Canidae dog food
Canidae dog food
Canidae dog food is considered to be a premium brand of dog food. Canidae comes in 6 different formulas that gives you a chance to mix it up. Canidae dog food is sold in 5lb,15lb, and 30lb bags. When switching to Canidae dog food it is suggested that you switch over gradually. Switching over to quickly can lead to digestive and stomach problems. A good plan is to mix Canidae dog food with your older dog food brand. Mix 80% old and 20% new and gradually increase the Canidae for a smooth transition.
Canidae Dog Food Review
Canidae Dog Food Formulas:
- Canidae All Life Stages dog food
- Canidae Grain Free All Life Stages dog food
- Canidae Grain Free Salmon Meal dog food
- Canidae Beef and Ocean Fish Meal dog food
- Canidae Lamb and Rice dog food
- Canidae Chicken and Rice dog food
- Canidae Platinum dog food
I just got a new dog (Roskoe – 11 Weeks old on 07/11/09) One of our old employee’s become a Canidae distributer and has talked me into switching over from Science Diet to Canidae All Stages. After reading some of the posts on here I am a little concerned, but I have a question. Since I am not switching the food, and I am basically starting him out on this mixture, am I taking a risk? I don’t think I am but I am looking for peoples opinions on this since I am a novice dog owner.
Brian,
Don’t believe me – that’s your right and I do respect that! Do your own research (ingrediants, health mags, Vet talks, etc.) and search the Internet for other opinions – that is the REALLY the RIGHT thing to do. My suggestion – Canidae changed their formula in All Stages (ALS) over a year ago – search for 2009 comments (more recent). My experience is recent in the last few months (2-3), but I’m just one. After my ‘recent’ experience I began to search the Internet this last weekend (using this criteria) for updated complaints and was shocked! The main complaints in 2008 were diarreha, skin conditions and vomitting. Dogfoodanalysis.comm, which I (and others) highly recommend, ammended their analysis for ALS due to the ’significant’ number of complaints they were receiving – I have never seen such a comment on any food I’ve searched for on their site. Other boards I checked on were breed specific (Lab, Boxer, Pit Bulls), agency boards (ASPCA), general dog sites (dog channel), consummeraffairs.com (rated so-so for the degree of monitoring/control) and the list goes on. You’ll be shocked by reports of skin problems, liver and kidney failure, major medical problems (e.g paralysis/seizures), and death. Then make your own ‘educated’ determination. Personally, I (2008) read the complaints and immediately switched – then I re-thought my decision in 2009 (I couldn’t believe such a fabulous company and food that I trusted for so many years could go as bad as what was being reported) and switched back to ALS. Within months (2-3) I learned it was true, and am paying the price now – or my dogs are.
Here’s another question to ask yourself…Evangers (a canned food I feed and a company I trust) recently had the FDA pull their ‘emergency’ permit (6/12/09) http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm166265.htm . A big OH NO here we go again! But Evangers didn’t stick their head in the ground like Canidae has – the CEO immediately started TV and radio interviews, and explained their issues to Internet news sites (efoodalert.com) to get the word out that it was a ‘wording’ issue (http://efoodalert.blogspot.com/2009/06/evangers-filling-in-blanks.html). The problem was resolved with the FDA 6/25/09). Two weeks – issue resolved, customers informed, entire story posted to Evangers website and the Internet, and faith in the company not shaken in their customers. Canidae has done the exact opposite with complaints dating back to 2008 – no interviews concerning the problems, website only states a transition period is needed for the new formual, and no response concerning everything that is being reported by their long-time customers (like me) on the Internet except a white-wash – aka no dog formula can be made that is acceptable for all dogs. This is a true statement, but I could feed Purina and not have the affects that I have experienced on Canidae’s ‘new’ formula – seriously!
Like my previous post – I have never had an entire pack of non-picky eaters become sick at the same time with the same drastic symptoms as I have had with the switch back to Canidae ALS. I have never had a food drive me to the point of performing complete blood panels on all my dogs to determine if there were other medical issues resulting in their symptoms.
There is something VERY wrong with the ‘new’ ALS, and I don’t know what it is since the my dogs blood work came in OK, and I don’t want to spend the money to send their food to a lab for analysis (which they should be monitoring). All I can tell you is in the 3 days that I have switched my pack to TOTW the vomitting and diarreha has stopped, their energy level is way up (which I didn’t even realize was also impacted), and my pack is beginning to recover in dramatic ways. I thank my luck stars that my ‘kids’ are beginning to bounce back after my bad decision.
