[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, 1 month 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, 1 month ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month 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

[theBCnut]

Does your vet think it’s a food allergy? The prescription food may be a good option to start trying to figure out what your dog is reacting to. You can put your dog on the prescription food for a few weeks to see if he gets better, then start adding one single ingredient at a time to see if your dog reacts. This way you can figure out what ingredients you need to avoid when looking for a new food. Or you can look for a limited ingredient diet that is very different from your current food and see if he gets better, and then start trying to add ingredients to see if you can learn what your dog is reacting to. Unfortunately, there is no best food when it comes to food allergies, there is only food your dog reacts to and food he doesn’t.

[Becky H]

I currently have been feeding both my dogs Lifes Abundance dry dog food. While the food seems to be very nutritious and was recommended to us by the breeder at this time My veterinarian has recommended that I switch to Royal Canine Prescriptive dry formula for my Golden Retreiver’s skin sensitivities and allergies. While I appreciate that it may be a good dog food the cost is very high and I am not convinced it is my only or best option?

Additionally, I will want to change both of my dogs to the same diet for conveience as well as reducing the temptation for my Golden to endulge in the old formula. My second dog is a toy poodle. I look forward to your feedback?

Bsherrup

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

[tecknik]

I posted here before that Dinovite did not help my dog whatsoever but just wanted to update.. my dog got so bad that she had yeast all over her body, bad ear infections, etc. ..even when it was dead of winter. Two months ago, I bit the financial bullet and paid for allergy testing as steroids and antibiotics were the only thing that made her better. (that’s only short term use)

Turns out she is allergic to almost everything including wool, certain trees (including willow which we have and are now chopping down), dust mites, mold mites, the list goes on..

I ended up getting rid of my 5×7 and 6×9 wool pier one import rugs, thoroughly dust daily and changed the filter in the hvac system to a super good one. I’m proud to say my efforts paid off. My dog is doing well. 🙂 I recommend the allergy test. The dog needs to be sedated which makes it expensive but it paid off for her and us. My dog is no longer miserable.

[Linda b]

I was looking into Dinivite for my 4 year old hound dog who is currently eating Pioneer Naturals Grain and Potato Free whitefish. The scratching and red underside are disheartening but it all seems to be subsiding slightly with the humidity (we live in FL) and grass allergies. After reading some comments , I am on the fence but did see something called Healthy GOO which is peanut butter, probiotics, prebiotics and the trace allergens. Anyone ever hear of Healthy Goo?

[theBCnut]

Chicken allergies are not uncommon, but what is uncommon is how young you are seeing problems. My pup started having issues at that age too, and I really think it was all because the original owners didn’t do enough about the heavy worm load he had, and it damaged his intestines.

Even if it isn’t a food allergy issue, feeding different foods isn’t a bad thing. It helps to support a wider variety of probiotics in the gut. So try to find a food that is as different as possible ingredient wise to try, just in case. And look at the possibility of environmental issues as well, which also don’t normally develop this young, but they are both immune issues and a heavy worm load can trigger the immune system.

[beth e]

has anyone been told pancreatitis? we have been thru the gulping swallowing that definitely seems like acid reflux. plus throwing up what looks like oatmeal – hours after a meal. we took our cairn terrier to the vet after weeks of on and off symptoms. our regular vet was not in and the substitute diagnosed it as pancreatitis. said we should leave her for an iv. since she has no problem drinking or eating we said we didn’t feel comfortable leaving her as the stress would far outweigh the benefits of the treatment. so she came home with antibiotics, pepcid and tramadol. chicken and rice diet didn’t go well she’d spit out the rice so we went to chicken and green beans. no kibble since we figured that was the oatmeal like substance she was vomiting.. the other dog eats wellness grain free kibble and some wet wellness chicken. ( and she also did before this all started) they both had a teaspoon of greek yogurt before bedtime. now its nonfat greek yogurt. we are sure stress is a big part of the problem since she is constantly looking out the windows for the cats. tight as a piano string if you touch her. the pancreatitis diagnosis is not keeping with the symptoms. she always has an appetite. she used to drink lots i mean lots of water- at one time we suspected diabetes but tests came back no. but since she is off dry food the water consumption at least the dramatic “got to have it and have it all” has stopped and she drinks normally. today i’m wondering if its the cats and she might be allergic to them. this mornng she had a few coughs and swallows – we went out in the backyard on a leash – she walked all around where they hang out came in and coughed and did the acid reflux gurgling on and off for an hour.

