[Naturella]

BCnut and Dori, thank you for taking the time to read through and answer my hidden question! I thought they are fatty formations too, but I didn’t think they could disappear like that! By the time they took her to the vet where she gets her grooming, they were gone and he had nothing to feel for! I am so happy that they trust and let me feed their dog as I see fit – I am very appreciative of it, and I try to be very cautious with what I buy for them, as long as it’s fairly good and a good deal. Basically I wouldn’t feed her something I wouldn’t feed Bruno. To my knowledge she has no known allergies (but she does have fleas and they use a topical… Yuck) but I prefer to give her grain free for as long as I can. The Wysong bag is not grain-free but I like the overall makeup of the food, so I hope she does well on it. I have also brought her a bunch of chews and she loved her lamb ear, and is now working on a stingray tail. She also has a split antler laying around. I am pretty excited she is responding so well to everything so far.

As for Zach, I don’t know much about bumps but I would do as the BCnut suggested. Just get them checked out.

[Dori]

Hi Gloria. So glad you figured out how to get pics done. Mickey is such a cutie. Did the shelter or your vet have any idea how old he might be? I don’t think he has any Maltese in him but he definitely looks like he’s got terrier in him for sure. Anyway, welcome to DFA it’s lovely to meet you and Mickey and sorry you had such a tough time with the avatar.

Oh, since your new I just wanted to say that I have three toy dogs. My avatar is a picture of Hannah my 15 year old Maltese that weighs 7 lbs.. I’ve had her since she was 16 weeks old. Katie is my 5 1/2 year old Maltipoo that weighs 6 lbs. and then there is Lola who is a 5 1/2 year old Yorkipoo that weighs 5 lbs. We adopted Katie and Lola both when they were 9 weeks old. Katie is my food sensitive girl. She’s got tons of food intolerances, allergies and sensitivities. She also has outdoor environmental allergies. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. The regulars know me and my girls so thought I’d catch you up on me.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Dori.

[Susan]

Hi Gloria, read the ingredients in the science diet, they are not good, have a look at the “Wellness” range they have small breed complete health with better ingredients & I think that Wellness small breed gets 5 stars on the Reveiws site, here’s a link to have a look at all the Wellness foods & their ingredients…..Wellness has just brought out in their “Simple” range a small breed grainfree limited ingredients kibble thats if ur dogs has allergies itchy skin etc…
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

[Bobby dog]

Tanya W:
An elimination diet is the only accurate way to identify food allergens at this time.

I am sure other posters will stop by with help, in the mean time check out this thread for a unique tool that is still a work in progress, but may help with your search.

/forums/topic/so-i-made-a-tool-for-dogs-with-allergies/

Some online retailers offer searches for pet food by proteins etc. Chewy.com is one site that offers this kind of search. Other than reading labels I don’t have any advice on finding foods without the ingredients you listed. Maybe some other posters will be able to share the names of kibbles they feed without those ingredients. Good luck!

[Tanya W]

I am new and have been scouring the forum for info, but not really finding much.
My dog has numerous food allergies found by elimation diets as our vet will sedate him for testing as last time his kidneys shut down. Also with Kidney issues we have to be careful of his diet to try to keep the stress on his kidneys at a minimum.
So far we have found he is alleric to anything with feathers including eggs and chicken fat, pork, peas and alfalfa, possibly beef not sure yet on this one are in the process of testing and more than likely having issues with other grains and such.
I have him on raw diet now in hopes this will help, but becoming limited for proteins available as I cannot feed the above.
So I am looking for a grain free kibble that does not contain any of the above to try and with a limited ingredient.
Please feel free to point me to other threads with the info I am looking for.

Thanks,
T

[Pat G]

Hi everyone, I have a Cavalier who has 25 different allergies and I have gone through many foods trying to find the right combination for her. This included Raw, Dehydrated, Kibble, Canned, you name it. When I got her at the age of 2 1/2 she was on a food called Dynamite Super Premium and had no problems, she was born and raised in Arizona. When I brought her to California her allergies exploded. Veterinarians say this is common. Had her tested and found she is allergic to 5 different foods, so the search began. Now I only took her off the the food she was used to because you get it from a Distributor and the shipping was killing me, I have since found a Distributor here in California. Since putting her back on that food and some of their supplements she has stopped itching, eye watering minimized, coat again shiny. All of my dogs are now on it and I am pleased with the results. I think taking a look at their website would be of benefit to you. http://www.dynamitespeciality.com. You can then decide for yourself. Their customer service is terrific and will answer any question you may have and can also help you find a distributor or maybe become one.

[melissa m]

Thank you all for the feedback! I didn’t mean to suggest we got the first bag of the “new” food, and I am not 100% certain of the date that they official switched, but as we progressed into new bags in late summer/fall the allergic reactions have gotten worse. I have now spoken to a few friends who have had similar issues and found that they ALL also use TOTW.

We will be switching this week.

