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| All of this info is available here on forum.oes.org | Gabriel is home at last, he had to be shaved so looks like a big spotted poodle. I think he is somewhat embaressed by his new do,  and his over all condition is so what run down, but his heartworm test came back negative!! Great news! He is a real sweetie. Gets along with his canine brothers and sisters, not to fond of the cats but leaves them alone when I tell him to. All he needs now is lots of love, some good food and some vitamins and he is getting all that. I'll try to put up his pics. I hope to get to know all you fellow sheepie(owners/parents) Trish | |
| | I've been suffereing with some ailment for ten months now. I've been severely anemic, deficient in other vitamins, dizzy all the time, shaky in my hands and legs all the time, tingly in my hands and legs all the time, had excess fatiuge, vertigo, pass out during exercise or exursion, coughing up blood, especially when over using my lungs, had migraines, and had upper back and neck pain. I've had many different blood tests done, chest x-rays, eeg's, ekg's, echo cardio grams, tilt table test, I had an ekg event monitor, chest and head cat scans with dye, asthma tests, and allergy test, and all are normal other then the uncaused severe anemia and vitamin deficiencies (zinc, b-12 after anemia). The seven doctors that have been treating me are stumped and have sent me home to drink lots of fluids and get better. I've been dealing with this for ten months, and am getting worse please help! E-mail me with any comments or suggestions at Daisies3426@aol.com. I won't be able to see your suggestions on this site because I don't have anything to remember this site by. Please e-mail me with anything. I feel worse every day! Thanks, Hallie | I bet you´re doing something right!!!
Lennon is now 3 months old and he only weights 10 pounds (pretty skinny right?). The vet recommended vitamins (Equilibrium-calcium, by bayer) and with the combination of eukanuba + proplan (we are trying to change his food) plus a little bit of pedigree canned food (to add flavor) he seems to be recovering his appettite.... hope he gains some weight!!!
Thank you for your help! | I also feed my new 9 wk old puppy Solid Gold. I checked with a variety of pet stores and each one recommended this particular brand of food. It's a Holistic Brand and the package claims the following:
No Wheat
No Soybeans
No Corn
No Animal Fat
No ByProducts
No Sugar
No Salt
No Preservatives
The mail ingredient is Lamb Meal, Millet,Brown Rice,Canola Oil, Flaxseed Oil...etc...
Blue my 12 year old Heeler/Lab eats Iams. The vet said his coat and teeth appearance would have her quess his age at two!!
Shaggy my 15 year old OES usually eats chicken,salmon or organ meat which I cook for her and lots of beta carotene veggies like sweet potatoes and carrots due to her having Immune Dyfieciency Thombocytopenia..(dunno if I spelt that right)
She's lived with it for six years...it's sort of like leukemia. This is NOT recommended by any means unless you really need to boost a dogs immune system as at one point her plalete count was 10 and she recieved a series of blood transfusions. It took a bit of research at the library to find out what would boost her immune system as she was near death and I had nothing to lose at that point .
So, in a nutshell her diet is like that of a cancer patient..beta carotene veggies,protein and lots of vitamins included. Her plalete count soared up to a normal count of 185 after this. Again, only mentioning this NOT as a standard diet but, should your dog ever develope this disease as very few dogs "walk away from it" as my vet said and told me "whatever your doing keep it up". It's been six years and she's still with me despite her age and illness.
Yikes!!!!!! is this ever hard at feeding time...trying to co-ordinate the food bowls and making sure each dog only eats their food...never mind the cats which eat in a seperate room!!! Should mention my last two cats lived to the ages of 19 and 21 eating only inexpensive brands and I would cook liver a few times a year (not much however as heard this can be harmful to them)
Sorry for being long winded..(as usual)
Marianne  | Just read Ron's reply in the chit chat section.
Get this Myelopathy usually hits at about 9.6 years. It is known to be caused by vitamin B12 and Vitamin E deficiency. High fiber diets tend to cause food to pass through so fast that these vitamins are not absorbed by the pet.
And the symptoms can mimic hip dysplasia.
Contrary book says it is mainly found in German Shepards and then goes on to list Syberian huskies, collies, collie mixes, Labadores, Kerry blue terriers, .....
This disease can last 4-14 years. It is a slow, degenerative nerve damage --- hence no pain. Owners usually suspect arthritis or hip dysplasia when they bring their dogs in .....
This is sounding like you should look inot it.
Treatment is combination of diet, exercise, and vitamin supplements. There is a treatment, but it is an on-going med that works in only 50% or less of the test subjects.
You should check this out. It may save you even considering other costly treatments, such as surgery.
Hang in there.
Carol | Vitamin C is suppose to help the immune system and is great in preventing hip dysplasia.
Vitamin C also helps in the uptake of iron (and I think calcium) for the blood. Most kibbles are well fortified with Vitamin C. Excessive amounts are generaly eliminated in the urine. It makes the urine acidic and is suppose to help prevent urinary infections. It can also irritate the uretha and cause burning if given to excess. Moderation is always best.
How does a breeder know if you gave it to the dog? Vitamin C does not build up in the animals blood. It is flushed out by all healthy animals. Just wondering about the basis for the breeders stipulation. After reading the following link I guess that it may be worth doing as it is suppose to prevent hip dysplasia and help prevent arthritis.
http://www.lrah.com/largebreed.htm
If you feed your dog a home made dog meal, including half of a childrens vitamin is suppose to ensure the dog gets all of the vitamins and minerals it needs. Trouble is too much of anything can cause problems, so moderation is the key. Even vitamin C could cause imbalances.
