# THE BEST FOOD FOR ANY DOG



## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

The best food that i have found is at this website... they will also let you compare and give you discriptions on the other foods... 
www.naturapet.com

they also have a store locator  

they have several other countries where its available too so its just not in the states


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

do they do it in the UK :?:


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

You know I was looking and I didn't see it.. But you may be able to contact a pet store near you to see if they will ship it to you. Or you can contact natura and ask them about supplying in the UK and they may be able to asist you


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

Thankyou for the info at the moment I feed Ozzy pedigree could you by any chance know if this is okay :?: sorry to be a pain :wave:


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

what type of pedigree?
puppy?
original?


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

omg. pedigree is not good at all. 
sorry to say.. 
i will list discription on next post


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

ok... just to let you know that the first three things listed on any ingrdients package is what the contents consists most of.. in pedigree these are the ingredients and what they are in order listed:
note: as for corn being the main ingrident bad news... also as far as "meat meal" also bad news

Ground Yellow Corn:
Ground yellow corn is the entire corn kernel, ground or chopped.

While the whole corn kernel is nutritious and follows Natura's philosophy of supplying whole grain nutrition, corn is considered to be highly allergenic.

Meat meal/Meat and Bone Meal:
Meat Meal or Meat & Bone Meal is the rendered product from mammal tissues, with or without bone, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

Most people associate this ingredient with beef. The truth is that it can come from any mammal: pigs, goats, horses, rabbits, rendered animals from shelters, and dead animals found on roads. Meat meal can contain condemned parts and animals that are rejected for human consumption, including '4D' animals: dead, diseased, dying, or disabled. It can include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed (spoiled) tissue. This inexpensive ingredient found in many commercial pet foods cannot be considered part of a safe, healthy diet for pets.

Ground rice:
Ground rice is the de-hulled rice kernel, ground or chopped, with the bran removed -- known as white rice.

Rice is a high quality source of carbohydrates. Found in several Natura products, rice is the most digestible grain for pet foods and is relatively hypo-allergenic.

Some manufacturers use rice fractions, such as rice polishings, rice bran, or brewers rice, which have been leeched of much of their nutritional value. Brown rice comes from the same plant as white rice, but has the bran intact.

Chicken By-Product meal:
Chicken byproduct meal consists of the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

Chicken byproduct meal is an inconsistent ingredient because of the multiple organs used, their constantly changing proportions, and their questionable nutritional value. Chicken byproduct meal is much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal, which Natura uses and which is considered the single best source of protein.

Corn Gluten Meal:
Corn gluten meal is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.

Corn gluten meal is a low ash source of protein and acts as a urine acidifier in HealthWise Cat 'N Kitten formula. Cats vs Dogs: While not the best quality source of protein, the use of corn gluten in small amounts offer preventive health benefits for cats. In addition, unlike dogs, cats do not usually show signs of allergic reactions to corn products. Natura does feel strongly, however, that there is no justification for the use of corn gluten in dog foods and considers it to be only a cheap protein filler when used in this manner.

Animal fat is obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial process of rendering or extracting.

Animal Fat:
Animal fat is a byproduct of meat meal processing. The origin of the contributing animals is never known, and the resulting oil is very low in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid that is important for skin and coat health. Natura uses high quality chicken fat which has the highest levels of lineoleic acid.

BHA/BHT:
BHA/BHT is short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), both of which are chemical preservatives.

BHA and BHT have been banned from human use in many countries. In the US, they are still permitted in pet foods. Natura uses no chemical preservatives of any kind. All of our foods are naturally preserved with Vitamins E and C.

Natural Flavors:
Natural flavors are minimally processed flavor ingredients that do not contain synthetic or artificial components.

Natura uses only quality chicken broth as a natural flavoring ingredient, and a proprietary blend of herbs and spices is used as a natural flavor in our HealthWise products.

Peas:
Green peas are a variable annual leguminous Eurasian vine that is cultivated for its rounded smooth or wrinkled edible seeds.

Green peas are a fresh vegetable source of protein and contain a good source of vitamin A. While this is an excellent addition to any pet food, Natura uses other vegetables at this time for their nutrient value.

Wheat Mill Run/Middlings:
Wheat Mill Run and Middlings consist of coarse and fine particles of wheat bran and fine particles of wheat shorts, wheat germ, wheat flour and offal from the "tail of the mill"

Commonly referred to as "floor sweepings", this ingredient is nothing more than inexpensive filler with little or no nutritional value. Natura does not use fractionated grain ingredients or grain byproducts in any of its foods. 

Salt:
Salt is a natural mineral, necessary for life and good health.

Most pet food ingredients contain enough sodium to meet a dog or cat's nutritional needs. The sodium in the Natura products comes only from the natural ingredients, with no added salt or sodium products as flavor enhancers.

