[Akari_32]

So I figured out why Haley is loosing weight after switching off the Wellness. The RR Zero Grain is only 313 calories per cup. Wholy cow!! I can’t possibly shove any more food down this poor dogs throat, she just can’t eat that much. The fish oil, doggy vitamins, and probiotic (expired in July, but I figure they can’t hurt) mix seems to be helping though. At least the Purina One and Pedigree are in the mid to high 400’s calorie per cup. Maybe I should get over myself and get a higher concentration of them into that RR. They’ve been on much worse when my parents were in charge of their food…

Side note, 4 pound bags of Vets Choice on sale on PetFlow for 3.99 right now! I was tempted, but I’d rather make a large order and get the free shipping. I’m in a financially tight spot at the moment– food and gas only! No play money :/ As much as I love jumping on deals, I don’t need dog food. And mom would probably murder me if I ordered crap tons of dog food online right now anyways LOL

[OhBichonPlease]

I also think Chewy.com has great prices and I have purchased a bag of Wellness Core from them for my rescued 15lb Bichon Frise. She is not an enthusiastic eater of kibble, but the bag seemed like a good value and has lasted quite a while with her less-than-1/2-cup per day eating habits. I have just ordered for the first time and opened a bag of Dr Tim’s grain free, which was even less expensive, and both are 5-star foods enthusiastically recommended with everything I was personally looking for [all life stages standards, vitamins, chelated minerals, pre and probiotics, fatty acids, superfoods]. I wish Dr Tim’s didn’t have added salt, but that’s my only issue and it is a small one. His ingredient list includes several impressive additions, although Wellness also seems like a great product. Dr Tim’s appealed to me personally as a way to save money – even though I buy the smallest bag [I only have one picky mouth the feed, but I want to feed the best I can mostly afford]. Dr Tim’s was 2 dollars cheaper for a pound more – 12.99 for 4lbs of Wellness Core vs 10.99 for 5lbs of Dr. Tim’s grain free. You pay for quality, but those seemed like a good value for my small dog at an online retailer with consistently lower prices on reputable items. The site also features user reviews so you can hear even more opinions/testimonials.

You may also want to hit up local pet stores in your area for free samples, or request some from the companies themselves – a good way to experiment, add some variety, stretch your resources and save money!

[RescueDaneMom]

I have used Dasuquin with MSM for large dogs by Nutramax for years. It works really great for my dogs but it’s expensive. The last time I bought it on Amazon it was around $80 for a bottle of 150 chewable tablets. I was giving my Dane 3/day so it lasted me about a month and half. I have recently switched to buying all of the components in Dasuquin separately from swansonvitamins.com: glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and ASU. It costs me around $25/month. I also just ordered Actiflex 4000 from Amazon. It is a joint supplement made for horses. It was recommended by a member on this forum. It will be much more cost effective for me. I’m hoping it will work for him. I’ve tried Liquid Health’s K9 Level 5000 on two separate occasions and it didn’t work for my dogs. I’ve also heard that Springtime Inc makes good joint supplements. I want to try theirs next. Nupro and The Wholistic Pet make powders that you add to the food that have joint supplements in them. I believe that Glucosamine HCl works better than Glucosamine sulfate for my Dane.

Here are some article on joint health and treatments:
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/knowledgeBase/knowledgebasedetail.aspx?articleid=169&SubjectId=13261&SubjectName=Arthritis+%2f+Joint+Support
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/knowledgeBase/knowledgebasedetail.aspx?articleid=46&SubjectId=13261&SubjectName=Arthritis+%2f+Joint+Support

That probably gives you a lot to think about. Every dog is different and some things work better than others. Good luck! I hope you find what works for your pup. 🙂

[RVPets]

We have a 7 year old German Shepherd and we have been struggling to control a systemic yeast infection for the past 9 months. Our old vet (I do mean old now) kept putting him on antibiotics, saying it was not yeast, but never doing a skin scrap. Our new vet checked first and immediately told us it was yeast. He wants him on a no carbohydrate/lo. starch diet and has suggested a more holistic approach to controling the problem. We are very pleased with the results so far. He’s grown back most of his hair and his odor has diminshed considerably.

We add Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (with the “Mother”) to his drinking water and we wipe him down with a vinegar and water mixture (50/50) and we are cleaning his ears with the same solution daily. We have hi on a partial raw diet that we have been adding a high quality dog food too (about half raw half dog food).

My problem is that we are having a hard time finding a food that he can eat due to food allergies. Has anyone tried Canidae Grain-Free Pure Elements for dogs? It does not have anything on his “don’t eat” list, but I’m not too sure about having sweet potatoes in the top 5 list of ingredients.

