[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, 5 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, 5 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.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Laura:
I like and regularly feed Wellness kibbles/canned and Holistic canned to both my dog and cats. I haven’t tried the Holistic kibbles, but they are on my list to try.

I would look into feeding different proteins and carbs, but more importantly I would begin keeping a list of all the proteins and carbs in his diet. IMO if it is a food allergy or sensitivity saving the ingredient lists from each food (including treats and canned foods) and comparing these lists in order to find the offending ingredient(s) is the best approach; it is also time consuming.

There are quite a few fish based kibbles. I found three that fall under my specific criterion without potatoes of any kind, but two of them have high calcium and phosphorous ratios and of these two one has low nutrient levels. I decided not to consider them after looking at their websites and reading comments about the companies on DFA. The third is Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe, however it also includes duck meal.

This list may or may not be what you are looking for; none contain salmon, most contain sweet potatoes, some have flax seed, and some have fish you haven’t fed. Review the recipes carefully, they may include ingredients that you are trying to avoid:

• Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe – potato free, includes duck meal
• Pioneer Naturals Grain Free Whitefish
• by Nature Ocean Whitefish & Green Peas Recipe
• Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato
• Wild Calling Whitefish recipe

Here’s a link to carb values for Wellness kibbles:
/forums/topic/carb-values-of-wellness-kibble/#post-54314

Here’s some links to articles about allergies/food sensitivities in dogs:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/grain-free-dog-foods-solving-yeast-and-skin-issues/
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/caring-for-a-dog-that-has-food-allergies
http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/itchy-dogs-%E2%80%93-is-food-the-problem#.VDbE_LnQOpo
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

[sue102dal]

Bashi,
He is not licensed USDA approved pet food manufacturer. He does not notify customer if out of item they order just replaces with whatever he wants without saying anything to the customer. he is a game butcher that thinks he knows it all about raw feeding. I have a degree in animal nutrition and mentored him to create his product line. Now all he does is bad mouth me to anyone that will listen. He sells his food cheap because he does not follow all USDA regulations!! He caused several dogs in my co-op to get sick because of his lack of concern for keeping the food as stated on his website he changes ingredients and dogs with food allergies got sick costing owners thousands in vet bill. So continue with him at your owm risk just make sure your pet has good health insurance!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by sue102dal.

[Susan]

Hi Laura, here’s a link to “Holistic Select” Anchovys, Sardines & Salmon meal, I know you’ve said no Salmon but this kibble has no potatos, have a look at the ingredients they may be as close as you’ll get to the Proseries, A few dogs from the dog park have skin allergies & they are on the Holistic Select Anchovys, Sardines & Salmon meal for their skin & ears…. http://www.holisticselect.com/dry-dog-food-anchovy-sardine-and-salmon-meal

[Laura B]

Hello All,

I have a 12 year old dog that is probably a lab mix who has been having problems with hair loss. a year ago he was losing hair in patches on his face and the tips of his ears. also some dry cracked skin on the tips of his ears, that i picked off, and swollen ears from tips almost to base. i took him to the vet many times and eventually another vet suggested that it could be allergies.

I had been feeding him pro series hypoallergenic food in canada, but i have since moved to the states with him and i can’t get it here. the hair on his face had completely grown in and his ears were getting better as well. i just switched to pure vita salmon and potato, which he greatly prefers, but his ears are swollen again and no more signs of improvement with the hair coming back. i’ve been reading about this and it seems that ear infections are often triggered by food allergies, and this is a sign of the allergy (though the only problem with the ears is swelling, hair loss, and maybe some purple marks on the skin). i have looked everywhere for a food with similar ingredients but i can’t find anything that is just mostly herring, anchovies, and rice. i also supplemented with canned tuna to make the pro series more appetizing, and that seemed fine. if anyone can offer any suggestions of what to try or how to interpret this i would appreciate it so much.

