[Rachel K]

I mix animal sources in food; when feeding fresh foods it is crucial to avoid deficiencies.

The aim with mixing it up in regards to avoiding food allergies/intolerances developing when feeding dry is to make sure the dog doesn’t eat exactly the same thing day in day out for the rest of its life so you’d mix/rotate over time so they aren’t eating the same thing 🙂

[anonymous]

Food allergies are rare and food sensitivities tend to fluctuate. That being said, the minute over processed amounts added to foods, dried egg, chicken fat, etc. May not affect a dog that has a “chicken meat intolerance”
Also, there is a lot of cross contamination that goes on in pet food manufacturing plants.
So, if you truly want to avoid certain ingredients/proteins, I would talk to your vet about a prescription/elimination diet.
Or, consider having more testing done by a specialist to clearly identify the problem.
Ps: Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea has no chicken fat, just a dash of dried egg.
Check chewy dot com for ingredients list.

[Susan]

Hi Jessica, my boy has IBD Skin Allergies, Food Intolerances & Pancreatitis….he needs a diet high in Omega 3…When I have feed any vet diets for his IBD & Skin problems that had fish, oil, soybean oil, coconut oil he got bad acid reflux, same with premium kibbles, if they had fish or salmon oil, he’d get acid reflux, he grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux….. I’m the same I cant take any fish oil supplements, I get acid reflux…

The other day I won $100 to spend at the Chemist, I asked the lady pharmacist what can I take for my arthritis, I need Omega 3 but every time I’ve taken fish Oil capsules I keep burping up the fish taste & get acid reflux, same as my dog, she told me Krill Oil capsules are more milder & are easier on the stomach, good for people with digestive issues like yourself, so that’s something to remember..

I follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page & I’ve learnt a lot about healthy foods
to add to Patches diet, I’ve also be adding them to my diet as well lol
Almonds are very high in Omega 3 fatty acid, a dog can have 3 Almonds a day but I bite 1/2 of the almond & I give Patch the other 1/2 of the almond this way it’s the size as a small kibble & I tell him to chew it, I started with just giving him 1 almond a day then after 5 days, I gave him 2 x 1/2 almonds a day, till we got too 3 almonds a day….
K-9 Natural, freezed Dried Green Lipped Mussels are very healthy & not greezy….
Sardines, Salmon & Tuna in spring water or Olive Oil, not brine, I give Patch small tin salmon, all water drained, I add some boiled sweet potato & broccoli as a small meal…. Patch has a beautiful shinny coat but I do feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble for a few of his meals, I rotate between a few different things & have made his gut healthier & stronger, when I rescued him he couldn’t eat anything without having sloppy, bloody poos or up 2am having diarrhea it was awful, now 4 yrs on & he can eat pretty much anything as long as it isn’t any food’s he’s sensitive too….
I’ve read a few dogs haven’t done well on the Honest Kitchen formula’s, I think it’s the freeze dried pieces of veggies & meat, they stay small, hard & don’t reconstitute back to bigger, softer veggies & can’t be digested properly causing intestinal problems……
Dogs can’t chew their foods like we do & don’t have salivary amylase (digestive enzymes in their salvia) so they can’t break down the Cellulase walls in the vegetable, fruit or grass,
Cellulase digests plant matter, that’s why when you feed a raw diet you have to blend & break down the veggies, fruit & make them into a pulp liquid…Same when a dog eats grass it either comes back up vomit or comes out in their poo undigested, the Chlorophyll in the grass settles their stomach…. I let Patch eat a little bit of grass no longer then 1 minute, it can cause diarrhea, it cleans him out…
*Foods High in Omega 3 fatty acids are
Spinach
Chia Seeds
Flax Seed Oil cold pressed
Canola Oil Patch does best when the kibble has Canola oil, Flax Seed Oil (No Acid Reflux)
Almonds
Walnuts
Green Lipped Mussels
Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna
Soybeans
Tofu

[Susan]

Hi Charisma
What are you feeding him, what medications is he on?? has he been checked for Helicobacter & acid reflux? had Endoscope + Biopsies done?
He sounds like my boy 4yrs ago, when I rescued him he was put on a vet diet for his skin allergies, the vet diet gave him Pancreatitis fat was way too high 19% fat & that was the start of Patches misery, I found with my boy the vet diet dry kibbles made him worse….
My boy was diagnosed thru Endoscope & Biopsies, it said IBD {to look further with exploratory surgery} I wouldn’t do & Helicobacter-Pylori…… the Pancreatitis, food intolerances & skin allergies we already knew, he’s at his best now finally after 3yrs, he’s better in the cooler months, no environment allergies, his immune system isn’t in over drive…..
When Patch was having the rumbling, grumbling bowel, pacing back & forth wanting me to rub his stomach/pancreas area, wanting grass 2am 4am & thru the day, later I learnt it was Colitis from food intolerances/sensitivities… do you know what helps the best when this was happening, liquid Mylanta, not pink Pepto Bismol that has asprin in it, plain & simple liquid Mylanta, 5mls, 1 teaspoon would settle all the gases going thru his stomach & bowel…….
Are you seeing a new specialist, someone with new eyes, with all his results?? I keep diaries every single year & read back, this vet told me to keep a diary …. I saw 4 vets until I found Patches vet he see’s now & she also suffers with IBD, she understands & knows what I’m talking about when I tell her about Patches symptoms……

They break your heart watching them suffer, I didn’t know a poor dog could suffer so much with all these symptoms, now when I read a post, I know what that person & poor dog is going thru….
I have to feed 5 smaller meals a day, I can’t feed 1 whole cup of kibble for 1 meal, he gets bad pain, I can only feed 1/2 cup kibble at one time, that’s hand feed, I feed 2 kibbles at one time in a raised bowl so he chews the kibbles & doesn’t just swallow the whole hard kibble, I only feed kibble at 7am, 9am, 5pm, 1/2 a cup & wet tin vet diet Royal Canin Hypoallergenic at 12pm & 8pm, I have to rotate Patches kibbles, as soon as I see he’s not well & starts his whinging & lifts up his right paw for me to rub his stomach/pancreas area I know something is wrong & rotate kibble & foods, I stop feeding whatever he’s eating & feed something else…..
Hills vet diet kibbles & Royal Canin vet diet kibbles made poor Patch worse…only the kibbles…..

