Forgot, go on their site and compare the difference. Peggy -------Original Message------- From: stewartgang Date: 5/2/2012 11:30:48 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Becky & Gracie Hi Peggy,
Sorry to bother you again with another question but, I checked out the Earthborn dog food and found a supplier nearby. However, what is the difference between the "Small Breed" and the "Adult Vantage"? Any idea? Becky & the girls --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@...> wrote: > > Wow that is a drastic drop in the percentages! Well you have to do what you > feel is best, and I always say each of our babies are different. Lots of > luck! > > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: Becky > Date: 5/1/2012 5:56:47 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: Becky & Gracie > > > Hi Peggy, > I just went and took out the bag of Canidae Platinum that my daughter > brought home for Grace. This is what I have been switching out for Pro Plan > but slowly over the last few days. Alot of difference in analysis. > > > Crude protein. 20% > crude fat. 8.5% > crude fiber. 4.00% > long list of ingredients, but I am sure you could view on their website. > This food is specifically for senior and overweight dogs. The feeding > guidelines suggest for weightloss, 1/3 to 3/4 cup per day. Gracie is not > completely switched over yet, but will be by the end of this week. > My daughter is a vet tech, and has witnessed signifcant weightloss in dogs > at the hospital where she works. > So I will probably still continue giving this a try, but will keep Earthborn > in my back pocket, in case I need to try something different. > Still need to know where you purchase it. > > > > > Becky & the girls > > Sent from Becky's iPhone > > On May 1, 2012, at 4:37 AM, Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@...> wrote: > > > > Hi Becky. > > Well Gracie is a senior, and seniors can't burn up a high protein and high > fat diet, just like people, lol! > I looked up your kibble and this is what it said: > > Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry > by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), animal fat preserved with > mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), corn germ meal, fish meal (natural > source of glucosamine), dried egg product, animal digest, wheat bran, > > Crude Protein (Min)30.0 % > Crude Fat (Min)17.0 % > Crude Fiber (Max)3.0 % > > > IMO this is a very high protein. Most couch potatoe dogs only need 26-28% > protein. 30+% is usually for very active and young dogs. The fat isn't to > bad for an adult dog, but too high for a senior. Corn gluten meal is not > healthy for dogs, and gluten as a general rule is imported from China, even > for people food. Animal digest can be from any type of animal, even road > kills that are bacteria ridden. > > I switched Gigi to Earthborn Adult Vantage. She seems to be doing well on it > and I have even noticed a little more shine coming back to her fur. She has > had a dry look because she can't have the fats that she needs for her coat > and skin due to her liver issue. Gigi has also had seizures in the past due > to the liver not functioning properly, but now that her diet has changed she > hasn't had any in several months. She also had seizures from Rosemary which > is in a lot of the natural foods and treats. Princess never had any reaction > to Rosemary, but just to play it safe I stay away from it. The Earthborn > Adult Vantage is 22% protein and 12% fat. She has also been a lot more > active on it, as compared to sleeping a lot before. She has been on it for 3 > weeks now and I hope this works because I am so tired of trying different > brands on her and the expense is a waste. She was on another brand for a > couple of months but then I started to notice that her poop was too white > and hard. I think that may have been because it had a lot of rice in it and > she may have been having a hard time digesting and passing it out. But > between the two brands because of the lower fat she seems to be doing better > and did loose the 1/2 pound over maybe two and a half months. Which is > considered a good ratio of time for a dog to loose weight. It wouldn't be > healthy for them to loose to much, to fast. > > Gracie is a large chi, and may need more then the 1/3 per day that I feed > Gigi. You would have to figure out what is best for her. This food is a > Holistic food and everything is made in the USA and no fillers or junk in it > So I am really hoping this works out. Gracie may do well on good chicken > base diet of 26% protein and 14-15% fat. I don't think that she needs > anything lower then that to start off with, as long as all her vital organs > are healthy, she should still loose some weight and a good half to one hour > straight walk would do her good too. When I walk my girls, we walk