[Maniza D]

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD FOR DIGESTIVE AND SKIN ISSUES
My 13 month old Tibetan Terrier has been sick on and off since I got him at 14 weeks old. After spending thousands of dollars, I decided to cook for him. After doing a lot of research, I discovered that the Acana Pacifica he was on was too rich for him. Acana, like most dog foods does not have a balanced protein to fat ratio (1:1). It is a very fatty kibble. Also it has quite a few sources of carbs lentils ( which are also a source of protein) etc. Lentils are hard to digest, even for humans .. see Indian cooking where Hing is added to aid digestion of these pulses. The Acana ingredients may work well for other dogs but not mine. I decided to switch to homemade meals and the recipe below cured him of stomach ailments overnight!

I was able to create this recipe using BalanceIt website. Couple of important things to note : I added in one capsule of Slippery Elm, great supplement for digestive issues, rosemary, one teaspoon of fresh garlic-ginger paste, parsley, a half teaspoon of bonemeal, and substituted out a portion of the corn oil (causes inflammation) for 1/2 tsp of high quality fish oil. I also adjusted the ingredient quantity to cook for 14 meals ( 2 per day). I cooked the base consisting of the cod, salmon, sweet potatoes and pumpkin and froze the portions. The fresh veggies in the recipe are par-boiled and pureed in the water they were boiled in, and added on a daily basis, along with the above ingredients and a VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT. Very important to add the vitamins and bonemeal (for calcium) to create a nutritionally balanced meal. I add in the bonemeal because the calcium to phosphorus ratio is off in the BalanceIt Vitamin powder.

The following homemade recipe was specially created for a 28 lb healthy adult dog who requires 659 Calories per day. The following recipe provides 692 Calories, enough for 1 day.

TOBY’S HOMEMADE PET FOOD RECIPE
Ingredients Grams Amount
(1) Sweetpotato, baked in skin, without salt (BalanceIT.com; flesh fed only) 200.0 g 1 cup
(2) Fish, cod, Pacific, baked 159.5 g 5 5/8 oz
(3) Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, baked 74.4 g 2 5/8 oz – *I used canned
(4) Pumpkin, canned, without salt 61.2 g 1/4 of a cup
(5) Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 56.2 g 3/8 of a cup, diced
(6) Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 45.0 g-1/4 cup
(7) Squash, summer, crookneck and straightneck, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed without salt 45.0 g 1/4 of a cup, sliced
(8) Apples, raw, with skin 40.9 g 3/8 of a cup slices
(9) Oil, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking 18.7 g 1 3/8 tbsp – *I use only 1.5 tsp.

You MUST also add the following supplement(s) to prevent essential nutrient deficiencies:
2 3/8 teaspoons (4.75 gram) of Balance IT® Canine – I give Toby half the dose.

Per Above Recipe: 692 Calories; 33% protein calories (228 Calories); 34% fat calories (238 Calories); 33% carbohydrate calories (226 Calories).

[Patty L]

I, too, am searching for the best canned food for my Corgi/Sheltie/Norwegian Elkhound mix. I supplement with Arthroplex by Thorne for joint issue prevention. I also supplement with Thorne Vet’s geriatric canine vitamins. I hope this helps. I so want our precious canine family members to live very long, active lives with us.

[Mary L]

It would be interesting to have a “Pre-mix” rating category along with wet food, dry food and raw…
I just received the following from “Urban Wolf” who makes base mix : “None ingredients are gmo, some are organic. And we do not add any artificial vitamins , all vitamins are naturally sourced”

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Mary L.

[Marie P]

How about trying home cooking? Here is a great meatloaf recipe .. YOU can choose a Dry dog kibble and use the meatloaf as a TOPPER.. Basically you place a cup or two of dry quality dog food in the dish and 1/2 a piece of meat loaf on top .. drizzle with a little warm water. THE meat loaf for dogs will stay good for 5 days or Freeze it into individual freezer baggies.. SEE here DOG MEAT LOAF or Meatball Recipe http://bulldogvitamins.blogspot.com/2014/12/recipe-for-doggie-meatballs-home.html

[Marie P]

The NuVet Plus helps to rebuild the immune system and fight allergens. Normally with a good quality food and the NuVET Plus you can fight off many allergens. Take a look at your environment too. Sometimes environmental issues will come up and it is a new allergen hitting your pets. See here as NuVET and Zyrtec are highly recommended by many vets for environmental issues – Many VETs offer this Dosage of Zyrtec along with the Natural NuVET supplement http://bulldogvitamins.blogspot.com/2015/07/does-your-dog-have-watery-eyes-itchy.html

[Francine R]

Salmon, chicken meal (cooked at high temperatures to remove fat and water), sweet potato, whole ground garbanzo bean, pea flour,chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, pea starch, fish meal, ground flaxseed, dried chickory root, dried cranberries, blueberries, carrots, lactobacillus casei fermentation product dehydrated, lactobacillus, acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated bifido thermophilum fermentation product dehydrated, enterococcus faecium fermentation product dehydrated, natural (liver) flavor, potassium chloride minerals [ zinc, sulfate, copper sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite] vitamins[ choline chloride, vitamin a supplement, vitamin d3 supplement, vitamin e supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, hydrochloride [source vitamin b6] riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin b12 supplement.

No corn, wheat or soy.
No by-product meal.
No added artificial color.
No added preservatives.

[Blkdoodle]

pitluv, I wish we could attach a picture. I don’t care what their web site says, It’s what I read and have the label of the can. It says and I quote “Made in USA with imported ingredients.” What are those ingredients and are they up to our standards. If it’s meat meal, is the “meat” all beef or is there some other animal parts? Personally I wouldn’t eat anything coming out of China if I know it. Some say the vitamins in the dog food are imported from China. REALLY?

[Susan]

Just remember when you cook & add a kibble your probably adding 1/2 the amount of the kibble that you’d normally feed cause your adding cooked ingredients, so now your adding 1/2 the amount of vitamin/minerals etc…
I feed kibble for breakfast then I fed the cooked meal for dinner & I add a supplement to balance the cooked meal… I live Australia & use Natural Animal Solutions “Digestavite Plus” I only need to add 1/4 of a teaspoon….
You don’t have to balance every cooked or raw meal but as long as in the week your dog has gotten enough vitamins, minerals, vitamin D, omega 3,6 & 9 fatty acids, calcium etc that he or she needs….I seen a post the other day & the poor pup had rickets……..

[Amateria]

Wow Susan you go all out when you respond haha.

Rusty is about 8-9 at this point, I don’t think we have his papers and so were not 100% sure if it’s 8 or 9 but he’s definitely getting old, I have ordered and received samples of Totw, they were pretty reluctant to send them to me because of postage charges, but I don’t live anywhere near a shop that stocks their samples, so they let me have 2 samples in the end, high praire I think and coastal(should be bison one and fish one).

