Orijen

[k1maplewd]

I recently switched James' food from Pinnacle Duck & Potato or Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Potato to the Orijen 6 Fish Dog kibble as it has significantly less carbohyrdates and more protein than the Pinncale which is said to potentially be better for cancer dogs- low carbs, high protein.

I have to say I am way impressed with this food.  It is about $15 more per bag than the Pinnacle but wow he is digesting it a LOT better and I had always thought he was doing pretty good on the Pinnacle.  His poops are way better though and his coat looks better and his breath is better.  The only downside is I am having to feed him more to maintain his weight due to the less carbs/more protein so really in the long run it will cost me even more.  I had been giving him about 2c per day of the Pinnacle, right now he's on 3c per day of the Orijen and I may increase him since he seems rather skinny right now, more than I really want him to be considering he has cancer and will probably loose muscle mass due to that at some point soon and I want him to have a little extra weight on board for when that happens.

http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/about/ 

Just wanted to say how I like this food already and am seriously considering switching all of my dogs to it as James is doing so well on it.

[Roxie]

I'm a know-nothing about dog special nutrition neeeds. But, I'm thinking there must be kitchen stuff you could use as an additive to his diet to reduce the amount of kibble fed.  Mayo?  Honey? Eggs? Bacon grease? Cheese? Organ meats? Maybe something like they give preemies... like Nutramigen, pre-digested protein???

Are you trying to increase fats, carbs, proteins, calories, bulk to keep a full tummy????

I know my belief of keeping an extra tad of weight on my dogs met with poor response.... but I applaud you for realizing a tad extra pounds on James will be in his best interest during his fight with cancer. 

During Sara's last week of life I watched her muscle mass literally disappear in front of my eyes!!! I am thankful she had always been a tad pudgey and robust.

You are a very wonderful dog "mommy". James is a very fortunate dog to have you in his life - for life!

I care deeply
Roxie

[k1maplewd]

I want to keep low carbs and high protein Roxie as that is supposed to be good for cancer dogs.  Cancer cells I guess like to feed on carbs and sugars.  The less of those he gets the less the cancer can feed on them, the better.

So one thing I have been thinking about doing is going to the grocery store and getting some cheap hamburger or other meat to supplement with.  I just haven't had the guts to brave the supermarket since I haven't been able to go out without him.  Supermarkets are usually way over stimulating for me and difficult to get around in.  I tried a short trip to CostCo on Monday with my gram and that was way too much right now.  So for now I'm just feeding him the kibble and also some meat only canned food that I had in my closet.

Also he is allergic to chicken so can't have chicken eggs either.

Hmm, I may still have some canned fishes though in my cabinet.  I bet that would be good.  They say that fish oils high in omega-3s are good for fighting cancer too.  I think I have some sardines and possibly some other fish like mackrel.  Will have to go look....

[Roxie]

Out here in NE we have a big grocery chain (Hy-Vee) you can call them and they will get your food selections, pack them up, take your debit or credit card on the phone, and then you (or a friend) can go though drive thru and they will load them in your vehicle.

Also, you could have a friend or family member go pick up a chub of beef and you can break it down and freeze it in little baggies.

Those are some ways to get around you going to the store.

What about canned tuna or salmon? They have good protein.

Do check with the vet... you don't want to overload his kidneys with too much protein.

A small butcher shop might also be less stressful than a grocery store.

Can James eat duck eggs? You can buy those at some groceries or at a farm.

Roxie

Roxie

[Ilghaus]

Katrin, have you spoke to your vet about your adding canned tuna etc. and fish oil? I was just curious if this could be a regular addition to James' diet or if there is a max. like if daily would be too much?

[Ilghaus]

Have you ever used Prozyme for any of your dogs? I know with EPI many dogs hold their weight better. I've read that it is also good for older dogs and a list of other things.

I give Prozyme to my Karl who has EPI.

In case you don't know what Prozyme is:
"Prozyme is a combination of four highly concentrated and purified natural plant-derived enzymes (lipases, amylases, proteases, and celluloses). All ingredients are of human grade quality. PROZYME is not a drug and will not interfere with any medication or therapy. "

[k1maplewd]

They said I could give him 1-2 sardines per day.  I have used Prozyme in the past but never would have thought to use it for this.  I have some I think still I will have to go and check....

Roxie we don't have a supermarket like that that will deliver to your car or anything.  We have a market that will deliver to your house but it is more expensive.  Yes i can ask my parents or sisters to go for me, just haven't yet.

Thanks guys!!!

[k1maplewd]

My sister and mum agreed to go grocery shopping today, I am going to push myself and go with them to get the stuff J needs.  Hopefully it will ok go!  Plus I went and relooked in my basement freezer and found a bit of hamburger and some old stewbeef that was burried in the bottom so that is currently getting defrosted and he will get some of that for dinner.  Progress!

[Ilghaus]

Did you find any Prozyme? You had mentioned that you thought you may have some.

[state_of_nowhere]

I am a big fan of Orijen. I just placed an order online for my cat's food. He's getting Orijen, Merrick, Tiki, and Halo. He's eating Organix right now. If he didn't love the Halo, I wouldn't buy it. The seafood formula for cats is (in my opinion) better than the chicken, but overall the food isn't that bad.

[k1maplewd]

I do have some prozyme TJ, a brand spanking new large size bottle actually that someone gave me a while ago after they didn't want it or need it anymore. 

Last night I made a stew for him in the crock pot which he thought he had died and gone to heaven over.  lol.  totally made his night and he was thrilled to get some more today.  I have a neighbor with a big veggie garden so I am going to go over there tomorrow hopefully and ask them if they would be willing to give me the veggies that they don't want to eat or can't sell for some reason like slightly bruised or something.  Can't hurt to ask.

[Spectrum]

Orijen is a GREAT food. If I could afford it, that's what I would be feeding.

Do check with the vet... you don't want to overload his kidneys with too much protein.

As long as a dog is healthy, there really isn't such a thing as "too much" protein. Dogs can be fed all raw meaty bones
(essentially just protein) and be just fine.  It's only a problem is there's already renal insufficiency or a kidney problem.


I would definitely suggest fish oil. It's a natural anti-inflammatory and can really help with pain. This is why it's good for dogs with arthritis. It's also good for dogs with allergies for the same reason - anti-inflammatory. It's also a good antioxidant. Most dogs don't have a problem with fish oil, though sometimes dogs will get diarrhea from it for the first several days.  Vitamin E is also a great antioxidant, but check with your vet for the dosage if you want to try it.

[Ilghaus]

I like giving veggies to my dogs and of course make sure they are cooked so James can digest them. Some favorites are broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes. Some dogs love raw carrots but these are more of a treat as they can't pull the nutrients out of them as if they are cooked. My current dogs don't like raw carrots. Fruit is also good, peeled and cored apples, peaches, bananas, stawberries.

I never feed tomatoes, onions, peppers, corn, and some dogs don't do well on potatoes. With the fruit I never feed grapes / raisins.