Can't find the perfect diet???

[luvmybuddy2]

i feed raw along with either natural balance or solid gold kibble. sure has made my beagle's coat softer and she no longer has allergies. buddy and harry (the chow) has done very well with it also. amazing how much better they do now than with the crappy grocery store brands. i had no idea until i came to this site a year ago that i had been feeding my dogs pure trash! i had even bought the most expensive they had but it was still worse than garbage- i still feel guilty about being so dumb. i'm trying to get my daughter in law to switch- her pug has very bad allergies

[Lula]

Both of my dogs are on Science Diet Lamb and Rice which was suggested to me by my Vet when we rescued our GSD mix and she was so thin. It deffinitely has put the weight on her but I have started searching for something more healthy.
I would LOVE to go raw but I honestly don't know how my girls would like it and Lula really shouldn't have chicken. I think I'm slowly going to introduce them to Canidae Lamb and Rice because it seems to have alot of what Im looking for.

Made with Human-Grade Lamb and Nutritious, Whole Grain, Brown Rice
Hypoallergenic Formulation – Excellent for Problem Skin & Allergies
Pure Human-Grade Canola and Sunflower Oils
Holistic & Herbal Benefits
Natural Skin and Coat Conditioners
Balanced Omega 6 & 3 Fatty Acids
Guaranteed Prebiotics, Probiotics and Enzyme Activity
Fortified with Antioxidant Vitamins and Amino Acid Chelated Minerals

[mypitmika]

Ok, I have a question. It seems as though my dog is having an allergy to the food she's eating. I know it's a bad choice, but she's terribly picky and I've tried a few different brands of "good" food, but she won't touch it - even after days! Tried Wellness (both the lamb one and the whitefish one) and Canidae.

So...here's my question. She seems to like something that's softer - but not necessarily canned food. I've tried adding a gravy or warm water to kibble, but that's a no-go. Right now, she gobbles up Purina Moist & Meaty - it's dry, but chewy, not hard.

Any suggestions? A friend told me to try Nutro...another friend recommended Solid Gold...

Thank you in advance!

[chako]

What about Orijen?

[Linariel]

My guess would be if she's eating the lower quality moist foods, she's responding to the sugar, not the texture. They actually have straight sugar, or sugary substances added.

Try Merrick kibble, it makes a gravy when you add warm water. Or get a high quality kibble and add a squirt of bottled gravy for dogs, like Iams or Vita Gravy.

[mypitmika]

My guess would be if she's eating the lower quality moist foods, she's responding to the sugar, not the texture. They actually have straight sugar, or sugary substances added.

Try Merrick kibble, it makes a gravy when you add warm water. Or get a high quality kibble and add a squirt of bottled gravy for dogs, like Iams or Vita Gravy.

She does LOVE when I add cottage cheese to her food - I've tried adding that to the Canidae and the Wellness ones, but it didn't fool her - haha.

Maybe I just need to be more assertive - or give her more time. If she's hungry, she'll eat, right?! I just worry with her not eating for a couple days just because she's being a brat.

[Linariel]

She should be fine going a couple days without food, unless she has a medical condition. Even if she's just picking at the food, she should be fine.

When you give in, she learns to wait and she'll get what she wants. Just put the food down for 15 minutes, pick it up if she doesn't eat it. Try that twice a day, and she should learn she doesn't have a choice.

[mypitmika]

She should be fine going a couple days without food, unless she has a medical condition. Even if she's just picking at the food, she should be fine.

When you give in, she learns to wait and she'll get what she wants. Just put the food down for 15 minutes, pick it up if she doesn't eat it. Try that twice a day, and she should learn she doesn't have a choice.

You're right - she's completely spoiled! She doesn't have any medical conditions (and is even a couple pounds overweight) so I don't think it'll hurt her to not eat - if she CHOOSES not to. I will try that. I was just on the Merrick site - they have a lot of "flavors" to choose from. And a place in my town sells it! I think I'll give it a try. It looks like good stuff - healthy stuff. And that's my ultimate goal here.

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I'm just a worried dog mommy.

[Linariel]

No problem. You're not overly worried-I'M the one concerned with other people's dog food!

