Five questions for the price of one?

[Jennifer and Jack]

Sorry I know I should probably find spots for these questions in each section but the same people are most likely to answer 

As you know I switched vets and am much happier with his care. This vet does not use Heart Guard they don't even carry it. THey said Tri- Heart Plus is just about the same... It is a few dollars cheaper and as you know for me with Jack that isn't even an issue.  Is this drug safe. I tried to google it but I am sick right now to say the least so I am not comprehending much... It is made by Merck. also do you know is it safe to give with Frontline?

Ear infections.. We have come to the conclusion Jack is EXTREMELY sensitive to any even the slightest amount of yeast in his ears.. He has been scratching like crazy.. His canals look good but on smear he had a TINY bit of yeast... They gave me yet another antibiotic to treat him bi-laterally but she offered me a steroid spray for his ears? Anyone hear of that?   I am so tired of Jack being on antibiotics for his ear and the Vet saying they barely see anything yet he seems so bothered by it.. I do weekly washes on his ears and I also use ear dryer after a bath...   So much for my big fat idea of raw food solving his ears.... eye roll..

Weight...... WOW.... I had no idea that Jack needed to lose as much weight as he really did... I feed raw because IT IS WAY BETTER THEN ANY CRAP YOU FEED YOUR DOG. Just kidding... LOL you know I am just kidding... I feed raw because I was removing the starch as much as possible because he is on steroids and he gained weight.  Here is the thing. He was almost 20 pounds in June and now he is just under 17 pounds....  He lost this weight because I MEASURE his food and weigh it exactly and because I ride a stupid scooter around my neighborhood and he walks at least a mile and half or more a day.. not for any other reason...... The vet today after taking his stitches out for a cyst he had removed said she is happy he lost weight but keep going????  

Jack is 16.9 pounds now and she wants a least another pound.. My mom and I both are willing to do that because we know it is best to be a little under then over but how fast is it safe for a dog to lose weight??? I mean he is a little guy and I don't know what is acceptable time frame for him to lose weight in. 

The last thing is.. even at 20 pounds Jack still have a rather sharp tummy curve tuck in and didn't look overweight to me at all, I could still feel his ribs except on the sides I had to push in a bit... so it is rather stunning to me that a dog that had a good curve tummy tuck could have still been so overweight... Five pound for a dog his size is a lot..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ear infections are caused by either yeast or bacteria, and there is nothing in raw food that will eliminate either one. The only thing that's in a  piece of raw chicken that is not in a piece of cooked chicken is bacteria.  All kibbles are not created equal, and the ones recommended here contain no "additives" or chemical preservatives. I'm sure that switching a dog to a raw diet from a food like Purina or Ol'Roy will improve his health, but so would switching to a homecooked diet, or to Orijen. 

[Enid Ferner]

Kibble is kibble... Sure there are some better quality kibbles out there, but it's still dried, overly processed food with preservatives in it that humans have decided is a very convenient way to feed our dogs. It is in no way a natural food for a canine and is extremely hard to digest.
What do you think wolves eat? Or any animal that humans haven't interfered with for that matter.... Just because we cook our meat doesn't mean that it is natural or even good for a dog to eat cooked meat. Their digestive systems are entirely different from ours. Then add in the preservatives and additives to get it into and maintain it in that "kibble" state!!

Constant ear infections, skin infections, bladder infections, etc. are a sign that the dog's
system is not balanced and the immune system is compromised. This most definitely can come from a poor diet. The same goes for humans, most health problems are caused by poor nutrition. You are what you eat.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Food is food. I am medically trained and I say hokum.Good food, whether dried or cooked is still good. And my dogs, have been on good kibble and have no symptoms of the various infections you cite. That is no more proof of kibble being good than a healthy dog being fed raw. And just what does a system being balanced mean?  pH regulated? Peeing and pooping? Neurochemicals circulating in the CNS? I say if you want to feed raw do. But let the rest of us do what we think is best for our dogs in our circumstances. It's very tiresome to have to hear this nonsense over and over.

