[Dene C]

I ordered this in July, just after having foot surgery. Before it arrived, I happened upon this page and read about people’s dogs getting sick from having this product. I was so alarmed, that when it arrived I did not even open the package, because if my dog got sick, I would not be able to quickly take her to the vet due to my inability to weight bear or walk.
It wasn’t until early November that I was able to walk and carry my dog if needed to the car to drive to the vet. So I started putting the powder on her food and she liked it. So far so good.

My dog suffers from chronic allergies and has been on a low-dose of prednisone for years. After she had been using this product for several weeks I stopped the prednisone to see if the symptoms would return. I was hoping she would no longer need the prednisone, but unfortunately she began coughing, sneezing, and vomiting bile.
Let me be clear, this was not in any way in reaction to this product, rather this was how she normally behaved when she was not on prednisone. I had hoped that this product would mitigate the need for the prednisone, alas it did not. In fact I saw absolutely no change in my dog’s behavior, other than the fact that she enjoyed the taste of her food with this powder on it, rendering it nothing more than a very expensive ‘spice’.
Shayne, can you help me get a refund, even though it’s past the 90 days?

[william M]

@anonymous, I get you want to lean on science. But this Science is the same that has kept cancer alive in humans and tells you in 1976 that your going to have your brains fried by an ozone hole then in 1983 tell you we are entering an ice age and today are telling us greenland will be our next tropical paradise…..and all of them gave a 20 year timeline for affect. Not that science isnt good, but I would challenge you and your science to visit me in ALASKA about 4 degrees north of valdez and watch my local wolf pack. Two things your gonna notice…none of them have been found alongside the road dead from a chicken bone in their throats, and they been proliferating quite well for the last several thousand years without your scientific friends. Granted all the allergies and the anomalies seem to come with the housebound, apartment dwelling critters and many of the overbred experiments by the AKC. Might spend a bit more time watching national geo and seeing how your racoon and weasel survive so well without all the help.

[Suzanna F]

Hello Everyone!

I am on a new and very tight budget and am wondering what is the best bang for your buck dog food without chicken out there. One of my dogs is allergic to chicken and will also develop allergies to any protein he gets fed for more than a few months so a rotation of proteins is necessary. I am trying to keep it under $50/bag if possible. Do you guys have any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Christi H]

I have a 16 month old lab/pit mix and we believe she is allergic to meat, chicken or lamb so we are looking for a quality dog food we can feed her. We have been giving her Core Seafood, but it smells so bad and her breath…..YUK!!!!

Any advice on what food to feed her? We are just about ready to start cooking her food ourselves, but hoping someone has some good advice since we have never had this issue with any of our other dogs.

[Holly N]

Hello:
I have read through most of the thread on this subject and wanted to weigh in. I have a female pug who supposedly was diagnosed with an enlarged vulva. She was scooting on the floor and that’s why I took her to the vet and when she was diagnose. She has food sensitivities as well as environmental allergies. Quantum leap one year later, my pug wasn’t feel well at all, with a long series of test, she was diagnosed with liver disease. She had lethargy, didn’t want to eat, constant drinking of water and urination. She now has vaginitis, which is a result of her liver disease. Just something to think about (but not too long) if you’re pup doesn’t have her symptoms clear up right away with the current treatment your vet has your dog on. Who knew that female dogs urinate through their vagina, which because of her liver disease, has created a secondary problem of vaginitis. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t read through the entire thread, so I’m not sure where you current treatment plan is with your pup. Keep in mind if your current treatment plan isn’t working, make sure your vet (or specialist) looks into things deeper. If it is liver related, the sooner it is discovered the better. Best of luck.

[Nayan G]

I have that is allergic to all forms of fish also. I found Simply Nonourish chicken and rice to be a decent food with no form of fish.

[Susan]

Hi Genevieve,

Oh poor Ollie, video was hard to watch,
I called this the Gulps.
yes this is BAD acid reflux coming up into the throat/mouth, please give either liquid Mylanta or Slippery Elm – 4mls so it soothes Ollies esophagus & pushes the acid down, or I give a dry biscuit “Jatz” wafer biscuit.
I wonder if Ollie has LES??
Have you done Endoscope & Biopsies??
My Patch suffers with IBD – Helicobacter, LES, Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivities.

