Best Dog Food & Cat Food Options for Your Healthy Pet!

Reader Feedback

Posted by Jordan (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) on 09/17/2011

Well, the ideology presented by Ted seems rather logical. Despite how it may sound, the argument is not backed by science and actually poses many flaws that will be harmful to your pet. I do agree that the mainstream pet food sold to owners is actually biologically contradictory to their needs, but they are much more balanced and safe than a fish and salt water diet. Felines did not and do not naturally consume sea food of any sort. See a lot of big cats in the ocean? This notion began during the Great Depression, because it was a cheaper alternative. Since cats aren't biologically engendered to eat fish, this results in vitamin deficiencies and a disease caused by an inability to properly break down a form of the fat found in high concentrations. As for salt water, it is the same scenario. Felines have never been salt water consumers during any point of their evolutionary path. It is potentially hazardous for humans and animals. If you're determined to add something to your cats water, add a tsp or half tsp of apple cider vinegar to their water.

Raw Food Diet

Posted by Carolin (West Hollywood, Ca ) on 09/15/2011
★★★★★

Until 7 years ago all kinds of problems would acute with my pets, ever sense I was introduced to raw food diet not once has there been a single dog problem that I had to worry about dogs are carnivores no kidding they get yeast infection?!!! The dog foods out there are unreal and I'm not sure how they could still contents there outrage called food, if you look into it more and understand what your putting in their body I assure you, you will never do it again. Disgusting what these poor things are eating and don't know it's not food it's garbage, only dry I give if I don't have raw is oregen 80% protean. Only one out there so far the contains this. You must wonder what is the rest? Ya you should that's my peace and I will never do that to my dog again- my doxy lived to be 19 or we had to put him down 7 years prior it's a medical food.

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Eeej (Mesa, Az) on 09/07/2011
★☆☆☆☆

I see you wanted to make a list of culprit foods.

Purina Dog Chow. A green bag that says "Healthy Life Nutrition". I bought it because we are out of jobs and money. Halfway through the bag, she has a horrible allergy induced hot spot on her cheek.

Pumpkin

Posted by Momof05 (Williamsport, Pa) on 08/18/2011

I have a Cavapoo puppy who is 11months old now. I have never been able to find a dog food he likes. I haven't changed his dog food too frequently because I know it's not good to do so. He seems happy and healthy. Very playful, but he is skin and bone! I'm thinking of trying sweet potatoes added to his present food since reading this forum it seems a popular item that dogs like and prevents diarrhea. He's only about 10 pounds, is 2T mixed in to his food too much? Does anyone have any other suggestions? I've tried wet as well. I "feed" him the Blue Buffalo right now. He will eat it if I hand feed him, something I started.

Raw Eggs

Posted by Countrygrown (Sacramento, Ca) on 06/02/2011
★★★★★

All of my life (that's a long time) we have fed all of our dogs raw eggs. It makes their coats shiny and good for their skin. The thing you don't want to do with raw eggs is seperate the whites from the yolks. There is a chemical substance in the white of the egg that the yolk counter acts against. Could be vice versa. I can't remember the name of the substance but as long as you keep them together, raw eggs are fine. I also beat them a little to make sure they are getting the yolk with the egg. I don't give them everyday though. I'm sure there are others who give them more often. When I run across the article that tells me the name of the breakdown of the whites and yolks I'll post it. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the substance. I think that if you don't give your dog just all whites, or all yolks, you won't have any problems unless their allergic to eggs. Lol. This could have been another "garlic" type of issue. I have used garlic for years and now all of a sudden it's bad for your dogs. I still use it. My dogs also have always eaten onions and grapes too. No chocolate though. The onions, raisins and grapes is a new one on me. If you get anymore info about the eggs hope you post it. It's always about keeping the four legged kids happy and healthy. Blessings, Cg

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Liz (Melrose, Ma) on 05/03/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

