# Dogs...Wellness dog food question



## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

Not going into a long story, but... My dogs were seeing one Vet and not doing well.  The 12 year old Min Pin was on weight control Rx food.  She was falling apart..bald spots, sores, limping and lots of other things I won't go into. The old Vet kept saying it was allergies and gave allergy meds.  Took her to a new Vet and she was diagnosed with Cushings Disease.   I was, of course, furious that the first Vet was such a loser but I got over it and just want to do the best for Molly, (Yes, the name I use on the boards is her name).  The new Vet has her on Trilostane.  She is still having monthly exams and tests to get the meds to the appropriate levels.  We think she is showing a little improvement.  The new Vet is not the kind to push selling the food from her office and just said to put her on a good senior diet.  Since she is so debilitated we want her to have the very best nutrition possible.  We did some research and decided to try Wellness.  Molly will eat anything, she has a food issue, she can't get enough, so we have to control her portions.  Trixie, (the Chihuahua), has the opposite food issue it is hard to find something she will eat.  They both seem to like the Wellness.  ( Trixie was also on Rx food from the old Vet that the new one thinks is not needed)  So...after the long story my question is does anyone else use Wellness food and what do you think of it?  Or is there something else you use for your dog and recommend?  I warned you it was a long story but you all are Kindlers so you read fast  .


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

Sorry about Molly's diagnosis but the good thing is Cushings can be controlled quite well.  I've never fed Wellness to my dogs but I did try it on my cats, they didn't do so well on it, it seemed to be a bit too rich and thier poos were stinky and oily.  I do buy Wellness treats for the dogs and they love them.

As far as dog food goes I feed 2 kinds.  One basset has liver disease and he's on Merrick Campfire Trout, he loves it and does quite well on it.  My other two are currently eating Heathwise by Natura Pet which is the company that makes Innova.  I'm very happy with the Natura products and my dogs have always done well on it.  I used to feed the Innova but switched to Healthwise since it's less expensive but just as good quality.

I am not a fan of most precription diets since the majority are made by Science Diet and in my opinion the ingredients list is horrible.  I'll admit that I'm a pet food snob and am very careful with what I feed my dogs and cats, my personal approved pet food list is a very short one.  That said I think Wellness is a good food, my cats just didn't do well on it so they're now on Natural Balance and are doing great.  

One thing you can do to help your min pin with her weight is to add some green beans to her food.  You can use canned, frozen or fresh.  If canned get the low to no sodium and rinse well, frozen can be thawed and fed as is and fresh should be pulverized in a food processor.  The beans will help her feel more satisfied without adding the extra calories.  Of course, you can use other veggies but the green beans are pretty cheap and easy.


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

Hi, I'm very sorry to hear about molly. I don't know about the wellness food for dogs. Gave it to the cat but had to find something else (pellets were too small causing the cat to over eat and throw up). My mom has a 14 year old pit mix that is falling apart but refuses to give up  . Anyway they found out she is allergic to everything under the sun and has issues with all kinds of food. Anyway my mom feeds Lucy Dick Van Pattens Sweet Potato and Salmon. Lucy has done much better on this food. No preservatives no fillers and it has fish oil in it which is good for dogs.

I have since transferred both my dogs to this food and they are doing well on it. I also give them 2 fish oil capsules a day. Good for joints and heart. Also if your dog has been on lots of antibiotics you will need to add in a prebiotic to rebuild the good bacteria in her system. One I use for both cat and dogs is OptaGest. It has really helped them all to better digest their foods.

theresam


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

Buttercup, my cat is on a uninary track food that makes him smell horrible when he goes. I've added a prebiatic and now I don't notice when he goes anymore. Unfortunately with him I can not change the type of food as he has a bad case of developing crystals but song worked much better than wellness cept for the horrible smell when he used the bathroom. Me and the dogs want to run out of the house after he goes. But the prebiotics stopped that. 

