Yorkie black sticky discharge around vagina-MY DOG IS SCOOTING OUT OF CONTROL...

[TLC]

I too tried to feed Innova, but it was way too rich for mine to handle, so I had to stop it.

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

Oh, I forgot to tell you to monitor her ph...Buy some ph strips at the pharmacy and test her urine, so that you know if you're doing okay, or if you need to change anything in her diet. Good luck!

i will get some ph strips. do you know what a "normal" ph reading should be?

[Yorkieluv]

I believe that their ph should be between 6 and 7...If it gets to alkaline, then you could end up with struvite stones, and if it gets too acidic, you will continue to have calcium oxalate stones. Ask your vet what your baby's target range should be. I believe close to 7, between 6 and 7...

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

I'm not sure about the discharge, I'm sorry I can't help you with that, but it sounds scary!!

As far as the stones, I have lots of experience with stones...You need to have your vet send the crystals/stones to a lab to find out what kind they are. This is extremely important, as treatment for different stones is completely different. Cranberry juice is not necessarily good for all types of stones. A blockage could occur, and your girl could be in a worse condition. I would also have the vet do an X-ray AND an ultrasound as some stones don't show up on x-rays and only show up on ultrasounds...Depending on the types of stones, she may need surgery because some stones do not dissolve regardless of diet change... Some stones do...
It sounds like you may need another vet if he/she is not willing to do these vital tests...

this is one of my threads on samie- :-)

[Yorkieluv]

Haha! Thanks for bumping it up!

[MyFairLacy]

I'm pretty sure that all the prescription diets for kidney problems have a lower protein content than other foods. I know on the Nature's Variety labels it says the raw is 13% protein which is only 1% more protein than was in the prescription food you were feeding. And by feeding raw (or canned) there is more moisture than in the dry so the dogs get more water in their diet which is good for the kidneys. With dry food, they have to drink more water on their own. Lacy doesn't drink much water being on raw food whereas when she was eating kibble she drank about 1cup of water per day. If we walk outside in the heat or she plays real hard she'll drink more water, but normally she doesn't drink much - she gets most of her water from her diet. I recently switched my cats to canned and raw from the kibble I was feeding and they hardly drink any water at all - they also get almost all their water from their diet. I've never delt with kidney issues so I don't know too much about it, but I think the lower protein content and higher moisture of the raw should really help your dog with kidney problems. And so far as allergies, a lot of dogs are allergic to grains, esp. corn, so since the raw doesn't contain grains that should help alot. So far as protein sources, I've heard that the "wilder" the meat, the less chance your dog will be allergic. So your dog would be more likely to be allergic to beef or chicken then the lamb, rabbit, or venison. I hope the food helps your dogs feel better. It may just take a little while for their systems to get used to the switch. Oh, and you probably won't notice a change with itching and scooting immediately. It takes 6-8 weeks from the time you switch foods to see the effects of it.

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by MyFairLacy

I'm pretty sure that all the prescription diets for kidney problems have a lower protein content than other foods. I know on the Nature's Variety labels it says the raw is 13% protein which is only 1% more protein than was in the prescription food you were feeding. And by feeding raw (or canned) there is more moisture than in the dry so the dogs get more water in their diet which is good for the kidneys. With dry food, they have to drink more water on their own. Lacy doesn't drink much water being on raw food whereas when she was eating kibble she drank about 1cup of water per day. If we walk outside in the heat or she plays real hard she'll drink more water, but normally she doesn't drink much - she gets most of her water from her diet. I recently switched my cats to canned and raw from the kibble I was feeding and they hardly drink any water at all - they also get almost all their water from their diet. I've never delt with kidney issues so I don't know too much about it, but I think the lower protein content and higher moisture of the raw should really help your dog with kidney problems. And so far as allergies, a lot of dogs are allergic to grains, esp. corn, so since the raw doesn't contain grains that should help alot. So far as protein sources, I've heard that the "wilder" the meat, the less chance your dog will be allergic. So your dog would be more likely to be allergic to beef or chicken then the lamb, rabbit, or venison. I hope the food helps your dogs feel better. It may just take a little while for their systems to get used to the switch. Oh, and you probably won't notice a change with itching and scooting immediately. It takes 6-8 weeks from the time you switch foods to see the effects of it.

