"Congratulations on your new pup."

what new pup? no picture = no pup exists...

I've fed PurinaOne Lamb & Rice to my Cavaliers since it was first introduced - at least 20 years ago. They have bright, clear eyes, shiny coats, good skin, small poops and clean ears. What more can I ask of a food?

I've switched around over the years, but usually kibble with something on top like home cooked or Just Food for Dogs (frozen homemade). He has eaten Zignature quite a bit over the years, and I'm thinking of switching to Wellness.

I don't have a problem with dogfoodadvisor.com. He's approaching the study of dog food ingredients from a scientific point of view, drawing his analysis from the label. It's a guide, not the Bible.

FDA information on grain free foods and heart problems in dogs:

FDA

When we adopted Penny I had a lengthy discussion with my vet about food choices. She’s a senior dog and had heartworm and I wanted to give her a good quality food. He recommends food with the AAFCO seal BUT Check the wording AAFCO for all life stages is not what he would recommend. He said to look for AAFCO for adult maintenance. Penny is eating Nutro for seniors. If I had to switch for some reason I would buy Pro Plan. It has a great reputation.

"He's approaching the study of dog food ingredients from a scientific point of view, drawing his analysis from the label."

There's nothing scientific about a dentist and his cohorts, all ignorant and uneducated about the subject matter, reading a label and pontificating about what they think it does or doesn't mean. The key point is they only review and recommend products they get paid for recommending. If that obvious conflict of interest doesn't immediately disqualify the opinions in your mind, it should.

stax, in an earlier post, I asked you what the source of your information is. You didn't respond, I'll assume the view is yours alone. Are you qualified to give it?

And you said

" why would you change to some food an internet pundit suggests with absolutely no knowledge of how your dog will react? "

Which, Ironically, is an apt description of YOUR comments.

We have had two labs in the past and used Nutro for both in the advisement of our vet. The first lab had skin conditions p, mostly grass allergies that seemed aggravated by foods. We switched to Nutro lamb and rice and she improved almost immediately so we stuck with it. As both dogs got older, we switched to senior formulas. Both received the occasional treats and yes, some were from the table. One loved to be almost 17 and the other was around 14 when he developed cancer (he was adopted when he was around a year old, we aren’t really sure of his lineage).

Elmer is correct on introducing new food a little at a time by changing percentages gradually. Some dogs don’t give a darn about food, just plop it down in front of them, others do.

Are you qualified to give it?

But the topic being discussed doesn't require any specialization.

Then why grill people on their qualifications?

Seeing as how the vets themselves disagree about nutrition, and snacking, I think a well informed owner can make valid choices on what to feed unless the dog is ill. We all know your daughter is a vet, Elmer (and I admire that) but she is not a god who us ordinary mortals must approach and gain approval prior to feeding a pet. And I believe she would be the first to say so.

I don't believe I ever specified that my vet relative was a child of mine or not. I have sons and daughters and lots of other relatives. Some close friends and relatives are professionals in healthcare, some not

Random pet owners making up facts or who are fooled when reading misinformation on thinly disguised commercial sites run by unqualified people (that they don't recognize for what they are) aren't a source I would ever trust. Do you?

Whether nutrition topics in vet school are given adequate time I don't know and it probably varies from one to another, but however much it is, it's more, more authoritative, and provides the basis for learning more while in practice than a human dentist or a random person whose life doesn't involve working with large numbers of animals will ever know. I'd also give a nod to someone with a degree in Animal Science, a number of knowledgeable ones like that around too.

Just as a for instance, does a person suggesting that an uneducated person can do a "scientific analysis" from reading a label give you pause to scratch your head?

My vet warned me off grain free, too, because of the suspected link to cardio myopathy.

Neither dog would eat it, anyway, so I returned the bag to the store and bought Purina One. They both loved it. Both were elders and passed w/in a fews months of each other. New dog is getting Purina One and loves it, too. Venison & Turkey or Chicken & Rice.

Random pet owners making up facts or who are fooled when reading misinformation on thinly disguised commercial sites run by unqualified people (that they don't recognize for what they are) aren't a source I would ever trust.

Some sites provides info about the ingredients and percentages of nutrients in various foods, which can be useful. If you are saying they are publishing misinformation, please cite exactly where you saw that misinformation to show that there is even a sliver of truth in your slew of thinly disguised insults.

