Is there any wet tinned or tray dog food that doesn’t use carrageenan or similar thickeners ?
I would like to feed my dog a raw diet but I can’t seem to get it right. I’ve purchased complete raw frozen food from local shops, pets at home and have made my own using recipes from the dogs naturally website, all have had good spells and he looks great but then sooner or later he gets diarrhoea and it seems to just stay until I stop feeding raw.
I’ve been feeding mostly wet food for the past 12 months with a small amount of natures harvest dry food added. Wet food has consisted of Rocco, Forthglade, naturo and lately Wolf of wilderness tinned food.
I’m just concerned about some ingredients that are hidden in these wet foods and since I’ve started researching dog food it’s become all I read about and feels like whatever I feed my dog its wrong and there’s something in it that shouldn’t be !!
I don’t think it helps that he spends most evenings biting/ licking all four feet… so I always feel like it’s food related.
We have a thread about carrageenan here. Also, David wrote a blog about it and this can be found here. Where possible, he has added this to the Dog Food directory reviews but this has been dependent on the manufacturers’ transparency. For clarification the pet owner needs to contact the company that produces the product they are thinking of using.
It is the pate type wet foods that commonly contain carrageen so if you search for alternative such as Natures menu products it might yield better results.
Regarding your dog’s paw licking, I understand how frustrating this is. I had an elderly rescue dog that came to me with this issue and found it particularly challenging. We tend to blame food intolerance and it might have a part to play but equally it could be due to something else. It can be behavioural eg a response to pain or boredom. Also mites or seasonal allergy.
Did your dog stop licking his paws when you had him on raw food? If so then it might be worth considering an elimination diet. It’s easier to do this with fresh cooked food but you would need advice from a canine nutritionist in order to obtain suitable recipes and additives.
I don’t remember him like king biting paws while on raw but not sure if it’s now after researching I’m more aware of it … I can’t see it being boredom as he is a working dog and if he’s not working, he’s training or out walking.
There are some that are sold in pouches but tinned may be a better choice - have a look on the Dog Food Directory. Country Hunter tinned has five varieties and might be suitable. There is no mention of carrageenan and it has a simple ingredient list. Wild Boar might be worth trying first as it is probably a novel protein to your dog. These products have a high meat content. As your dog is working, if you want to add some carbohydrate for instant energy, Natures Menu sell suitable products, one being Mighty Mixer but have a look at their website for more information. Initially it might be best just to give the food to see how he responds. Add new things gradually.
Regarding the paw licking, perhaps it would help if you make sure the dog’s feet are washed and dried each time he has been out. Finding the cause is trial and error. Stress can be a factor so worth thinking about. Distraction might help but if it is a habit, a buster collar might be necessary, just used as and when. There are various paw creams/ointments on the market so that might be worth researching too.