in the > street at a comfortable but constant pace, no stopping and smelling the > roses until before and after the walk. > > Gee I am so sorry to hear that Sabrina was one of the dogs that suffered > from the tainted foods. I sure hope that you had your name on the class suit > and socked it to them. How sad that she has to suffer her whole life now. I > think that I read on the Hills site, or maybe it was Dr. Fosters and Smith > site, that those ID diets aren't suppose to be for life as the dog does not > get enough vitamins from them, especially vitamin D, which the lack of can > cause some pretty bad complications. Maybe you could research that a little > more on those sites. > > <15480J~1.GIF> > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: Becky > Date: 5/1/2012 2:14:26 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: Becky & Gracie > > > Hi Peggy, > And thank you for sharing all of the onfo with me. > I know treats can be a real issue with the weight problems, and someone else > bad suggested giving low sodium green beans or carrots for the treats. I > think I will give that a try too. > What kibble are you using that is lower in protein and fat? > I currently feed Purina Pro Plan, tiny toy size. > My little white chi, "Sabrina" has to eat Hills Prescription ID. She was > one of the dogs who ate the tainted dog food about 5 years ago. We nearly > lost her. She pulled through but has neroulogical damage leaving her with > seizures. She will not eat on her own, I have to syringe feed her every 4 > to 5 hours. Our lives have been changed forever. So sometimes I allow > Gracie to have some canned ID. Sabrina's food has to be put through the > food processor, and I add baby rice cereal to get her through the night. It > is very complicated. She will have IBS if I do not feed on time. > It is a good thing I love her so much, because to be honest, I don't think > many people would deal with this. > So I have one who likes to eat, and one who will not eat. Pretty bizarre > about Sabrina. > But back to Gracie, yes, her weight gain began after spaying her at age 2. > I have not had Gracie tested for thyroid, but had given some thought before, > because I myself suffers with hypothyroidism. It makes losing weight very > difficult, and gaining it very easy. > Thank you for wishing us luck on her next test coming up in June. > I will post about it at that time, because Mark also wants to know, he posts > on this forum too. > > > Becky & the girls > > Sent from Becky's iPhone > > On Apr 30, 2012, at 6:41 PM, Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@...> wrote: > > > > Becky, I think that when people don't respond to a certain post in regards > to a health issue it is because they haven't had that problem and maybe don > t know anything about it. > > Gigi gained over a pound within a couple of months after her spay too. Yet > she was on the exact same diet with the exact same amount and the exact same > treats, which are limited to only 2 a day. I found out that she has a > border-line liver issue and cannot digest high protein or extra fat content > in foods, because the liver can't flush them out. But spaying can change a > dogs hormone level drastically as well. Gigi blew her coat for almost a year > after the spay, that she actually looked like a short hair. Princess also > blew her coat after spaying, but it started to come back 3 months later. > Gigi had a very hard time with the after affects of her spay. She was a BYB > when I rescued her and had several c-sections. The Vet said her organs were > three times the normal size. He believes that she was continually bred with > no rest in between. When I got her almost two years ago she was estimated to > be about 5 or 6 > years old. > > So age, hormones and any main organ disfunction can have a lot to do with a > dogs weight gain, and yes, lack of exercise. In Gigi's case exercise was not > an issue because we go for half to one hour walks everyday and it didn't > seem to help at all. She weighed a perfect 5 lbs 15 ounce when I got her, > and within 3 months she was over 7 lbs at the time. Most people feed their > chis 1/2 a cup of kibble per day, split into 2 feedings. Gigi was and is > only on 1/3 cup per day, split into 2 feedings. I finally found a kibble > that is much lower in fat and protein and she is now 6 and 1/2 pounds. I > really don't think she will ever loose that extra 1/2 pound. > > As far as treats go, I only give her a small milkbone biscuit and that is > broken in half and given each half twice a day. It is very low protein and > very low fat. Both my girls love milkbones and they are so cheap too. She is > on a very, very strict diet with absolutely no people foods because of her > liver issue. > > I sure hope the Vet is wrong and your baby doesn't have Cushings disease. > When Gigi goes for her next checkup with