[Linda T]

Has anyone else tried Natures Kitchen? I have tried just about all brands of dog food dry and wet over the last 8 years. I have a very allergic dog and pancreatitis. Lots going on. I am now trying the Natures kitchen dog food. Can anyone tell me how their dog is doing or if anyone else knows of this food. Thank you

[Jennifer R]

We just had allergy tests done on my 3-year-old lab and he is allergic to the following 19 food items:
Barley, beef, beets, carrots, corn, duck, fish, peanut, wheat, milk, green beans, berries, banana, squash (pumpkin), tomatoes, spinach, rice, sweet potato, and shellfish.

We have decided to make our own food for him from now on. The vet told us to just use chicken, potatoes and green peas but I am concerned about that being enough of a balanced diet for him. I am also planning to give him apples and frozen oatmeal for little treats. Does this sound like enough to keep him healthy?

[Jennifer R]

We just had allergy tests done on my 3-year-old lab and he is allergic to the following 19 food items:
Barley, beef, beets, carrots, corn, duck, fish, peanut, wheat, milk, green beans, berries, banana, squash (pumpkin), tomatoes, spinach, rice, sweet potato, and shellfish.

We have decided to make our own food for him from now on. The vet told us to just use chicken, potatoes and green peas but I am concerned about that being enough of a balanced diet for him. I am also planning to give him apples and frozen oatmeal for little treats. Does this sound like enough to keep him healthy?

• This topic was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[Judy M]

I am a holistic veterinarian. I have had the best luck in allergic dogs using raw diets like Stella N Chewy’s frozen raw. They have rabbit, which is a novel protein. Lamb works sometimes, but not always. I have found almost all American, English, and French bulldogs do better on raw diets. They are very prone to skin allergies. Also, probiotics are a must.

[Dori]

Hi BRT. The NV Instinct Raw Boost Venison has turkey meal as one of it’s ingredients, pretty high up on the list. I think it’s the second ingredient. So keep an eye on your dog incase his allergies flare up. The Salmon formula doesn’t have the turkey meal in it.

Also for the raw you can buy the NV Instinct Raw Venison in the large patties. It will come out cheaper that way. The patties are pretty large so you’ll just figure out, or the people at the store can help you out, how much of the large patty he would have to eat a day and just divide that for one of his meals.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[Dori]

YIKES! Draining the tongue is definitely not anything that I’ve dealt with or even heard of. Unless he wasn’t able to swallow and having difficulty with breathing I would have opted for the shot.

C4C You have got to figure out what your dogs are getting into. It’s just too much of a coincidence for my liking. This may sound a little nutty to you but seriously, you and your hubby have got to get down on all fours and check all through your house, all levels including basement. Anywhere and everywhere that your dogs wander in house. Then you both have to do the same thing (on your dogs level which means down on all fours) and go through your yard. They are getting something from somewhere. There may even be a beehive, wasps nest, carpenter ants, something that you’re not seeing but it is there somewhere. Like I said, it way too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. You’ve never had a dog have this happen to them and now you’ve got two?

Benadryl only. Not with anything else included on the label. 25 mg. is what has always been prescribed for any dog that I have ever had. Katie who weighs 6 lbs. gets 25 mg. anytime she’s having a really bad day with food or allergies. It’s never even slowed her down. There are times that she has gotten 25 mg. twice or three times a day. That’s also what her allergist/dermatologist and traditional vets prescribe.

Let us know what happens and also what you found either inside or outside your house. Put your thinking cap on.

Your dog on antibiotics, is he on antibiotics too?
I’m glad they are doing better, sorry for all your going through.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[Bobby dog]

Great news!! It does sound like more of a coincidence rather than two allergic reactions. Poor boys, I hope the couch is comfortable. lol 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi All-
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! The sun came up! Both dogs are breathing. They both pottied and ate. I slept on the couch down stairs with them on the floor below me. The darn cats still came down here to find me to feed them.
Griffey’s face is still a little swollen, but he doesn’t look like a sharpeii anymore. He’s lethargic, probably from the Benadryl.
Buhner has a drain tube in. I did decide to have it drained. I guess his salivary gland was clogged. Most likely, not even related to Griffey’s allergic reaction to something. Maybe whatever the cause of his throat issue last week, also caused the tongue issue? I’m kind of tired of thinking about it and if we have done the right thing. Lol! He’s still a little lethargic, but not wobbly like last night. It’s so hard to see them that way.
Griff is on Benadryl three times a day and Buhny on antibiotics twice a day. What a fun three day weekend we’ve had! I guess it could have been a lot worse.
My youngest son is camping with four or five other young men. (They are all about 19 yrs. old) I sure hope they are behaving themselves! We are tapped out on emergencies!

