:confused: I need to take my 12 yr old yellow spayed female off Natures Variety grain free due to her forming crystal Urates in her urine, it is too high protien for her and now I have the insane task of choosing another dry kibble!! She also has high liver enzymes, alk phos and alt's and is allergic to Lamb ??? Any suggestions?? I am going CRAZY researching all the dog food AGAIN!! My vet suggested Science Diet perscription L/D BUT Patty here said it contains a perservative that stars with an E and is a pesticide?? I told the vet I will not feed SD becuase of this and it is full of fillers. How do you choose something that is right. I need wheat,corn,soy and lamb free GOOD food.

Thanks for your help, Deb:help:

I would be careful with Blue Buffalo...I believe they were involved in the recent pet food recall...:(

I also do not like Science Diet...very unhealthy ingredients.

Some of my favorite brands are:

Eagle Pack Holistic www.eaglepack.com
California Natural www.naturapet.com
Innova www.naturapet.com
Solid Gold www.solidgoldhealth.com

These are all wheat, corn, soy free and they also all have other diets besides lamb.

What about the threads I was reading on here about Eagle pack a little while ago, I was considering Eagle Pack until I read this on this chat board??? Eagle Pack Senior

Deb

What about the threads I was reading on here about Eagle pack a little while ago, I was considering Eagle Pack until I read this on this chat board??? Eagle Pack Senior

Deb

I feed Eagle Pack Holistic with no problems at all. Toby does very well. Remember, food may work for one dog, but not for another.

You need to feed what works for your dog. Did your Vet tell you that you have to stay within a certain protein percentage?

I feed Barkley Blue Buffalo chicken and rice adult formula, and I think it's great. His coat is wonderfully shiney, I've had people stop me on the street to remark how beautiful his coat is.

Their dry food was never part of the huge recall, their spa select wet food had rice protiens that was put in their foods without their knowledge (so they say). I guess that can happen to anyone though, human and animal food suppliers.

GOod luck in your search for a new food, it's exhausting, isn't it?!?!?

I fed Noel Blue Buffalo for awhile and she did great on it allergy wise. Her ears and coat looked great. I switched her to Natures Recipe because she had pudding poops on the Blue Buffalo. After several months on Natures Recipe, she still had pudding poops so I switched her to Canidae. I think Canidae has lower protein than Solid Gold and some of the other premium brands. She's done good on Canidae also and her poops have firmed up. I think the Canidae ALS does have lamb in it though.

We had a similar problem with one of our girls on the Innova Evo.....I actually thought we might lose one of our girls if we didn't figure out what the heck was wrong. After all the blood tests & everything it finally hit me. It was the FOOD causing all the organ damage. Sure enough, soon as we stopped the food our big girl has done a turn around & put on most of the weight she has lost!
ANYWAY....since then we have using TimberWolf Ocean Blue which is grain free & HALF the protien of the former food. I also mix their food they get 1 1/2 cups food twice a day. They get half TimberWolf & half ProPlan Sensitive Skin (Salmon Based) with each feeding. :thumb4: I was so GLAD I was doing this when I needed to remove the Innova! Until I decided what to do, they were OK, just on the ProPlan Salmon! :D Everything is GREAT NOW!

after reading this i am wondering if the high protein food is ever good for our dogs..how do we know when it is damaging organs or causing crystals until it is too late..maybe giving the "BEST" food isnt the healthiest after all?? i feed mine orijen because it is supposed to be the best, but now i am wondering if i shouldnt go to one with less protein???

I feed Barkley Blue Buffalo chicken and rice adult formula, and I think it's great. His coat is wonderfully shiney, I've had people stop me on the street to remark how beautiful his coat is.

Their dry food was never part of the huge recall, their spa select wet food had rice protiens that was put in their foods without their knowledge (so they say). I guess that can happen to anyone though, human and animal food suppliers.

GOod luck in your search for a new food, it's exhausting, isn't it?!?!?
Thanks, I just switched, our 2 year old yellow lab, (Shiloh) To Blue Buffalo, because he was having severe itching probloms. Holistic, Chicken and Rice large breed. To soon to tell, but his itching was better today, he was on Eukanuba, Science Diet, so hopefully this works, time will tell, just keeping check on his stool, for awhile, to be sure that is ok!

Trying to remember your old girls issues. If her phosphorous is elevated you need to be feeding a food low in phosphorous. Below 1. is preferable.

Years ago I fed a .6 phos. food to a kidney failure dog and she did very well. It was Royal Canine Maxi Mature 26. Does contain corn but I had no choice at that point.

I'm sure there are better foods on the market now with low phos.

The E in SD is ethoxyquin used as a preservative.

What is the maximum protein you can feed to avoid the crystals? You don't want to go to low in protein for a senior if you can help it.

I would bet there are holistic supplements you can give to help with the crystals or avoid them all together while still feeding a decent amount of protein.

after reading this i am wondering if the high protein food is ever good for our dogs..how do we know when it is damaging organs or causing crystals until it is too late..maybe giving the "BEST" food isnt the healthiest after all?? i feed mine orijen because it is supposed to be the best, but now i am wondering if i shouldnt go to one with less protein???

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=protein_myth

I would be careful with Blue Buffalo...I believe they were involved in the recent pet food recall...:(

I think only some of their canned products were involved. None of their dry kibbles were part of the recall.