[Tracy L]

For the last 13 years, I have been told by the vet that my poodle had seasonal allergies. She has always licked her paws like crazy and it would drive her and my husband crazy. I have tried several pet foods (such as Science Diet, Nutro, Blue Buffalo, etc.) and 1. she hasn’t liked them, and 2. she still licked. However, recently, I visited a local pet store (not a chain) and the lady recommended Fromm for my picky eater. She also gave me some Stella and Chewy’s Super Beef Patties to help put some weight on my little girl (she stopped eating as much). My poodle seems to like Fromm, but she LOVES the Stella and Chewy’s patty. Also, she has not been licking her paws at all! I sure wish I would have figured out her food allergies sooner. 🙁 I also wish my several vets across the country would have mentioned that there was better pet food available.

Now, I’m torn. She is 13 and I want what is best for her that she likes the most. Which dog food would you recommend for my allergic, picky eater senior poodle? She is in great shape (can walk 3 miles straight with no issue), but she does have a sensitive stomach at times.

Thank you!

[Carolyn W]

I’ve kept her on dry dog food as long as I could, but she just went through a bit of a sick spell and I noticed that when she threw up she had whole pieces of food in her tummy. I’m also noticing that she’s lost a bit of weight and when I popped into the vet today they confirmed she’s down just over half a pound. I’ve made my own food for her before when she broke her jaw but she seemed to have mild allergies to everything I used. (Except her banana oatmeal and cottage cheese breakfasts.)

What would you recommend for an alternative to dry dog food? She also eats apples, pears, bananas and blackberries as snacks so I’m looking for something that might be a bit higher in the meat/protein. I’ve always had her on some version of lamb dry kibble and was leaning towards either the Kirkland or the Castor and Pollex. (Both based on the review I read on this wonderful site!) She could stand to gain a full pound too but I have to be careful as she has a slight heart murmur and I don’t want it to get worse.

Thanks for the help!

[Tiffany K]

For your Mini Schnauzer….The Honest Kitchen is so healthy as is mainly fish and veggies. This is the dehydrated formula; I believe it is called Zeal You add warm water and let it sit a bit. It looks like green gruel or oatmeal. But, I specifically purchased it for my Pit Bull/Great Dane mix who was hospitalized with pancreatitis (my mother was keeping her and I have never got to the bottom of what she was fed) but it has completely smoothed out her digestion problems , as well as helping her chronic skin allergies. It is just getting her to eat it. It smells exactly like fish food. If you mixed her 3 ounces of chicken in with the Zeal, I am sure she would gobble it down. Another “trick” is I use the chicken broth from boiled chicken as the mixing agent for the Zeal. I hope this helps and your little girl feels better each day.

[theBCnut]

I feed half kibble due to the need to have something that the squeamish people in my house can feed. For raw, I used Darwin’s until just recently(allergy to flax stopped that), now I’m using grinds from Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore and other home raised meats. I add whatever my dogs need to those. For the last 3 days, they have been working on eating a whole turkey. Ocassionally, I use commercial raws, but 2 of my dogs have multiple food allergies, so there isn’t a whole lot I can use. I rotate everything I feed.

[Mom2Cavs]

Wellness has their Simple line, which I like. I am using their Simple Small Breed formula with my Cavaliers. It is Salmon based and the only flavor, atm, in the Simple Small Breed line. The regular Simple line has other flavors, but not all of them are grain free so you would need to check.

I also top my dogs’ kibble with canned food. I use Wellness, they have a 95% line that is just meat. I use other brands at times. Right now I am using Freshpet Vital, a lightly cooked food that is grain free and comes in roll form. I chop it into chunks and top their kibble with it, and add in their probiotics, fish oil and a little water. Not a speck left in their bowls. They do have some that are limited, the Turkey, Beef and Bison, and Whitefish rolls. I alternate flavors with the dogs.

I have two dogs that seem to have flea allergy dermatitis, and one of them also has mild food allergies as well. I am also using an allergy chew from Vet Classics (I bought at my holistic vet), but you can buy it online and also from Naturvet (same company). These have quercitin, colostrum and other things that seem to be helping them, too. Right now all are doing well…..hope I didn’t just jinx us, lol!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[aimee]

Hi Chris,

The only way to diagnose adverse food reaction is via an elimination diet. This mean taking a diet history and then picking sources that your dog hasn’t been exposed to. It is very difficult to do an elimination diet correctly. You must ensure the dog doesn’t get any other food/flavoring sources besides the test diet for 12 weeks. No flavored medications, toys, chews, cat box “snacks”, scavenged food outside Nada! And you must clear any existing skin infections.