Molly, 
You can as lo used boiled/baked chicken for protein to keep the weight up. Just NO bones. I was told this was better for their teeth than canned wet dog food. 

theresam


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

The prebiotics sound great but I have one very picky cat, he refuses to eat anything but kibble so I'm not sure I could get it down him.  He's going to be 14 next month so if all he wants is kibble that's fine by me but I would like it if he'd eat a bit of canned or fresh chicken once in a while.  Fortunately I've not had any problems with crystals.


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

Buttercup said:


> The prebiotics sound great but I have one very picky cat, he refuses to eat anything but kibble so I'm not sure I could get it down him. He's going to be 14 next month so if all he wants is kibble that's fine by me but I would like it if he'd eat a bit of canned or fresh chicken once in a while. Fortunately I've not had any problems with crystals.


I use seafood canned food for my cat. He gets 1/2 can (very tiny can) each night with the prebiotic in it and he scarfs it down. Salmon is really good for them if he'll eat that type wet. It's got the Omega fish oils that are very good for them (well all of us LOL)

my cat will only eat chicken if he steals it off my plate. If I put a piece on the floor for him he walks away LOL.

theresam


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

Yeah, Andy will seriously not eat anything but his kibble.  He turns his nose up at any and everything else and tries to bury it.  My almost 2 yr old will eat almost anything.


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

Buttercup said:


> Yeah, Andy will seriously not eat anything but his kibble. He turns his nose up at any and everything else and tries to bury it. My almost 2 yr old will eat almost anything.


hmmmm, maybe he suspects your trying to poisen him <ggggg>

theresam


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## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

Thanks everyone.  I tried the Dick VanPatten Duck and Potato for Molly a couple of months ago.  She loved it and seemed to do well but she gained weight...it has a lot of calories  . Even though she is sick, she still has a weight problem exacerbated by the Cushings.  That is why I tried Wellness, we are trying the whitefish and sweet potato after talking to the customer rep at Wellness they recommend that one for dogs with Cushings for the increased protein and less allergy problems.  I appreciate all the feedback because if this does not work out I will have some other ideas to try.


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## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

Buttercup said:


> Yeah, Andy will seriously not eat anything but his kibble. He turns his nose up at any and everything else and tries to bury it. My almost 2 yr old will eat almost anything.


That is what Trixie does. If she does not like something she pushes it around with the top of her nose and tries to bury it in a towel, blanket, furniture...you name it. Then she looks at me like I must be crazy if I think she is going to eat whatever it is. Sometimes she rubs her nose raw pushing stuff around with it.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

The Cushings definately makes them eat more and gain weight so hopefully once you get her levels under control her weight will even out.


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

Ooops I thought you were trying to keep her weight up. Guess I didn't pay attention. With Abby who was 20lbs over weight I just kept reducing the amount I gave her and had her weighed weekly to make sure she was loosing weight but not to fast and to see if I needed to reduce more. I just kept reducing the amount until she started loosing weight.

But then again Abby was 80 lbs and I had to get her to 60lbs so I had a lot of play in the amount of food. Now Hailey on the other hand. She gets 1/4 cup 2 times a day and she is 15 lbs. Luckily no weight gain but if so I'd have to give her a little less but don't have much less that I could go lol.

you may have already tried that. I tried the same with my cat but cant get him to budge under 20 and the vet finally gave up and told me to quite worrying about it with him but he's only got the urinary issue.

theresam

forgot to add, she's a food driven dog and eats everything in site. She acted like she was always hungry and went out and started eating her poo to supplement (eeewwww) so I added pieces of chicken to pack in the protein not calories and reduced her food a tad more but it worked. she stopped eating poo to supplement and lost the 20lbs.


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## crosj (Nov 8, 2008)

I have a 17 year old dog who has cushings.  Sometimes the cure is worse then the illness so we deceided not to treat.  Having said that, Buster has been on Wellness for a couple of years (actually all my dogs are on wellness dry).  He is very healthy for a 17 year old and the side effects from the Cushings (thirst, peeing, etc) has not reared its beasty head.  He sleeps alot and is happy and always eager to eat his treats and dinner.  Yes wellness is a great food for our furry faced friends.  One of my other dogs had itching problems and after being on wellness for a couple of weeks all signs of hot spots and itching stopped.