I just want to report an experience that I've had personally. I have been wanting to advice my son to change the dry dog food he feeds his dog. As I researched, I kept running across the advice to use raw meat. The idea made sense to me, as dogs are carnivores and eat raw in the wild. I had not made up my mind, and was cautious about it and hadn't recommended that to our son. In the meantime, I was visiting with a friend, who's dog was not there. She told us an awful story about her dog who was visiting a neighbor they always visit and he usually gave the dog a commercial dog bone treat. He was out of them and had raw hamburg on the counter just getting ready to cook dinner and quickly grabbed some off the counter and gave it to the dog before the owner could object. The man was elderly. Her dog got so ill she had to take her to the vet. Sure enough, she had e coli and she died. I can imagine a dog in the wild can eat freshly killed meat that has not been processed, but meat from the supermarket that has been processed has all kinds of bacteria and I've decided not to take that risk with our much loved pet.

Barf Diet

Posted by Jr (Coloma, Mi) on 04/14/2011

Are you feeding raw bones? If so, what kind.

Barf Diet

Posted by Happyboy (Singapore) on 04/14/2011

My 5 y.o. dog fungal problem. He used to smell even a day after a shower. My remedy for him was:

1) Every night, I 'painted' his affected areas, mainly his legs/hands, with cocnut oil.

2) I gave him 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, together with his RAW blended veggies/RAW meat.

He has fully recovered from his fungal problem and can go 2 weeks without a shower and not stink. As his fungal problem was rather severe, it took 4 months for him to fylly recover from this. I adopted him when he was 3 y.o. and was kibble fed. I changed him to BARF diet when I adopted him.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Jimbob (Toronto, Canada) on 03/27/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

STOP feeding your dogs and cats CORN based foods! They are carnivores and require MEAT. Corned filled kibble leads to numerous health issues and endless vet bills.. Why else do you think the leading CORN based food is "Recommened by veterinarians". My suggestion is a raw meat diet mixed with a high quality meat based kibble that does not contain, CORN, or POTATO fillers.

Raw Food Diet

Posted by LC (Nc, Usa) on 02/22/2011
★★★★★

I have two dogs, both of whom are overweight even though they get long walks each day. My golden retriever was 20 pounds overweight and the vet kept telling me she must to lose weight before she gets much older (she just turned 5). I tried different brands of high-end dog food, a fully home cooked diet for 6 months, monitoring calories, etc. but nothing helped, however. Then I got them started about 6 weeks ago on a raw food diet... raw meaty bones at one meal, and ground turkey or ground beef mixed with an assortment of blended raw vegetables at the other meal. They looked very healthy before, but now they look so incredible, people are commenting on how healthy and happy they look as we walk by on the street! My goldie has lost about 8 pounds, so we have another 2-3 months at least before her weight gets down to where I can feel her ribs. But this is the first time I have found a meal plan that actually works. What a relief! Their teeth have turned pearly white and they have no more dental tartar.Oh and their breath smells sooo much better too!

Okay now, it is somewhat tricky locating the meat at a reasonble price. I had found some chicken wings and drumsticks in bulk at Costco, but they weren't organic and I was worried about the hormones and antibiotics they were feed. Then I located chicken backs and necks at Whole Foods. They were priced cheaply when I started to buy there, but then they more than doubled the price within two weeks, unfortunately. Too many people buying for their dogs, I guess. The chicken backs are the best for removing tartar! A raw food diet is more expensive than buying kibble, but I think it is definitely worth it in the long run.

I had absolutely no issues when I switched the dogs over to a raw meat diet. No diarrhea. I have fed them raw chicken ribs, drumsticks, backs, necks without any issues of bones splintering. I was less worried about this than most people because I had tried a raw meat diet with another of my dogs about a decade ago and never had any issues. In fact, within 24 hours, the bones come out in the #2 in tiny pieces and decompose at an incredible rate, turning to chalk within a day or two. I do supplement them with fish oil 3x a week and am currently looking for a multi-vitamin to add to their food a few times a week. I might look at horse supply companies to keep my costs down.

