Hi, all! I just got my package of Sojo's, and I need a little help. I would still like to follow Dr Pitcairn's One on One recipe. This means I will use a ratio of one to one meat, carbs, legumes(lentils) for the kids meals. The Sojos package states I should use 1c meat, 1c mix, and whatever the water requirement is. If I want to do  One on One, what should the ratios be? And how much should I feed each day? I plan on feeding the kids twice daily, as this is what they are accustomed to.

Thanks!

Hey - that's great!   I think that ratio sounds fine.  If I understand correctly, 1 part legumes, 1 part Sojos Grain Free, 1 part meat.  You're omitting grains for a few weeks - correct?

How much you feed depends on the weight and activity level of your dogs.  I feed my 22 pound Corgi an approximate total of 1 cup Sojos Grain Free, 1 cup meat.  She also gets extra greens, fruits, and various freeze dried snacks and some raw bones separately.  The food quantity is divided into 2 or 3 meals.  Some days I feed more - like if she's been super active (when her brother comes for a visit).   If I were doing the lentils or beans, the total amount would be the same, just different proportions.  I just eyeball the amount, to tell you the truth.  I'll make an exact measurement tomorrow and let you know.

I don't follow the directions on the bag.  I re-hydrate the Europa Grain Free in a jar by itself (1 part Sojos to 2 parts water) - enough for 3-4 days for both my dogs.  I keep this in a jar in the refrigerator, and then mix all the ingredients right in the dog dish.  That way I can rotate proteins and other ingredients randomly.  

I will be very interested to hear the results!   I will measure Lily's food tomorrow and let you know a more specific measurement.   

Woo hoo!  Sojos is such good food! 

Thanks, Sarah! I would assume that I can take 1 c lentils, cook them, and add to the mix. I am sure I will have to fine tune as I go along. I have been feeding grain free for the passed few weeks, with raw meat. Eli is a BIG Corgi. Not fat, but with a BIG frame. I never realized how big he was until I saw him next to other Corgis. Always 33-36#. Now I am beginning to see more of his frame. I am not used to that. I hope that he is not going hungry. He is his usual energetic self. Fur soft and full. Lots of healthy treats. I once got him down to 30#, and thought he looked thin. I'll just have to see, but, he was 30# when he was 6 months old..... Dix. She's not losing a pound. Must be a girl thing. Anyway, I have enough homemade food to last the next day or two ,then will try Sojos, with some choice add ins. My husband is very interested(Yay!), in the outcome, and he understands the meat will be raw.

OK. I must say that Sojos is REALLY interesting. It smells great when you open the bag! Just like a soup mix you would make for yourself. I had a bit of trouble rehydrating the mix, but, only because I had just gotten up, and realized I did not have enough food for later in the day. I was so sleepy, and made a mix of 1 to 1 water and premix.. Didn't even have any meat on hand to mix in. I realized my mistake when I got home, as the mix was still pretty dry. But, it was easy to fix...just add more water. Can you use broth instead?

Either way, the kids LOVE it! MIss Dix, who has always been picky, scarfs it down in no time flat, and does the Dixie Dance while waiting to eat. Bowels are clean very quickly. Seems no digestive upset. And the meat is raw. My husband is OK with it, and the kids seem to prefer it that way. I am hoping to see an improvement in the itching situation. For now, I'll stick to the Sojos, and hope for the best.

I am feeding 1 cup, twice a day.

Sojos has been around forever, and they are wonderful folks over there!

Don't see why you couldn't use broth in general, though with Ms. Dixie is particular you may want to keep things as simple as possible while you're working on the diet-allergy possibility...broth also adds quite a bit of fat, so if there are weight issues (as there are with a lot of Corgis) you'd need to account for those calories in the grand scheme of things.

 I gotta tell you. Miss Dix LOVES Sojos. (So does E). But, Dix just gets loopy at mealtime now. Barking, dancing, barking some more....It's actually annoying at 0530... However, I am thrilled. No broth is needed. No extra cheese or peanut butter to get her to eat. You can give her the Sojos with nothing else, and she still loves it. I think her calories have been cut, and I think she is itching less. The latter may be wishfull thinking, but her eyes are clearer(she has that doey look), and they are less runny. She hasn't had antihistimines in days. No local honey either(the bees are on strike, apparently).

All in all, I'm pretty pleased, as are my kids.  I think Sojos may be the way to go, for now. I wish I had tried it earlier.

Yippee! That is such good news.  I'm looking forward to hearing your progress report in a week or two. 

Broth is fine to use, but Sojos makes it's own yummy broth, as you have discovered. 

The quantity I feed my 23 pound Corgi is about 2 cups per day (50% meat, 50% sojos), divided between two or three meals, with little servings of chopped apple or freeze dried treats, etc. in between.  Sounds like you are doing something similar.

No antihistimines, no honey, clearer eyes - all signs of progress!