Limited ingredient foods purchased at pet stores have been found to contain proteins not listed on the bag. They are not suitable for use for doing this important diagnostic test!! Once diagnosed you may choose to ” challenge” the dog to see what the dog reacts to. It then may be possible to find a OTC diet to trial.

I would only use home cooked, vet diets made for this purpose, or possible Rayne nutrition for an elimination diet.

If the dog is reactive to the base protein in the hydrolyzed diet there is a chance he/she will react to the hydrolyzed version. Therefore if a dog has been exposed to chicken before then hydrolyzed chicken diet may not be the ideal choice for a trial.

If your dog has environmental allergies in addition to adverse food reaction it will be harder to tell if there is a positive response to food trial if done when concurrently exposed to the environmental allergens.

Good Luck

[Susan]

Hi Chris, have you ever done an elimination diet to see what foods he can’t tolarate make him itchy..My vet said that Elimination diet is the only way that you will really know what foods he’s allergic to..If he can eat raw or cooked that would be the best, start with 1 protein only then slowely add a new food weekly & see what foods makes him itch or gives diarrhea..you know within 2 days if they have a reaction.. I found my boy cant have Potatos, they give him diarrhea & rash all over chest, sweet potatos, he gets itchy ears & keeps shaking his head, wheat, his paws go red & itchy he starts licking them & now chicken cause everytime he has chicken he gets his hive like lumps all over his body..it does take time an elimination diet but you will know 100% what foods he can & cant eat…I have Patch on the ‘Wellness Simple’ Limited Ingredient… He was on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic kibble but the fat was too high 19% he got Pancreatitis…Eukanuba FP has limited ingredients, its another kibble for skin allergies but its Fish & Potato & Patch got real bad diarrhea, I didnt know back then that it was the Potatos giving him diarrhea until I did the elimination diet, now I know he cant have any kibbles with Potato or Sweet potato & alot of the grainfree kibbles have Potato…. I dont know why they put Potato as potatos are high in carbs & carbs aren’t good for yeasty itchy skin…

[Chris A]

1st time poster!

We got our Brittany, Hunter, when he was only 8 weeks old and he was eating Taste of the Wild. He absolutely loved it! A few months later he started to show some signs of possible allergies which increased gradually. We then switched him to Science Diets ZD. He was still having problems so we got some testing done. The results were rather lengthy!

He’s allergic to lamb, duck, rice, soybean, oat, peas, barley and a mix of environmental allergies that include different grasses, weeds and mold.

Does Science Diet still look like our best option? We are also looking into meds to help take care of what his diet can’t fix. Price isn’t really the biggest issue and I’d really like something that is high in protein. Thanks in advance!

[Shawna]

OH MY GOSH!!! You guys are hysterical!! 🙂

Cyndi and Dori are correct. I did get blocked from posting to the Purina Veterinary Exchange Facebook page. 🙂 I posted much more than below but this will give you an idea.

They recently posted an article about reasons not to feed “people food” to dogs which drummed up a LOT of negative feedback for them. I was actually one of the nice (well, polite) ones on the page. 🙂

1. I asked them if they felt veterinary nutritionist Meg Smart (who taught veterinary nutrition) was incorrect when she stated “I see a benefit in feeding whole foods whether cooked or raw.” http://www.angryvet.com/angryvet-nutrition-interview-drs-joseph-wakshlag-and-meg-smart/#sthash.fVPLTfI9.dpuf They ignored my question but warned me about marketing for other sites.

2. Sugar is apparently added for “texture and fiber”. But do the nutritionists and vets who formulate Purina diets, specifically Beneful, really feel that sugar is an appropriate ingredient for dogs? They told me this page was for their prescription line and that my question was “off topic”. Keep in mind that the original post was about “human foods” like “milk”, “raw eggs” etc. 🙂 I actually don’t disagree with most of the points they were trying to make (adding foods could alter the balance of the already balanced diet). It was their delivery that was the problem.