All I can offer is do your own reseach, and make the best decision you can for both you and your pet(s) – no one can ask for more. Personally I believe Canidae’s business model has changed for profit vs quality, and I will not trust them with my dogs again. Their other products (not ALS, but maybe their grain-free) may be the high quality they use to provide, but I don’t know and am not willing to tempt fate after my recent experience – I just urge you not to feed ALS.
Best of luck in whatever you decide – maybe check out some of the breed specifc boards and ask what they recommend?! There really are some great foods out there – there are ‘dog savy’ boards that are willing to help you select a food that will meet your budget or you might decide to be adventureous and become a ‘raw’ feeder. I just have to many dogs and not enough time to go ‘raw’ at this time (smile).
I am new to Canidae and my dogs have been on Canidae ALS for about six months.
I am really scared after reading the post. I am a collie breeder and take pride in my dogs health and coats as I can tell how much everyone has posted is dedicated to the well-being of their dogs. My collies are scratching as their coats are dry and dull, I am seeing hair loss and my boy of six years of age was taken to the vet this past Saturday. Stopped eating and lathargic. Elevated thyroid and liver counts.
That was a senior panel and Monday afternoon 7-13-09 I took him into the vet for a more evasive blood panel work. My boys are anywhere from 70 to 75 pounds.
My boy weighed 61 pounds. I started crying in the vet office. I also give healthy extra’s. Cottage cheese,yogurt, vegetables, chicken, pasta, etc.
Thank you all for sharing information and I am going to look up the info on WELLNESS dog food. Here I thought I was doing a wonderful thing for my dogs and all I did was make them uncomfortable. I am on such a guilt trip it brings tears to my eyes. Hugs to all!
Moose,
I also feed the extras – cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, etc., plus supplements – Missing Link, vitamins, etc. I hope everything works out for your boy – I definitely know what you are going through, and how costly it is. If you decide to switch foods PLEASE post again! I am really curious if you experience the rapid change in your dogs that I did as soon as I stopped Canidae ALS.
As for my dogs they continue to improve daily! My big boy has already started to put some weight back on, and has started running the fenceline again – something he (and my other dogs) hasn’t done in months – which I again chalked off to the heat. After so many years of raising and owning so many dogs I feel like such an idiot – but I trusted Canidae. So I to am beating myself up daily for dismissing all the symptoms my dogs were experiencing and ‘chalking’ them off to weather, food reactions, etc. All I can say about myself is – DUH! – and thank my lucky stars for that ’small’ emergency (a broken claw) which took me to the Vet for a reality check.
PLEASE post again with what is going on with your dogs and how they are doing! Right now you are going down a very similar path as myself. I have my fingers-crossed that your boy (and my dogs) bounces back with no long term medical issues.
I too was disappointed with the quick change in Canidae’s formula, but did find a different story with the support we received from the Canidae dealer. It did take some patience on our part, but Canidae was there to give our customers support, their money back, helped with vet bills and even paid for carpet cleaning. We as Canidae sellers and feeding it in our boarding kennel and to our own 10 labs, 3 cats and 1 min-pin, were fortunate to not have any illnesses. We were also able to give all of our clients instructions to slowly wean their dogs & to contact us at the first sign of any problems. Communication is the key issue and if any dog suffered that would be inexcusable towards Canidae. The only issue that bothers me is the totally inacurrate info on the internet & especially consumeraffairs.com that lists out & out lies about quite a few different brands of very good dog food. The internet can be very good & very, very destructable to many. I do hope & pray that your situations have improved along with your pets and I would still recommend you contact Canidae for at least some reimbursment for their lack of communication.
I switched to canned Canidae last week. I have 2 dogs, Border/Australian Cattle dog mix and a Pit Bull. Both become seriously ill. The Pit was vomiting a lot. After giving them each 1/2 can of Chicken, Lamb & Fish on Tuesday, Pit started to vomit. I gave them 1/2 can each of the Chicken & Rice on Wednesday night. They both seemed lethargic and Pit was hiding in the closet where she goes when she isn’t feeling well. I didn’t put it together so I gave them 1/2 can each of the Chicken, Lamb and Fish on Thursday. Both were seriously ill, Pit vomiting for 3 solid hours in middle of night. Pit seemed a bit better in morning and then Border started vomiting mucus. Took them to vet. Vet said looks like poison and they need critical care. I took them to ER, Border died in car on way there. Pit vomiting still. Pit seems to be recovering slowly. My beloved and precious Border is dead. Company denies there have ever been any complaints. They offered me 4 free cans.
We switched to Canidae when we got our rescue Greyhound Sherry. Sherry was 2 when we got her. After a couple of months she developed a limp, we took her to the vet and got the news of bone cancer. She would have good weeks and bad days.