All right! :) As I head off to the wilds of Yellowstone for the next couple of weeks, I'll be keeping my paws crossed!

Hi, all!  Just a follow up note. I have been feeding Sojos, and I think it is a great product! I follow Sarah's advice, and rehydrate the mix separtely, so I can customize each meal. The kids really love it, and I am proud to feed them something they enjoy so much. However, what I thought was an improvement in Dixie's itching must have been a momentery blip.  She is itching just as much as before...MAYBE a little less.  I don't have her on any meds at the moment...maybe that is an improvement.  She has also had a UTI in the past 2 weeks(the second in a year), and a few issues with nausea. Both seem to be resolved at the moment.

Any thoughts on anything else I can to for Dix from a holistic standpoint? I think most readers are familiar with my feeding and suppliment regimin.

Thanks!

Hey Susie,

Since Dixie has been itching for such a long time, she could be detoxing. 

You could give her additional Vitamin C, and/or some extra greens (such as Dr. Harvey's Multi).  Does she eat grasses and weeds?

I was hoping all the problems would resolve immediately.

What about essential fatty acids?  Fish oil can really help with itching problems.

Keep us posted!  Hugs to Dixie. 

Hi Sarah,

Dix has been itching since the onset of the dry season, about September of last year. I was hoping the onset of the rainy season would help allieviate her symptoms, but we haven't settled into a typical summer rain pattern yet, and it's July. We're late. So.......I was really hoping a grain free diet would help. At least I am not loading her up on meds. 

She ate some grasses when she had her UTI, and was nauseated. She hasn't had any since then. I can try the Vit C. I am using Ultra Oil at the moment for EFAs. I have it loaded in  a pump bottle that ONP salmon came in(small one). Three pumps twice a day. I have also been cooking the turkey or chicken when it is part of a meal. Maybe I should feed it raw?

I'll get some Vit c at the drug store(childrens strength) and go from there.

Thanks for the help!

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Thanks!

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Hi all.

Just an update. Dix is still itching on Sojos. I have investigated the possibilty of a chronic yeast infection. Am feeding yogurt plus probiotics, and a low carb diet(not a whole lot of Sojos). No avail. I don't know what to do for her. My vet stands behind the diagnosis of allergies, and recommends allergy testing.

Any thoughts?

Have you eliminated things like: dryer sheets, air fresheners, scented candles, perfume, scented laundry detergent or fabric softeners?  Even things like hair spray or certain cleaning products could set off an allergic reaction.  Is she on heartworm meds?  Flea squeeze ons?

When does she itch the most?  Is she outside or inside?  Where on her body does she seem to itch?

Are there any herbicides or pesticides being used in the vicinity?

I would try boosting her immune system with Vitamin C, and give extra greens.

Not sure how accurate or effective allergy tests are.  If they require anesthesia, I would do something different.  All the books I've consulted say even airborne allergies originate with food.  It has to be something in her everyday environment.   I'm sure we can figure it out if we just keep eliminating things.

Could she still be detoxing?  She was itching for a long time before you introduced Sojos, correct?  Keep us posted.

Hi Sarah!

Don't use dryer sheets or fabric softeners. Laundry detergent and household are natural cleansers, but do have a light scent. She hangs out w/mee in the AM, but I leave her to spray my hair. I do burn candles because my husband smokes in the house behind closed doors. This is an area of contention that I can't get him to stop.

She is on HW and flea control. We are in Tampa Bay, which is now considered to be the same climate as Miami and Key West, tropical. Fleas and HW are a year long problem, and this year has been very bad due to drought. She came to us with heartworms from rescue. She had been losing weight, and seemed fatigued, so she was treated for same approximatley 2 years ago.

She itches equally in and out of the house, but when inside, she itches most in the bedroom, which is carpeted. Unable to rip it up and replace it due to financial hardship at the moment. Her ears, butt, groin, and feet itch the most.

I am unable to continue most of the suppliments I use right now, again due to financial hardship.  I do have human vitamins at home, and they are always a By One Get One every week. Can I use human vitamins for the kids? Say a children's vit with extra C? I have been feeding extra pureed broccoli, kale, and collards. Do you think that is adequate? Should I try the Kombu? I am not sure she will eat it...she has been excruciatingly picky lately....to the point she skips a meal here and there.

I would say she started itching at the onset of the dry season last year, say end of November. My vet was hoping that the rainy season would wash away whatever the problem is, believing her itching is due to something in the air that is in bloom. Everything blooms all the time. How am I supposed to know what it is? The rainy season never kicked in, so all the airborne junk is still hanging around. My vet believes that there must be something in my yard that is the culprit, and if I do allergy testing, I will find out what it is, and be able to remove it. Personally I think it is the carpet...It is very old. But, I simply don't have the resources to replace it.

I am hopeful we will be able to identify the problem. It has, and will continue to take time.

Thank you for all of your advice.