Has anyone else tried this with a “yeasty dog”? Did it help or make it worse? We are trying very hard to find a solution, but we simply cannot feed an all raw diet right now.

This is a list of ingrediants:
Lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peas, chicken fat, menhaden fish meal, potatoes, suncured alfalfa, natural flavor, minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, mixed tocopherols (a natural source of
vitamin E)

[pugmomsandy]

I buy plain cetyl-myristoleate (Now or Jarrow brand) from swansonvitamins.com.

[RescueDaneMom]

I have a Great Dane and my mom is taking care of my brother’s rottie. We used to have both of them on Dasuquin with MSM for large breed dogs made by Nutramax. http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/dog/dog-joint-bone-health/dasuquin-for-dogs It worked very well but was very pricey. Last time I bought it on Amazon it was $80 for the 150ct bottle. They come in beef flavored chewable tablets which makes it easy to give. The rottie ate them like treats but my Dane was picky and I had to crush them up in his food. Now, I buy the same components (glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and ASU) from swansonsvitamins.com and give them to my dog crushed in his food. It costs me about $25/month now instead of $64 (I was giving 4 tabs per day so the 150ct lasted about 5 weeks).

[Dfwgolden]

I have two dogs of my own (4 in the house)
I feed my dogs the best I can afford and they are my FIRST priority my parents and friends will vouch for that LOL.

My dogs eat a kibble/raw diet.
A typical feeding consists of

Navajho-75lb Golden Retriever
2 Cups of Pure Balance mixed with 4 health Kibble
1 1/2 cups of raw ground beef
1 raw Chicken Thigh or Leg, or Neck
3 Table Spoons of Flax seed
1/4 cup of raw canned Pumpkin
1/2 activia yogurt cup
and a dash of puppy milk replacement 2 times a week

He has a high metabolism that is why he eats so much

Ricky- 30lb-5 month older border collie
1 cup of Pure Balance mixed with 4 health kibble
1/2 cup raw ground beef
1 Raw Small Chicken thigh or leg
1/4 cup of raw canned pumpkin
1/2 activia yogurt cup
2 Puppy Vitamins
1 tablespoon flax seed
and a dash of puppy milk replacement 2 times a week

The food here is split up into two meals a day.

Please noye I do rotate the raw meat types between
Rabbit
Chicken
Turkey
Beef
Goat
Lamb

I steer as far from pork as I can I am to scared of it LOL, they also get organs from the animals from time to time.

Is this a good diet?

My vet said they are the healthiest dogs he has ever seen, they have good smelling breath, stools are small and don’t stink.
They also have soft and shinny coats, anything I should add or take away? When I can I plan to switch the kibbles to Orijen and Taste of the Wild

[Akari_32]

A little update…

The last few days I’ve been sooo busy! I haven’t mixed their food in several days (just been giving them straight dry), and a few times I’ve even forgotten to give Haley her doggy vitamins >.<

BUT! We’re back on track, and I’ve started Haley on the fish oil pills. The bottle says 3 daily (one with each meal), but this for an adult human, so I figured I’d start with two a day and see how it goes. Thoughts?

I’ve also opted to use just the fish oil at this point in time. I with the holidays coming up, I don’t have the time to screw around with the doses and balancing them out with other vitamins and whatever. So I kept the zink and C for my self and sent the rest to my grandpa. He can use them. I do still have proper apple cider vinegar on my list, I just have to rememeber to get it after work. You’d think working in a grocery store would help with that, but really I just want to clock out and run when i get off LOL

[pugmomsandy]

For newbies at homemade, I would suggest the recipes at http://www.homemadedogfood.com (recipe with Dinovite and oil supplement and serving size suggestions) or get a recipe book. Your dog really needs more nutrition than meat and veggies. One recipe book I use is “Real Food For Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Karen Becker/Beth Taylor. This gives cooked and raw recipes with a vitamin mix recipe. Another option is to use a Premix like Grandma Lucy’s or The Honest Kitchen, Urban Wolf, or See Spot Live Longer dinner mixes. You add meat and oil and the premix has all the vitamins/minerals added. I make raw food and use CarnivoreRaw in my rotation.

http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html

[Akari_32]

Oh that’s cool! I go to SPC lol It’s such a long drive @.@

[theBCnut]

I lived in St Pete for a while about 20 years ago.