Or were you talking about not trusting the unqualified vets you hear about all the time, below?

I have a family member who's a boarded vet specialist who unfortunately needs to spend too much trying to save animals whose conditions were caused by the actions of GPs who performed procedures or misdiagnosed conditions beyond the line of what they were competent to do. Why does that happen? Usually because of ego (I can do anything and my sh*t doesn't stink), money reasons, or both. I hear complaints all the time about vets from a vet.

Thanks for reading my comments and asking about what's not clear.

" Some sites provides info about the ingredients and percentages of nutrients in various foods, which can be useful. If you are saying they are publishing misinformation, please cite exactly where you saw that misinformation "

No, not at all. It's the opposite. I trust the nutrient percentages completely, but It's folly to think someone who's untrained and ignorant about the subject matter can draw conclusions. Two examples:

Food A has 27% crude protein and 16% fat. Food B has 20% crude protein and 9% fat. Clearly different numbers. Do you have a conclusion? I don't and doubt most could either.

______________

"trying to save animals whose conditions were caused by the actions of GPs who performed procedures or misdiagnosed conditions beyond the line of what they were competent to do. rying to save animals whose conditions were caused by the actions of GPs who performed procedures or misdiagnosed conditions beyond the line of what they were competent to do. "

It's not restricted to vets. But too many GPs bite off more than they can chew, by failing to refer patients to specialists (with more training, equipment and experience to handle advanced or complicated situations). Why do they do this? Money. Referring to a specialist is giving away work. A neighbor recently had a dog with an airway problem. I gave them the name of a super respected and boarded soft tissue surgeon we know . They decided to stick with their GP, closer and cheaper. They asked the GP if a boarded surgeon should be used and the answer was "No, this is something I can do". You know the end of the story. The GP was at least truthful that once getting into the procedure, they found they were facing something they'd never seen or dealt with before ad weren't sure what to do or not do. The dog was butchered and died a few days later.

A vet in general practice should restrict what they do to their core competences. They're like primary care docs, or like Urgent Care practices. You see them for what they do day in and day out and you go elsewhere when it's something else. Indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, skin conditions, simple wounds, inoculations, yada yada everyday things - sure. Anything else - take your pet to a specialist and insist the vet write the referral (which is sometimes needed).

Dentists are the same. Many GP dentists keep work in-house and refer little out. Why? Money. Do problems result - yes.

If you need a root canal, a GP who does a few per week or per month can probably get 75% of them right. An endodontist who does 10 of them every day can get 99% of them right. Who do you want to see?

Science Diet compensates veterinarians who recommend their product.

I feed Blue Wilderness.

" Science Diet compensates veterinarians who recommend their product."

I had a vet recommend Science Diet. I buy it from Amazon or Petco, depending on what's convenient.

Tell me how the dots get connected and how what you're saying could possibly be the case. Right, it's not.

There are plenty of other good choices too. I'd never buy dog food from a GP vet unless my dog had a very special condition for which the recommended food couldn't be obtained commercially. Same conflict of interest problem as with the dentist's dog food website.

" Say what you will, but prescription foods like Science Diet and Royal canine are basically a scam. "

Why do you think Science Diet is a scam or a prescription food? You can walk into Petco, take it off the shelf, pay for it, and walk out. The version my dog eats is adult formula dog food. You can buy Purina or a dozen or more others the same way. Am I missing something?

The FDA is following up with reputable experts on reported cases that may or may not suggest an association. There's no industry conspiracy involved.

Anything else - take your pet to a specialist and insist the vet write the referral (which is sometimes needed).

easy for you to say. i live in a very rural area where the closest specialty clinic is either at the university of illinois (3.5 hours away) or st. louis (2.5 hours away). i currently have a dog in kidney failure and i have no choice other than to rely on and trust my regular vet who i have confidence in. he is doing everything he can to keep my big guy going.

I deleted my post Elmer because when it comes to this kind of stuff I get kind of fired up. Yes, I think you might be missing something. There are 2 Science Diet products available the normal one and a prescription one and it requires a prescription. As you can see from the ingredients below (this is the one they had me buy for my dog) As you can see, there is nothing nutritional about this food. What ingredient in the list requires a prescription from the vet? I’ve linked the FAQ so you can see what I’m referring to because if you try to buy this food, you’d need your vets permission.

https://www.chewy.com/hills-prescription-diet-id-digestive/dp/117092

Here are the ingredients of Science Diets Prescription food for Stomach issues.