He has done well on black hawk fish and potato, I wanted to add some oils to his food because of what I’ve read about them, they help me with my joints and nerve so I figured it would help with his joints and coat and it did.

But it also seems that after the dry and the blend he started to have more problems, so maybe it wasn’t the best idea in the end, I’ll make sure to tell mum to feed him the kibble once a week as a treat instead.

His teeth are generally awful looking, he does need a professional anaesthesia cleaning that’s for sure, he’s impossible when it comes to brushing, I’ve tried and failed like a pro every time, he’s super strong and he scratches me up real good so I stopped trying.

I will definitely be taking him to the vet for a more thorough check up, because he means the world to my mum, as in if she looses sight of him for 5 minutes she starts to panic and I would hate to see him die from something that could of been prevented(if it’s anything bad to begin with, could just be pancreatitis pains).

He’s also a white cream chihuahua 😛 and the puppy is white with tan spots she’s so gorgeous everyone always complements the way she looks when we’re out its super cute.

And for you Susan the kibble is just a treat, we actually feed homemade cooked, he’s always been on a chicken and rice with veggies diet, he does the best on this diet and hardly ever has flare ups, when he does it’s usually my fault because I try to add some variety to his food and some extra vitamins and minerals and than he gets sick and I don’t mean to, it just happens.

I think because of how well he did with black hawk if I feel like adding anything for his joints in the future I might add that and he did really well on the k9 natural venison freeze dried and super well on ziwipeak venison, I might just buy those from time to time as I know he did well on them, he’s gone through 5 ziwipeak bags with only two flare ups, so yeah I might just stick with that and stop trying new things that clearly aren’t working in his favor.

I’ll keep an eye on Anja while she’s on the supplement and kibble, she usually eats like 3 of them, she’s not a very big eater, but I hope she continues to do well on the blend, as I’d like to cure her leg drama before it becomes permanent.

Thanks for the help though, I wanted to be 100% sure about a few things and you guys cleared that up for me so thanks a lot 😀

[Amateria]

Hey everyone, so my mum has been having some trouble with Rusty at night, now I did some google searching but I don’t really have enough time to do anymore and also I generally didn’t find anything on the first two pages anyways.

I started both Rusty and Anja on Sasha’s blend joint supplement about a month ago, this supplement contains green lipped mussel, shark cartilage and abalone powder. I am wondering could this cause him to become restless, he just gets up randomly several times and goes for a walk, now if he didn’t sleep with my mum this wouldn’t be much of a problem, but he wakes her up every time he goes.

Is it possible the powder may be not for him? This all started after the introduction of said powder, even if it wasn’t all that long ago, Anja on the other hand seems to be doing just fine on it.

He also gets about 6 pieces of the Ivory Coat kibble with these ingredients: Ocean Fish, Salmon Meal, Peas, Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Pea Fibre, Ground Flaxseed, Fish Oil, Canola Oil, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, D3, E), Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium, Biotin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Natural Prebiotic, Calcium Propionate, Rosemary Extract & Green Tea Extract.

Could anything in there or maybe the abalone powder in the supplement be giving him these random night walks? Or could it just be a coincidence for something more sinister?

[theBCnut]

You feed the amount of organs and bones that goes with the amount of raw that was fed. The kibble has calcium, vitamins, and minerals to balance the kibble portion. It shouldn’t have excess. Personally, I think the vitamins and minerals in their natural form are better utilized.

[Alta K]

I have been feeding 4 dogs: doberman, pit/mastiff, white GSD, and a pit mix Tefco Performance Dog Diet for several months. I was previously feeding my own raw diet and my dogs love the Tefco Performance Diet.

Full disclosure, I became the Tefco distributor for NE Florida (NE Florida Raw Dog Food, LLC) after seeing how my dogs thrived on the Performance even though I was feeding a balanced raw diet.

I have seen this food turn around chronic health issues in a matter of days. I have had customers whose dogs came straight off kibble to Performance and experienced no digestive issues and loved the food right off the bat.

Many of my customers were previously feeding far more expensive raw food products and have reported to me that the Tefco is superior. I have everything from breeders and high level competition dogs to rescues and family pets eating this diet and nothing but rave reviews about how much their dogs love the food and how much they love the quality and results. I have many customers in the area and not one single complaint.

Performance Dog Diet is 100% pure beef with a raw feeding ratio of 80-10-10. It is preservative free and complete nutrition supplemented with vitamins and trace minerals.
It contains green tripe for pro and pre-biotics and trachea as a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin . It is only sold through independent distributors so customers can have a personal relationship with a distributor who is knowledgeable about raw feeding. The beef is on the hoof until a shipment is ordered. It is processed then flash frozen at 40 below to kill bacteria then shipped and kept frozen by distributor.

If you have any questions about the food you can contact Jerry, the owner through the number on the website: http://www.paleodietdogfood.com/contact/. He will also gladly put you in touch with the Animal Nutritionist (Ph.D) who developed the Performance Dog Diet formula if you have a question he can’t answer. I can be contacted through my Tefco Raw of NE FL Facebook Page with any questions.

Ingredients:
Beef, Tripe, Trachea, Finely Ground Bone, Salt, Egg & Trace Minerals. You can view the list of vitamins and trace minerals here: http://www.paleodietdogfood.com/performance-dog-diet/

Alta Kremp, NE Florida Raw Dog Food, LLC

[Cannoli]

“No wonder you had problems. No one should be mixing Kibble and raw food together”

This is another myth that needs to be dispelled. You can feed raw with kibble. Obviously you probably don’t want to feed the organs and ground bones since the kibble provides the calcium and necessary vitamins. But you can definetly feed the raw muscle meat with kibble. I do it all the time.

Seriously I eat raw steak tartar and sushi with cooked rice and yet you telling people that dog’s stomachs are so weak that they can’t handle this combination but humans can?

Also the digestion studies I read about how raw digest quicker than kibble blah blah hence you should never feed together is silly science.

[Shawna]

“There is one amino acid that cats require, which cannot be found in plants, as everyone here probably knows, Carnitine.”

The essential amino acids for cats are “arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and taurine.

Carnitine is not an essential amino acid in cats. It is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. If there is enough lysine and methionine as well as iron and certain vitamins the cat can make carnitine. Both of these amino acids can be found in plant foods and plant foods can supply enough if properly combined. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine https://books.google.com/books?id=4Qzau1jagOYC&pg=PA655&lpg=PA655&dq=is+carnitine+an+essential+amino+acid+for+cats&source=bl&ots=wXOzeKiQ2z&sig=RHBoMlYaLQ-rkbzeC59i_U3zRQg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizuf_jvN3MAhWD24MKHXIvBy44ChDoAQghMAE#v=onepage&q=is%20carnitine%20an%20essential%20amino%20acid%20for%20cats&f=false

Taurine is the amino acid cats require that is only found in animal sources of protein but you are correct that it can and is synthetically produced and used (in both vegan and many meat based diets alike).