Whole Wheat Flour:
Wheat flour consists principally of the soft, finely ground and bolted meal obtained from milling wheat (containing essentially the starch and gluten of the endosperm) together with fine particles of wheat bran, wheat germ, and the offal from the tail of the mill.

Whenever flour is part of an ingredient's name, the grain has been processed and some (or all) of the nutritional value has been lost. Frequently these flour ingredients are simply the leftover dust from processing human food ingredients. Natura avoids all processed grains, relying instead on only whole grains for complete carbohydrate nutrition. 

Caramel Color:
Caramel color is an artificial chemical coloring added to foods to make them appear more brown in color.

Natura does not use any artificial ingredients of any kind. The color, taste, and smell of our foods come from their natural ingredients.

Whear Gluten:
Wheat gluten is the tough, viscid nitrogenous substance remaining when wheat is washed to remove the starch.

Wheat gluten is a cheap byproduct of human food processing, the result of washing wheat and letting the starchy liquid dry. It offers almost no nutritional value, and serves mostly to bind the food together.

Natura does not use fractionated grain ingredients or grain by-products in any of its foods. Instead, we use whole grains with all their nutrition intact. 

Vegetable Oil:
Vegetable oil is the product of vegetable origin obtained by extracting the oil from seeds or fruits which are processed for edible purposes.

The source vegetables for this oil (and their nutrient properties) are unknown. Natura prefers to use single-source fats (like chicken fat and sunflower oil) which are high in desirable linoleic acid.

In general I am sure you would agree with me that pedigree sounds really gross as the moment .

After all my research I have found that the only food i feel good about is either homemade balanced food... or Innova at www.naturapet.com

I hope this helped??


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

OMG I am definately changing, does anyone know of a good food you can get from most supermarkets petshops in the UK ?


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

I don't know of any supermarkets anywhere that sell very good products for animals.. 
innova is really good... if you contact www.naturapet.com they might be able to tell y ou where to get some Innova....
even though i do not like iams for what they are doing to animals www.iamsruelty.com the only other food that i have found to be some what decent other then innova or wellness... 
is Eukanuba and you can get that at most Pet Supply stores... I hope this helps. [/url]


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

well when you say pedigree is not too god is this because they are cruel to animals or because the ingrediants arent that great :?:


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## Pangos_Mum (Mar 16, 2004)

Pango used to eat Innova but we had to change his diet to Wellness which has been a fantastic food for him. My vet has been given me alot of info about the B.A.R.F dog raw diet. A neighbor of mine has her cocker spaniel on it and she couldn't be happier.


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

hehe no. Iams is cruel i know for sure... 

Pedigree is just yucky as you can see by the ingredients.. Very yuck... 

here is a link that you can visit to find out more info about good rated foods for you doggy:

http://members.aol.com/smplyschnz/nutrition/wdjtopten.html

That is a list of the top 10 dry dog foods


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

ozzysmom said:


> Thankyou for the info at the moment I feed Ozzy pedigree could you by any chance know if this is okay :?: sorry to be a pain :wave:


 I agree Pedigree is awful.....by their ingredients.


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

Pangos_Mum said:


> Pango used to eat Innova but we had to change his diet to Wellness which has been a fantastic food for him. My vet has been given me alot of info about the B.A.R.F dog raw diet. A neighbor of mine has her cocker spaniel on it and she couldn't be happier.


I have heard alot of good things about that. I have a hard time handling raw meat to cook for dinner let alone watch my puppy eat it though..lol. 
I think I am sticking then the innova for now. 
Although I plan on making homemade food for my pups. But not until my husband gratuates and makes $$$$.. lol. I think our pup has a more balanced meal then we do. hehe


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## Pangos_Mum (Mar 16, 2004)

:lol: No kidding Pango eats like a King compared to us... Little stinker!


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

*LETS NOT FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER ALSO. Tap water will deplete the good intestinal flora in humans and animals....give your animals spring or filtered water!!!!!!!!! I also encourage everyone/animal to take Probiotics...*


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

I didnt know that kemos mama..............thankyou is bottled spring water best :wave:


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## absolethe (Apr 18, 2004)

Oh man...I hate tap water too, but bottled water costs so much... What's Probiotics?

(In case you haven't noticed, I'm a miser...I'm poor!)


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

ozzysmom said:


> I didnt know that kemos mama..............thankyou is bottled spring water best :wave:


 Spring for me...........if necessary I use filter, can't imagine a filter getting all the yuckies out. But I have had people argue w/me on that, that would be a matter of preference.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

absolethe said:


> Oh man...I hate tap water too, but bottled water costs so much... What's Probiotics?
> 
> (In case you haven't noticed, I'm a miser...I'm poor!)


 Well...there are generic brands. Purified water is junk also, watch your labels. Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your colon which in turn fight disease. It's a long explanation but everyone's health starts in their colon. Think about what is there YUCK (in your colon)......I want all the help I can get!!