I do appreciate the comment about switching foods more often though. I never really thought about that!!! Going to give Fromm a try and see how that goes. I wish I could afford to go raw, but with a 120 lb American Bulldog, an 80 lb American Bulldog/Catahoula mix, and a 50 lb pit mix I believe we would end up bankrupt!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Melissa,

TOTW is one of Diamond’s house brand’s of food. If you aren’t familiar with Diamond, they’re a sketchy company with a reputation for cutting corners and recalls. I don’t believe we’ll ever see any Diamond products on the Editor’s Choice list.

It could be that the probiotic formula change is the cause; but like Marie, I would tend to think it unlikely that you got a hold of product that has just been manufactured.

Ruling out environmental allergies is tricky. It could be something like laundry detergent, Febreze or new flooring, but could also be something seasonal like ragweed or leaf mould. Steroids are just a bandaid and mask symptoms, and can cause plenty of problems themselves. I’d definitely avoid further steroids use if at all possible.

Even if the problem isn’t food related, three years is an awfully long time to be on the same food. I rotate every bag of kibble I feed. I buy different brands with different proteins and binders. Subtle ingredient changes don’t generally affect my dogs because they’re used to switching. One of my dogs has food intolerance issues, so it’s hard to find things he can eat, but I’ve found a few that are good quality, that he likes and does well on.

So while it may or may not solve their immediate problem, a food change could prove beneficial to their overall health.

[melissa m]

Hello! I am new to this forum and am seeking some help. 3 years ago we switched our bulldogs to Taste to the Wild to help with skin/allergy issues, and have had nothing but great success. We have raised a number of foster puppies on TOTW, encouraged friends to switch, and bragged on the product. However, at the end of this summer 2 of our dogs developed horrible allergies resulting in itchy raw skin and hives. We have tried everything from switching laundry detergents to cortisone shots and prednisone — and nothing seems to help. Yesterday when I was at my local pet store the owner told me that he had been receiving a lot of complaints about TOTW because they had changed their formula, now using fewer quality ingredients and more “filler” or low-quality items. He said the change occurred in late July, which coincides almost exactly to when my dogs allergies began to escalate.

However, I haven’t been able to find any reference online to anything other than a change in the probiotic they use that would suggest a big different in allergens control.

Before I spend the time and money on switching my dogs off of a food I had loved for years to another I would like to know if you have found any differences in TOTW recently. I was a little surprised not to see it on your list of favorites as I thought it was a top food. Now I’m really concerned. Thanks!

[ellgee]

Hi Susan – I have not tried an elimination diet with him. Do you have a resource? We had him allergy tested and he has several grass/pollen allergies. He currently is on immunotherapy drops twice daily which seems to have helped quite a bit. He has a few crusty spots and we still bathe him with duoxo. We feed him Zignature right now which he likes and I do have a probiotic here which I need to find and give to him. We recently moved and I can’t find anything!

But on the drops he has improved – some days when the ragweed is very high I give him an Apoquel. But I may still try that elimination diet.

[Susan]

Hi Amy, Im just reading Lew Olsons PhD, Raw & Natural Nutrition for dogs again, its a good book to have lying around, it has easy home cooked & raw recipes in the book she says this about Epilepsy: While the connection between grains & seizures is still being researched a number of studies suggest that feeding carbohydrates can increase the risks of seizure activity, either by making blood sugar level fluctuations more extreme or by causing allergic reactions due to gluten intolerance. The best defense is a fresh-food diet with low to mediun levels of fats, high levels of animal protein & few carbohydrates….

Supplements: Fish Oil, Vitamin E & digestive enzymes are all good supplements for dogs suffering from Epilepsy. Additionally adding a quality B complex vitamin has proven to fight seizures in both humans & animals. DMG made from a derivative of glycine has also shown promising results in slowing down or stopping seizure activity. For dogs the liquid form given by dropper in the gum line appears to work the best..
If you don’t mind making a few cooked meals she has 4 different Low-Fat Low Glycemic Diets for Epilepsy & what Supplements to add..

[Cheryl B]

Dr Vickie, you had posted back on 10-10-2013 regarding a french bulldog. You had mentioned salmon, Greek yogurt, pumpkin, egg whites, fish oil. Do you have a recipe for this, our Frenchie is so allergic. I thought I would try this. Just not sure what ratio I should use. Any help would be appreciated. We feed him Salmon and Sweet potato kibble now.

[Amber M]

She still has all of her allergy problems on this kibble and has on other kibble also. She has had allergies since she was around 1.5 years old. Pills don’t help much and are not healthy.

For the raw diets I have been looking at BarfWorld, Natures Variety, and have just looked into Vital Essentials. I am leaning more towards raw because it is a healthier option than freeze dried or dehydrated. I am still unsure of raw and what brand to feed. I am definitely not ready to make my own diet. I am liking the Natures Variety raw more than BarfWorld and I have not looked into Vital Essentials much yet. What do you think of these brands?

[Amber M]

I have a 4 year old lab that has allergies (scratching jaw, itchy body, sore/irritated paws that she chews, licks, and bites) and I have been looking at alternative diets to kibble. From researching and speaking with many dog food companies, I have found that even high quality kibble is not the best option for dogs.