3. They posted info about their new HA line for allergies. These foods have been chemically hydrolyzed to break the proteins down into amino acids which makes them less likely to cause an allergic reaction (as the body is allergic to proteins not amino acids). However proteins that have been hydrolyzed create the same issue as monosodium glutamate — which has been shown to cause illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, white matter brain lesions, multiple sclerosis etc. So I asked Purina if dogs were “immune” to the problems associated with MSG in humans. They told me to check with my vet on what my dog might be immune to. Uhm??? So I explained I meant all dogs, not just mine. They ignored the question. Then I linked this article by vet Dr. Shawn Messonnier suggesting dog are affected by “excitotoxins” like those in Purina HA. http://www.byregion.net/articles-healers/Dr_Shawn.html Still ignored the question.

4. They also posted an article stating “Many people have turned to gluten-free diets to help them lose weight & feel better, but the fact remains that very few dogs’ diets are improved by going gluten-free.” So I asked them if they had done testing to demonstrate that gluten couldn’t cause “gluten ataxia” in dogs (gluten ataxia is a neurological disease in humans caused by gluten). I linked articles discussing gluten’s role in other diseases in humans, like type 1 diabetes (the kind dogs get) and asked if any testing had been done.

I also linked a Journal of Nutrition page demonstrating dogs can lose weight on a HIGH protein diet (52% was the diet tested). This is about the time they blocked me and deleted all of my comments.

I don’t feel too bad cause they deleted most of the negative and questioning comments on their page from others too. 🙂

My guess is that you would be asked to leave, or appropriately quieted, if you started asking questions like this but if it’s boring and you want to stir the pot a bit….. 🙂

I LOVE Panera salads and more importantly, my 3 year grandson who is gluten intolerant loves their salads. Especially the apple one although he gives me all his pecans.. Woot woot 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Shawna.

[Molly S]

It is great to get advice from others that have been there, but this is an amazing article by one of the leading integrative vets with very detailed information on solving seasonal allergies. Much of this can be applied to dealing with pit bulls. Pitties are particularly sensitive to food ingredients as well as environmental factors.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/01/pet-allergies.aspx

Ensure they are on a high-protein, grain-free, potato-free food like Orijen, LiveFree or Pioneer Naturals.

Use a combination of coconut oil and fish oil.

Regular rinse/bath/use foot soaks to eliminate pesky allergens.

Just like children with allergies, ensure that you do everything you can to eliminate environmental allergens in the home – clean air, air-friendly cleaners, and add diffusers.

[Dori]

Hi Terri M. I went onto the healx.com site. I’ve never heard of them but that’s not so much my issues with them. My issue with anything I give my three dogs (or myself and husband) is they say it’s a proprietary blend. So you don’t actually know what’s in it. I don’t give them anything that I don’t know exactly what’s in a food, supplement, whatever. There are more natural ways that you can give omega 3’s to balance out omega 6’s in foods. Sardines, sardine oil, as I mentioned before. I try to go natural before I start adding pills.

As to the chicken, I don’t feed chicken, chicken fat, turkey, pheasant, quail. In other words, I don’t feed any fowl whatsoever. They are very high as a common allergen as BC noted. You’ll also note that when dog foods are recalled it’s typically, not always, some sort of poultry. If you choose to avoid fowl in all it’s forms don’t be fooled if a food says they are Venison or some other protein on the front of the food. Read the entire ingredient list. More than half the foods on the market will have some sort of chicken or turkey in the ingredients.

You didn’t ask but I will also tell you that I avoid canola oil like the plague. I don’t like anything about canola, don’t use it myself and it has a horrible allergic effect on all three of my dogs. Two of my dogs have no food or environmental issues whatsoever, they never did. Katie, 5 year old Maltipoo is the first dog I have ever had that has allergies. I adopted her at 9 weeks of age and she was a mess back then. It has been trial and error all the way with her but because of Katie I have had a wonderful experience on this forum and other canine forums and have gained a wealth of knowledge that I had never had a reason to know in the past. One benefit of Katie’s allergies and intolerances is that my other two girls have benefited from her having issues. They are all on raw food and look and feel great. Hannah, my 15 year old Maltese with multiple cancers (bladder and lung) has no idea she’s ill. No one would believe it including myself. No one that sees her or plays with her or watches her playing with the other two dogs can believe she is 15 years old let alone has cancer. I attribute all this to the raw food, fruits and veggies. I only wish I had started on raw many years ago.

