Try this one -

http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/regionalRedIngredients.aspx

 Quote: Ben McDonald

Try this one -

http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/regionalRedIngredients.aspx

Were you were replying to me or the thread?

FWIW, I love Orijen/Acana products (and feed them now when I use kibble - those seem to be the two brands that super skinny sensitive gut dog does well on) but they still have carbs/starches in the form of peas and potatoes. IMO carbs aren't automatically bad so long as they're limited and NOT filler carbs. I'd prefer that they're low glycemic, too (ie, peas, lentils, sweet potatoes)

 Quote: Mara Jessup

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Carbs are not good for dog esp skinny ones...I wish I could think of a grain and carb free kibble for you.

I'm pretty sure that there is no such thing as a carb free kibble - the starches/carbs are needed to bind the food together so it can be formed into kibble.

I'm a little curious as to the statement that carbs are not good for skinny dogs. Can you expound on that? I haven't had any luck with carb free for my skinny dog, though she dose great on a mixture of raw and The Honest Kitchen Embark of Thrive (potatoes or quinoa as carbs in those) . I know a few people that swear by carbs to help keep weight on a skinny dog - they're not talking a carb laden diet, but a quality kibble or a bowl of oatmeal a few times a week in addition to raw.

I have to agree with Mara. I think on really skinny dogs, quality carbs can help at the very least, maintain weight on a dog. Quinoa is an excellent carb, so are red lentils and even peas.
I also think when a dog is heavy and needs to lose weight I suggest cutting down or eliminating carbs.

I would suggest feeding higher calorie proteins like lamb, and beef and some pork for a skinny dog, along with some quality carbs for weight gain or maintenance.

Often times high protein/high fat stokes metabolism making a skinny dog have a difficult ability to maintain weight, especially if that said dog was ultra active like a
Mal or Border Collie.
A few healthy carbs are good in my book, for really skinny dogs. JMO.

 Quote: Anne Jones

Niomi, isn't it funny that folks are so quick to comment about how SKINNY someone's dog is but you never hear folks comment on how FAT so many dogs are.

OMG I know!

The people who walk around with the pickle dogs, or dogs who are so fat they have rolls on their shoulder blades and tails, are the worst for telling you how "unhealthy" your dog looks.

Like come on!

I am always trying to keep my composure in these situations and realize that they don't know, what they don't know. And unless they choose to educate themselves, they will always be doing what they know best, which unfortunately is not always the best for the dogs.

I'll reply about the carbs later when I have time.

And its SO true OMG how they say even a healthy is is too skinny yet obese ones are ok? Their image of healthy/normal is distorted. Some people believe its "inevitable" to have weight gain with age. *sigh*

I just ask them if they want to join us for a 6 mile run later

"I'll bring a wagon for your dog!"

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Some people believe its "inevitable" to have weight gain with age.

Had a rescued beagle-mix, spayed. Went from 33lb at 2yr to 35lb at 5yr to 38lb at 9yr, and my vet let me have an earful every time he weighed her and checked her chart. To me that wasn't excessive, but he really kept me on my toes.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Some people believe its "inevitable" to have weight gain with age. *sigh*

*shudders* I know!! My late Missy was about 38# her entire life with me (from age 3-12) - never fluctuated more than a couple pounds on either side of that. Even in her last few years she was more active than most dogs half her age. I think that was part of the reason she lived as long as she did after her cancer diagnosis because she was in such good shape before the cancer.

I saw a Border Collie last week that was probably at least 15# overweight. It made me sad to watch the dog toddle along so uncomfortably

Poor soul. there were 2 border collies that was 50# over weight, as fat as TICKS! I was working at a kennel and they were there for an extended stay, so they went on a diet and lost a lot of weight.

RE: Carbs

Dogs like other species probably have a variance in metabolic types. Wolves and dogs both can consume stuff like fruit to survive. In order to thrive they need animal protein. There are dogs that clearly do not digest and metabolize carbs very well (Logan and my 3 other dogs), they are the ones who are thin or have bowel issues or get fat or atrophied..etc. I am a human and I eat a diet free of grains and starches because of my metabolic type is on one end of the human metabolic spectrum. Dogs' metabolic spectrum is likely no where near as wide as ours. It is also possible than in some breeds (pariah dogs esp?) that they may thrive on a diet that includes some starches vs a more carnivorous diet, who knows.

I have seen this a lot in German Shepherds that they tend to thrive on a diet free of sugar and starch and utilize fat very well. Iditarod sled dogs run best on a high fat diet than carbs. Dogs can turn pure fat into protein when needed...but not carbs. I would not add carbs to a dog's diet for weigh gain by default. Rather, I would add fat in place of them from my experience and observations.

Anyway back onto metabolic types...I am not aware of any specific studies on dogs and this but just because one dog thrives on a chicken based diet but another needs red meat suggests that they too have variances. Just like one person eats an Atkins diet and lowers their cholesterol, another can't do that, they may have the opposite effect unless they consume a low fat, high carb diet. It interesting that people can have the exact same health problem but the diet that fixes it can be opposite for each person, its all about how the body uses nutrients on a CELULAR level.

David: I have had people tell me it was cruel to bike my chow mix because she was little and cute but NObody every says anything about me biking Logan, I don't get that.

Duanne:
5# on a beagle sized dog is like 30# on a 180lb human frame. I guess he was warning you to not let that get any worse because most people do.