[Lynn J]

I just want to comment, that although many of these products are effective at killing fleas and/or ticks, they often do not repel them. So your dog may pick up parasites while out and about and get bitten by them. Hopefully, for ticks especially, parasites are killed before they are able to transfer pathogens such as Lyme Disease. Tick collars may offer some repellant activity, but in my case, when I was using the Preventatic collar, the ticks were dropping off in my house, some still alive, I was not happy about that. Everyone has to balance their dogs tolerance to chemicals, parasite levels where you live, dogs allergic reactions to flea/tick bites, other pets/children in the home, etc.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Okay. So this is going to be looong. Sorry in advance. Basically, today we took Lily to the vet because she had been scooting some the last few days. Since her anal glands had been slightly inflamed/discolored before, her vet wanted to actually see her instead of just having the tech do it. In short, they were not pretty. (not that I actually saw them.) The fluid was discolored, which the vet thought might be pus, (hey, I warned you) and there was an area near the anal glands that was inflamed. The vet prescribed a 20 day course of an antibiotic/anti-inflammatory med, and said we should schedule a follow up appointment for when that’s over. I was not thrilled about this, but it might be necessary. I’m planning to give her some yogurt to counter the antibiotic.

The vet said she thought this was a symptom of food allergies. I was afraid that she would prescribe a prescription diet, but luckily she actually knows a thing or two about dog nutrition, and suggested an elimination diet. Basically, she thinks that after she is done with the antibiotics, we should put her on a protein that she has never had before for 6-8 weeks, and then slowly introduce other foods. I pretty much know the drill for this from being on DFA. 🙂 She also suggested home-cooking, but I’m afraid we just don’t really have time for that on a regular basis. I have a bag of Nature’s Logic Venison, and while she has never had Venison in food, she has had it in treats. Is it still okay to use as an elimination protein?

Sooo…Basically I just want to know what you guys think about all of this, and if you have any ideas. I was thinking about giving her a anal gland supplement such as Glandex, but if it is food allergies then I feel like that would be just masking the symptoms rather than solving the problem. Is it still a good idea? Thanks!

Also, an update on Lily’s leg, she is still doing well and not limping much. We’re just crossing our fingers that she stays that way. 😀

[kgoble78]

Hi! I’m a newbie who needs help. A little background… I have a weimaraner named Ruby who will be 5 yrs old May 8th. Originally she was on Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin formula due to her having a skin allergy that we think is because of a tall weed like fungus that likes heat (I live in the South) and has a black powdery top that when you touch it it makes a black powder on you. It’s VERY annoying. Anyways, she kept throwing up from time to time when I realized she likely had a food allergy. (This dog is allergic to everything it seems!) I’m not sure what she’s allergic to in foods. All I know is I switched her to Natural Balance L.I.D Sweet Potato and Fish formula and it cleared right up.

Fast forward to last week.
She had been peeing a lot for a couple of weeks. I knew she needed to see a vet when she peed in her crate a couple of times. I take her in and she has a UTI and struvite crystals. The vet puts her on Royal Canin SO for urinary problems. I inform her she has a food allergy so she sold me the smallest bag she had. I slowly presented it to her along with her normal food until she was eating only the royal canin. So of course she’s throwing up at least once a day now. I looked at the ingredients and the food looks like rubbish. Seems like every ingredient that a dog could be allergic to is in it. Being that I don’t know which ingredient she’s allergic to it makes it tricky. I lucked out and bought a LID food that worked right off the bat.

So what is your suggestion as to what I should feed her? I saw in another post someone didn’t switch foods but just started giving their dog cranimals original formula http://www.cranimals.com and it cleared the crystals right up. All the info I’ve read about crystals said a special food/diet would be needed so I was nervous about doing that. Does anyone think that would be a good route? It’d be so much easier on myself and Ruby if that’s a possibility.

Also, I read something that made it sound like feeding a fish based dog food can cause crystals to form. Can anyone confirm that? Is fish not something I should be feeding her? Any suggestions on food if not?

Sorry for my LONG, drawn out post. I wasn’t sure what info would be helpful so my apologies.

Thanks!
Kristi

[Mary S]

I had forgotten about the Oat, Corn, Soy, Wheat allergies. Yes, she cannot eat any of that either. Those ingredients have become part of the automatic check that I had forgotten to list them.

Thanks for putting together this list for me to check out. I appreciate it.