Cost: 93.00 for a 28 lb bag. 382 kcals per serving,

Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Corn, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein, Egg Product, Pork Fat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Lactic Acid, Pork Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, Psyllium Seed Husk, Choline Chloride, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.

Okay lukki. If it's this product line that you and Jim Mat had in mind, then I agree with you both 100%. This isn't what my dog eats.

I don't doubt there are dogs whose health or digestive problems may need special attention but I wonder how numerous they would be. I too would go into something like that with a lot of skepticism. But a recommendation in this direction from a vet I trust is something I would follow.

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog, nanapearl, and hope things come out okay. Remote rural locations similarly offer limited access to diverse and capable human medical services too, these are among the consequences of where one chooses to live. I wish you the best and good luck on both scores.

Thanks Elmer.

Awe NinaPearl, that is sad news. I’m so sorry.

Stax, I get that a lot of forums have issues with trolling, but not here at the kitchen table. Most of the people participating in this forum have been posting with each other for years, decades even. If you go back through the pages of all the old threads, you will see the same names over and over again. Anniegriet is asking here because she knows us, she knows much we all love our animals and that each of us will be willing to share an experience or honest opinion.

Annegriet ......I'm so glad you adopted a needy pup! There are so many that need homes. Would love to see pics....when you have time....

We feed ours Purina Pro Plan - salmon, for sensitive stomachs. Our boxer mix would throw up every day after eating - even the grain free expensive foods we tried. We switched to this and no more throwing up. His coat is very short and you can just see how shiny he is. His sister, our shepherd/husky mix eats the same food. With her longer hair I can't see that she's as shiny. But they both love it. I have it on auto ship from Chewy.

And, congrats on your new family member!

Currently I do not have a dog but in talking to dog owners I was surprised to find Purina rated highly. It is what many feed their show dogs.

" I never considered a dentist an “uneducated person.” "

Dentists know no more about veterinary medicine than does any random person in your community. My comment was that that dentist is ignorant and uneducated about the subject matter. Unless that particular dentist did their undergrad major in animal science (which is pretty uncommon), how would you expect it to be otherwise? From reading labels? (sorry for the sarcasm)

I have been feeding Blue Buffalo's Grain free chicken and rice for years now. Given that at some point any food can be recalled for safety reasons, she only get a small amount towhicch I add homecooked chicken and lots of veggies. Plus she always get a taste of what we are eating. Having lost so many dogs to cancers, I have little faith in the commercial stuff, so I feed more of what I have cooked for her.

I have a very good friend, now in her 90's, that is a long time breeder and the corner stone of our breed that notes before commercial foods the rate of illness was so much less.

We feed one of our dogs Blue Buffalo's "Small Breed" formula (the pink bag), one is on a "metabolic" formula from Science Diet (He's overweight) and the other one eats Pedigree (she's been on it for years and is doing well so we haven't changed her).

I feed our three dogs Royal Canin, three different types: 11 yr old lab mix gets aging kibbles, 4 yr old Catahoula mix gets Large Breed kibbles, and my 11 month old Dane gets Junior Giant Puppy kibbles. Apparently, this may be the only brand that has a team of medical scientists working on the science of their products. This, according to my vet. I used to feed Grain Free as well. I also own a natural pet treat company, and am a Research Analyst by trade. Our dogs LOVE this food. I did try others, such as Purina Pro Plan (which the Dane's breeder uses), and it's alright. What comes out the other end is solid, nicely formed and good color. All of this is important. By the way, congratulations on your new family member! :)

Threads like this make me wonder what is the upside of on line argument. It can be hard to avoid arguments in life but they are much easier to walk away from here. Someone innocently asks a question for which there is rarely just one answer. None of us have absolute evidence for much of anything. That a dog happily scarfs down his food means little given all the dumb stuff they will gladly consume.

It would be possible for one of us who has the interest and determination to become well informed ( i hesitate to say expert) about dog nutrition if we cared to. A degree does not an expert make.

"A degree does not an expert make."

Very true, I agree. But more real information can be learned and conveyed by those who have obtained a relevant degree than from someone else's wishing, hoping, and making stuff up. And pretending they have knowledge they don't in fact have.