Check this out with your vet whenever you are there next. Love to hear what he would have to say. | Pisco eats purina Pro Plan (puppy)...
when he was a baby (2 month he had an digestic ensyma misssing and whatever he ate just went the other way intacked...my vet gave him an ensyma everyday for 1 month and papaya (trpical fruit ...think you call it passion fruit) twice a week...no more problems since then although I still give him papaya once a month....and he loves it!
he is 7 month and weights around 50 pounds...not sure about his height....
apart from that he takes calcium and vitamins tablets daily. | Rickets is a disease in which the bones fail to calcify properly due to a vitamin D deficiency or due to poor digestion of fats. Since the bones are weak, the animal usually cannot stand on them (it looks like they are standing on their knees) and is in extreme pain when it tries. In very bad cases, the bones break and splinter.
If you do a web search you will find several sites that cover this disease.
Growing pains can be caused by many things, including vitamin and mineral deficiencies. They can also be caused by over exertion of a newly formed bone or muscle, which is common in all growing young.
Being deficient in vitamin D or the B complexes usually only occurs to animals which grow very fast and have been malnourished. It is seen in calves ALL of the time.
Vitamin D can only exist as vitamin D in a fat. So it is not in your usual vitamin pills (which contain too little fat). A capsule or fat soluble vitamin can contain vitamin D -- read the label.
When your skin is in sunlight it actually produces vitamin D for your body with vitamins and nutrients found in a normal diet. | If your dog comes from healthy stock,you feed it a well balanced feed, you don't over-use preventtives or follow too rigorous a vaccine schedule and get the follow-up vaccines that are only needed or required, then a supplement of this sort is just not needed.
In my opinion.
The only think that is very different about this supplement than others is the phosphorous and vitamin D levels. If a dog is outside enough it should be able to form its own vitamin D, using sunlight and vitamins and nutrients found in a well balanced food. Phosphorous, like vitamin C comes from vegies and fruit as well, but not in the quantities listed in this supplement. bone meal usually does have lots of phophorous though.
There have been studies on large dogs that indicate they can get TOO much calcium while they are growing puppies. Seems the fast growing dogs are generally more efficient in absorbing Calcium, so they don't actully need that much.
Then there's othe studies that show that IF your dog has a joint disease that hings like citrate, MSM, and glucosamine will help delay the onset and decrese the severity.
Like all studies, you have to wonder who is paying for them and how objective they are .... and even if they were well done and objective, unless 100% of the test subjects were actually helped b a supplement , then how can you know if it is going to help your dog.
Basically a balanced diet that you supplement with these things would be just as good. Even better would be to supplement the food with food natually high in these compounds like vegies, fruits, and (I know I am going to catch flck for this) but some large bones (MSM and glucosamine are found in bone material I have been told).
I have never used this product, but it has several web pages. One search lead to this link:
http://www.trophyanimalcare.com/product_pages/suregrow_100/suregrow_info/article_suregrow_100.htm
It seems to be more of an advertisement, and though most of what it states is commonly thought true, I am not sure that a dog that is born with a hip disease will ever be "cured" any more than someone with parents with arthritis could optimistically think they will never get it either.
If it has everything it says it has it could be considered a well-rounded supplement. Still most large breed dog foods contain almost the same things, so wouldn't this just be over-kill?
It should be interesting to see what others think. My 5 year old Abbi is well beyond the 18 month old age, so I will just have to hope for the best i guess. | Pisco seems to like human food....so maybe I was thinking of mixing human food into his reg dog food....he does have rice added into his food because It helps his stomach work better.....
by the way...peanut butter is really hard to find here....not many people eat it and when I do find it`s very expensive (I used to find it in every supermarket in the US and Bolivia...but not here in Peru)....
Willowsprite....the syrup basically contains: vitamins- B1,B2;B3,B5,B6,B12
Ciproheptadina HCI and ferrus pirophosfato soluble...Pisco doesn`t like it very much so what I do is fill a 5ml seringe with it (that`s according to his weight) and drip it into his mouth....they do tend to drink more water than usual and it leaves them a bit drowsier than normal....according to my vet it`s normal. | When Zoe was ill I took her to a holistic vet for vitamins to help her withstand the chemo. That Vet indicated that most of the foods that list meat and chicken by products on them should not be used. She recommended an all natural food that does not list by products and chemical preservatives. Her thought was that if you wouldn't eat it, why should they (Beaks, feet and feathers. DOn't even want to think about the beef! ugh).
I switched my two at the time to Natural Balance and they did fine with it.
When Baily came, the breeeder had them on Science Diet and the vet said to stick with Science Diet for Large breed pups for the first year. I asked my trainer in puppy kindergarden what she used on her dobermans and she indicated a natural food. I asked her why the vet's seem to always go with Science Diet. She said that in Vet school they get a 2 or 3 hour course on canine nutrition and that's all and that the course is sponsered in many cases by Hill's who makes science diet.
I'm gradually switching Baily to the Natural Balance (which costs a bit more than the Science Diet).
Hope it helps
Lorraine | I would think it would cause any major effects, but cats and dogs require different vitamins and proteins that would be found in the foods made for them. When they are in the first year of life, they grow so fast that they need all the nutrients they can get. Of course, ours will still sneak the others food, but they primarily eat their own.