I have looked into freeze dried diets, dehydrated diets, raw diets, and spoke with many different companies for each type of diet. I am still very unsure of what to do and would like to get input from people other than the dog food companies.

I have mainly been looking at Sojos, Grandma Lucys, The Honest Kitchen, BarfWorld, Vital Essentials, and Nature’s Variety. I am currently feeding Back to Basics dog food, which is a dry kibble. I am planning on giving a probiotic and fish oil, but cannot decide what to feed. Or if I should just keep her on dry kibble.

[Susan]

Hi Dee, maybe take her to a vet, for a few test & meds.. she may have an under lining problem, could have bacteria of the stomach (H-Pylori bacteria virus) or bowel (SIBO) parasites, IBD etc…it could be a health problem causing her sloppy poos, vomiting & grass eating…she definitely has a Gi problems……when I first rescued my boy 2 years ago, he was doing the same with vomiting, diarrhea rumbling bowel noises, always eating grass…..when I took him to vets he was put on metronidazole, its an antibiotic for their bowel/stomach, the Metro helped my boy a few times…..
Vet has told me he probably was feed a very poor diet from a pup & probably not feed daily & starved some days….the vet said he sees it alot with rescued dogs in the end they are diagnosed with IBD due to the dogs having either bad parasite infections when younger & poor diets … Patch was 4 years old when I rescued him, the crap food that they are feed must do something to their bowels & stomach after years & years of eating it day in & day out & having no other foods in their diet, so when I’d give him any good foods
higher in protein or fat % he’d become ill..

I’d also put her on a good dog probiotic, Patch has been on a Veta Farm Dog probiotic now for over 1 year also he eats his vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal & does real well now, but when I tried commerical premium kibbles they just didnt work for him I just tried the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal & Lamb & Oatmeal he was doing real well, I was so happy, I thought the vets wrong, 1 month after being on the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal Patch had his sloppy poos, bad gas, waking up 2am to poo.. so he’s back on his Eukanuba Intestinal Low residue kibble that breaks down real easy & is easier on his stomach & bowel & its low in fiber 1.70% & fat 10%…In America you have Iams but the ingredients are different to Eukanubas ingredients I dont know why…..

what about home cooked or a kibble with ingredients like Beneful without the by-product meats & some of the other nasty ingredients like Gluten meal, animal digest, propylene glycol, sugar, meat & bone meal, soy flour & all the preservatives…
Patches Eukanuba has corn grites & corn apparently corn grites are low residue that breaks down easier so less work on their bowel & smaller poos, we often see corn & people say oh it has corn but corn grites grounded works for some dogs with bowel problems….so maybe she’d do better with a kibble with corn but better ingredients then the Beneful..

My boy also has bad skin allergies & ear problems & does real good on his Eukanuba Intestinal no itchy ears no scratching no sloppy poos, he has his hive like lumps at the moment but its spring so its from the environment grasses & pollens, he loves to run thru tall grass & bushes….but he cant eat potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas..he gets diarrhea, bad gas & itchy skin & ears..
I’d take her to a vet & find out whats happening …she may just need a course of the Metronidazole to clear what ever happening with her stomach & bowel..something is wrong, poor girl..

[Dee J]

HELP! I adopted my 6 year old Puggle from a family that had her since she was a puppy. They were kind enough to give us a big bag of her dog food – BENEFUL. There’s no way I’d feed a dog Beneful. I fed it to her for a week or two while trying to figure out the best food for her. I have another dog who has food allergies and I feed him Wellness Simple Canned Duck & Oatmeal formula. That keeps his skin from getting red and itchy and keeps his ear infections to a minimum.

I started her on a dry Wellness Simple. She didn’t like it – literally spit it out. So I tried Taste of the Wild. That made her sick – vomiting and diarrhea. Then I tried Natural Balance. We came home to poop in the living room. I let someone talk me into Sprout, the Fleet Farm brand. She was fine for a few weeks and now she has diarrhea again.

I always transition her slowly from one food to another, so I know that’s not the problem. She eats a lot of grass which may be an issue. I’m wondering if too much protein upsets her tummy. The weird thing is, she’s usually fine for a few days (even a few weeks) and then boom – poop everywhere. The only dog food she hasn’t had any issue with is freakin’ Beneful. Any suggestions?

[Dori]

Hi Rachel, thanks for making the “unchecked” change. I just did the “advanced” search because Katie has so many intolerances and allergies to foods and ingredients. Out of the 16 foods it said that she could eat, 9 of them contained potatoes. She’s fine with sweet potatoes but not white potatoes. It’s the white potatoes that keeps coming up even though I do the advanced search and have potatoes checked. Just thought I’d let you know.

This is a huge undertaking you guys are doing. Congrats. I’m assuming it will take quite a while their will be more brands in the tool. Thanks for sharing.