As it progressed we switched to Canidae Salmon for better proteins. we also were giving her vitamin supplement ($180/mo). Then she started having diarrhea and vomiting. We assumed that we lost the battle with cancer and had her put down in June of 09. after reading all the complaints against Canidae I feel like I made a hasty decision.
I WON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE.
Sorry Sherry
I just got back from the vet after bringing them a stool sample from my 1 year old female Doberman pinscher. She has had loose stools ever since i switched to canidae about a week ago and a few days ago developed diarrhea and was excreting mucus in her stool. I was terrified. The vet ran a panel and absolutely nothing was wrong with her stool. she has had no other changes in personality or energy level, only that she has to use the restroom every 20 minutes for the past few days. I want to feed her a good and healthy food, ie no fillers and crap! Apparently this was a bad choice? I have been feeding her the chicken and rice formula. I will now be feeding her plain rice and boiled chicken until the diarrhea stops.
Can anyone suggest a good food to begin her on once she has recovered?
I am glad I caught this before it worsened and really began to effect her health.
Ok, now you all have my nervous. I just this week starting transitioning my dogs to canidae alsf. They are definitely gobbling it down quicker than usual, which had me thinking, “ok they like this better than natural balance, potato and duck. I just began looking at these reviews, which I should have done prior to feeding. Now I am unsure what to do. I dont often notice if my dogs have runny stools etc, as I am surrounded by woods and being the good boys and girls they are..they do their business out of the yard. Looks like I better begin doing a more research and following them into the woods!
HGE: Hemmorrhagic Gastroenteritis
Symptoms: Bloody Stool, Vommitting, Mucus in stool, Lethargy, tired, weak, elevated pulse, labored breathing, Increased Thirst, Grass Eating. “HGE can be a huge malodourous mess”
Leads to: Hypotension (low blood pressure), shock, kidney failure.
No known cause, no known preventions, not contagious but dogs of the SAME household are known to develope it at the same time. Some parts of the country have had severe ‘outbreaks’ as of recent. Effects all breeds, all ages, both sex.
In January 2009, the L.A. County Veterinary Public Health department reported a much higher than normal incidence of HGE. Full investigations were done and there was no evidence that any food contamination played a role, because dogs across the board ate a variety of brands.
Some veterinarians blame the food: Raw food, home prepared meals, and human food shome more prevalance.
Common factor: Stress and/or hyperactivity.
Risk: If your pet has suffered once, it’s chances of a relapse are much higher.
Foods high in grains are said to help with ailing pets because grains are alkalizing, while meat based diets are acidifying.
Why am I explaing all of this? It is simple. There are 1.9 million dogs in the United States along with that huge population comes the risks of disease. Blaming pet food companies for every loose stool, pile of bile or death even is just plain ignorant. Believing everything you read on the internet is no different (consumeraffairs.com is a FOR PROFIT site, reader beware)
I must speak up again..
My experience with Canidae was posted on this site March 14, click on “older comments.” Those who chose to post here instead of Consumer Affairs have nothing to lose or gain, are not interested in sensationalizing, but are having a quiet discussion on this forum – over in the corner, so to speak.
As you see in my post, diarrhea was not an issue, severe itching and anal glands were, a theme lived over & over by Canidae users, previously happy before the formula change.
I read an interesting opinion on the internet that sounds plausible.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006051800543
It essentially says, if your dog is not allergic to anything, Canidae may be right for you, but problem is, most dogs are allergic to something and Canidae will cause those dogs to scratch & scrath & scratch…
If you are still using Canidae & are happy with it, more power to you.
If you had problems, or are concerned you might, we need some power too!
I, who have lived through this, thank this forum for the chance to tell my story & to confirm by reading the story of others that this horrible experience with Canidae food is not in my head. (of course it’s not! what do you think? we’re all lying here?!)
My dog did have a long 6 month bout with mucousy diarrhea after a reaction to a Lepto shot. (not related at all to Canidae food – this was long before the formula change) A round of Metronidazole helped for only two weeks. It took a while for me to figure that out that she could not tolerate anything but kibble (the old Canidae) & bicuits. Even a *speck* of “people food,” (such as a pea sized bit of chicken & 4 grains of rice), would send her into mucousy diarrhea the next day. But I was able to repair her immune system immbalance by putting her on a round of Missing Link, so that she could eat table scraps again.
After Canidae’s formula change the issue was not diarrhea, but around the clock, tortuous itching. I put her on another round of Missing Link, but this time it did not help.