Same as you we tried most things…
Vet Diets – didn’t help cause of the high Omega Oils, Beet Pulp & Pre-biotics Patches acid reflux seem to get worse.
Carafate made him feel sick, he’d gulped grass after taken Carafate.
Zantac, – taken 18months it worked then it didn’t work like it wasn’t strong enough.
Slippery Elm Slurry 4ml works & helps soothe the esophagus & settle stomach..
Buy Slippery Elm powder, put 1/2 a teaspoon in a cup, boil jug & slowly add boiling water & quickly stir till you have a slurry, not too thick or too thin so you can pull up 4ml into a syringe, make sure its not hot when you give to Ollie, it cools quickly.
Omeprazole-20ml for 1 yr the Omeprazole helped then it didn’t some days.
Patch went down hill November 2017 after we moved, I nilly put him to sleep but before I put him to sleep I woke up 1 morning & thought i’ll do another Endoscope & Biopsies to see if he has stomach cancer?? His other vet quickly admitted him for the next day 10am, he had gingivitis back molars from the acid coming up esophagus into his mouth he eats kibble 🙁 wet foods makes his LES worse, he gulps up wet digest food, wwhere dry kibble stays down better & when it digest it moves onto his small bowel instead of being burped back up, he doesn’t have Megaesophagus.
His Endoscope showed he had red inflamed esophagus & red wind pipe this is what made him really ill & not his happy go lucky self, when I heard his vet say he has red inflamed throat & wind pipe, it broke my heart, he was suffering like this & Staffys are bad for telling you they are in pain, they hold a lot of pain my vet said 🙁
I thought the Omeprazole was reducing his Hydrochloric acid?? his Helicobacter had come back mildly not bad like it was 6 yrs before when I had rescued him, the vet said the Omeprazole must of kept it at bay, then the vet said he thinks his Lower Esophageal Sphincter Flap in between his stomach & esophagus isn’t closing properly & the acid is washing back up into mouth causing Gulps, red esophagus etc
I suffer with GORDS, LES & Barrets Esophagus & I take Pantoprazole twice a day, my Gastro Specialist said Pantoprazole seem to work best for people who suffer with LES & GORDS so I told Patches vet Simon can we PLEASE try Pantoprazole instead of the Omeprazole, Patch has 2 vets his easy going lady vet who has a more Holistic approach & then Patch has Simon who does Patches Endoscopes, Biopsies & removes Patches lumps, he’s very very good vet educated all over the world but he agrues with you & says all PPI – acid blockers are ALL the same BUT they’re NOT I agreed back lol we argued for 1 hour, Omeprazole didn’t agree with me, neither did Parriot & Pantoprazole worked straight away so all PPI must work in different ways, even my Gastro specialist said people all react different with PPI – acid blockers but Simon said its just a way the big drug companies make more money.. Oh well I have proven him wrong cause
my Patch started to get better & hasn’t vomited in 20 months since taking Pantoprazole, he started on 20mg taken in morning, morning is best to take a PPI my Gastro special told me, a PPI doesn’t have to be before breakfast but it is better, so as soon as Patch wakes up around 6.30am I give his 20mg-Pantoprazole with a syringe with water so the tablet goes down his esophagus then he eats 10-15mins later.
End of Summer every March cause of Patches Allergies all thru Spring & Summer Patches Immune System is over worked & then it crashes & he has a IBD Flare EVERY March (I live Australia) causing bad acid reflux again so I had to increase his Pantoprazole last Summer so now he has 20mg-Pantoprazole every 12 hours

He’s a new dog, no more vomiting, no waking up early hours of morning wanting to gulp grass, no more Helicobacter..
I feed 5 smaller meals, Kibble 7am-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am-1/2 a cup kibble, 5pm-1/2 a cup & 7pm-1/3 a cup kibble & at 12pm lunch he gets wet food but not much 1/3 of a can at the moment he loves his Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet can food but I get Paper towel & soak up all the oils when I get out the loaf from the can, as omega oils can cause acid reflux & Dr Judy Morgans old dog who has just passed age 18 yrs old kept having Pancreatitis Flare & it was the fish oils she was adding to his diet..

You will find Vets cant diagnose & wont be able to really help when it comes to the Stomach problems, my vet tells me Susan you know there’s no tests or blood test to know what’s happening with Patches stomach unless you have Endoscope & Biopsies, Biopsies will give us answers to what’s wrong with stomach/small bowel, this is probably way no vets have any answer & have to guess what’s happening with Ollie 🙁
Have you ever done the Triple Therapy meds?
Metronidazole, Amoxicillin every 12 hours with a meal & a PPI once a day in morning taken for 3 weeks.
Keep diet low in fiber, low in carbs, low/med fat & med protein & feed small meals & ask vet about LES a lot of aging dogs suffer with LES but we think Patch had LES when I rescued him age 4yrs old..

[Shayne, Ultimate Pet Nutrition]

Hi Pat, Shayne here from Ultimate Pet Nutrition. I’m really sorry to hear about your dog’s reaction to Nutra Thrive. It sounds like your pup might be allergic to an ingredient in it. We do always suggest that our customers consult their dog’s veterinarian first, prior to starting any new product. I’m really sorry to hear that you both had to go through this but I look forward to making this right. I would like to issue you a full refund right away. Just e-mail me at [email protected] and I’ll begin the refund process. Again, I’m really sorry about you and your pup’s experiences.

[Susan]

Hi Cannoli,
your dog mustn’t have true Environment Allergies & suffers food sensitivities instead, you must of eliminated the ingredients he was sensitive tooo if corn diet is working for him….
If he had true Environment allergies Vet Diets or a Pro Plan diets wont help get rid of Environment Allergies.. Baths are best wash off the allergens off skin/paws.
Get some “Sudocrem” Anti-Bacterial, Anti Fungal Healing cream, it will protect his paws from grass/allergens lighty apply before bed so paws heal thru the night…
Sudocrem is sold online Walmart & is always sold out, that’s if you live US

[Cannoli]

Hi Crazy4cats,

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah i fell for the hype of High protein low grain diets, or raw food is best, or quality ingredients over corn and rice is better, and etc….

I fed my pup this hype for over 3.5 years of his life and he still developed allergies….at the end of the day only my vet and vet dermatologist had the answers for what food to feed him…

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cannoli-
Wow! You have done a 180 when it comes to dog food. Welcome to the club! Isn’t it amazing that veterinarians actually know what they are talking about? 😉 Glad to hear you’ve worked out your dog’s allergies. My dogs do fine with corn as well.

[Cannoli]

Hi Jessica,

Welcome to the Bulldog Family. They are awesome dogs but are extremely prone to all types of allergies ( I blame it on bad breeders and over breeding) …I was lucky my pup did not start showing full blown allergies (itching, ear infections, head shaking, red swollen paws) until about age of 4 but prior to that my bulldog always had loose poops…

Wish i had taken him to the vet dermatologist sooner in regards to his loose poops but I always thought it was just loose poops and he was normal with everything else.

Hopefully you might avoid the Bulldog Allergy trap but if you do I highly recommend listening to your vet and avoid any foods unless you talk to him. Don’t waster your money on No grain, expensive high ingredients foods, and raw foods. All these foods did nothing for my pup except build up his allergies.

