In the next few weeks Lacey will be transitioning to two new proteins(see the New Foods for Lacey Blog) as she’s almost done with Acana Grasslands.She’s got 1.5 pounds left so that would go down pretty fast.Right now,I have got her trying Acana Wild Prairie,will have her try Acana Pacifica/Orijen Adult(80-20) to see how she does/likes it but really I think she’ll do fine regardless.Those(Acana/Orijen)would be the easiest to find for us as it’s right in town but I’d really like to see if we can find the Earthborn Holistic Coastal Coast & Solid Gold Sun Dancer first at a couple other feed stores in town.Otherwise we’ll opt for Acana/Orijen or just do Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Formula & the Rabbit formula which we’d have to go to Kailua because while we can Special Order from Naturally Pet it is one of the more expensive priced dog foods(for a 4.4 pound bag)we have ever paid for that was even made in the USA.Acana/Orijen didn’t even cost ~$20.Acana/Orijen typically go for about ~$15-18.00 for a 5.5 pound bag.But then again Rabbit is not a protein Lacey’s had before.IF it were something like Chicken/Beef/Turkey/Lamb/Duck,a protein she’s had previously that’s not really a big deal for us but a new protein not knowing how she’ll do that’s when we try to get local if possible.Although we try to buy locally as much as possible unless we can not find it on our island(Oahu)then we consider special order.
Though with Lacey I don’t make her eat one specific one.She can choose to favor both proteins,eat it weekly/every other day switch proteins/daily whatever she wants as long as she eats something but as she gets older around 7-11 years old she won’t have that freedom with raw so I let her get a little finicky now.Once we get the new proteins she’ll finish up Acana Grasslands before opening the new bags.
As for the Nature’s Variety Instinct Beef & Lamb we thought we were going to sell it but..(see the Nature’s Variety Instinct Beef & Lamb Review) feeding raw may be coming sooner than we expected.
Tag Archives: naturally pet
Lacey’s Dental Cleaning January 25 2011
Today Lacey got her first dental..Overall she did good.She breathed on her own but after she woke up she was disoriented a bit.When we went to get her the vet tech placed her in my arms and she moaned/cried a bit then she was ok.She already recognized her name.Dr Kaya sent us home with OraVet Home Care kit but we are not going to use it.It’s like a gel medicated with medical ingredients from Pfizer Animal Health that you are to put on the dog’s gums once a week.Instead we will be using PetzLife Oral Gel along with daily usage nightly we’re going to try put the gel on a q-tip once a week and apply it to the gums to see if there’s any difference.If that does not work we’re looking into other products(natural dental products)such as a spray,gel,raw meaty bones or whatever else there may be.So far we’ve tried toothbrushing with dog toothpaste,we tried Jones Natural Chews which helped her to be able to crunch biscuit like treats however she doesn’t chew it daily,tried with the petzlife oral gel,dental chews…
Dr Kaya gave us some antibiotics for Lacey but with her past history on antibiotics w/ her UTI she developed yeast infections,staph and these were times we didn’t give probiotics so this time I called VCA to be sure that was correct.It was and so we picked up FloralZymes from Naturally Pet.We’re going to give 1/2 tsp with each meal for the time she’s taking antibitotics.We may just continue that if she does well.We try not to get additional supplements unless it’s needed.
http://www.craftycreatures.com/healthypets/supplements/pf_florazyme_lp.html
The Antibiotic she was given is called ClinTabs 25 mg 1 tablet every 12 hours for 2 weeks straight on a full tummy.So that means she has to eat two meals a day which she’s not used to.She’s used to eating once a day but we are about to get a little more strict with her feeding schedule and cutting her back by half so that’s 1/16 cup a meal twice daily.
We also picked up a new bag of Orijen Adult(80-20),a bag of Acana Pacifica and a bag of Acana Wild Prairie.We still need to pick up a bag of Orijen Puppy,Orijen Reigonal Red and Orijen 6Fish(all 80-20) next time we go in a few months.
Orijen/Acana sells out at Naturally Pet on Oahu!
