[Sydney N]

My lab had extreme allergies a lot
Like your poor puppy. Turns out even with the pricy vet diets she was allergic to the meat protein in the food. I changed her to natural balance vegetarian and not one issue since. And I have spent thousands at the vet. I’ve also heard many other stories like my dogs about this food curing their dog of itching and ear infections. Would never switch her food again I love it! You should definitely give it a try. She would keep me up at night itching so much and even get blisters on any other food!

[Sydney N]

You should try new balance vegetarian wet food (also vegan) my dog was allergic to all meat proteins and this solved all her ear problems! I also am vegetarian (mostly) so the idea of raw also kinda scared me away along with finally realizing she was allergic to meat!

[Sydney N]

I have had the exact same problem with my pure bred lab. She is 3 and I have spent thousands at the vet on her. Chronic ear infections, yeast infections, stomach boils, and itchy as can be. I have finally came to realize after environmental allergy tests she is allergic to dust mites as well as storage mites. These both found in dry dog food. She also is allergic to ALL meat protein. This has been so difficult and no vet has helped me. I finally read online about the meat allergy and thank goodness I did. I have since switched her to natural balance wet vegetarian dog food. And it has made ALL the difference. Her ears are crystal clean, her belly is happy and her skin is happy. This has never happened for me before, to tell you how bad it was I had an appointment with a dog dermatologist booked before this food. We tried zignature, elimination diet, royal canin, ultamino, hydrologized food, limited ingredient and nothing worked but this wet vegetarian food is amazing. She loves it too! I would recommend it and I also give probiotics with her dinner to her. She literally runs to her bowl now as does my other dog without allergies. I really hope this helps, I truly know how frustrating dogs with allergies are! If you have any questions please let me know!!:)

[Sydney N]

Hi! My Labrador has had ongoing food and environmental allergies for 3 years as well. I got her allergy tested for environmental allergens and she is allergic to dust mites as well as storage mites (in dry food). She also is allergic to pretty much all meat or animal derived protein. Saying this I have always had her to the vet for ear infections, skin infections, blisters, puking, loose stool, etc. I started her on natural balance wet vegetarian dog food and She has never been better. I tried her on multiple foods before such as. Zignature, royal canin, ultamino, and hydrologized foods, all which none worked. She has hard stool now, her health back, and clean ears and skin (I’ve never been able to say this before) and the diet is a full diet for dogs even though it’s vegetarian. I hope this helps you!

[Sydney N]

I also have a full blooded lab who has suffered endlessly with skin issues and itching. I would recommend a environmental allergy test. But I just have found the solution to her food. I feed her vegatarian natural balance wet canned dog food. This is the dog I’ve taken to the vet at least 50 times in 3 years with food, skin, ear issues. We tried signature, ultamino, royal canin, and multiple other foods. Turns out she is allergic to all meat protein which is common in some full blooded dogs. She also was allergic to dust mites and storage mites (also found in bagged food). I would try to switch your dog to the wet food and see if that helps. It did wonders for mine, her ears are crystal clear (never been able to say that before in her life). I am so happy with this product and hope your baby gets better soon!

[Reese B]

@Patricia , no, the freeze dried fat content is not the same as their raw. It should be 17% fat in the freeze dried if it was the same as they raw. If you re-read my email exchange with Primal, they admit that the fat content is different in both.

@aimee you’re right, I just get so angry when pet food companies blatantly lie. Since this whole grain free scare, I’m totally at a loss at what to feed my dog (who has allergies to grain) Trying to find a substitute food without grains or legumes has been a nightmare. Then, when you think you found one, they can’t give straight answers about their products…soooo frustrating!

[Donna B]

Hi there. My Frenchie just turned 2 in July. I too got him when he was 5 months. I transitioned him to Acana Duck & Pear because I had my golden retriever on it as well at the time. He loves it. I’ve recently switched my golden over to raw. My Frenchie gets about a dime size of raw with his dry and he barks at me to hurry up while I’m preparing their bowls. IDK where you live, but perhaps if you have a locally owned specialty pet store in your area, they too could help. I absolutely love my vet, but “food” is not their specialty. All of my food research has come from this site as well as my local store owners. Frenchies can be prone to chicken allergies oddly enough. Perhaps give Hamburg and rice for a few days to give her digestive track a rest. That should help her stools get better. In the mean time decide on which food to go with and then you can begin to transition with the Hamburg and rice mix if/when her stools improve. Just some thoughts… Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Joanne-
I have fed a lot of grain free WEF, Victor and TOTW along with some Purina, Fromm, Eagle Pack, Iams and Authority with grains. I’ve never thought grain free was necessarily better, but my dogs seem to do better poop wise with a little higher fiber. They had a rough start with parasites when they were pups and tend to have loose stools ever since.

Fromm Gold weight control is not grain free, but is fairly high in fiber and now am wondering if that is an issue now too. I am planning on switching to their reduced activity recipe instead which is a little lower in fiber.

It’s hard to know if there truly is a grain free concern since there is such a small sample of dogs so far. But having two lab/golden mix dogs, I’m going to play it safe. Both breeds are mentioned often in the different reports I’ve read.

I feed my cats about half Royal Canin kibble and half various canned food. RC is a little too expensive for our pet budget for two large dogs, however.

It doesn’t sound like your dog is sensitive to chicken. It’s so hard to tell with kibble because there are so many ingredients. Also, if your dog is anything like mine, they get into things they shouldn’t. Also, environmental allergies can also be an issue. The only way to know for sure is to do a true elimination diet with a hypoallergenic Rx dog food.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Ryan K]

Thanks for getting back! I am still somewhat holding out hope that this is reflux and not neurological. The vet said it could be either but without further testing she wouldn’t be able to say for sure. I am doubtful of them being seizures only because he seems like he knows what he’s doing and he reacts to me. I don’t know though. The gulpies seem to be common and people have such similar stories. :/

His food does concern me though. I feel like this all started happening around the time I decided to start him on a trial of rx science diet ZD for his skin. He got very lethargic and off while on it. I then mixed it up and went over to hills hydrolized protein and he was the same. Kind of acted strange and although both helped his itching…I could tell there was something up with the food effecting his overall well being. It sounds weird but I can’t really explain it. I then started trying new foods and this was when his problems got worse and worse. The Nulo has been good as far as his allergies go but maybe the fat content IS too high? 18% might be too much. I read that dogs with GERD should have low fat. I don’t know how low but 18% is probably too much if it does wind up being GERD. I also noticed that his last attack happened about an hour after I had fed him one of the wet Nulo packets but in chicken and duck. I typically just give him the chicken and salmon or chicken on it’s own but maybe the duck triggered it?? I actually have been thinking back and feel like I had fed him this same packet the previous time he had an incident. Of course, I could be wrong but I feel like I did. Duck sensitivity??

So, no concrete diagnosis. She triggered coughing by rubbing or palpating his neck. She said he is borderline overweight but she said it wasn’t to any point where she would tell me to put him on a diet. She leaned towards neurological as what her gut was telling her his problem would wind up being but she said I could trial him with sulcralfate and cerenia as well as the ID rx food. Hopefully he doesn’t have any attacks soon. I am keeping notes from now on as to when he has them so I can maybe get some solid sense of how often they are happening. I am going to start looking this upcoming week for a more hands on vet that seems more into the animals then the money. I have to figure this out. He can’t keep having these attacks. I hope if it is seizures that I can somehow medicate without expensive mri testing. :/

Fingers crossed.