My vet dermatologist recommended a great dog food which has the number 1 ingredient of (gasp) Corn. he does very well on corn…no loose poops, no itching..very very minor head shaking and less paw licking…

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: missing info
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: missing info

[anonymous]

“Are there any non prescription hydrolyzed protein dog foods on the market”?

NO, there are not, and mixing in another food defeats the purpose. Stop adding stuff to the prescription food.
Offer a meal 2 times per day, your dog will eat when he is hungry. He will be fine as long as he is drinking water (have fresh water available 24/7)
If he goes 72 hours without eating solid food then call your vet and discuss diet options.

https://www.petmd.com/dog/what-hydrolyzed-protein-dog-food excerpt below
Veterinary prescription hydrolyzed protein dog foods are an excellent choice for both food allergies and IBD. These diets are manufactured under the strictest quality control measures, which ensures that they aren’t contaminated by ingredients that are not included in the label. Eating prohibited foods is a major reason that diagnostic food trials and treatment for food allergies and IBD fail.

[anonymous]

Chronic ear infections are indicative of allergies , also there are other disorders that can cause this.

For the best testing, diagnostics and treatment options, I would consult a veterinary dermatologist.

http://www.mspca.org/angell_services/dermatology-allergies/Ear Diseases. excerpt below
Otitis externa is the medical term for ear inflammation. Most cases of otitis externa also have an infection that is causing the ear inflammation.
The structure of the ear in dogs and cats can make them more prone to ear infections. The ear canal in dogs and cats is longer than the ear canal in people. The ear canal is also “L-shaped” with vertical and horizontal parts.
Because only some dogs and cats develop ear infections, other conditions often contribute to the development of otitis externa and ear infections in your pet. Allergies, parasites, and masses or tumors can all cause ear irritation and infection. Allergies are the most common cause of ear infections in dogs and cats. Since an ear infection can be secondary to an underlying problem, it is often important to diagnose and treat the cause of the ear infection while treating the ear infection.
An ear infection can develop into a severe health problem for a dog or cat. Left untreated, ear infections can spread deeper into a pet’s ear (middle ear infection) and cause permanent damage to the ear canal (ear canal mineralization). Some chronic ear infections can develop resistance to antibiotics and become untreatable with medications.

[Samantha C]

My 1 year old boxer great Dane mix stops eating it after a while too Jill. She is on the salmon and potato flavor. We are also battling recurring ear infections. This is the 6th ear infection since April. I am convinced it’s from the food which is RedFord grain free salmon and potato. She is allergic to beef chicken and pork and duck makes her throw up and have loose stools. Should I try switching to venison or should I just change the brand all together? Has anyone else ever had these issues with Redford?

[Suzanne W]

Don’t be afraid of the hydrolized dog food. I was for a long time. It is so expensive! I have 2 Great Pyrenees dogs, very large, so they eat about 60 pounds of food a month. At $100 for a 25 pound bag, that’s really expensive for us! But our girl suffers from constant ear infections and is on apoquel for allergies which is not really working very well. Those are all expensive, too. Lots of vet bills. Two weeks ago we decided to take the plunge and try the hydrolized dog food. It’s working! She has stopped itching, no more scratching at her ear and shaking her head! We’ll be on it for 2 months, so we have a while to go, but it’s so great to see her more comfortable. I was a disbeliever, but I’m now convinced it can work! Good luck to you!

[Joseph G]

If your dog does have environmental allergies, the food still makes a difference because dogs show signs of environmental allergies through their skin and GI tract as well. It’s possible the Stella and Chewy’s didn’t cause issues because sometimes raw is easier to digest and/or the lamb protein was one your dog was not previously exposed to or did not develop an allergy to. I’m not sure if Rayne has a lamb formula. You could always try the kangaroo, assuming your dog never had it before. It’s a really good food and great for dogs with skin allergies due to high omega fatty acids naturally in the meat, yet it is lower in fat that most meats.

One more thing. If after trying everything and you’re still not having luck, they make a sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy for dogs which has the same effects as getting allergy shots, but no shot is required and only a liquid is squirted in the mouth. I did this for about a year with my dog and it helped. She has severe allergies. My dog is now also on Apoquel which is a medication your vet would need to prescribe. Certainly not as natural as the sublingual therapy, but if your dog is bad enough and nothing else works it can be a lifesaver. Further, they also have a shot your vet can give once a month or so and it is similar to Apoquel, but supposedly a bit safer. It’s is called Cytopoint. My dog actually does better on the Apoquel, but every dog is different. Please check with your regular vet. You may or may not need to see a derm vet depending on what you do.

Here’s a link regarding a few things I discussed:

Sub-Lingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)

Allercept Therapy Drops

Apoquel
https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/apoquel/index.aspx

Monthly Injection
https://www.cytopoint4dogs.com/about-cytopoint.aspx

Good luck!!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Joseph G.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Joseph G.

[Joseph G]

Hello,

My dog has been on Rayne Nutrition kangaroo dry and wet food for her allergies and she does great with it. I tried my dog on their rabbit food before and her stools seemed okay, too. Just about every other brand of food I tried from other companies causes issues. I would suggest maybe calling up Rayne Nutrition and ask for some advice.
They have Veterinarian Nutritionists on staff and may be able to offer some recommendations. Sometimes dogs have issues if they previously consumed a protein and developed an allergy to it. You can’t always go by a food allergy skin test, because they are not very accurate for food. Only a food elimination diet can do that. Keep In mind it can take app. a month to see if a new food is going to work for your dog. But I would definitely call Rayne and ask for advice in cooperation with your vet. I have been very happy with their food and it is very good compared to other foods on the market.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Joseph G.