[Victoria W]

They say the choco lab has healed up quicker from her allergies this year b/c of the malasab. I think she has some kind of yeast infection b/c the malasab helped a lot and its for gram + – infections. They all did good at eating pb without a long transition, I know thats not recommended but Ive switched my own dogs over in one feeding before also and Ive seen none have stomach problems. They have a vet apt with the other vet in town Fri maybe he will know what to do with their teeth problems. The sardines I feed are in the largest can I can find and I feed them pink salmon occasionally b/c I think you said to b4 also, I just dont rotate them out regularly. I went to the fish market yesterday and got some of their packaged mix and match catch, sardines, a little salmon, some whitefish and some other species that the market actually sells for pet food ( since I dont think all the bones are small enough Ive been pureeing it in the blender) The next door neighbor who also has hunting dogs gets that for his dogs and recommended it. Were lucky to have a local meat shop that sells hearts and other organ meat so I picked some of that up too. How much should i feed of the organ meat and how often should they get it? Would a rotation of every other day with the fish be okay or too much of a good thing? None of the dogs are allowed chews as my relatives think they will choke on them….I asked to give them some braided bully sticks and I was able to only to have the black lab seem to choke on peices b/c he doesnt know how to properly chew the treat. Im headed to Petco after this post and Im going to pick up some Prudence Absolute Immune Health Powder High Potency for Dogs or whatever they recommend b/c they dont have any of the ones you suggested I think and then Ill use that until the Dr. Langer’s probiotics come in. What will happen if the two dogs with bad teeth end up having to have them pulled or partially removed, can a dog make it without teeth I assume a soft diet would be their only option and is that healthy???

[Bobby dog]

I am glad you stopped by with an update! It sounds like you are doing everything within your means to help these dogs. Other than a change in diet and seeking medical attention for their teeth, I still recommend probiotics if it is feasible. I listed some suggestions for them in my previous post.

Were the dogs able to transition to Pure Balance without any digestive upsets?

Does she have yeasty skin or just itchy from allergies?

What is the can size of the sardines you are feeding? About how many cans/week are you feeding each dog?

Healthy teeth and gums are very important for all of us; when they are unhealthy it can lead to other diseases. I would certainly address the situation in my dog. The only suggestion I have are for the owners to seek medical care ASAP. Do they have trouble eating kibble? Are the dogs given anything to chew?

I really recommend Steve Brown’s download, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.” It will help you with what you are trying to achieve for these dogs economically. More importantly, it is specific as to the quantities/types of fresh foods to feed and keeping the diet balanced; it would also benefit your dog regardless of the quality of kibble he currently eats!
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

Here’s a DFA thread about adding toppers:
/forums/topic/toppersadded-nutrition/

Too many raw egg whites can interfere with the absorption of biotin; egg whites contain avidin which binds with biotin preventing dogs from absorbing it. Lightly cooking some of the eggs you feed or just the whites can remedy this. Dogs the size of Labs should probably be fed about 4 – 5 eggs per week depending on their body condition and weight. Check out this thread for some suggestions from theBCnut on feeding eggs:
/forums/topic/how-many-eggs-shell-or-no-shell/

Other canned fish you can feed is mackerel or wild pink Alaskan salmon; avoid tuna due to possible contaminates. Be sure to feed only fish packed in water with no salt added.

You can try foot baths & rinses. Below are links to several different baths & rinses that would help with skin and coat issues. If you decide to try the povidone iodine solution foot bath or rinse, since the dogs go outside, rinse with clean water afterwards because it makes the skin sensitive to the sun:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/25/dog-foot-bath.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/12/16/thirty-seconds-to-relieve-your-pets-itchy-paws.aspx
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=3

Ol’ Roy is definitely not my choice for a healthy food, but it sounds like it’s your uncle’s. Keep encouraging him to rotate and hopefully feed a better food. Other places to look for affordable dog food are whole sale clubs, hardware, large animal feed, and garden supply stores.

If your uncle will not invest in better food, maybe you can try to research some kibbles that are in the same price range that don’t contain as many undesirable ingredients, chemicals, and dyes. One brand that comes to mind is PMI Nutrition; they make three grades of dog food. I often read comments from people on hunting dog forums recommending their Red Flannel line, their lowest grade of food. I don’t recommend this food, but perhaps it (or another similar food) could be considered the lesser of two evils.

Here is PMI’s website with a store locator:
http://www.pminutrition.com/main.html

DFA review:
/dog-food-reviews/red-flannel-dog-food/

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hey Tammy, Rachel, who started this topic, made a tool for dogs with allergies tat might be helpful: /forums/topic/so-i-made-a-tool-for-dogs-with-allergies/#post-56326

[Dori]

Hi Tammy. Keep an eye on your dog if you are trying pheasant. Pheasant is fowl are all with feathers. If she’s allergic or intolerant to chicken and turkey she may have issues with all fowl. I’ve got an allergic/intolerant girl to very many things especially all things with feathers and their eggs and their fat. Originally I thought it was chicken, then chicken and turkey. Then chicken, turkey, pheasant, quail, chicken fat, turkey fat, eggs. You get the picture.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Dori.