I highly recommend this diet for those who have overweight dogs that like mine, aren't losing weight with exercise or dietary changes! I also suggest buying a book or two on the subject to figure out how much to feed your dogs. Mine need about 1 lb of food at every meal.

Beef Liver

Posted by Jb (Atlanta, Ga) on 11/02/2010

I feed my dogs raw & have for many years. I add grass-fed organ meats to their diet. I typically add 10-15% organ mixture to ground beef. I usually buy veal heart, beef liver & beef kidneys & freeze them separately. Then I partially defrost & cut up into small cubes/pieces or grind. It's easier to handle & grind when it is partially frozen. Then I use unbleached wax paper bags inside of a plastic deli container & refreeze. When it's time to feed I defrost the organs & ground beef & mix together, 10-15% organs to 85-90% ground beef. I also mix in some veggies. I use greens, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, beets, squash, cucumber. Or some nights I do some fruit, blueberries, apple, banana. Sometimes I grind some flax seeds or add chia seeds. Adding a good digestive enzyme mix & probiotic is a good idea. Hope this helps.

Brand Comparisons

Posted by J (Atlanta, Ga Usa) on 10/20/2010
★☆☆☆☆

I tried Taste of the Wild, Bison & Fish diets. Both made my 2 dogs sick. When I called the company they did not seem to care.

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Bellalinda88 (Columbus, Ga) on 07/10/2010
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Regarding PurineONE Smartblend. I bought chicken and rice formula. One of my dogs would not touch it all and the other had diarrhea after eating it. I am going to trash the whole bag (cost $18), but something obviousy is not right with it. Bellalinda

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Lisa (Wichita Falls, Texas) on 06/23/2010

This is so funny because I have a dog like this. Only he is so not a big dog! He is a chihuahua mix! He is 11 years old and yes I cook for my doggie!!People tell me to leave dog food down for him and when he gets hungry enough that he will eat it. I tried that once a long time ago and he did not eat for almost two days! There is no way that I am going to do that to him. He is 11 now,so I guess we are doing something right! I have 10 cats also!!But, they get cat food ,there is no way that I can afford to get them started on people food. But,they do get treats of salmon or chicken or something like that sometimes!

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Deirdre (Atlanta, Ga) on 06/22/2010

Hi Monadz,

Oh Wow, does your post bring back memories! I had a Malamute who had exactly (and I mean EXACTLY) the same issue... I loved him so much, but oh what a rascal he was. Oh the stories, the stories! You can't believe what I tried to get him to eat (well, maybe you can). He would usually eat a few bites of his food, but then no more. At one point I put him on a homemade, mostly raw food diet and that worked (though not all the time, I must admit). He lived to be quite old, but getting him to eat was a constant battle. He basically hated any type of dog food period. Human food, okay.

I now have my two dogs on a mostly home cooked (not raw) diet now, so if you'd like the recipe, I'll post it. Each time I prepare a new batch of food, I change the type of meat I use, so the dogs are loving it. My golden retriever has a hard time losing weight (borderline hypothyroid), so my vet gave me this recipe... basically brown rice, meat protein and vegetables. Takes about 20 minutes to make... If you make large quantities of it for your St. Bernard, you'll want to get a rice cooker and food processor to speed things up.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Monadz (Wnc) on 06/22/2010

Ok, I have a rescued Saint Bernard who adopted me 5 yrs ago. She is loving, sweet, etc, (when she gets her own way) Well, that includes her diet: one very fussy pooch. We fix something new, she hoovers it up for about 3 meals..then "Hohum...what you got for me next." Turns around and walks away.....and this can go on for days....right now she is on her 3rd day of fasting; I know it is hot now, but have just thrown the 4th or 5th bowl of food away. She was at a vet hospital lst wkend and getting IVs and antibiotics for FUO and they tell me she scoffed up all her food there. HA! they should have had her there another day or so. I have tried the expensive, the homemade, the raw, conjoling, coaxing, ignoring. Oh, I have vented and am going shopping for Something for her shortly. Any suggestions I may not have covered?