[Sherrie D]

Hi. My frenchie had pyoderma with skin eruptions which turned into a systemic infection. Every vet we went to put him on a different antibiotic and none of them worked to get rid of the infection. Finally we went to a dermatologist who did testing for allergies . After another round of antibiotics that didn’t work he had a special test done which showed my dog had a particular strain that did not react to any of the previous drugs. He put him on Rayne Rabbit Maintenance diet and ever since he has had loose stools even though we changed over to the Rayne food very gradually. I tried added boiled white rice to firm up his stools, with uneven success. I had previously given him Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried Lamb and his stools were fine. I had originally thought the Stella & Chewy had caused the skin allergies, but now I think his allergies are environmental. I understand that Rayne is very particular about the way they process their food so it’s very clean and they don’t contaminate different ingredients, but I would love to know if anyone else has had the experience of it causing loose stools.

[Michelle S]

Yes – we love Ketona dog food & it is excellent. We have used it for our two Great Pyrenees adult dogs. My female does not have allergies to any of the chicken products in only this brand & we love the Salmon too. Any correspondence with the owner Daniel Shuloff is answered with great factual information and the staff also will answer any questions. The amount of research on their site & in the Taurine debate is excellent. Our dogs are healthier & doing great ! Here is a formula for determining carbs which are not healthy for dogs: How to Calculate Carbs in Dog Food
Some pet owners seek a lower percentage of carbs in comparison to other foods whereas others want a grain-free diet. Manufacturers are not required to print the carbohydrate percentage in their food. You can estimate by taking the protein, fats, and moisture contents and subtracting them from 100 percent. Then, add about 8 percent ash. For example, a food has 50 percent protein, 10 percent fat, and 10 percent water. Subtract 70 percent from 100 percent, then subtract 8 percent, which leaves 22 percent carbohydrates. Great food!

[anonymous]

Make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. Allergies are complicated. There is no cure, however there is effective treatment but it is lifelong.
Sorry, no miracle cures. Often the expertise of a specialist is required. There is no cheap way out of this.
Hope this helps http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

[Douglas R]

I am so sorry for everyone’s heartache, it’s terrible to feel helpless when your pet is ill.
You may have noticed the shift in dog food about 5-10 years ago as grain-free varieties showed up and soon dominated, when it because clear that many dogs were having allergic reactions and health issues to the corn and fillers kibble dog food manufacturers were packing in the “food.”

But the pricier grain-free is still a highly processed “food” product, made with the same machines, processes, and sometimes questionable ingredients it was 20 years ago. Rachael’s version of processed kibble is not much different than most others, though for reasons described above, there may be something specifically unhealthy about this product.

This is why there are now so many versions and ways to get raw dog food: just meats, vegetables, fruits, etc., minimally processed. There is a long list of benefits owners experience when their dog’s eat real food: they are no longer finicky about eating, are more alert and energetic, skin and coat improve, and overall doggie-smell and rank dog breath go away. And…for butt-scooters, that issue is resolved for reasons I won’t describe…

You can now find raw varieties in grocery and pet stores, and there are many online companies that deliver, while we have had luck with a local more affordable California company, 7 Sky Dog Food.
Our Heeler had a seasonal summer skin rash–common with the breed, that he used to scratch and obsessively lick to open sores, requiring steroid shots and the cone, but it’s been greatly diminished eating natural foods. The cone hasn’t come out of the garage in several years, and beside a vaccination visit, was the last time he went to the vet.

[Douglas R]

Hi Megan,

For food allergies, chicken is by far the most common because many dog foods are primarily chicken (a relatively inexpensive protein) or contain at least some chicken–for example, chicken fat as a second ingredient in a version labeled “beef.”
The brands you list are all processed kibble, and even pricier grain-free is basically the same highly processed “food” product recently linked to heart disease.
Many dogs with various health concerns have had luck eating raw food instead, just simple ingredients of meats and various nutritional vegetables and fruits that dogs are biologically geared to eat and thrive on.
You can find some raw varieties in grocery and pet stores, and there are now many online companies that deliver, while we have had luck with a more affordable California company 7 Sky Dog Food.
Our Heeler had a seasonal summer skin rash–common with the breed, that still occurs, but has been greatly diminished. He now doesn’t scratch and lick to the point of creating sores.
Good luck!

[anonymous]

Make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. Allergies are complicated. There is no cure, however there is effective treatment but it is lifelong.
Sorry, no miracle cures. Often the expertise of a specialist is required. There is no cheap way out of this.
Hope this helps http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

[Lynne C]

Hi- Can anyone help. My dog is allergic to almost all environmental items, grasses, trees, mold, dust mites, grains, all carbs including potatoes, rices, peas, wheat, some fruits and vegetables. Im looking for a food..kibble or otherwise. Any suggestions. millet is not listed as an allergen. Dairy (milk) is ok.

[Megan R]

My doggo Oliver has some major reactions to certain types of food. He gets chronic ear infections. We’ve been to the vet and they suggested changing his food. We did this several times over about 6 months when I finally landed on one that worked.

Stupidly I was not keeping track of what I was trying, so I only know that he reacted to these:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/actr1um-holistic-large-breed-adult-dog-16kg/1455222100208
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/actr1um-holistic-adult-dog-food-7kg/1455222100259

And is fine on this variety:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/actr1um-chicken-adult-dog-food/6000076440252

How should I go about narrowing down the difference? I would like to avoid going to the vet again as its quite pricy! We’ve also tried the vet recommended brand of food that cost a fortune with the same results.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[anonymous]

Are you talking about the skin turning pink as in inflamed, irritated? If so please consult a vet (in real life) one that actually examines your dogs, asap. Your dogs may be having an allergic reaction and may need medical attention right away.
Impossible for any vet wannabe to advise you over the internet.
Stop consulting Dr Google. You are wasting time. CALL THE VET!
Good luck.