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## JetJammer (Jan 18, 2009)

My two have been on Wellness Chicken since they were pups, and do well on it.  Keeps a beautiful coat on them.  They do have a tendency toward a *soft* stool, something the vet says is probably their diet.  It's never caused a problem and vet says it's not abnormal or unhealthy but is a bit more difficult to pickup the yard


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

When my cat had a urinary problem (permanent) she was on a prescription urinary diet that she did not like at all. I switched her to Wysong urinary and it worked great. She liked it and never had a problem with crystals again. I haven't used Wellness but if it works for your dog, go for it!


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Thanks for the idea about green beans - I have a 3 year old rescue that eats everything in sight.  I can get fresh green beans easily and will see how that does for him.  The other 3 year rescue like paper, plastic, anything that is not good for her, but she eats when she should and not all the time.  May try the green beans for her also.  I tend to buy them and forget to cook for DH and end up throwing them away - so watch out furbabies here comes the greens


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## Wheezie (Oct 28, 2008)

I fed my dogs Wellness for years and I think it is an excellent food. I have recently switched them to "Blue" brand and their coats have never been better. I think Blue is heavier on the fats. There is no "best" food. Dogs are like people and they respond differently. I would not hesitate to try either one.
Wheezie


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## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

We had Molly to the Vet yesterday for her blood tests.  I had them look at her skin while she is there because she is getting some more bumps/baldspots.  The doctor said it is allergies that turn into little infected spots because the Cushings makes them more prone to infection.  I tried the Wellness fish and potato but it did not work out.  We are putting her back on the Dick Van Patten duck and potato.  She likes it and it agrees with her, we'll just have to give her a little less.  Doctor also gave her antihistamine and antibiotics to clear up the spots she has now.  For all of her troubles you would think she would be down, but she is getting back to her old self.  (She never was very active, eating and napping were always her favorite activities but she does seem happier again.)


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## luvshihtzu (Dec 19, 2008)

First, I have run a small dog rescue for over 20 years and have had 5 or 6 dogs with Cushing's Disease come through.  After the first couple of Cushing's dogs, we quit the treatments because the meds and constant blood work were worse than the disease.  The dogs were so sick from the medications.  To be very blunt, they are going to die within a couple of years, no matter what you do, so we stopped the meds and kept them until they were no longer comfortable.  Then they were euthanized. Many, many tears were shed and my anger is still aimed at the people who dumped the ill dogs at the shelters in the first place.
We have always fed Iams or Eukanuba.  Our dogs have done well on these foods.  Innovia (or Innova) is a superb dog food if you can find it where you live.  Many years ago I had raised a couple of litters of kittens and the Science Diet kitten foods actually made them sick and scrawny looking.  We have stayed away from Science Diet since then.
My best wishes for you and your dogs.
luvshihtzu


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## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

Luvshihtzu,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Cushings.  We too were afraid of treating.  The new medication,Trilostane, does not have as many side affects as the old meds did.  But...if she seems to be suffering we will stop this and let her go peacefully.  Molly is 12.5 years old and has had a good run.  The Trilostane has eased the symptoms so far and she seems happier.  Before the med she was exhibiting the classic symptoms, drinking too much, urinating excessively, panting etc, but we were most concerned by the depression...going off in dark rooms to be alone and whining.  She now is pretty much back to her old (lazy) self...wanting to be with us, getting brushed, sitting in the chair with her dad and teasing the Chihuahua, begging one of us to take a nap with her, LOL.  We will just try to make what time she has left as good as possible for her.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't agree that all dogs with Cushings will die within a few years.  My mom is on her 2nd cushings dog and has not found that to be the case at all.  In fact, the first one lived to a ripe old age and the current one is well on her way and doing great on her meds.


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## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

Buttercup,
Thanks for sharing your positive experience with Cushings.  It is very heartening to hear someone has had good results with medication.  Molly is doing much better already.  We hope she continues to do well, only time will tell.  For now she is happy.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

You're welcome.  Yes, my moms dogs have had great results with the meds.  They were and are on Anipryl.