[Enid Ferner]

What "nonsense"? Are people not allowed to express their opinion on this forum if it's not the same as yours?
All I'm saying is that if your dog is constantly battling health problems then you should consider that it could very well be their diet. I'm not saying that everybody should switch to raw.... It's a lot more work to feed raw and it's not for everyone.
I constantly see people on this forum complaining about ongoing conditions with their dogs and are constantly medicating with steroids, antibiotics, anti fungal meds....the list goes on and it doesn't seem to be helping.
Obviously the answer or "fix" lies elsewhere, and the diet should be a serious consideration. If you feed kibble and your dog doesn't suffer from any health problems then that's fine...let it be. In the past I've had dogs that did just fine on kibble and lived long healthy lives. I switched my Doodles over because the kibble WAS causing health problems.
It's a suggestion.... Oh and P.S. I'm "medically trained" too....

[F, Calla & Luca]

Opinions are fine but should be noted as such. I do apolgize for saying it is nonsense but that is my opinion.  Please do explain what a balanced system means since I am always willing to learn. And why kibble is harder to digest that raw food.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amen, F. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We will have to agree to disagree. The wolf theory and the "natural" diet means nothing, it has been thousands of years since our dogs had a wolf ancestor, if they ever did. If humans were stranded in the wild, they would be forced to eat raw food, too. That doesn't mean it would be the healthiest, best or most "natural" diet. Whole grains are known to be very beneficial for humans, yet if we were in the wild, we couldn't eat them without a way to process them. I don't eat what my primitive ancestors ate, either, and my life expectancy is at least three times what theirs were. I dare say I'm in better health, too. "Natural" does not equal "healthy". Nobody really knows how healthy animals in the wild are, anyway. 

Dogs digestive systems are not as different from ours as you might imagine, and our nutritional needs are very similar.

I only wish it were true that "most health problems are caused by poor nutrition". That would be an easy fix. Sadly, the evidence says otherwise. 

I think it's important for everyone to feed the diet they feel comfortable feeding. Raw, cooked, whatever. There is no one "best" or right way. I have a problem with people making helath claims that are biologically unfounded and illogical. Food cannot "fix" a compromised immune-system. There are many, many healthy dogs who eat kibble and live long, disease free lives. I've had several. There are also many, many raw fed dogs who have have serious chronic illnesses, including immune-mediated diseases- all you have to do is join a support group for owners of dogs with IBD, IMHA, or any of the immune-mediated and autoimmune canine diseases to see them. Some are right here on DK. The food didn't cause it and the food can't cure it.  So feed what you feel most comfortable feeding and hope for the best. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with you Karen.

[Enid Ferner]

Oh you better believe that our diet can affect our health. Our bodies are kept in a fine balance with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. and when we disrupt that then the immune system is definitely compromised.
Our digestive systems are totally different from that of the canine species. We just like to "humanize" everything.
We have the ability to cook our food and so we do, raw food is very distasteful to us. Dogs LOVE it! Give a dog a choice between a bowl of raw and a bowl of kibble, see what happens. The problem is that most dogs don't have a choice.
I like to let my dogs be dogs. I do not dress them up, I do not confine them to crates, I exercise them regularly, and I also feed raw.... JMO

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The anatomy and physiology of the digestive process are known, measurable things, not opinions. I might have the opinion that 2 + 2 = 5, but the facts say otherwise. The canine digestive system is a known, observable system which has been studied extensively, and it is simply not true that it "totally different" from ours. Cows digestive systems are totally different from ours; dogs are not.

It looks me like you groom your dogs. Dogs in the wild aren't groomed...they aren't even bathed. They are not brushed, their nails are not cut. If you like to "let your dogs be dogs", why groom them? It certainly isn't "natural". Given a choice, most dogs would prefer not to have a bath or have their nails cut, but they don't have a choice in that, either.  

The point being, our dogs are not in the wild, they are in our homes, and their lifestyles and diets reflect that. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Of course diet can affect health. I do know about vitamins etc.That actually was taught to us in medical school. As a nurse I know you know that too. And of course we all need them. But I have never seen one scientific piece of evidence that getting good food, and sufficient vitamins and minerals is better from a raw diet than a cooked diet.

I don't believe I humanize my dogs nor do I like to humanize everything.I don't dress up my dogs, I do crate them when I leave home and I feed quality kibble. My dogs love their kibble, or so I think since they don't actually speak. But they do eat it. I am sure if I gave them a choice of kibble versus a bowl of ice cream they would prefer the ice cream. That doesn't mean the ice cream is better for them. Our digestive systems are not completely different from dogs but there are differences. 

So please let us coexist in peace and each do what we think is best for our dogs. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Yes, I suspect your dogs have collars and leashes.