Hi! thanks so much for replying. i have a bag of the frozen raw meat (beef0 medallions and i did notice that the protein level and other ingredients was a complete match. i don't know why i am so skeptical about the raw food. my husband is worse than me. he is against it for some reason and i don't have enough info to sell him on the idea as i am just learning more about it myself. i even brought home the brochure and showed it to him and then last night i took out the bag and compared food labels and you are right it is very comparable to the pres diet. i was given this bag of medallions and i was told that i could feed it as a supplement but i wasn't too sure what that meant. like maybe- as a snack... or ? not too sure. they loved it when i gave it to them last week. i really think i do want to introduce them to the raw food but like i said-my husband just said to stick to the kibble... better for their teeth... and so on... now i will say- my other yorkie just had her teeth cleaned last Friday and she had to have 6 teeth removed. go figure... AND she has been on nothing but kibble for 10 yrs.

now today i fed the canidae and both of my girls ate it up. there stools are a blackish color and WAYYYY smaller than before. i also feed them a small amount (like maybe 1 TBl of the canned) just because i give them med's and its real easy to stuff their pills in the canned food.

Samie stopped scooting immediately after i took her off of the pres diet. she ate and then scooted and then after a bowel movement she scooted. she has not scooted since last Friday. so this is day 4 and no scooting. which i'm glad b/c the vet seemed to think with all of that scooting she may have bladder stones.

hey if you don't mind... please elaborate about the benefits of raw food and why you choose to feed raw food. i need some way to convince my husband that it is "GOOD" for them. and not to be so grossed out by it. he is worried about bacteria or something...

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by MyFairLacy

I'm pretty sure that all the prescription diets for kidney problems have a lower protein content than other foods. I know on the Nature's Variety labels it says the raw is 13% protein which is only 1% more protein than was in the prescription food you were feeding. And by feeding raw (or canned) there is more moisture than in the dry so the dogs get more water in their diet which is good for the kidneys. With dry food, they have to drink more water on their own. Lacy doesn't drink much water being on raw food whereas when she was eating kibble she drank about 1cup of water per day. If we walk outside in the heat or she plays real hard she'll drink more water, but normally she doesn't drink much - she gets most of her water from her diet. I recently switched my cats to canned and raw from the kibble I was feeding and they hardly drink any water at all - they also get almost all their water from their diet. I've never delt with kidney issues so I don't know too much about it, but I think the lower protein content and higher moisture of the raw should really help your dog with kidney problems. And so far as allergies, a lot of dogs are allergic to grains, esp. corn, so since the raw doesn't contain grains that should help alot. So far as protein sources, I've heard that the "wilder" the meat, the less chance your dog will be allergic. So your dog would be more likely to be allergic to beef or chicken then the lamb, rabbit, or venison. I hope the food helps your dogs feel better. It may just take a little while for their systems to get used to the switch. Oh, and you probably won't notice a change with itching and scooting immediately. It takes 6-8 weeks from the time you switch foods to see the effects of it.

Hi! thanks so much for replying. i have a bag of the frozen raw meat (beef0 medallions and i did notice that the protein level and other ingredients was a complete match. i don't know why i am so skeptical about the raw food. my husband is worse than me. he is against it for some reason and i don't have enough info to sell him on the idea as i am just learning more about it myself. i even brought home the brochure and showed it to him and then last night i took out the bag and compared food labels and you are right it is very comparable to the pres diet. i was given this bag of medallions and i was told that i could feed it as a supplement but i wasn't too sure what that meant. like maybe- as a snack... or ? not too sure. they loved it when i gave it to them last week. i really think i do want to introduce them to the raw food but like i said-my husband just said to stick to the kibble... better for their teeth... and so on... now i will say- my other yorkie just had her teeth cleaned last Friday and she had to have 6 teeth removed. go figure... AND she has been on nothing but kibble for 10 yrs.

now today i fed the canidae and both of my girls ate it up. there stools are a blackish color and WAYYYY smaller than before. i also feed them a small amount (like maybe 1 TBl of the canned) just because i give them med's and its real easy to stuff their pills in the canned food.

Samie stopped scooting immediately after i took her off of the pres diet. she ate and then scooted and then after a bowel movement she scooted. she has not scooted since last Friday. so this is day 4 and no scooting. which i'm glad b/c the vet seemed to think with all of that scooting she may have bladder stones.

hey if you don't mind... please elaborate about the benefits of raw food and why you choose to feed raw. i need some way to convince my husband that it is "GOOD" for them. and not to be so grossed out by it. he is worried about bacteria or something... he just is not thrilled about the raw but he also does not know much about it.

is it still okay to feed the raw and tiny amounts of the canned too do you think? they love the canned food. i would mainly only use the canned food for pills and treats maybe 2 x's a day. i also heard that you cannot feed raw and immediately after feed kibble. it stays in the intestines and creates bacteria.

