# Types of Food For Havanese



## Loveachuckle (Jun 9, 2014)

I've been tortured by our vet who insists that we get Cassidy onto one of his Science Diet formulas of food. But, EVERY vet I've seen has advised Science Diet or Royal Canine...bought from them, of course. 

Cassidy had been on Hills ID formula because of a sensitive digestive tract since we got him. Four Parasite tests later, it's negative for ALL parasites. 

I've weaned him off (very slowly) onto a Duck and Potato formula (Natural Balance LID) as the ID is pure corn, corn and a bit of chicken and more corn. It was great for acute phases but, I cannot stomach him being on strictly a corn diet. He's now nearly 11 months old. 

So, it's time to switch him over to something else because (according to the vet), Natural Balance LID is pure "puppy food" being "All Stages" and would be too much for him as an adult dog. Again, he insists on food bought from him, which is way past price with his mark-ups. 

I had all of my animals on a formulation of Science Diet but, this baby, I am shying away from it because I have had nothing but health issues with my pets, in spite of the cheerleading vets over this food. 

Anyone else finding that vets are over-promoting foods from them? 

Any suggestions as to good foods for Havanese?


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I wouldn't buy any food recommended by a vet. If you dog has issues I would recommenid a consultation with Sabine. She has done this for numerous forum members for a nominal fee. Email me privately for more info if you are interested. She's a pet nutritionist. out of Los Angeles and does everything online. The best money you'll ever spend.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I don't trust vets either. My foster had a sensitive tummy. I tried everything!!! All the expensive stuff gave him the runs. I finally realized he only did well on the cheap stuff. When he left here he was doing great on Natural Balance Grain free limited ingredients fish and potato formula I think.

I feed Stella & Chewy and Primal raw diet to my boys. Bella get Ziwipeak.


----------



## Deacon Blues (Nov 22, 2013)

This video is an easy to understand overview of species-appropriate canine nutrition. It's by Karen Becker, DVM but she does not shill for Science Diet, and steers away from dry foods in general citing chronic low-grade dehydration in dogs.


----------



## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

lfung5 said:


> I don't trust vets either. My foster had a sensitive tummy. I tried everything!!! All the expensive stuff gave him the runs. I finally realized he only did well on the cheap stuff. When he left here he was doing great on Natural Balance Grain free limited ingredients fish and potato formula I think.
> 
> I feed Stella & Chewy and Primal raw diet to my boys. Bella get Ziwipeak.


The comment about your foster, Linda, is very interesting to me. After all the years (about 14) of Tyler eating cheap, junk kibble, I tried the good ones, Fromm, Acana, etc. and found them too rich for him, causing soft stools. I then tried NB LID sweet potato and fish and his stools firmed right up. I now use HK Force or Zeal with good results, but as a topper for his NB kibble, as I don't want to upset the apple cart. I also give him NB sweet potato and fish treats, plus grain free Buddy Biscuits, all with good results. Some sure do have sensitive little tummies!


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

sandypaws said:


> The comment about your foster, Linda, is very interesting to me. After all the years (about 14) of Tyler eating cheap, junk kibble, I tried the good ones, Fromm, Acana, etc. and found them too rich for him, causing soft stools. I then tried NB LID sweet potato and fish and his stools firmed right up. I now use HK Force or Zeal with good results, but as a topper for his NB kibble, as I don't want to upset the apple cart. I also give him NB sweet potato and fish treats, plus grain free Buddy Biscuits, all with good results. Some sure do have sensitive little tummies!


I know its crazy!! We tried taste of the wild, Fromm and I think one other. Once I just added a little pumpkin to his NB LID and it gave him the runs! He was going every couple hours! He was with me for 3 months in total and only had firm poop for about 2 weeks. It was a rough road...


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lfung5 said:


> I know its crazy!! We tried taste of the wild, Fromm and I think one other. Once I just added a little pumpkin to his NB LID and it gave him the runs! He was going every couple hours! He was with me for 3 months in total and only had firm poop for about 2 weeks. It was a rough road...


Linda, I suspect some of that may have been anxiety. (worsened by different foods, possibly) Foster dogs have often gone through a lot by the time the get to their foster home, and even though they can be given the best of treatment there, they can still be anxious, just because of all the changes in their lives.

We got a (long haired white) cat from a rescue many years ago. For the first THREE YEARS, every time we went away, either while we were packing or shortly after we left home or as soon as we got back, she'd get diarrhea. We finally had to tranquilize her shortly before we left, and have whoever was caring for her while we were gone tranquilize her again when they knew we were getting home. Even these short separations were too much for her. Fortunately, eventually it stopped happening. She's 14 now, and it has been many years since we had to tranquilize her. But it's amazing what anxiety will do to their little bodies!


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I thought about it being stress but he's not having any problems in his new home. Maybe I stressed him out!! Lol


----------



## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Loveachuckle said:


> I've been tortured by our vet who insists that we get Cassidy onto one of his Science Diet formulas of food. But, EVERY vet I've seen has advised Science Diet or Royal Canine...bought from them, of course.
> 
> Cassidy had been on Hills ID formula because of a sensitive digestive tract since we got him. Four Parasite tests later, it's negative for ALL parasites.
> 
> ...