[Susan]

Hi sb020,
My boy is a Staffy same as your girl got the white fur & pink skin he’s 8 & 1/2 years old now & has IBD, Pancreatitis & Skin Allergies & it has taken me 2-3 years to work out his diet for all his illnesses, I found “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb limited ingredient, single protein kibble helped with his IBD & firmed up his poo’s, he seems to do real good on the TOTW kibble, it only has 338Kcals per cup & TOTW uses Purified water & Patch doesn’t get his Pancreas pain, no acid reflux, no vomiting & no nausea, but the fat is 15%max…. then I tried other kibbles I thought he can handle the TOTW 15% fat kibble but I didn’t realise the Kcals were over 400 Kcals per cup, so that means the kibble is more dense & is harder to digest, he gets his bad Pancreas pain & whinges for me to rub the area where his Pancreas is when he eats kibbles over 380Kcals per cup… also when a kibble was higher in carbohydrates & fiber, over 4%-fiber he gets his acid reflux & Pancreas pain & seems unwell, then I read higher fiber diets aren’t good for dogs with Pancreatitis…..
Now I rotate between a few different foods, I feed 4-5 smaller meals a day, Patch can’t digest 1 cup of kibble all at once, it must start to expand & sit in his stomach & something happens & he start having his pain, so I give about 1/2 cup kibble at 7am, 9am 5pm & then his wet tin vet diets at 12pm & 8pm…. I was cooking for Patch lean pork mince rissoles with a whisked egg, some chopped up broccoli, chopped parsley, a leaf of kale & 1 grated carrot all made into a small round rissole ball & baked in the oven then I boiled some sweet potatoes all cut into 1 spoon size & I’d freeze sections so I just took out the day before & put in the fridge to thaw, I added NAS Digestavite Plus powder to balance the meal but the beginning of this year I changed where I buy my lean pork mince from & the fat must have been higher & Patch started vomiting & vomiting up un digested rissole he got his bad pain right side & was put on the Hills I/D Chicken & Vegetable stew, I think they use chicken & pork liver it doesn’t have as many ingredient & there’s no Beet Pulp like all the other Hills I/D wet formula’s has, he starts his scratching & is a bit itchy but he gets better with his Pancreatitis & like my vet says just bath him twice a week & add his cream….
I do not use any of the Vet diet dry kibbles they are all too hard to digest, I do a simple test, get a glass of very warm water & put about 2 kibbles in the cup/glass, a good easy to digest kibble will float to the top of the water & only take about 15 to 30mins to go soft all the way thru, all the vet diet kibble & other some premium kibbles sink to the bottom & can take up to 3 hours to go soft all the way thru Purina, Sensitive Digestion, Hills vet diets & Royal Canin vet diet kibbles are the worst for digesting & these formula’s are for dogs with intestinal stress ….
When I was feeding kibbles that were hard to digest I didn’t know & poor Patch got his pain, nausea & would sometimes vomit back up all the in digested kibble 4 to 8 hours later, it would say easy to digest on the kibble bag…
“Canidae” is another excellent kibble look at their “All Stages Platinum” has both grains & potatoes but very easy to digest & is around 8-9% in fat, fiber is 4%max, Kcals are 342 per cup & Canidea “Pure Meadow” grain free, 10.80% max fat.. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
You don’t mention are the foods you feeding wet or dry or both?? was the vet diet the wet tin food & which I/D formula is yoiur girl doing good on? I feed the Hills I/D Chicken & Vegetable stew 156g tin & the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic wet tin food cause Patch has food intolerances, I cant feed certain ingredients he starts getting real yeasty & itchy skin, paws & ears, chicken makes his paws red & skin itch but it doesn’t bother his stomach & bowel & cause any Intestinal stress, so I rotate when something has chicken in it & he only gets it a few days then I stop & feed the Royal Canin HP wet tin food, you may find it easier to go thru a Nutritionist to make a special diet & use “Balance it” to balance the meals.
https://secure.balanceit.com/ there’s recipes on this link for Balance it..
Maybe stick with the Hills vet diet for a few meals & feed another brand kibble for the other meals, feed 4 smaller meals a day, like what I’ve been doing with Patch & he’s doing well again…..

If you go on this face book join this group. “Canine Diabetes Support and Information” then look for the “Files” on the left side & click on the 2nd document “CDSI Diabetic food options chart” scroll down to the wet tin foods as some of the kibbles are low in fat BUT are too high in fiber for a dog with Pancreatitis just read the fiber % on any dry kibble you feed & stay around 4% fiber & avoid any weight management/weight loss dry kibbles some are lower in fat but they add more fiber to keep the dog feeling fuller longer….
also when you read the fat on a wet tin food, the fat hasn’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble) the wet tin foods on this chart have all been converted, eg: 11.11% fat DMD there’s a lot of really good wet tin food formula’s if you live in America on this chart….