[theBCnut]

Hi Akari, are there classes that you can go ahead and take to get out of the way? When I went through the vet tech program, there were a few regular classes that I did ahead of time and then I didn’t have the 18-20 credit hours that some of my classmates had. On the east coast of FL, we actually had 2 cool dry days. I got giddy! But, yeah, the heat and humidity are back in full force. It has been a really bad year for allergies and asthma.

Hi Dori, if the sound of her normal reverse sneeze has changed and it doesn’t get back to normal quickly after taking away the Himmies, I would want her looked at. It might just be gunk in her throat, but it could be a sign of congestive heart failure. Better safe than sorry, and CHF is definitely something you want to catch early. I’m hoping the chew removal fixes it. Milk and some cheeses make me gunky and I’m not reactive to them at all otherwise, maybe that’s the case with her.

[Dori]

Akari. I’m so sorry to hear about the vet’s closing or whatever. Mostly because you are losing your internship. What will you do about that part of your education? Really am sorry to hear about this for you. Soooooooo glad you were able to bring Ginger home before any of this happened otherwise who knows what would have happened to Ginger. Again, Ginger is so lucky that you came in to her life. Timing?? It’s everything.

BC. Hannah has doing the reverse sneezing, trach opening attempt, for most of her life but in the last three or four days she’s doing it more often than not. I’m getting concerned because it’s no longer a dry sound. It’s beginning to sound to me very phlegmy. I’m wondering if it has coincided with the Himalayan Dog Chews that she is obsessed with. I took it away and hid them all and see if it clears up. Mind you Hannah has never been allergic or intolerant to anything ever in her entire 15 years of age. Or do you think this warrants a vet visit? I don’t mind taking her to the vet if you think I should. I don’t have an issue with funds and the vet is literally caddie corner to my back yard. Thanks for any guidance you can give me. Her reverse sneezing and attempts at clearing her trachea have never once scared me, it’s part of having toy dogs BUT…..this is causing me some concern because of the phlegmy sound.

Anyone else that wants to chime in I’d welcome thoughts.

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

[Genevieve K]

How many times are you feeding her? Puppies need to have 3 meals a day. (I do think it’s adorable that she carries her food bowl around.) Using the caloric information on the packaging, I calculated the ideal daily feeding schedule and use that as a guide (it’s been close to the suggested servings). If you’re feeding multiple foods, I recommend doing this to ensure she’s getting what she needs. Perhaps you could do this with the different foods that you’re feeding.

In addition to a Boerboel puppy, we have two other large breed dogs. I do feed the puppy far more than I feed the adults because I know he needs the additional nutrition and the extra calories to support his quickly growing body. I keep a close eye on his body shape to ensure he’s not getting over-fed.

Having fought a weight loss battle with my Ridgeback, it’s important to keep an eye on his waist. I’m fine with him carrying a little bit more weight because I know he will use that for growth and energy but it’s important to ensure he doesn’t cross the line into “fat.”

Because of the our Boerboel puppy’s multiple allergies (arg!), we decided to use Annamaet’s Aqualuk and are now feeding it to all three dogs. It’s is appropriate for large breeds in all life stages and is listed on HDM’s list of recommended large breed dog food. The Calcium/Fat percentages are excellent and, personally, I was drawn to its EU certification which requires does not allow the 4 D’s (diseased, dying, disabled, and dead) animals.

Large dogs usually have a shorter life span and the additional cost is worth it to ensure my family is eating a very healthy food which, hopefully, will extend their life span. One wonderful side effect is that my Ridgeback’s farts, known to literally clear a room, have significantly decreased in frequency and are not nearly as foul!

No, is not an inexpensive food but we were previously feeding a different, high quality 4 star food that was only a bit less than Annamaet. There are very few retail locations that carry it so I order it online from Wag.com but there are other sites that carry it. The Annamaet website has a list of retailers – online and brick & mortar shops.

Long story short, I’d feed her as much as she wants – to a point. For training purposes (and your sanity), maintain a feeding schedule so that she doesn’t learn that she can manipulate you. The last thing you want is a dog who know that when she drops her bowl at your feet, she gets food. They’re slick little critters!