[Ryan K]

Thank you for your responses. I took him in to the vet last night for an exam. She wanted to run more x-rays and suggested doing an endoscopy. Both of which I could not afford at this time. I am treating him with sucralfate, a low fat dry dog food they gave me and cerenia. I know these things most likely not solve his issue but I am trying them for now. I suggested the H. Pylori to her and she did mention the possibility of it being seizures but the diagnostics are too expensive right now for me to get for him. They would not treat either of those without positive testing. She mentioned that testing for H. Pylori was via scoping but I thought there was a blood test for that that would be less expensive? I am curious about this because I actually contracted H. Pylori shortly after I rescued him from the rescue group I found him at in 2009. I had to go through months and months of treatments to cure it. I always wondered how I contracted that. I am wondering if maybe he has always been carrying it and has passed it on to me? That would be a fairly easy situation to treat if he reacts to the drugs fast. I had it hard because I am allergic to so many antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. I am really hoping that I can manage his symptoms and get them under control with a lower fat food for now and the meds they gave me. This is so frustrating because I really just do not have the financial access to figure this out at the moment. I don’t even have any Care Credit left right now. I just actually wound up using the last of mine on a root canal. Losing my job didn’t help this situation either.

Surrendering him is something I don’t think I could ever do. If I knew who he was going to…possibly…but, just dropping him off at an SPCA is not something I could live with. It would destroy me.

I wish I had family I could borrow from for diagnostics but I don’t. I am pretty much alone with these costs and unable to afford them. I can get his meds and his food and can give him love and attention but the multiple thousand dollar diagnostics are just not feasible right now. I hope this does not make me a horrible pet owner. 🙁

[Jen T]

Hi, our Westie has been battling TCC (bladder cancer) for almost a year now. Our holistic vet switched her diet to dehydrated raw (Stella & Chewy’s and Primal) which she was doing well on. Recently, she is not interested in any dehydrated food/treats but will eat homemade foods (http://westierescueoc.com/the_westie_diet). We’re not looking to feed her this for long but since she’s been diagnosed with TCC, she’s had issues with crystals and bladder stones as well. Up until last year, she has been the healthiest dog with no issues other than skin allergies.

Does anyone have suggestions on a wet/canned food that is low on carbs for a dog with cancer and who is prone to bladder stones? She doesn’t digest chicken or lamb very well, and has rather soft bowel movements when the protein is too high (from what we’ve seen). It’s been hard trying to get the right food for her due to her soft bowel movements, cancer, and bladder stones. Thank you so much!

[Susan]

Hi Kayla,
It sounds like your dog has Environment allergies & no matter what he eats he is itchy scratch, red paws, etc… it could be dust mites, human danger, a plant outside, it could be heaps of reason & its not what he’s eating…
Are you seeing a Dermatologist that specializes in skin problems, to work out why is his skin is dry & itchy?
Have you added fish oil to his diet or tin sardines or salmon in spring water, add 2 spoons a day to 1 of his meals?
Have you tried a Hypoallergienic vet diet?? this would be the best diet at the moment till your vet or Dermatologist works out why your dog is itchy & has dry skin?

I also have a 9 yr old dog, he’s a English Staffordshire Terrier, thay seem to be prone to allergies & food sensitivities. He suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivitivies & IBD..
as they age they get worse with their allergies NOT better, normally thru the Winter months he does really well, as long as he isnt eating any ingredients he’s sensitive too but since moving last December this Winter has been a nightmare, I think he’s allergic to the grass in back yard & the big trees in neighbour back yard that hang over into my yard & drop these little yellow flowers….
Does your dog suffer with sloppy poos, diarrhea, gas/farts, vomiting etc this is a sign of food sensitivities?
Have you done a food Elimination diet yet? best to do food elimination diet in the cooler months when allergens aren’t as high, so you dont get confussed when the dog itches & its environment & not ingredient your adding to his diet…
Baths, are you bathing twice a week or weekly in a Medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens off skin & paws & put moisture back into his skin, I use Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes the days I don’t bath Patch..I also use creams to reduce any itchy red skin..
have you tried Apoquel or Cytopoint injections?

Here’s a really good f/b group you can join..
“Dogs, Allergies, Issues & other Information Support group” https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

Here’s “Canine Skin Solutions group” run by 2 animal Dermatologist, take photo’s & post..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563654607200747/

[Kayla A]

I have 9 year old Pomeranian with itchy/dry skin issues, which makes him itch so much he loses hair. Also he also many allergies that can be found in many brands of dog food. It seems he is allergies to any form of meal product, any wheat product, and any corn product. It seems to stop hair growth and it doesnt help hes itchy all the time. Does anyone know of good dog foods that excludes this??

[Louise A]

I need to find a dry dog food that does not contain chicken or wheat just discovered my Sofia is allergic to both but wheat is everywhere at the moment I am feeding her Pro Plan Lamb and Brown rice for sensitive tummies.

[Natasha C]

My vet advised me to switch my lab off of the grain free diet and not start my german shepherd puppy on it. The study showed higher incidents in large breed dogs, but also working breeds like labs and retrievers – those dogs apparently have a propensity to heart issues anyway. The presents a problem for me because my lab has allergies, which is why we had him on the grain free. Recently put him on lamb and brown rice – other than gas and mass quantities of poop, he seems fine. I think I am sticking to single protein kibble with a grain like rice and will see what additional studies show as time goes on. Staying away from potatoes and lentils for now. I don’t want to take any risks. Final note – once it was hard to find grain-free foods – now it is hard to find food WITH grains!

[Susan]

Hi MJ E,
Sounds like Envrionment Allergies, our weather has gone mad & so have our dogs with bad Allergies, my vet said, she is seeing more & more dogs come in with Environment allergies these days…
The best thing you can do is stick to a strict routine, bath twice a week or weekly baths when skin is good not itchy, bath in a medicated shampoo like “Malaseb Medicated shampoo, the days I don’t bath I use baby Wipes, Huggies Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes & I wipe down Patches stomach area then I get a new baby wipe & wipe his head,mouth, then new wipe & wipe his paws etc when he’s been out doors & on walks.

Another thing that helps my boy are creams, I use “Sudocrem” its an Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, Healing cream for Eczema, Dermatitis, Nappy Rash & it relieves itchy skin & paws & also protects skin & paws from allergens… at night before bed I check out Patches paws, stomah etc wipe him down with a baby wipes again, then I apply either Sudocrem or a Cortisone 1% cream on any itchy red areas…

Have you tried Cytopoint Injections yet? they’re the best less side effects for environemnt allergies…

“How CYTOPOINT helps reduce itch and allow damaged skin to heal”

CYTOPOINT is different from traditional drugs that treat itch. It is a biological therapy—a type of non-pharmaceutical treatment that works like your dog’s immune system. CYTOPOINT contains engineered antibodies very similar to natural dog antibodies. Antibodies are what an animal’s immune system uses to defend the body against infection or disease.
In this case, the antibodies in CYTOPOINT have been designed to specifically target and neutralize one of the main proteins that sends itch signals to your dog’s brain.
This helps reduce scratching so the skin has a chance to heal.
CYTOPOINT is an injection that your veterinarian gives your dog once every 4 to 8 weeks, as needed.
In studies, after one injection, CYTOPOINT started controlling itch within 1 day, and kept itch controlled for a month or longer. CYTOPOINT also helped damaged skin begin to heal within 7 days…

I live Australia & we are still waiting for Cytopoint to be approved here in Australia, hopefully Cytopoint will be here for this Summer.. Im worried about trying Apoquel with my boy, he has IBD but my vet said she is finding some of her IBD dogs who have Skin problems aswell are doing really well on Apoquel, she said it also helps their IBD when dog is having a bad flare….