I myself have a basset with liver disease, we've been controlling it successfully with meds, supplements and dietary changes for the past 2 1/2 years.  Hopefully he will continue to do well.  He's just 6 yrs old.


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## Abby (Feb 7, 2009)

We use Wellness dry (and occasionally wet) for our dog.  We started off on the regular and then switched her to the weight control because our dog isn't that active (when DH works nights she sleeps with me all night and when he comes home she sleeps with him all day).  We tried the Wellness wet cat and kitten food but both of our cats turned their noses up at it (we only feed wet cat food).


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## luvshihtzu (Dec 19, 2008)

Mollyb52,
It sounds like you have made your dogs life better than it was.  At the time we were treating Cushing's, it all was going downhill.  The new meds are obviously making a difference for your baby and the treatment is worth it.  Glad you switched vets.

We still have one biting Chihuahua left in our rescue. Tidbit will only let my husband and myself hold and pet her.  We try to avoid the vets office as she has to be muzzled for the entire visit. Must be why she ended up in the shelter where she tried to kill all the technicians except one.  We are thankful for the one tech, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to come home with us.

How much is the cost for the new Cushings Meds? How much does your dog weigh?

luvshihtzu


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## Mollyb52 (Jan 4, 2009)

Luvshihtzu,
Molly is doing well on the new med, she weighs about 12 pounds.  It is called Trilostane and the Vet has to get it from a compounding pharmacy in Arizona, (we live in Calif.).  At the dose she is on now it is $100 a bottle  and that will last 60 days.  We were happy with that because we thought it might be a lot more.  The tests are quite expensive and she has them monthly while we are getting the dose figured out, but after that the testing will only be periodic.  Because you love and rescue dogs I am sure you know how we feel, Molly trusts us to take care of her and make all the bad things go away.  In return she gives us absolute unconditional love.  

Tidbit must have been badly abused to be so aggressive.  My mom had a Cairn Terrier that was like that at the Vets.  She was only comfortable with family.  When she passed away at a ripe old age my mom cried and said "at least she isn't scared anymore", and it was true she was scared her whole life from the abuse she suffered before my mom got her.  She had to be muzzled at the Vets to.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

My Lhasa, Harley, is allergic to wheat and the wheat free foods are hard to find... Wheat free treats are even more scarce! He also has seasonal allergies much like mine and I always know when my allergies are acting up, his are too. I have allergy meds for him, but I really hate to give them to him as they make him so lethargic. He will be 9 in May and my constant companion. I have never seen this Wellness food, but would be willing to try it if it helped him with the itching. When his allergies are bad, he chews and licks his feet until his pads are raw.


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

My dog Rin (my avatar) has allergies and is overweight. He was having problem breathing when taking a walk so we asked the Vet and done some testing. We've been told he has to lose weight and control his diet otherwise his heart won't be able to take it. And with is allergies, the Vet suggested Blackwood 5000 so we've been giving him this food. This dry is made with catfish and catfish is suppose to be good for your health too. We are giving him BLACKWOOD Lamb & Rice Treats also. He seems to be doing good. His skin problem is gone for now. He is on diet so he lost some weight but he seems constantly hungry... feel so bad for him.


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## Sienna_98 (Jan 26, 2009)

Angela, you might want to try Harvey on a grain-free dog food, as it may be more than just wheat that he's allergic to.  I'm currently feeding Taste of the Wild, but there are several brands that carry grain-free varieties.  There are also foods that are labeled L.I.D. (limited ingredient diet) which are also recommended for dogs with allergies, especially when you're not sure what they are allergic to.

Good luck to all.

Kerri


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## sharyn (Oct 30, 2008)

There are many grain-free pet foods at http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/. I recently rescued a 4yo cat who came with crap kibble and have switched her to Serengeti brand grain-free kibble in preparation to finding enough time to switch her over to raw. She seems to be very interested in my dog's raw food, so maybe it won't be too difficult. Anyhow, she's doing well on this kibble.

Sharyn


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks Shizu, Kerri & Sharyn for the wheat/grain free suggestions.


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