[Akari_32]

Heya, Bobby Dog! I’m Happy be off that stupid boat. There’s nothing to do on the ship if you don’t drink, and I can’t even stand the smell of alcohol. I sat in the room most of the time and read the first book and half of the Harry Potter series, and played a good 1/4-1/3 of Pokemon X (one more gym and the league to go!). In three days…. LOL Night before last I did eat an entire pizza by myself, though. That was quite the accomplishment XD Wasn’t bad for frozen cruise pizza :p

They closed down for good. They bought the practice from a terrible vet, and filed a law suit against them and everything. They were actually doing pretty good, but all the legal crap from the other vet dragged them down. Plus he wasn’t a very good business manager and bought equipment they didn’t need and stuff. All in good intention, but you can’t do that when just starting out, and under a bad name already, at that! He did a great job with his clients, though and most of them will follow him wherever he goes. I probably will if I ever figure out where he’s going next and he’s close enough! I really did like him. He’s very nice and cares so much about his patients and their owners. Turns out, the crappy vet is coming back. I will tell everyone I know not to go to that place! I did not like the reviews I read about him on line. Not a single good word has been said about that guy!

So after some looking around, her reverse sneezing probably an allergy thing (she normal sneezes when we go out side, but not inside other than a few little huffs every now and then) or her breathing in random stuff due to her small size. Everyone is having terrible allergies around here right now, and even Bentley on his no-carb raw diet is back to chewing his feet and itching. I’ve been living on sudafed for the last three weeks, even lol Anyways, I guess it’s not something to worry too much about. Still don’t like it, though…

[Dog_Obsessed]

@DogFoodie It’s fine! It happens! I agree, there should be a “confirm report” thing. Once Lily was on my lap while I was scrolling, and I realized her paw was on my trackpad because the page went crazy!

@Melissaandcrew What was the problem? Did it upset their stomach, or cause allergies?

[Mom2Cavs]

Petbrosia (dog version) has two base formulas. You cannot take ingredients out of the formulas. They just tweak the amount of each one for your dogs weight, age and activity requirements. For instance, if Hazel is young with no allergies then her nutrition profile for the grain free salmon might be 32 % protein and 16 % fat and 2 % fiber with calories of say 480 a cup while Laverne, who is older and has some mild allergies might have protein of 26 %, fat of 13 % and fiber of 2 % with 415 calories per cup. The ingredient panel reads the same ingredient list for both dogs. So……long story short, you can’t really customize ingredient wise. They will just change percentages of each ingredient to fit your dogs supposed needs. I hope that makes it a little clearer. Imho, it is a little misleading with their marketing. I think it’s a decent food and average price compared to foods like Orijen, Wellness, etc. But, don’t go into it thinking you are going to get an individualized food ingredient wise.

[CHRISTINE C]

When my 2yr old GSD was diagnosed with EPI, we were feeding her Orijen with enzymes. Stools firmed up but not to optimal level. I have changed her food to Merrick GF Pork, which I love for her skin allergies, but still not the results I’m looking for. It is 17% fat/ 3.8 %fiber. I think I need to lower the fat content more. I was thinking about Wellness Core Reduced Fat, but the fiber is too high at 8.5%. Using 1tsp of Enzymediane 6X per 1 cup of Kibble. Does anyone have any suggestions for a low fat/fiber grain free better quality kibble?

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks everyone! Two more things I am wondering, first of all, how can I get sample bags online? I tried searching them on chewy and petflow, but I did not get anything relevant. Also, I was told by one of the pet store employees I should avoid chicken for Lily because she might have allergies. The Lotus dog food I bought does not have chicken, so if it helps then maybe that is the problem. I also heave some treats that have chicken though. Does anyone know if it is a good idea to avoid it no matter what? Thanks!

[Akari_32]

Diamond is actually in big trouble with Purina (of all things!) about that. Makes me laugh! In all seriousness, though, it really should be more strictly monitored. If a human is allergic to something not listed on the package and has some sort of serious reaction from it, it would really look terrible on that company.

[theBCnut]

Hydrolyzing breaks down the protein into its component parts, amino acids, which dogs are not allergic to.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Here are the ingredients to Hills z/d:

Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Soybean Oil, Hydrolyzed Chicken, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement , Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors , Beta-Carotene.

It doesn’t look overly horrible, but it doesn’t look great. I am surprised that it contains chicken and soy, both common food allergens. I might recommend trying your own elimination by buying high-quality dog foods free of certain common allergens and seeing which ones help. I have heard that feeding raw can help with allergies, but I can’t say from experience on that. Hope this is helpful!

[Dog_Obsessed]

Since I adopted my dog Lily 1.5 months ago, I’ve been doing a ton of research on her food. This is my first time having a dog, though I have fostered for rescue groups, where the food was provided. One of the things I read on this site was about rotational feeding, and I thought it sounded like a good idea. I am feeding her Taste of The Wild Wetlands formula, but I am transitioning her to Lotus grain-free duck small bites for rotation. Other brands I am thinking of including are Wellness Core grain-free and Orijen.

