Quote: Saffron K. Hall

Uh isn't avocado toxic to dogs?

I think both avocado and garlic are no-no's...

 Quote: saffron k. hall

Uh isn't avocado toxic to dogs?

Yes, it can be.

Also, wouldn't "sun cured" or dried fruits, and higher-sugar veggies like carrots, be more sugary and concentrated? I know I've read somwhere on this board to avoid dried fruits because they are so high in sugar, which is not good for dogs.

Right now I highly recommend Orijen to customers at the independent pet store I work at. It is grain-free, has two adult formulas, and also has an awesome kitty formula... I am in the process of switching my puppy to Orijen adult and he is LOVING it. I am sure he will do well grain-free. (I am hoping to go raw in the fall so going grain-free is sort of my 'preparation' step.)

I also like Innova EVO, but I do not recommend it for customers who have dogs w/ food allergies (we only carry the red meat and the turkey/chix formulas). Wellness CORE, in my opinion, is kind of overpriced and all dogs I know on anything Wellness tend to pack on the pounds. I typically only suggest anything from that brand for dogs who have trouble keeping weight on or are incredibly active. (My 45lb ESS gets 1/3 cup Simple Food Solutions in the morning and 1/3 cup at night, and runs agility 4-6 days a week. Anything more than this and she gets HUGE.) I DO love their 95% meat canned food which is also pretty affordable, IMO.

So I'm echoing the Orijen suggestions right now. Very palatable and the price isn't too outrageous for what you're getting.

Yes, avocado is toxic for dogs. Avoderm lists it as a "benefit" but says there is not enough to get to the toxic levels... so go figure.
I would think that if there is not enough to be considered "toxic" there would not be enough to do any good anyway. Regardless, I would not feed anythign that had avocado as an ingredient because there are so many other things that can do the same things without taking that chance.
Never heard about garlic being bad - I thought it was a GOOD thing, actually. Natural critter repellent... Will have to do more research now

Cathie - I wish you luck - we put mine to sleep at age 11 on Monday. He has been immune compromised all his life and while rectal pull through surgery kept the fistulas at bay for the last three years, hemangiosarcoma got him in the end..........I think PF is part of a bigger constellation of problems.

evo is closest to raw diet

 Quote: cameron feathers

Yes, avocado is toxic for dogs. Avoderm lists it as a "benefit" but says there is not enough to get to the toxic levels... so go figure.
I would think that if there is not enough to be considered "toxic" there would not be enough to do any good anyway. Regardless, I would not feed anythign that had avocado as an ingredient because there are so many other things that can do the same things without taking that chance.
Never heard about garlic being bad - I thought it was a GOOD thing, actually. Natural critter repellent... Will have to do more research now

I am amazed (and not in the good way) that any manufacturer would consider it a good thing to advertise the use of avocado -- even calling the food a word with avo in it -- when it's toxic to dogs. Their reply ("We don't use enough to kill the dog" -- ok, I paraphrased -- is stunningly irresponsible. "Well, we use rat poison, but way below the canine toxic level, so it's all good.")

Why use it!? And to cover the package with pics of avocados, and the name -- who would see this and not assume that avocado is a swell thing to get for their dogs!?

I believe that they were oblivious and then when they were confronted, they tried to backpedal. Nevertheless, a mistake is something to FIX. Grrrr.

Anyway -- yeah, garlic (like onions) belongs to the allium family, and most of its members are toxic to dogs in some degree. The allium flower bulbs are, and onions are ---- and garlic is, but not to the extent that onions are.

BUT. The amount that will take down one dog is totally individual. So many many folks have given it for years to their dogs and had no ill effects. Someone else will, and their dog will suffer hemolytic anemia or liver failure.

It's like grapes and raisins. No one knew that some dogs would die from eating a few (because many dogs ate a lot!), until they did.

So someone else saying "Well, my dog eats garlic every day and he's fine" means nothing at all to your dog.

Ditto with avocado, green tomato plants, raisins, grapes, and more:

- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Macadamia nuts
- Onions
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic

Oh, yeah, here's that garlic thread:

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=33&Number=204047&Searchpage=1&Main=20213&Words=garlic&topic=0&Search=true#Post204047

One poster even back up his certainty with statements from a site that sells garlic supplements for dogs.

 Quote: connie sutherland

 Quote: michael hubert

hi claire, i have not heard that, i heard the opposite, but anyhow, my younger dog, gets four Bug Off Garlic pills a day, since he has been on them, havent seen a tick, flea, even mosquitoes stay away.
check with Springtimeinc.com

Please don't rely on safety information from the company that's trying to sell you the questioned item.

Garlic is toxic to dog in large amounts. The problem is that "large" is different for different dogs, just as with grapes/raisins.

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dtoxin.html#Onion%20and%20Garlic%20toxicity%20%20in%20dogs%20and%20cats

http://www.squidoo.com/aspca
(- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Macadamia nuts
- Onions
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic)

http://www.entirelypets.com/toxicfoods.html

http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/storytemplate_process.cfm?specie=dogs&story_no=257