When you look & read at a wet tin if you read say 4%min fat when you convert 4%min fat that’s around 16-20%max in fat its best to email the food company & ask what is the fat % in ????? when converted to dry matter..

I hope you’ve gotten some good information from my experience with Patch & your girl gets better….

[anonymous]

When you call for the appointment with the veterinary dermatologist, the office will explain how to prepare the dog for testing, depending on the results of the exam, the specialist may recommend intra dermal skin testing to identify environmental allergies. The expertise of the specialist in interpreting the results is crucial to the treatment he will recommend.
He may want to do a blood test, in my dog’s case we skipped it as he determined the symptoms to be clearly environmental.
We were in and out in about an hour with a list of allergies and a course of treatment to begin.
Allergen specific immunotherapy, 5 years in and my dog is doing very well, we see the dermatologist once a year.
Now, if your dogs allergies are mild/seasonal he may suggest medication certain times of the year instead.
Forget about hair and saliva tests they are scams (imo)
Ps: Let us know how it goes, I was very pleased with how smoothly the testing went.
They say it may take a while to see results, but I saw improvement right away 🙂

[Karyn G]

My mix pup started having seizures at age 2.5, she was also diagnosed with severe allergies at 6 m. She was on Heartguard and Nexgard. We made the connection that one of the 2 were a catalyst. The box on the Nexguard stated that it should not be given to dogs with seizures, so why didn’t the vet know that??? Last month we changed her to Frontline Gold last month. No problems on that dose. She went without a seizure for over a month, which was miraculous. Well, I gave her Frontline Plus on Sunday May 7th, and this morning, May 8th she had a grand mal at 4:45 am and a tremor seizure at 4:54 am. I am just now finding out by this blog that other dogs are experiencing the same issue with Frontline. I will be looking for a natural flea control medicine. Any suggestions???

[gsdmama]

My dog gets seasonal allergies, so every spring (Around this time yay! lol). Going to try adding some coconut oil and wild alaskan salmon oil to her regular dry food but honestly I feel like the quickest relief for her is just a trip to the vet. I hate to give my dog drugs but she gets horrible hot spots and a few days on Apoquel clears them right up.

[holly s]

Hello,
My dog is allergic to beef, chicken and veal. She has been tolerating rabbit. So we are now looking for limited ingredient rabbit or salmon treats for training. We would prefer a premade treat, rather than baking/freezing her dog food. Can anyone recommend rabbit or fish based dog treats that have limited ingredients?
Thanks so much for your help.
Holly

[anonymous]

Well, if your pup turns out to have environmental allergies, diagnosed by a veterinary dermatologist, you may want to advise your family member not to continue breeding the dogs, or at least consult a veterinary health care professional first. Best of luck

[anonymous]

Intradermal skin testing done by a veterinary dermatologist is the most accurate method to identify environmental allergies. Food allergies are rare, the dermatologist told me I could skip the blood test (specific to my dog’s treatment)
The ingredients you have mentioned are impossible to avoid, unless you consult a veterinary nutritionist and have a special made diet recipe. A lot of cross contamination goes on in dog food manufacturing plants.
It may be best to find a vet that you trust and work with him.
Ps: There is no cheap way out of this. Environmental allergies are complicated, there are effective treatments, they tend to be lifelong.

[anonymous]

For best results, consult a veterinary dermatologist. Get the dog properly diagnosed first, then you can evaluate your diet and treatment options.
By any chance was this a pet shop/puppy mill dog? Because a lot of breeders continue to breed dogs that have environmental allergies even though they shouldn’t. There is a genetic link.
I have an allergic dog, she is doing very well under the care of a veterinary dermatologist, sees him once a year. It’s all good. And, she tolerates a variety of foods, but does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea
Raw made her sick, emergency vet visits and all.

[Donna B]

Thanks for the replies! Winston had allergy bloodwork done through the vet’s office, spectrum labs. Can I assume these are correct? If so, even if I ignore the skin and saliva test, Winston has a number of food allergies (and yes environmental as well) that makes finding food difficult. The Zignature and Canide brands both contain foods that the bloodtest says he is allergic to. His food allergies are:
Peas
Sweet Potatoes
Pork
Soy
Oats
Peanuts
Kelp
Brewer’s yeast

thoughts?

[Erika I]

My pug was also very, very itchy and I transitioned her to raw thinking it was her food. But she was still scratching like crazy and losing big patches of hair so I now have her on a seasonal allergy medication (Vet’s Best Seasonal Allergy Support Supplement for Dogs)… and it worked! we have seen a complete change… no more scratching… and her fur is growing back. Mind you this was after several expensive vet visits and several food changes (thinking she was allergic to a specific protein) and nothing helped her. Vets Best is very affordable… only like 7 dollars on Amazon and I tell you it is the magic pill… all natural ingredients too!

Hope this helps!

[pitlove]

Hi ScottsMomma-

At 9 weeks old the itching is extremely unlikely to be a food sensitivity. Don’t forget, dogs get itches like we do and it does not mean they are having an allergic reaction.

Raw diets are challenging to do correctly and especially with a puppy who needs optimized vitamins and minerals for proper bone development etc, the risk of a deficient diet outweighs any perceived benefit. Start the puppy off on a very simple food with the least amount of ingredients. Chicken and rice for example. Do not jump all over the place to exotic proteins.

If you want to do raw wait until after the critical growth period and use a commercial product like Natures Variety.

