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  • I"m beyond confused at this point. I just started feeding Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy for my 6 month Great Dane and my year old great dane. When I go to the purina site the pro plan giant breed adult is the food that they recommend. Am I feeding the wrong food ? Calories, fat and protein are less in the giant breed adult.
  • No not necessarily ...
    There is a gray area (12-18 months old) of when to change a large breed pup to an adult.
  • I have a eight month and a 13 month Great Dane. I have read and read trying to find the best kibble for them. After spending a lot on very expensive foods and reading review after review from consumers who love this food I have settled on Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy. Would you recommend this food even though it has the "dreaded" corn gluten or is there another brand that you feel would be more suitable for a Great Dane.
  • Yes ... corn gluten is used to provide essential sulfur containing amino acids in the diet which are lacking in animal meats.
    So again yes I would receommend this food for a trial and have in the past.
  • Our 5 yr old 1/2 Pug 1/2 Bichon just had emergency surgery to remove many many sodium urate bladder stones which from what I can tell are very uncommon. A few were large enough to get embedded in his urethra. The vet has put him on Hill's u/d, and the cost is ridiculous. After comparing the ingredients/percentages to his regular food, I find very little difference except that the protein is a little less. What is the difference, and what am I missing? We've never had a problem before. Angus is not a big water drinker, and I introduced a very high grade wild caught salmon kibble with about 28% protein about a month ago so I don't know if that could have contributed to the stones. I love my vet, but when it comes to nutrition, all he can say is that he has to eat the Hill's for the rest of his life to prevent a recurrence. I'm a retired chef so I'm certainly willing to go the extra mile and make something just as good or better at home for much less money. Thoughts?
  • Unfortunately, the features that make u/d appropriate for preventing urate stones are not on the label, e.g., purine content, urine pH and urine dilution.

    If you are interested in making a homemade diet, we can formulate one for you... but know that rarely if ever is a homemade diet less expensive than feeding the correct commercial diet.

  • I have a client that feeds Instinct raw dog food. I've always advised against feeding raw because of the possible contamination and illness it can cause because the product is not cooked to remove pathogens. Instinct claims this "We use Cold Pressure technology also known as High Pressure Processing (HPP) – instead of high heat – to provide all natural, safe raw pet food to every pet." Does this kill possible Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes? Also, this patient (1 year old, FS, Border Collie) suffers from frequent diarrhea, usually due to Giardia, but sometimes there isn't an obvious cause. This is a very social dog (dog parks, agility training, doggie day care etc.) and is most likely picking it up from those areas. We have spoke with the owner about decontaminating the environment to prevent re-infection and owner has been compliant with that. I was curious if the raw food would contribute to the patient being more susceptible to infection with Giardia. Thoughts? Owner was under the impression that this raw food was safe based on this treatment, but if it isn't I was going to let her know to discontinue it.
  • Does this kill possible Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes? Not always. This method does not make the food 100% safe. FDA recognizes only two official kill steps, which are cooking and irradiation. 

    Here is an FAQ on HPP: http://universalpasteurization.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/HPP-FAQs.pdf. Of note is that HPP does not work on frozen product, and that the product needs to be above 32F prior to HPP and a point of potential failure in a packaging line.