We made a cat door going into our master closet where we have litterbox and food/water for them. The dogs can't bother them that way when they want to be left alone. It has worked well for us.
I hope I helped a little.  Stormi and co. | I wam thinking about putting Lola on a barf diet as well. My sisters in law have their shelties and 2 sheepie on it. One of the shelties was diagnosed with cancer about 5 years ago and that's when she switched her to barf. He is still alive and kicking. Plus ther other had/has the 2 sheepies on it. Buddy passed over last year at a good age of 14. But Farley is still getting by, a little shaky but okay.
Anyway, I think it's a good diet that can extend their life (and quality of life). Here is one link I looked at before. The important thing to research is that you are giving them the right combinations of protein, fats, vitamins etc. My sis's in law have them all on supplements of Vitamins.
Also try ground raw turkey, they say they like it.
I need to do more research before I put Lola on it. Good luck.
http://www.barfworld.com/
Also if you do a search for BARF diet you will get other sites. | Purina One is not a good dog food. A poor diet is probably one of the largest factors in him smelling really bad and having a lot of poo.
When bathing him - it is a good idea to use an oatmeal shampoo to keep his skin from becoming dry.
Here is some information to use when selecting the best food for your dog.
(It may seem a little overwhelming, but it is VERY IMPORTANT stuff.)
PET FOOD AND DRUGS MAY BE DISABLING YOUR DOG
Choosing the right food for your dog is an important task, with both short and long term consequences. Your dog’s quality of life depends on your decisions: what you put in his bowl is of critical importance to your dog’s health and long-term well being. Television commercials and magazine advertisements for pet food would have us believe that the meats, grains, and fats used in these foods could grace our own dining tables. Pet food labels can be deceiving. they only provide half the story. The other half of the story is hidden behind obscure ingredients listed on the labels.
The truth about the $10 billion commercial pet food industry, which is unregulated by governmental bodies, is ugly and may cause you to give up some comfortable assumptions. In fact, some of the ingredients can make your pet more susceptible to joint problems and a host of other degenerative disorders. Even worse, they may be shortening your pet’s life. According to a 1999 press release from the Animal Protection Institute, most commercial pet food is made up of slaughterhouse waste and moldy, contaminated grains. Unfortunately, other dogs and cats are another source of meat you won’t find mentioned on pet food labels. They’ve been euthanized via drugs at our nation’s animal shelters and sent to rendering plants-a fact that has been substantiated by the American Veterinary Association. The sodium pentobarbital used to put pets to sleep survives the rendering process and ends up as a toxin in your pet’s food!
Rendering plants are melting pots for all types of refuse; no testing is conducted to detect drugs, pathogens, heavy metals, or pesticides. At the rendering plant,
Pets are mixed with other material from slaughterhouse facilities that have been condemned for human consumption, such as cancerous tissue or tumors, worm-infested organs, rotten meat, restaurant garbage, “4-D” (dead, diseased, dying, and disabled) animals. Even animals that have died and have begun to decompose are used. A machine slowly grinds the entire mess to become pet food. Does your best friend deserve this?
In addition, no matter what the commercials say, dog food does not contain “all the nutrients your dog will ever need.” Vitamins and minerals are as essential to the health of our companion animals as they are to human health. Commercial pet food manufactures add vitamins and minerals but they can be destroyed by the heat processing before your pet ever eats the food. Are the vitamins and minerals chelated or do they pass through the body unused if unchelated? Enzymes are essential for every biochemical bodily function; they occur only in raw foods. Get your dogs to eat as many vegetables and meat any way you can.
If you are concerned about your pet’s well -being, at a minimum, reject any dog food containing any of the following, each of which has been implicated in canine health disorders:
Artificial color
artificial preservatives like BHA, BHT, Potassium sorbate, Sodium nitrate, and especially Ethoxyquin; these are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction.
Propylene glycol (a first cousin to antifreeze) causes the fatal destruction of red blood cells.
By-Products, this in reality is a deadly mixture of contaminated animal heads, toenails, bones, blood, pus, intestines, chicken feathers, hair, and lungs.
Sugars and sweeteners like corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin (added to attract dogs to otherwise unappealing fare).
Anything with the term “flavor” in the ingredients list indicates the contents doesn’t have enough of its own good flavor- not the hallmark of quality ingredients.
Foods with corn (one of the least expensive grains available to food makers) and or corn by products listed more than once in the first five ingredients.
Look for foods that have whole meat (listed simply as lamb, chicken, beef, etc.) in the top three ingredients are recommended. Look for whole foods like rice, wheat, and eggs, and foods that are kept fresh with natural preservatives like vitamin C and E (often listed as mixed-tocopherols), no additives. Also look for something called AAFCO approval; it’s not a very tough standard, but it’s the only one for dog food there is. If you were ever to find a dog food that offered certified organic meats, grains, and vegetables, we’d suggest you buy a lifetime supply and put it in a refrigerated vault. I want to give you a fish, but I want to teach you to fish for yourself too; understand the ingredients in the bag.
Many experts believe that since the advent of commercial pet foods about 40 years ago, great harm has been done to dogs as a species; arthritis, heart disease, and cancer rates among these pets have skyrocketed.
Some recommended dry pet foods:
Back to Basics
Flint River
Pinnacle
Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken
Wysong Maintenance
California Natural
Petguard Lifespan
Best in Show
Wellness Super5mix
Natural Balance
Pets enjoy a much healthier and longer life if we take the time to cook for them.