[anonymous]

Have environmental allergies been ruled out? What you describe sounds like that’s what your dog may have vs food sensitivities.
They usually start around 1-2 years old and get worse with age. Environmental allergies tend to wax and wane making it almost impossible to tell which foods work or not.

Everyone blames the food, but I have found my dog tolerates a lot of different foods since beginning allergen specific immunotherapy (desensitization). The treatment tends to be lifelong, but no more ear infections, rashes, anal gland issues (5 years in)
The initial testing, intra dermal skin testing is expensive, maintenance isn’t that bad.

For best results, an accurate diagnosis and treatment options that work, I would make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. Allergies are complicated and often require the expertise of a specialist.

[Susan]

Hi Donna,
I bet if you did the Salvia & Hair test again you’ll get different results, the only way to test for food intolerances/sensitivities is to do a food elimination diet, you start with 1 novel protein & 1 carbohydrate, or use the Vet diets like the Royal Canine, Hypoallergenic wet tin food, R/C HP just has a Hydrolyzed liver protein & pea fiber as the carbohydrate & is high in Omega 3 fatty acids what is needed for dogs with skin problems, then once your dog is doing well you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 weeks, remove new ingredient if your dog has any side effects, then start again with another new ingredient, it can take from 1 day up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to an ingredient & show symptoms…
*For Skin Allergies the best test to do is the Intradermal Skin Test where they shave the fur on one side of your dogs body & then inject the allergen under his/her skin & see if he reacts, then once you know what in the environment irritates your dog they make up weekly injections to give your dog…
*Baths – bathing weekly or twice a week or daily washes off any allergens, pollens & dirt that’s on their skin.. bath relieve the dogs itchy skin I use Malaseb medicated shampoo it can be used daily.
*Food have you tried “Zignature” formula’s yet? a lot of dogs with food intolerances do really well on “Zignature”
I feed Canidae” Pure Wild Boar Canidae has limited ingredients..
Join this face book group, “Dog Issues, allergies and other information support group”
they have heaps of info, a lot of people are using the new drug called CADI injections, some people have said as soon as their dog had the CADI injections it stopped all his itching… Apoquel can cause too many side effects in dogs the makers of Apoquel make CADI….
Normally when a dog has Environment allergies they also have food intolerances/sensitivities also, my boy has both Seasonal environment allergies & food sensitivities & suffers with Intestinal problems when he’s sensitive to a food & gets red paws, itchy ears bum & skin….

[Matt A]

Brief backstory: 4 year old beagle who was completely healthy for the first 2.5 years of his life besides a slight chicken intolerance. I found 3 types of non chicken grain free dog foods that he did well on and would rotate every bag without issue. Seemingly within a few months of him being neutered he started developing protein allergies to all of his dog foods and nearly every other dog food I tried.

His symptoms are: yeast infection in his ears, licking/itchy paws, a more vibrant pink belly than normal, intense itchiness around his body with about a dozen hives on his legs, tail, and abdomen, butt scooting, and a heavy metallic smell from his rear end.

So far the only food that he can tolerate without symptoms has been Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish which seems to have had a formula change since I last purchased it. The challenging thing has been finding food without Chicken, Duck, Beef, Pork, Grains, white potatoes, or Lentils (Primarily Peas/Chickpeas). It seems as though when you go grain free you get a bunch of peas and white potatoes. Since I last purchased this food they seemingly have added white potato protein which may trigger my dogs allergies in the near future. I cannot locate a bag of the old formula nor can I locate another salmon+sweet potato formula that isn’t augmented by white potatoes and/or peas. I am getting desperate. Any help or advice is appreciated.

[anonymous]

Apoquel is prescribed for environmental allergies, not food allergies (rare) or food sensitivities that tend to fluctuate.
Hair and saliva mail in tests are a scam.
I would suggest that you take your dog to a veterinary dermatologist for testing and an accurate diagnosis and treatment options.
Environmental allergies are complicated, there is no cure but there is effective treatment.
Hope this helps http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=Allergies
and check the search engine here for allergies and see my posts,
example. /forums/topic/environmental-allergy-relief/
/forums/search/Dr+Dodds+nutriscan/

[Donna B]

I NEED HELP! My sweet boy was identified with allergies a few years ago. We found a food and he was doing well. Now he is breaking out and has to be on Apoquel. He has been on it for several months. Wanting to get him off it, I did a fur and saliva test for sensitivities. Between the two lists, I cannot find food. I even tried to make food and it was a no-go. Perhaps someone here knows of a food. Here is his list:
ALLERGIES: Pork
Soy
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Yeast
Peanut
Kelp
SENSITIVITIES:
Grains inc; rices(wht & br), corn, barley, quinoa,rye, wheat, millet,
buckwheat, spelt
Potato
Kangaroo
Lamb
Fish Oil, Fish Meal, Salmon and Trout
Green Beans
Dairy except Goat and Sheep milk
Apricots
Cucumber
Turnip
Honey
Mint
and a few other spices
Your help and suggestions are welcome!!!!!

[Donna B]

Thank you for trying to help us….

I NEED HELP! My sweet boy was identified with allergies a few years ago. We found a food and he was doing well. Now he is breaking out and has to be on Appoquel. He has been on it for several months. Wanting to get him off it, I did a fur and saliva test for sensitivities. Between the two lists, I cannot find food. I even tried to make food and it was a no-go. Perhaps someone here knows of a food. Here is his list:

ALLERGIES: Pork
Soy
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Yeast
Peanut
Kelp
Sensitivities:
Grains inc; rices(wht & br), corn, barley, quinoa,rye, wheat, millet,
buckwheat, spelt
Potato
Kangaroo
Lamb
Fish Oil, Fish Meal, Salmon and Trout
Green Beans
Dairy except Goat and Sheep milk
Apricots
Cucumber
Turnip
Honey
Mint
and a few other spices

Your help and suggestions are welcome!!!!!