  • My 7 year old shepard huskey rescue dog was just diagnosed with diabetes. His blood sugar was 302 and he will be on insulin twice a day. He is a survivor of mast cell cancer and has had ACL repair surgery. His normal weight is about 90 pounds. We have been feeding him Taste of Wild Wetlands (grain free): morning dry with wet topper and at night dry with water to make gravy. He also takes 2 phycox per day and 250mg milk thistle for elevated liver enzymes. He just had blood work and his liver enzymes are now almost normal. Our vet has suggested we change him to Royal Canin or Hills Prescription Diet. After reading the ingredients I am unsure these will give him what he needs. They are also the only foods they sell at that office. He is an active dog. The vet said his food should be at least 30% protein and less than 30% carbs. I called a local pet food store and they said another vet suggests Evo Grain Free or Propac Grain Free. If you could please help us find the best dog food at the best price, it would be so appreciated. He is much loved!
  • I am most willing to suggest appropriate commercial product recommendations or formulate a HM diet for your dog with diabetes.  When your pet has a medical condition, the dietary recommendations should be done specifically for that patient. You may begin at: https://www.petdiets.com/Consultation/Owner at any time. BTW both the HIll's and Royal Canin diets are specifically desgined diabetic dogs would be an excellent place to start and yes they are nutritionally complete and balanced for long term feeding. Please do not ask the lady at the pet store for advice on your dog with a medical condition..... she does not hold a license to practice veterinary medicine.

     

  • Hello there I would like to make safe and healthy dog food for a pit bull puppy possibly 7months old or so. Please tell me what to buy and how to make thank you
  • We do have healthy dog recipes in the Homemade Diet module but they are for adult dogs.

    We do the growing dog healthy recipes individually through our Nutrition Consultation service.

    You may begin at: https://www.petdiets.com/Consultation/Owner at any time.

  • I have a 10 week old lab puppy I rescued from bad health. We got her at 7 weeks and currently have her on Authority Grain Free puppy food. I also add 1 raw quail egg a day, that we get from my father in law (he raises quail and chickens free range). I also add 1 tsp of coconut oil, and sardines that come canned in water only, no salt. Is this too much? What else can I be adding? Sometimes I do baked sweet potatoes or canned pumpkin purée. I also am getting a 6 week old Australian Shepherd puppy tomorrow and plan on adding things to her kibble as well. Thanks!
  • IF Authority Grain Free puppy food has a complete and balance AAFCO claim then you need not ADD anything.
    In fact you are diluting the puppy food and unbalancing the diet and wasting your money.
  • Hi, I have a 12 year old lab who recently had bladder stone surgery. Our Vet put him on the Royal Canin urinary SO diet and it is quite expensive. Is there anything we can do to supplement his diet safely with something less pricey?
  • Adding more is not the key here, but controlling/ limiting specific ingredients in the diet.
    If feeding the correct diet avoids another surgery, the food will have paid for itself. 
  • There seems to be a lot of carbohydrates in the diets you put together for us. Why so many carbohydrates? Won't our bulldog gain too much weight?
  • There are 1/2 as many calories from carbs as from the same amount of fat, so in order to control calorie intake but still provide a reasonable amount of food to help the dog feel full, complex carbs - called fiber.
    You select sweet potato, green peas and vegetable mix as sources of fiber, some vitamins and some protein. Additionally, if you entered the correct current wt and you feed the recommended amount food per day (minus treats), the dog is unlikely to gain weight. It is total calories in and not total carbs in that makes a dog overweight.
  • I have a 10 1/2 yr old female who was diagnosed last September with Hyperthyroidism. Her sister also has it. Her Sister is doing well on the Methimazole, she is not. Right now she is in crisis. Thyroid is 14, white blood count and kidney functions both high. Also dehydrated. We are giving 200cc fluids at home. I'm trying everything under the sun to get her to eat. A local Pet Retailer suggested a Raw Diet. My vet unfortunately is not very helpful with diet concerns. I don't want to feed her anything that will make this worse. I'm reading and reading and just more confused. Is it safe? One better then the other? I want an honest educated opinion from someone who isn't trying to sell me something. Any help please would be so greatly appreciated. Thank you
  • I understand ... and a raw diet is not recommended for several reasons but primarily because the iodine and selenium have not been specifically controlled for this condition. No over the counter food has these specific levels and shame on the Pet Retailer for playing veterinarian.

    There is only one diet on the market that is specific for this condition and is successful in the majority of feline cases.

    The diet is called Hill’s y/d (can and dry are available).

    You will have to get the food or a prescription for an online purchase from your vet.

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