My vet recommended that I feed my puppy science diet. After doing research on the cost of the puppy chow, I stumbled across a site that said science diet is not a good food for my puppy. I'm confused on pet foods, and don't know a lot about the subject, but if science diet is not a good food, why, and what brands of food are better? Also, why would my vet recommend Science Diet if it wasn't a good food for my dog?
Science Diet
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sometimes vets get a portion of sales so be careful. science diet used to be a good food but there has been lots better since then. there are many good foods out there now depending on your budget. Costco has a good chicken dog food that runs about $17 per 40 pounds. Nutro has a nice chicken oatmeal food for about $32 for 40 pounds. From there there are blue buffalo and candidae and several other natural and holistic dog foods that are very healthy. try not to switch to frequently you can mess with your babys digestive system.
Same reason that doctors push certain meds....kickbacks! I use canidae like a lot of others here. There is a rating chart on a thread somewhere that hopefully some one will repost. I just got my new computer and some of my data is still in the old one waiting for my cousins daughter to help me retrieve it!
I think you would find the search feature useful. Its up above. You simply click on it and voila previous threads come up that may answer ALOT of your questions 
here try this one to start!
http://labradoodle-dogs.net/forums/view ... ood+rating
here try this one to start!
http://labradoodle-dogs.net/forums/view ... ood+rating
dittos here....I was horrified to find WHOLE GRAIN CORN as the FIRST ingredient on the bags of Science Diet!
A dog with hair in their ears - such as poodles - will have yeasty infections and problems from the corn's sugar in their diet causing an irritation behind the ear hair.
Do a search on this forum for the food grading system....it's here somewhere! :wink:
A dog with hair in their ears - such as poodles - will have yeasty infections and problems from the corn's sugar in their diet causing an irritation behind the ear hair.
Do a search on this forum for the food grading system....it's here somewhere! :wink:
thanks a lot, but should I change her diet now? We took her to the vet and found out she has something called giardea, I don't know what it is, but it just dives her diahrrea. Should I wait until she is healthy and then change her food, or change her food and hope she gets healthy?
oy, I'm sorry about the giardia!
But that is a bacterial imbalance in her gut, and can/should be treated with an antibiotic, like flagil. That is really separate from the food. I would change as soon as possible, but gradually at the same time to let Cocoa's gut to settle down and not get flared up again.
hope that helps!
But that is a bacterial imbalance in her gut, and can/should be treated with an antibiotic, like flagil. That is really separate from the food. I would change as soon as possible, but gradually at the same time to let Cocoa's gut to settle down and not get flared up again.
hope that helps!
Ditto here regarding Science Diet...vets push it becaus Science Diet donates medical books etc to practices and vet schools. I would transition Cocoa gradually to what ever food that you are going to use.
Regarding the giardia, (parasite in GI tract that they get from standing water) Tanner has tested positive several times..finally had giardia vaccine. What did your vet give you to treat it? Flagyl Metronidazole)? Be sure when he is cleared up to take a stool specimen in for recheck a couple of weeks after he is finished with his meds.
Also, be careful because you can get giardia from your doodle...I did and ended up getting IV therapy in addition to Flagyl (which is comparable to taking Draino)
Paws crossed here that you can get through this quickly
Regarding the giardia, (parasite in GI tract that they get from standing water) Tanner has tested positive several times..finally had giardia vaccine. What did your vet give you to treat it? Flagyl Metronidazole)? Be sure when he is cleared up to take a stool specimen in for recheck a couple of weeks after he is finished with his meds.
Also, be careful because you can get giardia from your doodle...I did and ended up getting IV therapy in addition to Flagyl (which is comparable to taking Draino)
Paws crossed here that you can get through this quickly
thanks to all of you for your concern about Coco. Even through she is sleeping right now, her heart is going out to you.
I'm treating her with both capsules and the liquid version of metronidazole. I can understand now why the vets would support science diet, but as my vet is also my half-brother, I'm still a little confused.