[Acroyali]

Charisma, that sounds awful 🙁 Hopefully you’ll find something your dog does well with.
One of mine is violently allergic or intolerant to chicken but does great on turkey; this isn’t set in stone of course. One of my cats has a terrible time with raw diets of any description (even boneless with Alnutrin added), but on a cooked diet he’s done very well.
Every 2 hours is pretty often but with chronic pancreatitis, several small feeds per day vs. 1 or 2 large(r) feeds might not be a bad idea. My cat with IBD (no pancreatitis, thankfully) does much better on 3-4 little meals per day. When we were still doing 2 feedings per day, he would eat then seem to have abdominal discomfort from the larger portions.

[Kathy]

Hi Janel — I ended up with Zignature Zessential as her primary food for now. Their single protein foods are good as well, but she’s always done well on multi-protein source food like Acana or Orijen, so I went with the Zessential for the daily food. She really likes it and she has done well on it. It has a higher protein amount than the single protein foods by Zignature, so closer to what she was used to before. I don’t know if I’ll keep her on that for the long haul, but for now it seems to be a good choice. I know that some reviews have mentioned that it has helped their dogs with allergies, but I’m sure it all depends on the dog and what it is sensitive to. I’m sorry you and your pup also have had a rough time after Champion moved their production to Kentucky. I keep hoping I can go back to Champion and their foods, but for now I just don’t trust them.

Kathy

[Erika I]

The key to raw food (in my experience) is “take your time with it!” What I mean is, introduce new ingredients slowly and start slowly. I started my 4-year-old pug on raw food with just ground beef and ground up cooked eggs(shell and all) along with fish oil and a vitamin powder. the first week she started with a 1/2 cup of food the first day and I slowly increased the amount of food till she was at 1 cup a day. She was on this diet for about 3 months before I changed her to a more complex diet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P85BMCCboI). From my experience, raw food has its ups and downs in the beginning but once you find what works well for your puppy it is the best! Bella (my pug) at first threw up the food had lots of bad diarrhea. and even months into the new diet she had bouts of throwing up and diarrhea when I introduced new ingredients too quickly. So that is why I suggest taking your time with it. Now Bella loves it and her coat is super shiny and thick and her seasonal allergies are even better!
– I had Bella on goats milk to try and help with her allergies and it is great it helps with all kinds of things – but I found it to be unnecessary now that I have her on a balanced raw diet.

As far a spaying, I waited till Bella was about 1 year old before she had the operation. Sometimes young pups don’t do so well with the operation and Bella was so little that we felt more comfortable waiting. She went through one cycle which wasn’t bad at all…just be sure to have diapers on hand!

Hope this helps!
All the best,
Erika

[Janel H]

hi there Kathy… was wondering what you ended up trying? in the same boat as you are after being in orijen for several years. we tried Canidae pure sea but the staining on my three little white doggies send to be worse on that than orijen. we tried Acana right after they switched and had horrible allergies (one’s hair still isn’t growing back right in one spot!)to it so I’m hesitant try the new orijen 6fush formula since it seems fairly similar.

[Susan]

Hi
Food can cause yeasty smelly ears, skin & paws if the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances to certain ingredients, you need to work out what foods your dog is sensitive too, my boy can not eat chicken, barley, oats, corn, gluten corn & carrots, carrots are the worst, 20mins after eating the carrots he starts scratching his ears, shaking his head, when I didn’t know it was the carrot & kept feeding the carrots in his rissoles he’d started to get yeasty, smelly infected ears, & walked tilting his head, same as chicken he gets red smelly paws & real itchy skin & rubs bum on the floor/carpet others foods that have corn, corn gluten meal caused sloppy poo’s….
I did a food elimination diet, raw is the best to feed, or cooked or use one of the vet diets like Royal Canine, Hypoallergenic wet tin or the Royal Canine wet tin PR-Potato & Rabbit, PV-Potato & Venison, PK-Potato & Salmon, or there’s the dry kibble after eliminating all treats & just feeding raw, vet diet or your own cooked diet that has just 1 single novel protein + 1 carb when the dog ears & skin aren’t smelly & itchy anymore you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 weeks to see if he reacts to the new ingredient, it can take food sensitivities/intolerances anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks for the dog to start reacting & showing any symptoms …..
Here’s some limited ingredient single protein kibbles & wet tin formula’s-
* “Zignature” – http://zignature.com/?page_id=333&lang=en
* “Canidae Pure” – http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
* “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb or TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon both have limited ingredients. http://www.tasteofthewild.com.au/

Join this group on face book, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” a lot of really good info & a Dermatologist pops in every now & here’s one of her links about the “Facts & Myths about Yeast Dermatitis in dogs, scroll down to about the 7th paragraph read about food sensitivities/intolerances, http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[anonymous]

Per the search engine:
/forums/search/environmental+allergies/

[anonymous]

Sounds like environmental allergies. Food will not have an effect. For best results consult a veterinary dermatologist.

[Becca]

According to my vet’s expertise and my knowledge my dogs allergies are direct link to the vaccines. Look at the ingredients check the effects.

