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Hello, I have 10 months old maltese. I've been thinking about switching her on ziwipeak air dried Food. My question is about the percentage of protein. Many people say that little dogs don't need more protein than 26% because they can have issues with their liver, I really like the ingredients in ziwipeak but I'm afraid of the protein level which is over 30%. Can you please advise. Thank you
Honestly 30% is unnecessarily high compared with their actual requirement but feeding high protein does not cause liver or renal diseases.
Feeding a high protein diet does make it more difficult to feed them a lower protein diet later in their life if needed for a medical condition.

Hi there,

This is an ingredient list for a dehydrated dog food. Should I have any concerns with these ingredients?

Ingredients:
Chicken (Cooked NAE Mechanically Separated Chicken, Rosemary
Extract), Creamer (Coconut Oil, Soluble Corn Fiber, Sodium Caseinate, Sunflower Lecithin, Silicon Dioxide), Cranberries,Apples, Spinach Powder, Celery, Apple Powder,Cabbage Powder, Pumpkin Powder, Beef Protein Isolate, Rosemary, Basil, Vitamin Blend (Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Biotin, Folic Acid, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K1, Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Zinc.)
Contrary to blah blah blah about ingredient on the package, only those allowed by regulation can be used, so there should not any ingredients not already approved for pet foods in the product. If the product is contaminated or adulterated, that will not be written on the label for you to see. You have to trust in the manufacturer to produce a safe and nutritious product which is quite the leap of faith for some manufacturers. You can see previous posts if you are interested in why rating dog foods by the ingredient list is a waste of time, effort and bandwidth.

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Our 4-yr old Bichon recently had some significant digestive problems. The vet prescribed Hill's I/D kibble. When I looked on DogFoodAdvisor (I know they aren't nutritionists, but they do a good job of analyzing dog food), they don't rate the food very high. If it is low fat that is needed because of the digestive problems, there are others that are highly recommended - like Wellness Core Reduced Fat, From Gold Coast Weight Management, Royal Canin. Our dog seems pretty much back to normal, but he sure doesn't relish his food like he used to (then on Acana Grasslands), and he seems hungrier than he used to be. Advise?
Rating foods based on ingredient list is simply foolish .... Hence he is known as the Dog Fool Advisor. See previous posts if you are interested in why rating dog foods by the ingredient list is a waste of time, effort and bandwidth.

If a low fat diet works and one OTC seems to be working for the dog for now .... that's fine although it does seem like you are just guessing at what the dog needs at this point.
Hopefully for you and the dog it will continue to work. However, if and when you need a significant consistent low fat diet, you will have to come back the Veterinary therapeutic market.

My dog has elevated liver enzymes, my vet says not emergent levels. Is there a good food to feed her that will help, not considering the prescription which in my opinion are overpriced trash bags.
Yes you might want to consider change to the usual OTC food if the liver is compromised or dysfunctional. There is more than one type of liver disease. And what needs to change in the food depends on the disease.
The nutrient profile changes recommended for certain types of liver are not allowed in OTC foods. So if you are objecting to commercial therapeutic foods, then you're left with a homemade diet for the rest of the dog's life unless the liver disease resolves.

I am a young veterinarian from Nigeria. I've been thinking if compounding dog meal, but i don't have an idea of what ingredients to use and in what proportion of each to use, for both puppies and adult dogs. I will appreciate any useful information. Thanks in anticipation.
You should be able to download the Canine Nutrition chapters 12-18 from the Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 2010 from the MMI Bookstore (https://bookstore.markmorrisinstitute.org/?page=2).

I read a pet industry digest called petfoodindustry.com. Looked at an article dated today about horse meat and phenobarb found in Evanger's canned dog food.This company has come under fire from the FDA before, if memory serves. I've included the link for you. My cats have been eating dry and canned Purina ProPlan for awhile (switched from Royal Canin because of formulas changes). Do you think Purina would knowingly use horse meat in their cat foods? Do I need to worry about phenobarb in my cats' food, as well? Do you know if Purina actively screens for such chemical contaminants? This kind of stuff feeds the furor that deceased pets are actively used by the pet food industry. It's all very distressing.

My cats are my kids, so of course I worry. Thanks as always.
Understandably – this is wrong on several levels. This is where the quality control procedures of the manufacturer come to light. Such information is NO where on the label.

If this “adulterated” ingredient was sold to other pet food manufacturers and went un-checked, or if Evangers has their products co-packed, unfortunately, there may be more recalls.

If any manufacture knowingly used horse meat in the USA, it would have to be declared on the label. Horse meat in pet foods in the USA is not illegal, but it is not in the generic “meat” definition so it must be declared on the label, just like venison or alligator, etc. To have it in the food knowingly and not on the label, is a violation of the pet food regulations in most US states.