When Katie was very very young vets had her on antihistamines, Atopica (horrible horrible medication that screws up their organs and lord knows what else). I’d taken her to a canine allergist who wanted to do skin testing which I refused to do. The poor baby was a real mess I wasn’t about to put her through that. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that not only does Katie no longer have allergy problems as related to foods, I can’t remember when the last time was that she had a antihistamine.

Rabbit can be one of the more expensive ones but there are so many other proteins you can use. Chicken is the cheapest but I always recommend anyone that has a dog with food intolerances to stay away from anything and everything with feathers. It’s worked for Katie who was in pitiful shape. There is a theory out there that just because they are allergic to chicken in a kibble doesn’t mean that they can’t eat chicken raw. That theory is just that, a theory. It is very possible to be allergic to the raw chicken as Katie is. I’ve asked before, I’d love to know who makes up all these theories out there. Most of them aren’t true. I guess sort of like “old wives tales”, some worked some didn’t.

By the way, as to the amounts of organic virgin coconut oil and the raw goats milk, you didn’t mention the weight of your dog. We would have to know that before advising you how much to add to your dogs food.

Unless your dog has an active infection, he should not be on antibiotics. They wreak havoc with the system. Also, steroids is only dealing with the symptoms and not whatever he is allergic to. I had been advised to put Katie on steroids but I and her vet said no, also no to the antibiotics. Her vet is very strict about antibiotics. ONLY if a dog has an infection either visually or proved by blood tests. She’s not real thrilled about prednisone either. The practice I go to has four vets. The one I see now that joined the practice last year is good with raw foods. The other three just push the garbage they sell and think you’re misguided feeding raw. The new vet that I use trained for a couple of years at Georgia Veterinary Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. Susan Wynn (homeopathic, holistic nutritionist). Dr. Wynn was thrilled when she found out who I was using as a regular vet. Said my dogs couldn’t possibly be in better hands.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[Terri M]

Yes! The coconut oil is organic, virgin pressed. Thanks for all your feedback/help. I value others opinions as this is the first time I have had to deal with allergies in my frenchie. My other 2 are brindle and they never had issues. He (my honey one) seems to be allergic to air! I agree about adding things slowly. 🙂

Check out this site: http://www.healx.com and look at the Omega3 Booster. This is what was recommended to me. It is a whole food supplement. Let me know your thoughts on this.

I know what you mean about treats. I came home one day to a big bag of animal cookies on my kitchen counter. My husband was trying to be sweet and fed the dogs animal cookies! LOL I knew he meant well. I have tried berries and sometimes they will eat and sometimes not. They love apples. What is your opinion on chicken? Everyone is telling me to stay away from it. We have had them on rabbit and geez it is SO expensive. Thanks for the tip about sardines!

[Dori]

Hi Terri M. Please make sure that the raw virgin coconut oil is organic. Also, with the coconut oil, don’t start at 1 TBSP. start by adding very little per meal and eventually work your way up to the TBSP. Giving your dogs that much coconut oil without having introduced it slowly is sure to cause diarrhea. As far as the raw goat’s milk, I would also introduce that slowly until you’re sure that your dog is tolerating it well. I would also not start with both the coconut oil and raw goat’s milk at the same time. If you’re dogs have any issues you won’t know what caused it. What omega 3 supplement were you thinking of using? Canned sardines in water with NO salt that you buy in the grocery store is a good way of adding omega 3. Another way is also adding a fish oil. I use Nature’s Logic Sardine Oil. I keep it in the fridge and splash a little on one of their meals in the day then the bottle goes right back in the fridge. Fish oils go rancid pretty quickly so even though a food will say it contains fish oil, it’s viable really to be of any use which is the reason that fish oil should be kept refrigerated. I feed my girls canned sardines two or three times a week either as a mid day or evening snack or as a topper on their meal and on those days I do not add the sardine oil. I prefer sardine oil to other oils because sardines have a very short life span. In other words they’re not swimming around in waters long enough to absorb a lot of the dangers and toxics that have now so contaminated our waters. I never ever feed my dogs salmon or salmon oil because of the contaminated waters that they general come from. You have to really trust your fish monger when selecting fish for your dogs and make sure they know where the fish came from.