A homemade diet includes:
1/3 Protein- either meat or eggs
1/3 Carbohydrates- either brown rice (well cooked), oatmeal, pasta, mashed potatoes, shredded wheat or other whole grain cereals, whole grain breads. There is an array of grains to choose from, just be sure that they are well cooked for proper digestion.
1/3 Vegetables or Fruit - carrots, zucchini, yams, sweet potatoes, peas, yellow and green beans, mushrooms, apples, pears, watermelon - just about any fruit. NO CORN, please!!
Vegetable Oil - Depending on the size of the dog, one teaspoon to one tablespoon, per day of vegetable oil.
Below are definitions of the most commonly used phrases that describe the ingredients in dog food.
BEEF: meat unfit for human consumption. This may consist of diseased material or meat containing high levels of drugs, heavy metals, or pesticides.
LIVER: source of the liver is not stated. Unfit for human consumption, liver used in pet food can be diseased and riddled with liver flukes.
MEAT: ( e.g., lamb beef, chicken)- Meat is the clean flesh derived from slaughtered mammals and is limited to the part of the striate muscle which is skeletal of that which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus; with or without that accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve, and blood vessels.
CHICKEN: animals deemed unfit for human consumption. These may be chickens that have died from disease of have been found to contain excess levels of drugs or hormones.
POULTRY- poultry is the clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone.
POULTRY LIVER (ENZYMATIC) HYDROLYSATE: liver of poultry, unfit for human consumption. It is subjected to acid hydrolysis.
DRIED WHOLE EGGS: this can be broken eggs, rejects from hatchery operations or eggs unfit for human consumption.
FISH: Heads, fins, tail, skin, bones, and viscera. As this is not the whole fish it does not contain many of the fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, or omega-3 fatty acids.
MEAL-Though the meat has been cooked, dried, and ground, it’s still meat, and has not had any added blood hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. Anything less than “Meal” is not fit for dogs.
MEAT MEAL (e.g. lamb meal, beef meal)-Meat Meal is the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. Need not state what animal; any mammal can be used.
Poultry Meal is the cry rendered products derived from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or with out accompanying bone.
FISH MEAL is dried ground tissue of fish. As this is not the entire fish, it does not contain many of the fat-soluble vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids or minerals.
LAMB MEAL, BEEF MEAL OR CHICKEN MEAL is the rendered product of those meats. Though the meat has been cooked, dried, and ground, it’s still meat, and has not had any added blood hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
MEAT AND BONE MEAL is the same product as above, but with the addition of bone. The percentage of meat to bone included is not stated.
BY-PRODUCTS-When you get to by-products you’ve really departed from a product of any quality. These are the things other than the meaty muscle tissue. This in reality is a deadly mixture of contaminated animal heads, toenails, bones, pus, intestines, chicken feathers, stomachs, hair and lungs.
MEAT BY-PRODUCTS - Meat by products is the non rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines.
POULTRY BY-PRODUCTS - Poultry by products must consist of non rendered clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, viscera.
POULTRY BY-PRODUCTS MEAL- Poultry by products meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, birds that are condemned for human consumption, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS MEAL - Animal by products meal is the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any added hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents. This ingredient definition is intended to cover those individual rendered animal tissue products that cannot meet the criteria as set forth elsewhere in this section.
"Digest" is the worst of all. Digest is a by-product which has been treated with heat and water to create a slurry.
Poultry Digest: material that results from chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of poultry tissue.
When it comes to meat, in general, the more specific the ingredient description, the better the quality is. Chicken is better than poultry. And, in turn, “chicken meal” is better than “chicken by-products”, which is better than “chicken digest,” which is better than “Animal digest”.
If a label says it is “Beef dog food,” it must be at least 95 percent beef, minus the water required for processing. If a label identifies the product as a “Beef dinner platter,” “Entree,” or “Formula”, beef must comprise anywhere from 25 to 94 percent of the ingredients. If the dinner is a “Combination of meats” (i.e.”lamb & rice dinner”), the lamb and rice combined must comprise at least 25 percent of the content.
SATURATED FATS such as those found in meat, poultry and dairy products may contribute to cancer and heart disease.
MONOUNSATURATED FATS such as canola oil are beneficial in the management of blood cholesterol.
POLYUNSATURATED FATS such as flax seed and fish oils contain omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids which help maintain the fluidity of cell membranes and fight diseases such as cancer.
ANIMAL FAT PRESERVED WITH BHA: from tissue of animals or poultry extracted in the rendering process. Devoid of free fatty acids.
POULTRY FAT: (preserved with BHA): obtained from the tissue of rendered poultry. Devoid of free fatty acids.
SUNFLOWER OIL: Obtained by extracting the oil from sunflower seeds; loaded with Omega 6. If heated it is changed to toxic derivatives and can contribute to tumor formations.
SAFFLOWER OIL: loaded with Omega 6; if heated it is changed to toxic derivatives.
SOYBEAN OIL: loaded with Omega 6; if heated it is changed to toxic derivatives.
CORN OILS: If heated it is changed to toxic derivatives.
FLAXSEED OIL: Obtained by extracting the oil from flaxseeds; they stimulates the immune system, helps absorb calcium and has anti-tumor properties, anti-oxidant, helps with diabetic conditions, and lowers triglycerides and cholesterol...
VEGETABLE OIL: nonspecific as to the type of oil.