After reading on the internet about the problems honest, concerned, loving dog people were having with the new Canidae, I changed foods. (to Wellness Super5Mix) That DID help – within 2 or 3 days! I saw nothing but improvement & have experienced good results since.
cinder
hello,
We rescued Sophia a weimeraner when she was 6 month old. We did weeks of research on food and ended up with Canidae. We changed from ALS to grain free about 5 months ago(she was on AlS for 6 months) and we have seen a huge improvement. No loose stools, lots of energy, skin is near perfect, and Vet visit non existent. I am concerned however about the lack of reponse from Canidae–not good.
Is anyone else using the grain free? There are two variety–meat and just fish. We opted for the meat. Lastly so for those of you that have left Canidea where have you gone? I have heard that Van Patten is very good???
I too had decided to switch to Canidea for my two dogs when the many recalls came about. There coats were beautiful they were doing great. Until….I bougth a new bag of this food and saw two different colors in it. I called the company they said they changed the recipe and were have the food that is why I see the two colors of food in the bag and that the food was now being processed at the Diamond factory (hint I should have taken)..they said go and exchange it if you want to and get a different bag..and open it first before leaving the store. Well here we go month after month my dogs slowly got WORSE on the new recipe Canidea switched to. There coats weren’t shiny any more, they started to itch on their paws, they had the very lose stools.. so I switched them to chicken and rice they got better, then a little at a time back on to the Canidea food again. This went on a few times…stupid me and then their noses started to itch and get red and raw and of course the loose stools would return, paws would itch and then one got hot spots under her tail and their voices changed to a hoarse raspy sound. Now they are back on their regular dog food they have eaten since they were puppies and they are better and noses are getting black again, but their bark is still raspy. I don’t know what in the world Canidea did by using the diamond factory to produce their food. But, I would never again tell anyone to use their food Too bad they seemed to have a lot going for them at one time. If anyone has had the raspy bark thing happened please let me know what to do about it. Thanks and hope some of your dogs do better. By the way the only thing I think helped my dogs somewhat was that they never got the full amount of Canidea everyday since I also cook food for them in the evenings.
I have been feeding my own dog Canidae lamb and rice for a few months now and my dog seems to be doing very good. She has a sensitive stomach so I haven’t had the best luck with some of the other top foods. My question is… is anyone having these problems with any of the other formulas?(ex. lamb/rice, chicken/rice, etc…) Or is this just a All Life Stages problem? I have done a fair amount of research on dog foods and I decided on Canidae not necessarily because it is the best food you can possibly get, but because it is of a fairly high quality and has a much lower price than some of the other premium foods. I have a 5 1/2 yr. old GSD/Rottie mix so I don’t really want too high of protein because of her age. I’m open to any suggestions/advice or corrections to any of my pre-conceved perceptions of what I should be feeding my dog. Any feedback is very appreciated. Thanks
Scott
I almost lost my dog to the bad Canidae ALS. So I personally say run for your life (or your dog’s life) from that company. If you decide to continue feeding your dog the Canidae lamb and rice, please, please be very aware of any new problems that may arise with your dog. Such as a change in her coat (shine and thickness), excessive shedding, significant loss of energy, unexplained weight loss, licking or chewing paws, gas, seizures, vomiting or diarrhea. If you see any of these occur, please switch to any other food and see if the problem goes away immediately. The “HGE” that Wendy explains above does not immediately go away when you switch to a different food. The Consumer Affairs web site stories explain that once the dog’s diet was changed from Canidae to anything else, the dogs all showed a huge improvement within a day or two. I will never trust another commercial pet food company with my pet’s life and now prepare a home-made diet of cooked meat, fish and vegetables, along with multi-vitamins, fish oils, digestive enzymes, and probiotics. If cooking for your dog seems overwhelming, you might contact the GSD or Rottie people for their suggestions on what foods work best for those two breeds. Good luck Scott!
John,
After my Canidae ‘new formula’ ALS disaster (posted a few months ago on this thread) – major Vet bills, major weight loss, explosive diarreha, struggling to walk into the yard just to go in to convulsive vommitting, etc. I ran for the hills away from Canidae (throwing unopened bags into the trash) to Taste of the Wild Pacific. It took several weeks for my dogs to recover (weight gain, energy pick-up, etc), but my dogs (all five of them) were in pretty bad shape as a result of Canidae. They are all thriving now, and finally back to normal. I have my worries about TOTW because it is manufactured by Diamond, but so far so good – no problems. BTW, TOWT is grain-free.
Hi John,
This is my opinion, and seems common sensible to me.
Dick Van Patton Natural Balance Ultra and Innova are very rich, high calorie foods (as is Canidae), good for growing out puppies and for young active dogs, or dogs who don’t like to eat much. My mom put her Collie puppy on Natural Balance Ultra.