[CockalierMom]

One of my girls has all fowl and tapioca allergies so I am creating charts with protein and ingredients for the potential foods she can eat. From the information I have gathered so far, I can point you in the direction of a few brands that have varieties that meet the lower protein and no potato criteria — California Natural, Tuscan Natural, Spring Natural, and Natural Balance LID. If there is not an oat allergy, you might look at Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Potatoes or Wellness Simple Lamb & Oats. These foods are lower protein than you are currently feeding (I saw in another post that you are feeding Purina Beyond and it has a dry matter content of 31% protein).

[Mary S]

Food allergies ~ though all of this information on each dog food product is outstanding, I need a way of quickly scanning the ingredients of each dog food so it can be eliminated from my search. I have a dog that is allergic to specific ingredients, e.g., potatoes, green beans. Second, she needs a low protein value due to compromised kidneys. A low protein value eases the kidney function and reduced the bladder leakage found in older dogs.

So a graph/chart of the dog foods with protein percentage and ingredients would speed up, make my search more efficient.

Thanks!

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks! It’s not actually totally clear if I have asthma or not, but I am allergic to outdoor dust and perfume, so I want to make sure I don’t become allergic to Lily.

[Dori]

Hi Dog Obsessed. I’ve mentioned before that I bath my dogs every 7 – 9 days. I have always done this. Mind you Hannah is now 15 1/2 years old and there has never been an issue. I’ve done this with every single dog I have ever known. This is a perfectly acceptable thing to do and does not cause your dog any harm. Actually it will remove any allergens that they have picked up outside. The only exception to this is if a person has a dog that is solely an outside dog. Then you would be bathing them infrequently because outside dogs need to keep the build of of oils in and on their skins do to the weather. These are typically dogs that are always outside and used as guard dogs, etc. Otherwise, again, I use Vet’s Best Hypoallergenic dog shampoo. Since I bath them every 7 – 8 days I really only need to do is wet the dog down completely, shampoo and rinse thoroughly and then I dilute a little dog conditioner (one part to 8 parts water), I pour if over the dog then I rinse rinse rinse till the water comes out clear with no residue of shampoo or conditioner. With Katie I normal omit the conditioner part because of all her allergies. This has never caused dry, itchy skin to any dog I have ever had. The mistake, I find, is that most people don’t rinse with water their dogs for a long enough period of time. That is actually the most important part of bathing a dog. Leftover shampoo or conditioner or “a rinse type product” left on their bodies will cause them to be a bit itchy or appear to have dandruff. It’s not dandruff, it’s leftover product that as they are scratching that’s what they are flaking off. Every vet that I have ever had for my dogs in every state that I’ve lived in has approved this method including Katie’s canine dermatologist. By the way, my husband has asthma. I treat my dogs (and always have) as family members. I wouldn’t let a family member live in my house without bathing. YUK!!! But it’s also very healthy for everyone in the household. It also keeps allergens off your furniture and beds and everywhere else your dogs are allowed on. I’m thinking you’re like me. They’re allowed to be where ever they happen to be most comfortable at any given moment. Bathing your dogs only a couple of times a year or so is very outdated thinking. It comes from back in the day when very few people let their dogs live in their homes. It just wasn’t done and was actually frowned upon. They believed that dogs would bring in all sorts of unhealthy things on their bodies and paws and that dogs were meant to guard and get rid of any vermin that may be on your property. We don’t live that way anymore and haven’t for a very very long time. It’s another one of those outdated notions that still continues like kibble being good for their teeth. As I said, the only exception I know of is for dogs that strictly live outside, they are not inside dogs. Those people, in the Spring, will get all the under coat out, bath their dogs, and then that’s it until next Spring. Anyway, like I said I bath each of the dogs (mine are little as you know) in the laundry room sink (I changed the faucet myself to a pull out adjustable from stream to spray) every 7 – 9 days. Just do it and you’ll see that Lily will have no issues and you’ll feel better. Don’t forget that you also have to launder her bedding. 🙂

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hey everyone! I know there is a huge controversy over how often to bathe dogs, some people say no more than every month and others say every week or more. I have recently been diagnosed with possible asthma, and even though I do not seem to be allergic to Lily, I want to do everything possible to prevent myself from becoming allergic. I already don’t allow her to sleep with me, but I was wondering what else I could do. I have heard that frequently bathing pets can be helpful, and according to this article, while it is not scientifically proven, some people have found frequent bathing helpful. The shampoos I use, Vet’s Best and Earthbath, are both very mild and good for sensitive skin. Would it be okay to bathe her weekly with these? Or should I only use shampoo sometimes, or do it less often? Thanks!

