# Adding to Kibble



## Nocturnal (Jan 2, 2014)

I have a 1 1/2 year old great dane with a very poor immune system... we have been battling demodex mange, uti's, eye infections, and bouts of diarrhea + some her whole life. She is currently on ivermectin (dips previously, but we didn't want to continue them because they are horrible). She currently eats 3 cups of Chicken Soup Large Breed Adult kibble twice a day. I want to add to her kibble what I can anything to give her more nutrients she is missing. At this time I can't commit to 100% raw. I was thinking of adding Wellness 95% meat canned food to each meal, has anybody else done this? Any idea's of what would be best to add?


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

the food you are using is multiple proteins and you might try switching her to a single protein, if not a novel one without meal of another kind.

i add, spring water sardines, no fat cottage cheese, yogurt, also non fat, and sometimes weruva kobe beef and some organic canned pumpkin. obviously not all at once.
not sure she is missing nutrients but something is causing loose stool, eye infections and maybe even the uti's.

i'd honestly start with a different food, and know you won't see results for at least 6 weeks. tho the runs may cease.


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

I'd switch to a different food and feed that for a while. Give her a probiotic as well. If she does good with that you can slowly add in extras like raw egg, meats, yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, well-cooked rice, pumpkin, sweet potato. Those 95% canned foods are fine to give if she handles them well, but they can get a bit pricey. I like the EVO, Nature's Variety, and Merrick cans.

I have a dog with digestive problems, he's always had them and the vet has no idea what causes it. I've tried practically everything from premium kibbles, cans, freeze-dried, dehydrated, and homemade stuff. Something will work for a while then all of a sudden its back to square one with no determinable cause.
A friend of mine sugested I try pepcid, which has actually helped out a TON. So he gets that an hour or two before I feed him, and gets a probiotic and salmon oil with his food. Currently it's Earthborn Holistic Primitive Naturals.


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## Nocturnal (Jan 2, 2014)

I'm going to look into some single protein foods and add evanger's 100% meat as a topper. As recommended by a breeder, I have her on fish/borage/flax oil and ester-c. I'm slowly adding probiotics, ACV (1-2 tbsp. to water) and colostrum to help boost her immune system. She also has an appointment for a second opinion at a bigger vet hospital on Friday.


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## Nocturnal (Jan 2, 2014)

Thought's on Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Large Breed Bites Dry Dog Food? or the best single protein food?


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

I'd definitely go with a grain free, single protein kibble. Natural Balance LID is pretty low in protein and fat, but it may be what your dog needs right now, at least until you can settle her tummy. NB comes in grain free. My daughter has had luck with NB Potato and Fish, Potato and Duck, and Legumes and Duck. 

Some other LID kibbles include Wellness Simple (grain free or grain inclusive), California Natural (several varieties), and Nature's Variety LID (several varieties). 

I feed California Natural Salmon and Peas (grain free). It's one of only two kibbles that don't drive my allergy dog, Maddie, over the edge. The other one is Back to Basics Hi Protein Pork (grain free). My other dog, Nash, can eat almost anything, as long as it's grain free. Lamb drives both of them into an itching frenzy...

I had a boxer (RIP Dempsey) who didn't tolerate high protein/high fat kibbles. He did well on grain free, around 25% protein, 15% fat. Any more than that, and he had diarrhea. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream (grain free) was the only kibble he did well on.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

With a dog like this, I would try something simple like a lamb rice (california natural or Tuscan Natural simply pure or Petguard Lifespan). I would get the barley out (it's in Chicken soup food) because that causes digestive issues for my own dogs as well. Or try grain free. I can recommend Fromm 4star grain free lines, BUT in some dogs (2 out of my 4) it causes 'chronic' loose stool. I think your best bet would be something very simple. A meat/sweet potato grain free food like maybe Natural Balance Limited ingredient diets, perhaps. 

I would also do a digestive enzyme over every meal, powder form works well to mix in. The next thing would be fish or salmon oil supplement daily, and then I'd watch and see what happens. Ivermectin can cause tummy issues, too. 

Do you add a splash of warm water to her dry food? That will cause her to pee more and flush her bladder out/reduce UTIs. 

Before I went and added canned anything to her food, if dry food fits your lifestyle, I'd feed something for quite some time before I went and added any toppers, personally. Let that tummy settle, do daily enzymes and fish oil (work your way up to the full dose) and go from there. 

Oh, some people swear by adding a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin to each meal. 

Hope this helps


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## Nocturnal (Jan 2, 2014)

Thanks for the replies 

Yes, we always add some warm water to her kibble. I just ordered a bag of the lamb and rice LID natural balance food to for her to try and will only be adding a little pumpkin to it (she has handled pumpkin well in the past). Anything else we will wait to add after she is doing better. The probiotic I'm going to start her on has enzymes in it so that works out. Also, I am building her up on the fish/borage/flax oil (working her up to full dose). I don't want to do to many things at once and shock her system so will be moving very slow.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Have you tried a cranberry supplement for the UTIs?


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

Be aware to carefully read labels as most single protein dog foods have other proteins didguised in meal, or chicken fat or chicken carcass.it's easier said than done.ziwi peak, costly is one that has single novel venison.pioneer natural does also but i had emailed them twice and called them also, and never got any response.done with them.
Now using rabbit single protein by instinct i believe but when done, switching to haretoday, raw, with bone.im starting with ground.
We use pepcid as well but honestly, my girl has high eosinophil count and after a couple of months we have to start all over.not fun.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I'd choose another canned other than Evangers. Google, they're a very shady company.


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## Nocturnal (Jan 2, 2014)

Just finished with the new vet... the doctor believes her mange was never completely gone, in combination with stress, has cause it to come at full force again. He did skin scrapings to confirm. We decided that the oral ivomectin is the best option and she will start up on it tomorrow. I changed my mind at last minute and got TOTW pacific stream (I've heard lot of others, specifically great danes, that have done well on this with sensitive stomachs). The food will be here in about 3 days and I'm going to mix 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 each week until at 100% switched. We are holding up on the vaccines a month, to see if she improves. If there's no improvement the doctor said he will just write her a note for the year. Started her with some pumpkin in her food today + the probiotics and enzymes.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

I think the TOTW Pacific Stream is worth a try. Like I posted earlier, it was the only kibble that my sensitive stomach boxer could eat that gave him solid poo (common problem with boxers). The other varieties did not work, btw. I hope it works for your girl, too! Kudos to your vet for delaying her vaccines. Her immune system is obviously compromised, and she doesn't need additional stress on it.


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## mayayoung (May 24, 2015)

The wellness 95% canned food is also what I add to my dog's food. She loves it, and it adds some extra protein, which i love. I also add human grade salmon oil to her food. Some other toppers that i like (that are not meant to be supplements, just tasty and healthy additions to her dry food) are pure canned pumpkin, yogurt and mashed banana. All of these are a good consistency for me.


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