[sadiesamie]

sorry for duplicating the reply. i tried to add to it and it posted twice. i am still new at this :-)

[sadiesamie]

Originally Posted by MyFairLacy

I'm pretty sure that all the prescription diets for kidney problems have a lower protein content than other foods. I know on the Nature's Variety labels it says the raw is 13% protein which is only 1% more protein than was in the prescription food you were feeding. And by feeding raw (or canned) there is more moisture than in the dry so the dogs get more water in their diet which is good for the kidneys. With dry food, they have to drink more water on their own. Lacy doesn't drink much water being on raw food whereas when she was eating kibble she drank about 1cup of water per day. If we walk outside in the heat or she plays real hard she'll drink more water, but normally she doesn't drink much - she gets most of her water from her diet. I recently switched my cats to canned and raw from the kibble I was feeding and they hardly drink any water at all - they also get almost all their water from their diet. I've never delt with kidney issues so I don't know too much about it, but I think the lower protein content and higher moisture of the raw should really help your dog with kidney problems. And so far as allergies, a lot of dogs are allergic to grains, esp. corn, so since the raw doesn't contain grains that should help alot. So far as protein sources, I've heard that the "wilder" the meat, the less chance your dog will be allergic. So your dog would be more likely to be allergic to beef or chicken then the lamb, rabbit, or venison. I hope the food helps your dogs feel better. It may just take a little while for their systems to get used to the switch. Oh, and you probably won't notice a change with itching and scooting immediately. It takes 6-8 weeks from the time you switch foods to see the effects of it.

I also had someone tell me that kidney and organ meat is not good for dogs with crystals so that's why i was hesitant with the raw- i knew their was a reason i didn't feed it to them just yet. b.c i do have it in the freezer. i need to find out the results of the urinalysis and then we will go from there. i will keep you posted. :-) appreciate allllllll of your help!!

[Yorkieluv]

I agree, raw or canned is better than dry....But the amount of protein can be VERY deceiving. You have to convert it to a dry matter basis in order to get the accurate amount of protein...
If you read a can of dog food, it might say 8% protein, so you think, hey, that's pretty low, but in reality, it's not...You have to check the moisture content. Let me give you an example...
Food A has:
8% protein
6% fat
1.5% fiber
80% moisture
So to calculate the amount of protein on a dry matter basis, you have to take the 8(the amount of protein) divided by 20(the reciprocal of the amount of moisture)= 40% protein on a dry matter basis
So that can of food that you thought was only 8% protein is actually 40% protein
Same goes for the raw....Do that calculation on the raw, and you will see how much protein is actually in it. Make sure to check how much moisture is in it...And do the calculations.

[Yorkieluv]

According to the chart I sent you, kidneys are high oxalate and Very high in purines, but you have to make your own decisions. If I were you, I would ask your vet.

[sadiesamie]

I haven't heard from the vet today yet. I gave her the urine this past Saturday so I am hoping to hear something really soon on that.
In the meantime i am still needing to feed 'something" to Samie. So for right now I am giving her the Canidae 2 x's a day. Her allowance for the day is 1/4cup, so i divide that up into 2 meals. In the morning i give her a 2 dime sized pieces of the canned. and again in the evening 2 more dime size pieces. this way she is getting some moisture but not too much.

And she isn't scooting from eating the food she was allergic to anymore since i stopped that on Friday. what a relief to see her not scooting anymore. Omg she was so miserable and i did not know what in the world to do for her??

I hope i can rely on the vet to feed her what's best. I hear a lot of vets do not know much about nutrition though and that makes me nervous. The vet very well may suggest something else for her to be on. All i can think of is too many food changes in a short time... and that makes me nervous.

i am so anxious to hear what the "new" vet has to say about her urinalysis.

[sadiesamie]

Ok today I was home all day with Samie and she slept most of the day. from around 11-4 she stayed up on the couch. Normally I am not home all day so I assume that she sleeps a lot. My other yorkie Sadie also was sleeping most of the day too but she did get up and sit in the same room i was in as they both normally do. but since samie was so tired and i was beginning to think that she wasn't feeling well.. I let her be and just kept checking on her.