Edit: Yes! My Html code worked!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Susan]

Hi sound like he has IBD, I would try a vet diet as these diets are formulated for these type of problems…they have to right amount of soluble fibersn the right amount of fat%..the diets you have mentioned have toooooo many ingredients, you will never fix the problem…
Every time your dog has diarrhoea you are causing irritation to the bowel & then this will cause inflammation of the bowel (Colitis).. My boy has IBD I have him on a vet diet, I had to in the end, even if you put him on a vet diet just for 3-6 months to let everything settle so you can start to work out ur next stop..this will not just go way..
You have to work out, does he have allergies to a certain foods, does he need a lower fat diet, does he need less fiber or less protein???
With vet diet they just have 1 hydrolized protein that has been broken down & 1 carb, I’d go back to vet & either try Royal Canin Hydroallergenic diet or their Allergenic diet or the Hills Z/D ultra or the D/D diets… like I said he doesn’t have to stay on these vet diets forever, just to calm everything down & let everything heal…. also boiled rice is a no no as the boiled rice irritates the bowel more, grounded rice is OK in kibbles buyt not boiled rice..if he gets diarrhea from pumkin, then I’d say he needs a low fiber diet, I feed the vet diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” not the plus just the Intestinal, its a low residue diet that breaks up real easy & digest real easy & is low in fiber…my boy wasn’t digesting his food he’d vomit it up 6-8 hours later that was the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic, he didn’t do well on any Royal Canine vet diets..the R/C didn’t seem to digest & the kibbles were very hard…. I have him on the “Eukanuba Intestinal” within 2 days poos were firm again, once he was pooing good I waited about 6months & tryed the premium foods from pet shops, He just doesn’t do well on them, vet said that they are formulated for healthy dogs that don’t have stomach & bowel problems….. Now I’m trying the Hills I/d Low Fat GI restore kibble, its suppose to heal & help the bowel, you don’t have to pay to see the vet again just ask the ladies at the front desk can you put him on a vet diet like the vet wanted before & google the vet diet food & see which has a low fiber, The Hills Z/d Ultra has more insoluble fiber & less soluble fiber so I haven’t tried it yet where the Hills I/d Low Fat GI restore kibble has more soluble fiber & less insoluble fiber… you need to work out is it his small bowel with the problem or his large bowel…. with the small bowel they need less fiber, if its the large bowel that has the problem, then he needs more fiber…..

There’s a really good group on Face Book called “Dogs With Inflammatory Bowel Disorder” you should join you get a lot of help from that site also another on Yahoo called “IBD Canines” a few ladies on the Face book group are going thru the same thing with their dogs, 1 was just put on the Royal Canine allergenic, I think its called & she is trying enzymes & has gotten her dog doing nice firm poos.. another lady is trying the Hills Z/d & her dog is doing really good now & remember only try 1 thing at a time, other wise you wont know what helped & what didn’t, if you need more help.. go to the Face book group, You will get help there……if you really don’t want to try a vet diet try the “Brother Complete allergy” egg recipes… here’s his link but after trying the Brothers complete & if it doesn’t work then please try a vet diet

http://www.brotherscomplete.com/VENISON-EGG-ALLERGY.html
a few ladies have their dog on the “brothers complete allergy” its working for their dogs & do not give any other foods while trying a new diet wait until dog is stable with no diarrhea.. Good Luck

[Tammy H]

Hi there
Any dog food you guys can think of that has no seafood, or even omega, no peas and no canola oil? I tried to find like a chart that you can sort of punch in what you don’t want to see and it would spit out a list of foods that don’t have those ingredients, but I cant seem to find it.
I’ve been looking at specific brands and reading labels but wanted to see if maybe anyone here has the same issues and what they’ve found?

Thanks in advance!
Tammy

[Kathy B]

Thank you for the reply. I will continue on the on the supplement and take your advice on the research of each of the dog food products. If you switch kibble that often do you not have to be concerned about digestive upsets? Seems to be where I am with Merrick at this time. My male is okay with it ,but my little girl cannot have a firm bm without some pumpkin and rice. And Rice is not something I want to do long term with allergies.

