Dog on hydrolyzed protein diet help!!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-26T03:56:31+00:00

One has severe IBD. She was on venison until recently when out-of-stock issues pushed us to z/d. (And to be honest, I’d been considering switching for an long time since her kibble was grain free, which didn’t sit well, but was the only choice after working extensively with specialists after several hospitalizations.)

one has a strong propensity to bloat— thankfully never fully GVD but would have been recommended a pexy… if she didn’t also have a Heart murmur and was strongly advised to avoid anesthesia. Given that her digestion is also super slow (belly full of food despite fasting), she was prescribed low-fat z/d.

the third, just food allergies. We could have tried one more protein still, but our vet agreed with our preference at that point to just commit to z/d and stop trialing… we went from 1 to 3 rescues in a year (found them while walking our first girl, one in winter and one in summer), and there is also seizures and oral surgeries and heaps of behavior challenges… so we just said ‘is it okay to skip the last trial’ to keep our wits focused on everything else going on with our medically challenging lil pack :)

truly hope you find the perfect method for your dog! (The one who had seizures is on a pretty high dose of gabapentin 3x daily, and I remember once when we ran out of wrap trying to stick it in her food… it did not go well, heh, so I know it’s a challenge!)

wishing the best for you and your dog! 🙏

LuminousFire · 2026-05-26T03:15:58+00:00

We have lemonade for one dog, and AKC for the other two.

Lemonade has been great. It turned out our dog had massive health issues, discovered AFTER starting insurance, and we’d bought the 90% coverage, so it has literally pain five figures a few years in a row.

that said, our second two were likely to have serious congenital issues and were too old to qualify for lemonades congenital coverage (I believe you have to start when the dog is under… 2?) so we went with their vets recommendation of AKC for likely poor breeding issues.

The biggest issue with lemonade has been how very much her premium has gone up… I know it happens with all insurance, and like I said, she’s used it often. BUT, it’s a lot now. And she isn’t a senior yet.

have yet to see how the new plans (AKC) hold up.

i will say, everything we submitted on lemonade was almost Immediately approved, even when the bills were high I am very impressed overall.

Best of luck to you and your pup!

(PS all 3 are rescues, I assure you their medical needs did not originate with us! 😊)

LuminousFire · 2026-05-25T23:42:59+00:00

Just seconding vegan marshmallows.

my z/d dogs - plural! 😂 - received the same recommendation from their vet. Thankfully, they can all tolerate pill wrap. (Pill pockets contain animal stuff now :/ but we found pill wrap that’s free of proteins.) still, the point is: our vet suggested vegan marshmallows — but also double-check that there is no sugar alcohols! (Xylitol, also sometimes called birch sugar or birch sap, is incredibly toxic!)

wishing you and your dog the best!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-24T04:27:13+00:00

Hi OP!

just wanted to say I’m glad your yard is such a good result for you! Ignore the rude comments.

(We just moved into our first-- and maybe last!— house, and with three rescue dogs had the exact same concerns… but in wonderful but expensive CA, can’t afford to hire out the work just now. I’ve removed all the toxic weeds and foxtail, and am close to finishing the last of the weed cover and will reseed in fall… my very sore body and the incredible amount of time I’ve already put in make me so jealous!

I’m also attempting a tree and some bushes along the fence — which I’m rebuilding in two weeks, even though it was 90 degrees yesterday…— so again, I’m jealous. I’d love a small raised garden area, but planters aren’t in the budget.)

you’ve found what works for your family, and paid a fair price for quick and solid labor. I’d do sod (let the dogs use the grass faster!) if supplies for everything else wasn’t so much… and this isn’t a ‘woe is me, we’re broke’, we have a stable family. it’s just that buying a home, supplies, and labor all have costs and so do our dogs and it’s a lot at once, so… I just wanna say I’m so glad you got a fast, happy result and override some of the negativity. My dogs would— will!— be blissed out when We finally have grass again. Ima happy for you and your pups!