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Rainman (Central, Vt, Usa) on 06/10/2010

Kibble is one of the worse things you can feed a dog... I know that is harsh. But, it is the truth. Purina is probably one of the worse brands out there. It is full of fillers, poison, and not balanced. Dogs need raw food. Look up Raw Meaty Bone (RMB), BARF, Prey Model, and simply RAW diet for dogs. You will get overloaded with information. Simply put, your dog is telling you that the food you put in front of him/her is not food at all. Dogs will eat good food. If RAW is not going to work for you... then look into better hollistic brands of kibble. Or try cooking for the dog. Left-overs and anything food you would eat yourself is going to be healthier for your dog.

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Sharon (Harrison, Oh, United States Of America) on 06/08/2010

I know you have made exceptions for listing the dog food brands in the past due to the poisonings that took place. So I hope I am not wrong in including it here. If I am, please just omit it or cancel the listing.

I am having problems with the new Purina One Smart Blend of Lamb and Rice. My dog refuses to eat it. He took 2 or 3 bites and hasn't eaten for two days since. He has never been a picky eater even when we had to change brands or types of food. He has even been on a diet that included the previous version of lamb and rice from the same manufacturer. He has always eaten whatever we feed him without problem.

I finally broke down tonight and made him some chicken broth and rice and he is eating it just fine. The store bought lamb and rice is still in his bowl. He just goes up and smells it then walks away.

I'm wondering if anyone else is having problems with the brand. (I didn't know where else to look and since I get most of my health related info for me and my dog from Earthclinic I just came here looking for answers.)

Intestinal Problems

Posted by Anonymous (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Usa) on 04/21/2010

The ingredient list for Special 33 raises some red flags. Corn gluten meal, natural chicken flavor, wheat gluten, dried egg product, and brewers yeast may be sources of free glutamic acid, which can destroy the animals brain, and are addictive and stimulate appetite. Your pet may like it, but it may be killing your pet. Also, the sodium silico aluminate, is that a source of aluminum? And what are zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate? These sound like they could be other sources of free glutamic acid.

Ingredients: Chicken meal, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, rice, corn, natural chicken flavor, chicken, brown rice, wheat gluten, dried brewers yeast, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), anchovy oil (source of EPA/DHA), soya oil, calcium sulfate, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), potassium chloride, sodium silico aluminate, DL-methionine, dried egg product, salt, monosodium phosphate, choline chloride, taurine, Vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin supplement, biotin, riboflavin (vitamin B2) supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], sodium tripolyphosphate, Trace Minerals [zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E) and citric acid, rosemary extract.

Raw Food Diet

Posted by Anonymous (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Usa) on 04/06/2010

People are reporting elsewhere on the site that feeding their pet a raw food diet corrects many health issues. It might be worth trying.

Raw Food Diet

Posted by Ozarkansaw (Little Rock, Ar, Usa) on 03/31/2010
★★★★★

Raw Diet for Dogs - A Cure-All

About a year ago, I started my dog on a raw meat and bones diet. There are many benefits to this diet, and as a 9 year old my dog has never been healthier! This is a long post, but I am afraid they are going to omit my links...so here goes!

First off, here are some of the benefits that I have noticed:
1. Major Improvement in Allergies
2. Less problems with fleas and ticks
3. Clean teeth with no tartar buildup
4. Increase in energy and stamina
5. Shiny coat
6. Improved digestion
7. Much smaller stools (due to no fillers, grains ect)
8. Improved overall health
9. Can cost less than premium kibble, especially for large dogs! I am saving a ton of money feeding RAW to my rott puppy.

There are many great websites to learn the specifics, but here is the basic idea:

Feed approximately 2% to 3% of the dog's body weight daily, feed more if you can feel the ribs, and less if they look pudgy. For puppies feed 2% to 3% of their ADULT WEIGHT.
Organ meat needs to be about 10% of the diet
Try to use a variety of meat to offer more nutrition
You will be feeding mostly muscle meat and meaty bones; you are feeding too much bone if the dog gets constipated, or if the stool is pure white. Too little bone can cause diarrhea. I feed muscle meat with no bone at one meal and meaty bone for the other.