It is very apparent that Orijen/Acana is getting very good sales from the pet population on the island of Oahu.Couple weeks ago we went to pick up more can food & found that Naturally Pet has Orijen/Acana available there.When we picked up Orijen Adult trial bag there were still quite a bit on the shelf.Today there was bigger bags(5.5 pounds)but most of the trial bags were GONE!So,there will be another shipment next week.We picked up a few more samples/trials being Orijen Reigonal Red & Orijen Puppy.We’re going to try all the trial bags of each formula and see if we can get her regulated on some if not all with an accurate poop.That really impressed me,that Orijen/Acana sales are going that great on Oahu!
Frozen Raw Food vs Freeze Dried Raw Food Brands
Ok,so in the last post we mentioned that because Lacey is sensitive to the amount of carob,fish & lamb in her diet we decided to switch from Stella & Chewy’s.Stella & Chewy’s Beef formula is good but she didn’t like it.However her stool was good on it but the lamb formula was “absolutely loved!” by Lacey but the result was every time she had it she had soft stools..and we can’t have that!
So,I wanted something that was freeze dried till we got her more stable on eating raw food.Right now she’s only getting it a few times a week to help the Halo’s meat content(first ingredient is chicken/wild salmon which is less than what it says on the package once water is taken out).But w/the lamb sensitivity to Stella & Chewy’s which she loved…and got soft stools on it…I decided to try to keep her on freeze dried until…she got more regular meals on it..the thing w/freeze dried is you can keep it in the bag that it came in & all you do is break it up into smaller pieces & there’s no refrigeration time..no water needed though you can…BUT when the time came to buy Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried or Frozen like in the last post we mentioned about trying the lamb…we got the coupon and went down to Naturally Pet but they don’t sell it there…but they do sell the dry and can food…Now,the only other place that might have it is Bark Ave down in Hawaii Kai which is out of our way for us to travel just to get it or even check to see if they got it…..So,we had no other choice except to get Primal..one which I was sort of against from the start..not that it’s not a great food because it really is..that it’s frozen & you need to rethaw it..The good thing is it’s sold in more places in town where we live(not far to travel except a few miles<15 miles for sure)..it can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days unlike can is only up to 3 days.Odd thing is when you look it up online primal comes up less with search results vs nature's variety raw but when it comes to stores only 2 stores on Oahu SHOULD carry it and that was Naturally Pet & Bark Ave.Primal on the other hand seems it's more preferred in Hawaii.
Anyways a long story short,we got the Primal Lamb Frozen to see how Lacey will like it.I brought it in the car and she was just sniffing away at it..licking her mouth…When I showed it to her since I was going to unthaw it for her dinner, I took up all of her dry food & no treats or table food so when it comes to dinner she'll be hungry,she was licking her mouth already begging me for the piece that was to be unthawed…The result will be if she will eat it and how her bowel movements are.If both is good results we can stick with feeding her various formulas from Primal & get a card from Naturally Pet as a frequent buyer program.The other thing I like about it while it does not have L.Acid is that it's mostly organic food in the formulas.And we alredy know she loves the treats…Oh yeah the price we paid ~$32.?? with tax for a 4 pound bag.Expensive but good.The pieces are very small just one oz so it's actually better than Stella & Chewy.Stella & Chewy was $13.00 without tax for only 6 oz.
Dry Food,Raw Food,and can food…the list never seems to end…
So on dry food food Lacey obviously can’t have corn,by products,artificial colors/syrups/dyes etc..it can’t have beet/beet pulp if possible due to small breeds tear stains,she can’t have a lot of fish in any formula due to sensitivity causing soft bowels,she can’t have a lot of carob even though it’s not chocolate because it causes her to have soft bowels..kibble has to be small or she won’t touch it,ingredient list should have a good variety of meat,fruit,veggies…those with limited ingredients such as Natural Balance Can Food she will refuse it all…absolute no food with apple cider vinegar she will refuse it all…
Addiction is out because one formula has brewer’s yeast,other reasons are “limited ingredients” not enough variety for her taste but the dry food might be ok.
Sojo is out because some formulas contain carob and she’s got sensitive issues with too much carob in her diet.