If you on f/b search for “Canine Skin Solutions” f/b site is run by Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, pop in & have a read…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563654607200747/

Here’s one of her links a Skin Sympton Checker
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/skinsymptomchecker/

Keep us posted what ends up helping your dog.

[Susan]

Hi Lindsay,

Sometimes diarrhea may not be food related, “Food Sensititivies”
the diet you were feeding probably has caused an imbalance in his intestinal tract, causing too much bad bacteria over growth….
I have a dog with IBD, Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities, my boy does excellent eating Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes but doesn’t do well eating Lentils or Chickpeas he gets bad diarrhea from lentils & chickpeas cause bad gas & sloppy poos…

Dr Greg Aldrich PhD, Research Associate Professor at Kansas State University, Pet Food & Ingredient Technology,
found Legume Seeds carry significant quantities of FERMENTABLE OLIGSACCHARIDES, In small amounts these may be beneficicial to the animal BUT large concentrations of Legumes can become an issue & have significant impact on level of fermentable fiber in the colon, limit legume seeds, no more then 20% in a dogs diet…
I’d say this is what has happened with your boy & is still happening & diarrhea isnt clearing up, his diet has caused floral imbalance & has affected the balance between beneficial bacteria vs.harmful bacteria in his intestinal tract.
this is why your vet has put him on Purina Fortiflora, but your dog needs something stronger?

…Make sure fiber % is under 5%, his diet is not too high in fiber, a dogs digestive tract is short & they don’t need all this fiber in their diet, alot of these newer grain free dry kibbles are higher in fiber cause of all the Legumes….
…My boy will eat the same kibble & have NO problems with his IBD then all of a sudden he starts racting doing very sloppy, smelly poos or gets bad diarrhea & has bad gas (farts), its either from his environment allergies are so bad & puts his immune system into over drive his vet said causing a bad IBD flare, it always happens late March, the end of Summer (I live Australia).
My vet said she see’s us every March & showed me her computer screen & we visit her around the same date every March these last 5yrs needing medications, this is when she said to keep a diary, then over the years you’ll start to see a pattern with his Environment allergies, but sometimes when Patch has sloppy poos or has diarrhea the vet says he has too much bad bacteria… I think she knows when she asks what colour is his sloppy poos, too much bad bacteria, normally dog does yellow smelly poos its Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth, (S.I.B.O)…Big Dark cow paddy poos are normally a large bowel problem..
Patch gets put him on Metronidazole 200mg for 3 weeks, 1 x 200mg tablet twice a day, every 12 hours with a meal for 2 weeks, then the next week he just takes 1 x 200mg tablet with his Dinner for 7 days.
Metronidazole kills the bad bacteria in stomach & bowel, I change & rotate his diet but when he’s doing diarrhea from Environment allergies & his immune system has gone off the rails & is over reacting, I just feed him what he’s been eating cause his diarrhea isn’t caused by too much bad bacteria in gut…

You would have seen on the news lately about Legumes, I wouldn’t be feeding my dog a high Legume diet & Zignature is very high in Legumes, till FDA works out why Legumes are blocking Taurine in dogs diet…..

How did you work out he can’t eat Chicken, Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes?? I thought the same 4-5 yrs ago when I first rescued Patch, I thought Patch couldn’t eat Potatoes & for 1 yr I didnt know what to feed Patch, it was a nightmare until 1 lady that worked at Pet Shop told me to start adding 2 tablespoons of boiled potato to his meals or give 2 tablespoons of boiled potato for lunch as a treat daily & see does he get diarrhea?? & she was right he was not sensitive to potatoes or sweet potatoes, they firmed up his poo’s lol.. I look back now & I think it was the fish in the Eukanuba FP- Potato & Fish vet diet I started to introduce, something was off making Patch very unwell with bad diarrhea, I bought Eukanuba FP for his skin allergies, poor Patch had bad diarrhea for 1 week straight, we couldnt clear up his diarrhea, so he couldnt eat no food for 48hours, only given an electrolyte drinks, then take Metodinazole twice a day & then was put onto Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal wet can food only, its pork, corn & rice, then when course of Metonidazole tablets were finished, he was put on Protexin Probiotic powder for 6months…

Have you done a proper elimination food diet? this can take up to 6 months or you can use a Hypoallergic vet diet, then when dog is doing well, you start adding 1 new ingredient with the vet diet & he cant eat any treats nothing just the Hypoallergenic vet diet & then introduce 1 new food every 6 weeks…

I’d see your vet again & tell him his diarrhea isnt clearing up, ask can you try a 21-28 day course of “Metronidazole” to kill the bad bacteria, then when the Metronidazole course is finished start giving the Purina Pro Plan Fortifora again give without any food, best to give probiotics inbetween meals or first thing of the morning when stomach acids are low, not high, when you’re digesting your food your stomach acids are higher & kill the live probiotics…I was mixing 1 teaspoon probiotic powder with 10-15ml water, swirling water & dissolving powder in bowl & then Patch would drink it, mid morning inbeween meals he thought he was getting a treat….

What meat protein does he do well on?

I’d look for a Freeze dried or Air dried food like “Ziwi Peak” – https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

or look for a limited ingredient kibble that has just 1 single meat protein you know he does well on & make sure omega 3 & 6 is balanced properly, Omega 3% should be around 1/2 of what the Omega 6% is, this is why vet diets are good as they’re properly balanced.

I normally suggest Sweet Potatoes & Potates for diarrhea as dogs normally do firmer poos on potatoes, even vet diets have potatoes for the Skin & Stomach health, Royal Canine has their Select Protein formula’s & Hills has their D/D formula’s, but he cant eat potatoes, is this cause he’s sensitive to them & gets yeasty ears & skin or does he get diarrhea??
a dog only gets yeasty skin paws & ears when he is sensitive to an ingredient & then he reacts causing stomach or skin problems or Environment allergies can cause yeasty skin ears & paws…

Maybe ask your vet for a Intestinal Health vet diet or a Hypoallergenic vet diet to help balance gut flora for healthy gut & take the Metronidazole then after he’s doing really well after 4-6months then I’d look for a limited ingredient kibble that has healthy grains, if he cant eat sweet potatoes & potatoes…
then once you find a few different brands he does well on the start rotating between different brands, so he isnt eating the same dog food 24/7 & if something is wrong with one brand he’s eating your rotating his food every 2-3 months & not causing any health problems….Rotating foods strengthen immune system/gut aswell..

* “Wellness Simple” LID Lamb & Oats or Duck & Oats -https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/simple-dogs

* “Wellness Core”

Core Dog Products

* “Farmina” has LID or Farmina Vet Life – https://www.farmina.com/us/d-dog-food.html

* “Natural Balance” LID Lamb & Rice

[lindsay h]

Hi, so my dog is a healthy, active, happy 3 year old. He has a great appetite. It took lots of trying new ingredients and new foods for us to land on one that worked form him and didn’t have any of the things that set off his allergies. We know now by trial and error to stay away from chicken, grains, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. We found a food about a year ago that worked great for him…no itching no biting his paws not 1 single ear infection and great normal stool. UNTIL, about a month ago when he started having diarrhea nearly every day…at least once. I took him to the vet and he checks out as healthy we tested his stool for parasites and sent it off to be tested for giardia..all came back negative. He is still even himself and has a perfectly strong appetite. I can not for the life of me figure out why this has randomly happened. The vet started him on forti flora and he has done better with it but still not back to his old poops. I’m thinking now about switching brands again because I don’t know what else to do. The brand he is on now is Zignature and allergy wise he is still GREAT and better than ever no itching no red eyes or ear issues. I would REALLY love to find another brand that is grain free, potato and sweet potato free as well as chicken free. If any of you have suggestions I would be so so grateful for your help. I have searched the site and just not come across a winner just yet. Thanks so much for any info.