Muscle Meat-Hearts, gizzards, ground meat, tongue
Organ Meat-Liver & Kidney of any animal
Meaty Bones-Chicken & Turkey (quarters, breast, necks, wings, backs), Deer, Rabbit, Pig (feet, necks, tails, roast), lamb, beef (ribs, necks)

BEWARE:
1. Your dog will likely go through a detox period when switching from kibble. They will probably have diarrhea, but it will go away.
2. Start with chicken legs and breast, the high bone content will help the diarrhea go away. Add variety & organs SLOWLY after a month or two.
3. Monitor their meals to begin, most dogs are so excited to get meat, and are used to swallowing kibble without chewing! Once they learn that you are always going to feed RAW they will slow down! Don't feed small pieces at first!
4. READ LABELS!!! Most grocery store meat is loaded with extra ingredients such as flavor and salt. Do not give this to your dog! It will make them sick. If unsure, check the sodium level, it should be around 3% per serving.
5. Don't grind the meat; this can cause constipation and they won't get the dental benefits.
6. Don't think you have to buy pre-made diets. They are very expensive and usually have vegetables and other additives. It is better to just by meat from a butcher!

Hopefully they will allow me to keep these links! They are the best most straightforward that I have found and are excellent resources!!! Please read these before you start! My advice is much more simplistic and does not cover as much as the provided links.
http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html
http://rawfed.com/myths/feedraw.html

Feeding a raw diet takes some time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you will be doing the best thing for your dog. After all, this is the way dogs ate before kibble.

Reader Feedback

Posted by Joe (Wpb, Fl) on 03/25/2010

Diamond dog food makes a few other companies dog food including Taste of the Wild, which has a different recipe.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Dawn (Birmingham, Al) on 02/02/2010

An organic raw food diet can take approximateley an hour of your time a week. Simply prepare their meals as you would for a family. Sunday evening fix their eggs and place in small bowls and put them in the fridge. Mix their raw veggies, rice and meats together place in separate bowls and throw them in the freezer. The only part of this that I dispise is the dishes:)

Beef Liver

Posted by Pumkin (Hemet, Ca, Usa) on 01/19/2010

I have a puppy whose about 5 months and I just started feeding him a homemadefood puppy food and I would like to know how much beef liver is safe for a small dog?

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Jenn (New York, Ny) on 01/18/2010

I have a 5 yr old pug....when he was a puppy and had his routine vacc's, he had an allergic reaction and almost died..so traditional vet pumped him with drugs to stop swelling. When he was 4 1/2 the same thing happend, but alot worse. 4 months after the vaccinosis(drug(vacc overdose)... he started having seizures, licking the air, itching, losing consciousness.. then one day.... his hind legs went and he refused to go on our daily walk.

I freaked out and took him to nyc, the hamptons to our local primary to manhattans best anim hosp to chinese med meets traditional med vet and last.... homeopath! he changed his diet to home cooked duck, barley, oats carrots(a few other ingredients) diet... he's detoxing from the toxicity in his body and we both sleep at night now...he saved and changed our lives

Until i found this homeopath, i didnt sleep for a whole month because my dog was having cluster seizures and spasms every single time he would SIT or sleep...he kept falling into deeper sleeps..back to back seizures....biting and violently barking at strangers(out of nowhere)worst experience of my life about 3 days later on homeopathic remedies and a new diet, i fell asleep because he was able to sleep peacefully....

check out some wellness/holistic vets in your area...

i almost lost my best friend....im not going to lose him now....gluck my email is modqru@hotmail.com

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Mia (Appleton, Wi) on 12/21/2009

