[gsdforever850]

I normally feed my girl Annamaet Manitok, but she has to be on wet food until her mouth heals from a tooth extraction. I just opened a can of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe - Beef Dinner with Garden Vegetables and saw these weird white things inside. I have no idea what they are and I'm probably being paranoid. Has anyone else seen this before? It's hard to see in the picture, but it looks exactly like pieces of a crushed up pill.

 

[Courtney]

Do those pieces move at all?

 

[Beau's Mom]

?

 

[gsdforever850]

"Move" as in ... they're alive? No. I just don't know anything about BB other than it's a good brand, so I don't know whether this stuff is normally in there. I haven't noticed it in any of the other cans I bought.

 

[tim_s_adams]

I'm thinking lard or fat...but it's hard to tell. Pull one out and examine it closer...

 

[Magwart]

If your vet likes you, see if they'll slice a white blob from the food up and mount it on a slide to look at under the microscope. That's what I'd do. I'd also freeze the whole thing, and not feed it. If your dog gets sick, your vet can send it out to be tested at an independent lab for about $100.

 

[gsdforever850]

If your vet likes you, see if they'll slice a white blob from the food up and mount it on a slide to look at under the microscope. That's what I'd do. I'd also freeze the whole thing, and not feed it. If your dog gets sick, your vet can send it out to be tested at an independent lab for about $100.

Good idea, I hadn't thought of that. As soon as I saw the white flecks, I took the bowl away, scooped the rest back into the can and put it in the fridge. I also sent a message to BB along with the picture and asked if it's supposed to look like that. Gah. I try to do everything right by her but I second-guess myself more times than not. And by the way, I don't post on here often, but I really appreciate your wisdom, insight and advice.

 

[gsdforever850]

I'm thinking lard or fat...but it's hard to tell. Pull one out and examine it closer...

I took it out and lightly rubbed it, and the consistency was like paste. You're probably right, lard or fat. I'm so paranoid when it comes to her. How do get over this sense of failure when it comes to our dogs?! I don't know when she chipped her tooth, so I feel like I failed her there. Then I just happened to notice a dark brown spot in one of her eyes. Did I do something wrong? Is it because I keep the window down just enough so she can stick her head out and feel the breeze when we're driving along? Is it because of the prong? Ahhhhhh! These, of course, are all rhetorical questions. I'm so glad I never had kids.

 

[GypsyGhost]

I’d reconsider the brand you are feeding. Check out their recall history. I have no idea what those white pieces could be.

 

[tim_s_adams]

I took it out and lightly rubbed it, and the consistency was like paste. You're probably right, lard or fat. I'm so paranoid when it comes to her. How do get over this sense of failure when it comes to our dogs?! I don't know when she chipped her tooth, so I feel like I failed her there. Then I just happened to notice a dark brown spot in one of her eyes. Did I do something wrong? Is it becausue I keep the window down just enough so she can stick her head out and feel the breeze when we're driving along? Is it because of the prong? Ahhhhhh! These, of course, are all rhetorical questions. I'm so glad I never had kids.

Get over it! My dog chipped a tooth also, but I'll never feel like I let her down by not knowing exactly when or where it happened...it just happened. It's not your job to micro-manage your dog's life! That's not what makes a "good" owner good! Good owners care for their dogs, provide them with adequate vaccinations and medical care, and provide them with a stimulating and fun life, and enough training so that they are manageable. Of course you also notice when there are funny white things in their food LOL! You did that, and BB may have more to tell you. But either way, they aren't objects that you control, or live in an environment you can control. They are MAGNIFICENT animals you get the privilege to spend time with. Enjoy that time, it's all too brief. And stop taking things so personally >

PS: every dog I've ever owned loved to ride in the car with the wind in their face. If a dog gets somehow injured by that it's unlucky, but not in any way "your fault". JMHO!

PPS: If it were me, I'd have that spot on her eye looked at by a specialist!

 

[Magwart]

I'm glad you're back posting!



You can control some risk -- DH has a 2-seater convertible, and if a dog ride's "shot gun" with him, it's in Doggles. You can't control other risk -- running and playing, they can get injured in freaky ways.


If the dark spot is in the iris (colored part), I'd be less worried than if it's in the sclera (white part). In the white part, it needs to be seen ASAP by an ophthalmologist -- my dog had a tiny dark spot that turned out to be melanoma in his eye. In the colored part, the eyes get mottled (like a turtle shell) as they age, with "raggedy looking" color patterns (and sometimes spots). Either way, it would be a good idea to have a vet check it out.

 

[kr16]

I normally feed my girl Annamaet Manitok, but she has to be on wet food until her mouth heals from a tooth extraction. I just opened a can of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe - Beef Dinner with Garden Vegetables and saw these weird white things inside. I have no idea what they are and I'm probably being paranoid. Has anyone else seen this before? It's hard to see in the picture, but it looks exactly like pieces of a crushed up pill.

You are not being paranoid when dealing with Blue Buffalo. They are a company that is not to be trusted. Way to many dogs have died due to them.

https://www.chagrinfallspetclinic.com/2018/03/08/blue-buffalo-dog-class-action-lawsuit/

 

[gsdforever850]

I'm glad you're back posting!



You can control some risk -- DH has a 2-seater convertible, and if a dog ride's "shot gun" with him, it's in Doggles. You can't control other risk -- running and playing, they can get injured in freaky ways.