What I find odd about your post is that you profess yourself, in a round about way, to be an authority on nutrition. If this were true, you would know that a highly processed, synthetically fortified diet is not healthy for any living being as he sole diet. Being as knowledgeable about nutrition as you profess to be you must also be aware that most plant based proteins come with negative consequences such as the anti-nutrients phytase, trypsin inhibitors, prolamins, lectins, agglutinins and such. How do you suggest dealing with these factors in the canine and feline diet?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.

[crazy4cats]

Here is an article written by a vet that was included in my Petcurean newsletter:

CATS | DOGS | HEALTH & NUTRITION | APRIL 8, 2016
The Great Grain Debate: Should pet foods avoid grains?
Dr. Jennifer Adolphe
BY: DR. JENNIFER ADOLPHE
Dog in the woods
Grain-free diets are becoming much more commonplace in the pet food aisle. There are a number of reasons for this growing trend, such as the belief that grains are harmful for pets or that grain-free diets are more appropriate for dogs and cats from an evolutionary perspective.

Also, gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye — has been touted as a substance to be feared in many popular human nutrition diets, and pet and human nutrition trends usually go hand-in-hand. With so many grain and grain-free options available, what do you need to know about the great grain debate?

Grains are an important source of complex carbohydrates, which have three or more sugar molecules joined together so they are more slowly digested than simple sugars that only have one or two molecules. Although carbohydrates are not considered essential nutrients in the diets of dogs and cats, and are often considered “fillers,” they do play a critical role in your pet’s body.

In particular, carbohydrates provide a highly digestible, readily available energy source. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates are also an important source of essential nutrients. The shape, texture and density of kibble depends on the carbohydrate (starch) content of the food. This is important, as mouth feel and the structure of the kibble help to determine palatability.

Recent genetic research suggests that one of the important steps in the domestication of dogs was their adaptation to a diet high in carbohydrates relative to the diet of carnivorous wolves. Carbohydrates are often considered to be detrimental to cats, but research suggests that moderate amounts may actually be beneficial in promoting insulin sensitivity.

Some of the grains commonly found in pet foods include barley, corn, rice, oats and wheat. Whole grains include all parts of the grain, while refined grains have the nutrient-rich germ and bran layers removed.

Whole grains promote digestive health since they are not only an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, but are also rich in fiber. Dietary fiber is a unique type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by your pet’s digestive enzymes, but nonetheless provides many benefits.

For example, oats and barley contain a special type of fiber called beta-glucan, which has been shown in numerous human studies to fight heart disease and diabetes. Beta-glucan may also be beneficial in pet foods to control blood glucose and prevent obesity.

Grain-free does not mean carbohydrate-free, as complex carbohydrates can be sourced from nongrain ingredients such as peas, lentils, chickpeas, tapioca, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Some pets may have allergies to one or more specific grains, but it might not be necessary to eliminate all grains.

Gluten-free diets are necessary for humans diagnosed with celiac disease or nonceliac gluten sensitivity, but this is not a common problem in pets and most tolerate gluten without any difficulty. The exception is some Irish Setters with inherited gluten sensitivity.

Many grain-free pet foods are higher in protein than conventional diets and, while extra protein is typically not a problem for most healthy pets, it can be problematic in certain medical conditions such as kidney disease. Since all foods contain a balance of carbohydrates, fat and protein, decreasing the amount of carbohydrate in a food will increase the fat and/or protein content.

What are some of the benefits of grain-free carbohydrate sources? Peas are an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and provide most of the essential amino acids required by dogs and cats. Peas also provide an added environmental benefit in that they are used as a tool in sustainable agriculture to add nitrogen back into the soil.

Tapioca does not contain protein, so it is not considered a potential allergen or source of food sensitivity. This is especially important in limited ingredient diets that are designed for food hypersensitive pets.

Potatoes are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C and potassium. Sweet potatoes are a major source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which act as antioxidants, as well as manganese and potassium.

One of the primary benefits of grain-free diets is the increased variety of new and unique pet food recipes available. This allows pet parents to choose a diet with or without grains that works best for their dog or cat.

This article originally appeared on Multibriefs.com

Hope this article helps!

[Gail G]

Blue Buffalo is my nomination. It’s sort of a new dog food, in our grocery store in several varieties, and I read all the ingredients, and I couldn’t find anything wrong that I’ve read about on the ingredient list. Now, I’m not anti-grain, don’t mind if corn is in it, chicken is the first ingredient and the only meal was chicken meal, and it has many vitamins other foods don’t, and ingredients for the dog’s coat. I guess one of the exceptions that you list must apply to this food and, if possible, I’d like to know just how negative that might be… if the company was simply uncooperative because they’re into making food and not filling an office to answer inquiries, that sort of thing. I REALLY want to get it, they have a Life Protection Formula that I like and also Puppy Formulas. We lost our dog two months ago and are ready now to adopt a new pup, anywhere from 4 months on up to a year… we’ve adopted a couple seniors and “Gone Too Soon” (Michael Jackson) SO applies, so this time it’s going to be a life dog, as we’ve had before. So, if you could give me ANY positive reaction to this food, or any WARNING about it, I want to hear back. Also, if it’s been recalled, I’d like to know why. Thanks for this website! GigiMac

[alexis w]

You can put in your recipe and break it down into how many servings it should make and it will tell you how many calories and what vitamins, minerals and amino acids are in it as well as the percentage of fat,carbs and protein in it. its really cool

[alexis w]

i have, with the supplement they do, they are very close without it but there are a few vitamins that are lacking. i haven’t been doing this for very long and am still tweaking everything and as i get better at it the recipes will be more complete on their own and the supplement will be less and less necessary. they meet the standards for the amino acids and about 75% of the vitamins and the rest are covered with the supplement. I use this site to get a break down of the nutrients that are in it and then i compare them to the AAFCO standards and then add in what nutrients are added with the supplement. I was using the Dinovite supplement and they have a recipe that they recommend to use with it that is just ground beef, rice and eggs which seemed really unbalanced to me so I started coming up with my own and switched to Nupro which has been around a lot longer and has way better reviews from people that have been doing homemade food for years as well as from vets I have talked to. Here is the site I use to get the nutrient breakdown: http://nutritiondata.self.com/mynd/myrecipes/welcome?returnto=/mynd/myrecipes/edit-recipe/3791809&autosave=form.info.autosave

[Marie P]

Hi Christina B – I would be glad to help you with some special balanced recipes for your baby .. Often home cooking can help along with a Good Local VET. Looks like you have done a good job bringing you baby to the Vet for exam and testing. Please contact me and we can talk about some herbs, supplements and home-cooking..

e-mail me for more info ; Marie Peppers [email protected]

Check out my blog — I am updating info often

This article is on SAFE Fruits for dogs
http://bulldogvitamins.blogspot.com/2015/07/what-fruits-and-veggies-can-my-dog-eat.html