[Cole B]

So glad to hear other people have heard of this! I have a two year old lab/border collie cross named Gunner. His first gulping and licking attack happened a month ago. The vet blamed kennel cough and put him on Robitussin for a week. His first attack started right before bed one night and then happened on and off all night. Unlike a lot of other dogs in this post the first time it continued into the day time for half the day. I got a video of it but my vet wouldn’t even let me bring him in case it was kennel cough. His attack finally stopped and hasn’t happened again til tonight. I know it wasn’t kennel cough, I’ve worked in dog kennels for my entire adult life and I know kennel cough as well as my own name. Since the first attack stopped and went away for the last month I tried not to worry about it.
But now tonight he’s been gulping, swallowing, licking, occasionally coughing. He also seems to be throwing up liquid into his mouth and then swallowing it again. After reading through this post I tried a combo of taking off his collar, feeding him 1/2 a cup of kibble, and cuddling/petting to calm him down. His attack stopped almost immediately after I did those three things. Now he’s sleeping peacefully. I also fed him on a box so it was raised since I know acid reflux in people can be worse if they don’t sit up to eat. I’m relieved that it stopped! Its so hard watching them go through that. He was so upset.

Other background for Gunner:
He eats 1 3/4 cups Diamond brand lamb and rice twice a day
He is allergic to grass, which is a nightmare in itself! Certain times a year he has no fur on his legs from allergies.
He occassionally gets bacterial infections on his skin which my vet says is caused by a lowered immune system from his body’s constant fight against allergies.

He hadn’t had anything to eat other than kibble before this attack. He had been fed at 7:00pm and woke me up at 4:00am with the gulping. Not sure how long he had been doing it, I’m a deep sleeper. He’s always done really well on his lamb and rice diet.

I’m just so glad for this post since he instantly got better after trying a few suggestions from this posting. Thanks everyone for your advice!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Cole B.

[Jane S]

All our dogs are scratching continuously. Vet seems to think it may be allergies as this has been ongoing for a while and various medications and baths have not relieved the issue.
the vet has suggested getting a new dog food, that has more protein. We currently feed all 4 Science Diet Light. She would not give recommendations.

any suggestions for a replacement dog food to reduce the scratching.

Thanks Jane

[theBCnut]

NuVet Plus has some nice antioxidants in it, but it won’t cure allergies. Three food changes a year is really not many. I change my dogs’ kibble weekly and they get something different added to their food every day. Maybe get the ingredient lists from all three foods you have tried so far and see if you can determine what ingredients they have in common, and try to find a food that doesn’t have any of those ingredients.

As an example, my dog is allergic to chicken, turkey, tomato, flax, and all grains. It has taken me 3 years to figure all of that out, and I may still find that he reacts to other things as well.

[Kathy B]

Has anyone used this product? I have had my cockers on this for a year for allergies and on grain free food. At this point, they ended up on allergy meds and I have change food 3 times in a year. I do not want to keep them on these meds and I am beginning to doubt these supplements as well.

[Sally C]

I am new to this site and a fairly new dog owner. Here’s the history of my pup: we adopted a 9 month old yorkie from a local rescue in November. He came to us eating Eagle Pack dog food which I kept him on. He was also coughing a lot, then he started itching and chewy his hind legs. He developed severe ear infections, then diarrhea and then he finally started vomiting roundworms. This was all over the course of 6 weeks. Before the worms were found (despite 3 stool samples), we were certain he had allergies. So, I tried him on Blue Buffalo Basics which was not helpful and caused diarrhea then switched to Nature’s Variety limited ingredient Salmon meal. He has completely quit scratching and the hair on his hind legs is starting to grow back. His skin is also less dry. The problem is that he really smells, he has gas, his breath is awful and his stools are very soft , large and smell awful!!! Now I don’t know if he really has allergies or if it could have been been getting worms.

I have read about raw diets but I just don’t know if I could do it. Maybe if it was already prepared. Dry kibble would be my first choice, but I don’t know if it will help him. This has been a very long process of trial and error and any advice would be wonderful! I have wasted so much dog food!

[Dori]

Dog Obsessed. Glad you got the Vet’s Best. I love that shampoo and allergy girl, Katie, loves it too. I use the Vet’s Best Hypoallergenic one on all three girls.

Cedric F. Dogs that have allergies or are prone to seizures should not be bathed with Buddy Wash. All three of their formulas contain wheat and rosemary. Wheat is a bad idea for dogs with allergies and there have been many reports that rosemary may trigger seizures in dogs that may be prone to seizures. Their formulas also contain tea tree oil which is an ingredient that I avoid. Their are controversies as to what the appropriate amount is ok and not ok. Too much could be toxic, a little would be alright. I just avoid it and don’t have to worry about how much is in a shampoo.