Since everyone here was kind to answer my question, I thought I'd give you the update. I tried another flavor of the Hills Science Diet--the lamb and rice--and the dog is scarfing it down. Loves it. So the dog is happy, my vet is happy, and I'm happy! Lukki Irish was correct--I came here because I've been on this forum for many years now and always get kind and solid advice! Thank you again everyone. I was really glad I came here--if she rejected the lamb and rice, I was going to try the brands you all recommended.

I'm very glad for you and doggie.

Science Diet changed the formula somewhat of this lamb variety this past summer, from regular rice to brown rice. We bought ahead some bags of the old recipe because it happened at a time that making the changeover wasn't going to be convenient for us. We did do a switch over, over a week. I can't say my dog likes it more or less - maybe just the same. Which is - you might say she's done eating her meal by the time the sound of it hitting the bowl stops echoing in the room.

But more real information can be learned and conveyed by those who have obtained a relevant degree than from someone else's wishing, hoping, and making stuff up.

A fake choice. "It would be possible for one of us who has the interest and determination to become well informed" is the choice you are trying to avoid, Elmer, because those who are self taught can in fact equal or sometimes exceed their degreed counterparts.

Dare I be so bold as to answer Stax, she said in the original post that her vet told her to change off of the grain free. That is what I assumed is the reason that she took her dog off of Blue GF.

This is what she said in the first post:

"The rescue group had her on the Blue Wilderness Grain Free. My vet said not to feed her that and to switch to Science Diet."

Yes, Arkansas Girl is correct. My vet suggested the change. I do not buy the Science Diet from the vet so I don't think she was motivated by sales. This vet kept my last little meatball in great health for over 15 years. I think this new dog had a very, very hard life before coming to my home and I want to make sure I am doing absolutely everything I can to ensure she is healthy and happy.

This thread reminds of how the internet has changed things for us. At one time, we all just went to the store and bought some dog food. With the internet, a bunch of people that thought they knew more about dog food, than the specialists in their fields knew, started talking and made everyone think that their dogs were going to be sick and die if their dogs ate a dog food with a grain in it. If you fed your dog a grain inclusive dog food, you were a terrible dog parent (if you participated at dog food advisor, you know what I mean). They wanted our dogs to be little people and want them to only eat the same foods that people like to eat. Well the truth is that dogs have different nutritional needs than people and like different food than people like. They said they weren't supposed to have the odd parts of chickens but yet, that's what dogs LOVE...all the gross stuff that people wouldn't want to eat. Dogs don't care if it's boneless skinless chicken breast, they will enjoy eating the tail end just as much...people, well, not so much. So now, fast forward some years and now we are seeing that not only was this grain free fancy food not necessary for the health and well being of our dogs, but it may even be responsible for illnesses of our dogs. It is just so ironic that back when I first got my dog and began researching dog foods on the internet, the fad was that our dogs only should eat a grain free food...now I am reading this thread and see that people have totally swung 180 degrees from that thinking. I just kind of hang my head in shame and think "boy, we certainly are 'sheeple' aren't we?" The internet has turned us into hand held puppets! UGH! I remember when I was active at dogfoodadvisor, their favorite thing to spew was "vets know nothing about dog nutrition", they really thought that they were the world's foremost authorities on the subject. Now, that's coming back and biting them in the ***!!!!!

Though my dog is currently on a grain free food, it wouldn't have been my choice if it weren't for her medical need and sensitivity to the rice that is now the grain of choice for dog food companies. I have my own theory that rice is causing a lot of dogs to have issues with grain inclusive foods, back in the day, a grain inclusive dog food was corn and wheat and not rice! I never remember anyone having a dog that was allergic to dog food...now, it seems like, every other dog owner I speak to has issues with their dogs having dog food sensitivities!

Totally agree. People are like sheeple. Many many years ago when I rescued a racing greyhound I fed her Purina ONE with chicken and rice and never thought to change it. My vet likes it and my dogs sure do. At 12 and 14 not many old dogs can walk three and four miles on a hike and they've(knock on wood) never been sick. I ignore fads.

Congrats on the new rescue Anniegriet! I also have a new rescue and have slowly moved him over to Purina One Turkey and Venison. My older Male Rocky is on seizure meds which affect his appetite, so I really feed him whichever Purina One I can get him to eat.

The problem with the internet and social media is that it is the source of so much false news and misleading information. Anyone can create a website and post whatever they want about whatever topic they want, no matter how fictionalized their account may be. And somebody - usually a lot of somebodies - will believe it and then it spreads like wildfire.