I've decided that when she gets better, I'm going to change her diet to WolfCub Puppy (made with bison and salmon), as it scored a 109 A+ on that chart that was previously posted. Luckily for me, there is an independently owned pet store near my house, and at 44$ for 33#, I'll take the 1.25 a pound price in a heartbeat.
I'm treating her with both capsules and the liquid version of metronidazole. I can understand now why the vets would support science diet, but as my vet is also my half-brother, I'm still a little confused.
I've decided that when she gets better, I'm going to change her diet to WolfCub Puppy (made with bison and salmon), as it scored a 109 A+ on that chart that was previously posted. Luckily for me, there is an independently owned pet store near my house, and at 44$ for 33#, I'll take the 1.25 a pound price in a heartbeat.
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we've always fed our babies Iams and not any problems -on our 4th "iams" dog
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If you can't follow the BARF diet (which really is the best, but almost impossible to fit in a busy schedule), I would recommend one of the super premium foods such as Canidae, Eagle Pack Holistic or Solid Gold (there are others). These foods are organic and leave out a lot of the fillers and unknown additives. Then I suppliment with some nzymes, probiotics, glucosamine, and ground beef heart.
I do this because I have a Great Dane with auto-immune issues, but my doodle gets the benefit of his troubles. The Dane was on Science Diet before this new diet and it has had a HUGE effect on his health. I figure starting out my doodle puppy on this would sidestep a lot of possible health issues in the future.
I do this because I have a Great Dane with auto-immune issues, but my doodle gets the benefit of his troubles. The Dane was on Science Diet before this new diet and it has had a HUGE effect on his health. I figure starting out my doodle puppy on this would sidestep a lot of possible health issues in the future.
The brand I'm thinking of switching her over to is made by solid gold, so I hope that it will make my puppy well
Maybe I'm a complete noob to dogfood :shock: but what is the BARF diet? Are they abbreviations for something or is it like a type of dog food company?
Maybe I'm a complete noob to dogfood :shock: but what is the BARF diet? Are they abbreviations for something or is it like a type of dog food company?
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hello! and welcome!!
BARF is: bones and raw food diet....raw meat, etc.
It is time consuming, but ulitmately very good for them....I would prefer to use organic meats, or grass fed beef, if I fed my Coco this way....
I use Canidae after much research and recommendation from others on this forum.
Going the natural, holistic way is the best, for sure. I used to use Science Diet for my dogs years ago when it first was developed....
my vet recommended it and I believed it was better than the grocery store brands....It probably was back then. Most vets, unfortunately are like most doctors and are not really trained in natural nutrition....and then those kickbacks from the big dog food companies....!
Anyway, transition the food gradually adding a little to what she is eating now....more each few days. Her food hasn't got anything to do with the giardia....Give her meds and then maybe make her some oatmeal to mix in to her kibble. Annmarie on this forum swears by canned pumpkin, I think. ( not the pie filling ) Just helps over all....with the sensitive gut and the diahrrea.
Hope all goes well. Your beautiful Coco is such a doll!! I miss that puppy-puppy stage. My Coco is still a pup, 8 months old and just over 50 pounds!
Again, Welcome!!
8)
BARF is: bones and raw food diet....raw meat, etc.
It is time consuming, but ulitmately very good for them....I would prefer to use organic meats, or grass fed beef, if I fed my Coco this way....
I use Canidae after much research and recommendation from others on this forum.
Going the natural, holistic way is the best, for sure. I used to use Science Diet for my dogs years ago when it first was developed....
my vet recommended it and I believed it was better than the grocery store brands....It probably was back then. Most vets, unfortunately are like most doctors and are not really trained in natural nutrition....and then those kickbacks from the big dog food companies....!
Anyway, transition the food gradually adding a little to what she is eating now....more each few days. Her food hasn't got anything to do with the giardia....Give her meds and then maybe make her some oatmeal to mix in to her kibble. Annmarie on this forum swears by canned pumpkin, I think. ( not the pie filling ) Just helps over all....with the sensitive gut and the diahrrea.