I was also considering mixing in some with wet food with her kibble, Wellness 95% or TOTW. The only issue is storage: wet food only keeps a few days in the fridge, and since she is small it would not be used up by then. I was wondering about freezing it as a possibility, does anyone know if this is okay?

By the way, all of the foods I mentioned are grain-free. This is not a must, but Lily may possibly have some allergies, so I thought it couldn’t hurt. One of the pet store employees recommended avoiding chicken, because it is a common allergen.

Lily is an ~3 year old, 10 pound, Bichon Frise. Any input or constructive criticism on the food is welcome. Thanks!

[Kristin C]

Jan-I feed my girls raw meaty bones on the weekend and split a can of sardines between the 2 of them at the same time. I also split a can between the 2 girls mid-week as a snack. I prefer to feed whole food versus a daily “supplement”. Have you explored yeast overgrowth for the skin allergies?

[Susan]

Hi Jan, have you tried the “Natural Balance” Limited ingredients, Kangaroo & Potatos & the Rabbit & Potatos these 2 are the only 2 limited ingredients kibbles with only the 1 protein & just potatos, the other NB limited ingredient kibbles have peas or sweet potato…here’s a link to have a look at the ingredients..
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/product-category.aspx?…
do not feed anything else just this kibble for 1 month & see if the itching gets better then what I did was of a morning I started an elimination diet, I’d give his kibble that I knew didnt make him itch for dinner & in the morning I started with boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin after 1 week when there was no scratching I added boiled Sweet potato, within 2 days Patch started scratching his ears, so I stopped the Sweet Potatos & the itchy ears stopped within 2 days, then I added boiled potato within 20-30 mins Patch got a red rash all on his chest/stomach, at first I thought no it cant be the potatos we must of walked past a bush or something that morning, so the next morning I added the Potato again & again the red rash came all over his chest & he started rolling & rubbing on the rug then he was doing real sloppy poos, so now I know that he’s allergic to Sweet potatos & potatos & wheat… also are you bathing in a really good medicated shampoo that works.. I use Malaseb medicated Shampoo Patch gets bath every 5-7days or as soon as he starts to really scratch, Malaseb shampoo kills any bacteria on their skin & doesnt strip their good oils from their skin, after bathing in this shampoo for 1 month you will see results, I saw results within 2 weeks it releaved him & stopped the mad rubbing & scratching..
I have worked out its food & environment with Patch, also keep a diary what she ate that day where you walked etc then you start to see a pattern after one year, you can always look back 6 month or 1 month & see oh that happen when I feed this or walked thru that bush track etc… Its hard work but its worth it when you start to find out what is causing the problems…

[JAN E]

I have a 2 year old Golden Retriever who has been plagued with skin issues due to allergies her whole life. Food tests found she’s allergic to soybeans, corn, alfalfa, green peas, sweet potatoes and beef! I’ve used California Natural dry food her whole life, trying different ones until we determined the problem. I find that most quality dry foods contain many of these ingredients. Canned food seems pretty expensive. Can anyone suggest a dry food that does not contain these things? I’m seriously considering cooking chicken for her and storing portions in the freezer….! I’d also like to eliminate rice, if possible. She’s still having skin issues. (Haven’t yet ruled out grass.) Any help is appreciated!

[JAN E]

I have a 2 year old Golden Retriever who has been plagued with skin issues due to allergies her whole life. Food tests found she’s allergic to soybeans, corn, alfalfa, green peas, sweet potatoes and beef! I’ve used California Natural dry food her whole life, trying different ones until we determined the problem. I find that most quality dry foods contain many of these ingredients. Canned food seems pretty expensive. Can anyone suggest a dry food that does not contain these things? I’m seriously considering cooking chicken for her and storing portions in the freezer….! Any help is appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi Ryan, when he was going really well, was he eating what he is eating now when he’s scratching or have you added something new to his diet, also fleas maybe a flea has bitten him, some dogs are allergic to the fleas salvia, one bite & they go mad with scratching…I’d start an elimination diet, I’d start again, just 1 protein & 1 low carb for 2 weeks & see how he goes, then if he’s not scratching start slowley adding back everything your feeding him now, every 3-4 days, add 1 new food, then you’ll see what food or oil or powder is making him itch, my boy starts scratching within 2 days when I added a new food that he was allergic too, as soon as I stopped the food (potato & sweet potato) the itch stopped within 2days, also were you adding the green powder & kelp when he was doing really well, I’d keep a diary & every night write what he ate, where you walked, what you did that day with him, then you can look back 6months or 2 weeks & see if there’s a pattern if he starts his scratching again when he’s doing better…. winter is coming, so if its environment allergies he should get better in the winter, it drives me mad.. but it will be something simple, real little that can be causing the itch.. have you tried Malaseb Medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on the skin but doesnt strip the good oils from their skin, its very good shampoo for itchy skin..