[Rox B]

Pitlove: Can you show proof to support what you’ve posted or are you posting hearsay? Who tested these diets? The AAFCO? The AAFCO likes to see food fortified before they give their stamp of approval and if they don’t see it fortified, they say it is deficient. And what dog food do you feed? Kibble? Kibble is worthless nutrition and that is why it needs added vitamins and minerals. If you want to do research, google what is in dry dog food or how dry dog food is made. That will be a real eye opener for you. Kibble is not species appropriate and is not healthy for dogs. I have been feeding my 8.5 year old GSD Prey Model Raw Diet for years and he is healthy 100%. Thousands of people are feeding complete and balanced raw diets to their pets. There might be some people who do not feed raw correctly, but that is because they lack knowledge and support. Personally, I don’t think kibble feeders are feeding their dog’s correctly. I teach how to feed raw properly. PMRD 80/10/5/5 guidelines are balanced and complete. BARF and PMRD are live foods with all their natural nutrients. Nothing is better for dogs. Raw dogs are beautiful and very healthy. You are taking a chance on your dog’s health if you are feeding kibble or anything other than raw.

[Susan]

Hi Tamara change vets, I went thru 3 vets before I found Patches good vet, she’s into natural healing, feeding fresh foods as well….
I can’t see how boiled vegetables will kill your dog, they have no fat in them at all… have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis” Face Book Group?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
The ladies in the Canine Pancreatitis group are very helpful. Look in the files… click on “Non RX foods” all wet tin foods that you can feed your dog will come up that are feed to dogs with Pancreatitis……Your dog can’t just live on boiled chicken, he needs his vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acid etc he’ll start to get dry itchy skin & loss weight…
The Honest Kitchen Zeal is low in fat-8.5% & is for seniors & dogs with Pancreatitis, IBD……all you do is add water, don’t add too much water, some people say its a bit sloppy, so add less water then is recommended….
Dr Judy Morgan uses the Honest Kitchen “Base Mixes” you just add your lean meat, Judy makes a few meat loaves for her sick little girl… you can find Dr Judy Morgan recipes on You-Tube she also sell supplements & has a Face Book page & answers all post & msg…. The Honest Kitchen sell samples, so you can try a few Zeal samples first, your dog will probably love it & its balanced & human grade ingredients … http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

[Howard J]

Hi Tamara!

I have a similar dog as you and she also suffered with pancreatitis. For our Carine Terrier we had to do a lot of trial and error to figure out what was best for her. Firstly, she was overweight, 19lbs; 4.5lbs overweight in November of 2015. She is now 14.6 and staying steady. One reason she might of lost so much weight was because she had EPI from the pancreatitis episode in 2015. So she wasn’t absorbing as many nutrients. We also focused on exercise a lot more.

In regards to PANCREATITIS, we put her on a strict diet for about a month after her episode. Chicken boiled twice, white rice, sometimes a starchy food like Yam or sweet potatoes steamed and/or boiled. We should of supplemented with vitamins at this time but we were a little ignorant. Anyway, after this we bought HONEST KITCHEN Zeal Meal fish formula and HONEST KITCHEN veggie formula which is just a topping if you feed her protein such as fish boiled or chicken boiled. For 5 months we have been on a regime feeding her twice a day, either the zeal meal, ground up in a blender for a sec. Or the Honest Kitchen veggie topping dehydrated one. Both need hot water and let sit for 5min. The veggie one is mixed with fish, chicken or 95% lean twice boiled beef. We introduce more fat like coconut oil which doesn’t require the pancreas to work like other fats in small amounts.

NO TABLE SCRAPS PERIOD!! Supplements are what saved our dog. She has more energy than she did when she was 7. For every meal and what I think is the most important for dogs suffering with pancreatitis is an enzyme replacement. You can get them from your vet but we just use the vegan powder formula on amazon. Not too much money and lasts a year. We sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon on her food for nutrient absorption and so her pancreas doesn’t have to work as hard. The brand is called Nusentia Enzyme Miracle.

Other supplements include pancreatrophin from standard process, which also aids in her digestion, paraplex and enteric powder all from standard process. We barely use the last two.

I hope this helps a lot, we had to go through the same thing, it’s important to stay low fat, but not too low and to add in enzymes slowly.

[Rahat H]

You can try this “All Life Stage Dog Food Grain Free” .Grain-free food is formulated for all life stages. Packed with nourishing, high-quality ingredients, this delicious food is perfectly balanced with all of the proteins, omega-3s, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients pet kids need to thrive … without the grains.

[Michelle R]

That is what we use as our main kibble for the dogs and the show cats. We love it because it is not grain free and full of starch, but is very hypoallergenic. Closest thing to a raw diet in a kibble form. No MSG! No synthetic vitamins or minerals from China! Eight flavors to rotate through! Beautiful coats, no scratching, and winning show cats! Can’t find a better kibble out there.

[C4D]

Hi Michael,

There is no food that provides enough glucosamine and chondroitin. I’ve had several dogs with joint issues for many years. I feed grain and potato free (potatoes exacerbate inflammation) and supplement with human grade fish oil and joint supplements. You have to be careful if using human joint supplements that there aren’t added vitamins. Your vet might be willing to give you suggestions. You also have to adjust the dosage. My current senior dog is doing well and still extremely active.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by C4D.

[Becca]

my dog is not overweight, he is actually losing more weight, never lost his appetite, he has a ravenous appetite. he inhales his food. he has acid reflux that slowly got worse over time. rushed him into the vet after he threw up about 10 times. he is on carafate and pepcid, vet said he could go back to normal eating in 5 days. he did the snap test for pancreatitis. said it was positive, he said give him chicken and potatoes or squash for 5 days then go back to his normal diet. i think i need to go back to my holistic vet, theres much more feedback for treatment and options, i cant see the bland diet having enough nutrional value without the vitamins. seeing the pancreas needs certain minerals etc. to heal. are there any other gi issues that could make the test positive for pancreatitis?

[Josie F]

I have to disagree with “anonymous”. And here’s why- We’ve been using Nuvet Plus with our dog for almost 3 years. When we got him, he was a rescue who had been sitting in a box on the side of the road for who knows how long. Someone found him and his sister, and brought them to a vet. They were covered with fleas, had demoxdex, severe allergies and a bunch of other health issues. We fell in love with him- hair loss, red spots and all and decided we would do everything we could to get him better. We tried EVERYTHING to get the demodex to clear up, and it was awful for him (And us!) I was devastated.

I searched around constantly for a cure, and then ran into an old friend of mine who worked for a holistic vet, and she said to try NuVet. I did my own research, and read some of the nuvet reviews and saw a lot of other people who’s dogs had issues with hair loss and allergies- and it HELPED, and so I figured it was worth a shot. If it didn’t work, I’d get my money back.

