Changed Dog Food - they LOVE it!

[Freedom]

I've been using Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul since adopting my first, Sugar, almost 3 years back. I had bought 5 or 6 foods and she refused to eat. That is what she had at her foster home, I tracked it down and that was fine with her. Switched my cats to the Cat Lover's one.

About a month back, after some reading, I switched the dogs to Dr. Harvey's Veg - to - Bowl. It is a pre - mix. You add oil, and protein, varying both to cover all the bases. I also add Missing Link Plus.

The first bag arrived by mail, I opened it and -- I thought I was in a kennel. The 4 of them went crazy! It's been 3 weeks. They are all perkier (did I need that? LOL), and Marlin's eyes have cleared up! So I tracked down a lower cost source and just bought another 2 months' worth.

Here is the link:
http://www.drharveys.com/products/show/13-veg-to-bowl

They have another pre-mix, Canine Health, which contains grains. Sugar has a lot of food allergies, wheat, fish and specifically salmon, so I went with the veggie one.

I don't understand their cat food though, as it also has lots of veg in it. So I am still reasearching that side of things.

[pomtzu]

So does this make like a soft food when you add the other ingredients?

These 2 are so particular - they don't like dry food and will only eat certain brands of canned food. Do you add any meat? How long does a 1 lb bag last?

[cassiesmom]

I didn't know Marlin had trouble with his eyes, but how wonderful that they're clearing up! And that a food works so well with Sugar's allergies! *kiss *kiss *kiss *kiss for everybody from your fan, Elyse!

[MonicanHonda]

How do you add the protein? Meat form? and how long do these bags last you? because that is EXPENSIVE!

[Freedom]

With these 4 dogs, the 5 pound bag lasts about 5 weeks.

Marlin's eyes were producing "gunk" which collected in the corners. It wasn't actually tear staining as it was too thick to run anywhere. It just sat in the corner and built up a big ball of icky stuff.

The protein: my size dog (15 pounds), they recommend 4 ounces per day. I mix it up. Ground beef, ground turkey, chicken breasts ( no bones or skin; one breast feeds 3 of my 4 pups), canned salmon, scrambled eggs (1 egg per dog) So they get a variety. I prefer to cook the meat a bit (well, not the canned salmon!). The idea of raw is not appealing, to me.

The oil: they recommend adding oil, and again mix it up. I am using flax seed oil, hemp oil, and sesame oil. I used olive oil the first 2 days as that is what I had in the house. I also have canola oil, mix that in sometimes.

The purpose of the variety is 2 fold: to cover all the bases, and to avoid developing allergies.

Missing Link: you use so little, seems like a one pound bag is going to last me close to 6 months. It is a supplement, vitamins and minerals.

The Veg to Bowl is soft, yes. Sometimes I put in apple chunks (I have 2 that need high fiber diets).

I think I answered everyone!

[pomtzu]

Thanks for that info Sandie. There is large pet supply chain store here in DE, and they just opened a huge store in town and they carry this. I'll have to check out their price on on it. It's really not that expensive considering what I pay for those little containers of Caesar's.
I'd love to see Sparky get rid of the gunky eyes like Marlin has too, and maybe Myndi would get rid of her itchies. It's worth a try if they'll eat it!

[Freedom]

Took me a few days to work out a routine. And initially, Darlin' Marlin was a wreck, lol. He was used to me getting up -- at HIS command, of course! -- and his bowl goes down in about 5 minutes. This takes me a bit longer. Now he is adjusted to the longer wait, although he still dances. :p

You can mix it and keep it in the fridge for 3 days. OR you can mix it and freeze separate portions, take one out each evening to defrost for the next day's meal. Keeps a week at least, in the freezer (I forget how long it said, I make it up weekly or more).

I was spending $28.99 for a 28 pound bag of kibble, once per week. The pre mix is less, with all the other things it is a wee bit more. But they are healthier.

Ellie, I would suggest you give it a 3 week trial - that is how it took for Marlin's system to clear out.

Oh, and the poops are smaller, less waste!

Be cautious what you use for treats during that 3 weeks, so you get an accurate picture of things.

[fritz03]

Mom has switched Fritz's food,he had been eating Purina Beneful Original with Chicken,Mom changed it to Purina Beneful with Salmon and Rice and other vegetables,he eats it all up,may have got tired of the other one and wanted a change,he hadn't eating it lately.

[pomtzu]

Be cautious what you use for treats during that 3 weeks, so you get an accurate picture of things.

So would Milk Bones and similar treats be a no-no??? :(
I'm gonna be in trouble if they are..........................................:eek:

[Freedom]

Ellie, the bichon is prone to allergies to grains. I can't use milk bones, or the like. I use dehydrated chicken breasts, the ones from Kona's Chips, but there are others. I am trying to stay away from "Made in China," so that leaves out many brands.

Here is Kona's link:
http://www.konaschips.com/

CVS carries a USA made brand, Waggin' Tails. And I have used Vitalife and Cadet, even though they are made in China.

Also, carrots and pieces of apple and sweet potato make good treats.

Buddy Biscuits are great for small dogs. Here is a link:
http://www.cloudstar.com/

PetCo carries them (HUGE mark up!) and my dogs love them.