full blood test, I am going to > request a thyroid test as well, just to rule out the possibility of another > issue. > > > <GIRLSC~1.GIF> > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: Becky > Date: 4/30/2012 8:33:11 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: Becky & Gracie > > > Thanks Joan. You know I posted a message on this forum not too long ago in > regards to Cushing's Disease. Gracie went for annual vaccines and bloodwork > and her ALKP was slightly elevated. My vet says this raises concerns that > possible Cushing's Disease may be starting to show. She will be retested in > end of June. I am hoping that it was elevated due to a med she had been on > prior to the test. But of course time and test will tell. > A person named Mark was the only one who responded with any experience with > Cushing's Disease. He was very informative and supportive. I just hope > that the test in June comes back normal. > Another thing, Gracie's mother and 2 Aunts were fat little chihuahuas. So I > don't know, maybe it runs in the family? > Anyway, thank you for your advice on diet. She does seem to like the > Canidae that my daughter brought home. Usually, Gracie turns her nose up to > diet foods. > I will do anything for my chihuahuas, I love them like kids. In fact, I > tell everyone, I have my kids, and also have my furkids!! LOL!! > > > Becky & the girls > Gracie & Sabrina > > Sent from Becky's iPhone > > On Apr 30, 2012, at 3:12 AM, "Joan" <joan_croft@...> wrote: > > > > Hi Becky, > I have heard of quite a few Chihuahuas that develop thyroid problems which > cause extra weight. > Desi is all fun...and so he loves to run around and he will sometimes just > jump out of the chair and walk around the house looking all over...so I call > him the 'inspector general'! > Dolly would rather lay and look pretty than to be out running around. She > gets upset at Desi sometimes and then she will chase him and be screeching > at him. Not always sure what happened to start it. But, sometimes when Desi > goes outside to go potty in the evening, Dolly doesn't want to go out there. > So this evening I went out in the back and was making sure that the branches > of the bottlebrush tree weren't growing into my neighbors 'airspace'. Desi > was on the patio, and the moment that I made the littel three brick high > jump from the planter, he started his zoomies. He loves to do zoomies and I > rather that he do them back there than on top of my bed. He was having so > much fun and finally, I just had to open the door to come in and then he > came zooming in the house too. > I have heard about dogs gaining weight after being spayed. Some vets say > that is a myth. I know when Dolly was a puppy, I had a difficult time when I > was feeding her...I always thought that I needed to be feeding her more, but > then I looked at the size of her and realized for her size she was getting > enough. > However, I sometimes think that the bags of dog food have the > recommendations by size of the dog to be a bit too much. Dolly & Desi eat > the RC Chihuahua and if I fed either of them what the bag says, they > probably woudl weigh as much as Grace in a month. So it is your job to just > cut back a kibble or two at a time and then cut back a little more in a week > or so. She won't even know that you are doing that. I was a bit nervous when > I started that with Desi, but he doesn't know. He just knows now that if it > is gone, it is gone. > Remember it will take her a little while to lose teh weight, but the > important thing is that her intake is being adjusted and it will make a > difference. Dolly is usually a free-feeder so she rarely overeats. Some love > to eat, and some could care less. Good luck. > > --- In [email protected], Becky <stewartgang@> wrote: > > > > Hi Joan, thanks for all the info. > > Gracie is now 6 years old. She started to put on weight about a year after > she was spayed. I really feel like she is not over eating, but rather, not > getting enough excercise. > > In fact today, I had her in the pool for some stress free joint excercise. > > > She weighs 12 pounds right now. She used to be at a steady 8. > > I am going to try extra hard to be sure she is excercising every day. I > hope this will make a difference. My daughter is a vet tech, she brought me > a bag of Canadai for weight loss. > > But one point you made was the one about treats. Gracie likes her evening > treats. Guess I need to stop that. > > > > Becky & the girls > > > > Sent from Becky's iPhone > > > > On Apr 29, 2012, at 4:02 AM, Joan Croft <joan_croft@> wrote: > > > > > [Attachment(s) from Joan Croft included below] > > > From: Joan Croft [mailto:joan_croft@] > > > Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 8:40 PM > > > To: '[email protected]' > > > Subject: Becky & Gracie > > > > > > Hi Becky. > > > > > > How old is Gracie, and how much does she weigh? > > > Can you post a picture to see just how fat she is? > > > > > > I have to say I really felt that I was the worst Chi-momma in the world. > > > First I should have recognized that he was the fattest little puppy that > I > > > had ever seen. He looked like a little bear cub. > > > > > > I think at 8 weeks he was 3 lbs and 11 oz. I know, some of you have full > > > grown chis that are that size or less. Before my vet weighed him, when > he > > > just picked him up for the first time, he said ââ¬ËOh, heââ¬â¢s a hefty > one!