Well- it didn’t hurt, it actually cleared his issues up. We made no other changes, stopped the (like Acid!) baths for the demodex, stopped the antibiotics (we felt he was on them too long anyways) and made sure to watch closely what was in his food. And within 2 months, his fur was regrowing. It took about 6 months to clear up fully. I’ve kept him on it ever since, and he’s 3 now, and hasn’t had a single issue with his coat or skin. He’s shiny, happy and healthy.

I don’t see how people say it’s snake oil- it’s easy to see what each ingredient does, and doing your own research will show you that some people have seen those things help with certain ailments in their pets. I take vitamins for myself, my husband and children take them as well, and have seen them work consistently, along with the right nutrition, so why wouldn’t I do that for my dog too? I know that not every supplement or even every medicine (as we proved in the past) is going to work with every animal but this one worked for my dog and I’m grateful. I’d recommend at least trying nuvet to any pet owner who is seeing similar issues.

[Primed P]

All dogs are different, and some need a little more help than others when it comes to making sure they have enough vitamins in their diet. Dog dietary supplements are prescribed by veterinarians to compliment the diet and maintain optimal health.

[crazy4cats]

Last I checked the Turkey and Beef grain free 4Health recipes are not made by Diamond. I believe it is Ainsworth that makes it. It seems weird that they would use two different manufacturers, but it was confirmed by several different participants on the review side of this site. However, I also feed Diamond kibbles from time to time and have not had a problem. I live on the West Coast where there has not been a recall.

I do not have a problem with feeding kibble that has grain in it either. I feed Eagle Pack from time to time. All kibble has to have some type of carb to bind it together. I like to rotate brands so they aren’t eating the same carb, protein, preservatives, vitamins and minerals forever. Don’t they say, “variety is the spice of life?” 🙂 I just think it is healthier for humans and our pups.

Hope this is helpful, Erica!

[JeffreyT]

C4D, it depends on what kind of supplements. Pharmaceutical companies generally use isolated, synthetic vitamins in their studies, as opposed to whole food supplements. This is very misleading but not surprising.

The author of the article you posted, Dr. Paul Offit, is on the board of trustees of the American Council on Science and Health – they describe themselves as a consumer education group – but they are a front group for corporate interests. Their funding is from pharmaceutical, oil and chemical companies, and they’ve defended DDT, asbestos, agent orange and various other pesticides, saying they do no harm.

Here is an excellent article on the difference between synthetic and whole food supplements.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/19/whole-food-supplements.aspx

[C4D]

I don’t think supplementing with vitamins, especially if you are feeding a food that’s complete and balanced, is a good idea. If you must supplement for a specific condition, that would be different. An example is, in a dog with arthritis, fish oils may be beneficial to reduce inflammation. Here’s a link which shows that several studies have found that humans taking multivitamins has actually caused a shortened lifespan and some medical issues in others:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vitamin-myth-why-we-think-we-need-supplements/277947/

[Jenn H]

Iaconrad I hate to break it to ya, but veganism DOES harm other animals.
In fact, (this is going to seem backasswards) it’s more harmful to other creatures than a diet that’s meat inclusive.
Let me try to explain quickly. Pesticide by definition is the killing of pests. While vegans say they only eat organic plants, fruits, vegs, nuts, etc organic farming still uses pesticides. (Often the same pesticides just a natural version.) Even if the pesticide isn’t toxic to humans it is toxic to pests. If no pesticides were used the organic farmers would produce even less than they do now. Thus making their crops unprofitable.
ALL pesticides kill aphids, insects, butterflies, mice, rabbits, birds and/or any other living thing that tries to eat that plant. That’s the point.
You wouldn’t use pesticides in a pasture where cows graze because the milk/meat would be potentially harmful to the animal that gets nourishment from it. Pigs are the best at turning “waste” into a useable meat. So they don’t need pesticides either.
That’s an example of 2 food sources that would be unacceptable to vegans that could yield a ton more food and cause less harm to other living things. The only thing that dies is the cow and pig.
And you won’t have to supplement B12, calcium, Vitamin A. Unless you have a medical condition you shouldn’t have to take vitamins & minerals. A truly healthy diet will provide what you need.
I’m thrilled your animals are healthy and live long lives. But your examples are nothing more than anecdotal.
As an aside multiplying dog ages ×7 is an inaccurate way of figuring their true age.

[Cannoli]

I agree with anonymously. I don’t trust supplement companies that state their supplements are miracle wonder pills that can prevent a plethora of ailments.

These are the questions I ask myself when I rarely use supplements, hence I would ask the same questions to companies who make supplements for my dog.

1) Has the product triggered any health warnings or sanctions
Searching for a product or its maker on the FDA’s website will unearth any safety advisories or sanctions issued against them. The agency also maintains a list of all recent recalls and market withdrawals. I know this is tough but if this company makes human supplements it might be good to know if they ever had any human supplements recalled.

2) Has the product been tested by independent labs?

A reputable supplement company must have DNA testing to prove that all of there ingredients actually are what they state it has.

3)Is the product too good to be true?

For example they write “Nuvet contains those ingredients and can help strengthen the immune system to help prevent the development of allergies.” There is no supplement that can help this.

or this “Nuvet plus contains those ingredients and can help strengthen the immune system to help keep the body in balance, and less likely to develop the medical conditions that can lead to seizures.” more none sense.

4) Do I really need supplements? If so, am I taking the right amount?

a supplement may have considerably higher quantities of a vitamin or mineral than it says on the bottle. Because certain vitamins degrade over time, manufacturers often provide more than the labeled quantities, to ensure there is still the labeled amount at the expiration date

You should really be careful with giving your dog supplements. There are too many snake oil salesmen in this unregulated industry

[Bill 6]

Hello, our two year old American Cocker Spaniel named Soly was diagnosed by ultrasound and liver biopsy with liver failure due to liver shunt. We have investigated and discussed surgical options with our veterinarian and decided not to go that route for many reasons not the least of which is quality of life. We’ve decided to manage her symptoms via diet and medication until her bad days outnumber her good days and then we will let her go.

We’ve read that many dogs do quite well on homemade diets for this condition often living far longer than the typical 10 month prognosis. We’ve also read that diets must be carefully formulated to ensure they contain not only the correct enzymes, vitamins and minerals but the correct quantities as well. Sources of this information seem to be far and few.

It seems that we need to move from animal based proteins to plant and dairy based proteins and avoid copper, salt and vitamin C. Most of our internet searching turns up diets or recipes that fail to address proper balance for our situation. Commercially available hepatic diets do not seem to be the answer either.

Our vet was a student of Dr. Twedt at Colorado State who has spent a career studying canine hepatic disease. Both he and Dr. Twedt are suggesting BalanceIT recipe formulator. We are still awaiting approval on that since BalanceIT requires our vets input before we can see any recipes and we just submitted the online form this (Friday) evening.