[a c]

My dog has pancreatitis a couple years ago. I rotate between Annamaet Lean and Candidae platinum less active formula as base. I add boil chicken tenders, fresh vegetables, sometimes sardines or fish, and warm filtered water to the food. My dog is not allergic to the chicken though.

I still keep a few cans of Hill’s ID cans(the original flavor)on hand for occasional flare ups. Hill’s prescription can food had massive recalls this year for high Vitamin D content, so make sure you double check the lot number and the date for safely.

[GSDsForever]

Hi Randy.

Did the vets say what kind of allergies? The most common allergies in dogs are inhalant (like pollen) and environmental allergies (like dust mites, shampoos, their beds, your carpet, household cleaning chemicals), which dogs unlike people show symptoms of through their skin.

For these types of allergies, a food change won’t help. The best you can do is address the indoor allergies and products you use on or around your dogs/in the home, try to remove outdoor allergens brought inside by you and your dogs, use hypoallergenic wipes and hypoallergenic baths with skin soothing and skin barrier repair ingredients, and make use of drug options as necessary such as Atopica, Apoquel (which you’re using), and Cytopoint. Alternatively, some dogs with outdoor seasonal allergies benefit from a steroid injection alone seasonally, which might be a lower cost for you.

Natural anti-inflammatories can also help, such as therapeutic level dosing of Omega 3 EPA-DHA, which your vet can prescribe for your dogs.

Zoetis has added Apoquel recently to its customer rewards/rebate program. So be sure to take advantage of that for a bit of financial relief. And, of course, if you use any of their other products, saving there as well will bring down your overall care costs:

https://www.zoetispetcare.com/rewards/offers

Honestly, the costs of drugs like these, conditions expensive to treat like cancer (common in Goldens), surgeries, etc. are reasons that I really advocate for high quality pet insurance.

To diagnose and treat a food allergy, less common than other allergies & conditions, the gold standard protocol is to feed a strictly limited novel protein & ingredient diet (new to your specific dog) for up to 12 weeks, watch for symptoms to resolve, and then add ONE ingredient back at a time for a few days (and then wait up to 2 weeks) to determine what your dog is allergic to. This last part is the challenge test, to confirm a specific food allergy.

You can do this with your regular vet, via your vet consulting with a boarded veterinary dermatologist (often free), or you can ask for a referral to the veterinary specialist (more costly) to take over the case.

Constantly switching foods, like you’re doing, will not help and will make things harder, take longer to resolve vs a genuine novel protein diet trial. Grain free is not the answer.

Food allergies are to a protein and can be ANY protein to which your dog has been exposed. The most common allergies (per the research from boarded specialists) in dogs are beef, chicken, dairy, eggs, wheat, corn, and soy.

OTC diets are commonly cross contaminated with these common allergen ingredients not listed on the label’s ingredient list, and can cause a reaction in truly food allergic dogs. For this reason, if a food allergy is suspected, you may wish to feed a home prepared very limited novel ingredient diet or a prescription hypoallergenic food, even if just for the trial.

I wish you good luck and some relief for your precious dogs! Goldens are wonderful, and I love the English ones & cream.

p.s. Dogs can also be allergic to food storage mites (alive or dead). So you might wish to take steps to prevent and control for this w/their food.

[Shayne, Ultimate Pet Nutrition]

Hi Gregory, I’m really sorry to hear that you are not seeing the improvement you expected to see in your pup. It is industry standard to request that our customers consult their pet’s veterinarian before starting any new supplement due to the fact that Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s Customer Service Team is not aware of pre-existing conditions, allergies, or other medications your pup may be taking. We do ask this as a precaution to ensure that Nutra Thrive does not interact with anything I mentioned above. I hope this clears up any confusion. I’d like to issue you a full refund… Just e-mail me at [email protected] and I’ll begin the refund process right away.

[anonymous]

Consult a veterinary dermatologist for the best testing and treatment options.

Per the search engine: /forums/topic/just-getting-started-dog-allergies-skin-scabbing-chicken/#post-137391

[Randy B]

I have 2 english goldens. (Cream) there bellys have red spots on them and then they like it and it gets worse. Not fleas. Vet (4 of them) say allergies. They take appoquil and if they get it every day it goes away. But the pills are pricey. Any recommendations? They have been on diamond lamb and rice. Tried grain free and same thing. Now switching to American Natural Premium legume free Turkey with pumpkin.

[Cannoli]

I used to look at ingredients list thinking that would be most beneficial for my pup. Always picking protein over corn, rice etc…Until my dog developed and was diagnosed with food allergies at the age of 4 to most common proteins such as chicken, beef, and protein.. He does well on a corn based diet which is the Royal Cannine Food recommend by my vet.

So if you go for protein packed foods for a younger pup and ignore rice and corn you might be setting your pup up for allergies later in life since proteins are the most common causes of food allergies..