[Greg A]

Hi susan,

Thanks for the input and info. I have a paper trail of foods and side effects that I noticed since he was a puppy. Initially I thought he was severely allergic to chicken from blue buffalo chicken and rice… Once i got into the dog food research I went with a duck and sweet potato from natural balance. It didnt seem to matter he was either itchy / biting at his paws or constant ear smells and dark wax discharges. I eventually set on zignature kangaroo hoping it was a meat protein issue exclusively which although somewhat helped did not completely rid of his issues (tons of peas/legumes). I found a few pea free foods and notices his reaction to the introduction of peas.

Looking back at each and every brand I have tried theres always a combination of peas, legumes, rice, or potatoes. I have went from foods similar ingredients eliminating a few to jumping the gun and doing some exotic recipes even home cooking for a month.

Even if the blood test is not accurate it did surprise me that pork was on the list because when experiment with zignature I made notes with each flavor that pork absolutely drove him crazy. From zignature I switched to natures logic which is a millet based carb with a single protein in most and is pea free. I would say he has improved with that brand however he has had some stool issues which was improved with freeze dried pumpkin treats. Currently he uses the Alaskan cod and pumpkin from earthborn hollistic venture but it is such a low calorie food and feeding two dogs with it is a bit rough! I am willing to do what i need though as the bloods were a little under $800.

[Susan]

Hi,
Doodles are known for skin allergies, are you on facebook? join this group a few Doodle owners are in the group, “Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogAllergiesIssuesandOtherInformationSupporGroup/

The only true way to test what foods your dog is sensitive too is to do a food elimination diet & do it in the cooler months, not Spring & Summer when pollens, flowers, allergens are high…
These Blood, Salvia & Hair/Fur test give false positives. My vet told me when some of her clients push to have the blood test done even thought she has told them you’re wasting your money, my vet said she has found the foods the dog is eating at the time will come up as a positive… When your dog had his blood test was he eating any of these ingredients rice, pork, peas & potatoes etc that came back positive?? if you do the blood test again it will come back with different food allergens & not the same ones, this is why it’s not realiable…. also as the dog ages their allergies get worse, my boy suffers with Seasonal Evironment allergies (Only bad Spring & Summer )& food sensitivites, he’ll be turning 10yrs old Nov & 2017 Summer till now which is Winter in Australia has been the worst year I’ve had with him, his vet told me it will get worse & wants him on Apoquel before Summer comes in a 4months, he reacted really bad last Summer Dec 2017 & had a really bad IBD flare which attacked his Esophagus, I nilly put him too sleep in Febuary this year but his vet begged me to please wait another month for Summer to finish…..Finally in April he started to get better after I started to feed him “Wellness Core” Large Breed dry kibble…

I’d say your dog is suffering from Environment Allergies in the Summer months & has food sensitivities, keep a diary & you will start to see a pattern as the seasons & years pass, he’ll be worse thru the hotter months, he’ll do better in the cooler winter months as long as he isn’t eating anything he’s sensitive too, it’s best to change foods etc when Winter is approaching when outdoor allergens aren’t as high & won’t interfer with your food elimination trial…

Have you tried a Hypoallergenic vet diet? you can do elimination food diet with these Hypoallergenic vet diets…once your dog is doing well on 1 of the Hypoallergenic vet diets & doesn’t have any skin problems this is when you introduce 1 new ingredient to his diet & introduce 1 of the foods that came up positive in his blood test, start him on Potato or rice, boil some potatoes & add 2 spoons potatoe with his vet diet meals or give the boiled potatoe or rice as a treat & see does he start reacting, it can take from 20mins up to 6 weeks for the dog to start reacting to an ingredient when he’s sensitive, my dog reacts within 20mins after eating an ingredient he’s sensitive too.. you fed either the rice or potatoes for 6 weeks only stop feeding if he reacts to the potatoe..
Its not the starches in the food he’s sensitive too its the protein in the food he’ll react too….
I nilly forgot “BATHS” weekly baths or as soon as he is itchy, rolling rubbing on grass, carpets, licking scratching give him a bath twice a week is best thru the hot months…
Baths wash off all allergens on skin paws face etc I use ” Malaseb” medicated shampoo its relieves itchy skin & paws..

Have you looked are “Freeze Dried Raw formula’s instead of dry kibbles?

* “Ziwi Peak”
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

* “Farmina” Natural & Delicious or the other Farmina formula’s
https://www.farmina.com/us/d-dog-food.html

* “Canidae” Pure Ancestral Raw Grain Free coated formula’s..
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-fish-formula-with-salmon-mackerel-pollock-whitefish-tuna/

Just make sure any grain free kibbles you feed are under 20% in Legumes or are Legume free.. Until FDA finds out why Lemuges is blocking Taurine….

[Linda C]

Thank you! I’ve been scouring sites and trying to find dog food for our dogs. They are allergic to chicken and trying to avoid the white potato. Not easy, thanks for your hard work, at least this is a manageable list. Not having much luck with canned foods. We did find Logic but not sure how that stacks up overall.

[anonymous]

I never did the blood test suggested by the regular vet, (got tired of the back and forth bandaid remedies). Consulted a specialist instead, the dermatologist told me it was not necessary. Allergen specific immunotherapy is the most natural treatment available, no meds involved. See my posts….
The dog’s allergies appeared to be environmental.
Environmental allergies wax and wane making it impossible to tell what food might or might not help.
The intradermal skin testing is the only accurate way to identify environmental allergens.
My allergy dog eats a variety of foods with a quality kibble as a base, lots of boiled chicken meat and boiled egg as toppers.

My dogs are thriving on Zignature, but due to the recent “grain-free scare” I am trying Fromm Classic Adult for one of my dogs….. Don’t want to make a change with my allergy dog, but we’ll see.

PS: The blood test, that’s the one you had, right? It is known to be unreliable.

[Greg A]

Anon,

We did he is allergic to 17 of the 100+ items tested… 4 out of 8 grasses, 6 out of 11 weeds, 5 of 12 trees, somehow he is not bothered by house dust. Once I look at this list it might seem like a shot or pills may be the way to go I just dont want any adverse side effects. Even if we went with the allergy shots/pills does that mean one can simply feed whatever or should i stick to foods that follow my test results?

[anonymous]

/forums/topic/hes-got-good-and-environmental-allergies/#post-113364
Make an appointment with a board certified veterinary dermatologist. It’s not the food. Just my opinion, based on my experience and knowledge.

[Greg A]

First time poster here so I apologize if this is in the wrong category.

I have a goldendoodle that is a year and a half that has battled allergies his entire life. Through elimination diet (or attempting to with a 5 kid year old who cant seem to eat over his plate!) I felt confident my dog was allergic to peas and chicken… When brodie was neutered he ripped his staples out and during the surgery to clean out an infection the vet recommended we do blood work to find out for sure what his intolerances were. The results were not what I was hoping for to say the least.

Without showing his environmental allergies brodie is allergic to Pork, soybean, corn, rice (white and brown), white potato, sweet potato, and green peas. Beef and lamb are close to the positive however, the items above were way above normal range for intolerance.