Merrick is appealing to a lot of dogs, and they have a ton of canned varieties, so there may be something she likes.

[mypitmika]

haha - we've got to all stick together, right?!

I'm going to give it a try - I think between the variety and the canned food too - she'll be more interested in it.

She's been itching a lot, shedding a lot...we've been to the vet and she's gone on prednisone which helped, but only while she was on it. The vet feels it's a food allergy and wants us to try Science Diet, but I've been down that road too - she won't touch it.

Thanks again!!

[Linariel]

Itching and shedding is pretty common on the cheaper foods. So it may not be an allergy, but just a lack of good, usable protein and fatty acids in the food.

You can add salmon or fish oil to her food(gel caps for humans), one or two a day. That will relieve a lot of her skin problems.

[mypitmika]

Oh ok, I've heard a lot of talk about salmon or fish oil on here, but had no idea where to find it. So, I can just go to the store and buy fish oil capsules in the vitamin section? Use that?

[Linariel]

Yes. I get them at wal mart.

[Felonysmom]

Trying to find the perfect diet is about to drive me insane and I need some advice!

I've just upgraded the dog's food from Nature's Recipe Lamb and Rice (Felony has problems with corn, and yeasty feet etc. so it was a step up from the IAMS that our vet had her on at the time) to Nature's Variety Instinct Turkey and Duck meal formula. I thought that the Nature's Variety would be a much better food and while Felony was doing alright on Nature's Recipe, she was still shedding a good deal and still having some yeasty feet problems.

I started Felony on Nature's Variety last saturday (yep I've mixed it with her old food instead of a sudden switch) and since that time she has been vomiting. She's vomited about 5 times since the switch, about 2/3 days ago, I fed her boiled chicken and rice for a day or 2 to settle her stomach and had no more vomiting for the 2 days she ate boiled chicken and rice. Today I went back to the new food mix, and she vomited about an hour after eating it.

She has no diarrhea, and is otherwise healthy, well hydrated, active, normal temp. etc. I'm pretty sure that it has to be the new food. I don't want to put her back on her previous food because I want to be able to feed her the best food that I can...but having to clean up happy little vomit puddles is getting old really fast.

The Nature's Variety website mentions that changing foods may cause digestive upset, but I assumed that I would see diarrhea with the change in foods and not just vomiting. Is this just a normal part of the changing process that will go away when she adjusts or should I go back to her old food? Has anyone had any problems with the Nature's Variety Instinct? Even when she's not vomiting, she seems a bit more gassy (and burps a lot more) since I've changed her food. I'm not sure if I should just stick with this new food for a little while longer, or try different foods which may cause the same problems. Any advice anyone can give would be very appreciated!

And for the record, I've tried discussing this with the vet I work for, but he's a hardcore Science Diet fan and his solution to all nutrition problems is to feed Science Diet.

Here are the ingredients for the new food:

Healthy, Natural Ingredients
Duck Meal, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, Canola Oil (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Tapioca, Tomato Pomace, Pumpkinseeds, Herring Meal, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Yeast, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Iodine Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Carotene, Folic Acid), Peas, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite), Sea Salt, Dried Kelp, Cranberries, Blueberries, Inulin, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Freeze Dried Turkey Hearts, Freeze Dried Ground Turkey Bone.

Instinct Duck Meal & Turkey Meal Formula for Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile for All Life Stages.

Feeding Guide and Instructions
Sudden changes in diet can sometimes result in digestive disturbances. Do not overfeed regardless of the pet’s acceptance and eagerness. Overfeeding is the most common cause of digestive upset. Always introduce any new diet over a period of days, mixing with the present diet. Keep fresh water available at all times and offer plenty of exercise.

[mypitmika]

I forgot about this thread.

Here's an update. Mika is now eating (and LOVING) Merrick - her favorite is Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie. I switchi it up for her by using a little chicken broth instead of water to make the "gravy" with the kibble. Sometimes I'll add some cottage cheese (which she loves) or a little bit of the Chicken Pot Pie canned food (which actually smells yummy by the way!).

She's doing SO much better. She still has dry skin, but I think that's just her and this New England weather. Her shedding has gone down and her activity up...I think she actually feels a ton better!