GRAPESEED OIL: A rich oil in Vit. E and loaded with Omega 6 and (linoleic) fatty acids.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES/PROBIOTICS: (microbial inoculants) To facilitate good health, live digestive plant enzymes assist your pet’s digestion and absorption of essential nutrients; they control harmful bacteria. Dried streptococcus, faccium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus, Acidophilus Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation product, Dried Saccharomyces cervisiae permentation product .
ANTIOXIDANTS: Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C.
AMARANTH: (A grain from Central America) - called “the grain of the future” by nutritionist. This grain is used for stamina and endurance. Amaranth has a relatively high mineral, fat and protein content and its well balanced amino acid profile make it a desirable protein source.
MILLET: A nutritious, ancient grain, thought to be one of the first ever cereal grains used for domestic purposes. Millet is renowned for being a “soothing”, non-allergenic and easily digestible grain.
BARLEY: A wholesome grain, which helps to keep the arteries clear. Barley is recognized as one of the most readily assimilated grains for dogs and is commonly recommended for dogs with joint problems or allergies.
BROWN RICE : Brown rice has a rich source of B-Vitamins. Rice bran has an important part of the whole grain, which has cancer and heart disease fighting properties.
OMEGA 3 & 6: The correct ratio of the Omega 3 to Omega 6 essential fatty acids is 1-to-4. Flaxseed and canola oils are balanced and provide the Omega 3’s necessary for health.
YUCCA: breaks down food particles into smaller pieces in the intestines to give better absorption of the nutrients and make the stools smell less. Good for arthritis, bone and joint problems, any soft-tissue swelling.
BRAN: bran contains the B vitamins, Its fiber helps keep the intestines clean, good for the heart and helps to protect against cancer.
FLAX MEAL: compounds that are extremely protective against cancer. improve nerve function and prevent diabetic nerve disease.
BLUEBERRIES (Vaccinium myrtillus) renowned for their ability to improve vision and protect the sensitive mechanisms in the retina. Inhibits bacteria such as E. Coli to adhere to the urethra and bladder wall.
Soybean is the #1 allergy of dogs, wheat is the #2 and corn is #3. The dog may scratch at the base of his tail & lick his feet, although no fleas are seen.
CORN is the #3 allergy of dogs.
GROUND CORN: ground or chopped corn is a good source of carbohydrates. And, because it contains the entire kernel, it contributes additional protein, corn oil, corn bran, vitamins and minerals to the diet. According to the AAFCO, must not contain more than 4 percent foreign matter.
CORN FLOUR is the fine-size hard flinty portions of ground corn containing little or none of the bran or germ.
CORN BRAN is the outer coating of the corn kernel, with little or none of the starchy part of the germ.
CORN GLUTEN MEAL is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch, bran and germ. No nutritional value.
WHEAT is the #2 allergy of dogs.
WHEAT is a constituent found in many pet foods. Again the AAFCO gives descriptive
terms for wheat products:
WHEAT FLOUR consists principally of wheat flour together with fine particles of wheat bran, wheat germ, and the offal from the “tail of the mill.” Tail of the mill in nothing more then the sweepings of leftovers after everything has been processed from the week.
GROUND WHEAT: same as wheat flour only a courser grind.
WHEAT GERM MEAL consists chiefly of wheat germ together with some bran and middling or shorts.
WHEAT MIDDLING and shorts are also categorized as the fine particles of wheat germ, bran flour and offal from the “tail of the mill.”
WHEAT MILL RUN/MIDDLINGS/MIDS: consists of coarse and fine particles of wheat bran, wheat shorts, the waste from the tail of the mill from commercial flour milling.
GROUND BROWN RICE: the entire product obtained in grinding the rice kernels after the hulls have been removed. A very high quality source of carbohydrates and natural fiber.
GROUND RICE: The dehulled rice kernel, without the pericarp, ground or chopped. A very high quality source of carbohydrates, The most digestible grain for pet foods. also considered to be relatively hypo-allergenic.
RICE: nonspecific as to the form of this rice, i.e., rice flour, rice bran, rice hulls, chipped and broken rice or rice polishings.
WHITE RICE: is useless and is missing 75% of its nutrients, especially the B vitamins.
BREWER’S RICE: rice sections that have been discarded from the human food manufacturing of wort or beer, which contain pulverized, dried, spent hops. It is the broken grain of the white rice missing nutrients. It used to be swept out. Now it is dumped into dog food. Little, if any, nutritional value but better than rice flour..
RICE FLOUR; This is a very highly preprocessed ingredient. all the naturally occurring vitamins have been leeched out of this ingredient. Very low nutrition value.
SOYBEAN is the #1 allergy of dogs.
SOY FLOUR: Powdered material from screened and graded product after removal, by a mechanical or solvent extraction process, of most of the oil from selected and dehulled soybeans. Removing this oil reduces the essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin content.
VEGETABLE FIBER: Ground up corn husks, peanut shells and sawdust.
PEANUT HULLS: the outer hull of the peanut shell used for a filler; this has no nutritional value whatsover. there are concerns regarding the level of residual fungicides that soak into the peanut hulls as they are grown.
SODIUM BENTONITE: filler
GUAR GUM: mucilage (glue). Used as a stabilizer.
BEET SUGAR: is the dried residue from the sugar beet..
BEEF PULP: (saponins) may irritate and even inflame the intestinal tract causing a range of gastrointestinal disorders up to and including death.