[Patricia A]

Aimee I agree that I didn’t get very technical with the questions for the vet. I was just trying to point out that some owners think the brands sold at the vets MUST be superior in some way since of course vets know what food is the best. I thought this also at one time. And MOST of the time if asked what should I feed my “healthy” dog your vet will I believe 9 times out of 10 suggest the ones in their practice. Why is that when again 9 times out of 10 the vet cannot even tell you the ingredients listed on the labels they sell?
Honestly, so many of these companies are so gimmicky and people fall for it. Like the dog food manufactorers who sell specific kibble just for different breeds. Like a Chihuahua on the bag and then for your Shitzu, poodle, yorkie etc. are specifically made for just for that breed.Really they want us to believe that a diet for a Yorkie would be different then a Chihuahua. People are gullible.
Here are the four ingredient labels I asked the vets to rank. Can you guess which one is the prescription diet?
Also regarding prescription diets for dogs interesting article below.
Food #1
dog food ingredient
Food #2
Prescription Diet Dog Food
Food #3
prescription diet dog food 3
Food #4
Prescription Diet Dog Food
The Answer: Prescription Diets Revealed
Now, if there’s one thing I can say about my veterinary friends, it’s that they don’t follow direction very well! Only one of the vets actually ranked all of the foods as asked. But the rest had some very interesting things to say about the prescription diet.

So to start, here are the rankings in order from best to worst from Dr Marty Goldstein, author of The Nature of Animal Healing:

Food #2 ranked first because it contains all whole foods

Food #4 ranked second because it contains meal but otherwise contains whole foods

Food #1 ranked third, thanks to the by-product rice, by-product meal and overall low quality ingredients

Food #3 ranked last, based on the use of corn for its first ingredient, followed by by-product meal.

And if you haven’t guessed already, the prescription diet in that list is Food #3.

Want to hear what some of the other vets had to say about the prescription diet?

Dr Jodie Gruenstern: This food was the lowest quality in the list. It contains GMO corn, soy (lots of it!), which is a common allergen, synthetic vitamins/minerals, shavings (if you didn’t know, the ingredient cellulose is literally sawdust), natural flavors, which usually mean MSG.

Dr Jean Dodds: Poor quality food: the first ingredients are corn, which is often GMO, and chicken by-product meal rather than whole chicken. Flax and soy are phytoestrogens.

Dr Judy Morgan: This is a Pet Store Food. Corn is the first ingredient, no muscle meat used, only by-product meal, synthetic vitamin/mineral supplement, corn and soybean are GMO, waste fillers are abundant. Overpriced in my opinion, considering the poor quality, cheap ingredients used).

Dr Dee Blanco: This one starts with corn to increase inflammation, then adds lighter fluid to it with soybean products and poor quality protein. Then it tries to make up for the poor quality foundational ingredients by adding synthetic supplements of the poorest quality, such as calcium carbonate, folic acid, ‘generic Vit E supplement’, etc. Looks like they added l-tryptophan to calm the nervous system down after putting the body into overdrive inflammation. Natural flavors?? Could be an entire cadre of carcinogens, allergens and toxins. Argh!

Dr Peter Dobias: The worst recipe – first ingredient is corn, then by-product, then flavors, wood chips. It may not be supermarket food but a veterinary diet right?!

So, as you can see, our vets didn’t exactly think the ingredients in the prescription diet were high quality. In fact, they thought many of them would be harmful.

So why exactly do we trust our vets to prescribe diets when this is the best they can offer?

And, more importantly, why are vets gullible enough to think these foods can do anything to change chronic health issues in dogs, such as allergies, kidney disease, or in the case of this particular food, joint disease?

If we really want to look at the quality of these diets, I think the first place to start is who’s making them?

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree
The major players in the prescription diet category are the major players in the regular pet food category:

Hill’s Science Diet
Purina
Royal Canin
Iams
These companies are hardly renowned for quality ingredients. In fact, most veterinary diets are manufactured by companies that predominantly manufacture lower quality grocery store foods. The same company that makes lower quality foods like Alpo and Beneful is also making prescription diets. How much better do you think the veterinary food would be?

Let’s compare two Hill’s foods: a regular food (Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult) and a prescription food (j/d Canine Joint Care).

The regular pet store brand:

Hills Ideal Balance
And the prescription food:

Hills JD
Now, a 30lb bag of the regular food is $47.99 at Petsmart. The prescription diet dog food can also be purchased at Petsmart for $84.95 for a 27.5lb bag. It’s twice as expensive!

Now, you might be thinking this is because the prescription diet was formulated and tested with a specific condition in mind.

This is completely false.

While an over-the-counter food with a health claim (such as controls weight) is subject to FDA regulations and enforcement, the FDA practices “enforcement discretion” when it comes to veterinary diets.

Put another way, this means the FDA has not reviewed or verified the health claims on any veterinary diet.

Did you catch that? There are very few ingredients in veterinary diets that aren’t also in other regular diets. In the example above, I’d say the pet store brand is a better quality food, wouldn’t you? The prescription diet contains by-product meal (which comes straight from the rendering plant), lots of soybean and corn products (a cheap replacement for animal protein) while the regular food contains more expensive, higher quality ingredients.

Apart from fish oil, what food ingredients exactly would help dogs with joint pain? As Dr Dee Blanco stated, this food would actually cause inflammation.

And fish oil is a terrible addition to pet foods. It’s much too fragile to be added to processed foods and as soon as the bag is opened, it will oxidate and cause inflammation in your dog.

Ironic isn’t it, when the food is supposed to be treating inflammation in the first place?

[Related: We’ve got 5 reasons you should dump fish oil. Click here.]

Consider The Source
Those two diets are made in the exact same plant. The manufacturer uses the same suppliers.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that the quality of ingredients will be the same?

I challenge the pet food industry to prove that chicken by-product meal, soybeans, brewers rice and powdered cellulose have been extensively researched and proven better than the higher quality foods used in most regular pet foods.

So if your vet ever says your dog needs to be eating a prescription diet, ask him to review the ingredient list. Then ask him for hard evidence that the foods in the prescription diet are any better than those in regular diets.

I think we know what the answer will be.

And if you’re one of the smart 60%, then I know you already know the answer!

It’s nothing but Bull$hit.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.