[Akari_32]

Just south of Sarasota 🙂

[d1eng]

Hi, we have a 6 month border collie cross choc lab. He is far too skinny and I think it may be to do with his food. The food we feed him meets AAFCO levels. Ing: Wholegrain cereal & cereal by products (wheat and/or sorghum), Meat & meat by products (poultry, lamb & beef), Veg protein meals, Veg oil, essential vitamins & minerals etc. Protein 28%, Fat 12%, Fibre 4%, Salt 1%. Is this type of puppy food any good? It is quite cheap which is why we buy it. Our puppy seems healthy enough in himself but his ribcage and hind leags area are very skinny. He is going for his 3 month worming this week which could be an issueI suppose. He eats his own poo often and eats his food very very quickly also. We are feeding him slightly more than the recommended amount on the bag for an expected large adult dog! Any help would be appreciated.

[theBCnut]

Space Coast. And you?

[Akari_32]

Where in Florida are you Patty? (just curious lol) Maybe we’re neighbors :p

[Cyndi]

Wow! I didn’t realize the price varied so much. You had said about $4, I thought you might have just been guessing. Didn’t realize you pay that much more… Well, I finally found ONE good thing about living in Ohio…..cheaper kefir, lol!

[theBCnut]

Sheesh, I pay 3something for the same thing, down in FL.

[Cyndi]

I pay only about $2.75 for the Lifeway kefir at Walmart, when they have the unflavored ones.

[theBCnut]

Probiotics go bad fairly quickly so I would suspect that those are no longer any good, they won’t do any harm to try them, they just might not help.

Don’t use a vinegar spray!

The idea is to get stuff that is sitting on the surface of the coat wiped off, spraying will carry it deeper. If you are actually going to give her a rinse, then it’s fine, but there really isn’t must point in doing both.

[Akari_32]

Does Sam’s club sell freakishly huge bottles of kefir? Seems like they have everything there :p Also, I’ve got some (expired) Centrum probiotics, the powder kind you add over food or to a drink or whatever– comes in little packets (bought them to make fish food). Would these work, for now at least?

Thanks Cavs, I’ll check it out 🙂

[Mom2Cavs]

Bee pollen granules can be found at springtimeinc.com. They have awesome supplements and have great sales, too.

[theBCnut]

If you are talking about the kefir being expensive, you only need to add some kind of probiotic a couple times a week to get the ongoing benefits from them. Human ones are fine. Swanson’s is cheap.

[Akari_32]

Thanks, I’ll check it out 🙂

Hmmm, that’s pretty expensive. $1 a meal? I think I’ll have to pass on that for now.

Bee pollen granules?? Where would I find that? We’ve been doing the baby wipes, and they seem to help. I got cheap Publix brand ones to start with just to try, and they dry out pretty quickly once out of the package. I’ll try the vinegar, and if that doesn’t do anything, I’ll buy a better brand of wipes.

For the vinegar, could I use a spray bottle to wet him down some and then dry him with a wash cloth? This is something that would be kept by the door, so it has to not look tacky, like a big thing of water and some towels sitting there as you walk in LOL

[Nancy M]

Dear “lovemycanines”,

Yes, i was told that also, and I have done some extensive reading and research on the subject and know that can happen. And then even if it does resolve on it’s own, there is no guarantee it will last. But why it does or doesn’t, no one knows. It’s just a very, very appropriately named “idiopathic” condition…..and so very hard to deal with, as you also know. I will tell you what was told to me and you may have been told the same thing….apparently there can be several “veins” or branches of these little ducts that cannot always be seen or found in surgery….and so it is very difficult for a surgeon to find exactly what is leaking……sometimes. Putting all the unknowns in there, I just did not want to, nor could I afford the surgery with such little promise. And I did not want to spend what time I may have had left with my dog, subjecting him to this surgery. It’s just a very tough call! We all have to make the decisions that we feel comfortable with. And bless your heart, it sounds like you’ve had to make so many! Whatever you choose to do, I very much wish you the very best! You just never know!

As far as the diet and the Hills food, have you already tried adding something in that he really likes, to make him eat better? For mine, I made up some homemade chicken or turkey with rice, just enough to make it more appealing, so he ate it well. A little bit of anything to make him eat, surely wouldn’t make a big difference, as long as it’s not fatty.

As far as the Seameal and Benazipril, I can’t say that they have really affected anything with the CHYLOTHORAX, but the Benazipril is for him, like us taking a low dose of aspirin everyday for heart health, and it not only helped with the hypertension, it’s just something that tends to help the entire system. So I’ve kept him on it just as a support measure, same as the Seameal. The Seameal is made by Solid Gold (dog food brand) and just has a lot of minerals, vitamins, probiotics and digestive enzymes in it. There are several others on the market, but I was just already familiar with the Solid Gold product.

Please keep in touch and let me know how you are both doing. I will do the same. Be sure to take care of you too!

[theBCnut]

Walmart carries Heinz Unfiltered All Natural Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother in 1 quart bottles.

I think a pint of Kefir is about $4. Haley should get a little less than 1/4 cup.

