My vet (surgeon) suggested two very expensive prescription diets. One from Hills and the other from Purina. However when I discussed it with my regular vet (and best friend) he suggested trying a more reasonably priced route instead. We went to a few feed stores and found this to be located among the other premium foods offered at just about every major pet supplies chains including Petco and Petsmart. The least expensive place I found was Petsmart a 40lb bag costs just $32.99, this is less than Eukanuba large breed formula. As I said yesterday Taz loves the stuff. The company brand name is Natures Recipe. This particular food is listed as an allergy formula (but is sold with all there other foods) they have both vegetarian and venison allergy formulas. My vet did not suggest vegetarian as dogs natural diets include a meat source for their protein. Natures recipe also offers a canned food venison formula if your dog is stubborn about eating straight dry food (Taz is not). I hope this helps.
Ian

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BREAKFAST: 9 x chicken necks (defrosted and cut in half) 1 x cup of veggie mix (pureed) consisting of pumpkin, butternut, sweet potato (all nuked), raw carrots, brussel sprouts and peas, flaked tuna, 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon multi-vit powder - be sure to mush together well. After eating this... 1/2 cup plain live culture yoghurt BUTT CLEANING: 50% Betadine solution on anus - making sure to get contact with the opening of the fistula. Make sure to get all faeces off the hair around the anus and fistula. Once dried, apply Acrisalf (Zinc Oxide, Mercurochrome & Cod Liver oil cream) - massage in. SUPPER: As per breakfast - minus the yoghurt ONCE A FORTNIGHT: Clip the hair around the anus, upper thighs and under the tail. Give the butt a good clean with Betadine scrub. Using this routine, Kitana's fistulas have reduced from 4 (initial) to one small opening. The remaining fistula did close in December 2000, but re-opened after moving to Cape Town. The battle continues. Using this diet, Kitana's weight has not changed, she is as energetic and healthy as ever (beautiful coat, sparkling eyes and "wet-nosed" healthy). She has not suffered from the runs, and only seldom does she strains when pooping. She took to the diet change like a fish to water, no side effects. I MUST STRESS THAT the reason I think this has worked is that she didn't have any other problems with anal glands etc, and she was diagnosed quite early.
Mandy, David & Kitana

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Recently we started giving Taz (4 yr old female gsd w/pf) a food by Natures Recipe that consists of Venison and rice. She absolutely loves it. She devours the stuff. We were initially worried when she first went on her meds (imuran/flagyl/prednisone) because she threw up the first couple of days and showed no appetite. But once we started feeding her this dry formula she has been eating heartily ever since. I mean she will literally sit by her bowl now when we are watching a movie in hopes that she will get a little extra. She initially lost 7 lbs but is starting to gain her weight back and has tons of energy (she is constantly beating up our 2 year old male GSD who weighs 18 lbs more than she. And the good news is that you buy this stuff at Petco or Petsmart. At petsmart it is only $32.00 for a 40lb bag... She just finished her breakfast and is staring longingly at me for more. Hope this helps someone.
Ian & Taz

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Drs. Walshaw and Hauptmann at Michigan State were the first (to my knowledge) to recommend diet change and they recommend the fish and potato. Venison or duck with potato would also be viable substitutes. They do feel that all dogs with PFs have colitis/IBD/IBS so some degree with possible food allergies being the triggers and that is the reason for the food change -- to get to a souce of protein and carbohydrates the dog has never had before in hopes of alleviating any allergy contributions to the problems.
Carolyn

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Our Vet has Hero on Hill's Prescription Diet Canine z/d Ultra Alergen-Free dry dog food. At first Hero loved it. But more recently he just picks at it because he wants the puppy's food instead of his. My Vet said that I could get treats at the pet shop that are vegetable treats only. Said that if I gave him his favorite goodie (pigs ear), we would be defeating the purpose of him on this diet to help treat the PF's. Hope this helps someone.
Diane (Hero & Shero's Mommy)

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Below are listed some recipes our dogs love!!!! Carol Kufner/Winwood German Shepherds