[theBCnut]

I have never heard of a vet trying to drain a tongue, especially from an allergic reaction. If it’s possible, I can certainly understand the reason he would want to. Since the tongue actually originates in the throat, a swollen tongue can be very dangerous/life threatening. That’s a tough one. If my dog was having difficulty breathing, I would have them do everything as quick as they can, shot, tongue draining, you name it. But if the dog was not in any kind of distress, I would have had him give the shot, knowing that he could do the other later, if needed.

I bet you’re pulling your hair out trying to figure out what the devil they could have gotten into. One of my GSDs used to all of a sudden break out in hives and get shocky. We never did figure out what caused it. I used to have to keep an epipen for her. I did learn to not go out of a particular door at work that seemed to have something to do with her episodes. I don’t know if it was a bush, a bug, or a chemical, but it sure was scary. I’ll be praying for your pups.

[Susan]

Hi C4Cats, this Benadryl you all talk about is that a cough medicine, I just Googled Benadryl & Cough mixes came up & Allergies anti itch for Adults also came up.Betsy just wrote she buys the Children’s Liquid, I know Ive seen Benadryl cough mixes in chemist ^ supermarket.. I’ll have to looks & see if we have the anti-itch one.. Is that the one I’d use.

[InkedMarie]

Yikes, no way would I feed any dog that food, especially a dog with allergies. I’d put him on almost any other food and consult a holistic vet, one who is well versed in nutrition.

[Vianca V]

InkedMarie, thank you for your suggestion I had been considering the core reduced fat too. As for my rescue, initially he had been diagnosed with a fungus 2 years ago, in may my primary vet decided to put him in a more aggressive treatment in order to finish with his condition, unfortunately it really didnt go well his skin got even more agravated and he became slightly anorexic and lethargic. After a chat with a friend of mine who manufactures natural dog shampoo she suggested I visit her vet. Her vet who really impressed performed a uv light test, a Skin Scraping/Trichogram, and a Skin Cytology. He diagnosed him with staph a bacterial infection, Candida, and allergies. He prescrived Apoquel 5.4 mg, Ku Shen Si Wu, Dandruff Formula 0.5g Caps, Cefpodoxime 100mg, and a antibacterial antifungal shampoo and conditioner. He also like I mentioned put him on Royal Canin Hypoallegenic Small Breed 8.8 lbs, these are the ingredients :Brewer’s Rice, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Vegetable Oil, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Dried Beet Pulp, Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Fish Oil, Fructooligosaccharides, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Taurine, Chlorine Chloride, DL-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (source Of Vitamin E), Inositol, Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source Of Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Magnanous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite And Rosemary Extract, Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid. Wold love any suggestions

[Dori]

So sorry to hear what happened to Griffey. It really sounds like what some of the other posters are saying. Bee sting, spider bite, something like that. A lot of us have dogs with food allergies and intolerances and I’ve never seen or heard of any reaction as you’re describing. You should always have Benadryl in your house. I even carry some in a pill container in my handbag. You never know when you might be out and about and you or your dog will have a reaction. It’s always best to get an antihistamine as soon as you see some reaction and then try to figure out what the issue is. Did the vet tell you how long you should keep giving the Benadryl. Should be about three times a day until the reaction has completely subsided and then even for a couple of days after that. When Katie is having her allergy issues (because I’ve screwed up and let her have something she shouldn’t) I give her Benadryl (25 mg.). She weighs 6 lbs. and the worst that can happen is that your dog will sleep a bit more. Doesn’t seem to bother Katie that way but just wanted you to know the drowsy part. Again, poor Griffey. How’s he doing now? Better I hope.