[Akari_32]

I have a dog with the exact same problem. Not only was he extremely allergic to everything blooming here in southern Florida, as well as fleas, but he’s also got over active yeast on his skin. We had to cut as many carbs as possible out of his diet for him to clear up, and even then, you can’t avoid a dog (especially not a terrier) from going in the grass.

We first put him on By Nature 95% canned food, and now he’s on See Spot Live Longer raw. He still breaks out when it rains and the grass shoots up and grows like crazy and pollinates, but it’s Florida, and there’s no preventing that. He did have himself chewed bald from his ribs back, and we finally have him down to chewing just his feet after rainy days.

[Kristin C]

Hi Ry-my only thoughts are (1) yeast overgrowth. Are you feeding sweet potato? (2) he’s allergic to the protein you are feeding. (3) His diet doesn’t have the proper fat ratio. Not sure if that helps.

[Susan]

Hi Jenny, my boy goes thru stages he’ll be fine then all of a sudden starts his vomiting again & he starts eating grass as soon as he wakes up of a morning, cause he’s a rescue dog that I rescued nilly 2 years ago I’m slowley seeing a pattern, back in May I was moving but in the end I didnt move but had packed boxes & Patches routine had changed a bit after not moving I un-pack everything again Patch started his vomiting his kibble again, he had ultra scan it came back all good, so new vet thinks it was from stress, probably the moving he also said IBD like Patches old vet said but Im thinking more IBS not IBD, He was put on Zantac an ant acid but I dont give it daily no more, if I see him un-well in morning then I give him his Zantac…
I always thought IBD was diarrhea or sloppy poos but some dogs have the vomiting & no sloppy poos, vet wanted him on Prenidsone (steriod) I said NO not yet, thats when I started the elimination diet & found he can’t have Potatos they give him a red rash all on his chest & he’s real itchy then diarrhea, Sweet Potatos gives him real itchy ears & itchy skin, anything with wheat his paws would swell up & one would go real red & hot, I have to put ice pack on the red swollen paw then it goes down..
also I was told to feed smaller meals thru the day, not just the 2 large meals a day, I think this has helped..Now I try not to change his routine or stress him in anyway…
another thing Patch also has is hive like lumps all over his body, last year vet thought environment allergies from grass, pollen etc but as time has gone its was more food causing his hives & itchy skin & ears which I proved thru the elimination diet I did..
With the Cerenia, I’d just give when you think he looks sick, I know when Patch is ill, he doesnt want to play, he normally goes to his toy box & gets a ball & runs up & down the hallway or starts to pester me to play with him, when he’s un-well he just sleeps & starts doing his licking, his tonuge keeps coming out & he swollows.. I wish they could talk..

[Jenny M]

I’ve been reading this thread with interest as I have a small dog who has recently started throwing up pretty much daily. He’s been raw fed and minimally vaccinated since he was a puppy, so I was pretty shocked. Once he lost about 15% of his body weight from all this, I decided to have the endoscopy done on him and I should know the results next week. It showed a “normal looking” stomach with some inflammation in the small intestine so biopsies will be done.
It’s difficult to say if the issues are food related or stress related, as this started about 2 weeks after I brought a new puppy home. Perhaps both as the original vomiting episode was accompanied by a nasty, angry red rash and hives all over his stomach/chest/legs. His skin felt hot to the touch, but thankfully that’s settled. At this point he’s getting Cerenia to control the vomiting (until we’re 100% sure what’s going on, and can either treat the food allergies with a change in protein sources and tweaking what he actually gets, or treating the stress issues perhaps present with the new puppy). I don’t want my dog on Cerenia or Pepcid for the rest of his life, however (like the original poster), I want my dog to be able to keep food down! He’s doing pretty well on Wellness 95% Salmon (NOT a complete diet, and not for long term, but a good start for a food elimination trial and pretty much the best thing I’ve found that agrees with him at this time).
Unless something bad happens, I’m going to start stretching the time he gets the stomach medicine. Instead of every 24 hours, tonight I’m stretching it to 30. Later, perhaps 36, then 48, etc until hopefully his body is able to handle food without the help of the medicine. I do intend to keep it on hand in case of a flare up…
Also, I ordered some things from the b-naturals.com website, Berts Zymes (digestive enzymes) and some other things to help aid dogs having digestive difficulties. If Chewy needs an extra “boost”, it might be something you’d be interested in checking out.