So I guess we’re looking for any and all opinions and suggestions to keep our little pup happy and as healthy as we can until we lose her. Two years is far too young to lose such a feisty little ball of energy. Heck, we’re still getting to know each other!

Thanks in advance,
Bill and Debbie & Soly too!

[Rick Dunn]

No disrespect intended here but unfortunately Jakes_Mom “A healthy dog eating appropriate food does not need vitamin supplements.” could not be more wrong.

Even the best researched, sourced and prepared foods either commercially available or homemade (which includes raw diets) fall short in all of the essential vitamins, minerals, metals and nutrients that a dog is intended to have in it’s body by nature. Subsequently their bodies become out of balance which in turn compromises their immune systems. This is a proven fact and just can not be disputed, justified or excused away by anyone.

Proper supplementation brings the body back into balance and allows the immune system go back to its normal level. You can deny this all you wish… my statements are factual, backed by scientific research and proven in dogs for more than 30 years.

What is a Supplement?

Pet supplements are defined as either dietary or therapeutic supplements. Dietary supplements (also called dietary nutrients) are substances added to pet foods to make them nutritionally complete and balanced. Therapeutic supplements (also called nutraceuticals) are foods or food nutrients that are taken orally to provide a health benefit, either for prevention or treatment of disease. To have this therapeutic effect, a nutraceutical is usually taken in a larger dose than the daily requirement of that same food when used as a nutrient.

What is Dr Kruger Pet Supplements?

It is the only complete supplement on the market, covering all aspects of a dog’s health. Dr Kruger Pet Supplements naturally correct commercial, home made and natural pet food’s deficiencies in three crucial ways by adding essential vitamins and minerals, important digestive enzymes for complete food absorption, and beneficial intestinal bacteria to supercharge the immune system. Each formulation has additional ingredients to focus on those particular areas of the pets health that it is deficient in.

Our formulas meet the specific needs of your pet through each stage of life. Whether your dog is a puppy, adult or senior; one that is active, in show or spends most of his time indoors, there is a Dr Kruger Pet Supplements formula that is just right for his needs.

Why use Dr Kruger Pet Supplements?

Since 1986 our supplements have been alleviating gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, loose stools, vomiting and gas as well as itchy skin, hot spots, shedding and allergies. Our Supplements will help with both occasional and chronic digestive problems such as bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), toxic gut syndrome (TGS), torsion, sensitive stomach, inflamed bowel, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Other conditions helped by our supplements include allergies, arthritis, inflamed joints, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and a host of others.

Dr Kruger Pet Supplements, when used daily provide the necessary vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, digestive enzymes, microbes and other probiotics for the health of your pet. Made from all natural ingredients, Dr. Kruger’s Supplements provide a holistic approach to your pets health helping your dog or cat absorb more nutrients from their diet. When used in combination with a healthy, organic food, Dr. Kruger’s Supplements ensure better health through better digestion… naturally!

Dr. Kruger’s approach was to address the “Whole Dog” not just a symptom, this is why our supplements work so well. Everyday Health Formula is in ALL of our Formulas as the foundation; we then add specific elements to address and make up the additional Formulas we offer. The final reason our Formulas have worked for so many years is Dr. Kruger knew that a dogs health requirements will change over it’s lifetime. He developed his Formulas to address those changes from the beginning of life through the twilight years.

Puppy & Pregnancy Formula
Everyday Health Formula
Healthy Skin & Coat Formula
High Performance Formula
Healthy Skin & Coat Formula
Healthy Joint Formula
Senior Health Formula

All of our ingredients are:

Human Grade
Non-GMO
All Natural
Sourced in the USA Only
Manufacture in the USA
There are NO Fillers in our Formulas; our Formulas are dosed by the dogs food intake as that is the only true way to know how much supplementation should be administered.

The importance of healthy digestion is critical to overall health of your pet. That is why we recommend that at least the Everyday Health Formula to be a consistent supplement to your pets food every day!

We prove this EVERY SINGLE DAY!

[Rick Dunn]

You should check out Dr Kruger Pet Supplements – Healthy Joint Formula to address hip dysplasia and arthritis. While nothing will cure your senior dog of these issues Dr Kruger Pet Supplements – Healthy Joint Formula has a 30 year track record of doing a great job of helping to relieve mobility issues. Along with the same vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and live cultures as the Everyday Formula, the Healthy Joint Formula also contains anti-inflammatory ingredients such as Glucosamine Sulphate, Yucca Root, Dandelion Root, Devil’s Claw, Kelp, Chondroitin Sulphate and extra Vitamin E to relieve chronic joint and muscle conditions, including arthritis (hereditary or traumatic), hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, (degenerative joint disease (DJD), spinal arthritis (spondyosis), sprains, or other conditions due to illness and injury. It also improves overall ligament and cartilage health..

It costs nothing to check it out!
http://www.drkruger.com/collections/healthy-joint-formula

[linda m]

The balanced diet at the top, does this mean I don’t need to give my maltese vitamins etc. My dog has IBS and I’m new at making her own food. I knew about the cooking the bones, because I saw a video on it. My chicken is cooking and then I will cook down the bones with cider vinegar. Should I put some boiled eggs in her food for the shells? I read I was supposed to put fruit in her food. My dog was a puppy mill dog I rescued 3 years ago and she just recently got IBS , her vet started her on royal canin dry food. she ate it at first and now wont eat it at all, he also started her on steroids, which scares me. She has allergies, she chews and bites her paws. I have so many sprays . ointments for this. She lived in a cage most of her life and I don’t know if its a habit from being in a cage. I have 2 more maltese and they eat blue buffalo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[jakes mom]

I don’t think adding a little hot water would hurt. Just make sure the cats get that water,too. You may leech some water soluble vitamins from the food into the water as it thaws.

[Cannoli]

Or better yet have your vet do blood tests. I get blood tests done once a year and my doctor tells me what vitamins I am lacking in. So I then research the whole foods that have those vitamins and immediately add them to my diet.

We should do the same with our pets before we just start throwing supplements at them.

[Deborah and Jim G]

Our standard schnuzer had 12 inches of jejunuem and the cecum removed Feb. 17,2016. Diagnosis of GIST, cancerous tumor. He has had projectile diarrhea since surgery. I mean liquid stools ongoing 4-5 times a day. He will not eat Hill’s ID or WD food. He is eating pan seared turkey and Royal Cainine GI low fat. That is all he will eat. I give him electrolytes (Pedialyte) in his water. I give him probiotics in water with a syringe. He will not eat the food if I sprinkle the probiotics on it. He has not wanted pumpkin or yogurt either.
He is now on amoxicillin after being on flaggel. I am trying anti diarrheal meds very cautiously. I just bought a gel with vitamins to try to get weight on him. He is nothing but skin and bones, we tried appetite stimulant and it helps a little.HELP

[Silvia H]

My dog has CRF and got worse in the past few weeks, I’ve been searching over the internet for guidelines for a better management and asked a vet to prescribe a homemade diet for her. I would like to ask if you could give me your opinions and give me some advice please! She’s 12 years old.