[Carolyn G]

I’ve tried all sorts of dog shampoos, Johnson’s No More Tears (it’s supposed to be gentle), and now I’m on Head and Shoulders 2 in 1. It seems to be doing the trick in decreasing Gracie’s itching. The first time I tried it she was itch free for days. Now, she itches a little bit, but it’s also partly due to her diet – she has food allergies. For now, I’m staying with H&S. Let me know if you or anyone else thinks this is a good or bad product.

[Susan W]

I have a 8 yr black LAB and 3 yr old Beagle on the CaniSource Grain Free Fish

Generally, when I mention this product, it is unknown to 90% of people I talk to; yet the marketing sounds like product is too good to be true; they claim product is 100% human grade; inspected with the same process as human plants – but then that being said, how good is the human grade meat and inspection ?

Curious
1) why it does not have “complete and balanced” on the box ?
2) why is the rating 4, not 5 on this website ?
3) can I believe the marketing – no more allergies, 100% human grade etc ?
4) should I be concerned with a straight “fish diet”
5) generally, why is this product not popular – it appears over expensive, but you feed less
6) why are the vets so against it ?? –

I do have a lot of questions, but why do I keep feeding it – the results I see in my Lab is why I have continued –

My black Lab has elbow dysplasia and was taking glucosamine;
Since the switch to CaniSource, I have discontinued the glucosamine, and if anything his leg is better; he has a higher energy level on this food (almost like a puppy), and what really stands out is his coat is nice and shinny, where before it was dull and coarse.

After reviewing this website, I am thinking of trying a switch to ACANA,

[Susan]

Hi Cathy, my boy gets the same, the best way to find out what she is allergic too is to do an Elimination diet home cooked, if you don’t want to do your own home cooked elimination diet, then use 1 of the vet diets either Hills z/d or Royal canine Hypoallergenic or the Allergenic… the vet will know which one is best for her to try, they don’t stay on the vet diet for ever, just 2-3 months, once on the vet diet & there’s no scratching or red paws you add 1 new food to her diet, say boiled chicken as a topper & see does she start to scratch & lick her paws. I’d say there’s something either in the Exclusive chicken & rice or if your given other foods like treats that is making her lick her paws…..but once you work out what makes her itch, then you can find a new premium food, best is the Limited ingredient foods…
Patches new vet is starting to think Patch cant eat chicken cause I had to put Patch on the the Hills Low Fat GI Restore wet cause he has gotten real ill this last month & its just Pork & turkey & his red itchy paws have gone away, I’ve restarted him on his vet diet kibble 2 days ago & it has chicken & his paws are red again & he’s been licking them, so maybe try a limited ingredient kibble without any chicken or chicken fat & see how she goes….

[Jane E]

This is worth reading I think. http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/landing/food-allergies.html/?st=PPC

[Sophia C]

Nat balance won’t work for my girl if it has lamb or flax. She isn’t allergic to chicken. Go figure.

[Dog_Obsessed]

The Dog Food Wizard is a tool for dogs with allergies made by Rachel, another user on DFA: http://www.dogfoodwizard.com
You still have to read the ingredients, because sometimes there are errors, but it its a good place to start.

[ellen k]

Natural Balance limitd lamb and rice are good and canine cavier is good . Excellent source of protein. Dogs are usually allergic to chicken as the protein source. These both have only lamb. Beware of so-called lamb based foods that have CHICKEN FAT in them Bad mistake I made with my puppy 8 months ago.L

[Amy K]

I’ll be checking this often, because I’m running into a similar situation. My dog is showing borderline allergic to most of the proteins, and definitely allergic to a lot of the grains as well as peas. My vet advises avoiding the borderline items as well as the definitely allergic – searching all the limited ingredient and hypoallergenic foods, one or the other always pops up, so I’m thinking I’ll have to make her food.
So I have two questions: Do I really need to worry about the borderline items? And if so, where can I find a good formula for homemade dogfood I.e. Proper protein to carb ratios, supplements needed, portion size guide for daily feedings.
I do plan on talking to my vet more about this, but would like to have info to use so I know what questions I still need to ask.
Appreciate any help given!

[Kathleen Z]

I am new to Dog Food Advisor. I am looking through the 5-star foods. I’ll click on one, find out it’s not what I’m looking for and click the back button to go on to the next one. Could you please make the previous clicks a different color so I know where I left off? There are dozens on brands to try to sift through. Is there a search that I can use to narrow down the results? For example, my dog is allergic to turkey, grains, and potatoes. I would like to find a food that does not contain these ingredients, and besides that, the review may only be for one of the flavors, such as duck, when I want to look at the beef.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Kathleen Z.