Zuke's is another good brand of treats. Not all Zuke's are grain free, you need to read the label to find the ones you can get.


Wagatha's and SoJo are more names of good treats.


Monica, the trick is to find the food distributor near you and buy from them. I am getting the 5 lb. bag of Veg to Bowl for $25, NOT the $56.95 plus shipping on the Dr. Harvey's web site!

Fritz, bichon shouldn't be on grocery store food it is poor quality. They also shouldn't have ANY human food, only their own.

[pomtzu]

Sandie - where do you get Veg to Bowl so cheap???

As far as treats - Sparky wouldn't be a problem - and he loves fruits and veggies too. However, finicky Ms Myn would likely have an issue with a change.:eek::p

[MonicanHonda]

Haha, of course no one fifty miles away sells it. Lol

[bckrazy]

Yayyy... that is fantastic! I really like dehydrated blends that allow people to add fresh meats. It makes feeding raw/homecooked easy for anyone, and it's amazing how much of a difference fresh food makes. :) My aunt's Shih Tzu also had horrible eye gunk, that disappeared completely on raw.

For anyone interested, http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/index.shtml is the same as Veg to Bowl, and more widely available! It does seem expensive but it makes a LOT of food once it's hydrated.

[Freedom]

BCKrazy, thanks for that link! The same place carries that as Veg to Bowl (I just checked).

Confused though. Those all have meats in them. Guess I need to read more about how to use them.

[pomtzu]

BCKrazy, thanks for that link! The same place carries that as Veg to Bowl (I just checked).

Confused though. Those all have meats in them. Guess I need to read more about how to use them.

The Preference line is meat free. I ordered a sample pack of that, plus the sample size Prowl for my son's cat's, since I can't get the veg to bowl around here, and I don't want to buy a big bag if they won't eat it.

[Freedom]

Thanks Ellie, when I went back to read it more I saw that. And no fish either, which is what Sugar would need. Hmmm, I may give that one a try!

Ellie, one bowl isn't going to tell you much other than will they eat it. Spanky, as a white dog, is going to have many of the same issues and reactions as my crew, due to the white coat / face lets you easily see the tearing problems. I do hope you give it a 3 week try, with no grains at all, not even in the treats. I'd love to hear what you see if any difference!

I have to laugh. The one ounce sample, with 10 cats? Not going to work for me, lol, I'd have to just take the plunge and BUY it. What we get ourselves into, eh? LOL

[pomtzu]

Thanks Ellie, when I went back to read it more I saw that. And no fish either, which is what Sugar would need. Hmmm, I may give that one a try!

Ellie, one bowl isn't going to tell you much other than will they eat it. Spanky, as a white dog, is going to have many of the same issues and reactions as my crew, due to the white coat / face lets you easily see the tearing problems. I do hope you give it a 3 week try, with no grains at all, not even in the treats. I'd love to hear what you see if any difference!

I have to laugh. The one ounce sample, with 10 cats? Not going to work for me, lol, I'd have to just take the plunge and BUY it. What we get ourselves into, eh? LOL

I bought the 4oz pkg for the dogs so it would be good for a few meals. My concern is - will they even eat it? If they do, then I'll get the big box. They love chicken, so I'll try it out that way to start, and then do other protein too, to give them variety.

Actually Myndi has more allergy issues than Sparky does. She's not as bad as she used to be - she had horrible dandruf - huge chunks - and constant scratching if I didn't get her a pred shot. She still gets a shot maybe every 3 or 4 months. Sparky gets the itchies, but not as much as Myndi - and he has that goopy eye gunk like Marlin does - and that beautiful pinky/brown fur on his legs and belly from licking! :(

Hopefully, their finicky little butts will gobble this up! :D

[Freedom]

Use ground chicken. Lightly cook / brown in on the stove top. If it is already thawed, it will just need a minute.

Or use skinless boneless breasts. Boil them, break it up into their bowls. I'm telling you now, they will LOVE this, lol.

[colshe]

Good decision not to buy in bag if you're not sure if your dog would eat those. In our case, we have three dogs: Meylie loves to eat fruits and she can live without meat. The other two Boyboy and Meimei loves to eat anything..as in anything. That's why we need to sweep and sort everything that these two can easily get from the kitchen floor. As keeper of this wonderful "kids", I really need to make sure they are getting quality dog treats everyday. So as their mom, I research ingredients that will be good for them and erase from my list those that aren't. Reading dog-related articles became my hobby since I took Meyli then added Meimei and Boyboy in the family. Now, I am a happy and inspired mom to three dogs. I was so inspired by this dog-related articles I've red from a site that truly cares for dog owners like me. It's good to know that they also sell quality, homemade dog treats (http://woofgangbakerylakewoodranch.com/homemade-dog-treats) for our "kids".
http://woofgangbakerylakewoodranch.com/category/health-and-wellness

[IRescue452]

Its a good food, but try to ease off cooking the meat so much. Cooking is just a preference to us and it reduces the nutrients. Cooking "lightly" might also make more bacteria as the slight heat might cause it to reproduce but its not enough heat to kill it. You shouldn't feed a cat on a regular diet of cooked meat at all.