One of my first questions is does anyone know of any foods that fit this profile? I believe I found only a handful. One being Earthborn Holistic Venture Pollock & Pumpkin:

Alaska Pollock Meal, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Salt ,Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Exrtract, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Along with the Nature’s Logic line excluding the Pork flavor. The only problem i have had with this brand is loose stool.

In most foods that i find that fits the bill they include pea starch at a minimum. Does anyone have experience with whether the starch would cause an issue or am i limited to the proteins to the allergy.

The vet is kind of stumped because of potatoes and rice along with the peas. Do i have any hope?

The only other brand / flavor was FARMINA CODFISH & ORANGE ADULT MEDIUM

Fresh wild caught Cod(source of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate), dehydrated cod (source of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate), herring (preserved with mixed tocopherols), whole spelt, whole oats, dried beet pulp, dried carrots, sun-cured alfalfa meal, inulin, fructooligosaccharide, yeast extract (source of mannan-oligosaccharides), dehydrated sweet orange, dehydrated apple, dehydrated pomegranate, dehydrated spinach, psyllium seed husk, dehydrated blueberry, salt, brewers dried yeast, turmeric, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, choline chloride, beta-carotene, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous glycine, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, DL-methionine, taurine, L-carnitine, aloe vera gel concentrate, green tea extract, rosemary extract, mixed tocopherols (a preservative).

This one contains “spelt” which isnt a tested ingredient but is close to wheat which is not an allergy.

I am looking for any suggestions or off name brands that may be out there that are not main stream. We currently pay around 120-140 a month for dog food (we have a rescue goldendoodle and do not want to have different foods per dog). I would prefer not to keep him limited to one brand his entire life as I like have a choice should one flavor get discontinued.

Thanks.

[crazy4cats]

Hi doginlaw-

Zignature is pretty high in fat and calories. I’d get him on a lower calorie food to lose weight. That will help immensely!

I have chubby labs and I try to keep their kibble on average at 350 calories per cup. Fromm has a senior/reduced activity recipe that you may want to look into. Also, more often than not, grain free food does not cure allergies. Especially, if they are environmental.

Swimming is an excellent idea! Good luck with your pup!

[anonymous]

Regarding the skin issues, I would make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist.

/forums/topic/hes-got-good-and-environmental-allergies/#post-113364

Regarding the “hip problems” have x-rays (hips/spine) been done to rule out hip dysplasia and other anomalies? Don’t assume it is age related arthritis until other causes have been ruled out.
Swimming is the best for dogs with arthritis, also good for weight management.
In fact, if you have pet health insurance hydrotherapy may be covered as a prescribed treatment.
/forums/topic/hip-dysplasia/#post-117881

The supplements mentioned are okay, but they are not medication.
If you want to get to the root of the problem often a specialist is indicated and/or more testing $, otherwise the vet has no choice but to recommend bandaid remedies.

[doginlaw]

Hey all, I’m new here and I apologize if this is a redundant question (I did some lurking and found some related topics, but I wanted to bring up some specific issues here–hope that’s OK). In the interest of full disclosure, I will note that I’ve been working at a Pet Valu (the company that makes Performatrin) for a few months, and that learning a little about pet nutrition in my job training has motivated me to learn more so that I can (hopefully) help my family’s dog and give better advice to customers, too. :3

So, background: I live with my spouse’s family and their dog, a yellow Labrador Retriever who’s about 6-7 years old. He gets really bad ear infections pretty regularly, and even when they’re not infected, he seems to be constantly itching, chewing on his paws, and just generally uncomfortable. (He’s not very vocal but he makes grumbly noises when we touch his ears.) Apparently the vet told my in-laws he has “winter allergies,” but the problems seem to occur year-round and we’re not sure what he’s allergic to. He’s also somewhat overweight and just recently (I’d say within this year) developed some hip problems where he’ll be limping on his back legs and can only be active for a little while before he starts panting and seems to be in pain. This makes exercise a bit difficult–the vet suggested swimming as we have a pool, but the water also aggravates his ear problems.

Until recently he was on the Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Light, but after some research and discussion with my co-workers, I tried switching to Zignature turkey formula (grain-free, limited ingredient). We also have been giving him an omega-3 supplement (salmon oil) and a hip and joint supplement with glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, but I haven’t noticed much of a difference since he started taking these. Being a Lab, he’ll eat pretty much anything, so switching him to a new food hasn’t been an issue, but he has gained some weight on the Zignature and again, it doesn’t seem to be making any difference in his skin problems. He’s only been on it for about 3 weeks, though.

I spoke to our vet last week about his diet and she recommended something fish-based for his skin, plus a taurine supplement of 2000 MG per day if he stays on the grain-free diet.
I’ve been considering switching him to either Nulo Freestyle Senior Trout & Sweet Potato or one of the Performatrin Ultra varieties, but I’d very much appreciate any advice or recommendations.

Thank you (and sorry for the long-ish post)!

[Blkdoodle]

Thanks for the information Susan. Callie also is allergic to fish, especially salmon but other fish mixes as well. So said the results of her allergy test. I hate to try the sardines and find she has a reaction. She is taking Apoquel for the allergies.
I appreciate your response and interest, thank you.

[Blkdoodle]

Just when, all I had to research, for my food allergic doodle, something else comes up throwing a “wrench” in the mix. Right now I have her on Instinct Limited Diet Lamb dry, and a topper of Instinct Lamb wet alternating with Whole Earth Hearty Lamb Stew. I look for a food that has at least two meats at the beginning and hopefully without peas, potatoes, green beans etc. That’s hard to find.
I have no idea if she is getting enough taurine or not. I just wish dog food manufactures didn’t have to “fill” their foods with potatoes, peas, beans etc.

[Amelia Z]

Yes, you are correct. I have a call into the sport dog company. Don’t know how a “non” sport dog will do on this food. Not sure if it is too rich.

I haven’t feed grains to my dogs. Auggie was tested for food sensitivity and he is sensitive to corn. In general I don’t think grains are good for dogs. Dogs are carnivores, so the main source of protein in their diet should be meat. Grains are inferior sources of protein. Diets with higher grain and carbohydrate content can lead to weight gain, allergies and other potential health problems. I believe grains can become moldy as well. Not to mentions they are sprayed with pesticides. The problem is pet food manufacturers need a filler in the foods, so it’s either grains or legumes. Very few kibble is free of both of these.
As far as Purina and Royal Canin. just look at the ingredients, junk! I don’t trust either of these companies, it’s all about the money. Purina who makes Beneful, shouldn’t be on the market.
Royal Canin 1st two lines of ingredients: (doesn’t sound like something I would eat)
Brown rice, chicken by-product meal, oat groats, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, wheat, chicken fat, natural flavors, powdered cellulose, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, wheat gluten, dried tomato pomace, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, calcium carbonate, potassium..
The 1st ingredient in food should be a named protein (chicken, beef, pork etc) NOT rice in my opinion. My older golden who is 7, always had yeasty ears. The past couple of months I am only giving them kibble one meal, their other meal I am giving them freeze dried-Orijen regional red. I use to clean his ears every other day. Now, no yeast in 3 weeks. Coincidence, I don’t think so. I do believe that kibble is the worse type of food to feed, so I have been researching other options. I know the big push is to go raw, but I just can’t do that yet, which is why I am giving one meal freeze dried. Although, it’s getting pretty expensive.

[RottieMom]

Here is the run down of the food I have her on.

