switch to soft canned food (obviously moisture rich), then the following might be of interest to you:

(If you want to subtract potatoes & eggs): ZIGNATURE Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Dog Food

WELLNESS Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food

Of course, they do soft canned food as well. Perhaps the vet can also check to see if your pup has an intense bacterial infection or urinary obstruction, just in case.

[zcRiley]

Wellness Core & Canidae would be the only brands to trust at PETCO.

[zcRiley]

CANIDAE® GRAIN FREE PURE SKY® DRY FORMULA DOG FOOD (Duck)
or
Wellness “Simple Limited Ingredient Diet” in Grain Free (Turkey & Potato Formula).

Stay away from Hills anything.

[zcRiley]

Train in your home or backyard. Yes, all four of them at the same time. Walk & stop. Use small low calorie treats or kibble. It will take a million times but your strong dogs will walk with the pace of your special needs dog because they all will be following where YOU go. You need to be alpha & they need to know you exist (because walks are so exciting!). You can do it.

[zcRiley]

Grain free, gluten free, oven baked, no added salt or sugar. Should be the top 5 meats, added veggies is fine. Canola oil not good. Guar gum not good. Added colors/flavors not good at all. A high quality, low calorie kibble should be used for training and for diet treats. Whether it’s “convenient” or liked by humans is irrelevant.

[zcRiley]

If the quality of dog food is not “within your budget”, why would you adopt another puppy? Also, puppies are not food samplers, they need ONE quality puppy food, four times a day, in correct portions, and a lot of clean water to drink. And a puppy does not need any kind of MILK after 2 months of age. Splashing goat’s milk over bad dog food, I’m surprised he even took it from the spoon. If you can’t afford this extra dog on top of all your other dogs, you did him more harm than good.

[zcRiley]

ANITA, all this fantastic advice & info, huh? In case you’re overwhelmed, you can also reverse your process of elimination by eliminating everything plus all treats except for the Miracle Pack (start that with tiny tiny increments). My own pooch couldn’t wait for trial & error awhile back, I stopped everything cold turkey. Stopped the shots, the meds, everything. It was cleansing time.

START WITH: Nature’s Variety Instinct Turkey Meal Formula (Dry). It has ONE protein & does NOT contain grain, gluten, potato, dairy, eggs, chicken, beef, or fish (half of which feeds yeast/allergies etc). , just add 1/4 cup of water to your portion for moisture & the correct amount of the Miracle Pack). And absolutely nothing else. No treats. Hard to do? Yes, it is. Will your dogs survive? Yes, they will. Then you graduate to Brothers Complete Advanced Allergy Care dry food. You’ll see the ingredients & know what you just “added”. Then move on to grain free treats only.

No oatmeal anything shampoo (feeds yeast). If medicated shampoos give an allergic reaction, try Aroma Paws Rosemary Tea Tree (Yeast & Bacteria Healing Formula), it’s all natural. There’s a matching spray, too.

Trifexis is the best (fleas). Comfortis is good but not for ticks.

And lots & lots of clean water to drink. Good luck with whatever method you choose!

[Author]

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