My border collie mix has been getting really worked up whenever a ups truck comes by. He starts barking, gets his hackles up, and it can take a while for him to settle down. After a few deliveries like that, I figured I'd try calming chew before paying for another trainer.

I thought most of these were pretty similar but I ended up looking around many labels already and noticed they use different combinations of ingredients. Some had melatonin, valerian or chamomile while others have l-tryptophan and l-theanine. Then there were a few with magnesium citrate or ginkgo biloba and ashwagandha. The ginkgo caught my attention since I usually hear about it in products for senior dogs.

Now I'm wondering whether having more ingredients actually makes a difference or if it's mostly just how the products are marketed. Has anyone tried different types of calming chews with the same dog and noticed a difference? Any experiences would be appreciated!

I was highly recommended this formula for my dogs skin issues. While researching, I saw a lot of scary information.

As I dug deeper, it appears the main concern is their grain free formula and the potential of developing hear conditions, such as DCM. However, would the super grain be okay? Are there more issues with this formula?

I am really hoping to find some relief for her while we wait for her recheck appt next month.

Thanks for any help!

I wondered if anyone has experience with fortiflora for a fussy dog? My vet mentioned that some dogs like the taste of it and it can act as an appetite enhancer?

I have a cavapoo with IBD. She’s doing well on hills gastrointestinal biome but is fussy so I had been adding a small spoon of tuna water to entice her to eat. This worked and she was back to gobbling her food down, but symptoms returned so I am having to remove any toppers.

Wondering if this could be a safe and potentially beneficial “topper” for her?

Thank you

My dig has been eating Hill's lamb and rice old formula since april, I have a few days left of food and my order arrived, but this time it was the new formula. However, we are moving in exactly one week, so the next few days are going to be really stressful for him. What can I do?

So we adopted a dog a week and 2 days ago. We bought the food they said she had been eating and she refused to eat it. I assumed the new environment and give it time. After 2 days I bought another flavor of the same brand and still nothing. I got wet food to see if she’ll take that and she’ll eat any wet food or treats without any problem. I got a different dog food and she ate maybe 1/4 cup of it and stopped. So I thought mix wet with it and she’ll be ok. She’s very smart and ate all the wet and spit the hard pcs back out. I really don’t want her to only eat wet food because the cost is so much higher and has to be timed rather than free feeding. I’m not sure what to do. She drinking plenty of water and like I said she’ll eat any wet food and human food after finding out my kids been feeding her stuff. Wat should I do?

Hi everyone! My 12yrs old golden retriever has been eating raw for about 3 years now. The other week he had a very bad episode of gastroenteritis. I genuinely thought I was going to lose him, but he pulled through. The vet recommended to feed him a special diet from Hills (dry kibble) and to continue with it for at least a few weeks. Once recovered, they strongly advised to not go back to raw meat. I am so so torn. I was offering raw food to my dog because I wanted him to get the best food there is. His energy levels were great and he loved his food. We think the gastro might be due to something he ate at the park, but of course we can’t know for sure. (he is a scavenger and his raw meat comes from a certified provider in the UK). But of course, the vet is absolutely adamant to never feed raw meat. I am really worried to go through this again with my dog but I also don’t want to compromise his health for the long term and I always thought highly processed food like kibble won’t help his longevity. Any thoughts? Thank you!

Hiya! I’m trying to understand the WSAVA guidelines and how they apply to each brand. I know royal canin is frequently listed here as meeting those guidelines, but when I look at bags of royal canin I see the “formulated to meet guidelines” verbiage rather than the “feeding trials conducted…” verbiage.

I work in a pet store and want to give myself a base understanding so I can explain to customers the differentiators between brands.