Victor Active Dog & Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is formulated using multiple proteins including USA-sourced beef, chicken and pork meals, along with nutritious peas and sweet potatoes in place of grains. This premium-quality food also contains scientifically advanced ingredients that support your pup’s digestive and immune system health. Victor Active Dog & Puppy is an excellent food for dogs that may have allergies to grains or glutens, and can be fed to dogs of all ages.

Key Benefits
Super premium 33% protein grain-free dog food made with high quality protein sources for well balanced nutrition designed specially for active dogs & puppies
75% of protein in this recipe comes from a combination of USA sourced beef, chicken, pork & fish
Recipe features antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes that are high in dietary fiber and great for digestive health
Menhaden fish meal contains DHA, an essential nutrient for growing puppies
Grain-free and gluten free recipe for easy digestion

Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Pork Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Flax Seed (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acid), Yeast Culture, Natural Chicken Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Salt, Montmorillonite, Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Dried Carrot, Choline Chloride, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Dried Chicory Root, Taurine, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Lecithin, Fructooligosaccharide, Folic Acid, Yeast Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Caloric Content
3,640 kcal/kg, 397 kcal/cup
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 33.0% min
Crude Fat 16.0% min
Crude Fiber 3.8% max
Moisture 9.0% max
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 2.8% min
Zinc 150 mg/kg min
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg min
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg min
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.4% min
L-Carnitine 50 mg/kg min
DHA 0.1% min

[Katie K]

I’ve heard about this twice within the past week and tried researching it. It sounds like the majority of people in this thread read the same article that I did. To me, it was very unclear. What makes them Think certain foods are causing this? Is it simply because the number of dogs with heart problems have gone up and more and more people are feeding their dogs grain-free? I would think that they would want something more conclusive before spreading this belief. What if a new vaccine is causing it? Or something environmental? Or it could be genetic, with the amounts of dogs in puppy mills. And the way it talks about taurine… A lot of dogs with a heart disease are deficient in taurine. But then again, a lot of them aren’t…?
My dog does have sensitive skin. He has allergies to some things. I feed him grain-free. He does great with the food I have him on. Is he allergic to grain? I don’t know. I do know that when his skin is irritated, he chews. When he chews, moisture gets into his skin and yeast starts to build up. Grain feeds the yeast and causes it to spread. A grain-free food won’t worsen the problem. If you feed a grain-free food with the right balance/amounts of probiotics, it actually fights the yeast. If, for some reason, his food were to cause a taurine deficiency, I would rather give him a supplement than switch him to a food that causes him to be itchy all the time.
This article isn’t just recommending to stay away from grain-free foods. It also says that “boutique” foods can cause heart problems. That term, “boutique foods” is kind of vague, no? So grain-free foods, “boutique” foods, and a raw diet.. According to this article, they’re all no good. Well, what does that leave us with? Hills Science Diet? This article talks about a vet who is researching this whole grain-free causing heart problems. Morris Animal Foundation is funding his research. Who started this foundation? The same person who started Hills Science Diet. What kind of food are vets recommending we switch our dogs to? Hills Science Diet.
Vets have been recommending and selling this food for decades. The more they sell, the more perks they get from the company. This food is so unhealthy but was very popular for a very long time because people trusted their vets. Now that we have the internet, more and more pet owners are educating themselves and making informed decisions on what to give their dog. I am sure Hill’s sales have dropped dramatically. It sounds to me that they are desperate to get back on top.
In my opinion, if your dog is doing well with the food s/he is eating, don’t change their diet. ESPECIALLY to Hill’s Science Diet. If they ever have proof to back this theory, of course I will take it seriously. But for now, it seems to me that they’re trying to take advantage of our love for our dogs to line their pockets.

[Evelyn H]

I have 4 dogs: 7 mo old, 6lb Morkie, 3 yr old 5 lb Maltese, 5 year old 10 lb Biewer terrier & 5 yr old 18 lb Havanese/Belgian Mallinois mix. Variety of sizes & ages and all but the Biewer had terrible itching, scratching and eating their feet (literally), plus lots of pink. We spent the last two months transitioning all from Science Diet Adult Fitness Small Bites (or puppy, in one case) to Halo food. Havanese/Belgian Mallinois had worst allergies, so he is now on Halo Vegan & definitely improving. The other 3 have been on Halo Turkey & Duck for 2 months and we are seeing improvement in them, too. The maltie has lost all her pink tinges already. Although expensive, we are overall pleased with the change of food and the dogs certainly love the taste of it! However, their stools have changed dramatically in both size and amount. For instance, the maltie used to have pinky finger sized poo 2-3 times per day. She now has poo as big around as a quarter and 5 inches long, 4-5 times per day. The others have changed accordingly to their size, as well. I’ve never seen so much poop in one day! Is anyone else out there experiencing this? Is this normal? Is it unhealthy? Who has an opinion? My vet has no concerns, as all babies are healthy, but I just wonder what other users think.

[Christine W]

I took this VERY seriously when i read it,and contacted my vet.I feed my Pugs Wellness grain free & Science Diet weight control ( eye roll) which they went on strike when i took it away,BUT may be a good thing now? This is only part of what she replied:

One thing that may come to light in the future is the exact percentage of meat that composes these diets. DCM has been linked to a low level of taurine, which is an amino acid that is found in certain meats or animal proteins. Dogs can also synthesize taurine from a precursor called cysteine that is often found in ingredients besides protein eg grains. If there truly is a causation, we may also find that certain grain free starches may actually prevent absorption of taurine or prevent it from being synthesized from the precursor cysteine (this is just a hypothesis-I am not aware of any science that has proven this theory yet).

One common misconception is that grain free diets actually help pets with allergies. This may be true in some cases, but in studies, we have found that most pets are actually allergic or sensitive to the protein and not the grain in diets. Unfortunately, through advertising, many pet food companies have pushed owners to believe that ‘grain free’ means healthier and less allergies, and we have seen many owners opt for more expensive grain free food because of this. The majority of pets do great on diets containing grain.

[Stacy H]

I saw that and I am concerned. I disliked “grain free” for years – nobody is allergic to all grains – but then tried a grain-free food for my 1-year-old pup and he is doing fantastic on it. (Simply Nourish Source)

I noted it said “certain pet foods containing legumes or potatoes as their MAIN ingredients.” (My emphasis) My question is, which foods contain peas and potatoes as the main ingredients?

[anonymous]

Does the dog have bad teeth? If so, the first thing I would do is take her to the vet for a professional cleaning.

It doesn’t matter what food you feed her it won’t undo periodontal disease.

Hope this helps. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/06/dental-disease-in-dogs-and-cats-does-treatment-improve-health/ excerpt below
“Dental disease, especially periodontal disease, is very common in dogs and cats. Though affected pets rarely show obvious or severe symptoms, periodontal disease is undoubtedly a source of significant discomfort. The only accurate way to diagnose, characterize, and treat periodontal disease is with a thorough oral examination, dental x-rays, and appropriate cleaning and often extraction or endodontic treatment of infected teeth. This can only be accomplished under general anesthesia”.

Use the search engine at that site to see more articles.

Ask her vet if fish oil (approved for veterinary use only) might help the dry skin.
Try bathing with a gentle shampoo, let’s hope it’s stress related, see what the vet thinks.
Did you get pet heath insurance? You may want to consider…….
She may have allergies or some type of skin condition that will need ongoing treatment.