[Bobby dog]

OMG C4c, too bad they don’t have a frequent visit program at your Vet’s! Two visits and the third is free. lol I don’t know if hives are always allergic or could be a stress reaction either.

My friends dog ate a bee once and her face swelled up like a sharpeii too. The Vet administered the same treatment as what your dog received. He’ll be better soon! 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
I was wondering if canine hives could be caused by stress? Or is it always an allergic reaction?
When we got home last night from a Fourth of July picnic, my dog, Griffey, was rubbing his nose on the carpet and my leg. His snout was swollen. We thought maybe he injured on crate somehow due to being upset by fireworks. This morning we took him in to emergency vet because he looked like a sharpeii! Turns out he has hives. Kind of scary. He was so swollen, I was worried he couldn’t breathe. They gave him a steroid shot and some antihistamine and he’s home now.
So, anyway, I’m wondering if they could have been brought on due to the stress of the maniacs setting off what sounded like bombs last night? Or is it always an allergic reaction to something? The only thing I can think of is coconut oil being something new to him. And he actually didn’t like it much and hardly ate it. Seems like an unlikely suspect. Maybe it was something in the grass. I’m off to Target to buy Benadryl. Last week it was the other dog with an injured throat. Should have stuck with cats! Lol!

[InkedMarie]

Hi Vianca,
I’m sorry for the loss of Fluffy. I agree that most vets don’t know much about nutrition. For your dog who needs to lose weight, I had great success with Wellness Core reduced fat. I haven’t tried Annamaet Lean but others have with good luck.
For the dog with allergies, we need more information. What are the symptoms the dog has? Please post the ingredients to the dog good he eats. What other food products does he eat: treats, supplements, anything.

[Susan]

Hi Amy, its not the Frontline, frontline only penetrates the first 1-2 layers of their skin, My boy had a reaction to Advantage DO NOT USE the Advantage penetrates thru the skin to their blood, within 24hrs one side of my boys head swelled up his ear & his bottom lip swelled, & he was vomiting blood early hours of the morning, at first I didnt think the Advantage until I rung his vet. the best way to know whats happening is an elimination diet, for 1 month you just feed 1 new protein & say boiled pumkin or rice nothing else no treats nothing, thats if you think it could be foods, I used chicken in Patches elimantion diet but now I think Patch cant have chicken as the lumps on his head that look like hives got worst, Patches vet said that he has seasonal allergies & cause I just rescued him 19 months ago she said I’ll start to see a pattern, I noticed last winter Patch was good, no itch but the end of summer Patch got all his hive like lumps, itching & rubbing along the wall, this winter Patch has his hive like lumps again, so I look in Patches diary & last winter I wasnt feeding him chicken, this winter I was feeding chicken, so Ive stopped the chicken…Ive heard all these test are no good as they give false readings the best would be if you could try him on raw, Im just starting a new kibble called Wellness Simple it has limited ingredients, also watch his carbs, no potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no carrots no high carbs that turn to sugar that makes yeasty itchy skin.. If he can handle it i’d feed raw.. & google a good Raw diet for itchy skin..Ive been thinking of putting Patch on Raw but he has IBD & I have enough trouble trying to find a low fat kibble, so raw would have to much fat for Patch..also there could be a plant or grass in ur garden or on his walks that he’s allergic to, I’ve changed Patches walking route to see if that helps….Its winter here in Australia, so if Patch has enviornment allergies or seasonal allergies like his vet said, why is he getting them now being winter & he didnt last year, thats whats making me look at his food this year, I use Malaseb Medicated shampoo, & I use a cortisone cream when he gets some of the red itchy sores, I found the cortsone 1% cream is excellent Im just using my cream…just look at the ingredients in his kibble & see if there’s Potatos sweet potatos carrots, lentils any high carb foods…A friend from the dog park had a staffy that was so itchy he was red & losing his fur she tried the vet diets they didnt work then she tried the Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys sardines & salmon & her boy is looking excellent not scratching fur all grown back..so a few people from the dog park are using the Holistic Select with great results… Im also given Patch tuna & pumkin for breakfast to replace the chicken & his hives have gone. sorry for the book..Oh a good dog probiotic this will help too…good-luck

[Amy E]

Thanks for your reply, Leah.
I’ll continue to bathe him with the 2 medicated shampoos by Virbac that my vet prescribed and that should help. I’ve now got another 2 week round of antibiotics for him to clear up the bumps again. I won’t be putting Frontline on him anymore, but if he keeps itching and breaking out into next month, I’ll know it wasn’t from that. I’m going to cut out dairy and look into some grain-free foods just as a start.