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

hello.. all.. 

I also use filtered water for both my husband, andrew, aries, and I.

We can't afford to buy spring water the way we go through water, but we buy water refills at the supermarket with two three gallons jugs  its gone in like four days ...


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## absolethe (Apr 18, 2004)

How about if we got one of those Brita filtered pitchers? So you can fill the pitcher and the water in it is filtered? (I've heard not to give dogs cold water, is that true?)


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

never heard about cold water when its warm I pop a couple of ice cubes in Ozzys water to keep it cool when were out :wave:


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

lol. thats funny.. when i gave andrew cold water.. he licked it and looked at me all funny... i had to give him room temp. water he wouldn't drink it cold... i just did it because i felt bad that his water was warm and it was a hot day.. i thought he would like it.. but he didn't.. lol


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

absolethe said:


> How about if we got one of those Brita filtered pitchers? So you can fill the pitcher and the water in it is filtered? (I've heard not to give dogs cold water, is that true?)


 Sure that would work just don't put the water in the frig, but I never heard anything about cold water, I thought most people gave their dogs ice cubes when it's hot!!


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

yeah i dunno... lol now i really want to know.


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

ok... so i thought i would just post this Q in here... 

lol. my dog was eating eukanbua canned food until i read the iamscreulty.com so i am not feeding him that anymore... I have been giving him *innova dry puppy food as treats*, and *innova canned for food.. *
but the can says to feed *1* can a day for every *20 pds*.. well andrew (my eskie) is only like *5 pds*... and its only 3:30 and he has eaten a *whole can *and wants more.. its poor tummy is so full ... but he keeps begging for more???

p.s. this innova canned looks really good you can see the carrots and the potatoes... and its made with spring water... lol... this is like gourmet... lol... 
www.naturapet.com thats where the food is  

anyways... it is just a growth spert? or is he a pig?? lol


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

if he has only just started eating this it might be because it is different as Ozzy did the same tonight, I tried with some butcher which is supposed to contain no artificial ingrediants and this was the same it had whole peas and carrots in and it smelt like a proper sunday dinner............lol, he usually only has half a tray and he just cleaned his bowl so I gave him the other half and he wolfed that down too..................hope he doesnt have diarreah tonight. :wave:


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## Yoshismama (May 17, 2004)

*Purina*

My new chi was being fed adult Ol Roy and I switched him to Purina One puppy chow. Is this good? I heard Ol Roy is very bad but I have a Pit mix that couldn't be healthier on it. Does anyone know why this is? :dontknow:


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

hello yoshismama...

here is the information on Purina O.N.E
in my opinion this is not a good product.

Gound Yellow Corn
Ground yellow corn is the entire corn kernel, ground or chopped.

While the whole corn kernel is nutritious and follows Natura's philosophy of supplying whole grain nutrition, corn is considered to be highly allergenic.

Poultry by-products:
Poultry by-product meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

This is a low-quality, inconsistent ingredient, with multiple organs used, constantly changing proportions, and questionable nutritional value. The origin can be any fowl (turkeys, ducks, geese, buzzards, etc.), instead of a single source, like chicken. Poultry by-product meal is much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal, which Natura uses and which is considered the single-best source of protein.

Corn Gluten meal:
Corn gluten meal is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.

Corn gluten meal is a low ash source of protein and acts as a urine acidifier in HealthWise Cat 'N Kitten formula. Cats vs Dogs: While not the best quality source of protein, the use of corn gluten in small amounts offer preventive health benefits for cats. In addition, unlike dogs, cats do not usually show signs of allergic reactions to corn products. Natura does feel strongly, however, that there is no justification for the use of corn gluten in dog foods and considers it to be only a cheap protein filler when used in this manner.

Soybean Meal:
Soybean meal is the product obtained by grinding the flakes which remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans by a solvent or mechanical extraction process.

Soybean meal is a poor quality protein filler. The "Crude Protein" analysis on pet food labels is only a measurement of the amount of nitrogen in a food -- not the quality of the protein. Because of this, pet food companies can use the cheaper by-products of human food production, such as soybean meal, to boost protein numbers.

Meat is always the best source of quality protein. Meat protein is better absorbed and retained and is higher in essential amino acids like methionine, arginine, and taurine. Soybean meal has a biologic value less than 50% of that of chicken meal.

Beef Tallow:
Beef tallow is obtained from the tissue of cattle in the commercial process of rendering.

Although this is a very palatable source of fat, it is low in linoleic acid, which is necessary for skin and coat health. In addition, beef can be a source of allergies for some animals.

Brewer's rice:
Brewer's rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice.

Brewer's rice is a lower quality rice product that is missing many of the nutrients found in ground rice and ground brown rice. (See the descriptions for those ingredients.) Natura uses only whole ingredients, with their nutrients still intact.