[Tammy C]

Kristin,
That and pheasant is what I am trying next. There is some great information regarding food and environmental allergies. She’s only developed these allergies in the last year. She’d been allergic to fleas but it has evolved into so much more.

[Kristin C]

My dogs sneeze a lot but I think it’s environmental. I avoid rice, potatoes, and limit sweet potatoes in their diet.

Tammy-your dog sounds allergic to everything. Have you tried buffalo? Tripe?

Aren’t dogs usually allergic to foods they eat too much of? Or is it a compromised immune system that needs to be built up?

[Susan]

Has anyone had their dog tested for skin allergies such as hive like lumps all over their body, itchy ears, sore swollen throat, running nose, sneezing etc, I know that these are a enviornment allergies as we have just come into spring here in Australia, a season I’m starting to dislike, I dont believe in blood test for food Allergies BUT are enviornment allergies test done..
Has any dog owners had environment allergies test done or is it the same test as they do for food allergies & what sort of test were done on their dogs & about how much did it cost & was it worth doing, as we cant stop all the pollens, grasses etc outside..
I’m just curious as Im seeing his vet this afternoon as there’s been something wrong with Patches throat since friday morning after having a morning spew of acid, at first I thought that the stomach acid had burnt his throat making it very sore, when he brought up all the yellow acid but its Wednesday he should of gotten better by now, he’s been waking me up thru the night & making these wierd swollowing noises like something is stuck in his throat & just starring at me like something is wrong…. Ive put him back on his Losec 10mg daily for the stomach reflux again, The Losec has stopped him eating grass every morning like he’s been doing all last week…but he’s still got his sore throat….
Do enviornment allergies cause swollon throat?? I know foods can cause these symptoms, so I’ve stopped all extra foods & put him back on his vet diet only since Friday….has anyone experience these symptoms with their dogs? If so what did you do?

[Zach M]

Nothing bad here. Ginger has allergies to pollen but no food allergies, thankfully.

[Elsa R]

Fortunately, my dogs are not allergic, yet 🙂

[Dori]

Hi Rachel,

I like USA’s idea of having the default with no boxes checked and then we just check the boxes that our dogs are allergic or intolerant to. Would make it easier.

USA: Really good suggestion.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Dori.

[Tammy C]

My little dog is allergic to so many things. I’m having a terrible time finding a food she can eat.
I’ve had her tested and this what has come up: beef, salmon, poultry mix (chicken and turkey), pork, venison, eggs, milk, soybean, corn, wheat, lamb, rice, peanut, flax, oat, barley, white potato, brewers yeast, kelp, alfalfa, fish mix (catfish, cod, herring, mackerel, white fish), sweet potato, green peas, duck. Some others things that tend to affect her are bananas and rabbit. I just tried her on a canned rabbit food and she reacted but I’m not sure if it was the rabbit or an ingredient in it. It listed liver but didn’t specify what type of liver.
At this point I’m open for suggestion. Her new name is Bald Butt Bella, poor little thing is just so busy scratching it almost brings me to tear.

[Victoria W]

So I thought I would give an update……the choco lab with the skin allergies is doing better still not 100% but better.Unfortunately they have only been fed a good food ( pure balance ) 1.5 months and since my uncle picked up ole roy this weekend to replace the dwindling bag of pb I guess my hope of them having seen the improvement with the food change was unrealistic. I now feed all the dogs coconut oil on top of their kibble and I stocked up on sardines from the local Aldis. Currently they each get 3 sardines every meal and 1 or 2 raw eggs cracked over their food at supper. I bought a small bottle of the malasab to use on all of the “itchy” dogs and it helped…until it ran out 🙁 I brush all the dogs every night and I’m doing my best to keep them clean and as flea free as possible ( since they are hunting dogs who routinely go out into the woods this is proving very hard to do ). All the dogs seem happy and are at least recovering some of their hair. My other concern is that the black lab 8 y.o. and the golden retriever 4 y.o. both have lost almost all their teeth, I mean they have worn them down to the point that all that is left of some is the red inside part and they are even with their gum line and their canine teeth are only half left ….I don’t know how long theyve been like this but I’ve been with them for 7 mo. now and I can only assume they have had no teeth ( maybe from all their chewing on themselves ) for several years now. It looks so painful and Im worried its a way for dieseases to enter into their bloodstream. Their vet says its no big deal but what Ive found online says this is something that should be taken care of immeadately. I think its also the reason they are lethargic, they just dont feel good. I see a bleak road ahead and if you have any advice I can pass on and implement while I am here I would again greatly appreciate it.

[Naturella]

I had commented on another thread with wrong info – my dog IS allergic to something in his rabbit-based kibble, and I am not entirely sure what – he has had a small raw rabbit neck before with no issues, but the NVI rabbit kibble made him very sick. I need to check what it is in the ingredients that he’s never had before, but for now, I will go with rabbit, I guess.

[USA]

Hi Rachel M,

GREAT TOOL!!!

One suggestion, have the default with NO boxes checked and let people check the boxes of the foods their dog HAS allergies for. It is a more intuitive way of doing it.