As a dog gets a little older (about 3 1/2), they have a natural energy drop, and may start putting on weight. This would be a good time to cut rations.
If they want to eat the same volume to feel full, or start getting food aggressive, (guarding resources because they are still hungry), switch to a mid calorie food, such as Wellness, etc, for mid age.
As a dog gets older still, into senior age, they will have another naturally occurring energy drop and, in order to keep them a healthy lean weight, it is time to switch foods again to a low calorie food such as Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, or Solid Gold’s Hund-N-Flocken.
For dogs of any age who like to eat & eat & eat, look for a low calorie food.
The pet food industry sells different formulas for different stages, puppy through senior – largely a gimmick to keep customers brand loyal through the years. The senior (and “diet”) foods, to me, lack enough protein to support healthy muscle and coat, and lack enough fat to lubricate eyes and arthritic joints. And we have all learned that the amount of glucosimine/chondroitin in “senior” formulas is nowhere near enough supplement, (the dog would have to eat 10 cups!), so giving a separate supplement is the way to go.
Changing dog food brands according to k/cal per cup as your dog goes through its life stages also gives the advantage of switching foods now & then, to give a more complete nutrition, as the people who like to rotate foods now and then do.
ps Due to lower protein needs of my breed (Old English Sheepdog) I do not feed grain free, though some highly allergic OES have had to use that diet.
Wow. My 5 yr old Newf has been on Candidae for a couple yrs now. But more than a year back she developed an odd crusty rash on her back, and the hair fell out. She became SO itchy all the time. The vet said it was NOT a hotspot, blamed it on the groomer (it wasn’t and she hasnt been back since anyway) and put her on an antibiotic, which did nothing. The rash has spread on her back (and then the hair falls out), but the vet repeatedly said it wasn’t a hot spot, wasn’t mange, thyroid is fine, and put her back on antibiotics (3 times now in a yr) and gave me medicated (anti-itch) shampoo. Nothing works and the vet is perplexed. Other Newfie owners are baffled too.
We are going to a pet dermatologist this week (ok, we’re all in the wrong business). On a whim I decided to research her food and whammo! I can’t believe the negative feedback on Candidae. This might be it!! She’s also lost 15 lbs since last May. I knew I cut back on snacks a bit, but I was shocked at the weight loss amount. (Newfie’s are huge and furry so it’s hard to tell).
The poor thing has man-fist size bald patches on her back, and I can almost peel the fur off in places (it just falls out all over). The itching is awful. Maybe it’s an allergy to the food? Thoughts anyone?
Thanks and regards
Holy Smokes Shu!
Sorry for the long delay. As this isn’t a regular list I think people check in sporadically.
Too bad you couldn’t put off going to the dermatologist for a couple weeks, (if that poses no danger to your dog), while you transition to another food because “more than a year back…” is exactly the right time frame of late Oct./early Nov. 2008 for your dog’s problem to be the Canidae formula change. Perhaps your dog didn’t react as quickly or as strongly as others due to less food sensitivities or stronger resistance..
I would change foods as soon as possible. Normally I’d be reluctant to stress a dog’s immune system by changing foods while being treated with meds from the dermatologist (meds may stress a dog’s immune system), but under the circumstances the food may be the very thing stressing the immune system in the first place. If this is happening to the dog on the outside can you imagine what may be happening on the inside, as outside symptoms often reflect something amiss inside.
Did you go to the dermatologist yet? Did you get a diagnosis? Meanwhile, it couldn’t hurt (and it could be the answer to your prayers) to immediately get some food suggestions from the Newfie people, do some fast research & transition your dog to a quality kibble – like now, quick as a bunny. I would also withhold any unnecessary, non prescribed supplements – to better determine if changing foods works.
If after only a few days on a new food you start wondering to yourself, “Is it my imagination or is this dog itching less?” you can (finally!) expect relief for your girl & expect improvement to continue. (also save some $ on vet bills..) If it IS the food, I hope you post again & tell your tale! If it isn’t the food I’d be interested to hear what happened anyway.
All best wishes & hoping for full & speedy recovery.
Hey guys. Try a brand from breeders choice called AvoDerm. My two dogs (mastiff and a mastiff pit mix) have beautiful coats and I can’t even believe how well it sits with them. Never had any stomach problems either! It comes in lamb, beef or chicken, puppy and lite at the pet store I work at but I do believe in other store there may be more flavors. It’s just a suggestion but it sounds to me canidae needs to shut down and start over. Wellness and Natures Variety are also two more top brands. Natures Variety also comes in frozen as well!! Good luck to all of you dealing with these issues.