Barley flour:
Barley flour consists principally of the soft, finely ground and bolted meal obtained from milling barley and consists essentially of the starch and gluten of the endosperm.

Pre-processed ingredients, such as flours, have had much of their nutritional value leeched from them. Natura uses only fresh ground barley as a quality source of carbohydrates. Ground barley contributes additional protein, barley oil, bran and vitamins and minerals to the diet.

Salt:
Salt is a natural mineral, necessary for life and good health.

Most pet food ingredients contain enough sodium to meet a dog or cat's nutritional needs. The sodium in the Natura products comes only from the natural ingredients, with no added salt or sodium products as flavor enhancers.

Animal digest:
Animal digest is a material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind or flavor(s), it must correspond thereto.

Animal digest is a cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. Any kind of animal can be included: goats, pigs, horses, rats, etc. The animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Natura uses only human grade, single-source meats. You will never find Animal Digest in any of our products.

Brewer's Dried Yeast:
Brewer's dried yeast is the dried, non-fermentive, non-extracted yeast that results as a by-product of the brewing of beer and ale.

Although brewer's yeast is a good source of Vitamin B, it is a potential allergen for some animals and is not included in Natura foods.

I always recommend Innova .... They are really good quality and have a decent price tag.
you can find stores that carry innova on the website . . . 
www.naturapet.com
innova comes in dry and canned.
i feed andrew canned.. and dry for treats. because he won't eat the dry food reguarly.


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## absolethe (Apr 18, 2004)

A dog can be healthy on that kind of product, but it's kinda like a human eating ... umm... Hot Pockets all the time. It's kinda like junk food, made of scraps. Not that high a nutritional value and corn is hard to digest. 

A good rule of thumb is that if corn or "meat byproducts" are ingredients, keep on looking.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

*the search continues*

Well Kemo does not like Wellness, just tried two different cans. Haven't found Innova....will keep looking or go back to Natural Balance. At least that stuff smells good!!


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

lol Kemosmama... my andrew wouldn't eat Wellness either.... 

for awhile he wasn't eating the Innova dry.. thats why he is eats canned innova now... so we feed his the Innova as treats.. lol.. he doesn't know its good for him.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

PrattFamily said:


> lol Kemosmama... my andrew wouldn't eat Wellness either.... .


 This is getting expensive..............SIGH


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

yes i agree it can get expensive.. lol luckily i bought my products from a vendor that gave me either store credit or my momey back for any products..


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## Myra_Johnny (Jul 23, 2004)

I went out to get that dog food after reading this thread lol. I had to drive 40 min. since that was the only store near me that carries it. I haven't tried it yet waiting since my dogs are almost to the end of the food I am currently feeding them (Nutro). I am just going to leave enough food to make the change. don't want to waste any since dog food is expensive and now that I will be using Innova. I was going to get canned but I didn't because the pet store didnt have puppy canned they said that I could use the cans for both puppy and adult but I rather not do that. I put the dry food in the blender and get it powdery then add water and they eat everything. Now that they are a bit older I am just going to crush it a bit for them no more powder for Dodge or TinkerBelle, but Blossom still need powder since she is small. Now the thing is I have been having problems with deciding how much is enough for the. I give them 2 teaspoons of the powered food in the morning, 2 1/2 teaspoons and a treat for lunch, then for dinner I give them 2 teaspoons.They look like they are getting enough(bodywise) but always seem to be hungry. Oh the six 1/2 teaspoons add up to 1/4 cup dry a day which is what the bag recommends. Dodge is 10 weeks old today and weighs 1# 5 oz. and TinkerBelle is 1# 7 oz. at 7 weeks. Do you guys think that is enough food. When I give them anymore than that they look like they are about to explode and their stool gets really soft. please help!!!! :?


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

Someone w/younger pups will help you but just to add that Kemo will eat and eat and eat he does not know when to stop....I have to watch myself and remember that he has a little belly! I cut him down to 1 meal w/snacks and an ocassional dinner. I think he looks better now. Plus he always eats what I give him instead of being so fussy!


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

oh I am so happy to see that you are switching to Innova, it really is a great product. I was going to let you know that the wet dog food should be just fine, I feed it to my chi and my eskie as well. . . It is just lower in fat.
As far as mixing the right amount in, I am not experienced in that department. . . But, I have seen several instructions on switching, you should give it about two weeks of mixing the foods together before cutting out the old food. But just do it gradually. and keep an eye on their stools, if they get diaherra then just cut down on the new food, and make sure they get lots of water, if it is really bad I have heard that pedilite (for dehydration) works well. ??? I am not experienced, in this area though. You might be able to get some information from like a Petsmart, or your vet.  Hope everything goes great.
Another note is that Innova is very rich, and some dogs do get an upset stomache from it. So keep an eye out  Best of luck.


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