Most Vets will promote a certain type of food and will tell you is THE BEST for your puppy, but in reality, many of them, can care less what you feed. 
Have you consider feeding Raw? These days, there are many excellent commercial raw diets out there.

Here is a link about Raw Feeding

and Here is a link for detail reviews on all types of Dog Food (menu on the left of the page).

Hope this helps!


----------



## Colbie (Feb 9, 2013)

I think a blanket statement like don't feed them anything a vet recommends or I don't trust any vets isn't fair.

Are there vets who are motivated by $$$,? Sure. 

Are there vets who sincerely care about the health and welfare of our havs? Yes there are. They may actually have a different opinion on what help makes a healthy dog.

There are good and bad ones, just like doctors, lawyers and animal trainers and behaviorists.

Asking a question on a forum or following a link someone here provides does not take the place of your own thorough research and arriving at your own individual decision.

Best of luck in whatever you decide.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Colbie said:


> I think a blanket statement like don't feed them anything a vet recommends or I don't trust any vets isn't fair.
> 
> Are there vets who are motivated by $$$,? Sure.
> 
> ...


sorry but vets do not study nutrition. my opinion only. finding a vet that doesn't sell food is a rare find.


----------



## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Colbie said:


> I think a blanket statement like don't feed them anything a vet recommends or I don't trust any vets isn't fair.
> 
> Are there vets who are motivated by $$$,? Sure.
> 
> ...


Not sure if your answer is in regards to my post, if it is, then What part of Most Vets means *ALL* vets to you?

I stand by my statement.


----------



## Colbie (Feb 9, 2013)

No it wasn't in regards to your statement. It was in regard to Dave's statement and Linda's statement "I don't trust vets either" and " I wouldn't feed them anything a vet recommends". 

Of course in regards to your statement…. since there are just shy of 100,000 vets in the US (according to the AVMA) in order to state most vets I guess you have personal experience with over 50,000 of those?

And last I heard the person who most people like to praise is herself a veterinarian. 

And Dave without knowing I will concede that you are probably correct in your statement that vet students don't get much training in animal nutrition. I know in medical school they only use to devote 1/2 of a semester to the topic. 

That certainly doesn't preclude a vet from doing the same research and through their efforts and practical experience coming up with conclusions. Kind of like those people whose opinions you promote. Except maybe they don't agree with yours.

That said, I apologize to the original poster. I just wanted to give some balance. I don't even disagree with much of what was said except the absoluteness of it all. 

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” Daniel J. Boorstein


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Ron , I said ... " I wouldn't feed anything a vet recommends" I did not say don't feed anything a vet recommends . Get your facts straight.


----------



## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

I appreciate Ron's point-of-view. A good reminder to our new forum members is to make sure you do your own research. There are a lot of very knowledgeable and passionate people who contribute to HF but at the end of the day, there is no one size fits all; something that works for one family may not be right for you and your pets. Some of the hottest topics are around food, vaccines, socialization, and training. Good luck and keep an open mind.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

MarinaGirl said:


> I appreciate Ron's point-of-view. A good reminder to our new forum members is to make sure you do your own research. There are a lot of very knowledgeable and passionate people who contribute to HF but at the end of the day, there is no one size fits all; something that works for one family may not be right for you and your pets. Some of the hottest topics are around food, vaccines, socialization, and training. Good luck and keep an open mind.


good point. Everyone has the right to voice their opinion. , what I have a problem with is when someone criticizes others for saying something they never said.


----------



## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I also appreciate Ron's point of view. I would also ask some of the forums more passionate members to remember that not everyone shares your point of view on everything and should not be made to feel bad about themselves if they don't.


----------



## Loveachuckle (Jun 9, 2014)

Wow...it's so sad to see members tense with one another. The net can be a horrid place for misunderstandings because we can't see each other's faces or intonations. Sometimes, answering in brief can also lead to a misunderstanding through omission of a thorough explanation (thus, my wordy posts lol)

First off, I agree with everyone in the idea that just because a vet recommends a food, doesn't mean it's the best AND...we DO need to do our own research as well then, make up our minds. 

I like that Dave provides informative articles for all of us to read. There's some that have me really pause and do some thinking about further research. Afterall, just because someone wrote it, doesn't make it true either LOL. Honestly though, I agree that we need to listen to whatever facts we can get our hands on and not just count on opinions. Marina is wise in saying that what's good for one, isn't always good for another.  

