Diet

Question
QUESTION: My yorkie("Cricket")has recently been dx with diabetes. We are still trying to regulate her blood sugar. I need help with a good well balanced diet that I can make at home for her.  I also have 3 other dogs that I want to start cooking for.  Cricket is 12yrs old and weighs 8lbs (she is a bigger yorkie) the other dogs are Aussie 13yrs (40lbs), yorkie 12yrs (8lbs), yorkie/pom mix 7yrs (5lbs).
I have always fed free choice out of one bowl,so I am not sure even how much food each dog should receive?
Can one dog food recipe serve everyone? Do the others need something Cricket cannot have?  How many calories is she allowed?  
I have to do something to get her blood sugar under control.
My vet is working with me to regulate it,but she admits she does not know that much about nutrition. She was not even sure how many calories I should be shooting for.
She seemed to think that consistency in feeding times and testing will eventually get us there. However I want to get there the fastest way possible with the best outcome for my Cricket.
I have always fed a high quality dog food (in my opinion as uneducated as it has turned out to be) Nutro Max - maxium weight control. It certainly is not a cheap food, however I have recently found out just how bad most commercial food is!  I am done with them and I will be the head chef at the doggy stampede in our house from now on and I will know for sure what they are eating.
If you could share some of your knowledge with me on this subject, I would truly appreciate it.   Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Vicki - Yes, I would love to help you.  If you want to still use a commercial dog food the Innova brand is wonderful... Also Wellness Core is a great Holistic dog food.  The two brands can be purchased at any pet store.  
Here are some choices for you -

The first choice is the above - Innova EVO ( grain free ) or the Wellness Core ( grain free) - You would be mixing your old food and the new food x 3 weeks. Do you still have the Old food???
Do a 50/50 mix of the new food and the old food.

If you go this route, I can tell you how much to feed each dog.  Also, we can add some green beans to the dog food and a few other veggies and supplements....


The other option is to cook for all the dogs.  I can give you some easy recipies to make for them.  Also, you will need to add a number of supplements and oils into the foods.  You can cook just once per week and freeze all the meals.  

Let me know which one you want to take on???

As far as the diabetes, is she on insulin injections?
What were her blood sugar levels after fasting?
Did the vet explain the results to you?

Thanks



Marie Peppers, LPN MA
Canine Nutrition & Health

Ingredients of Dog Food - I can Help!
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Marie specializes in nutrition and alternative sources of health care such as acupuncture and homeopathy.

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---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have tried to find the dog foods you told me about. I only have one pet store available to me Petco and they do not carry either food.  I will have to look at resources online.  They do carry a Blue Buffalo as well as a few others that say they are organic....  but .... I don't trust the dog food companies anymore!! They lie!!!!  I really would like to find a dry dog food for them that i could just supplement as you say above.  It would be easier when I have to leave them with someone else to watch.  
However, I would love to have an easy recipe that they could all eat and I could make at home.
My vet has told me I need to keep dry food available to Cricket at all times, because if her blood sugar is dropping she will go and eat.  So I will order the food online to keep down?  But I would also like to cook for them as well.  
I know that I do have to gradually change them over.  
Please advise, do I need to just do the dry food with veggie supplements or the homecooked food or combo of both????

ANSWER: Update below ;   Thanks for ordering the NuVET Plus for all 4 of your doggie kids!!!

Ok - I wish you could get the Evo at least for your Cricket girl. Here is the link for Innova Evo
http://www.evopet.com/

Also, it is a good idea to have the NuVET Plus for at least little Cricket... Remember NuVET needs to be ordered on line:
http://www.nuvet.com/81098  ( breeder's code 81098 for ordering)

Here is a few home made doggie foods:
This is the Hawaii Pet Chef - You can get some info here for free:

http://www.petchefhawaii.com/homefeeding.htm


Blue Buffalo is a fairly good food... I wonder if Natural Balance would be better?  Can you get that brand at the local pet store...


Let me know how she ( all of them) do on the new food and NuVET??

Talk to you soon.

Marie Peppers


FOLLOW UP;

GLAD TO SEE YOU ORDERED THE NU VET PLUS WAFERS!!!

YOU CAN PUT CRICKET ON 2 PER DAY....IT WON'T HURT HER AT ALL - VERY SAFE... THE OTHER BIG KID CAN BE ON 2 TO 2 1/2 PER DAY.
AND THE TWO OTHERS CAN BE ON 1 PER DAY OR 1 1/2 PER DAY... DEPENDS ON HOW BAD THE SKIN, COAT, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM IS WITH EACH DOGGIE.

I can't wait to hear how they love the NuVET!!!!
I can't wait to see the changes in each dog!!!
Let me know..


Marie Peppers

Pet Chef
Nutrition Expert / Ask A VET
All Experts...


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Marie,
I received the Nu Vet plus and today is their 3rd day on it.  They all like it but the little guy. I crushed his up and mixed with a little food and it worked better. I will keep you advised on how they do.

Also I have found a source for the EVO foods about 30 miles from me.  I will start them on it in a week.

I would like to start giving Cricket (the diabetic) daily doses of "broad spectrum cinnamon"  I understand that is reacts in the body just like insulin and can aid greatly in the control of sugar.
Can you help me with the dosage of this?
         Thank you so much,
         Vicki

Answer
Hi Vicki- Yes, glad to see you have the NuVET Plus - 99% of the dogs will take it like a treat.  Sometimes we do have to break it up in 4-5 tiny bites and place it in some food or cottage cheese... Be creative and hide it...

As for Cricket, yes a broad spectrum cinnamon is a great idea - the dosage is not published by many because there have not been enough studies in canine science with cinnamon.  I would say 1 per day ... I need to see what your purchase.  Then I can tell you exactly what Cricket should be taking.  I am sure a Holistic vet would know right away ... Sorry, I am just a Pet Nurse.

Great about the Innova Evo- Can't wait for them to start on it.

Keep Me posted!!!!

Marie Peppers