FDA alerts consumers, vets to watch dogs for hyperthyroidism

[tanza]

@JaxxnBeer - As you have most likely heard in the past that if you change foods, do it slowly or they will get tummy upsets... However by switching your food sources often (I do every 3 to 4 weeks) you don't have to worry... they get used to the different foods so change is not a problem. Think of it this way... suppose you feed Brand X... and there is a recall .... but you have only every fed Brand X.... now you must change foods.... since only used to one kind, can be a difficult change.
I switch between Fromms (Surf & Turf), Natural Balance, Fromms Grain Free Game Bird, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free, and some others, but all Grain Free. I also have never used puppy food.... my pups get adult food grain free.

[DebraDownSouth]

Thanks Pat. Saved me typing!

I also believe dogs have an enriched life by variety... they get a few bites of anything I am eating that isn't bad for them (okay , nor lobster.. I rarely get it and I'm not sharing!). My dogs never have issues with food changes because they get a wide variety. And like Pat, I have never and will never use puppy food.

[JaxxnBeer]

@tanza wow never used puppy food...it's not bad for them is it?

[DebraDownSouth]

@JaxxnBeer Growing too fast can product joint and other problems.

[tanza]

@JaxxnBeer - Nope not bad for them, just not needed... good quality kibble grain free has more than enough protein for them... mine have always eaten the same as the adults.

And contrary to popular opinion about feed them people food... mine love all veggies, raw or steamed, especially root veggie.... love salad and we grow tomatoes in the summer, they go nuts for tomatoes... they get a tablespoon of yogurt everyday (plain) right off the spoon... LOL. In fact, my Basenjis eat more healthy then I do for sure.... As Debra said, if I eat it... they can eat it too.....

You can see some of the pics on Tanza Basenjis facebook page eating their salad! I don't post pics here, sorry. It is the opinion of the forum owner that if you post pics they then belong to them... I don't agree to that... so pics of my kid can be found on my website or facebook under Tanza Basenjis or Pat Fragassi.

[wizard]

Even though a brand might say it always has this particular list of ingredients and those ingredients provide a certain health benefit, it's still good to switch around now and then so as to get other ingredients mixed in (in other words, sometimes you feed a salmon-based kibble, other times you feed a lamb-base meal, etc.).
However, I did see an article in the Basenji Club newsletter that serving consistently high-protein (over 32% I believe) kibbles over a long time can cause kidney issues in basenjis. So another reason to switch between brands or flavors.

[tanza]

@wizard - I think that there are different schools of thought on that subject (protein)

[DebraDownSouth]

@wizard
Do you have the article? Or the name of it?

First, even people who feed raw still aren't feeding 100 percent protein. Most add in other stuff. But a whole chicken (skin and meat) is only 40 percent protein. Meat only is 60 percent.

Obviously you have to define "high protein." But if 30 or under, research for the last 30 yrs has pretty much shown the opposite. Even with dogs who already have renal issues they don't support going too low.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3702209
These results do not support the hypothesis that high protein feeding had a significant adverse effect on either renal function of morphology in dogs with 75% nephrectomy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1941208
These results do not support the hypothesis that feeding a high protein diet had a significant adverse effect on renal function or morphology.

The more in depth studies can make your head explode. Depends on the dog that is sick, depends on diet BEFORE kidney disease. But they don't note if they are doing any control for quality of the meat source... which other studies indicate are a major part.
http://todaysveterinarypractice.navc.com/acvn-nutrition-notesnutritional-management-of-chronic-kidney-disease-in-cats-dogs/

Protein quality:
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/outreach/Pet-Health-Topics/categories/diseases/chronic-kidney-disease-and-failure

Feeding of a kidney diet is usually recommended. Kidney diets contain less protein compared to other diets and the protein is high in quality. It is protein in the diet that is converted to waste products that the kidneys must remove in the urine. The higher the quality of the protein in the diet, the less wastes created for the kidneys to eliminate. Low quality protein requires the kidneys remove more wastes. which makes them work harder. Egg and meat contain higher quality protein; cereal grain protein is of lower quality which leads to more wastes for the kidneys to eliminate. <<

For healthy dogs:
Pet Food Safety: Dietary Protein by Dorothy LaFlamme, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVN
"Summary and Conclusions: Based on a comprehensive review, there remains no evidence that dietary protein causes kidney damage, or any other adverse effects, in healthy dogs. Even in dogs with chronic kidney disease, dietary protein does not appear to contribute to kidney damage. However, in chronic kidney disease, there can be an accumulation of byproducts of protein metabolism, which may contribute to uremic signs. Hence, in those patients, dietary protein restriction may be of benefit. On the other hand, dietary protein is important to support normal protein turnover and maintain lean body mass. Healthy, aging dogs have an increased requirement for dietary protein. When insufficient protein is provided it can aggravate the age-associated loss of lean body mass and may contribute to earlier mortality. Unless medicatlly indicated, intake of dietary protein should not be restricted."

But things I find agree that much over 30 percent may be more than a dog can normally handle.

[wizard]

The article I refered to was published in the BCOA Bulletin, 2014 vol 49 no. 3.
Cystinuria (particular form of bladder stone formation) can be affected by diet in basenjis per study done at the University of Minnesota and University of Pennsylvania:

"...70% of those dogs [basenjis with cystine stones] were being fed ultra-high protein kibble, conatining 33% protein and up. When diet was altered to a more modest protein level and additional moisture was added to their food, most of these dogs did not block again."

[DebraDownSouth]

@wizard

Thanks, I'll look for it. My basenji died from kidney disease, but she was never on more than 27 percent protein, had serious autoimmune issues, and steroids from the time she was 4.