[Joseph G]

I have been using Rayne Nutrition Kangaroo dry food and canned food for several years now. My dog has severe allergies to the environment and dietary products as well. Before putting my dog on the Rayne food, she would have awful stomach and intestinal issues with frequent diarrhea. Food allergies often show up as intestinal disturbances and not just skin. The Rayne food has been a blessing because it is the only food I’ve tried (other than KOHA canned kangaroo, which is also great) that works exceedingly well. She hasn’t had one issue with diarrhea and her poop is always perfect. Her skin has improved in spite of still be allergic to outdoor things like grass, pollen, etc. It is an amazing food. It is a whole-food based food and isn’t like the other prescription vet formulas. They use extremely high-quality ingredients. I highly recommend them. Google Rayne Nutrition. You can order online.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Joseph G.

[Linda R]

My dog is a 5 year old German Shepherd. She has had bad food allergies all her life. I have had her on Orijen dog food when she was young. She has been on Acana Singles for about 4 years now. Had her at the Vet he said she is doing fine and he see no reason to change her food.

[anonymous]

Itchy Shih Tzu has allergies
By Dr. John De Jong | Ask the Vet
September 8, 2019 at 12:43 am

My 7-year-old Shih Tzu has just started itching a lot more so I took her to the vet. The itching just started a few weeks ago, seemed to come and go, and got worse recently.
My friend’s dog also started itching a lot and her vet gave the dog an injection that seemed to work and the dog got better. She also mentioned that there was an anti-itch pill available so I mentioned both. My vet gave me Apoquel pills and the dog is already improved so I’m grateful but I was also told that there is a distinct possibility that this itchiness was due to a seasonal allergy and that I could likely expect it every year from now on. Is that true?
The more I thought about it, I realized that my dog always seemed itchy in late August in the past few years. Is there any testing that could have given me a heads up and what can I do to prevent a recurrence next year?

It sounds as if your dog has a seasonal allergy that we refer to as atopy or atopic dermatitis.
These signs can appear at almost any time after the dog reaches about a year although occasionally it is seen earlier and indeed, it seems to get more problematic with each passing year. Caused often by pollens and airborne matter, it triggers a group of signs including pruritis or itchiness, oily skin, secondary focal infections, hair loss, changes in skin and hair color, and crusts.
These findings can occur in the ears, ventral abdomen and along the legs, often causing dogs to lick and chew at their feet and inside legs.One does need to rule out other causes, such as ectoparasites like fleas and mange mites, but the seasonality is often a dead giveaway.
Previous or current testing can be done to determine what your dog is allergic to and then allergy shots can be done to desensitize the dog. Speak with your veterinarian about these options as well as the possibility of using appropriate shampoos as the season approaches. Likely your friend’s dog was given an injection of Cytopoint, however Apoquel works very well and seems to be doing the trick. Both of these work for limited periods but are safe and can be used as needed to control the itch and keep the patient comfortable.
Often, breaking the itch cycle for a while resolves the problem along with the change of season and weather. Be ready for more of the same and slightly increased intensity next year.

Itchy Shih Tzu has allergies

[haleycookie]

It’s unlikely your pup will be large breed. Try to stick with meat based foods, some of my favorites are, merrick back country, canidae ancestral, orijen, instinct raw boost, and essence dog food. All of these foods are going to be made up of mostly meat. They all (to my knowledge) employ vet nutritionalist to formulate their foods as well.
I’d also recommend adding canned foods, dehydrated raw, frozen raw, and other topper type foods.
Fresh pet is actually pretty good quality. It is much more fresh and meat based than kibbled foods. Kibble should ideally be a base and other types of less processed foods should make up the rest.
Nature’s variety makes quality canned foods, frozen raw, and freeze dried toppers in a multitude of flavors, I would check those out, merrick has a wide variety of canned options for picky dogs. Tiki dog food also have very popular canned foods for picky dogs. Also the brand weruva has great canned foods too. You can add bone broths as well. Solid gold has a variety of those as well as other brands, you can also just boiling chicken (or bones) and use the broth off that. Cooked egg, plain kefir, and raw goats milk are nutritionally dense as well.
Consider rotational feeding, this helps prevent allergies, pickiness in dogs, and it also helps in case the food u feed is recalled or discontinued. Rotational feeding just helps expand their diet and if u ever have to change for an emergency you will be prepared to do so. If u do decide to try rotational feeding try to start slow. Get the pup on one food for awhile then slowly switch over the course of a couple weeks. Eventually u will have no issues switching with no transitional period at all.

[anonymous]

@ Mary Lynn L

Just go with the prescription food that I assume your vet recommended. It’s hydrolyzed, therefore the ingredients don’t matter as your dog will not react to them.

Don’t know what you mean by “allergy shots” but that sounds like treatment for environmental allergies.
I would have a serious talk with your vet. Does your dog have food sensitivities? Food allergies? Environmental allergies?
A combination of two or all three or just one?

Also, have you considered consulting a veterinary dermatologist? They treat allergies and are the best regarding testing/diagnostics and what would be best for your specific dog.

[Patricia A]

Mary Lynn are you sure that the chicken is the problem? When you eliminate all chicken for a week or more does he stomp the paw chewing? I know it sounds like a simple solution but sometimes even chemicals such as rug cleaners could cause irritation and allergies. Don’t know if you’re interested in grain inclusive. Really can’t find any gran free that doesn’t include some form of peas or legumes. Below is Stella and Chewy’s grain inclusive with just beef and lamb meal .
Ingredients
Beef, lamb meal, pearled barley, oatmeal, brown rice, pork meal, beef fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural vegetable flavor, beef liver, millet, quinoa, flaxseed, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, suncured alfalfa meal, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), inulin (from chicory root), pumpkin, blueberries, taurine, tocopherols (preservative), thyme, sage, dried kelp, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, rosemary extract.
#1 ingredient grass-fed beef
Wholesome grains including brown rice, pearled barley, oatmeal, quinoa and millet
Pea-free, lentil-free, potato-free & poultry-free
Made in the USA with no ingredients from China
Rich in Omegas for healthy skin & coat
Leading levels of glucosamine & chondroitin to help maintain hip & joint function
High quality proteins for lean muscle mass
No corn, wheat or soy protein
No by-product meal
Guaranteed taurine levels
Complete & balanced for all life stages except large breed puppies

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.