I will probably end up doing the Immune IQ test if this itching continues, even with him on antihistamines (which I am going to try to up the dosage of to if it helps more without making him too drowsy, per my vet). It doesn’t really tell you conclusively that they are or aren’t allergic to things, but at lease it could give me an idea where to start with things he’s sensitive to (or may be sensitive to) and things he does not appear to be sensitive to.

Amy

[Amy E]

Hello, I’m new here.
5 months ago I adopted Moby, a 9 year old miniature schnauzer. He was from a puppy mill and weighed 7 lbs. when I got him. He now weighs 12 lbs and the vet says he’s a good weight. He came to us with ear infections, which we treated and cleared up.

He developed some small itchy bumps on his head, neck, legs and chest, which he licked, scratched and rubbed his body along the furniture. Vet diagnosed skin infection due to stress or allergies. Rx: zeniquin & clemastine for 10 days with KetoChlor shampoo followed by Allergroom shampoo daily for 3 days, then twice weekly for 2 weeks.

At 10 day recheck: All bumps healed and went away during the 2 weeks, except for one new bump on chest so 3 more days of zeniquin prescribed and continuing clemastine until winter arrives. Also supposed to bathe with the 2 shampoos once every 2 weeks.

Well… the bumps have returned on his head and neck. They started with just one here and there and have increased daily over this week. He’s starting to itch, rub and lick more again, even though he is still taking clemastine.

I feed him Eagle Pack Holistic Salmon kibble, but he also gets various treats (chicken based) and yogurt daily along with various other things like pumpkin, fresh veggies, fruit and sardines.

He came from Oklahoma and now lives in Minnesota. It just so happened that winter ended and spring began around the time we got him…the same time he started a new diet at our house…so it’s hard to know if his allergies are environmental or food based without testing (I’m considering doing a home-based test like Immune IQ). I suspect a life of poor diet and low exercise has weakened his immune system and now he’s more susceptible to everything, causing skin reactions. Besides the bumps, he has no other issues with his skin or coat (no hair loss, raw patches, etc). He has no digestive issues either. He’s a happy little guy, always wagging his tail, eats voraciously, sleeps like a log, potties on schedule (output looks good).

Do you think I should switch to a different food with fewer ingredients? If so, what? I’m going to eliminate the yogurt. We have another [senior] dog so feeding completely raw is cost prohibitive for me.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

[Vianca V]

This march I lost my beloved 15.6 year old pekingese, his name is Fluffy, I met him when I was 9 and he was my best friend and baby. Full disclosure I do have to recognize that he was older and had a few conditions but all of them where under control. In January, I had a 5 day trip scheduled and left him with my aunt who has alway taken care of him, for two weeks before that I decided to feed him Hills Prescription ID just to make sure he was eating well, when I came back although that first week he was well, the next week following up to the day he died we had a very rough go at it, he could not stop vomiting, and having bloody diarrhea, he lost a lot of weight, and was constantly dehydrated, and his blood work would show signs of renal failure and them they came back perfect. This went on for week, my concern is could that food have been somewaht responsible for what happened to him? Has anyone had a similar experience, or have you heard of something like this? I also noticed my 5 year old rescues skin condition got agravated and my moms 11 year old chihuahua developed allergies. Since then they are all of ID however my Dashound is on Hills Prescription Metabolic Diet to keep his weight in line and my 5 year old rescue is on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Small Breed Formula, at this moment they are under different tratments my dashund for weight control due to the fact that he has a propensity to slip his disk, and my rescue is being treated for allergies and a staph bacterial infection which he was diagnosed with 2 days ago as the reason why he has been having so many skin conditions. Im afraid that keeping them on these diets may lead to their prematures death but I dont know what other options I have, all vets seem to recomed are those diets and even the few vets that are homeopathic, and natural medice friendly suggest these food.