Dave, I agree with you in the idea that I also don't trust everything a vet will tell me or try to sell me. If they've got something on their shelves to sell and they're pushing that only, I begin to get those little cartoon question marks above my head. If they give me options, like....well, I like Hills products and you can get them here BUT...if you wish to go commercially, I think brand X is a good one....then, I will consider that they may know what they're talking about more than someone just pushing something off of their shelves (UNLESS, it's a prescription diet for a certain ailment that we cannot get commercially...even then...I question more)

Funny story: 

I had my very long haired, 9 year old cat clipped down by the vet for fur mats (she's feral so, not exactly the easiest to work on....poor vet). He kept on saying, "her fur is showing that she's not getting proper nutrition," to which I kept answering that her fur was like that from the day that I got her at 3 weeks of age. 
"NO" he answered..."You're not getting what I'm saying...her fur is showing nutritional deficiencies!" 
I waited till he was finished with this feisty, squirming mass of mess of a cat (bless her...the little tyrant) before I asked,
"Ok, so what food should she be on?" (knowing what he was going to say)
"Science Diet" he replied.
I couldn't wait for him to get those words out of his mouth....just so that I could answer with...
"What do you think she's been on her ENTIRE LIFE? Time for a change!"
He didn't know what to say at that point. 
She is now on the Canadian made, grain free Senior NOW food.  

So, there is where I believe that we should all be asking one another what we all know, what our vets know and then...doing some research and making our decisions to the best of our abilities. 

Can we try this again now? LOL 

What foods do you all find best for your Havanese dogs?


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Sorry if I offended anyone. I just know a lot of vet promote what I consider bad food. For one, I wouldn't feed anything sourced from China. Many brands that are recommended by vets, source ingredients from china. 
I didn't read all the reply so I'm sorry if I missed responding to something.


----------



## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

There are lots of threads on food that members feed their Havs. Here are some brands off the top of my head.

Acana
Darwin's
Honest Kitchen
K9 Natural
Natural Balance
Nature's Variety
Primal
Origen
Stella & Chewy's
ZiwiPeak

You can find a list of dog food reviews at this site: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/


----------



## Loveachuckle (Jun 9, 2014)

lfung5 said:


> Sorry if I offended anyone. I just know a lot of vet promote what I consider bad food. For one, I wouldn't feed anything sourced from China. Many brands that are recommended by vets, source ingredients from china.
> I didn't read all the reply so I'm sorry if I missed responding to something.


I totally agree with NOT getting something sourced from China. Now, to figure out which ones DON'T! LOL

Thank you! And...you didn't offend me in any way.


----------



## Loveachuckle (Jun 9, 2014)

MarinaGirl said:


> There are lots of threads on food that members feed their Havs. Here are some brands off the top of my head.
> 
> Acana
> Darwin's
> ...


Thank you, Marina...I'm glad to see Natural Balance on the list as that is what I'm currently feeding Cassidy!  He's getting the LID (Limited Ingredient Diet). The ONLY thing is, my vet says that the "All Stages" are essentially "puppy food"...which is fine for now but, he's going to be 11 months this week so, it might be better to have an adult food????

Anyone have any ideas on those foods that are considered "All Stages"??? 
Our old vet (semi-retired now) and his current vet, both have the grudges against "all stages" foods???

Yet (edited to add)...the stuff sold off the vet's shelves are chiefly "all stages" but..."they're HILLS and 'tested'" LOL They cannot explain that away when I've asked. They just sort of turn funny shades of red, purple and pink. Nice color changes though ROFL


----------



## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Loveachuckle said:


> Wow...it's so sad to see members tense with one another...


Honey, that was not me being tense, that was me being nice . When I am tense, there is no need to see my face to know it, I tend to tell it like it is. Those who have been here long enough, know it.

That being said, Glad it was all a misunderstanding, I can put my earrings back on now... :focus:


----------



## Loveachuckle (Jun 9, 2014)

Glad that's all hashed out and Carefulove can put her earrings back on! LOL  

First off, thank you for all of the info. I'm reading through links that you guys have provided and doing some careful research. 

I've heard my vet's opinion and I do keep a bag of the Hills ID as well as canned food in my pantry for him (just in case as it does become easier on his digestive tract during flare-ups but is NOT what I want to keep him on). 

Right now he's on the Natural Balance Duck and Potato LID formula and he seems to do well (knock on wood he continues to do well). 

I'm sorry, but I can't remember who said this but, I also totally agree that it seems that for Cassidy, it's emotion based. He's quite the sensitive little guy as was mentioned. Today is his 11 month birthday so, I hope he's growing out of it or will. I truly believe that his little emotions upset his tummy quickly. So, thank you for validating this for me with your own experiences!  

Oddly enough, I've had dogs since I was born. Grew up with them and never without them. This is my first Havanese though. All the rest were either Black Labs (5 of them), Chihuahua (phewwww...loved him silly but, I'd never have another one), Poodle, English Cocker Spaniel, Jack Russell-Beagle mix. Now, I have Cassidy, the Havanese. It's a new experience every time I get a new breed. Even my vet (not being familiar with the breed), keeps asking me..."so, do you like this breed? Should I recommend this breed for my in-laws?" LOL

So, having had all of those dogs, (we won't even try to count the cats I've had) why do I feel as though I'm a "new mom"? LOL


----------



## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Loveachuckle said:


> ...So, having had all of those dogs, (we won't even try to count the cats I've had) why do I feel as though I'm a "new mom"? LOL


Because Cubans are unique! We have that effect on people! eace:


----------



## Loveachuckle (Jun 9, 2014)

Carefulove said:


> Because Cubans are unique! We have that effect on people! eace:


LOL! Hot blooded, huh?


----------