Hope all goes well. Your beautiful Coco is such a doll!! I miss that puppy-puppy stage. My Coco is still a pup, 8 months old and just over 50 pounds!
Again, Welcome!!
8)
hahaha, your puppy is named Coco as well!
Yeah, she's a puppy, no doubt about it!
Thanks for the advice, I probably will just go ahead and change her diet, as there is nothing bad that can happend (other than her not liking it, of course).
Oatmeal? AWESOME! Thanks for the advice, I'll definetely mix some in with her kibbles.
Yeah, she's a puppy, no doubt about it!
Thanks for the advice, I probably will just go ahead and change her diet, as there is nothing bad that can happend (other than her not liking it, of course).
Oatmeal? AWESOME! Thanks for the advice, I'll definetely mix some in with her kibbles.
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hi...we had major problems with Max in the begining due to worms etc and then sensitive tummy. he once had non stop diarhhea for 7 weeks.
did your vet talk to you about a bland diet? just curious
oatmeal, boiled rice, boiled chicken and/or venison or lean beef, sweet potatoe, pineapple, etc. All these are good for diarrhea as it aids in calming the intestines, helps the body absorb nutrients thru the intestinal walls rather than pass thru as poop.
also helps aid in the mucous lining not coming out with the poop.
I cooked for 4.5mos for max till we could get him back on dog food. Took 6 kinds...HE now eats CANIDAE with success. peanut had similar yet milder issues.
did your vet talk to you about a bland diet? just curious
oatmeal, boiled rice, boiled chicken and/or venison or lean beef, sweet potatoe, pineapple, etc. All these are good for diarrhea as it aids in calming the intestines, helps the body absorb nutrients thru the intestinal walls rather than pass thru as poop.
also helps aid in the mucous lining not coming out with the poop.
I cooked for 4.5mos for max till we could get him back on dog food. Took 6 kinds...HE now eats CANIDAE with success. peanut had similar yet milder issues.
we went to the vets today, and I talked to the doctor about changing Coco's diet, but he said to keep it the same, even though he admitted it was hard to digest... :?: Thank you for the advice, I would have never guessed that a dog could eat pineapple and sweet potato and have it agree with their stomach.
I'll keep you posted on how that goes...thanks again!
EDIT: I'm also going to talk to the vet about the nutrients my dog needs. He never mentioned anything about a bland diet, and if it works, then I'm really going to consider another vet...it sounds a little harsh, but we've been through three treatments for this problem, so I'm starting to think my vet might not know what he's talking about.
I'll keep you posted on how that goes...thanks again!
EDIT: I'm also going to talk to the vet about the nutrients my dog needs. He never mentioned anything about a bland diet, and if it works, then I'm really going to consider another vet...it sounds a little harsh, but we've been through three treatments for this problem, so I'm starting to think my vet might not know what he's talking about.
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I left a vet i used for almost 10years....i called 4 vets in the area 3 thru recoomendations and one out of the blue.
I amsooooooooo glad i switched vets!!! but that was good for me at the time and not always the case for others.
hell i once changed pediatricians and it was for the better. i like someone who uses common sense along with text book and experiences to helping out with problems
I amsooooooooo glad i switched vets!!! but that was good for me at the time and not always the case for others.
hell i once changed pediatricians and it was for the better. i like someone who uses common sense along with text book and experiences to helping out with problems
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I switched over to a holistic vet and so far have had good success. Just like a human holistic dr, they look at the whole dog before just diving in to solve the immediate symptoms.
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You don't really need to switch vets - just take what he says with a grain of salt. My dad was a doctor and for many years thought organic foods and extra vitamins were silly and a waste of money. Which is to say that even well-meaning and intelligent professionals can be naive about nutrition and other matters slightly outside their experience. I'm sure most vet schools don't focus on foods, either.Shelbys said:
I switched Chouette from Nutro to Canidae by opening up the bag of Canidae and just dumping what was left of the Nutro on the top. It naturally arranged itself so that the highest concentration of the old food was on top, and the new food was gradually present in higher concentrations lower down. Worked well.
Leslie
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