I'm going to try rotational feeding with my dog and I have some questions for the crowd

[malabbott]

Hi there!

I have a 2 yr old golden retriever with a sensitive stomach who is a picky eater.

In the past we have tried Purina Pro Plan, N&D Ancestral Grains, Science Diet, and Victor. He has been eating the Victor for a year with different add ins each meal. We supplement with green beans, carrots, pumpkin puree, multiple different protiens of Steve's Real Food, and occasionally Answers goats milk.

He has decided it's time for a new food because the victor isn't cool enough for him anymore. I picked up a bag of Nutri Source Trout and Rice today and we tried it tonight with the victor and he loved it.

Questions for the peoples:

1) thoughts on NutriSource? It's not one I'm particularly familiar with.

2) are there any other good supplements/toppers I can try? Maybe something good for joints and hips/skin and coat?

3) what are your favorite foods to rotate with? Preferably grain inclusive and high protien. I'm open to anything that can be found at a boutique, chewy, PetSmart/Petco, or Costco.

 

[iambenn]

@malabbott Rogue pet sciences Origins 5-1 is a great addition to any bowl for dogs
Sardine oil from natures logic is amazing as is the salmon oil
Next level supplements are excellent as well

Nutri Source is an excellent food with many different proteins the grain free and the grain inclusive have pre and probiotics added

 

[malabbott]

@iambenn Thank you! I'll check these out.

 

[darren1980]

@malabbott Taste of the Wild has grain inclusive lines and all their formulas have uniquely engineered probiotics that make it great for rotational feeding. I got to meet the vet that invented the probiotics and does their formulations and she was absolutely amazing and crazy sharp. The idea was every other brand generally uses cow derived stomach bacteria instead of dog. She wanted to engineer an alternative that was derived from actual dog stomach bacteria. Smart idea.

There were multiple pet food vendors at this event and it actually created some frustration because after going to talk to the taste of the wild vet everyone kept asking the other vendors about their probiotics and they were all huffy about it lol

It’s not an insane game changer or anything, but perfect for rotational feeding if that’s your goal. Good luck!

 

[malabbott]

@darren1980 That's actually really cool. I will definitely check this out and potentially add this to our rotation! Thank you!

 

[apostleoftruth]

@malabbott Nutrisource was one of the only foods I found that worked for my golden. As a puppy 5mo-1.5yr he had a really hard time holding weight, but no medical issues. We had tried a million foods and still nothing, until one day i’m recommended nutrisource. Have happily been using nutrisource going on 3ish years. It’s pricy, but it works for my dog.

 

[malabbott]

@apostleoftruth Thank you so much for this. My boy has had a hard time keeping weight on too. He also has frequent stomach issues. I'm glad to hear this worked for y'all.

 

[jimmy1234]

@malabbott Another idea is to do some shopping at your local asian market. Grab things like mackerel, anchovy, sardines, squid, shrimp, oysters, green lipped mussels, smelt, etc. I really feel like you can add a lot to a dog's life by regularly feeding them seafood (us, too). It's all packed with omegas, vitamins, and minerals and has very high bioavailability compared to anything that's been processed.

 

[rjj4321]

@malabbott For joints and hips, anything with glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM (bonus points if it has all three because they work best together), this could be hip and joint treats, oils, or the thrive powdered hip and joint which is what I use for my senior girl. As for skin and coat, any fish oil (or hemp oil also has omega 3-6-9) because it’s the omega 3-6-9 which is what helps the skin and coat. I use salmon oil for my girl.

 

[malabbott]

@rjj4321 Thank you!

 

[tillotw]

@malabbott I like using honest kitchen as a topper. I soak my dog’s kibble anyway and I’ve found they appreciate the different flavor “broth” the honest kitchen makes. They have a lot of options for flavors too.

 

[givenallthings]

@malabbott Salmon oil is great for the coat and joints. I like Grizzly oil, but really there are many to choose from. Dasuquin tablets are good if your dog has hip/joint issues. My dog is on both but she is 8 and some change. She started a few years back.

I can’t help with the rotational feeding really. Mine is on a reduced calorie food. But those are two supplements that are good for both the coat and joints.

 

[malabbott]

@givenallthings I haven't heard of Dasuquin before, only Cosequin. And mainly only for horses. I will definitely check it out. Thank you!

 

[donnamaui]

@malabbott I don’t feed kibble anymore but I would def feed nutrisource if I did and you will prob be able to rotate easily within that brand too. Try Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried for a tipper it’s a hit with many very picky and /or sick dogs. They make a lot of different toppers and I think even a hip and joint functional topper and a skin/coat one.

Primal has some great toppers too and differenct flavored goats milks. Open farm also has some great frozen items you may want to try

 

[malabbott]

@donnamaui I have heard a lot of great stuff about Stella and Chewy. I will definitely be checking it out. Thank you!

 

[donnamaui]

@malabbott Yw one more to try- not sure if this brand is in your market yet but noRthwest naturals has some new functional tippers that are supposed to be good I just haven’t personally tried them yet myself