[Dori]

Hi BRT. I just read an earlier post of yours that I must have missed. Please don’t let your dogs bring their dog food and drop it on the carpet to eat it. Not just raw, there are way many more cases of salmonella with kibble then raw diets. The issue with Salmonella is not your dogs getting sick unless they already have a major underlying illness, it’s humans that get the salmonella. It is you who have to wash your hands after handling raw (as you would with any raw food for humans that you handle), also clean counter, etc. anything that touched the raw food. As I say, just as you would when you’re preparing your own dinner. What most people fail to realize is that you must also wash thoroughly kibble that carries way more issues than raw.

If any of them are still having gas, bad breath, etc. that is also part of detoxing. Perfectly normal so long as it doesn’t last too long.

I also missed that you’ve started with the Venison NV raw. That’s good. Oh, I just thought of what I read earlier on one of your posts. If you’re dog is allergic or intolerant to chicken then I would stay away from anything that has feathers. Chicken, Quail, Turkey, Duck, etc. etc. and once again any food you feed make sure there is no chicken fat, turkey meal, etc. somewhere on the ingredient list. It’s easier finding raw foods without quite so many ingredients. Venison, Bison, Buffalo. Those are good to try EVENTUALLY down the line once he’s all healed. Katie doesn’t do well with beef if I feed it more then two days in a row but she has no issues whatsoever with buffalo. Originally I had just assumed when I discovered the beef issue that it would be all red meat but that’s not the case. Good Luck and keep us posted. I’m feeling much better so I’ll try to keep up with your progress. Just be patient. Why are you smelling their food anyway, LOL. If you think Venison smells bad then you’ll pass out if you ever feed Tripe. Now that is just plain n-a-s-t-y!!!!!!!

[Dori]

Hi BRT. It will take a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks at least until the itching stops unless he’s allergic to something in the raw food you’re feeding. Katie can’t eat all raw foods, only some.

I feed all my girls twice a day. I feed them between 2.5 and 3% of their body weight daily divided into two meals. Hannah, 15 year old Maltese (9/9/14) weights 7.5 lbs. I feed her closer to the 3%. Senior dogs need higher protein and more calories. They don’t process or utilize nutrients because of aging and slowing down bodily functions. Katie 5 year old 6 lb. Maltipoo I feed 2% of her body weight. She’s my allergy girl and lives her life in one speed. SLOW MOTION. She’s not planning on exerting herself about anything anytime anywhere. She’s funny little girl. Would love to live her life in someones arms (not gonna happen, but in her ideal world I’d get a Bjorn pouch and put her in it), Lola my 5 year old Yorkipoo weighs 5 lbs. She I feed 2.5% of her body weight. She gets fed more than Katie because Lola is complete polar opposite. She is never still, has boundless energy and is always “ON”. She only stops go collapse at night for bed time. Hence she needs more food than her lazy slow motion sister Katie.

Three days is really not long enough to notice many changes. Don’t forget she has to get all other stuff out of his system then his gut has to start healing. His immune system has to normalize itself once he’s not eating any things he’s intolerant of. It doesn’t happen overnight even though we pray it would. Just be patient and give him a chance to heal. Which food are you feeding him?

[Vianca V]

I’m somewhat limited by my options, we have PETsMART, and a few independent pet stores, I’m taking one of my dogs to a specialist today to see what he suggest and the other one is going back on hills prescription diet metabolic. I really wanted them to be on a more natural diet but my dashound is putting on to much weight and what I would really hate is exposing him to herniated disk or arthritis complications. Lol, as I write this I am finding out that my mix dog (the one with the allergies/skin fungus) is going to be on royal canin hypoallergenic small breed. 🙁 I’m so frustrated tried natural and ended up with chemicals, I hope its for the best. Any thoughts?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Vianca V.