[Mary Lynn L]

You can try Hill Science diet. My dog also has a sensitive stomach, he is allergic to chicken so that brand didn’t help because almost all of Hill’s contain some type of chicken. I also give my 50lb dog 1/2 of a Prilosec 2x daily.

[Mary Lynn L]

My 9 year old mixed breed is allergic to chicken. It has been a non stop problem. I am trying to find “chicken free” food that does not contain pea or legumes. I am finding unless it has “Chicken free” on the bag it can contain some type of chicken either meal or fat. It seems the ones I find that contain absolutely no chicken are also grain free. Any suggestions? He does get an allergy shot every 6 weeks that helps but he still chews at his paws.

[anonymous]

Mail-in hair and saliva tests are not diagnostic tools (just read the fine print).
See the blog below:

Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Scan Stress Test or How Much BS Can Fit on One Web Page?

Excerpt from the link above:
Bottom Line
“The Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Stress Scan (formerly “Healthy Dog and Cat Alternative Sensitivity Assessment”) is a completely implausible test based on vague, mystical nonsense and pseudoscientific theories that contradict the legitimate scientific evidence regarding the cause and management of allergies. The general concept that hair and saliva testing can identify the causes of allergies is false. The marketing of this test is misleading and contains many of the hallmarks of quack advertising. Dog owners struggling with allergies would be far better spending their time and money consulting a veterinary dermatologist for a science-based approach to helping their canine”.

[SARA M]

I have two French bulldogs and have been around the world with research, vets, holistic, etc.

I finally had one of my dogs allergy tested via glacier peaks. It’s not the $$$ tests at the vet however it’s very accurate as far as I have experienced.

Pet Intolerance Test

The results showed us that our dogs were allergic to nearly everything we were feeding them (chicken, salmon, etc)

That was step 1. Step 2 was finding a WHOLE FOOD diet not a processed one. Emma Lous Kitchen turkey recipe is a great example and they are very highly reviewed.

We either order Emma lous or cook for our two Frenchies. One is 12 years old and you’d think he’s 5. The main ingredients are turkey (from a butcher so there is not added sodium), alkaline vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens, carrots), apple and quinoa.

We also grind egg shells for their calcium. It’s very important dogs get a calcium supplement if home cooking. Half egg shell a day for one 25 lb dog.

Also a good probiotic is key.

We cook for two weeks at a time and freeze.

If you don’t have time to cook then I suggest Emma Lous Kitchen.

Most processed dog foods are so bad for our furry family members and especially for our sensitive Frenchies. Also many Frenchies can’t tolerate a raw diet, therefore a fresh/frozen whole food diet is hands down the best option.

If you want more info on my recipe I’m happy to share.

[anonymous]

@ Nadia K
Thanks for your opinion. By the way I personally would not feed Purina unless I had no other choice. Too many recalls, too many complaints.
I would consider their prescription foods if recommended by a vet that has examined my dog.

Salmon La Veg is one of our favorites! My allergic dog (environmental and food sensitivities) does best on it. No change in formula that I am aware of!

Neither of us are here in a professional capacity so our opinions are equally valid 🙂

[Nadia K]

I personally would not feed Fromm. Too many DCM cases for me. Secondly they have changed some of their formulas and did not notify consumers. A friend was feeding the Salmon A la Veg. Her dog got sick and she could not understand why as he had been on the food for a long time. Turns out the new formula has chicken in it and her dog is allergic to chicken.

[anonymous]

@ Patricia G

If or what treatment is indicated depends on the severity of the allergies and how long they have been going on. Are the symptoms seasonal or all year long?

What did the veterinarian that examined him recommend?

PS: Daily bathing with a antifungal shampoo such as Mal-A-Ket or Malaseb or even a gentle puppy shampoo may help. Google to find the best prices.
I buy them in the gallon jugs.
However if his skin becomes irritated/infected go back to the vet, asap.

[Patricia G]

My 11 year old small breed mix also has been itching and biting a lot recently. No change in his food or treats! Took him to the vet , no arthritis, said it was probably allergies. He has also gotten his eye stains back, which he hasn’t had for years. He is on “GO Food”. Not sure what to do, any suggestions? HELP

[anonymous]

Continue to work closely with your vet. The prednisone is effective and will stop the suffering temporarily however it is not good to give long term and may cause other health issues At least the prednisone will give his skin a chance to heal, without it he would be vulnerable to skin infection and also need antibiotics.
The prednisone is an emergency measure but not a long term treatment.
The pruritus tends to come right back when the prednisone is stopped.

Ask your vet about Apoquel and the other treatment options for environmental allergies.
Good luck

[KENNETH O]

Joanne, I’m reserving those techniques for the future if I still cannot get him to eat as I transition to the next food. I agree in that I believe the food is the root of most of his problems. Boston terriers have a history of excessive allergies, so I’m sticking with limited ingredient. My other boston is incredibly healthy on Acana, and I’m slowly moving into feeding him that. He seems to like it more at least. I chose Nulo due to it having a senior blend.

He is on bravecto now and flea free, and the vets all were quick to brush off all my concerns. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time trusting any available vets any longer. I’ve always had good ones before, but in my current location they dont seem to care.