1) Last blood test results (22/02):
– Creatinine 3.92 mg/dl (0,62-1,64)
– Urea 156,8 mg/dl (12-56)
– Phosphor 7,9 mg/dl (2,1-6,3)
She did intravenous fluidotherapy last week for 3 days and been doing subcutaneous fluidotherapy for the past 5 days. She’s going to continue with it for more 7 days and will repeat the blood tests.

2) Medication:
– Hydroxide aluminum;
– Amlodipin.

3) New diet prescribed by a vet yesterday (26/2):
– Meat – turkey;
– Vegetables – carrot, broccoli, courgette, sweet potato, pumpkin;
– Fruit – apple, pear;
– Herbs- parsley;
– Rice;
– A tea spoon of apple cider vinegar.

Daily intake (she has 16kg/35,2 lbs): 200g/0,44lbs/7.055oz of meat + 200g/0,44lbs/7.055oz of rice + 200g/0,44lbs/7.055oz of vegetables and fruit

Isn’t it too much the meat daily intake for a dog with 35,2lbs and with CRF?

4) Supplements:
– Salmon oil: 5ml/day

I’ve read about the possible benefits of probiotics on dogs with CRF, but couldn’t find any specific that I could buy, only Azodyl, but I’m from Portugal, Europe, it only sells on USA!

Does anyone know any specific Probiotic, or something that would help lower creatinine and BUN? And that I could buy in Europe?
And what about vitamins?

Thank you very much in advance! Kiara is part of the family and we are very worried about her =(

[TAMMY C]

First, I have to comment on those who disagree with cooking and pureeing vegetables, not sure on fruit but I do puree anyway, I follow my Dogs stools, they are the first clue that there is something not right going on with your Beloveds. I tried both raw veggies and slightly steamed without pureeing them and what went in came right back out in their stools, their body cannot digest them. So, it is, well….waste, in all accounts.

My dilemma is this…..I use to rescue animals and I have a pack of canines. In the last year my Dobes came down with cancer, two died from the symptoms cancer creates in their body (histamine is nasty!) and two are cancer survivors. My Dobes have ALWAYS had skin problems, sparse coats and digestive issues, until I decided to try home cooked meals. My Dogs cannot handle raw meat or eggs, it creates havoc in their digestive systems, very sensitive. One would not believe how many times I have had to switch kibble, before moving in my area where I am limited to two brands of kibble (Sam’s and Kirkland), after awhile they start throwing up or their stools look poorly. Anyway, I have 9 Dog’s, ranging from 110 pounds (Dobes), medium size (around 45 pounds) and my 3 little ones 5 to 20 pounds. I found that all I accomplished all day was cooking their meals and washing their dishes and nothing else got done, I certainly do not have a life beyond this either (someday I would like to date again, ha). Before I started trying the homemade diet I was supplementing their kibble (Kirkland grain free Salmon and Sweet Potato) the best available to me in my area (sadly). Anyway, their coats flourished and skin not so itchy. What I have found in my research is there is a wide range of opinions about kibble, while I would LOVE to feed my Dogs only home cooked meals, it is not feasible budget wise on my retired income, nor time wise. I did find some AWESOME vitamins, the first post you may be interested in these, I researched and researched, bought in mistake after mistake and finally found a truer vitamin for helping my Dogs immune systems, NuVet Labs, and WOW what a difference they also made for my clan. I have bought just about every book on Amazon on home prepared meals, except the two mentioned I will look into them (thank you). Anyway, I got off topic of my kibble quibble, the wide range of opinions feeding kibble or not, I find there is a truer medium said to this and that is…..a good kibble does “not” cause cancer, cause havoc in their bodies…..what they do however is lack a “real” complete diet which this in itself creates the cancer and havoc in their bodies (except when there are food allergies involved of course my Dobes can’t handle grains). No matter what AAFCO has to say by placing their logo on the bags of Dog food stating they approve of the kibble (which Kirkland is one of them they place their logo “approved by AAFCO guidelines” what does this really mean?????), it “is” lacking. Although, I was happy Kirkland did have their stamp of approval but in research the kibble “is” lacking and my Dogs are proof of this, their immune systems were gone and couldn’t fight off cells mutating into cancer (talk about researching…Dog cancer…..I know way to much about it now). My Dogs are all of different breeds and mixed, yet they all have issues with the kibble used alone. Some, I did take off completely and won’t give them kibble, they just throw it up anyway and they are doing great on home cooked food coming from my kitchen.

Anyway, is there such a thing as being able to home prepare your Dog food for a pack without being wealthy and doing this all alone with no help (no partner just me and my clan). I appreciate your feedback in advance. Blessings to everyone!!!! Tammy.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by TAMMY C. Reason: To make more readible with flow of words

[Jenn H]

Anytime. I know what a huge hassle it is to find food.
Zignature isn’t easily available around me. I would like to try it. Heard lots of good things. I have to get foods that are goof proof for the husband in case I need him to get it.

Whenever I am considering a food that has fish I always ask the company if they or their suppliers use ethoxyquin to preserve it. It’s not allowed to be in human grade food. It shouldn’t be allowed to be in pet food. It doesn’t have to be put in labels either.

Another question I always ask is where all supplements and vitamins come from. I try to avoid China at all costs. Vitamin C is a very common source for that.

[virginia R]

Hi Greg – I did buy Dr Becker’s book – it is helpful but the recipes are very complicated because of the need to mix your own supplements – which can include a dozen or more vitamins and minerals in minute to large amounts. I then researched to find recipes and a pre-mixed supplement and had a consultation with my vet and Hilary Watson of Hilary’s Blend. I followed her program closely – everything measured to the gram, cooked according to the recipes and no substitutions. Ingredients included boneless chicken breasts, wild catch salmon, lean ground beef – with rice or potatoes and fruit and vegetables along with the supplements. Cooking for 2 dogs approx. 45 lb. each was a huge effort which I was willing to continue. My dogs did not do well on this program – while it may not be related, the 11 month old has been diagnosed with pancreatitis and the 4 year old doesn’t seem to be able to digest brown rice and/or chicken. We are now on Hills ID for the 4 year old and Royal Canin gastro low fat for the baby. I’ve also tried raw (violently ill). So while I still think that home cooking should be better (especially when you use quality ingredients), my experience is that the dogs do better on commercial kibble and canned.

[david l]

Nuvet vitamins are miracle pills for dogs! My Rottweiler was feeling his age at 8 years old. Looking slow and sluggish. Started him on a regiment of Nuvet vitamins and it was a different dog in a short time. Highly recommend! http://bit.ly/1ot7QmP

[Codex]

Looking for a supplement for my spayed, 20.pound dog. I was looking at this:https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-premium-raw-multi-glandular-women-60-caps

[Jenn H]

Thank you so much. I have GSDs. And my 7 month old has the confirmation of a show dog which has me so worried about his future.
I am so careful and militant about what & how much he’s fed. I can’t believe how much time I’ve spent contacting dog food people because they put the minimum only on most labels. I’m trying to find out how to change that and make it so the max be required.