Try giving Bentley bee pollen granules, if you can find them. And try rinsing him off, at least his feet, and mix one cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water to wipe him down with. do these long enough to see if it helps, if it does great, if it doesn’t discontinue. Each of them help some dogs, but not all.

[Akari_32]

She’s prob’ly about 60 pounds, Patty. I can weigh her if you’d like.

The apple cider vinegar didn’t appear to have any goopies in the bottom, so I’m glad I didn’t get it. Think maybe I could get it at WalMart?

How much roughly does kefir cost, and how big are the bottles?

Is there anything I can give Bentley to help with his grass allergies? The poor guy can’t live on itch cream, baby wipes and medicated shampoo for the rest of his life lol

[theBCnut]

What size is Haley again? The Apple Cider Vinegar needs to have the Mother, it’s a cloudy bit of goo in the bottom of the bottle. That means they haven’t filtered out, cooked, and killed all the good stuff. I use 1/2 teaspoon of the ACV for every cup of food.

The kefir should be plain so you aren’t adding sugar to your dogs diet. They get about a teaspoon for every 10 lbs of body weight.

Look in the supplements aisle for a seaweed supplement. As far as how much, for your little guy, 1/4 to 1/2 a tablet daily.

[Akari_32]

Haha, I’ve had that happen a few times lol It’s ok 🙂

I have noticed since adding fish oil to Bentley’s food I’ve been able to feed him less. You may recall this little 8 pound freak eats a whole cup @.@ I was adding it daily, when his fur was really bad, but since its almost back to full length now, I’ve only been doing it a few times a week. I’ve been giving him 1/2 to 1 cup now, usually closer to 3/4 to 1. I wonder if I should apply this theory to Haley? She needs the meat on her bones, not Bentley! lol

Also related to this… I was going to pick up some apple cider vinegar for Haley yesterday, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right kind! I read somewhere about unfiltered and something else, but I couldn’t find anything like that on the bottle, so I opted not to get it yet, since we seem to be on a pretty good track with those ProSence doggy vitamins. I also considered keifer, but forgot to pick it up LOL I just want unflavored, plain, correct? And how much of each of these should I give her?

Where can I get kelp and spirulina? There aren’t really any near by health food food stores, so I’m limited to Publix, WinnDixie (yuck!) and WalMart (more yuck!), and maybe Target. And again, how much do I give?

[theBCnut]

I wrote a long reply earlier, but the commenting software ate it when it automatically logged me out. The gist of it was vit C is made by dogs but a little extra might help a senior dog, cod liver oil supplies vit A in large amounts and vit D, which are fat soluable vitamins that the body can’t get rid of if you give too much so I wouldn’t add them to kibble much, Magnesium is supposed to be balanced with zinc and calcium and I don’t know what the ratio is. I really like to add a super green to my dogs’ foods like spirulina or kelp, they have loads of micronutrients that the dog food manufacturer are not required to make sure the dog food has.

[Akari_32]

The magnesium I figured would be good for the bone health of both older dogs. The fish oil was picked for the dogs as well, for it’s skin uses. The vitamin c is for me, but if the dogs could use it, why not! Vitamin C keeps the dr away LOL

[Naturella]

Yeah yeah… Tech glitches! But yeah, maybe the cod liver oil, as well as the magnesium and zinc could be good for Haley, but I think more knowledgeable people can answer your question. So don’t take my assumption as advice, lol.

[Akari_32]

I was gunna say… Lol

[Naturella]

DANG IT! The picture showed up AFTER I sent the above message, wth?! Sorry!

[Naturella]

Akari,

You didn’t list the vitamins you bought.

[Akari_32]

I bought some vitamins (got paid $3 for $60 worth a vitamins, whoop whoop! Making money and buyin’ good stuff! :D) and I was wondering if any of these (besides the fish oil, obviously) would be beneficial for the dogs. Here they are:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/359C7140-088D-4093-A747-4E3BEB5377C9-157-000000AC6B1E1E90_zpscefb10e1.jpg

Mainly Haley I’m more concerned about things like vitamins with. She’s old and doesn’t keep weight on, but is otherwise healthy and active. I just have to feed her as much as 130 pound Dweezle gets. Her ideal weight would be about 65 pounds, and I guess her to weigh 60-ish. I can get an exact weight if you want me to. She’s not that bad, but she is a little thin. She’ll be 11 in January. She’s got a slight limp in after vigorous activity or after up after being down for an extended period (goes bewteen all four legs). I’ve had her on ProSence vitamins and so far they seen to be helping her get her weight back up and she seems a little more peppy.