Something like The Honest Kitchen Preference
We’re going to see if Nature’s Variety freeze dried is still being sold at Naturally Pet.I have seen the dry food,can food & treats but not the freeze dried since the NV Recall.If they don’t have that we’ll have to go with Primal Pet since more stores in town have it than Nature’s Variety.I’d like to use them because it’s still freeze dried till she will accept it more on a regular basis.I will look into a few others but we may end up getting one of these brands Sojo Complete Dog Food,Addiction La Porchetta or Salmon Bleu or Viva La Vension of the dry foods that they have,The Honest Kitchen Verve or Thrive or Preference,Primal(any flavor),Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Lamb or Vension-depending how Lacey does on the lamb maybe we could try the frozen lamb if Naturally Pet still sells NV Raw Food…If they do we might even try Frozen Bison,Lamb and maybe Rabbit from Nature’s Variety.It’s really what her tummy can handle & how her stools are that will help me decide what to give her.After the end of March we’ll look for a new brand for her.Depending how she reacts to the freeze dried then the frozen we might even try the kibble but the can food is out since she tried both brands & didn’t like it for the can food anyways..I am also considering a Solid Gold Grain Free Barking at the moon but if she likes the NV freeze dried/frozen/maybe kibble we might be able to try one of the grain free kibbles they have to offer….We’ll have to ask around for other dog owner’s opinions before any decisions are made on that…
Looking back at Lacey’s first year:Health and all
Name:Lacey Princess Maltipoo Akamine
Current Weight at one year old:7.11 pounds according to vet records,7.6 according to home weight
Birth Date:March 13 2009
Born:Kailua,HI
Breed:Maltese/Toy Poodle
Mom:Poodle
Dad:Maltese
Adopted:july 17 2009
Age of adoption:16 weeks old
Found on:Kijiji.com
Price:$600
Name of Vet:Dr John Kaya
Vet Hospital:VCA Animal Hospital aka VCA University Hospital
Weight at first vet visit:4.5 pounds
Dog Food:Science Diet & IAMS,Beneful Prepared Meals till December 2009
Puppy Pad Training:9 weeks
Health Issues:Yeast infection in ear,worms,UTI,Spaying(February 2010)
First Heat:November 2009
First Treats:Nutro Dog Biscuits,Pupperoni,The Goodlife Recipe treats
First Walk:November 2009
Shortest Walk:<<<than 5 minutes
Longest Walk:62 minutes on her birthday
First Time Out: December 2009
First Thanksgiving:Thanksgiving 2009:Family Dinner
First Christmas:Christmas 2009:A new top,Waggin Train
Brands of dog food we tried:Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit,Chicken Soup for the Pet lover's Soul,Wellness Super5Mix Small Breed/Super5Mix Complete Health Chicken,Halo's Spot's Stew
Current Dry Food Brands:Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit,Halo's Spot's Stew(Wholesome Chicken & Wild Salmon flavors),Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural
Brands of Can Food we tried:Natural Balance,NV Instinct & Prairie can food,Wellness Can Food then lost interest,Halo's Spot's Stew Can Food,Merricks
Current Brands of Can Food:Merricks
First introduced to Raw(Freeze Dried):January 2010
Started accepting Freeze Dried Raw:Feburary 2010
Brands we tried:Stella & Chewy till APril 2010 then we'll be switching to Nature's variety Freeze Dried
First Freeze Dried Raw Treat:Primal Pet Turkey Liver(A birthday present)
Organic Treats she's tried:Trader Joe's,Waggin' Train,No Grainers
First Boarding Facilities we considered:Di Ventus Dog Hotel & Spa
First Boarding Facilities we looked at:The Ohana Doggie Day Care,Pets in the city
First Starts understanding people conversations:7-8 months old
First Command:SIT
Commands she knows:sit,stay,don't move,time out,sit & stay,shake paw/hand,"eat",hi5,shake your tail,down aka sit,lay down,kiss,learning roll over,"wait",inside,outside,table manners at the table
Uses Common Sense while walking:About 8-9 months old
Checks for cars like a human(right,left,right,left,center,then walk)about 10 months-1 year old
Goes outside for afternoon poop:December 2009-learned by example of aunty's dogs
Vaccinations:Distemper,Parvo,Lepto
First Carrier:casual Canine
First Crate:Pet Mate Kennel Cab
Characteristics:A definite mix of Maltese/Toy Poodle.Brains of the poodle.Looks of a maltese.eyes are poodle.Loves to play.Loves to sample food
Types of food she tried:Mexican,Italian,Japanese,Chinese
Favorite Fast Food:KFC chicken skin
Shops we shop at:Naturally Pet,Halo’s Purely for Pets,The Pet Spot,Kalihi Pet Store
Misc:Also tried Hartz Oinkies
Able to climb steps:10-11 months old
First Shampoo;Sergent’s Puppy Shampoo
Current Shampoo:Halo’s Cloud Nine Herbal Shampoo/Earthbath Shampoo
Grooming:Cardinal Pet Gold Metal Pets Unicoat Professional Spray
Feburary 17 2010:Shopping around for Lacey!