[Karen G]

I have a 14yr old Beagle , 9yr old Pomeranian and 4 month old Standard Poodle.
Is there a dog food they all can eat?
Beagle and Pom have had several brands thru the years but for the last year or two have:
Beagle (has food allergies and early stages of kidney problems) been on grain free FrestPet
Pomeranian has been on Beneful
Poodle has been on Chicken Soup for Puppy (from breeder)
I want to go grain free for all of them.
I really want an All Life Stage and all breed dog food.
Since large breed puppies and kidney isssues should be treated with less calcium can I feed all of them Large Breed puppy? I have Orijen Large Breed Puppy in mind.
Am I wrong in thinking an All Life Stage is also all Breed appropriate?

[pitlove]

Hi RollTide-

Rotational feeding gets brought up a lot on here. There seems to be two extremes when it comes to peoples opinion on rotational feeding. Either you believe in it or you don’t. Thats just what I’ve noticed.

My personal experience with rotational feeding didn’t turn out so well, so I’m rather cautious now in my recommendations for rotational feeding. Though I will say honestly, part of the problem was that we were rotating between foods that my dog was allergic to and I didn’t know it because I was changing his food so frequently.

Now if I change his food, I have to do a 10 day transition between foods or he gets sick. When I first ventured into feeding a rotational diet I was told that wouldn’t happen. I was told I would be making his GI system healthier. Seems it had the opposite effect on my dog. When he was younger I was able to change foods with no transition, now after getting sick on so many foods we switched between he can no longer swap to a new food cold turkey.

So my advice to you is, know your dog. Also if you are going to do a rotational diet, start off slow with only a couple brands and do the normal 7-10 day transition between each brand. See how he does and go from there. Let your dog tell you how he feels about the food changes. You’ll know pretty quickly if a food is not working out for him.

[Susan]

Hi Cline,
Try & stick with other freeze dried dehydrated dog foods that are similiar to The Honest Kitchen formula’s, there’s a few around, there’s Air Dried formula’s like “Ziwi Peak” but air dried is like jerky & when you add any water nothing happens to the product, then there’s freeze dried raw & all the nutrients are locked in, NO heat is used you add warm water & the food reformulated to its fresh natural self again….

Have a look at “Kiwi Kitchen” Freeze dried
http://www.kiwikitchens.nz/dog-food/freeze-dried-dog-food/
The fish formula has teh lowest fat%

Have a look at “Canidae Pure” formula’s excellent for dogs with digestive problems & skin allergies, Pure Sky, Pure Wild, Pure Land, Pure Elements, Pure Sea..
Canidae have brought out a new Grain Free Raw Freeze Dried formula’s, Raw Coated Dry Red Meat Formula with Lamb, Goat, & Wild Boar..
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/

If your dog gets dirrahea from the Ancestral formula then take it back to Pet Shop & ask can you try the “Canidae Pure Sky” formula, it’s simple with limited ingredients & it has NO Lentils, NO Chickpeas, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-sky-dry-formula.

[pitlove]

Hi Sandy-

Grain free and potatoe free have nothing to do with yeast in dogs unless your dog has an allergy to grain (fairly rare) or potatoe (also fairly rare). This is a popular internet myth. Dogs with yeast are not necessarily allergic to the food they are eating either. Yeast overgrowth on the skin is secondary to a larger problem like allergies, but environmental allergies can also cause yeast.

The best thing you can do if you want to rule in or rule out food allergy is a elimination trial. This is the only realiable why to diagnois a food allergy. Using a food from the vet like Royal Canin Ultamino or a homecooked diet of a novel protein and carb for 3 months are your best options. But the dog can not eat anything else, but that diet for the full length of the trial. Then the idea is to challenge the dog by putting him back on the old food and see if he has a reaction. If the symptoms went away during the food trial and came back with the old dry food, then you will know its a food allergy. If the symptoms show no improvement on the elimination diet, then food is not the issue. If food is not the issue the next step is a veterinary dermatologist for environmental allergy testing (if you can afford it).

I couldn’t afford the dermatologist, so I’ve been managing my dogs seasonal allergies with frequent bathing in Malaseb shampoo or Miconahex+Triz by Dechra. Both available on chewy.com.

[Debbie D]

Raw is critical for allergies/fungus. I used to be vegetarian so i understand (10 yrs but had health problems.) Primal Raw is freeze dried so there is no smell or mess. Just add it to the vegetables you are already feeding. I use the freeze dried cubes.
My dogs won’t eat Primal cubes by itself, they are too spoiled, so I add it to what ever else I am feeding.
Since I switched to raw 10 years ago, our dogs have had no deficiencies or medical issues. Absolutely ZERO! We don’t get fancy, just raw meat and veggies.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Debbie D.

[Debbie D]

To solve this problem and gain enough knowledge (and spend enough $$$$ at vet clinics) it took me 10 years. I am glad to say we have kicked this problem 100%. I am very sad though that my pets had to suffer for 10 years before we found the solution. Several of the answers here are on the mark, however, there are some missing pieces of information. Here are the components of the solution that results in the ear problems clearing up in addition to every other allergy issue a dog may have. You can’t do just one thing, you have to address all aspects of care:
1. Diet
2. Flea control poisons
3. Heartworm and Parasite poisons
4. Vaccinosis
5. Chiropractic
6. Vet type
We solved this problem when we started going to alternative vets and Chiropractic vets. I spent thousands at the veterinary clinic, hundreds at the alternative clinics and next to nothing at the Chiropractic vets. The alternative vets (3 of them) were all indispensable. One used Chinese herbs, another acupuncture and another (the best) used a combination of modalities including cold laser, acupuncture, Chiropractic, nutrition, and herbs. The Chiropractic vets gave the most bang for the buck but it took to a visit to five different ones to settle on our favorites. Yes, hard to believe, but a spinal adjustment can be miraculous in calming down allergies. The older the dog the more likely they need this treatment. Some Chiropractors also have cold laser treatments. Go to AVCA.org to find a pet Chiropractor. Some states require Chiros to be vets (like Texas) and others (Oklahoma) allow human Chiros to treat pets. There are advantages both ways.

So bottom line, we now feed NO commercial food but instead feed raw chicken plus a home cooked chicken and vegetable stew. We freeze it in daily portion size containers. This raw food supplemented diet eliminated all parasites (fleas, ticks, heart worms, intestinal worms, etc.) thereby eliminating our need for poisons. Raw diet also eliminated our need for vaccines (titer testing proved this.) Eliminating vaccines eliminated the need for steroid therapy that the vets kept pushing on our dogs. Eliminating flea control like Nextgard, Trifexis, Comfortis, Frontline, and Advantage was a major step forward. These chemicals/drugs were a major cause of itching in our Pugs and we tried them all. These chemicals also caused sores and weeping irritated skin.
Once our dogs were already having out of control skin issues we had to use shampoos and aloe vera in addition to dietary changes. We switched to duck and fed only (USA) Merrick commercial dog food and this was a major improvement. However, the real change came with the raw. We eventually eliminated the Merrick except for traveling/hiking and emergencies. It took about 3 months to a year of proper feeding to stop the fleas dead in their tracks. We used flea combs and Ark Naturals Neem Shampoo to check for fleas.
In one dog, we had to get a prescription of Apoquel (new drug only at select vets) to stop the itching (instead of dangerous steroids.) This was an emergency measure because itching causes scratching which leads to staph infections in ears and on the skin/belly.
The ear itching and yeast infection eventually led to staph infection also from the dogs scratching their ears. To clear this up we used a combination of products over several months. I will list the products and their purpose.
1. Zymox enzymatic ear solution (green bottle) for yeast/bacteria
2. Olive Oil drops – extra virgin for yeast/bacteria
3. Colloidal Silver (10ppm) dropped in ears for yeast/infection
4. 7-Day feminine antifungal cream (yeast only, outside of ears and bumpy noses/folds)
Zymox was best for yeast. Olive oil was the best for everything including swelling of the ear canal. Colloidal Silver kicked the secondary infections almost overnight.
Moist ears is a side effect of yeast infection, not a cause. Swimmers ear is a result not of the water but of having a dietary systemic yeast infection before your dog ever goes swimming.
Taking our dogs swimming in a creek or lake had no effect on the ears, however, swimming in a chlorinated pool did aggravate the ears and skin.
The feminine yeast cream has been a real life saver. We use the weakest version and only apply it to ear flaps. If you want Miconazole ear drops, you’ll have to go to the vet for that. But honestly, the olive oil is just as good. The problem with prescription drugs is that they usually only treat one bug, unlike the first three items on my list.
I hope someone finds this useful.
Since this is a dog food website, i will give my two cents on dog food brands (never feed dry): Highest quality, readily available brands are Merrick, Nature’s Variety, Primal Freeze Dried Raw, and Orijen. No, I would never feed Blue. I’ve been in the pet business for most of my life and I know secrets about many brands that will make your skin crawl. I will not lookup or recommend any brands other than the ones I listed.
I am chronicling my personal experiences on a blog so feel free to visit as you like. Snortlepuss.com
DogFoodAdvisor.com is one of the best resources a person can have for learning about brands. Please take the ratings seriously and only feed to top rated foods.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Debbie D. Reason: missing info