Dweezle is good weight and healthy, just old, pretty old for his size actually. He’s 10 in march. Not at all active, just a big furry lump :p Family history of hip problems, but he so far seems to have avoided that, thankfully. His sister has hip dysplasia, and they had to do something like cutting the tendons in both legs…? I dunno.

Bentley is our young little maniac. Just turned 1 in August. Super active, drives us all nuts. Grass allergies cause him to chew his feet and hind legs, but otherwise healthy. He’s been on ProSence fish oil for several months and getting the hair on his backs legs back. Being so small, grass gets him all over, poor dude lol

[RescueDaneMom]

If you stick with grain-inclusive, I would choose NVP Large Breed over NutriSource. That is based on my personal opinion and what I would feed my dog. I don’t like that NutriSource uses corn gluten meal. The NV uses brown rice, barley, oatmeal, and millet for carbs where NutriSource used brown rice, white rice, barley, and corn gluten meal. Other than that they are very similar.

How is he doing on the NV LID? Better, worse, or the same as when you were feeding Fromm?

I googled OptaGest because I’ve never heard of it. I applaud you for using digestive enzymes. However, if he is super sensitive and having loose stools, you may also want to add probiotics. A lot of people recommend the Mercola pets digestive enzymes and probiotics (though they are pricey). I use Dr. Langers 15 strain probiotic from Swanson’s: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-dr-stephen-langers-ultimate-15-strain-probiotic-fos-60-veg-caps It helps our rottie with cancer and our pitt digest their food so much better.

It could be his digestive system needs more help to digest the kibble.

[JoshFL]

I’ve requested that part of the guarantee be altered – we’ll see what they say. They ask you to keep receipts for the first year for the food and vitamins they require. The agreement is pretty much worthless – it’s like every time one of their customers had a bad vet experience over the last 15 years, the breeder just added a line to their agreement saying, “it doesn’t cover this.”

We’re a bit off topic of food selection now – sorry.

[RescueDaneMom]

Here are some more…

Canine Caviar Open Sky Grain Free Duck and Chick Pea Dry Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Duck Meal, Chickpea, Duck Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Menhaden Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Culture, Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Culture, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Culture, Sun-Cured Kelp, FOS (prebiotic), Calcium Proteinate, Sodium Chloride, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Parsley, Fenugreek, Peppermint, Taurine, Selenium, Whole Clove Garlic, Vitamin E, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin C, Papaya, Rose Hips, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-12, Potassium Proteinate, Folic Acid.

Canine Caviar Wild Ocean Grain Free Holistic Herring and Split Pea Dry Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Herring Meal, Split Peas, Borage Oil, Menhaden Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Culture, Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Culture, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Culture, Sun-Cured Kelp, FOS (prebiotic), Sodium Chloride, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Parsley, Fenugreek, Peppermint, Taurine, Selenium, Whole Clove Garlic, Vitamin E, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin C, Papaya, Rose Hips, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-12, Potassium Proteinate, Folic Acid.

Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Duck Meal Dry Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Duck Meal, Tapioca, Peas, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Natural Flavor, Montmorillonite Clay, Coconut Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Panthothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract.

Great Life Dr E’s Limited Ingredient Grain Free Duck Dry Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: US Duck, Tapioca, Yams, Bok Choy, Zucchini, Blueberries, Freeze Dried New Zealand Mussel, Freeze Dried Kale Sprouts, Freeze Dried Red Clover Sprouts, Inulin, Enzymes (Amylase, Protease, Cellulase, Pectinase, Lipase, Phytase, Xylanese, Hemicellulase, Alpha-galactosidase, Invertase) Probiotics in a micro-encapsulated complex (Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product Dehydrated,Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bacillus Subtillus Fermentation Product Dehydrated), Vitamins (Dl-methione, Lecithin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamone Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Folic Acid) Minerals (Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acids Chelate, Manganese Amino Acids Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acids Chelate, Selenium), Wild Salmon Oil

Great Life Dr E’s Limited Ingredient Grain Free Buffalo Dry Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: US Buffalo, Tapioca, Yams, Bok Choy, Zucchini, Blueberries, Freeze Dried Buffalo Liver, Freeze Dried Kale Sprouts, Freeze Dried Red Clover Sprouts, Inulin, Enzymes (Amylase, Protease, Cellulase, Pectinase, Lipase, Phytase, Xylanese, Hemicellulase, Alpha-galactosidase, Invertase) Probiotics in a micro-encapsulated complex (Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product Dehydrated,Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bacillus Subtillus Fermentation Product Dehydrated), Vitamins (Dl-methione, Lecithin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamone Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Folic Acid) Minerals (Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acids Chelate, Manganese Amino Acids Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acids Chelate, Selenium), Wild Salmon Oil