Today was a day of shopping for Lacey…We went to Naturally Pet to get more Stella & Chewy’s for Lacey.But when we got there(Monday)I didn’t realize that I had bought the one for cats and not DOGS!It was my understanding from the Stella & Chewy’s website that it’s for dogs.I never knew they made it for cats too!Good thing I checked before we opened it!We went back & got one that’s ok for dogs from Stella & Chewy’s.
We also went to True Friends then to the Pet Spot to get some boots for Lacey from Guardian Gear but as I suspected it wasn’t going to work because of the size then the velcro she managed to get it off.We ended up returning both to True Friends & The Pet Spot and got the Pawz Dog Boots.
We went back to True Friends & picked up Pawz Dog Boots.Measured her paw and it was 1 1/4″.After her spaying she didn’t use it.We still have it & will be saving it for the future.
Shopping around for Lacey!
Today was a day of shopping for Lacey…We went to Naturally Pet to get more Stella & Chewy’s for Lacey.But when we got there(Monday)I didn’t realize that I had bought the one for cats and not DOGS!It was my understanding from the Stella & Chewy’s website that it’s for dogs.I never knew they made it for cats too!Good thing I checked before we opened it!We went back & got one that’s ok for dogs from Stella & Chewy’s.
We also went to True Friends then to the Pet Spot to get some boots for Lacey from Guardian Gear but as I suspected it wasn’t going to work because of the size then the velcro she managed to get it off.We ended up returning both to True Friends & The Pet Spot and got the Pawz Dog Boots.
Lacey’s results on raw food so far…
of canned & about half a patty of Stella & Chewy’s so far her results are amazing!!compared to last week when I had her on Halo’s,Merricks canned…Halo’s defiantly gives her more energy than SG Just a Wee Bit but she even wants to play at night about 9,10:00pm(HST)at night.Before only on Halo’s dry food and Merricks Canned Food she didn’t have this much energy.Not only that her stool is definatly more firm & dry opposed to being on only Halo & canned food(Merricks)was firm & slightly soft but despite still getting Halo’s,Merricks Canned Food & Raw her stool is STILL firm,good color & a lot more dry looking.Results are amazing so far & can’t wait to see how she does within months ahead of her health status…Should be a interesting journey….She’ll be getting dry food(Halo’s),various canned food,homemade food every so often,table/people food & various forms of raw(dehydrated & freeze dried raw) of various brands(Stella & Chewy’s-since it’s close by,Primal Pet-when we go to Whole Food to pick up Halo’s and possibly Sojo or Addiction for dehydrated)
Naturally Pet starting to sell Halo products??
Today when we went to Naturally Pet to look for some chew toys for Lacey I glanced around and noticed that they did carry some Halo products.A couple items we saw were:Halo’s Spot’s Stew Wholesome Beef(canned),Halo’s Spot’s Stew Wholesome Chicken(Canned),Halo’s Spot’s Stew Salmon(canned),Halo’s Cloud Nine Herbal Shampoo,and at least two Liv a Little treats.The last time we went we didn’t see any of these Halo products but that’s good they are carrying some items now.Maybe other people were starting to request more Halo products brought to the islands..Now only,if they can carry the dry food of Halo’s & a larger variety of Wellness we wouldn’t have to shop all around town…