Thanks Again!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Rachel-
Great idea. My dogs do not have allergies, but I definitely could use this tool to find a food that contains different ingredients than the one I’m feeding now to find a good food to rotate with. Thank you!

[Naturella]

Rachel,

My dog doesn’t have allergies, but I love the allergy tool – if I ever do have a dog with allergies, I would so totally use it! And I like your blog too! Brisbane is a cutie and so are Ru and Uly! 🙂 I love your products review too.

[Jenny Rellick]

I agree with theBCnut’s advice–especially about serving sizes. My 50-pound dog has 2/3 cups twice daily, 1 cup of the new food may be an entire meal! The animal protein in a cup of Wellness may be the biggest serving in her life, and her stomach and intestines may overreact at first.Use “The Dog Food Calculator” on the main website to make sure you will feed the same calories as with the Science Diet. The smaller volume of food may look puny, but it is very rich, and your dog will quickly learn that the small volume doesn’t leave her hungry.

If a more gradual transition doesn’t work, she may have an intolerance. Mike Segman has a great article about food intolerance and allergies at /frequently-asked-questions/dog-food-allergies/ . The intolerance means you dog has difficulty digestng an ingredient, and the particular meats used are the most likely culprits. Wellness Core uses chicken and turkey, and you might want to try another protein source and/or a limited ingredient diet.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I have no idea…not even sure if it is allergies making Lily itchy, or if it is food allergies. A pet store employee told me to avoid chicken, beef, and grains. I am basically just trying to find one food she is not allergic to, and go from there with eliminations. When we first got her she was on IAMS, which had both beef and corn, and her allergy symptoms were no worse than they are now.

[DogFoodie]

Thankfully, my dog has no true allergies. However, he is definitely very intolerant of fish in any form (including fish oil), flax, chickpeas and lentils. I hope there are no others. Fish and flax show up very frequently.

[Rachel M]

My dog is allergic to chicken, turkey, duck, fish, and eggs. Oddly enough, he is not allergic to ostrich, emu, pheasant, quail, or pigeon.

How about your dog?

[Rachel M]

My dog is sensitive to poultry, so I try to avoid feeding him poultry in all its many forms. No chicken fat, chicken cartilage, or all-natural chicken flavor. I’ve heard that as long as there is no protein there should be no reaction. Wild Calling claims their chicken fat is clarified and therefore hypoallergenic and safe to feed my dog, but I’m not convinced.

Do you feed your chicken-allergic dog foods with chicken fat or other non-protein chicken ingredients?

[Rachel M]

My dog Brisbane is allergic to chicken, turkey, duck, and eggs. There aren’t a whole lot of foods out there that he can eat. I love making lists and collecting data, so I put it all together and made a food search tool. It’s still very early in development, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Rachel M. Reason: Trying to fix my picture

[Sheena G]

I’ve been really happy with Dogswell Happy Hips Jerky Strips dog treats. I have a golden retriever who’s a big time foodie (I think all goldies are!), so I was happy to find a grain-free treat with vitamins added for joint health. I tried the chicken one first, but then found out my cat (who is allergic to poultry) loves these treats too, so I started getting the lamb option… made in the US, human-grade ingredients, not too pricey at Ralph’s, & they keep my kiddos happy! 🙂

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks! The time the vet said she thought Lily was having allergies it actually turned out to be fleas. (Apparently the frontline plus wasn’t working.) We have since changed to Activyl which took care of the problem, though she had a few more fleas 4 weeks later right before the next dose. She has still been sort of itchy though, which promoted us to think it might be allergies. The vet initially prescribed an anti-hisimine, which we chose not to use because she had recently been on antibiotics for an anal gland issue (one reason the vet suspected allergies.) and wanted to see how she would do without any medication for a few days. Then, we figured out the problem was fleas, and so we decided not to use the antihistamine at all. We also changed her food, from TOTW Wetlands to Lotus Grain-free Duck. She still seems somewhat itchy, mostly on her face.

On a side note, I just realized how much I use parentheses. Somehow I never noticed that before.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I got a free sample pack of some Fruitables treats at the pet store the other day, which Lily loved. The thing that kept me from buying them before was that they are not grain-free (they contain oatmeal and brown rice.), and Lily is on a grain-free diet. We are not totally sure she has a problem with grains, but she has been sort of itchy which the vet though could be allergies. When we got her she was on IAMS, which contains corn, and she was not any more itchy then she is on grain-free, so I’m not sure if grains are really an issue for her or not. Would you think non-grain free treats would be an issue? Thanks!

[Michael H]

Hi everyone! Not sure if this is the right forum section to post this, but I’m in dire need of some help.

We have an almost 9 year old rescued Basset Hound, who we have been struggling to manage yeast and chronic inflamed skin since we’ve had him this past year. The vet has him on persistent hydroxyzine and prednisone, of which I try to give the least effective dose, as especially prednisone I’m not that comfortable using due to the side effects.