As the day went on I could hear her tummy girgling a little. She is still having a bowel movement (2 times today) she seems to be straining a bit... but not straining and not having a bowel movement.

I know why she is probably not feeling well- changing her food Friday. i had to take her off of the pres diet she was on that contained all of that corn since it was making her scoot like mad. crying when she was scooting too. I hated to see her like that. but she did it only after she ate and going to the bathroom.

I tried to wean her off of the "bad" stuff but she was still scooting just not as bad. After talking to someone at the petstore she convinced me that Samie needed to come completely off of the food that contained corn. she gave me this powder to sprinkle on her food that would help her make the switch easier and faster. I know it sounds horrible because I know that you are supposed to gradually do the switch but if you could see Samie after she ate that horrible food... I couldn't stand to watch her anymore what it was doing for her so i did it. I took it away completely. NO more scooting... not Friday, Sat, Sun or today until just an hour ago.

I don't know what to do. She showed a little bit of excitement when my husband got home from work as she always does. she got up on to the couch and looked out the window and even barked at the kids playing outside.

but now she is back to her sitting with her head down. my husband got down and started petting her and she turned her head on him and looked sideways. He could hear her belly making noise too and he thinks (just as i do) that she is constipated and she does not feel well. the food transition was too fast for her. I called the vet and they don't have back her results yet from the urinalysis. Hopefully tomorrow I will know. Now i am so scared the vet is going to want to change her food again and all of this changing is going to really be hard on her. she still has an appetite for the canned food. but i won't give her too much. I have never felt so lost in the whole world. I have to go back to work tomorrow and i am stressing about leaving her all day alone. she has not eaten any canidae tonight.

do you think the food change is finally catching up with her? I feel awful and I don't want anyone to please think I am a horrible mommy. I am so so worried about her. I really don't know what else to do. I don't know if there is anything i can give her to calm her stomach. She was feeling so good these past couple days.

[MyFairLacy]

Raw is much better for their teeth then canned or kibble. The grain in kibble causes plaque and tarter buildup and canned food tends to be a little more sticky and sticks to their teeth causing plaque and tarter as well. Lacy had a little tarter along her gum lines around the time we stopped feeding kibble and started feeding raw. There has been no more tarter buildup at all on her teeth in the year I've fed her raw. I'm going to clean her teeth this summer just to get that small amount of tarter off because I don't think I'll have to have her teeth cleaned again since she's on raw. I do also brush her teeth once a week though - I think that is neccessary no matter what food you feed. I compare her teeth to my cat who ate kibble for years, and I had to clean her teeth at least once a year - sometimes every six months because the tarter is so bad. Kibble doesn't help clean teeth - it would be like eating a cookie or cracker and expecting it to clean your teeth - it doesn't.

I switched my older cat to canned and raw when i got my new cat who also eats canned and raw. My older cat doesn't like the raw much so I mix it with some canned and there hasn't been a problem there. So I don't think it would hurt your dog to still have some canned if you want to do that. Just make sure it's a high-quality canned food and grain-free would be best. Nature's Variety also makes some grain-free canned food (my cat eats their canned food), and Merrick makes good canned food. If the canned has grain in it, I wouldn't feed it too close to the raw for the same reasons as not mixing kibble and raw.

A lot of people are afraid of feeding their dog raw food, but dogs aren't people and have different digestive tracks than us. People weren't made to eat raw food. Bacteria in the food can make us very sick. Dogs however have a shorter digestive tract and the food doesn't stay in system as long so the bacteria doesn't have time to multiply and make it sick. Dogs in the wild always ate raw meat (animals they killed). Also, this is why your dog can eat some nasty decaying bird outside and not deathly ill. The bacteria in raw won't hurt your dog unless it is already immunocompressed and really susceptible to bacteria making it sick. Healthy dogs are just fine with the bacteria in raw. Plus with Nature's Variety, the know the food is meant to be eaten raw and they prepare it and handle it in a way that it should be safe to be eaten raw.

Here is what Nature's Variety says about raw being best:
http://www.naturesvariety.com/conten...1329KyP421FC6D

Why the bacteria in raw won't hurt your dog:
http://rawfed.com/myths/bacteria.html

Myths about raw:
http://rawfed.com/myths/bacteria.html

This is a great FAQ page: (BARF means Bones and Raw foods - another name for RAW - alot of this though is for people that mix their own raw)
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

Another FAQ about raw (might answer more questions):
http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html


Hope these help