Castor and Pollux Ultramix Grain Free Duck Sweet Potatoes and Whole Peas Dry Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: DEBONED DUCK, TURKEY MEAL, LAMB MEAL, SALMON MEAL (SOURCE OF OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS), SWEET POTATO, PEAS,
POTATO, DUCK FAT (PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS), POTATO PROTEIN, PEA PROTEIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, BANANAS, CARROTS, APPLES, CRANBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, ORGANIC ALFALFA, SALMON OIL, MINERALS (SALT, ZINC AMINO ACID COMPLEX, ZINC SULFATE, IRON AMINO ACID COMPLEX, MANGANESE AMINO ACID COMPLEX, COPPER AMINO ACID COMPLEX, POTASSIUM IODIDE, COBALT AMINO ACID COMPLEX, SODIUM SELENITE), VITAMINS (CHOLINE CHLORIDE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN D3, NIACIN, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT, BIOTIN, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, FOLIC ACID, THIAMINE MONONITRATE), DRIED CHICORY ROOT, YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS CASEI FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, ROSEMARY EXTRACT

Unfortunately, the restrictions you have limits your choices. The foods I have posted I found through a quick search on petflow.com for grain-free foods. I looked at the descriptions and ingredients. Most times if one formula in a line has flax or eggs in it then the rest do too (though not all the time). This is by no means an exhaustive list but just the ones I found quickly that I would feed if I were in your position. Again, I hope this is helpful. Chicken-free, grain-free, yeast-free, flaxseed-free foods DO exist but they are all on the pricey side and may be costly to feed to several big dogs. If you aren’t opposed, it might be cheaper to make a homemade diet that you would have complete control over the ingredients.

[theBCnut]

This is my favorite for just kelp
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/starwest-botanicals-kelp-powder-organic-1-lb-pkg
I would just give him a small pinch every day.

[theBCnut]

My biggest issue would be with feeding any food that long of a term. The probiotics in the gut adjust to what is being fed, they get out of balance, so when the dog does finally get into something that they aren’t used to they have a major stomach upset. Feeding variety has the same health benefits for dogs as in does for us There is no perfect food. Even a well rounded meal should not be eaten day in and day out for years. Suppose your friend eats a free range egg, 2 pieces of organic, non GMO toast, half an orange, and a glass of milk for breakfast, I’ll even throw in a glass of low sodium organic vegetable juice. Sounds like a pretty healthy meal, right? But what if that was all he ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pretty soon, he would have an over abundance of some vitamins and a lack of some others. It would take a long time for him to show any ill affects from it, and even longer for someone else to notice them. It might take years for the diseases that come from missing those vitamins to show up, but sooner or later they would.

[pugmomsandy]

If you want to incorporate some raw into the diet, then adding 20% of it is ok without worrying about added vitamins and such. If you’re dog eats 2 meals and day then 2.8 meals (or 3) can be a RMB and maybe some organs (heart/gizzard/a little bit of liver). More than that, you’d need to balance the raw meals better. Make them closer to 80% meat/10% bone/10% organs (5 of that liver) and added supplements or give a premade raw. There are some sample recipes in the Raw Food topic. Another option is to make sure he eats a whole chicken (with heart/gizzard/liver), not just the back.

[Beach Dog]

Hello. I live on an island in the Caribbean, and have a 4 year old, 75lb, female mutt. Two days ago she was diagnosed positive for heartworm…and yes, I cried. Luckily, she is in the early stages with no obvious symptoms of coughing, weight loss etc. I sought the advice of different vets and have been presented with 3 options. (1.) Do the 2 day adulticide treatment. (2.) Do a split treatment, where one dosage is injected and then a second and final dosage is given 3weeks after. (3.) Give her heartworm ‘preventative’ medicine over the next year, and assess if that reduces the quantity of adult worms present. While I make my decision, we started her on the “Pet Life Endolav Plus” pills. (She had not been given any heartworm pills prior).The pills were also given to my other dog, which is a 5 month old male mastiff. So my questions are:

1. Which option is the safest, while being most effective (I’ve gotten different responses from different vets).

2. For those living in climates where mosquitoes thrive all year round, what are the best heartworm preventative medicines and also methods? (I’ve noticed comments on this forum that advise against topical bug repellents, but mosquitoes are rampant here.)

3. Is there anything I can do to help prep my dog for treatment? Whether through addition of vitamins or a special diet? She currently doesn’t take any supplements. She was rescued as a puppy, and for the past 3 years has been fed Alpo/Pedigree/Beneful along with occasional cooked meals of rice and meat. I wasn’t aware this was potentially bad until recently, and have luckily found someone on island that distributes Sportsmix, ProPac and Earthborn Holistic Primitive. I went with the propac because it had lower calcium levels, which is seemingly better for the puppy. (Getting foods rated higher than 2 star here is challenging). I’ve started cooking meats and muscles to add to the kibble, and when I have the time on the weekend I cook full meals, including organs. (Still experimenting, as this is still new to me, having only just ditched the supermarket brands a month ago).