[Sophia C]

my dog has been suffering terribly with allergies for last 6 months. we had blood allergy test done and found that one area to address is food, she is allergic to venison, lamb, and flax. I’m finding it difficult to find a good quality limited ingredient kibble that doesn’t include the flaxseed. Any suggestions of food that might not include these? I’d also like it to be grain free.

TIA
Mom to Bella

[zhiba]

It’s one thing to feed your dog honey with local pollens, but it’s another to find one that has pollens your dog is actually allergic to. In theory, yes this can help, but without knowing the pollen content/concentration it is difficult to dose correctly.

What you are trying to do, and what you really want, is sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) – building up tolerance to allergens by introducing them slowly over time. SLIT does have research, particularly with humans, to back it up: http://www.allergychoices.com/Physicians/Research/Bibliography/default.aspx

You can have your dog allergy tested and get a custom formula of allergens made for you. One company that does this is Heska – http://www.heska.com/Products/ALLERCEPT/Allercept-Drops.aspx

There are non-custom formulas available, based on regional allergens as well. Even products labeled for children (alcohol free) are fine if the rest of the ingredients are dog-safe.
Region 1 – Alaska, Oregon, Washington
http://www.meditrend.com/allergena-kids-formulas/

[theBCnut]

The only time I object to using grains specifically is for dogs with inflammatory conditions and dogs with grain allergies. For SOME of these dogs, getting off grains really helps.

[Alea S]

both my rescue dogs are severely allergic to any poultry and grains, rices, pastas and bread. Somewhat less allergic to beef, lamb, rabbit, wild boar, bison. Any suggestions on dog foods? Been feeding Natural Balance venison and now kangaroo since these are what they are least allergic to.

[DogFoodie]

My Golden reacts to fish, among other things, and his ears immediately get yeasty when he eats any fish. My Golden doesn’t have any true allergies, but plenty of food intolerance / hyper-sensitivities. I’d look for a new limited ingredient food that is a different animal protein and binder and is as different as possible from what you’re feeding currently.

[theBCnut]

It’s true that true food allergies are uncommon, but yeasty ears aren’t associated with true food allergies as much as they are with food hypersensitivities, which are an Ig response, just not the same Ig as true allergies, and also aren’t as rare as true food allergies.

[Jane E]

Have you taken your Golden to the vet and had the vet determine if it’s yeast or bacteria? His ears need to be treated effectively . True food allergies are not very common. It’s much more likely that the sweet potato (starch and sugar) is aggravating and feeding the yeasty ears IF that is what he is dealing with… I would look for a food without sweet potatoes and even one without potatoes altogether. Pure Vita has some nice foods,Fromm,Zignature. I would look for a single source protein (you may have success with a novel protein) and of course grain free.

[Karra L]

I have an 11 year old Lhasa that I believe is suffering from food allergies. She was on Eukenuba Adult dry food until a year ago when she had pancreatitis. She spent the weekend at the vet, and came home with Science Diet Low Fat GI Restore. We use the dry formula. She has terrible allergies, and seems to always have a yeasty ear infection. We have taken her the vet more times than I can count, and he said she has environmental allergies ( we live in Florida), and pretty much told me to try Benedryl. We took her to a specialist and had a consult, the treatment and testing was going to be over 6,000.
Lately, her mouth area has become swollen and red and has the smell of yeast as well. She has crusty material in her beard that is coming from her swollen mouth area. She is always scratching and licking her paws.
My gut is telling me that she has a food allergy. I want to switch her food, but am scared since she has had pancreatitis a year ago, and we almost lost her.
If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it! Thank you in advance!!

[Dog_Obsessed]

If the drainage is colored when it comes out, I would recommend taking him to the vet. It could be an infection. If he comes back with a clean bill of health, then you could look at the possibility of allergies and/or changing his food.

[Dori]

That information is very much outdated. It would be like my telling you that eating a bunch of crunchy graham crackers will clean your teeth. No! Absolutely not. The only thing that will prevent plaque and tartar buildup on teeth is brushing. Just like us. Brush their teeth.

Once again, it’s just my opinion, but if your dog is an adult then it is best for him to eat twice a day, not three times a day unless he has a medical condition that your vet has told you it would be better for him to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Twice a day is the recommendation. It gives the gut time to properly digest meals in between and also gives the gut a resting period. Fed more often (or often) throughout the day the gut never gets the resting period. Some people even feel that dogs need 12 hours in between each meal. Now that method I guess depends on what time you feed a.m. meal to be able to feed p.m. giving enough time for digestion before bed time and bathroom elimination time. I don’t wish to be woken at 3 a.m. to take my dogs out for walks.