SOYBEAN MEAL is the product obtained by grinding the flakes that remain after the removal of most of the oil from soybeans by a solvent extraction process.
POWDERED CELLULOSE is purified, mechanically disintegrated cellulose prepared by processing alpha cellulose obtained as a pulp from fibrous plant material. In other words, sawdust.
SPRAY DRIED WHEY: dried by spraying on the surface of a heated drum. High in lactose.
SUGAR FOODS BY-PRODUCTS result from the grinding and mixing of inedible portions derived from the preparation and packaging of sugar based food products such as candy, dry packaged drinks, dried gelatin mixes, and similar food products that are largely composed of sugar.
SUGARS: as in beet pulp, cane molasses, corn oil and in white rice bran require almost no digestion. Sugar may contribute to chronic ear infections, diabetes and pancreas problems. They are rapidly absorbed into the blood stream, flooding it; Insulin is secreted by the pancreas to take up the excess. Eventually, the overloaded pancreas breaks down.
SALT: may contribute to heart and blood pressure problems.
GROUND ALMOND AND PEANUT SHELLS are used as another source of fiber; they have no nutritional value..
BREWER’S DRIED YEAST: dried residue from the brewing industry. Cooked yeast fractions that the brewers cannot use. A rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
IRON PROTEINATE, FERROUS CARBONATE, AND FERROUS SULFATE are minerals that are necessary for the production of hemoglobin. Deficiencies will manifest themselves as anemia and fatigue. Ferrous sulfate can deplete the vitamin # which many “natural” pet foods use as preservatives.
COPPER OXIDE, COPPER PROTEINATE, AND COPPER SULFATE minerals that are necessary for converting the iron into hemoglobin.
MONOSODIUM PHOSPHATE: emulsifying agent.
CHOLINE CHLORIDE: member of the B complex.
DI-METHIONINE: an amino acid.
POTASSIUM CHLORIDE: mineral. Potassium salt of hydrochloric acid.
ASCORBIC ACID: Vitamin C. used as a preservative. The potency of vitamin C is completely dissipated within 12 hours after the manufacturer opens the bag. Not only does heat destroy Vitamin C, but light destroys it also. Vitamin C containers are dark brown or opaque white to keep the light out.
ETHOXYQUIN: a preservative.
ZINC OXIDE: mineral.
ZINC SULFATE: mineral.
MANGANESE SULFATE: manganese salt of sulfuric acid.
MANGANESE OXIDE: mineral. Oxide form of manganese.
BIOTIN: Vitamin H
BIOTIN SUPPLEMENT: Vitamin K.
VITAMIN A ACETATE: water-dispersible source of vitamin A.
CALCIUM IODATE: mineral. Calcium salt of iodic acid (iodine)
CALCIUM PANTHENATE: vitamin B5
CALCIUM CARBONATE: mineral.
VITAMIN B12: supplement.
NIACIN: Vitamin B6.
THIAMIN MONONITRATE: Vitamin B1.
MENADIONE DIMETHYLPRIMIDINOL BISULFITE: source of Vitamin K, classified as “commercial feed grade vitamin.”.
RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT: Vitamin B2.
INOSITOL: SUPPLEMENT.
PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE: Vitamin B6.
MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFATE COMPLEX: Vitamin K.
D-ACTIVATED ANIMAL STEROL: vitamin D3
ETHYLENODIAMINE DIHYDRIODIDE: iodine.
VITAMIN D3: from animal origin.
POTASSIUM IODIDE: potassium salt of iodic acid (iodine).
POTASSIUM CHLORIDE: mineral. Potassium salt of hydrochloric acid.
FOLIC ACID: Vitamin B9.
SODIUM SELENITE: mineral. Sodium salt of sulfuric acid.
CELLULOSE: a pulp from fibrous plant. Also has been described as sawdust.
DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE: mineral.
VITAMIN E ACETATE: water-dispersible source of Vitamin E.
VITAMIN E: used as a preservative, but works for only one month after manufacture date; heating up Vitamin E changes it from the CIS form which is helpful, to the TRANS form which is harmful and may cause tumors to form.
VITAMIN D3: D-activated animal sterol.
TAURINE: amino acid.
CARRAGEENIN: seaweed.
NATURAL FLAVOR: no nutritional value.
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) this poorly tested preservative is implicated by some scientists as a cause of liver damage, metabolic stress, fetal abnormalities and serum cholesterol increase.
ETHOXYQUIN: originally developed for use in the production of rubber, this common preservative is among the compounds most suspect as causes of severe health problems in dogs. The makers of ethoxyquin state that it is a hazardous chemical, it may cause skin problems, eye problems, and problems in the kidneys and liver. In addition, there may be a reduction in the survival of the offspring. The law says that if a manufacturer puts ethoxyquin in the dog food, they have to list it in the ingredients. But if it’s in the animal/poultry fat when he buys it, he doesn’t have to list it. “No ethoxyquin added.” That doesn’t mean that there is no ethoxyquin in their fats or oils - it only means that they have not added any to the product.
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) This preservative is known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction.
PROPYLENE GLYCOL ( a first cousin to anti freeze) This compound causes the fatal destruction of red blood cells. This compound is used to maintain the right texture and moisture and to tie up the water content, thus inhibiting bacterial growth, it is added to some “chewy” foods to keep them moist.
POTASSIUM SORBATE. This preservative is known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction. This is a commonly used preservative chemically similar to fat.