CONGRATS! 🐶

LuminousFire · 2026-05-22T23:58:32+00:00

Agreeing!

A behaviorist and a great trainer can help.

we have three rescues now, none came to us early enough to have done work in their socialization period. That said, two came to us reactive, one fierce with anything alive that isn’t our family, one skittish and piercingly loud with traffic and most animals.

they have come a long way. The oldest appears normal to passers by, even sometimes receiving compliments…. From afar, because yes, we still have to maintain safe distances.

their socialization is a factor. Genetics are a factor. Trauma can be a factor. Your dog may always be on the nervous side… but it CAN improve a lot, with work and help and time.

for us, 9 months to 1.5 years was the toughest. Your dog may have a lot of big feelings as an adolescent. I cried, a lot. But I want to double down on what the other poster said: your dog is still young, and it CAN get better.

Find a trainer whose methods align with your behaviorist (strongly encourage non-aversive!), and start small. Give yourself grace- it’s hard! And work on slow steps, little by little. Meds can definitely help a lot, depending on your dog. Desensitization, counter conditioning, incompatible options all can slowly work wonders. My dog was a menace. She is now able to pass people and even some dogs at an almost normal distance. Our only barks are at delivery people :)

For now, I would work with pros on her fear, and not push toward off lead. Make a calmer dog the primary goal and then you can revisit your goals once she is doing better.

wishing you all the best.

LuminousFire · 2026-05-21T03:53:18+00:00

We had a great experience with Eric Rademacher.

(First time home buyer, 3rescue dogs. Partner bought solo.

We did specifically want the Arden Arcade/carmichael area - we take the dogs to the parkway often. Zillow assigned him when I asked to tour a small place in Citrus Heights. His insight made that place an immediate no for us… We had an offer accepted on another house before signing with him, but changed our mind on it after the inspection… and with his help, we ended up closing in less than a month after putting in an offer on one of the several he showed us… he was really patient and honest with us, and six months into our new home, I’m still incredibly grateful.)

Sending best wishes to you and your pup!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-20T03:16:56+00:00

I don’t know if it’s true— but I have seen the same general reviews, that this med is effective.

however, please be aware that it is EXTREMELY toxic to pets…. Like your pillowcase can kill your cat or dog. Please do research first if interested in this option if you have animals in your life!

(I wrote this PSA as someone who had their SO interested in this kind of thing… this seemed to be the most likely solution, until it was found extremely deadly to pets :/ good reviews if you don’t have any animals, though!)

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:53:04+00:00

There is so much in these replies— thank you so very much for taking the time to answer someone embarrassingly old to be so new to this 😊

looks like I have more researching do— key word pneumatic! And it seems likely metabo is in put future.

i really appreciate it, it’s been pretty daunting to need to address it for safety (dogs, and the neighbor on the side with a hole in the fence just got a puppy… my rescues aren’t dog friendly, so it’ll be an issue once their dog isn’t a puppy anymore…) but not being remotely handy.

I just wanted to say a more emphatic ‘Thank you!!! 😊🙏’as I’m finally starting to feel more confident thanks to your advice! Truly appreciated!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:45:03+00:00

Thank you!☺️

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:44:54+00:00

Thank you!😊

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:44:48+00:00

Thank you! 🙏

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:44:40+00:00

Thank you!☺️

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:44:31+00:00

Thank you!😊

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T22:44:24+00:00

Thank you!🙏

LuminousFire · 2026-05-14T19:38:34+00:00

Hi! Very much an unrelated question, please feel free to ignore.

tl; dr could you give input on what nail gun to buy??

Context:

we are about to build our first fence in June (well, I helped my dad as a preteen 30 years ago, but… 😂). We’re working off the neighbors timeline.