Grateful for any advice. She’s honestly the sweetest dog we’ve ever owned, and I badly want her to survive this. I would hate to have rescued her, only to have this as her fate. I also want to ensure that the 5 month old remains healthy.

[Shawna]

Hi Cyndi and RescueDaneMom,

Usually I’m not able to log in to the forums but it let me today so….. 🙂

I REALLY like Dr. Dressler but really don’t like grains in a dog’s food.. I’d much rather see you feeding THK and adding high protein meat or canned toppers. If you want to add extra vitamin E I personally would use red palm oil as it has a form of vitamin E that is been researched to be more cancer fighting than alpha-tocopherol. You can buy the oil or can buy a supplement that utilizes the oil. HOWEVER, I’ve also read that high amounts of vitamin E can be detrimental in certain types of cancer. UGHHH Lymphoma seems to be one that supplemental vitamin E provides benefits for though (those that may read this dealing with other types of cancer need to check for their specific type of cancer) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8272150

There are foods that are known to kill cancer cells as well — garlic, turmeric and the enzyme bromelain from pineapples induce apoptosis and causes rogue cells to commit suicide as an example (because of the sugar content of pineapple, I would give bromelain as a supplement (away from meals) instead of pineapple itself). Turmeric is inexpensive but do use ONLY organic turmeric if you decide to use it as many spices are irradiated damaging the benefits. Turmeric can be added to other powdered supplements and sprinkled right on the food.

Certain foods also are known to cut off the blood supply to cancers and thus starving the cancer to death (this is called antiangiogenosis). Turmeric, garlic, blueberries, apples, certain mushrooms and more can all do this.. The more foods you feed that are antiangiogenic the better the outcome as they are believed to be synergistic and work better together. This is a list of foods that cause antiangiogenosis http://blog.ted.com/2010/02/10/dr_william_lis/ (some are not appropriate for dogs (like grapes)).

If you are interested at all in more data on antiangiogenosis, human oncologist Dr. William Li has an EXCELLENT Ted TV video on it. The title of the video is “Can we eat to starve cancer.” It can be found here http://www.ted.com/talks/william_li.html

PS — I’m in the group that think “synthetic” vitamins have minimal positive affect on the body. I’d much rather see foods high in nutrients and, if needed, whole food vitamin supplements be used. I don’t think the supplement your vet gave you will hurt, just don’t think it will help as much as those found in food. I would also give an enzyme supplement with each meal.

Dozer is certainly in all our prayers and thoughts for a speedy and full recovery!!!!!!

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by Shawna.

[MsDad]

2dogmom, I feed NL to my Goldendoodle puppy. Give them a call and ask to speak with Scott (he’s the owner and will talk with anyone who calls!). He can explain why the higher calcium & phosphorous levels are not harmful much better than I can. But in a nutshell, they don’t add additional Vitamin D3 to their foods. All the vitamins and minerals come from natural food sources and don’t cause overabsorption of calcium.

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by MsDad.

[RescueDaneMom]

I think any incorporation of raw or fresh foods is a good thing. I’ve just started adding raw to my dog’s diet. I think it’d be easier for you if you stick with the 20% rule. You can add up to 20% (by volume I think) of additional fresh foods without throwing off the balance of nutrients in commercial kibble. That way you don’t have to worry about adding extra supplements and such to make the food complete and balanced. I think it has also been said that you can feed one meal of raw and one meal of kibble and still be ok with vitamins/minerals.

I add the following things to my dog’s food (not all at the same time): lightly cooked eggs (over easy), cottage cheese, kefir, canned sardines in water, and canned pink salmon. I will also add some canned tripe by Tripett.

I also add commercial raw, either Primal or Stella and Chewy’s. Lately I’ve been using the Primal grinds (muscle meat, organs, and bone) which are not complete and balanced. If you used more than 20% of this in a meal than you would need to balance it. You can get Primal from an independent pet store. See primalpetfoods.com for more info. Also a bonus, the bones in the grinds are ground up so small that there is no hazard of choking!

If you are interested in learning more about raw food there are two books that are always recommended: “Real food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Taylor & Becker and “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown. They have recipes for raw and cooked foods. I have made one batch of raw using Taylor & Becker’s recipe. I wasn’t too difficult but I had to go to two different stores to get what I needed. It is easier for me right now to use the Primal grinds instead of making my own raw food.