I'm so confused what to feed my 8 year old boxer. He has had skin problems due to allergies his whole life. For a while I was feeding him California's Natural and then had to switch to Candidae due to the only store in my area discontinued their contract. Candidea worked with him not itching/scratching so much but gave him bacterial build up that caused severe diarrhea that would not go away until I put him on a bland diet and bought medication from the vet to bring his digestive bacteria levels to normal. This went on for about a year (having the diarrhia cases about every 3 months) and talked to the vet one more time about what I could do. Her suggestion was to get him on a low-residue food. My dog is allergic to potatoes, beets and eggs. There are not many low residual dog foods on the market that avoid these 3. Any suggestions as to what I could feed my dog? Currently he is on Pro Plan - sensetive stomach and skin and seemed to do okay at first but now after 3 months he has been scratching himself so much he has numerous scaps all over his body (ecspecially by his ears and neck). His ears tend to get very dirty easily and I have to clean them at least once a week as well. I'm startding to lose all hope.

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Terese (Long Beach, Ca) on 12/15/2009

UPDATE: Im am so thrilled to see others get results. Our GS dog is doing AMAZING. We have continued to research and try other brands. We now routinely feed our dog Chicken and beef (our old vet said not too).

The following brands have been cleared by our dog with fantastic results;-)All have vitamins and NO by products or unhealthy ingredients...

Flint River- when gas skyrocketed they were forced to raise prices because of shipping being included.
Wellness- Core has been amazing for our dog and helped keep on wieght.
Blue Buffalo Company- Probably the best priced for what you get if buying from store.
Orijeen- Probably one of the highest quality kibbles, but also the most expensive.
The Honest Kitchen- Dehydrated raw food for those who want to feed raw without the hastle.
Nature's Variety- Another great product, but again its pricey..
Innova- All lines are very good.
Eagle Pack Holistic- Another excellent product
Timberwolf Organics Bison- Very strong protien with all the nutrients.

Also recommended is, Dick Van Pattens, Royal Canin,Solid Gold and Authority.

And for the SHOCKER for those on a budget: Costco's
Kirkland Signature brand (Chicken rice and veggie)!! I know I was shocked too, but check out the ingredients.

Please, please please please avoid these brands at ALL cost, especially if your dog isnt in perfect health:

Iams
Science Diet
Nutro
Pet Gold
Pro Plan
Ol Roy- Lowest rated food out of 100
Eukanuba
Purina- 2nd lowest rating
Pedigree

Finally we always put a teaspoon of ACV and Food Grade only Diatemacious earth, which is a natural dewormer, in our dogs food daily.

If you have ANY health problems, START with their food. Also if you have a food processor grind up some organic veggies (must break the cell wall of the veggie for your dog)and put in food. Also a good plain yogurt and vitamin C (caplets)is recommended. I guarantee if you do this you will get results :-)
I hope this helps saves some dogs like it did mine!

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Racer (Hampton, Tn) on 12/15/2009

Dove soap is very gentle on my dachsund's itchy awful skin. I have checked her for fleas...she doesnt have them..I suspect it is our pedigree food, which they love, and the stools are small, but they seem not to be thriving on it.

I had a dog come to me from a neighbor who was starving and I had to research foods for dogs and came up with the findings that our dog foods we buy at the store are mostly garbage... From that point on I began supplementing our dogs normal food with home cooked meats and vegetables, except for broccoli, and never any grapes at all. But I give them about three times a week, a pound of beef, mixed up with a cup of oatmeal, and a can of green beans, and 4 tbsp mayonaise, and total cereal, 1/4 cup evaporated milk,
a couple of long squirts of Karo syrup the light kind, and then 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, since I seperate this into four servings one for each dog. Then I put two full droppersful of infant vitamins into this mix. I put in a cup of yogurt when I have it...if I don't have all the ingredients I can just do the meat and the oatmeal, the veggies, the oil and the vitamins. If I were trying to gain weight on them I would add macaroni and cheese, but the other dog has gained enough weight back on.

They like these...they are such big dogs, that they eat all this and I do it about three times a week. When it is time to get treats, I buy small bags of authority, as I read earlier, baby carrots.

As far as outward measures to combat dry skin, I do oatmeal water rubdowns, the bathe them with dove soap and dry them without rubbing. I put olive oil on any irritated areas, and it clears up. If not they get dosage of benedryl about 1 mg per pound of body weight.