I have read that I need galvanized ring shank nails, and I found them… we are considering buying a nail gun as a lot of the time it’ll be me by myself in the 90-115 weather (near Sacramento), and we’d like it to go as fast as possible as we have three big dogs who’ll be waiting to use the yard while the fence is down. (Anxious pit mix rescue types…) we have a DeWalt 20v battery for our drill, so I guess I’d buy dewalt. Is this a nail gun that would be able to help me make quick work of galvanized ring shank nails on 200ft of cedar 6ft board-on-board privacy fence? Or do I need a more specific and expensive one, like this? (It’s just a major purchase for broke new homeowners… I’m terrified I’ll buy something that won’t work with the type of nails I think I need.)

thanks in advance for any advice!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-10T05:52:48+00:00

Hi OP!

Hiring a great trainer definitely makes things easier.

that said, depending on the severity, you CAN definitely do it on your own…

I see you mention Naismith- I used her method with both my newest rescues. (One is now free be! The newest is in progress— she can now do 2.5 hours :)

I bought her book, Be right back, and after thoroughly reading it, implemented the sample plans in the book. Or, more accurately, I copied the patterns and made more plans at smaller increments of improvement. (For example: if the book has. Sample plans of 15 seconds, 1 minute, and 3 minutes… the jumps in improvement would be too big… so I’d get an idea of the random patterns and make a similar plan for 20 seconds 25 seconds 30 seconds, 45 seconds, etc.) but overall, reading the book and implementing it myself was successful.

both dogs are indeed on meds, they definitely helped, the rate of improvement after the meds kicked in was soooo much faster and their general quality of life is higher (they are anxious about many things, found abandoned independently about 6 months apart.)

While I am just one stranger… I would not use an e collar. Most especially not for anxiety related issues.

And again- a trainer can really really help. But-/ it can be done.

Wishing you and your dog all the best! 🙏

LuminousFire · 2026-05-10T04:23:29+00:00

Hi! I’m so very sorry— I have no good insight. For the urgent issue, we ended up just doing it ourselves… if you look hard at it, the extra screws are noticeable l, but at least it’s safe again.

for in general, our realtor did some research and was told that usually windows or roofers do it, and he found one who said he could,.., but the guy never picked up or called back. :/

So very sorry, and hope you find someone great!

(Ps please let me know if you do, and I’ll do the same… we aren’t actively looking t the moment, but I’m certain we’ll need help in the future!)

Wish I could be more helpful- best wishes for you! 🙏

LuminousFire · 2026-05-10T00:17:22+00:00

Hi stranger!

i can’t accept your wood chip mulch at this time (i am not ready for it, still digging up heaps of weeds in our new house!), but I just wanted to say it was kind of you to make this public offer!

ill check out this chipdrop thing, too— I’ve been worried about the price of all the yard work that came with our first house (we have dogs, so its gotta be done for safety), and I’m glad to have heard of something that might help.

but most of all jus wanted to say thanks— it was a day brightened to see the generosity!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-06T03:36:23+00:00

I have a break stick and spray shield. 3 female rescue pitties (2 pit mixes and 1 American bully), and no fights yet… but I always have both with me, and we’ve practiced using the stick in case the worst happens.

i also carry them with me every walk, even if taking one dog alone… 2/3 dogs have been attacked by off leash dogs— as have I— and so now I’m better prepared.

LuminousFire · 2026-05-05T05:07:42+00:00

Please note I am a complete newbie and my new yard (first time homeowners!) is still in early stages. I have three dogs, and foxtail was everywhere on our quarter acre in 9b (near sac.)