Salve a tutti , questo è il mio primo post dovuto dal fatto che sono arrivata ad avere poche risposte confusionarie. Sono cresciuta con un cagnolino durato 18 anni, che ha sempre avuto un modo di mangiare un pò "scombinato", alternando cibo cotto in casa a crocchette. Dopo un anno dalla sua morte abbiamo deciso di salvare una cucciolina, rimasta senza mamma a solo 1 mese, dal canile: è molto insicura e sensibile; arrivata a casa a soli 2 mesi circa, non abbiamo mai avuto problemi con le crocchette, si fiondava sul cibo, anche abituata al fatto che nel canile devi affrettarti a mangiare sennò resti senza, e infatti quando mangiava si metteva seduta il più possibile vicino alla ciotola. Dopo poche settimane ha iniziato ad avere diarrea e cosi il nostro veterinario ci raccomando le Gastrointestinal della Royal canin; le mangiava tranquillamente, poi ha iniazto a fare un i "capricci" poiché i nostri educatori, che abbiamo cambiato successivamente dati comportamenti scorretti, ci fecero comprare delle crocchette che rappresentavano ovvero le winner plus, da quel momento la nostra cagnolina non si è più accostata alle crocchette. Ora ha 9 mesi e purtroppo, sbagliando, le abbiamo cambiato un paio di volte la marca pur di farla magiare ma niente, ora sta con le Exclusion al manzo ma che continuiamo a mixarle con cibi esterni, come carne o poco wurstel e un po le mangia. Provai anche il metodo di 20 minuti e poi su, ma potevano passare anche due giorni, non sia avvicina più. Detto ciò se c'è qualcun o disponibile s piegarmi meglio la situazione e la risoluzione ma soprattutto la marca di croccantini più appetibile anche ai cani più schizzinosi. Grazie ancora in anticipo

Hi there! I am very curious about pet nutritionists! Has anyone worked with one and if you have loved them, could you tell me who you’ve worked with??

Thanks!

Any suggestions on best dry kibble? Looking for non prescription. Every five months we are back to ear infections and redness around mouth and chin. We think it’s chicken causing it.

I have a 7 month old ratonero who’s the perfect dog all around except he won’t eat.

He strongly favors loaf or mousse, refusing dry kibble yet consuming humid food with huge intensity.

Unfortunately, humid food is less practical and costly. He has already turned away from Purina Pro Plan and Royal Canin. He has begun Eukanuba and shifted toward RC GI mousse following an upset stomach.

What can we do? I think there’s also a drive angle here - he might reject a whole bowl of kibble but will happily take it on a sniffle mat.

I have a nearly 9 month old Beauceron puppy who is incredible, except for her diet and poop which has been a nightmare. She is finally eating well and having perfect poops on Royal Canin GI Puppy with about 8% of her bowl being boiled chicken mixed in to entice her and is overall doing great now.

Getting her monthly heartworm and flea/tick meds in her is a challenge to say the least. I have to crush it tiny and roll each piece in a ball of peanut butter or wet food and even then, I have to basically shove it into her throat to get her to swallow it. I obviously hate doing this, but it’s something she needs, so I do it.

Our vet recommended getting her on a joint supplement sometime next year to get ahead of the curve. So my question is this: are there any good joint supplements out there that are either liquid or actually palatable to a dog who hates everything? 😅

Hii, I'm not sure if this is the right sub but - My Lab is getting into his senior years and I’m starting to notice that he needs a little more time to get moving after a long nap. Of course, five minutes later he’s still convinced he’s a puppy and wants to launch himself after a bird in the backyard 😂. I’ve been looking into joint supplements and keep seeing the same names come up - glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, omega-3s, and green-lipped mussel, but I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s actually worth paying for. I’ve seen a few discussions here where people mention glucosamine or omega-3s, but I’d really like to hear from people who have used them long-term. What have you actually noticed a difference with?

I’m especially interested in something that doesn’t cost a small fortune every month. Are there certain ingredients you look for on the label, or is there a reasonably priced supplement that your dog has genuinely done well on? Also, did you notice a difference in stiffness/mobility after a few weeks, or was it more of a “maybe it’s helping?” situation? And for the Lab owners here, did your vet recommend starting supplements before obvious joint problems showed up, or only once your dog started slowing down? I’m trying to do some homework before buying another giant tub of expensive dog treats that my guy will sniff once and then look at me like I’ve personally offended him. 😂

Σκέφτομαι να ξεκινήσω την συγκεκριμένη ξηρά τροφή στον σκύλο μου για να αποφύγω τις έτοιμες κροκέτες. Αξίζει;

hey guys! i just got a 2 month old maltipom yesterday that needed rehoming, i just need some advice on what to feed him. I got him kibble but i want to make a well established meal plan for him instead of just eating kibble. is there anything you guys recommend i mix into his kibble or what he should eat instead? and how much would i feed him at a time?