AMMONIATED GLYCYRRHIZIN Add this to the list of sweeteners. It is also considered a potent drug that should be tested further for safety.
PROPYL GALLATE. Manufactures add this chemical to retard spoilage, but it is suspected of causing liver damage.
SODIUM NITRITE. This compound is widely used as both a preservative and a red coloring agent. Sodium nitrite used in food can produce powerful carcinogenic substances known as nitrosamines.
ARTIFICIAL COLORS:
Red no. 3
Red no. 40 ( a possible carcinogen)
Yellow no. 5
Yellow no. 6
Blue no. 1
Blue no. 2 (shown in studies to increase dogs’ sensitivities to fatal viruses)
ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS or synthetic flavorings are called safe with little or no testing.
SWEETENERS including corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin, added to attract dogs to unappealing food.
SYNTHETIC VITAMINS AND MINERAL COMPOUNDS: pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium pantothenate, iron carbonate, potassium chloride and manganose oxide.
DISODIUM GUANYLATE: a flavoring commonly used in instant soups. | Grace-
Thanks for the wealth of info. Are you feeding your sheepies one of the better foods or are you feeding a raw food diest or combo? There was a post in the Nutrition section, someone asking for info on BARF diet. I too have considered it, but want to be sure that if I do it, I do it right and that Lola gets all her vitamins and nutrients.
Also, what do you know about vitamin supplements? I've considered giving her supplements, but not sure what to start her on as a puppy.
Thanks again | Well, I read that until they are 6months, its very important that they eat regularly and well. So, I know that almost everyone eats less in the summer cause of the heat, but she has to eat to grow up healthy and strong. So, if the cottage cheese is working, and you guys say its ok, I will keep doing it for a while. I also give her puppy vitamins as the vet suggested. So she should be ok. Has anyone heard of a treat called GREENIES? My friend recommended them for clean teeth and breath. Mop loves them. Expensive buggers, but I found them on ebay for half the price of the stores. LOVE ebay!  |
marley wrote:
Well, I read that until they are 6months, its very important that they eat regularly and well. So, I know that almost everyone eats less in the summer cause of the heat, but she has to eat to grow up healthy and strong. So, if the cottage cheese is working, and you guys say its ok, I will keep doing it for a while. I also give her puppy vitamins as the vet suggested. So she should be ok. Has anyone heard of a treat called GREENIES? My friend recommended them for clean teeth and breath. Mop loves them. Expensive buggers, but I found them on ebay for half the price of the stores. LOVE ebay! |
I've heard some negatives about Greenies - dog's vomitting them whole, etc. and they've always made my dogs sick - the cornstarch or something. Be careful! | | I have to tell you that Mopsey did the same thing. She would come up to her bowl and take a few bites, then wander off, the come back and take a few more mouthfulls. That's when I started mixing in the cottage cheese. I figured, its calcium, and good for her bones. And she eats all of her food now. I am just gonna do this until she is done growing so rapidly. I was afraid she wasn't getting enouph neutrients. I also give her puppy vitamins. |
One source you might consider is the Whole Dog Journal... a monthly magazine devoted to natural dog care and training that publishes an annual list of the Top 10 canned and dry recommended dog foods. Here is their selection criteria for their foods list, excerpted from their Feb 2003 article.
[snip...]
Update, March 21, 2007
OES.ORG has been contacted by the Whole Dog Journal, who has asked us to remove the excerpt of the article which formerly appeared here. This article was posted by one of our members, and not by oes.org itself. This was just an excerpt from a wonderful article filled with good information about proteins and carbohydrates and by-products and fillers and additives. It was solely their criteria for selection.
Whole Dog Journal wants a fee of $350 per year from oes.org for permission to reprint their 2007 version of this Whole Dog food list on the web, a fee that oes.org can not afford to pay. Alternatively, Whole Dog Journal wants oes.org not to publish any (not even a snippet) of the article, but to recommmend our readers visit their site so that each reader can pay $10 to read the article on their website (or perhaps to sign up for a subscription to the Whole Dog Journal for $20 per year).
How can the Whole Dog Journal Foods expect me to recommend them to our readers, without giving me or the reader (you) a sample of their article?
It seems that Whole Dog Journal would rather have all of the information conveyed in their dog food comparisons reserved to those who can afford their subscription rates or their $10 charge to read an article. Personally, I would think that an older "example" review of information peppered with reminders that this info is older with links to their Whole Dog Journal site for the current and up-to-date changes would draw many many more visitors and potential subscribers (like you) to their site.
In it's place, instead of the WDJ review of dog foods and instead of their list of criteria for things like protein and fats and carbohydrates and supplemental vitamins and lots of good information all in one place, I will maintain here a list of premium food purveyors for your convenience. This is not the recommended dog food list of the Whole Dog Journal. Also, I will provide a link to Whole Dog Journal for you to follow to purchase the top ten dog food list or a subscription. Since their site gives no sample of the article either, if you were thinking of buying a subscription to WDJ, you can use this information in any way you deem appropriate.
The Whole Dog Journal's annual Top 10 lists are released in Dec (canned) and Feb (dry) of each year.
