Thanks for the tips, I will read through the recommendations pages & do some research. In the meantime, I'm cooking for him, so he's a happy camper!

I understand the point about changing up his diet, I don't eat the same thing every day for the same reason. But I have left the kibble part of it alone since it works. Other brands we've tried from time to time, and even switching his treats, really mess up his digestion for days. He has an underlying weakness there from a case of worms he had as a pup that one vet missed, which went on for a week before another vet caught it. Anyway, any switches in the commercial part of his diet cause a lot of problems, although when everything is going well, he goes for months without any upsets at all, so he is very healthy as long as the "protocol" is followed.

The commercial part, though, is only about half of what he eats every day, I leave it as a base so he gets enough vitamins, minerals, etc. The other half is extra food I cook him or "leftovers" from our dinners- we eat really well, so that is usually some brown rice, oatmeal, wing & back meat from chicken, lamb bits, veggies, etc. So he does get a varied diet that way, and that seems to work. That part is so varied & changeable that I have been reluctant to go without some safety net of kibble, especially on nights we get carry-out and there's not good leftovers for him.

I'd like to cook all his food, but I just can't, we travel a lot, and have other people take care of him sometimes, and I have my own business, so the kibble has to be part of the solution. Anyway, I'll research it, and maybe try a couple types if they don't set off his gut too much.

Thanks!
leavesofjoy

Since some posts are lost in cyber space I've decided to repost my test resultsof Natura products , tested for potato toxins. Innova health bar baked dog treats Chaconine 2.38 ug/g, Solanine 4.96 ug/g. Also contained feather fragments.

Innova Evo no Grain Baked Treats dogs Chaconine 41.0 ug/g, Solanine 40.9 ug/g. Also contained feather fragments.

California Natural lamb and rice formula adult dog food Chaconine 12.8 ug/g, Solanine 14.6 ug/g.Also contained hair.

Innova no grain treats for dogs chaconine 49.0 ug/g ,Solanine 51.0 ug/g.Also contained feather fragments.

Innova Evo Ancestrial Diet chaconine 46.3 ug/g , Solanine 43.3 ug/g. Also contained feather fragments.

Please if your pet becomes ill consult with your vet, notify the pet food company(be prepared for bs.) and get your food tested. Mine was done through Ag.  & Mkts. in my state.

I am aware of tests done on other samples these products that showed they were positive for potato toxins .  Innove evo ancestrial diet Chaconine 51.8 ug/g, Solanine 68.1 ug/g. Innova Evo baked treats Chaconine 28.7 ug/g , Solanine 44.5 ug/g. Some results were higher than mine some lower. Potato toxins can be fatal to people. The Fda was notified of these tests and "felt there were no specific  studies or data to show the effect on dogs . "According to a letter written by my state  "Although there have not been studies conducted on dogs to know at what level it would become harmful it is known the levels that were found in 2 of these products are much higher than the levels humans would be able to tolerate."

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JJ--some of us cat owners are stuck using dry kibble because we are not able to get our cats to eat anything else.  Many cats are very, very hard to switch foods on, and will go on (possibly fatal) hunger strikes rather than eat a different food.  For example, I had a whole thread up (lost in the crash) about my struggles to get my 11-year-old cat Phantom to eat wet foods, commercial or homemade.  I have been trying to change Phantom's diet for 9 years!

This has been a particular problem for me with the rescue cats I have gotten as adults, whose eating habits were established by someone other than me.

Please understand that not all people feeding kibble are doing so by choice.

Thank you, yl, for reposting this interesting results. Something for all of us to keep in mind.  The symptoms of the poisoning in humans are very much like what one of my dogs suffered.

Here is an unfortunate, but comprehensive article on chaconine and solanine experiments with animals and humans.  I am a vegetarian; and I do apologize if the animal experiments listed offend anyone.  I find them disturbing, but thought they may be a useful comparison.  Also, the data on some accidental poisonings:

http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je19.htm

"Assuming an intake of 200 g potatoes and a
    bw of 40 kg (age = 11-14 years), the reviewers estimate that the
    intake of 'solanine' by the schoolboys would therefore have been
    approximately 1.4-1.6 mg/kg bw. Because of the small margin of
    safety between normal potatoes and toxic potatoes, the authors
    speculated that in toxic potatoes other toxic steroids besides
    glycoalkaloids may be synthesized, such as sapogenins and saponins,
    which might enhance the toxicity of solanine alkaloids by promoting
    gastro-intestinal absorption or other means (McMillan & Thompson,
    1979)."

Here are some of the symptoms; I highlighted the ones I observed in my dog earlier this year. I do not know what caused his illness, other than suspecting the food.  This news from yl really makes me wonder, though.  He also had liver damage and a temporary shut down of digestion, dehydration, drooling and staring, odd behavior, persistant hair loss and skin infections (hair loss is listed elsewhere on this link above):

"acute gastrointestinal upset with diarrhoea, vomiting and severe
    abdominal pain. In more severe cases, neurological symptoms,
    including drowsiness and apathy, confusion, weakness, and vision
    disturbances, followed by unconsciousness and, in some cases, death
    have also been reported. The vital signs include fever, rapid and
    weak pulse, low blood pressure and rapid respiration. {panting, in his case} "

catbird had no idea that cats won't eat wet food. Even if they are started out on it? I am allergic to cats but as a child I had a few as pets, one I even trained to sit, stay, sit up and was our mouse and rat catcher. I know people are not doing this by choice - there are no other options for those who need to use dry. Just read something about Honest Kitchen so maybe that would be safe as a dry food?

Scooter switched immediately from Purina Cat Chow (shelter) to wet foods. Good wet foods? Nope.  Miss Kitty is just now getting with the rhythm of expecting wet foods for breakfast and supper.. and is finding how "special" it is - the out all day kibble isn't as "special" as the time to eat wet. Ling, happy happy kitty and loves the freeze dried raw dessert.

Now, I'm way closer to having 3 cats eating wet foods. So, I copied off Kaffe's Pork recipe and this weekend, the switch starts.. protests or not.

Their mommie has read too much today (Mr. Sellers and their defiance of the FDA and ignoring what is right for their customers & UCD, gosh go figure why they can't confirm cyanuric acid now or acetaminophen, and Dear Nancy who doesn't want to insult the Chinese suppliers (irony is that means it's ok to insult our pets, our children, our seniors.. all of us in America)) to keep funding the pet food industry -

 I acknowledge that I'm aiding & abbetting their spins with every commercial pet food I've bought since this started. It's time I reform my household and to hell with the pet food industry.. I hope they go to work in China (thankx MenuSux LOL)

And, thank you Natura.. NOT. Your lab tests were educational and destroyed all my trust in your company. The potato toxins in your foods, well, that's the nail in that tale.

Offy where is the info for the potato toxins in the Natura? I must have either skimmed the place it was posted or not read it? I stopped Karma as soon as Donna posted about the Innova. Thank goodness for the warning from her.