I noticed that you said you also bought freeze dried. Keep in mind that freeze dried is the most expensive way to go.

Let me say that I am delighted that you are going to feed your dogs raw. I’ve been feeding my three dogs commercial raw foods for a little over 2 and 1/2 years, maybe closer to three and the difference in them is nothing short of miraculous. I have a maltipoo, Katie, who I used to say was allergic to life in general. She was a complete and total mess. She was always itchy, tear stain,, gas to clear a house out, diarrhea, yeasty ears, shedding like crazy (her breed is not suppose to shed, they have hair not fur…..I’m allergic to animals), I could go on and on and on. Other than the occasional bout of seasonal allergies (Spring, Fall), all those issues have cleared up. No more scratchy, stains, gas, yeast, her hair is now not shedding at all and very very shiny. Good luck I know you’ll be happy you made the switch. Eventually when you have things better under control I hope you’ll give thought to rotating your dogs commercial raw meals with different brands and the different proteins within those brands.

Sorry, one more thing. Don’t forget the treats you feed. Most commercial treats contain grains and other garbage. Not all, but most. I feed little bits of organic fruits and veggies as treats. Healthy and none cause harm as commercial treats do. You also don’t have to worry about the dreaded recalls.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[meky6ra]

Ugh, read the comments under the Pioneer Naturals review before you buy them! I used to feed Dr. E’s Limited Ingredient dog food and had the same problem that all of the reviewers had, then switched to Pioneer Naturals (which is made by the same company) and had the same problems. Someone mentioned in the comments that Pioneer Naturals didn’t follow AAFCO guidelines and I’m inclined to believe them. For a long time Pioneer Naturals had no AAFCO statement on their website (even though their other products did) until they changed their lists of ingredients. So did that mean that the original ingredient list was untruthful or didn’t follow AAFCO guidelines? I wonder… Anyway, I’ll never feed Great Life foods again.

As to a venison-only food, what about The Honest Kitchen? They don’t make a venison food, but they make a base that you prepare and add meat to yourself. I’m going to try that once my allergic dog finishes her food trial.

[Barbara]

Hi Victoria, I feel for you and agree with the others and their suggestions. Maybe you could afford the difference in price from the Ol’Roy to something better for the relatives large dogs, especially the chocolate lab with the allergies. All the corn in Ol’Roy and other bad ingredients has to contribute to the skin allergies. You might also want to search the forums for allergies and skin issues. Omega 3 really helps. I use Victor grain free dog food and it has great ingredients and if you can find a feed store or co-op near you it can be very reasonable. The grain inclusive Victor is even a better price. Check their web site for a dealer near you and call them for prices. Good luck with your quest to help these dogs.

[theBCnut]

It should be apparent that your dog is improving within the first week or so, but it can take 10 or so weeks for all symptoms to clear. With recurrant yeast infections, you should definitely suspect food allergies and you should also definitely add probiotics and digestive enzymes to each meal for a while. For many dogs with yeast, going as low carb as possible is beneficial, because one of the types of yeast that cause these problems feed off starch in the diet. Good luck. This is a beast of an issue.

[Susan]

Hi Laurie, my vet said the same thing Patch has seasonal allergies when I first got him, I kept saying maybe its his food, he gets itchy ears, red inbetween his toes & a rash on his chest when I feed him potatos. Patch cant eat Potatos, sweet potatos & now I think chicken as he starts to get hive like lumps under his skin after eating chicken I kept thinking it was from our walks the hive like lumps but this winter he has had his lumps so I started an elimination diet thats when I found he cant have potatos, sweet potatos, you need a low carb diet, yeast loves carbs….Karen Becker has a video how you have to starve the yeast, also I soak his paws in betadine antiseptic or the Detol antiseptic lotion its cheaper & does the same thing kills the yeast inbetween his toes, they smell like corn or a yeasty bread shop.. You dont say which Hills Angel is on, if its the Z/d….