Brushing and massaging their fur down the the skin is important also. Brushing is an everyday thing for all of them.

I have found that Frontline does not work anymore the formula has been changed or the ownership has changed hands.... I do the brewers yeast tablets, and I call them candy and dip them in gravy.

I am going to buy the powder brewers yeast in a shaker and put it on them all the time also.

I also intend to try diatomacious earth as well.

It is important to realize you can substitute fish oil pills for olive oil, 1 tbsp for a big dog, 1/2 tbsp for a medium size dog and 1/4 tablespoon for a small dog on a daily basis.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Dawn (Birmingham, Al) on 12/04/2009
★★★★★

It is exciting to here that other individuals are taking precautions for their little ones. I have 2 maltese, both under 5 pounds. My little girl had severe allergies for about 2 years. The vets did every test that one could possibly do and even proceeded with compound medications. I decided to take things into my own hands and research what would be best.

Each morning they both receive a quarter of banana, tablespoon of organic yougurt with a pinch of dried greens (purchased at an organic store) and they split one organic egg lightly scrambled in organic coconut oil. Each afternoon they receive a mixture that I prepare once a week and freeze.

The mixture includes the following all organic: one yellow squash, one zuccini, 3 carrots with skin, 1 sweet potato, 3 stalks of broccoli, 1 cup of cooked long grain rice with coconut oil and 2lbs. of grass feed organic sirloin steak freshly ground. I place all of the vegetables in the food processor and add in with the cooked rice and mix in the raw sirloin steak. I put these in small side dishes and freeze.

The kids love it. They have so much more energy and my 6 year old that had severe allergies is now the beautiful show dog. Once a week they get a quarter thick raw femor bone from the butcher and they receive baby carrots for treats. I have had them on this for over a year now. A word of caution to all who may switch their little ones over to a diet like this, remember that the above causes a cleansing process to occur just as humans that switch their diets:)

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Posted by Jumar (Adelaide, Australia) on 11/30/2009

I believe a natural diet is so important for animals. Some conditions or diseases are inherited/genetically passed down. Read labels on dog food. There are some healthy organic choices out there. Some of these are found in the meat section of the supermarket[ they have a pet food section?]. Feed your animals fresh meat, vegetables [plain] and some good quality carbohydrates. I feed my dog a mix of these and she's absolutely in good health. Vegetable matter should be a part of their daily diet [think wild dogs]. In the wild, wolves would eat the stomach contents of rabbits etc. Omit all foods containing preservatives, colourings [artificial] and additives. Also to be included should be raw bones [hard] eg. lamb shin bones etc. These should be given occasionally to keep teeth in good condition. I know someone, who's dog has just had 12 teeth removed because they never gave their dog a raw bone!!!! Wild dogs would eat the bones of anything they could catch. No cooked bones of any description should be given however. I believe in most cases, diet is the most important aspect in maintaining an animals health. Be cautious about giving your dog anything it wouldn't normally have access to, there is no evidence to show that acv has no long term complications. Veterinary care is sometimes the only solution.

Footnote: If you are concerned about giving you dog raw bones, give them under supervision.

Raw Eggs

Posted by Patricia (Miami, Florida) on 11/05/2009
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

My vet has informed me that raw eggs are not good to give to your dog, he mentioned it could have a detrimental effect on the liver. I have seen other posts where people have recommended raw eggs for pets though.

Brand Comparisons

Posted by Carla (Grand Rapids, Mi) on 10/29/2009

I stopped feeding my cats dry food because they were addicted and getting fat. It isn't a natural diet for them. I switched to a natural wet cat food that is made without chemicals and by-products called Pet Guard. The thing to fear is ethoxyguin which is a known carcinogen and propylene glycol, a chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent in brake fluids also used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in pet foods. Into the Pet Guard food for each cat, I mix one Nu-Cat soft multivitamin and 3 drops of flax seed oil. My girl with herpes has had gunk in her eyes and nose and this is clearing. Even my 16 year old with renal failure is thriving.