I can attempt to address your concerns based on what I know and have seen at Purina over the last 30 yrs about their procedures for accepting or rejecting ingredients, independent testing and vetting of ingredient vendors; however, I would suggest you call and ask them directly.

Tell them about your concerns with controlling ingredients and that you would like to know how they test their incoming ingredients and the final product before releasing from the plant.

You have a lot of faith in the AAFCO, yes? You said dry food will help prevent tarter on pets teeth!!! I eat dry food , my teeth still have to be brushed. So tell me, how does pentobarbital get in canned dog food, what a mystery!!! You must be a player, in the money making, lying pet food industy!!
“Faith in AAFCO” - that is a strange statement. AAFCO is not a mystical being .... just an organization of with reps from all aspects of the FEED (everything but human food) industry.

Some US states have fully, partially or not at all adopted their suggested rules into their code that regulates pet food within that state. If you do not like the AAFCO rules in your state, speak to your state legislature who has the final decision ... not AAFCO.

Eating dry food helps dog with tartar but as I have said many times, even when O feeds VOHC documented foods - there is nothing better than brushing the dog or cats teeth several times a week.

Pentobarbital has appeared in certain pet food products on several previous occasions - it is not a new occurrence. Each time previously, the FDA has investigated and found that cattle, sheep, goats or pigs euthanized with the drug were incorporated into the pet food product.

It really is not a mystery .... but does speak volumes about the lack of quality controls exercised by those particular manufacturers at the point of accepting or rejecting ingredients .... which in turn speaks to the importance of knowing your manufacturer and NOT being fixed on the label ingredient list.

In my 30 years as a veterinary nutritionists, I have never worked for a pet food company.

My 13.5 yr old cockapoo has had recurrent UTIs this year. His vet recommended prescription food. We tried the royal canin urinary but he refused it. She then recommended Hills CD. He likes it. I mix a half can of wet with 1/4 c of the dry. Since age 2 he was on Dr Harveys. I looked up Hills and saw it has terrible ratings! I am really upset because I have taken great care of him and worry this poor quality food will harm his life span. She says her patients have done well but the reviews are consistently poor. Do you have a recommendation? Is there a better grade food for urinary problems? Should I just continue?
People who "review" or "rate" pet foods absolutely do not know what they are talking about, have never worked in or for a pet food company, vendor or supplier.

They all repeat each other and none of themselves actually having done any original work or investigation into this area. Not one of them have any independent training in the areas of nutrition or medical conditions managed through diet. They are wasting my time, your money and their breath.

I too have used c/d (dog and cat) products for more than 30 yrs ... and have had no issues ... except when the owner runs out of food, replaces it with an OTC brand, and the animal has the problem reoccur.

I have no reservations about a dog fed c/d.

I have a cat diagnosed with struvite crystals and has recently had stones removed surgically. Originally he was on hills CD but it turns out he is allergic to chicken. He throws up raw chicken and cat food with chicken in it gives him dermatitis and ear infections. I've tried giving him methio form but he will not eat it anymore. Are there any food options for him? It's been extremely frustrating trying to find urinary food without chicken any ideas?
You and your veterinarain may consider:

Hill's c/d multicare with Ocean Fish canned
Rayne Clinical Nutrition Feline RSS dry and wet

They do contain "chicken fat" or "chicken flavor" but may actually not contain any chicken protein per say and so may be tolerated better.
Animals can only have an allergic reaction to a protein and not carbs or fats.

Can I use your "healthy dog" formula/recipe if the only health issue my dog has is arthritis? She is a normal weight 13 yr old border collie. Activity level is not what it once was - slowing down - mainly due to her arthritis and bilateral luxating patellas. Other than your balancing supplement, what suplements would you recommend (cosequin, omegas 3, 6, 9, ?) She does also have what I call "age bumps" popping up that my vet is not treating for (sebacious cysts) but that is all in terms of health issues. I have been using a recipe from Dr Karen Becker which includes things like organ meats, egg shell, kelp powder, hemp seed oil, ginger, sardines & mussels (as well as protein & certain veggies/fruit). Your sample recipe is much more streamlined. Is that because your recipes rely on the supplement for nutritional completeness?
Yes in part but more often non-professionals add too much stuff because they are not trained to formulate diets efficiently. I prefer simple b/c the owner is more likely to be compliant with a simple accurate recipe than a complicated bulky one. The supplements we use constitute less than 3% of the food in the bowl because it is concentrated and highly bioavailable.

Yes you probably could use the Healthy Dog module if we offer the ingredients you wish to use but you can see the list before you purchase.

For arthritis, there is a general recommendation to feed 100 mg of EPA + DHA (not just fish oil) per Kg BW of dog. Cosequin is a good product in that it has been shown effective in clinical trials fed at label directions, but if there is severe arthritis it probably will not benefit dog. In people with mild to moderate arthritis, glucosamine + chondroitin was helpful; in those with severe damage (no cartilage left) there was no benefit.