When you change their food if ur slowly introducing the new food it takes maybe 2-3 weeks to start seeing results, with Patch if I stop a food thats making him itch I see results 1-2 days, they stop scratching, their paws aren’t red & Patch stops scratching his ears & shaking his head..thats when I know when he starts shaking his head & shaking his ears something that he has eatin isnt agreeing with him..
The Holistic Select Anchovy, sardines & salmon meal is suppose to be good & it has no potatos like alot of the grainfree kibbles have..Patch is on the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal limited ingredients, he’s going OK so far but when I started him on the Wellness Simple Duck & oatmeal after 3 weeks he started shaking his ears & head I looked at the ingredients again & I saw Potato Protein as soon as I stopped the Duck & Oatmeal he stopped shaking his ears then I started the Lamb & Oatmeal & he’s not shaking his ears…
I forgot is Angel on a good dog Probiotic for her stoamch & bowel?

[Dori]

Hi Chabs. I feed all three of my dogs (they are the three in my avatar) commercial raw foods. I also feed rotation with the different brands and also with the different proteins within the brands. All with the exception of anything fowl or fowl in the ingredient list. One of my girls, Katie, is highly allergic and intolerant. The brands that I rotate within are Primal Formulas, Vital Essentials Raw, Answers Detailed, Stella & Chew Raw, Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw, OC Raw. I used to feed Darwin’s also but they have upped their fat content and raised their prices so though all commercial raw foods are pretty expensive, I don’t appreciate a company raising their prices due to a fat increase. More nutritious ingredients I would have been fine with but not fat. I feed my girls pretty high fat foods as it is. I feed high protein, moderate to higher fat and low carbs. As for dehydrated foods (not strictly raw in the truest sense) I use The Honest Kitchen (now that they have removed alfalfa from Zeal), and Big Dog Natural. Once in a blue moon I would use freeze dried but freeze dried is the most expensive way to go. I used to need freeze dried when traveling with the dogs. I’m not one to drive around with frozen foods in coolers. Now that The Honest Kitchen has removed alfalfa from their Zeal formula (the only one that Katie could eat until she developed an intolerance to large amounts of alfalfa) I’m using THK and Big Dog Natural for traveling with the dogs. Yes, the commercial raws are expensive but not as expensive as having to spend a lot of money at the vet with issues that now no longer exist so it all paid off for me and my girls. 🙂

By the way, though your vet may have meant well, tear staining is not necessarily from the water but more an issue with foods being fed. Somewhat of a grain intolerance or allergy. There is not a type of water that I have not tried throughout the years. Tap, filtered, bottled, distilled, reverse osmosis. I even went so far as to put in a whole house water filtration system. I have an additional filter in the fridge. None of that worked. Changing them to grain free and then raw is what did the trick.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[Victoria W]

Hello All,
This is a desperate attempt to help a dog who is currently very very miserable. I am living with relatives for a short duration, and ever since I have been here with them their beautiful chocolate lab has had severe allergies. She is 4 years old this fall and suffers from seasonal allergies. She is so itchy, her fur is being chewed off on her abdomen and legs, and every few weeks she gets a horrible irritation under her neck that looks so infected! I don’t trust the vet my relatives are using, she seems more than happy to keep pushing very strong antibiotics and prednisone off on this dog. The dog will get better after about a week, but by better I mean the rash and oozing sores start to lessen, at the expense of her vibrance (when on the prescribed regimine of meds she just lays around and sleeps). They feed all 4 of their big dogs Ol’ Roy dog food, one of if not the worst dog foods out there. They wont listen to me about needing to change them over and currently I can push no more. ( I will continue to try though) Until they see reason what natural supplements can I give her on top of her food to help her out. Also, I’ve been giving their golden retriever who has hip dysplasia glucosimine tablets any suggestions there also.