[Isabel P]

I have been feeding Orijen for a few years and I’m not happy about their decision to produce food in KY only for sale to the US consumers. I was willing to pay a higher price because it came from Canada which I feel has stricter regulations and uses wild caught/ locally sourced ingredients.
I will be watching how this develops closely, as 1 of my 3 dogs is highly allergic and needs to eat not only grain free but also potato free food, which means limited choices.

[Trout-lily]

Thank you aquariangt for your response. I do have another question for you or anyone else that is listening; what is the big deal about being grain free? I do know that Berners are seldom allergic to soy and my parents lab is definitely allergic to wheat and corn. However is there any other benefit for going grain free other than avoiding allergies?

Thanks!

[tecknik]

I agree with you completely Michele. Dinovite is garbage and as far as identifying what the dog is allergic to, well, if it were that easy, we wouldn’t be on this site posting about this useless product!

[Michele N]

I’ve done my research with my dog for the past 5 years, as he’s had issues since I’ve had him. I KNOW how to read a label, and believe me, I’ve spent more time doing that than anyone I know. I am not an idiot that doesn’t know how to read ingredients, and I am offended at Dinovite, who sent me an ingredient list, of a dog food, that is NOT even what I feed my dog. Maybe THEY should do their research before sending out an email of an ingredient list of a completely different dog food then what I feed my dog. It’s pretty ignorant if you ask me. I have the privilege of knowing pet nutritionist, holistic vets, and have come to my own conclusions, that feeding raw is the very best option, especially if you use your own human food, because then you know exactly what your dog is eating. Unfortunately I cannot afford to feed him this on a daily basis, nor do I always have the time to prepare it for my 3. I am lucky to have 2 excellent pet food stores, not big commercial chain stores, that actually do their research and buy high quality dog and cat food. I switched to grain free years ago, but until I found a brand that used a very limited amount of ingredients did my poor allergy sufferer get any true relief and his skin infection cleared up,and all of his fur grew back. I also think taking him to an allergist and having him tested for every ingredient in dog food, is not only ridiculously expensive, but it’s a huge waste of money. The fact being that the dog food companies use fillers with their mix of vitamins, some of which come from China and India. This is NOT listed on the ingredients on any package including this Dinovite stuff. So that being said, none of us REALLY know every single ingredient in dog food, or premixed vitamins, like Dinovite. Who knows where they get the fillers used to bind the vitamin mix. Who knows for sure what is truly in it? Fact is, my dog is allergic to the outside environment and there isn’t anything I can do to prevent that, which is partly why I wanted to try this Dinovite to help him with this time of year, as they claim the vitamin mix helps dogs with yeast and allergy issues. But instead of helping him, it made him break out with red bumps all over his body, and now we have to deal with a skin infection. There is obviously something in this product that he is very allergic to. So my question is, why is this company putting ingredients in their product, that could cause these severe allergic reactions in dogs that already have immune suppressed systems? Why are they telling people to put their dogs on a yeast free, and grain free diet, yet put those ingredients in their supplement? It seems highly irresponsible of this company to CLAIM to help these dogs, only to make them worse. I can use my own supplements in my dogs food, which is what I was doing, without issues, so I guess, yes , I should’ve known better. Any product out there that CLAIMS to be a cure all, is really a SCAM! I have learned to trust my better judgement, and know that most of these pet products are full of crap. Literally! Also explain to me why when I emailed Dinovite, telling them since putting my dog on it, he is itchier, that,they told me that I need to keep him on it longer because I haven’t given it enough time to do it’s work? Maybe they need to hire some reputable people that give out good advice instead of just caring about their pocket book. Maybe they need to put a disclaimer on their product, stating that this supplement may actually make your dog sicker than he was before starting him on it, and may require you taking him to the vet and paying out enormous vet bills to fix the problem that our product may cause your pet. This product may have helped other dogs that don’t have poor immune systems that can handle the crap they put in this product.

[theBCnut]

You need to actually do the work to figure out what ingredients it is that your dog is reacting to. Then you will be able to read a lable and know, before you feed it to your dog, that he is allergic to it.