It is also a source of very excellent and detailed info on a range of topics. But you have to consider and evaluate the source and the authorship of that publication or article. When all we had were reference books at the library, it was a lot easier......you could easily find peer evaluated scientific reports on pretty much any topic you needed and be assured of the accuracy behind them.

Now everyone is an expert :-) Or would like the world to believe they are. And many are gullible enough to fall for it, hook, line and sinker.

There is this one part of me that loves the information at my fingertips and there is another part of me that is annoyed by all the misinformation at my fingertips. No matter what you want to find conformation about, you will find it...either side of the coin. There is not cut and dry, "this is how it is to be done or this is the right answer". Before, we looked to the most expert person to ask, our vet or the store that sold pet foods. My biggest concern was "does my dog like it and will he eat it". I trusted that the food was OK for him/her to eat.

It's been a while since I've had a dog, but my old lab mix ate a variety of things throughout her life. She had a lot of stomach and skin sensitivities and eventually ended up on Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach (Digestion?). As I recall, it was salmon based, so if you enjoy really fishy smelling dog breath, this is a wonderful choice! (Lol)

No matter what dry food we fed our dog, she always ate a lot of vegetables and I made her rice pretty regularly too. Not sure if that contributed to her longevity, but she had terrible weight problems until a vet suggested we cut back her dog food and supplement with things like carrots, peas, and other dog friendly veggies. Guess that helped my guilt, but it worked :)

https://frommfamily.com/products/dog/?animal=dog&query=&lifestage=&breedsize=&recipetype=&attributes=&protein=&productline=&sort=4

https://nulo.com/collections/for-dogs/line_frontrunner

https://www.natureslogic.com/dog-products/#distinction

I have a tiny 6lb dog with the most sensitive stomach on the planet. She was on Science Diet RD, would throw up about every other day so she was put on a prescription low fat ,would not even touch it.

I felt so bad for her, if she ate she puked or wouldn’t touch the other food.

I started buying baby food chicken and turkey along with green veggies (peas and green beans) and orange veggies (carrots and sweet potato)

She get a small portion of chicken with an orange and green veggie along with GNC multivitamin.

She is a whole different little dog now. She gets so excited at meal times and eats every bit of it.

She has not thrown up once since being on this or suffered with gas. My vet has totally approved this meal plan and her bloodwork comes back perfect. Plus since she started this she had lost 1.5 lbs. her weight is perfect now. Obviously it would be ridiculously expensive for a large dog but I don’t sown anymore then when I was buy Science Diet.

My vet has never recommended a particular brand of food, but she did warn us against a grain free diet. My dog gets very bored with hard kibble very easily so I never buy the same type twice in a row. I don't even buy large bags anymore. I do occasionally buy the grain free, just for variety. My only real criteria is that it be made in USA or Canadian facilities.

Yikes! I did try to read the comments, but was getting crazy with the amount of misinformation that is out there. So, forgive me if this is repeat information. I had to stop reading or scream.

Annegreit said,

"The vet said that grain free caused cardiac problems in labs."

Your vet should have told you WHY this is an issue in some grain free foods. The pet food makers got on the grain free bandwagon and that left them with a lot fewer ingredients to put into the food. So they looked to vegetables to replace the grains, and now we have a rash of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. There is a lot of investigation going on but the biggest culprit, they believe, is that when you add peas, lentiles, and other legumes to dog food, you give them a source of taurine in their food. When the body somehow senses this, it does not manufacture as much taurine as the animal needs anymore. Supposedly, the body says, the dietary sources will fill in the difference. But dogs do not use the taurine in legumes efficiently and so we are getting dogs having heart problems related to taurine deficiency. It is because there is taunine IN their food. When taurine that they cannot use is in their food, they do not make enough on their own and they get heart problems.

We need to avoid peas, lentils, and other legumes in dog food to protect them from this problem. Labs are at higher risk. So read the ingredient list and if there are peas, lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, or other legumes in the first six ingredients listed (or if there are two or more legumes in the total list), do not buy it. These are the bean family. The ones that come inside pods. Peanuts, kidney beans, navy beans, red beans, pinto beans. Those.

The Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) is an excellent source of information on dogs, dog nutrition, and any current issues related to dogs. They have a good article on this that appears to be open to the general public (the nonsubscribers) to read.