Upon shelling out for an allergy test (environmental and diet [Spectrum Groups Spot Report]), we’ve found out he’s positive for 19 things and borderline for another 7 out of a total of 91 tested items.

His symptoms are always the worst in the spring/summer, as one of the main allergens is grass, which as far as I know I can’t do much about. I’ve replanted our yard to grass that he’s supposedly not allergic to, but anything that blows our way from a neighboring yard cancels that out.

There are a lot of dietary items as well, and finding a food for him has been a nightmare. I’ve considered cooking food for him, but unsure what’s considered “balanced”, and raw feeding makes me a bit nervous as I’ve heard that grocery-grade meats can possibly be tainted since they are meant to be cooked until a safe temperature, and I don’t want to hurt him. Any outlet in our area that sells organic/free range/etc. isn’t very accessible or is very expensive.

The list of foods he tested positive for are:

Venison
Eggs
Lamb
Wheat
Rice
Oats
Potato
Carrots

Borderline Foods:
Dairy (Milk)

Low-scoring/Negative:
Beef
Rabbit
Poultry Mix
Pork
Soy
Corn
Beet
Flax
Barley
Brewers Yeast
Kelp
Alfalfa
Fish Mix
Green Pea
Duck

So, I have to avoid conventional grains. Due to his yeast issues/dermatitus, I’m also assuming that the lowest starch/low glycemic food would be in his best interest. The main issue I’m running into is that most grain free foods use potatoes, eggs, or carrots, which he’s also allergic to.

On one had it seems that wet food may be the way to go, but as he’s older, his teeth aren’t the best. They are all still intact, but he doesn’t really gnaw on anything at all (can’t really with his droops, they are probably easy to chomp down on and would hurt) to clean them, and brushing hasn’t seemed to do a whole lot, so I’m fearing that wet food may make it worse. I’ve bought knuckle bones for him and our other dog, but he only eats the tasty stuff on the outside and his sister gets the hand-me-down since she will actually gnaw and grind it down. Her teeth are excellent in regards to tartar.

From the test it looks like he can have peas, lentils, or chickpeas as a binder, but again I’m unsure of how much starch content may be in the resulting food. I’m finding sweet potato in a lot of the foods as well, but it wasn’t tested for, and I’m unsure of how related they may be.

So far I’ve tried Taste of the Wild Wetlands & Pacific Stream (which we feed to our other dog), but they didn’t do a whole lot for him-both contain either sweet potatoes, potato, or egg. Our other dog doesn’t seem to have any issues thus far at 3 years, thank goodness, and hopefully it stays that way.

The best looking food I’ve come across is Orijen 6 fish, but it’s very expensive. It doesn’t start listing carb sources until the 12th ingredient, but I can’t really tell if that’s a good or bad thing-chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, and green peas all have protein as well, and they seem to count that towards the protein % for the food, so their ingredient %’s could be just as high as if it were listed as the second ingredient, like I find in a lot of other, cheaper foods.

If we can get any help with this, it would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Mike & Beth

[Peter S]

Hi, so I’ve narrowed it down to either Nature’s Logic Rabbit/Tky Meal , or Farmina N&D Cod/Ancestral Grain. Will be for my 2 adult labs (one is 3, the other almost 11). Neither has ever been on a kibble that includes any grain…they’ve both always had exclusively grain-free. Currently I’m feeding one of Canidae’s GF kibbles (lamb meal based). I’m looking for something without legumes (peas,lentils), canola oil, and potato (the Canidae has all of these). And yes of course I do know that the two kibbles I mentioned above as “final candidates” (NL , Farmina) DO include some grains, but from what I gather from some basic online research, their grains are considered some of the highest-quality grains available for canine consumption…I’m referring to millett in the NL , and organic spelt/org oats in the Farmina. One other consideration I forgot to mention is that I”m looking for more of a “cool” protein source (outside of chicken) so I’ve not been considering lamb, venison, etc . The rabbit (NL) and cod (Farmina) are both considered “cool” proteins (though turkey meal, which is the 2nd top ingredient in NL behind rabbit meal, is considered more of a “warm” protein). I forgot to mention that my younger lab has had off-n-on fungal ear infections over the last 2 years(even though his ears stay mostly dry since he unfortunately hasn’t been swimming in a long time) … and my older guy seems to be getting a bit arthritic over the last couple years and has mild seasonal allergies). I’m obviously hoping that a new different high-quality kibble will help improve these health issues in my dogs.
Regarding the Farmina, what appeals to me the most is the single-source protein (cod) and the fact that about 92% of the formula’s protein comes from the cod. Also the ash % seems low(7%), and price (about $2/lb versus $2.5/lb for NL). However Farmina does not add any enzymes or probiotics like NL does.
Regarding the NL Rabbit, I like the fact that NL does not use any synthetic vitamins like Farmina (and most other manufacturers) but they do include enzymes/probiotics unlike Farmina. NL has a little higher protein (36% vs 30 for Farmina).

They both of course seem to me to be overall very good choices…I think the main “unknown” for me would be the grain choice : Millett (NL) or organic spelt/org oats (Farmina) .
Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations !

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi meky6ra –

I’m glad to head this product has helped with your dog’s allergies! Unfortunately, due to their intentional therapeutic design, prescription diets are not currently rated on Dog Food Advisor.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[meky6ra]

I’d like to nominate Rayne Clinical Nutrition for Editor’s Choice, though I don’t think that you’ve reviewed their products yet.

My dog has terrible food allergies/intolerances and my vet suggested this company to me after I shared my misgivings about typical prescription diets. I REALLY hope that this company meets your standards, as it would give a solution to people who can’t feed their dogs over-the-counter dog foods, but don’t want to feed them garbage.

Their website is http://www.raynenutrition.com.

[Richard G]

Vet recommends 8-12 week trial with a food with broken down protein. Any thoughts? This is brought about by our dog having recurring diarrhea every 2-4 weeks. Other testing has been negative.

[Beth J]

I went to NurtiSource grain free chicken. One dog seemed to be allergic to something in it (2 paws turned pink, frequent/ obsessive licking, scratching) but the other dog did fine.
So I just recently switched them again, now to Diamond grain free White fish and sweet potato. I know TOTW and Diamond are from the same makers and wondered if they were made in the same plant (contamination issues) but they seem to be fine and it’s cheaper than TOTW. Good luck!

[Allison A]

Naturella, thanks for the advice on where to buy cheap pet food! It’s so hard to balance my Aussie’s food demands (highly allergic to Poultry) with my college-student budget!

[Naturella]

Zach, let’s see… Bruno is 14.5 lbs (could go up to 15 lbs eventually if he isn’t yet, but in late September he was 14.5 lbs). 14-15 lbs is a healthy weight for him. He is a small terrier mix of sorts (could be Jack Russell +/- Miniature Rat Terrier +/- Chihuahua +/- something else for all we know – he was found in the bushes, so we sometimes joke that he is a Bush Terrier, lol).

For kibble – I never go below 4-star foods (so far) and I rotate brands and proteins with every bag now (I used to rotate AND mix brands before). Thank goodness my guy is small, so foods last him a while. But, I supplement with a teaspoon of raw, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil every other day or so (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday at breakfast), 2 heaping teaspoons of plain yoghurt/plain kefir Monday and Friday at breakfast, a raw egg once/week (Wednesday at breakfast), a half can of sardines in water once/week (Saturday at breakfast), and a raw meaty bone once/week (Sunday for dinner always – no other food for that meal). Also, for all meals that do not include the above additives (the dinner meals), I add 1-2 teaspoons of THK (alternating between Love, Embark, Force, and Keen, and also BDN), and I add water to make it soupy. Sometimes I would use canned, and still add a tad more water. And also Big Dog Natural (BDN; air-dried) green tripe, so you add that and water to the kibble, let it rehydrate as with THK, and serve.

As far as how much I take away – as per the feeding calculator on this site, and his food bags recommendations, he should have about 1 cup of dry/day, give or take small caloric differences in his brands of food. So, what I do is, I feed 3/4 cups/day of most recipes to account for the additives. On Saturday, when I feed the 1/2 can of sardines I feed 1/4 cup kibble for breakfast instead of the usual 1/4 + 1/8 cup. On Sunday, when I feed the RMB for dinner, I feed no kibble or THK, nothing. Just RMB. On Wednesday, when I feed the raw egg, I feed 1/4 cup kibble. All other meals, even with additives, are 1/4 + 1/8 cup of dry per meal. Of course, I make minor adjustments based on activity, body condition, etc., but that is his norm from which I can adjust.

Dry foods I have tried that he has done well on and could eat the kibble with no problems are: Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy (his first food when we got him, before I knew much about dog food – not a bad food though; Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension – Original, Allergix Chicken and Turkey, and Lamb and Brown Rice formulas, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free (slightly bigger kibble, but oh well, he managed it just fine), Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpeas, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free (Coastal Catch and Primitive Natural), Victor Grain Free (all formulas) – (LOADS of samples, enough to consider him having eaten it and done well on it as a brand), Nature’s Variety Instinct (on samples he did well, on the actual food, Rabbit recipe – not really, so I stopped feeding it), Now! Fresh Adult (1 lb sample, he did well on it), NutriSource Grain Free all recipes (samples), Annamaet Grain Free (samples), Wysong (various samples), and I have a lot lined up – Back to Basics Red Meat, Canidae Pure Salmon, Dogswell LiveFree Salmon, Wysong Nurture with Quail, Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast. He’s had one-time samples of Stella and Chewy’s and Primal too, loved them. On occasion I would give him a small piece of a fruit/veggie, or a piece of organ/meat as a tiny treat, but those are sporadic enough for me to not account for. Same with edible natural chews – he can chew on and “eat” his antler daily, but sometimes I give half a 6-inch bully stick, 1/3 cow ear, 1 piggy snout (small) or 1 lamb ear, homemade doggie ice-cream treats, and those I don’t account for in his meals.

Hope this helps, I tried to be pretty extensive… LoL