[anonymous]

There is a genetic link regarding allergies, of course vaccines should be avoided with these dogs, but did the vaccines cause the allergies? Not likely, according to science based veterinary medicine.
If you want to blame someone, how about the puppy mills, breeders and back yard breeders that continue to breed dogs regardless of genetic defects.

[Becca]

Both dogs I have now, the rescue vaccinated them to the hilt and both of them have severe allergies

[Jane L]

Totally wrong. They lived longer. Yes less vaccines which is good as after puppy shots they don’t need them from core diseases.

All dogs I ever had from 1950’s on lived 12/15 years. I knew many people with up to 18 dogs each back in the 1980’s and not one ever had allergies. And there is a massive difference between allergies and Demodex.

Now every day on my group dogs have allergies usually triggered by vaccines especially L4 but that’s another issue!

[anonymous]

No, I’m not joking. Many people did not take their pets to the vet even 20, 30, 40 years ago.
No shots, no neutering, they just disappeared one day at around 5 or 6 years of age.
Just the way it was. They weren’t tested for allergies either, poor dogs just scratched themselves to death, they called it “mange”.
Heck, many of us never saw a doctor unless it was an emergency! LOL
Things are different nowadays, diagnosis and treatment options are available, thank goodness.

[Jane L]

You must be joking. 20 years ago was not the dark ages and we went to the vet in the 60’s to 90’s and would know if a dog had cancer. Dogs also did not all have allergies then as so many do now.

Cancer is caused by the carcinogens in kibble, imported Chinese treats, over vaccination and toxic flea and tick products.

[Susan]

Hi Rich, click on this link, Clean Label Project,
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/ scroll down & read the kibbles & wet foods that had the most toxic chemicals, arsenic, lead & cadmium, most were pet foods that had fish as the main protein, last yea I started feeding Patch the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines made by Well Pet who make’s Wellness another kibble Patch did well on then went down hill after 2-3months, his stomach & bowel seems to know when a kibble isn’t right & something is wrong, now I know why after reading the Clean Label Project… all last year Patch was doing really well eating TOTW Roasted Lamb + different cooked foods that I add to his diet for dinner, then Spring come around, cause Patch suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, I start to feed a fish based kibble thru the Spring & Summer months the year before I feed an Australian made kibble “Meals For Mutts” but this year I started to feed the Holistic Select G/F fish kibble instead the man at the pet shop recommended the Holistic Select he feeds it to his 2 Staffys that also have allergies then after 2-3 months Patch went down hill after eating the Holistic Select, he stopped eating it, he was doing sloppy cow pattie poos, up all hours of the night pooing, bad wind pain, whinging, I saw his vet, she put him back on the Metronidazole & I put him back on his TOTW Lamb kibble, his poo’s firmed up within 2 days.. then 1 month ago I see Holistic Select kibble on the Clean Label Project it’s 10th, contains the highest amount of harmful environment and industrial contaminants & toxins.. I nilly died & Holistic Select is a 5 star kibble on the DFA….
This is why over time it’s best to find a couple of different brands of pet food with a different protein that agree with your dogs & you rotate between the 2 or 3 brands so if 1 brand isn’t being made any more or has something wrong like toxins or lacking vitamins, not enough omega 3 etc your dogs are not on the one food long enough, eating the same food 24/7 for years & years & suffering long term health problems…..

What kibble works for one dog may not work for another dog, if your dogs were doing sloppy poo’s with jelly mucus on them it’s normally food intolerances, or the protein may be too high, after doing a food elimination diet with my boy, it was chicken, corn, corn gluten meal, barley, boiled rice he can not eat, his IBD vet specialist said when I’m looking for any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure it has 1 single protein with limited ingredients so there’s less chance he will react to an ingredient, she said if after 9-12 months he’s doing really well on the same kibble, its best to introduce new foods into his diet, sometimes a dog will start to react to an ingredient in the food you’ve been feeding for years, so I rotate kibbles now & I add different foods to his diet for dinner or as treats but I didn’t do all this straight away it has taken over 3-4 yrs to get to this point where Patch can eat anything now as long as it’s not any foods he’s sensitive too…also sometimes a 5 star food won’t be the best food for your dog, if it’s a 3 stars food & agrees with your dog & the ingredients all look good then that’s OK, Dog Food Advisor gives less stars sometimes cause the protein is under 25%, there’s nothing wrong with the kibble, but the lower the protein the more carbohydrates that kibble will have….

[anonymous]

https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
excerpt below:
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.

[Cameron M]

Thanks for your observations…it is good to get feed back from others who use Bravecto. My plan is to administer it as sparingly as possible giving long breaks inbetween. I am also going to keep a close eye on my gal.

Jane has made a few logical observations…her comments about the potential for the liver to try to metabolize the drug only to fail in being able to do so does raise concerns for me.

Since I have a pretty good track record of Coco’s liver enzemes rating before administerig this drug I plan on having her tested again in a month to see if her liver enzemes did indeed rise as Jane fears is a potential…I want to see exactly what is going on with my dog before deeming this 100% safe.

For now I am thinking that it is safe…lets see what I think after tests down the road. If it is causing elevated liver enzemes I’ll never give Coco another dose and I highly doubt that I will have damaged her through administering a single dose ( this might not be true with other dogs/breeds)

When thinking about this I sugest that we realize the effects of medicines varies greatly in humans. Some of us can guzzle wine with no ill effect…others take one sip and get headaches or suffer ill effects from alcohol. Same with aspirin… I might take it and be fine…you might take it and have severe stomach problems.

The trick in life is finding what works best for us individually…what foods to eat …what meds to take and what allergies we may have…I think the same holds true for dogs or any animal for that matter.