Here is a list of premium dog food purveyors for your convenience:
Artemis
Artemis Pet Foods, Canoga Park, CA
(800) 282-5876
artemispetfood.com
Azmira
Azmira Holistic Animal Care, Tucson, AZ
(800) 497-5665
azmira.com
Back to Basics
Beowulf Natural Foods, syracuse, NY
(800) 219-2558
beowulfs.com
Bench & Field
Bench & Field Pet Foods, Mishawaka, IN
(800) 525-4802
benchandfield.com
Blue Buffalo “Adult”
The Blue Buffalo Company
Wilton, CT
(800) 919-2833
bluebuff.com
Burns
Burns Pet Nutrition, Chesterston, IN
(877) 983-9651
bpn4u.com
California Natural
Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA
(800) 532-7261
naturapet.com
Canidae
Canidae Corp., San Luis Obispo, CA
(800) 398-1600
canidae.com
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul “Adult”
Diamond Pet Products
Meta, MO
(800) 442-0402
chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com
Drs. Foster & Smith
Drs. Foster & Smith, Rhinelander, WI
(800) 826-7206
drsfostersmith.com
Eagle Pack Holistic Select
Eagle Pet Products, Inc., Mishawaka, IN
(800) 255-5959
eaglepack.com
Flint River
Flint River Ranch, Riverside, CA
(909) 682-5048 (independent reps)
Foundations “Chicken & Vegetables”
Petcurean Pet Nutrition
Abbotsford, BC
(866) 864-6112
petcurean.com
Fromm Four Star Nutritionals “Duck & Sweet
Potato”
Fromm Family Foods
Mequon, WI
(800) 325-6331
frommfamilyfoods.com
Go! Natural
Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Abbotsford, BC
(866) 864-6112
petcurean.com
Hund-N-Flocken
Solid Gold Health Products for Pets
El Cajon, CA
(800) 364-4863
solidgoldhealth.com
Innova
Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA
(800) 532-7261
naturapet.com
Karma
Natura Pet Products
Santa Clara, CA
(800) 532-7261
karmaorganic.com
Lifespan
Petguard, Green Cove Springs, FL
(800) 877-petguard
petguard.com
Limited Diets
Innovative Veterinary Diets, Pittsburg, PA
(800) 359-4483 (veterinarians only)
Merrick Pet Foods “Cowboy Cookout”
Merrick Pet Foods
Hereford, TX
(800) 664-7387
merrickpetcare.com
Mmillennia
Solid Gold Health Products for Pets
El Cajon, CA
(800) 364-4863
solidgoldhealth.com
Natural Balance Ultra Premium
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
Pacoima, CA
(800) 829-4493
naturalbalanceinc.com
Newman’s Own Organics “Chicken
& Rice”
Newman’s Own Organics
Aptos, CA
(800) 865-2866
newmansownorganics.com
Organix “Canine Formula”
Castor & Pollux Pet Works
Clackamas, OR
(800) 875-7518
castorpolluxpet.com
Petguard Lifespan
(800)874-3221 petguard.com
Pinnacle
Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods
Irwindale, CA
(800) 255-4286
breeders-choice.com
Prairie
Nature’s Variety, Lincoln, NE
(888) 519-7387
naturesvariety.com
Prime Life
Owen & Mandeville Pet Products
Oxford, CT
(888) 881-7703
ompetproducts.com
Royal Canin Natural Blend
Royal Canin USA, Inc., St. Peters, MO
(800) 592-6687 (US); (800) 527-2673 (Can)
royalcanin.us
Showbound Naturals
Integrated Pet Products, Exton, PA
(800) LI-CHOPS
integratedpet.com
Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken
(800)DOG-HUND
solidgoldhealth.com
Timberwolf Organics
Yukon Nutritional Co., Dundee, FL
(863) 439-0049
timberwolforganics.com
VeRUS
VeRUS Pet Foods, Inc., Abingdon, MD
(888) 828-3787
veruspetfoods.com
Wellness
Old Mother Hubbard, Lowell, MA
(800) 225-0904
oldmotherhubbard.com
Wysong
Wysong Corporation, Midland, MI
(800) 748-0188
wysong.net | What do you guys think of this one? It's what I'm mixing with Iams puppy before I switch to Diamond (which is very similar to wellness) when Sky is older. I just copied and pasted from the site for Wellness Super5 Puppy
Product Description
You're never too young to start eating right! In fact, good nutrition should begin early on. That's why Old Mother Hubbard created Wellness Puppy Food. Specially formulated to meet your puppy's growing needs, it contains increased protein and fat levels to meet the caloric needs of active puppies, like yours. Plus, it is nutritionally balanced to support the development of strong muscles, bones, organs and teeth. Yet, great taste is equally important. With ingredients like deboned chicken, pears, brown rice, oatmeal, Beta-Carotene and Vitamin E, your pet will experience puppy love! Like having a new baby, a new puppy raises lots of questions. With more than 75 years of pet experience, our packaging answers many common questions new pet owners have.
Product Ingredients | Ingredient Index | Vitamins/Minerals
Deboned Chicken, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Barley Flour, Ground Brown Rice, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomatoes, Flaxseed, Peas, Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Bananas, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Garlic, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein Not Less Than 28.0%
Crude Fat Not Less Than 17.0%
Crude Fiber Not More Than 5.0%
Moisture Not More Than 11.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids Not Less Than 3.25%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Not Less Than 1.83%
As Served Per Cup (percent per cup)
Protein: 29.1%
Fat: 17.8%
Fiber: 3.6%
Met. Energy: (Kcal/kg) 3,636
Calories Analysis (calories per cup)
1 Cup 411
AAFCO Statement
Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Wellness Puppy Super5Mix provides complete and balanced nutrition for growth. |
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