Update on Grain-Free Diets at the Whole Dog Journal

As for what I have fed my dogs, I use the WDJ guidelines. They have Dry and Wet recommended dog food lists. They also give you the criteria that they use for determining which are responsible dog food companies and foods.

Another issue they address is the idea of feeding only one food to your dog. They recommend that you have a few different brands that you rotate through. If you do that, there is absolutely no reason that your dog would need to wean slowly from one brand to the next, because you are not setting them up to only being able to tolerate one kind of food. Dogs are natural scavengers - not the type of animal with delicate digestion! They only become that way when you continue to feed them one food only. Why anyone would give such a boring diet to their best pal is something I have not understood. I like variety in my diet, why wouldn't my dog enjoy that, too? WDJ has also recommended changing between different brands due to the possibility of one brand or a few brands getting into problems with the sources of their food components, as happened back in 2003 (?) when one or more Chinese companies were selling dog food companies a protein powder to add to food that had melamine (a type of plastic) added because it fooled the protein tests to show a higher level of protein in the powder. It also killed a lot of dogs. They were putting it into baby formula in their own country, too. Some men were executed for this.

I love my Whole Dog Journal. Check it out when you are on the site. They have reviews of all kinds of things - toys, beds, harnesses, everything dog. Training tips are their other big strength. Think about subscribing. Even if you don't subscribe, go to the criteria and lists for recommended dog foods and see if your brand makes the cut. As for why your vet might recommend Hill's Science Diet, I would ask you if he sells it. Hmmm, think there is a link there?

Lukki Irish, wow, pea protein is the fourth ingredient in the Science Diet for Stomach Problems. If it turns out that legumes are the cause of the cardiomyopathy, then it is a riskier food to use. That may be why they want a prescription for it. It may be easier to digest, but like many prescription medications, it puts you at risk for a nasty side effect. Was you nae Lukkish on the old site?

Hi DesertSteph! You always tell me to come to the KT and I did not mean to come here today, but here I am and I see all the old names! I went to the Pets Forum because the Bath forum was slow tonight. It just happens I clicked on a thread that was cross posted to the KT.

So, here is my new little guy. He is named Neville for some character in Harry Potter (which I have never read). He is six years ol and lived the past three years with a family with three little kids. He was good with them, but once they got old enough to have friends over, he started being aggressive toward the new kids. They advertised him for adoption on the Adopt-a-Pet site and I had an ongoing search there for a Tibetan Spaniel. So I got a notice in my email about him. We do not see many Tibbies in Michigan, so it was rare to see one nearby. He looks like a badly bred Tibbie. But it turns out there is no Tibetan Spaniel in him. He is 40% Pekingese, then some Chihuahua, Dachshund, and Pomeranian. Yup, I had his genetics done. He weighs a bit over 16 lbs, on his way down to 15. He did not have a yard to run in before, and the weight is melting off of him in our yard, with our Blu to chase with. He has already lost a half a pound and his skin is loose. Since he is the size of a baby, he seems like a little boy in doggy pajamas to me. I tell him his jammies are getting too big for him!

Elmer J Fudd, as to your idea that one must be educated in dog nutrition to have an opinion on it, I must put in my two cents. It is my experience that having an education, especially in any of the sciences, qualifies one to read and understand journal papers, to ask the right questions, and to judge the value or lack of value of opinions you hear or read. I trust the WDJ because they take no money from any industry, they subsist only on subscriptions, they have had the same editor-in-chief for many years, they cite their sources, and they use precise and non-inflammatory language. Some writers have been with them a long time, but they have new authors and sources for articles often.

Ah, Houzz is allowing my pictures to post again! Went through a few weeks where I had to shrink every picture I tried to post. Here is Blu. We adopted her a year and a half ago, when she was 6-ish. She is from a local rescue. She does not say why her name is Blu, but I wonder, as there is nothing blue about her! She is 59% Boston Terrier, Pitbull, Chihuahua, and Pomeranian.

She was about 18 lbs in this picture, but is now up a few. She shares my sedentary life, which is why I wanted to get her a brother to play with. She is not entirely happy with sharing me, but I think she looks to see if he is at her side as she runs in the yard, and she is running a lot more now, too.

I am the same Nancy_in_Mich from the Smaller Homes forum. I also spent time in Kitchens, Buying and Selling Homes, and Baths. We finish a long-planned bathroom gut about a year ago, so I still hang out there, paying back for all the great info I was given.