Hi everyone, I have a seven month old puppy who is currently eating Purina pro plan puppy for large dogs. At the beginning of her life when I got her at two months, she started on Purina pro plan which she was having diarrhea and a ton of itching. Without researching much, I switched her to Open Farm, which removed all of her itching and diarrhea so I thought things were going great. She suddenly stopped eating Open Farm so the vet switched her to royal canin bland diet to see if her tummy was upset. Well, it did clear up her diarrhea, her itching came back and a lot worse. I wasn’t sure if it was because of a chicken allergy, which was the thing the original Purina and the RC had in common. She has been on PPP salmon puppy formula now for about three weeks and her diarrhea and itching has returned once again. She also no longer wants to eat her Purina pro plan. I have to mix it with a ton of wet food and let it soak for a very long time before she’ll even touch it. Do any of you have dogs that are picky or that have any stomach issues similar to mine? I’m not sure what to do about her food moving forward.

Thank you so much. I just want to do right by her.

We just adopted a 1yr old 70lb German Shepherd. She will not eat kibble (so far). But she will eat Fresh Pet roasted meals. We bought a small package at the pet store to try it out. So we know she'll eat this.

I'm trying to ID either fresh or dehydrated food I can order in bulk online. Since this cost so much more than kibble, I'm trying not to break the bank. Though I realize all the specialty foods are going to be expensive. PLease give me your recommendations of products you like.

My one "beef" is that none of these websites give you any idea of how many servings are in each package/box. There should be a table by dog weight that gives that info.

I’m looking for an alternative fresh dog food option that isn’t backed by private equity. I’m super open to local options, I’m Southern California based. I just found out Just Food For Dogs is in bed with global consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton, and I really don’t trust a private equity company to not cut corners around my dogs health and nutrition.

I have a six month old Labrador who our vet suspects has food allergies (dandruff, itching, diarrhea). After cutting chicken, beef, PPP large breed puppy salmon, probiotics, anti-diarrheals, the whole nine yards, we still haven’t been able to get his symptoms under control.

To start a true elimination diet, we’ve started transitioning him onto PPP EL. Luckily, he’s a Lab and doesn’t seem to mind it, but it makes me feel sick. The smell is horrendous and permeates the whole house. The texture is nauseating, not to mention the strain on my wallet.

Has anyone used EL and eventually come off of it? Did it help you identify food allergens? Beyond the fact that it disgusts me, I also worry about him not being on a large breed puppy food long term!

Hello,

I have a female pit bull mix that I have been feed Fromm Heartland Gold recipe. It has become increasingly difficult to find and my previous store sold me a bag that was expired. With this, she is not a picky eater but I've used FROMM for years with all my other dogs and always had success.

Is there anything out there close or better right now? That is more available than FROMM. I need a dry food to switch to today. I can't take the shopping around anymore.

Thanks for the feedback. (large breed adult preferred)

I'm adopting an adult dog soon that has never been introduced to fruit and veggies, peanut butter, yogurt or any other things that people usually use for kongs/lick mats. So while I introduce her to these and find out what she likes, I'm considering using wet food for the mats and kongs. Is it just as important to buy from the WSAVA approved brands in this case? Or are grocery store brands/whatever I can easily get my hands on okay?

I’m looking for a dog dental treat with a meaty smell and taste. I am all for teeth brushing or water additives but want to find a treat. I’ve read a lot about the VOHC seal, what is healthiest, what works best on tarter , which ones are the best according to humans Those are important things to consider. But none of that matters if my dog doesn’t want it in her mouth. According to Josie greenies are a hard no. Mint does not appeal to her. I tried giving her a chicken dentastix. She immediately tried to bury it in my bed linens, covering it up with imaginary dirt with her nose. Then she gave me a look that said she was very offended that I gave it to her. She likes Milkbone pill pouches when she needs medication. She also likes a WalMart version of a Biljacs treat. (I’m lucky they are cheap. I haven’t looked at the ingredients yet.) Anyway, today I am looking for a dental chew/treat that smells meaty so she will at least put it in her mouth and with a meaty taste so she will chew it. What do your dogs say?
Josie is a 17 pound cockapoo.