By the way, I have three dogs. Lola is a 5 1/2 year old Yorkipoo weighing 5 lbs. Katie is a 5 1/2 year old Maltipoo, she weighs 6 lbs., and last, but always first in my heart, is Hannah. She is my 15 1/2 year old Maltese and she weighs 7 lbs. I do know about small dogs. I’ve had small dogs (I’m allergic to animals so all my dogs have had to be of the hair variety and not fur) all my life. I’m 66 years old (or shall I say 66 years young since I continually say I haven’t hit middle age yet).

As to feeding strictly by the manufacturers recommendation, please keep in mind that it’s just a guide, not an ultimate. So much comes in to play. In winter most dogs are not as active, in summer more active. Your dogs temperament and energy. Is your dog a couch potato or an Ever Ready Bunny type with an “on” switch only. All this comes in to play. The package is just a starting point. Then you adjust either up or down.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Yeah, Dori was mentioning that with Heartguard, which is one of the reasons I decided to switch. The main other one is that Sentinel also does fleas.

I agree that it is totally ridiculous, and true throughout the human and animal medical industry. I worry about allergies, as you said, especially people who have severe allergies to milk, eggs, nuts, etc. that could be inactive ingredients in medicines.

[Karma]

Also, if your dogs are allergic to chicken, you’ll need to avoid ingredients labeled poultry fat (if it doesn’t specify the meat you can guarantee it has chicken fat in it, learned the hard way), and of course meal/bone by products that don’t specify the animal type it came from.

[Karma]

Victor Grain Free Yukon River. My dog is also allergic to chicken and Victor is a great food and is in our rotation.

[Rachel M]

I would start by trying a limited ingredient diet, I’m fond of Acana singles pork and apple. I also like Orijen Six Fish as a place to start for digs with allergies. Allergy testing is expensive, I’ve found that an elimination diet was a less expensive and more accurate way to determine what my dog could eat.

Check out DogFoodWizard.com for my food selector tool, you can tell it to exclude foods that contain poultry and any other suspected allergens for your girl and it should give you a whole list of foods she can eat.

[Jill T]

Hi, I have a Bischon and I believe she is allergic to poulty, she scratched quite a bit and she has dried brown tears below her eyes. The vet wants to charge me over $300 for allergy testing, which I don’t have. Do you suggest any brand of dry dog food that will help alleviate her symptoms? Thank you!

[Katy G]

Here are some of the benefits of giving coconut oil: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

It’s usually suggested to give them a tablespoon for every 10 pounds of their weight. Try the Wellness Simple, but if that doesn’t seem to help them, I would suggest having an actual allergy panel done to see exactly what they’re allergic to. My guy hasn’t had an issue since I switched to that food, and I’ve noticed a big difference in all of their coats and skin with the coconut oil. I hope this helps!

[Sarah W]

Katy,
The vet assumes it’s a food allergy because that is usually what it is. I feed them Merrick canned and dry and they both have Mike’s 5*’s. I can try a different meat because it is chicken which can usually be a culprit in food allergies. I’m going to try the Wellness turkey or duck. I give Sammy fish oil the vet suggested and he get’s it with breakfast. I have organic certified coconut oil in the house. I’ve never heard of giving that.

[Katy G]

Sarah, what are they allergic to? I have one dog with food sensitivities and feed him Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient food. They contain different proteins like turkey, lamb, duck and salmon, and the carb source is potato or oatmeal instead of rice. I also give them a scoop of coconut oil every night.

[Sarah W]

My vet said it’s not processed with other meat and dog foods. Is that a good choice for my 2 small dogs with allergies? I’m not happy giving my dogs Royal Canin or Science Diet prescription wet and dry food.

[theBCnut]

Some dogs are allergic to only chicken muscle meat, others to chicken bone, others to everything chicken. Try turkey instead.

[Vanessa K]

Hi All! Doing the research to start my pups on a raw diet! My GSP/Pit Bull mix, Keisel, has had an allergy to chicken since we adopted him as a pup. Has anyone noticed that perhaps chicken allergies are only to the chicken in kibble or all chicken in general? Might be a dumb question? Haha, but I wasn’t sure if fresh/raw might be different than processed.
Hope that makes sense! Thank you!

[Dori]

Cheryl,
The commercial raw frozen foods that I use in rotation are:
Answer’s Detailed Raw Frozen (if you can’t find it, please call them and speak with Jacquie, she’s the owner, and she’ll let you know who sells the food in your area. Don’t go by the store locater on their website because a lot of stores carry their goat milk but not their food and they are listed in their store locater because they do sell Answer’s Detailed just not the food).