If the dark spot is in the iris (colored part), I'd be less worried than if it's in the sclera (white part). In the white part, it needs to be seen ASAP by an ophthalmologist -- my dog had a tiny dark spot that turned out to be melanoma in his eye. In the colored part, the eyes get mottled (like a turtle shell) as they age, with "raggedy looking" color patterns (and sometimes spots). Either way, it would be a good idea to have a vet check it out.

I used to make her wear Doggles, but she hates them and always scraped them off her face. There's another kind that I think she'd have a harder time removing, but I just haven't had the time to look into them.

The dark spot is in the sclera. I took her to the vet as soon as I noticed it. She said it definitely isn't pannus, but that's the only thing she could definitively rule out. So I'm taking her to an ophthalmologist on Saturday. It's hard to get good pictures, but it's definitely more pronounced in her left eye. From what I've read, it's not uncommon for the color of the iris to kind of bleed into the sclera, and that's what seems to be happening in her right.

 

[gsdforever850]

Get over it! My dog chipped a tooth also, but I'll never feel like I let her down by not knowing exactly when or where it happened...it just happened. It's not your job to micro-manage your dog's life! That's not what makes a "good" owner good! Good owners care for their dogs, provide them with adequate vaccinations and medical care, and provide them with a stimulating and fun life, and enough training so that they are manageable. Of course you also notice when there are funny white things in their food LOL! You did that, and BB may have more to tell you. But either way, they aren't objects that you control, or live in an environment you can control. They are MAGNIFICENT animals you get the privilege to spend time with. Enjoy that time, it's all too brief. And stop taking things so personally >

PS: every dog I've ever owned loved to ride in the car with the wind in their face. If a dog gets somehow injured by that it's unlucky, but not in any way "your fault". JMHO!

PPS: If it were me, I'd have that spot on her eye looked at by a specialist!

I guess part of it might be the circumstances. My parents had 3 GSDs prior to Xena, but went 20 years between our last one and her. I think they always wanted to get another one at some point. My dad was diagnosed with COPD back in 2013 or 2014 and needed to get more exercise, so they figured a puppy would do the trick. So here comes Xena, full of all that puppy energy and ready to roll. And, you guessed it, my dad could never go more than a couple blocks without running out of breath. He passed away in November, so maybe on some level, I'm overcompensating with her because there really wasn't much I could do for him. Or ... maybe I'm just being overanalytical. Either way, I worry about everything, every bump, scrape, hot spot, lifted paw :thinking::thinking:

 

[gsdforever850]

I’d reconsider the brand you are feeding. Check out their recall history. I have no idea what those white pieces could be.

She's off the wet food as of today - the vet said no hard food for a week. But she hates eating straight kibble, and the only way to get her to eat is to mix wet food in there. What brand do you use? I wish Annamaet made wet food!

 

[wolfy dog]

Can't you make some chicken bone broth and soak her kibble in it until it is fully soft? You only need a little bit of the broth and the rest with warm water in order to make it tastier. Canned food is about 75% water anyways.Can she have an egg (no shell) mixed in it as well?

 

[gsdforever850]

Can't you make some chicken bone broth and soak her kibble in it until it is fully soft? You only need a little bit of the broth and the rest with warm water in order to make it tastier. Canned food is about 75% water anyways.Can she have an egg (no shell) mixed in it as well?

Oh, believe me, I tried everything. Egg, chicken broth, little bits of ham, you name it. Other than treats, she's just not very interested in food. I make her meatballs and bake chicken breasts, then break them up into little pieces and scatter them around the house and yard for her to find, very little of the store-bought stuff.

Someone posted on that subject here recently. She ranted about how people were always telling her to do this and that but don't do this about everything, from walking to feeding. The part that resonated was when she essentially said if she didn't do the feeding a certain way, her GSD would just starve herself. I think she might be Xena's sister, lol! My parents said with their first GSD, they tried everything and finally said the **** with it, she'll eat when she gets hungry enough. But I think Xena sees dry food as beneath her somehow, and she'd rather just starve.

 

[GypsyGhost]

She's off the wet food as of today - the vet said no hard food for a week. But she hates eating straight kibble, and the only way to get her to eat is to mix wet food in there. What brand do you use? I wish Annamaet made wet food!

I feed my dogs raw, but years ago, before I made the switch, I had a picky eater who would only eat kibble mixed with Earthborn Holistic’s wet food. They’re a good, family owned company with a solid safety record. Bonus... their wet food actually looks like food, lol. It’s more like a stew than a paté.

 

[Bramble]

Oh, believe me, I tried everything. Egg, chicken broth, little bits of ham, you name it. Other than treats, she's just not very interested in food. I make her meatballs and bake chicken breasts, then break them up into little pieces and scatter them around the house and yard for her to find, very little of the store-bought stuff.

Someone posted on that subject here recently. She ranted about how people were always telling her to do this and that but don't do this about everything, from walking to feeding. The part that resonated was when she essentially said if she didn't do the feeding a certain way, her GSD would just starve herself. I think she might be Xena's sister, lol! My parents said with their first GSD, they tried everything and finally said the **** with it, she'll eat when she gets hungry enough. But I think Xena sees dry food as beneath her somehow, and she'd rather just starve.

Have you had her tested for food allergies or intolerance? There are a few on the market that you collect samples at home and send in. I have never had an animal tested and the tests may not be perfect, but might give you a place to start and/or some extra info.



https://www.nutriscan.org/


https://glacierpeakholistics.com/products/pet-wellness-life-stress-scan-1

 

[saintbob]

I suppose you could call the 1-800 number...if there's one on the can.