Has anyone ever used this:
http://www.nzymes.com/pc/?gclid=CJ3ghLeO-aUCFUeW7QodSmR8nA


I have been considering giving this to both my dogs. I have heard some great reviews about it.
Anyone have any input about it?

Sorry, I have never used any enzymes but would like to hear up on it too. Also, quick question, what are those raw fats that are being mentioned? More specifically if you can, what cuts/type of meat?

- Lamarr

 Quote: lamarr couttien

Also, quick question, what are those raw fats that are being mentioned? More specifically if you can, what cuts/type of meat?

- Lamarr

Healthy dogs use raw fats very well, similarly to the way humans use complex carbs.

This dog, though, is having GI symptoms, and fat is usually a big irritation to that. (I do not include the small amount of fat involved in fish oil supplementation.)

Dogs are designed to process raw fat. We're had several threads here about the chemical changes that make cooked or rancid fats actually different chemically. Raw fat is, in fact, one of the reasons for me feeding raw -- the desire not to feed my dogs the cooked (VERY cooked, and sometimes damaged from restaurant use and overuse) fats in kibble.

For an unthrifty dog, if the dog is healthy, raw fats can help a lot with weight upkeep. They do not take the place of the necessary protein, etc., of course.

One way to add fat is to use fatty cuts of meat in the diet. (I mentioned lamb flaps the other day.) Another is to add cold-pressed oils.

IMO, a bad thing is to add the stuff in the supermarket called "cooking oil" or "vegetable oil," which are crap oils processed with chemicals and heat. (Not good for humans, either.)

Again, though, a dog with GI issues (from pancreas problems to diarrhea tendencies) are different.

The fat thing is about healthy but hard-to-keep-weight-up dogs.

All JMO.

I have never read or heard any reason for not trying digestive enzymes, and in fact know several knowledgeable dog-folks who always use for a while them when switching a dog to raw from kibble.

Hi Lamarr-- raw chicken fat/skin, pork fat, beef fat...doesn't really matter, as long as the dog has already shown a tolerance for that particular kind of meat, and the fat is increased slowly. Introducing too much fat at once can cause diarrhea.
And for dogs not used to eating animal fat, a big meal of it could trigger pancreatitis.

Adding raw animal fat as a means of weight gain is for dogs already being fed a raw diet. I wouldn't recommend adding raw animal fat to a commercial kibble diet.

Thanks for that little tidbit. It is all facinating and I saw those raw fats mentioned and it peaked my curiousity. I need to slowly bulk up my dogs and this thread has been very informative as my dogs have only maintained on calories from those human foods mentioned before and feeding 3 times a day can't happen regularly to make a difference. Thanks again.

- Lamarr

Thank you for that information Tracy. I do understand the concept for already raw fed dogs. Thanks for those meats, I figured it was all the same but didn't want to assume. I don't mean to hijack but I was asking in regards to my dogs but also figured it would be good for others to see as well. Now the trick is to get one of the dogs to actually eat the raw food. It is hard doing kibble for one and not raw for all of them.

- Lamarr

"Adding raw animal fat as a means of weight gain is for dogs already being fed a raw diet"

Whoa, good catch, Tracy. I definitely should have said that.

The cold-pressed oils would be the way to go with a healthy dog on kibble who had trouble keeping weight up.

Update -
I picked up another prescription for metronidazole today and got Kenzi started on that again. I've got her back on chicken and rice for the next few days and then I'll start in with a bit of Preference again. She was going just fine on that combo till I goofed and gave her the EVO.

I'm also going to start adding in some enzymes with her food. For the time being (next several weeks probably) I think I'm just going to keep her on about 4 meals/ day of the poached chicken/Preference/rice combination. She needs to get back to a good weight before I experiment around with her diet any more.

My Malinois is underweight, and I'm struggling with a similar issue. He has gone through stages of diarrhea no matter what brand of kibble I buy. The previous person (foster parent) also couldn't feed him quality dog food such as Orijen.

So, the vet has a lengthy plan for us. The first step was a script for Metronidazole. Next, the vet prescribed Science Diet I/D. I'm NOT thrilled with this as I understand it's not a great kibble. However, in 3 weeks, he has gained 1 pound and had consistently solid poo. How can I change success?

Our current plan is to stay on the Science Diet I/D for another month then do another weigh in. Blood work and fecal exams haven't produced anything yet.

I'm hoping the vet will recommend different kibble, but they seem to push the Science Diet. Does anyone have experience with brands for GI issues????

Notes: He's now 49.4 pounds. (s/b between 55-60 lbs.) He is currently eating 5-5.5 cups kibble & 4-5 Tbspn canned food per day split into 2 feedings. This is the recommended amount for a 70+ pound dog according to the bag! But he is a nervous type and when I take him on jogs he gets extra afterwards.

Sorry to hijack the thread; but I'm looking for ideas for changes to help with weight gain as well. I'm going to stick with this for another month per the vet's recommendations, but I'd like to switch kibble asap after that point.