Shelties, Pancreatitis, Gallbladder Disease, & Commercial Food

Cara Sandler said:
I buy a frozen raw beef formulation sold by Healthy Pet Products. There's a distributor not far from me and they will also ship. I buy about a month at a time. Spirit adores it, she is in great health, and everyone comments on how bright and shiny her coat is :) Just another option if you don't want to actually compile your own food.
Click to expand...
I checked out their website... they recommend starting with beef and eventually add a day with chicken and later fish. Oh... and salmon oil. Can you share what products you use from the company? :):)
 
uneekstuf said:
I checked out their website... they recommend starting with beef and eventually add a day with chicken and later fish. Oh... and salmon oil. Can you share what products you use from the company? :):)
Click to expand...
Sure. I only use the beef - Spirit tends to not transition between foods very easily, so I stick with the beef. But she gets fish skin chews, salmon oil, and we used boiled chicken instead of treats during training. I also give her a powdered probiotic. And I always share my fresh fruit with her. So she winds up getting a pretty good variety of foods :-) It's good for her, and she loves it, so we never have power struggles over food, which is very important to me.
 
Ok, the report for Wishbone Lamb is a big home run! :)
Dogs love it and best of all in only two days of mixing the food with their old food... Formed stool!

I was shocked! Only two days and this result!!! More than pleased!

I have to thank you again for this detailed post!
Jumping for joy! Never had such a great result with food for Laddie!

With two dogs having these issues I am glad I can feed them something that won't hurt them!
 
I am glad y'all found something that works. I did a quick read of the ingredients and it has rosemary. Rosemary is what my previous sheltie reacted to. She would have a seizure with anything that included that -20 mins after ingesting anything with it, and she would fall over and seize. If you google it you can see it is a neurotoxin and can cause neurological issues in some pets, including cats. Just be careful, because for some shelties it can be toxic. I lived this and it was horrible, I wouldn't want anyone to go through it. The FDA has stated it is not a concern, really? All I can say is my sheltie suffered. Her previous food didn't contain it, the substitute food I got did, and she had issues with it every time she ate anything containing it. When she didn't have that reaction EVER before. Then any time she got another product that had it, it would happen. Milkbones, treats, etc. Deduction showed it was an issue. Herbalist and Holistic practitioners STATE herbs are medicinal, and shouldn't be used as flavoring randomly for those who have sensitivities or allergies. Shelties tend to be rather sensitive and are prone to allergic reactions so it stands to reason they fall into that "exception" group. Other dogs I knew starting exhibiting the same types of reaction when it became widespread in the pet food industry to stick it in foods and treats as a preservative. Just because some can tolerate it, doesn't discount those that can't, and MANY can't. And I can't think of ANY dogs in the wild that would ingest herbs as a normal dietary ingredient. Grand Mal seizures are frightening. If there is NO history of seizures or epilepsy then suddenly, when eating rosemary infused food stuff there is now a problem with epilepsy, it makes perfect sense that the link exists. If you look on different dog sites, especially in smaller breeds, it is more than coincidence. Maybe the scientific community couldn't find a link. But in my experience, with people I knew, we certainly discovered evidence.
 
uneekstuf said:
Hi.. I understand the contents will be on the label but should I pass it up if the protein/fat percentage is not adequate for a sheltie that is listed in this thread? Is there any way to alter it?
Click to expand...

I really don't know much about formulating a raw diet. I started reading but there's been a lot going on. I really don't think you have to worry for like the first 18 months to two years. As the dog ages, you will want to go low fat. Eventually, I will get back into the book on formulating a raw diet which by extrapolation will apply to non-raw.
 
tesslynn said:
I am glad y'all found something that works. I did a quick read of the ingredients and it has rosemary. Rosemary is what my previous sheltie reacted to. She would have a seizure with anything that.
Click to expand...

I will definitely follow up on this next week when life goes back to normal. Thanks for pointing it out. So far so good in 3/3 but I will research it and watch.
 
A quick google brought up this article in direct reference to what you pointed out. However, there are always dogs with allergies to something. Many are allergic to flaxseed, for example, and it is in a lot of foods. There really is no one perfect food for every dog. However, going by the lower fat motto no matter which brand is the most important idea. There may be trade offs to fit specific needs. It's such detective work.

http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/rosemary_in_pet_foods.htm
 
Fromm and Earthborn don't use Rosemary. Those companies may be better options for you and any dog with a rosemary reaction?
 
This is what a few of the best brands in Denmark writes:

It has been found that dogs prefer the taste of food with rosemary. Rosemary also functions as an antioxidant and helps to preserve the flavor of the feed.

Rosemary used to preserve dog food, so that the meal increase shelf life as naturally and gently as possible.
 
So far, so good... No one seems to be showing any ill effects!
Sounds like your pup had an immediate negative reaction. So sorry to hear that.
You know we want the best for our shelties and will keep a sharp eye out!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top