Another thing worth mentioning with large & xlarge dogs is at 6 months they can be started on joint supplements. I prefer to give the types that don’t have extra vitamins & minerals. Just the usual ingredients for joints only like glucosamine,, chondroitin, HA, MSM, etc.

[Shawna]

Yeah, I think there definitely could be a connection between the yawning and anemia. There are different supplements that can be used depending on what the cause of the anemia is.

The cause is likely due to her kidneys BUT the antacid could be exacerbating it by impeding intrinsic factors action on B12. Standard Process has a human B12 supplement (that is suitable for dogs) that has porcine intrinsic factor right in the product. I would personally start my own on this if experiencing the same things. I would give it away from meals and the antacid being used. There is another form of B12 that I have had excellent results with but it is given intranasally and likely won’t be well tolerated. I’d try the Standard Process or a similar product.

Inappropriate bacteria in the gut can utilize iron being consumed so if that was a potential factor, being on the probiotics will address that with continued use.

Chlorophyll is considered a “blood builder”. It is chemically just like blood except magnesium replaces iron. Many holistic practitioners use it in cases of “blood loss”. Audrey became anemic and HIGH doses of Standard Process Chlorophyll Complex Perles given over a weeks period did the trick for her. The maintenance dose for humans is two perles per day. From memory I was giving Audrey six to eight per day. The first few times I gave it I had to coax her to take it but after that she was almost frantic to get them when I even grabbed the bottle. After she was back on track I started her on a maintenance dose (for financial reasons) of a high quality Chlorella supplement. I tried three different brands before I found one that really worked well for her.

I found this, in my opinion, really cool article on supplements for renal disease that may be helpful. I haven’t had a chance to read the whole thing but here’s the section on “Kidney-associated anemia”.
“Renal Disease in Small Animals: A Review of Conditions and Potential Nutrient and Botanical Interventions
Susan Marie Pollen, DVM, CVA

Kidney-associated anemia is characteristically normocytic, normochromic, and nonregenerative.18 Anemia may cause tachycardia, lassitude, and cold and exercise intolerance.17 Erythropoietin must be given. In addition, nutrients that benefit RBC production, including water-soluble vitamins B12 and folic acid, are especially important when vitamins are lost in isosthenuric urine. Also useful are eggs, raw beef liver, liquid chlorophyll, kelp,63 and supplements containing vitamin C for optimal iron absorption, vitamin E for antioxidant protection of RBCs, vitamin A, and iron and copper for hemoglobin synthesis. Supplementing branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) and glutamine is also useful if nephrogenic anemia is accompanied by amino acid deficiency. 61” http://www.anaturalhealingcenter.com/documents/Thorne/articles/RenalDiseaseSmallAnimal.pdf

Standard Process Chlorophyll Complex is fat soluble but worked like a charm. Not sure why the recommendation for “water soluble” but most chlorella supplements contain water soluble chlorophyll.

Obviously the addition of animal proteins (eggs and liver) would need to be evaluated for the amount of protein and phosphorus they add. The Standard Process Renal Support supplement has many of these suggested nutrients without adding a significant amount of phosphorus.

I truly hope all of your hard work and dedication shows wonderful results with the next lab work!!!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Shawna.

[Rani I]

Hello all, I have a 72-pound hound mix; Titus has been on Rachel Ray Grain Free for about 2 years and I would like to switch him to something comparable but cheaper (I’m about to switch two seniors to mobility diets).

4Health is less expensive and overall looks like a good brand (very similar to Rachel Ray) and comes in a 30lb bag versus 28lb. Has anyone had any poor experiences with it? My concern is that Diamond manufactures the Grain Free series and is known for having recalls.

Secondly, I’m trying to determine which bag will last me longer. I’ve tried to read other forums and could not find the answer that suits my specific situation.

How long does a 30lb bag of 4Health Grain Free or any 30lb bag with the values; 3,450 kcal/kg (323 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy last you based on the number of cups you feed?

Based on the values and my dogs normal intake I will be feeding aprox. 3 cups a day.

Thirdly, I appreciate any input on a quality mobility food for Seniors.
What brand do you use?
Do you offer vitamins or pain medication, in addition?
If so, what kind? Regularly or as needed?
Did you see a drastic change or is it keeping them comfortable?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

[Amateria]

Had no idea were to put this “none” haha so I put it here, anyways I recently received my order of the k9 natural which is fine it looks good no noticeable hairs on that one, but the Sunday Pets grain free senior baked version has a tonne of hair in it and I mean every single piece is filled to the rim with hairs, black hairs at that in a lamb formula, there is also white hairs and there’s more whites than there is blacks.

Is this even as safe as everyone says it is? I mean if you see 1-2 hairs its probably not a big deal but this is like a hair festival :p, the company assured me via email that their ingredients list is meant to be read as meat and meal and meat and bone meal lamb, however its been 4 months since they said they were in the process of changing the packaging and their website info and I feel that maybe there’s more lies going on here than truth and that these hairs are from extra animals been mixed together not just lamb and fish.

Also here’s the ingredients list so you don’t have to look it up, it looks really good except for the top part, which does kinda look fishy.

Our Ingredients/ Composition:Meat & Meal(min 78%) including Meat & Bone Meal, Free Range Lamb, Fish Meal. Vegetables(min 10%) including Potato, Carrot, Pumpkin, Celery. Fruits(min 5.5%) including Apple, Blueberry. Egg(min 1%), Apple Cider Vinegar(min 0.6%), Manuka Honey(min 0.6%), Green Lip Mussel(min 0.4%), Kelp(min 0.1%), Flaxseed(min 0.1%), Fennel(min 0.07%), Molasses. Nutritional Additives: Vitamins -Vitamin A 16 kIU/kg, Vitamin D3 1 kIU/kg, Vitamin E 400 IU/kg, Vitamin B1 0.9 mg/kg, Vitamin B12 0.5 mg/kg, Thiamine 50mg/kg (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 45 mg/kg, Niacin 450 mg/kg, Pantothemic Acid (Vitamin B5) 50 mg/kg, Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) 38 mg/kg, Biotin 1 mg/kg, Folic Acid 5.2 mg/kg, Choline 2700 mg/kg, Ascorbic Acid 55 mg/kg. Minerals- Magnesium 0.1% , Manganese 27 mg/kg, Potassium Carbonate, Cobalt 0.47 mg/kg, Selenium 0.9 mg/kg, Iron 240 mg/kg, Zinc 200 mg/kg, Copper 26 mg/kg, Iodine 1.8 mg/kg.