[Michele N]

I have a 5 year old German Shepherd who has had allergies since he was just a pup. We have tried just about everything out on the market to relieve his itching. He has itched his fur off at times, and it is black underneath. He has a yeasty smell to him. He had to be on steroid shots when he was younger due to his terrible outbreaks and skin infections. He gets worse in the summer, but his problem went year round. Until I got sick of having him on high doses of Benadryll and taking him to the vet for the allergy medicine, which really didn’t help the problem, just gave him a little relief. After a year of me spending hours of researching nutrition , and yeast problems in dogs, I stumbled upon a dog food, that pretty much saved my dogs life. It is Dr. E’s Limited Ingredient Grain and Potato Free Food. It only contains 5 ingredients. For the first time in his life, my dogs fur grew back and he stopped itching and he didn’t smell anymore. I also have him on supplements, probiotics, digestive enzymes by Mercola, Jointsaver, & Lysine. This spring came all the pollens and grass which he is also allergic to, and he started itching again. Although this time he didn’t scratch off his fur. He just had some hot spots, and so I had a friend suggest trying Dinovite, because he said it was helping his dog. I can say that since I put him on this supplement, about a week and a half, he has been itching himself until he bleeds. I emailed the company and they said that was not enough time for the product to work. So I continued a couple more days, and now I am ready to toss this stuff in the garbage. I am so steaming furious, that this company would put out a product that contains yeast as an ingredient, and a ground grain sorghum, and then tell you to put your dog on a yeast and grain free diet, makes no sense to me. I don’t know where they source their ingredients, maybe China, I don’t know, but what I do know is that my dog hasn’t been this bad off in years. He has red bumps all over his legs, back, stomach, groin, even his tail. He is so miserable, that now I may have to have him go back on the terrible medicine I wanted him off of. He has bad hips and elbows and arthritis, so the last thing he needs to be on are steroids. But now it seems as if he has a horrible skin infection after being on this product. We haven’t changed anything else in his diet , so I know for sure, that this reaction is caused from the Dinovite. I absolutely DO NOT recommend giving ANY dog this product that has allergies, immune disorders, pancreatic disorders, or skin problems. He was doing oK, with his allergies, he was itchy, but he didn’t have these red bumps all over his body, and he wasn’t scratching himself bloody. Now I am going to have a huge vet bill, on top of a very miserable dog. I am One very UNHAPPY customer. I should have known better. The less ingredients he has in his diet , the better. There is no miracle cure for allergies, and any product that claims to be, is lying. The only thing you can really do, is limit your dogs ingredients, find a food that has limited ingredients or feed a raw diet so that you know exactly what your dog is eating. Use human grade supplements recommended by a holistic vet, and research dog nutritionists and find one and talk to one if you can. And if you dog is allergic to pollen and grass like mine is, give them baths frequently after they’ve been outside. I use Zymox enzymatic shampoo and rinse. I also have used Dermagic and all of their products are fantastic, especially the hot spot salve. It doesn’t just sooth the itchy skin, it takes the hot spots away. I am mad that I got sucked in to this SCAM at my dogs expense!

[james m]

We have a miniature schnauzer who have itchy skin, and allergies. We were recommended blue buffalo basics salmon and potato. He has been on it for a while and does well with it. Unfortunately it’s a little too much for our current budget. Are there any other less expensive brands I should consider that are close in nutrition and allergy friendly? Thanks in advance.

[aquariangt]

Natural balance is good in theory but as they were bought out by del monte, they won’t very likely make this list. It is nice for pinpointing allergies

[Delia W]

I have not tried this food on our English Bulldog, but several people say this has been the best choice for their dog with allergies. NATURAL BALANCE LID (no chicken). Could you give us your idea’s. Thank you. Delia Winn

[Anita L]

C4C and BObby’s Mom:
I actually love flavoring things with it and don’t mind the smell of white vinegar….I clean/dust with it and like the smell. Smells “clean” to me. HaHa

Somehow I missed the ACV foot bath link. But, I used to dip their feet in a white vinegar solution to help with the allergies that I now know is yeast. Sometimes it’s the simple things….that I forget! 🙂 This is a definite that I will do this afternoon.