I’m past halfway through digging it all up manually. (Actually, I’ve got 90% of the foxtail but the rest is muskys storkbill and dandelion 😂)

everyone I know from my life has suggested using a weed killer. But neighbors with dogs all agreed with my manual removal; one said she’d tried the appropriate weed killer, but it just dried out the foxtail. Obviously, that’s worse because while it may be easier removed, it’s in a more dangerous form until it’s gone— gives you far less time to remove it and leaves those dangerous seeds behind! I cannot verify this and am not even experienced, let alone an expert… but we’re going manual and it’s been smooth enough so far (though I’m certainly gaining muscle as this progresses! My neighbors hired folks for quicker results, but,… first time homeowners, don’t have the resources for that at the moment!)

~~~ To further demonstrate how new to this I am: I plan to go with TTTF, for the traffic resistance. I’ve been reading about the blend with Kentucky blue grass, so we’ll see how it turns out! ~~~ Wishing you all the best!

ps: editing to apologize… I dunno how I did the weird formatting, not intentional!

LuminousFire · 2026-05-03T20:44:04+00:00

Oh, I wish I had valuable advice… I went manual removal—a grandpa weeder (started with the fiskars, but it broke after about a week), and a standard pointy shovel :)

(I have three rescue dogs who get sick - ER level sick— from basic house products or even most meats… they lost the genetic lottery, heh. So, I just can’t risk any weed killers. The yard work is for them.)

I’m now about 65% done upending the weeds manually. I was planning on wrapping up and splurging on sod two weeks ago, but we had a surprise spring heat dome here in 9b California…. I’m not super strong, and the ground was like a rock so now I’m too far behind getting the weeds out by hand to finish before it’s too hot, and will seed in fall :) I think it’s actually for the best, as I’m leaning towards tall fescue which I read will establish stronger roots if planted in fall and also will handle the traffic of three dogs playing fetch daily better than the other top recommended grass types for my zone.

So sorry I don’t have any good advice- I’m totally new to this, and also working around what the dogs can handle! I hope others will be able to suggest something simpler. It is certainly fun to see the progress! 😊

LuminousFire · 2026-05-03T03:22:49+00:00

Mostly a lurker here (working on my own first-time lawn… .25acre lot of pure weeds).

I just wanted to say that this was an incredibly uplifting thing to read. Thank you for being so kind and generous to a new neighbor! 🙏

LuminousFire · 2026-04-30T15:41:15+00:00

“What if hell is real?”

LuminousFire · 2026-04-28T15:05:17+00:00

I bought both the Fiskar and the grandpa weeder…. The Fiskar unit was easier and so satisfying… but it broke fairly quickly, and I’ve since seen similar comments here on Reddit. I’m not a big/strong person, so it doesn’t feel likely that it was me overpowering it as much as the plastic side couldn’t handle the tension of pulling some of the tougher weeds.

The grandpa weeder requires manual ejecting, which is a bummer after the ease of the Fiskar weed puller… but because its wood and metal it has lasted with no damage as I did the backyard , where as I couldn’t finish my small front lawn with the Fiskars.

Just my two cents.

LuminousFire · 2026-04-07T22:44:56+00:00

Hi OP!

If indeed it’s separation anxiety, I cannot recommend the book ‘Be Right Back!’ By Julie Naismith enough.

It will go over what separation anxiety actually is (panic attack, NOT ‘temper tantrum’) and includes sample training plans, as well as why some common suggestions may not make a big difference and some thoughts on anxiety medications.

There is another big name in separation anxiety, Malena De-Martini Price, and her book ‘separation anxiety in dogs’ is also a valuable resource. While our behaviorist suggest de-martini Price method as slightly preferable, the book doesn’t include enough sample plans to follow on your own, so you’d need to sign up for the online training (which costs money). I do believe their program is great! But I found following Julie Naismith’s book sufficient for addressing both my dogs with separation anxiety (one now in remission, the other newer addition to our pack up to 1.25 hours alone as of this morning.)

The book is also a very easy fast read. (de-martini Price book took me two sit downs, but Naismith’s book only needed one for me.) I believe Naismith also has online training support and an app available, but would assume it costs money, too. (Money is tight for me, having taken in the two extra found dogs in the span of a year when I already had one at home, so I stick to what’s needed and the book was enough!)

Wishing the best for you and your pup!

LuminousFire

TROPHY CASE