*********************************** ***** Fido's Favourite Treats ***** *********************************** Categories: Dog Foods Calories per serving: Number of Servings: 50 Fat grams per serving: Approx. Cook Time: 1 hr Cholesterol per serving: Marks: INGREDIENTS ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 cup uncooked oatmeal 1/3 cup margarine 1 tsp bouillon granules 1 1/2 cups hot water 3/4 cup powdered milk 3/4 cup cornmeal 1 each egg, beaten 3 cups whole wheat flour DIRECTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ `n large bowl pour hot water over oatmeal, margarine and bouillon granules; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in powdered milk, cornmeal and egg. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead 3 to 4 minutes, adding more flour if neccessary to make a very stiff dough. Pat or roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into bone shapes if you like and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes. Allow to cool and dry out until hard. Makes approximately 1 3/4 pounds. Source: Chef Fido


*********************************** ***** Lassie's Cheese Nuggets ***** *********************************** Categories: Dog Foods Calories per serving: Number of Servings: 25 Fat grams per serving: Approx. Cook Time: 1 hr Cholesterol per serving: Marks: INGREDIENTS ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 cup uncooked oatmeal 1/4 cup margarine 1 1/2 cups hot water or meat juices 1/2 cup powdered milk 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (4 oz) (or any hard cheese) 1/4 tsp salt 1 each egg, beaten 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup wheatgerm 3 cups whole wheat flour DIRECTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ In large bowl pour hot water over oatmeal and margarine; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in powdered milk, grated cheese, salt and egg. Add cornmeal and wheat germ. Mix well. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead 3 or 4 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to make a very stiff dough. Pat or roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into boneshape biscuits with cutter and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees. Turn off heat and leave in oven for an hour or longer. Makes approximately 2 1/4 pounds.


*************************** ***** Rover's Rewards ***** *************************** Categories: Dog Foods Calories per serving: Number of Servings: 50 Fat grams per serving: Approx. Cook Time: 50min Cholesterol per serving: Marks: INGREDIENTS ------------------------------------------------------------ 3/4 CUP HOT WATER OR MEAT JUICES
1/3 CUP MARGARINE
1/2 CUP POWDERED MILK
1/2 TSP SALT (OPTIONAL)
1 EGG
3 CUPS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
DIRECTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ IN LARGE BOWL POUR HOT WATER OVER MARGARINE. STIR IN POWDERED MILK, SALT AND EGG. ADD FLOUR, 1/2 CUP AT A TIME, MIXING WELL AFTER EACH ADDITION. KNEAD 3 TO 4 MINUTES, ADDING MORE FLOUR IF NECESSARY TO MAKE A VERY STIFF DOUGH. PAT OR ROLL TO 1/2-INCH THICKNESS AND CUT. PLACE ON A GREASED BAKING SHEET AND BAKE AT 325 DEGREES FOR 50 MINUTES. ALLOW TO COOL AND DRY OUT UNTIL HARD. MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 3/4 POUNDS. COSTS APPROXIMATELY 25 CENTS A POUND


----------------------------------------------------- SATIN BALLS

#10 of cheap hamburger meat 1 lg box of Total cereal 1 lg box of oatmeal (uncooked) 1 jar of wheat germ 10 eggs 1 1/4 c. veg oil 1 1/4 c. unflavored molasses 10 sm pks of unflavored gelatin pinch of salt and garlic mix all ingredients together well, much like a meatloaf...put into separate freezer bags and freeze, thawing out as needed. I mixed it in with kibble, and the lady who gave me the recipe makes little meatballs and places it on top of their food (but I find the dog will pick this out and leave the food). It put weight on in a very short time not to mention the gloss in their coat.
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LIVER MUFFINS

3 eggs 1 lb fresh raw liver 3 Tbsp molasses Blend in food processor until liquid goo 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup rolled oats, wheat germ or bran Mix together in bowl Add wet to dry and mix Bake in muffin cups for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees
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FROSTED PUPS

There are two recipes here for frozen treats for our beloved canines. Try them both, and try them with the various additions also. Your canine babies will love you for them. Put in your blender: 1 two lb. container of plain lowfat yogurt 3/4 cup water with a beef or chicken bullion cube dissolved Thats it! Often I'll omit the bullion and add a banana. Pour in containers, cover with foil and freeze. The containers I use are the Frosty Paw plastic cups that I wash and re-use. They hold about 3 oz. If you don't have these, it's important to use something that the dog won't eat also. The point is to have the frozen treat licked out, and it should take some time! Per batch: 3 big ones or 6 small 1 8oz. carton plain yogurt 1 ripe banana 1/4 cup water Combine in a blender or food processor til smooth. Pour into ice cube trays sprayed with PAM (about 6), or into the tiney Dixie Cups (sprayed with PAM)--about 3 if cups filled about 2/3 full. Put in freezer & chill til hard... The texture isn't creamy as frosty paws (more like a popsicle, almost crunchy) but the dogs give them four paws up! Variations: 1. Substitute plain yogurt for flavored 2. For Rocky Road add the crumbly/crunchy bits in the bottom of the Milk Bones box or any other odds/ends they enjoy.
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LIVER BROWNIES