ââ¬â¢ I > > > guess that is polite for ââ¬Ëwho the heck has been over feeding this > puppy!ââ¬â¢ > > > Andââ¬Â¦in only 8 weeks of his life! > > > > > > Well, he told me to cut back the amount of the then ââ¬ËRoyal Canin Baby > Dogââ¬â¢ > > > and I did, I looked at the amount on the bag and I was feeding less than > it > > > said to. (However, right now, Dolly & Desi get about half of what the RC > > > Chihuahua bag says that they should get. I think it both increases their > > > sales, but also promotes little chubs) > > > > > > At that time, Desi had to go every week or so for his boosters, and he > was > > > gainingââ¬Â¦but he was a puppy so we couldnââ¬â¢t starve himââ¬Â¦he had bones > and > > > muscles and things that needed to be nourished and grow. I think at > > > 12-weeks was when he was put on RC Small Breed Puppyââ¬Â¦I guess less fat > maybe? > > > Well, I fed him about halfââ¬Â¦and this puppy was hungry because he had > been > > > free-fed at the breeder and was accustomed to eating all day long. He > would > > > come and cry and cry and then when I would feed him he would be by his > bowl > > > before I could put the food in. He would wake me up in the morning with > > > many, many kisses at 5 amââ¬Â¦he was hungry ââ¬" and why was my sleep more > > > important? He was still eating three times a day then, so it was easier > to > > > cut back when it had to be done over three feedings. > > > > > > Right before he was 4 months old, the vet diagnosed a dangerous > testicular > > > problem and so he had to be neutered right away. Wellââ¬Â¦it took about > four or > > > five cuts in his little round belly to untangle and free the testicle > that > > > was not attached to anything. But, I think that during that surgery, the > > > vet saw the total thickness of that fat layer he was carrying around. So > > > before he was four months old, he was on RC Adult Chihuahua food. I > worked > > > with the vet in adjusting what he was getting. > > > > > > The good thing about my vet ââ¬" and maybe you can get your vet to do a > deal > > > like this with you ââ¬" is that he told me that I could bring him in any > time > > > FOR FREE, and he would weigh him, feel him to see if his ribs were > really in > > > there, and then let me know if we should cut back more or maybe even > give > > > him a little more. So if I had to cut his food back to half ââ¬" I would > start > > > cutting it a little bit each meal over maybe a weekââ¬Â¦they really > donââ¬â¢t notice > > > that they are missing 10 pieces (RC Chihuahua ââ¬" very tiny) in each > feeding. > > > > > > Remember that I did all this under the guidance of the vetââ¬Â¦because he > was a > > > puppy. There were a few times that the vet would tell me to give him a > > > little more, and I could see he was growing up and out ââ¬" and then a > little > > > too round. > > > > > > I think he was maybe 11 months old when the vet said that he was a good > > > healthy weight and his bones and everything could be felt and not > sticking > > > out. So, he said to give him a little moreââ¬Â¦but I saw him gaining and > just > > > cut back a little more. > > > > > > With both of mine wanting to be inseparable, Desi was always with if I > had > > > to take Dolly for something, so he had some extra feels in between his > > > visits. The thing is that Desi loves Dr Bullard...maybe because he made > him > > > a lean playinââ¬â¢ machine. > > > > > > At about 14 months, Desi was pretty much lean and staying very steady in > his > > > weight. Ohââ¬Â¦I didnââ¬â¢t think that day would ever come. And then right > before > > > he was two, I noticed that he had gotten a bit wider around his > rearââ¬Â¦he had > > > been very narrow and I even asked the groups if males have smaller > builds > > > than the females (Dolly is thin, but her rear bone structure is wider ) > > > > > > I noticed this about three months after I had surgery and thought maybe > I > > > just didnââ¬â¢t remember how narrow he had been. I took him to Dr > Bullardââ¬Â¦Desi > > > had gained weight, but he was still just as lean. The vet and I think > that > > > because he was taken off of puppy food so early, that part of his bone > > > development was delayed. He has been about the same size ââ¬" with no > growth > > > spurts for almost a year, so I am ho= > > > > > > = >