In my opinion, commercial raw food is a good compromise if you don’t want to go full raw. Yes it is still processed, but very minimally and much less than kibble. It is also convenient for those that are busy or simply don’t have or want to take the time to source raw meats and make their own raw food meals from scratch.

These are just my opinions. There are others here that have way more experience than I do such as HoundDogMom, Pattyvaughn, and pugmomsandy. They may have more feedback for you.

[InkedMarie]

I use Dr Langers probiotics that I get from Swanson a Vitamins and I just got some Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra for one of mine. I use Mercola healthy pets digestive enzymes.

[Akari_32]

I can do that. It’s like 2.30-something for a jug of it, which would last forever.

Here’s a link to those vitamins. Scroll down and click on the ingredients tab. It doesn’t give a nutritional table, though, so I’ll have to take a pic of the bottle when I got him from work.

http://www.prosensepet.com/Products/Dog/Vitamins-and-Minerals/Senior-Daily-Vitamin.aspx#answers

They also make an adult version. It has lower values of everything.

[Akari_32]

I found a great $2 off any Prosense pet product, so I decided to try the fish oil for Bentley’s suspected grass allergies (it’s not chicken, it’s not grains, so maybe grass?) and the senior vitamins for Haley’s weight (we can’t possibly shove anymore food down this dogs throat, as she just can’t physically eat much more than 5 cups).

Bentley’s been on the fish oil for a few months, and it does actually seem to help him some. We’ve also been wiping his paws and tummy off after being outdoors with a baby wipe, and trying to give him a weekly bath. And, which I haven’t tried yet, I found hot spot shampoo of the same brand on clearence for $3 (use the coupon and it’s only a buck :D).

Haley, at just 65 pounds of ideal weight, eats 4-5 cups a day. She’s maybe 2-3 pounds underweight, healthy otherwise. The vet had her on vitamins last year durring some medical treatment, but she’s since been off them. Pretty much boils down to her being old at this point, and not being able to metabolize food as efficiently. Shes been on these Prosense Senior vitamins for a few days and I do already see her gaining energy, at least.

Regular feeding, for all three of the dogs, consists of 8-9 cups of dry food mixed with a 13 oz can of wet food, and usually an egg thrown in, as well. This is obviously divided up in appropriate amounts for each dog. The whole feeding routine has been made up specifically for Haley, as straight dry food really upsets her stomach, in an indigestible sort of way. Even if it’s just moistened with some water, it helps her tremendously. Poor girls got tummy troubles lol

I was wondering about these senior vitamins: they seem really high in calcium, which I’ve heard mixed things about for older dogs. I’ll get exact numbers in the morning, as I’m in bed now, but it’s several times higher than the adult formula. I want to say its 4-5% though.

This brand is only available at WalMart (locally, at least) from what I’ve seen. Not that I really have much problem with that. I don’t particularly like WalMart, but I’ll do what I have to.

Also, side note while were here, and I feel it’ll be brought up at some point– you guys know those powder Centrum probiotics for people? Would something like that he beneficial in Haley’s case? Doesn’t have to be that brand or kind, either. Anything along those lines. Just know I’m not made of money 😉

[S. Monique]

SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR NUTRITION INFO

Activa is a dog food brand manufactured in El Paso, TX and sold in that area. I’m looking for a more affordable grain free dog food and according to the website their brand is comparable to high end brands. It claims it is lower in price only because it “cuts out the middle man”. Right now my 1yr old (40lb) small pit mix is on BB Wilderness.

I would appreciate a more informed person’s opinion on their grain free line. The link below directs you to their list of formulas. Click on a formula and ingredients as well as a complete nutritional analysis is provided for review.
http://www.petsbarn.com/store/#!/~/category/id=3996285&offset=0&sort=normal

(Also it would be awesome for this food line to have official review article on the website! Anyone know how I can suggest that?)

Here is direct information of the formula I’m considering. Thank you! 🙂

Activa Brand Dog Food
Grain Free Turkey & Potato Formula

Ingredients: Turkey meal, dried potatoes, potato flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried beet pulp, flaxseed, natural flavor, sunflower oil, salt, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, iron amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide), choline chloride, mixed tocopherols, taurine, rosemary extract.

Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 25.0% min
Fat 14.0% min
Fiber 5.0% max
Moisture 12.0% max
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.28% min
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.53% min

• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by S. Monique.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by S. Monique.

[InkedMarie]

Another sheltie? I’m so jealous! What colors are yours? My current is sable; before her was a red sable, a large blue Merle (20″ tall, 34 pounds) and the first a tri.

I’ve never fed a puppy THK, I’d give them a call. They are very helpful. I use dr Langers probiotic that I get from Swanson vitamins online. As far as goats milk, Answers has that as does THK.