Primal Pronto and Primal Formulas. Vital Essentials Raw. Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw.

Stella & Chew’s Raw (I feed this once in a blue moon. My dogs eat it but I’m not crazy about it. I come back to it periodically to give it a try because it does get good feed back from posters and is highly reviewed on this site and wonder if I’m just missing something). I will say that the company has a great reputation.

Commercial Frozen Raw foods are, by nature, high in fat. None of my three toy dogs have issues with high fat so it’s not a concern of mine. Beef, in my experience, will always be higher in fat than other proteins. If memory serves me, I think Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw and Vital Essentials Raw are probably lower in fat than most others. As I said, my girls don’t have issues with high fat diets. I have always contended that it is not the quantity of fat in a diet, it is the quality of the fat. Now, with that said, I don’t feed foods that have a higher level of fat than they do protein. I’m not paying high prices for fat. You have to keep in mind that the lowest % of fat that I feed is probably around 38% and up to around 58 – 59%. You have to know your animals and what they will be well with and can tolerate and thrive on. That goes not only with fat but protein and carbs as well. Also I think I’ve told you that I do not feed any food that has poultry, fowl, of any sort. One of my girls is highly intolerant of all forms including the different chicken and turkey fats that are put in some foods. Interestingly enough, she has no problems with eggs so long as it is no more than once every two to three weeks, maybe longer.

Moving on the Freeze Dried, I feed Primal Freeze Dried, Vital Essentials Freeze Dried and again, once in a blue moon I’ve wanted to like Stella & Chew’s Freeze Dried.

Dehydrated Foods: The only dehydrated food I feed is The Honest Kitchen. I’ve tried a lot of the others and for one reason or another I don’t like them.

There are, of course, foods in all categories above that I don’t feed for my own various reasons but that doesn’t mean that because I don’t care for them or how my dogs do on them, that they are not going to do well for other dogs. Katie, my allergy girl, has a list of food intolerances as long as my arm that I must avoid. Katie is the reason that I went to commercial raw foods and my other two dogs were lucky enough to come along for the ride and thrive on their diets. Dogs, like people, are all different. We all react to different ingredients differently. Some issues I have with some foods may not be an issue with others or may not be any issue for their dogs. (I don’t mention cats because I don’t have any. I’m allergic to animals which is why my dogs have always been of the hair variety and not fur). I am, fortunately, in a position that I can feed all 5 star rated commercial raw, freeze dried and dehydrated foods from companies that I trust that (in my opinion) have quality ingredients and quality customer service.

Ask away, I’m happy to help with my experiences and my trials and errors of which there have been many along the way. I’ve pretty much got all the kinks worked out for Hannah, Katie and Lola. I’m hoping that Millie and Pepper are well. Though you didn’t take Shawna’s advice years ago I’m glad you’ve jumped on board now. Better late than never as the saying goes.

[Ivchister]

Cheryl,

Q: What do you mean gastro sensitive?
A: She vommits immediately when she eats something she can’t digest, for eg. raw meat, any kind of fruit or when my mother gave her some inappropriate food. She ate grain free food with salmon but was stressed out when we were moving and had very bad gastritis that culminated by blood in vommit. We gave her Hills i/d after which she had a bad case of skin allergy so we tried with z/d and it worked for a while..
Q: Does she eat a grain free diet?
A: Not now..
Q: Is she sensitive to certain proteins& or grains that you are aware of?
A: I’m not sure because she first reacted badly while eating grain free food (with fish).
Q: Did your vet culture the ear discharge to see what it was exactly(yeast, fungal, some other infection)?
A: The vet said that there is no inflammation or otitis just a lot of dark brown ear discharge. But A LOT, like there is mud in her ears. I clean it with Otifree fluid.
Q: Do you think the ear discharge is diet related?
A: Yes, it might be related..
Q: Have you changed foods recently and this happened?
A: It is happening for a while now.. It started before the horrible gastritis period and I can’t connect it with anything else but food. We moved, the aparment is clean and new.
Q: Have you been feeding the same food(s)? I know lots of questions
A: No, because of the gastritis episode and the allergie reaction..
Q: Does the food have to be dry? If so, have you ever tried soaking the kibble in warm water before feeding? softer foods might be easier on the stomach.
A: Yes I have and there is no difference because she just doesn’ drink water if I soak it. She normally chews the dry food and drinks some water, she’s not only swallowing..

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Ivchister.