[anonymous]

How long have you had the dog? No, idiopathic seizure disorder is not caused by food.

Environmental allergies are not caused by food.

The dog may need an anticonvulsant for the rest of her life. Sure there are triggers, in fact I would avoid vaccines with this dog and ask your vet to sign a waiver (rabies vaccine).

Regarding allergies, see a veterinary dermatologist. Food allergies are rare.

Use the search engine here at this site to look up “environmental allergies” and “seizures” and see my posts.

Unfortunately, these issues may be why the dog was given up. There are good vets out there that will help you.

Bottom line, it will cost about $1000 to $2000 a year to keep this dog comfortable.

I could be way off, as only a veterinarian that has examined the dog and reviewed it’s history can advise you accordingly.

PS: Be careful, don’t fall down the homeopathic rabbit hole.

[Brandie B]

I have been feeding my 3 fur babies Acana for 5 years. My 2 Astorian shepherds, River and Cora have food allergic and stomach problems. Acana is the dog food my 2 can eat without getting sick. They go to the vet very year and Recently had blood work done. They have NOT had any issues and blood work was normal, since I put them on Acana. I have no plans on changing their food at this time because I believe in the Acana brand and have a hard time believeing this lawsuit.

[Jaky S]

Here’s another resource for discovering your dog’s food allergies. Nutriscan is available through hemopet.org.

http://www.hemopet.org/hemolife-diagnostics/nutriscan-food-sensitivity-intolerance.html

[pitlove]

HI MJ E-

Geez, sounds very similar to what my bully mix goes through. His tends to be localized to his underside though. We’ve come to realize that most of the skin allergies we see with him are a reaction to something in his environment. Maybe the same is true for your dog?

Have you tried eliminating certain items from his inside environment? Like bedding, blankets, things like that that he lays on that could cause some type of contact allergy? A lady I knew found out her dog was allergic to the wool blanket he’d been sleeping on for years. Also washing the dogs bedding in something like All Free Clear instead of something with dyes and fragrances.

However, if hes reacting to something in his environment, but its outside thats a bit harder to manage. Bathing once a week in a medicated shampoo such as https://www.chewy.com/malaseb-medicated-shampoo-dogs-cats-8/dp/119232 or https://www.chewy.com/miconahextriz-shampoo-dogs-cats-16-oz/dp/114184 has really helped our dog. I notice a difference with him when I don’t bathe him regularly, especially in the summer time.

As far as the doctors and testing goes, it definitely does seem like you’ve made a grand effort to get him a diagnosis. Doctors aren’t perfect and sometimes tests aren’t either. However, it does sound like someone at some point lead you astray when they offered you a test for food allergies. I’m assuming (but correct me if I’m wrong) that it was a blood test. Blood tests are by and large infamous for false positives and false negatives and are generally not recognized as a true diagnostic test for food allergies.

While his symptoms don’t sound food allergy related, it doesn’t hurt to rule it out. Since we’ve just started summer in the US, I would get with a regular vet and discuss a food trial. This is the golden standard for ruling in or ruling out food allergies. There are a couple different approaches you can take to what food you choose for a food trial but the end principle is the same. They must eat that food and that food only for the 3 months they are doing the food trial. No treats, no flavored meds, no table food, no nothing. As far as what food you use goes, you can choose to do a homecooked diet of one novel protein and one novel carb for 3 months or you can use a diet from the vet like Royal Canin Ultamino. With Ultamino, the protein source for the food is amino acids that have been extracted from feathers. The proteins molecular weight in daltons is so low (under 1000) that the body’s immune response doesn’t trigger because the molecules are not a threat. Royal Canin actually borrowed this science from human medicine involving babies with allergies to milk.

If after 3 months (and you’ve done the trial correctly) there is no improvement in his symptoms, the idea is that you can effectively say food allergies are not at play. After that you may want to go back to the derm specialist and try the therapy that anon101 suggested. They will basically inject various common/regional allergens under your dogs subcutaneous layer of skin (think of a TB test in humans) and measure the reaction your dog has to each. They will then cocktail together a “vaccine” that you give your dog as a method of desensitizing him to those allergens. It will likely be a lifelong treatment and can cost (at least what I was quoted from LSU vet school) around 200$ for a 6 month supply of the vaccine for your dog. However, results for most pets are usually very good with this course of treatment. It may also be safer and more cost effective depending on the size of your dog than say a drug like Apoquel or an allergy injection like Cytopoint which isn’t guarenteed to work on all pets.

[anonymous]

For best results see a board certified veterinary dermatologist.

I hope you don’t fall down the homeopathic rabbit hole. A lot of scams out there.

See my posts per the search engine /forums/search/environmental+allergies/

[Jaky S]

I’m not sure how much you pay for your kefir but I ordered my grains from Amazon – vendor Fusion Tea and ferment it with Costco’s organic milk. I’ve got the system down where one nickel sized grain makes 16 oz of kefir a day. Have you tried CDB for dogs? Bleach almost killed my friends dog. The buildup on the floor was getting on her feet/fur and she consumed it while grooming. Life’s abundance sells pet safe bio cleaner and this deodorizer which get rid of the most noxious pet smells. My friend’s dog had bad skin allergies so I bought almond oil for her. It helped sooth the sores. You can also get homepathic remedies at Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods until u find a homepath that can provide a remedy specific to ur dog. The labels indicate what symptom it will help cure. Don’t give in pill form. Put one tab in a half full glass jar. Let dissolve. Smack on a phone book. I use my stairs. 😁 100 times for the 1st time and 10 times before each dose. That’s called succussion. Its a method of dilution and increasing potency. Let him drink a dose, u don’t have to be specific, a few times a day and see which helps. They’re relatively inexpensive. I’m so glad that pup has you!

[Patricia A]

Hey Ryan….I came across this food from others who wanted a legume/lentil/ pea free dog food because of allergies. This got very high ratings and dogs are doing great on it. Please check it. /dog-food-reviews/sport-dog-elite-series-dog-food/