1 pound liver, pureed 1 cup flour 1 cup corn meal cheese or garlic Bake at 250 - 300 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes.
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HOME COOKING

This is a bulk recipe for those with more than one dog who want to feed well balanced home cooked food . Some veterinarians feel that PF dogs should not be fed beef. Consult your vet. Ingredients: - - approx. 5 lbs of ground beef/turkey or chicken - - 3/4 cup canola oil - - 4-5 cloves garlic - - 32 cups water - - 8-10 cups processed veggies (various) (carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, bean sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, red peppers, spinach, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.) WARNING: NO ONIONS (not good for dogs) - - 2-3 cans kidney beans - - 1/2 molassess (optional) - - 42-45 oz oatmeal (quick cooking oats) - - eggs can be added to boost protien Method: - - In a large 24qt pot brown ground meat, - - add canola oil and garlic. - - when well cooked, add water. - - Bring to boil, - - then add veggies that have been processed, (frozen or canned veggies will work too). - - I use dried kidney beans and soak them the night before preparing a batch of food. While I am cooking the meat I have the beans in another pot cooking them. Once cooked, they are added to the above mixture. - - Next, the oatmeal is added. Frequent stirring is necessary at this point as the mixture will stick. - - Remove from heat, - - cool and put into containers. The above mixture will feed three dogs the size of a German Shepherd for 1 week. I occasionally add pumpernickell bread and some times substitue brown rice for some of the oatmeal. This recipe is very flexible. You can add a mixture called Healthy powder (recipe follows) to each meal. If you feed twice daily, add 1 tsp of healthy powder to each meal for each dog. HEALTHY POWDER

- - 2 cups nutritional (tortula) yeast - - 1 cup lecithin granules - - 1/4 cup kelp powder - - 1/4 cup bone meal (or 9,000 milligrams calicum or 5 tsp eggshell powder) Must be for human consumption NOT gardeners bonemeal. - - 1,000 milligrams vitamin C (ground) or 1/4 tsp sodium ascorbate. (optional)
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JULIO's CHICKEN SOUP/STEW
One inexpensive chicken (whole, or legs/thighs on sale) 31/2 lb to 5 lb. 2 quarts of water or enough to cover washed chicken mixed fresh vegetable. I use about 3 cups each of celery, carrots, garlic, and parsley. A pinch of salt. Simmer until chicken is very tender a couple of hours should do, more or less. Remove chicken from pot. Remove the skin and bones (discard these) and put just the chicken meat back in pot. Freeze in 3-day portions, so it won’t sit around too long. When feeding zap or warm a cup or two, add to the kibble, using less dog food and add more water. VARIATIONS - Provided by Carol Kufner Don’t forget the cottage cheese or eggs recipe, they are excellent to alternate with the chicken. Rice is an excellent addition to the chicken stew/soup and can be alternated with Barley or Corn Meal. A word or two on veggies for those interested. Veggies are great for adding vitamins, minerals and roughage to the diet. Good thing is that most of them are low-calorie so you can add them in modest quantities without effecting the major nutrients of the diet. Some veggies should be cooked to help carnivores digest them properly, but others can be fed raw. Best liked veggies that can be fed raw: Chopped parsley, alfalfa sprouts, finely grated carrots, finely grated zucchini. Veggies that should be cooked: Corn, peas, green beans, broccoli. For picky eaters the carrots can be cooked and then mashed down or run through the food processor to puree and added back to the stew. Fools them every time. Avoid veggies that are high in oxalic acid, this apparently interferes with calcium absorption. These are spinach, Swiss chard and rhubarb. Potatoes provide both carbohydrates and protein so it is ok to use leftover cooked or mashed potatoes on occasion in place of say rice, cornmeal or barley. Now some dogs do have trouble digesting potatoes and others don’t. Try it and see if the results are favorable.
Carol and Julio
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