As they say in the Navy…keep a wary “weather” eye on this!

Cameron

[pitlove]

Hi Cameron-

The dog in my avatar is predisposed to seizures and has a variety of allergies and food intolerances, so I have to be careful what I give him. I’m in the south too and have been using Bravecto for a good while now with zero issues. I feel it’s a good product comparatively.

[Cameron M]

My vet gave me Bravecto for my 25 lb Cocker Spaniel…I just lost her best buddy another cocker gal due to IMT ( its a immune disorder …rapid onset and destroys the platelets…she basically bled to death after 4 transfusions and over $5000 spent).

I was very concerend about what set of my gal’s immune disorder and the vet said we never know…allergies, pollen, infection, virus BUT make sue your other gal has a safe flea med.

I heard many bad things about Bravecto and many good things…I researched this in vet journals and I am now pretty sure that all the stories one hears about how Bravecto wrecked the dogs liver or kidney or caused cancer ..are pure rubbish. The reason…Bravecto is not metablized in the liver or kidneys…instead it is excreted through the instestines and it has the exact same chemical composition going out as it does going in the mouth. Furthermore, science says it passed right through the liver and kidneys…this means your dogs body is not straining to metablize this drug..ad it does not get broken down into waste.

I’m very sorry to hear all the sad pet owners by I listen to science not conjecture…my guess is all the dogs in the sad stories had something wrong long before being given Bravecto and it is just pure chance the symptoms showed up when they did. Also…having lost my great gal just last week I know for 100% certain that us owners are always looking for a “cause” …what caused this disease or death BECAUSE we don’t want to feel guilty that maybe we missed something earlier…also some owners throught guilt want to blame themselves…oh no I shouldn’t have done this or that.

Its our human nature as doggie parents. I haven’t yet given the drug to my dog but I am planning to do so later today…and I promise to report back if there are any negative side effects

[Jenn H]

I also have a dog with severe environmental allergies.
The 1 thing that I have found to work for him in preventing, managing and relieving his symptoms is raw wildflower honey from a beekeeper neighbor. It works best if he starts getting in Feb.
I’ve tried other raw wildflower honeys when I ran out and the closest to home the better.

If/when he is having a reaction (because we ran out of his honey) there’s a whole routine we have to give him relief.

His brother also has these allergies and his people treat it differently with good success.

I can go thru the whole thing if you want. Just let me know.

[Susan]

Hi midwestdoglover, my 8yr old staffy also does REAL well on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, after trying most of the vet diets for IBD & other brand kibbles TOTW was the only kibble that helped with his IBD & Skin Allergies, he’s nice a lean, beautiful shinny coat, no arthritis yet, nice firm poos, only 2 poos a day….

With the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb the Kcals are nice & low at 338kcals per cup, lower Kcals per cup under 360Kcals are needed to keep their weight off + the fiber is normal at 4%, a lot of the weight management kibbles are low in protein & higher in fiber to keep them feeling fuller longer, high fiber diets make bigger poos, you need higher protein, normal fiber & normal fat %, give the TOTW a go also …

Home

[Rita O]

Switching between dog foods, not just different flavors but different makers, is a good way to ensure balanced nutrition. Apparently each brand of dog food tends to use their own propietary vitamin and mineral mix in all flavors of their food, so you are getting the same vitamin\mineral mix with the same amounts in all that brands foods. I’ve been feeding canned, and since my dog, a small terrier mix, gets her canned divided into 5 meals. I switch after one or two cans to another brand. This is contrary to what most vets recommend, but from what I read, switching brands gives a better balance and may help to prevent food allergies.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks, PitLuv. Outside of Boone’s allergies, he’s been pretty easy & healthy. Ginger will be 7 in July and she’s easy too.

[Abbie F]

I know this is an old post, but felt like I should share my 2 cents, I was a RVT for a number of yes and have an AS in vet med as well as food allergy dogs.
I can say first hand food allergies are not as uncommon as you may think. Dogs, unlike people are RARELY allergic to grains, but instead the protein source.
Does this mean that any meat food is bad for allergy dogs? No, but you need a uncommon meat source, I.e. duck, rabbit, etc.
Also, contrary to what many believe, dogs are in fact not carnivores, they are omnivores like humans. Meaning they, like us can be healthy with or without meat.
Feeding a dog a vegetarian diet? I did it with mine for the first 5 years of his life an he thrived on it. He one time got into a friends bag of chicken based dog food and oh boy did he proceed to rip himself up until his legs and stomach were lobster red. I’ll note that he was put on a limited ingredient duck and barley food at age five because after being attacked by a loose dog and suffering head and neck injuries he began having sound induced petite mal seizures and the vet recommended a diet very high in flax seed and fatty acids (which made a significant improvement). Point being he was not take off the veg diet because he was doing poorly on it.
Should you research the vegetarian food brand before starting it? Absolutely. As should you research ANY dog food brand beforehand. There are plenty of non-veg dog foods out there that are lacking in nutrients that your dog needs.

