Special Diet Dog Food - Do You Make Your Own?

I think we've exhausted this topic.

The commercial diets have been tested and proved to work (in most cases, not all), whether or not you like the manufacturer or what's in it. Any other approach could work, but also could not resulting in more discomfort, disease and expense.

rockhillmanor wrote:
And you don't think Hills CD has any meat derived phosphorus in it?:?

Don't act like you're stupid, Hills measured how much phosporus they put into their dog food formula to obtain the desired daily intake to prevent stone formation but within a healthy level. You just increased it to an unkown amount by adding more with your liver paste.

And you don't think Hills CD has any meat derived phosphorus in it?:?

Unless the dog is fed strictly a VEGAN diet there is going to be phosphorus. MayoClinic: "Nearly every food contains some phosphorus. As a general rule, foods high in protein are also high in phosphorus. ..."

Lowering the phosphorus intact is the goal unless you DO go completely vegan on the pet. Depending on the size of the dog a teaspoon of liver or even less and a teaspoon of the current food removed is a moot point only it gets the dog to eat the prescribed diet.

Won't even go into all what is in this dog food.
Hill's Prescription Diet C/D Urinary Tract Health Dry Dog Food

Ingredients: Whole grain corn, pork fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), chicken by-product meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, soybean mill run, chicken liver flavor, lactic acid, calcium sulfate, soybean oil, flaxseed, iodized salt, l-lysine, choline chloride, dicalcium phosphate, vitamins (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), vitamin E supplement, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement), vitamin E supplement, taurine, potassium chloride, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), preserved with mixed tocopherols & citric acid, phosphoric acid, beta-carotene, rosemary extract

To the OP:
Since your dog does have serious life threatening recurrent problems with this I WOULD go vegan. At least to see if you can stop them from developing. There are MANY freeze dried vegan diet dog foods available that I think would be a great route for you to go. Easy for you and healthy and tasty for your pet.

I'll find the links for you. Take a trip to a specialty dog food store those people that run those are a book of knowledge regarding the new freeze dried vegan dog foods. I've heard nothing but good things about these foods.

I guess one good thing on these special foods from the vet is that you can take back anything that you cannot use.

So we can try them all if need be and not get stuck with food we can't use.

Since she did not like the Hills SD food, we will not use Hills for the change to the CD maintenance food.

We will try the Royal Canin.

I looked into the nutritionist website. I think that would be a last resort. The idea is that they talk to your doctor so they know that they are getting the correct information about your dog's needs, and then they send you one recipe for a dog food you can make yourself. The recipe alone is $250. No money back guaranty. Like I said, only as a last resort.

rockhillmanor wrote:
Boil some cut up liver slices with fresh garlic in the water. Mash it all up into a paste and store in container in fridge. You only have to add one teaspoon to what ever food you need them to eat and stand back.

Since liver is listed as a natural source of phosphorus (in the form of phosphate), how much will your liver mash add to the diet? Struvite stone control involves strict intake control of magnesium, phosphate, and ammonium.

Three ounces of pan-seared beef liver has more than 410 milligrams.

source: Is Phosphorus in Meat?

3.5oz of boiled chicken liver has 405mgs of phosphorus
3.5oz of boiled turkey liver has 294mgs of phosphorus
3.5oz of liverwurst spread has 230mgs of phosphorus
3.5oz of braized pork liver has 241mgs of phosphorus
3.5oz of brazed lamb liver has 420mgs of phosphorus

source: Health·Alicious·Ness.com: Nutrition Facts

JRS & B wrote:
But she really does not like this stuff. I took my eye off her for one minute today and she was into our other dog's food.

Since being slack here could lead to another surgery I strongly suggest you feed your dogs in separate secure locations (like crates) for a specified amount of time. Once the time is up take up both food bowls and let the dogs loose. Since your dog likes to eat (has not been a picky eater) it will likely accept the special diet if it does not have other options. You can try other brands of food, but in the end the other dog's food will likely be tastier than the special diet and as long as it can get into the tastier food it will not accept the special diet.

Last year I almost lost my dog. The whole vicious cycle of meds to save him, meds that were killing him and add to that won't eat the only food that would save him. :R:R

Boil some cut up liver slices with fresh garlic in the water. Mash it all up into a paste and store in container in fridge. You only have to add one teaspoon to what ever food you need them to eat and stand back.

Haven't met one dog yet that doesn't like that stuff. Brought back many dogs from the brink of death with liver and garlic mash stirred into any food they won't eat and need to!

JRS & B wrote:
I can only assume that they had these suggestions at their fingertips because we are not the only ones with a dog that thinks this is strange stuff.

:B Good assumption

We have a couple things. They started us with Hill's Science Diet.

This food (in a can, not dry) has no substance. I am guessing it is mostly water. The texture, if you want to call it that, is something like solidified bacon grease.

It also has little aroma. They suggested we microwave it for a few seconds. This isn't to warm it. This is to bring out some smell.

They also gave us the cat version of the same stuff. They said it had more smell to it and to put a thin layer of the cat version over the dog version.

I can only assume that they had these suggestions at their fingertips because we are not the only ones with a dog that thinks this is strange stuff.

Often times you can use top dressing items that add flavor without substantially changing the composition. Think broth or other flavorings. They may have sodium, but that's probably not a significant issue. Checking the pH of the urine after the surgery and infection is cleared and diet has been used would give a clue as to whether or not it's a problem.

I've had some patients that just refused to eat the correct diet. We found something (a diet somewhat better than what was previously being fed) "better than doing nothing" and supplemented Vit C or Methionine in an effort to acidify the urine

It seems like this problem tends to recur without some type of dietary or medical intervention. The "worst" patient I had had surgery 5 times.