[Susan]

Hi how is your poor dog doing?? what did vet do is he on Metronidazole??
All organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea when feed too much, my boy gets diarrhea from those liver treats, Beef liver treats chicken liver treats… when I first rescued him 4-5yrs ago, I took him to the Hunter rescue second hand shop they raise money & sell worm, flea products, collars, name tag’s, toys, jackets etc everything for dogs/cats they raise money for people that don’t have the money to desex their cat & dogs, I wanted a new ID tag & a few toys for Patch & showed all the ladies my new rescue boy, the elderly ladies kept giving Patch liver treats & these were real big thick chunky black liver/beef treats, they could have been beef liver, I don’t know, anyway that night we were up all night with bad diarrhea, pain, feeling sick, I took Patch to vet next morning cause I have never had a dog get this sick, he was put on Metronidazole an antibiotic for the bowel & stomach & Royal Canine, Hydrolyzed dry vet diet just to let his bowel rest & heal, that’s when Patches new vet told me organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea, so since then I have never given him any liver, beef, or chicken liver treats again…
Years later I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet cause of his IBD & Skin allergies & he wasn’t given any organ meat or bone in his diet cause he has IBD, he was put on a probiotic & digestive enzymes & a supplement powder to balance the raw diet but the raw diet didn’t agree with Patch cause of his IBD, it cleared up his itchy skin & red paws cause we were just feeding Kangaroo with blended broccoli, apple, celery, we were starting an elimination raw diet but Patch kept feeling very sick & regurgitating the raw back up….Maybe stick with the cooked diet, I know raw is so much easier to do there’s no cooking just start with 1 lean white protein & a few blended veggies (2-3) like broccoli, apple, celery etc & only add 1-2 spoons of the blende veggies with 1 cup raw..

[Susan]

Hi Term,
normally when a dog has food sensitivities they will have environment allergies as well, my boy has Seasonal Environment Allergies, he’s bad in Spring, Summer & Autumn finally Winter we get a break, as long as he doesn’t eat any foods he’s sensitive too, he has food sensitivities to chicken, barley, beef, carrots, oats & probably more foods but it takes a while to do an elimination diet, it’s very time consuming, I tested a few foods when I did his elimination diet, mainly tested foods that are in kibbles like potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peas, pork & the foods I mentioned above that he reacted too, food sensitivities can take 1 day up to 6 weeks to show a reaction…
I have tried the Wellness, Complete Health, Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes & Wellness, Simple Lamb & Oats, Duck & Oats, I needed a lower Kcal per cup kibble cause Patch also has IBD, the Salmon & Potatoes was too high in Kcals for Patch but that’s the one I’d try if I were you…stick with limited ingredient fish kibbles & other novel proteins like Pork, Kangaroo, Venison, Rabbit, at first Patch seem fine for the first 2 weeks while eating both of the Wellness formulas I mentioned then week 3 he started to have sloppy yellow poos & itchy lower back & bum, I think the probiotics in the Wellness didn’t agree with Patch stomach/small bowel the yellow poo is the small bowel reacting…& he was reacting to the Barley in the Whitefish & Sweet potato formula causing his itchy smelly yeasty skin & rubbing his bum on the carpet…”Sudocrem” cream is EXCELLENT when they have itchy skin, back, stomach, paws & itchy bum & bum surf on the carpet….
I would have a look at “Canidae” Pure Formulas, they have the matching wet food as well, for later on to try to see if your dog still reacts to a wet tin food, have a look at the Pure Sea kibble it’s excellent for skin problems, the omega 3 in nice & high what’s needed for skin problems & look at their new Pure Wild Boar kibble, the fat & protein is a bit lower in the Pure Wild then the Pure Sea, another really good kibble a few people say they use for their itchy dogs with food sensitivities is Zignature Kangaroo, Zignature Salmon or Whitefish they all have the matching wet tin food…. Zignature is potato free…
Next time instead of using the Apoquel ask vet/Dermatologist about the new CADI injections, the injections can last anywhere from 2 weeks up to 4 months depends on the dog…. also Baths, make sure your doing weekly baths in the hotter months, baths wash off any allergens & pollens on the skin & fur, relieving the dogs itch, I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo on Patch, Malaseb can be used daily if needed….
Once you work out what your dog is sensitive too with food, do weekly baths, feed a diet high in omega 3 you will see a big improvement with your dog, if not then make appointment to see a Dermatologist vet & go from there, if you need any further help join this Facebook group, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group”… a lot of information & help in this group…
Canidae – http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Zignature – http://zignature.com/?page_id=333&lang=en

[anonymous]

Mar 01, 2013
By Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
Excerpt from above article below, unable to provide direct link, if you google DMV360 MAGAZINE and then search “dust mites” at the search engine at that site it will take you to the full article.
Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.
A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.

[anonymous]

FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies
By bringing pets into our homes, we’ve increased their exposure to these common skin irritants.
Mar 01, 2013
By Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
Excerpt from above article below, unable to provide direct link, if you google DMV360 MAGAZINE and then search “dust mites” at the search engine at that site it will take you to the full article.
Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.
A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.2

[anonymous]

FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies
By bringing pets into our homes, we’ve increased their exposure to these common skin irritants.
Mar 01, 2013
By Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
Excerpt from above article below, unable to provide direct link, if you google DMV360 MAGAZINE and then search “dust mites” at the search engine at that site it will take you to the full article.
Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.
A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.

[Natasha C]

Have you had your dog allergy tested? It could be food allergy but it could also be a storage mite allergy. My dog has storage mite and dust mite allergy. All dry dog food has storage mites so unless you switch to wet, raw or home cooked food he may still have symptoms. Mine had the watery eyes, chronic ear infections and itching. I started cooking his food which helped tremendously. He is on apoquel too which takes care of his dust mite allergy so he stopped the constant paw licking. Also consider using a novel protein. I found after many months that my dog is also allergic to both chicken and beef, but that wasn’t obvious until I addressed his other issues. Allergy testing at least pointed me in the right direction so I could focus on the environmental allergies first and then the food allergies. Good luck!