Aw Poo! I meant UNrefined (on the coconut oil) being the same as virgin…..brain going in too many directions at once. 🙂

When I get ready for the canned, I guess I’ll be heading to WM. Oh how I hate WM! I will definitely have my list together and have plenty of time to wait in the long lines. Hopefully it’ll be fine. Thanks for the info on the amounts!

Man! I’m loving this! (I’m such a nerd!) 😉

[Akari_32]

Ok, I’ll use that for now.

She doesn’t care. She still feeds him candy, or bread or some crap, and then when I yell at her for it she says “you only live once! You still eat ice cream don’t you?” I may be allergic to milk, but it doesn’t give me a nasty, fully body skin infection. My stomach just hates me for a few hours. Big difference, there, retard. She also refuses to pay for the $50 worth of food and shampoo I bought I for him, and went off at me last night for me not having any money. “I’ll pay for his food when he’s eating what I want to feed him.” Whatever. When I don’t give you the money for my bills that are under your name because I have to feed your dog, don’t come crying to me.

That particular store carries a lot of weird meats. There’s a large population of Ukrainians, Russians, and Haitians, etc, around here, so that Publix orders in lots of meats they use in there cookings. The one I work at, down the road, doesn’t get anything fun in, though I’m sure they could. I’m more sure how other companies work, but just ask you never know :p

[zcRiley]

ANITA, all this fantastic advice & info, huh? In case you’re overwhelmed, you can also reverse your process of elimination by eliminating everything plus all treats except for the Miracle Pack (start that with tiny tiny increments). My own pooch couldn’t wait for trial & error awhile back, I stopped everything cold turkey. Stopped the shots, the meds, everything. It was cleansing time.

START WITH: Nature’s Variety Instinct Turkey Meal Formula (Dry). It has ONE protein & does NOT contain grain, gluten, potato, dairy, eggs, chicken, beef, or fish (half of which feeds yeast/allergies etc). , just add 1/4 cup of water to your portion for moisture & the correct amount of the Miracle Pack). And absolutely nothing else. No treats. Hard to do? Yes, it is. Will your dogs survive? Yes, they will. Then you graduate to Brothers Complete Advanced Allergy Care dry food. You’ll see the ingredients & know what you just “added”. Then move on to grain free treats only.

No oatmeal anything shampoo (feeds yeast). If medicated shampoos give an allergic reaction, try Aroma Paws Rosemary Tea Tree (Yeast & Bacteria Healing Formula), it’s all natural. There’s a matching spray, too.

Trifexis is the best (fleas). Comfortis is good but not for ticks.

And lots & lots of clean water to drink. Good luck with whatever method you choose!

[Susan]

Hi, how much Coconut Oil would you give an 16-17 kilo dog thats about 37lbs????? & is the refined oil the best????? Ive written it down somewhere.. Also Patch has Diarrhea problems, vet saying IBD.. he hasnt had no diarrhea since last December after a food change, do I introduce him to the coconut oil so slowley, he’s starting to smell like a yeasty stinky dog..Im thinking he never had the yeasty smell last winter, so Im thinking maybe the banana & toast that he gets of a morning is causing the over yeast growth ..I started the toast as he has bad reflux in the morning, the toast keeps his chicken & pumkin down, Ive stopped the chicken as new vet is thinking he may have intolarences or allergic to the chicken, Im crossing my fingers & hoping it is the chicken thats making him ill of a morning…Thanx

[Dori]

Hi BRT. Sorry for the delay in my reply. I’ve been a bit under the weather the last few days but I’m coming around soon.

I have three toy dogs, a Maltese, a Yorkipoo and a Maltipoo. They’ve all been on commercial raw for approx. a year and a half. For treats I give them organic fruits and veggies. They love them and the raw food. With the raw fruits and veggies I don’t have to yet again go crazy reading ingredients to make sure that Katie (allergy girl) can tolerate them. She can’t as they all have some ingredient she is intolerant and/or allergic to.

By the way, on your vet’s comments on raw food. That’s pure ignorance speaking. Most raw feeders will tell you, and it is true, western vets know medicine. They DO NOT know nutrition. At best, maybe they had a couple of hours of schooling on nutrition when they were in school. I like my regular vet very much but she knows that the issue of what I feed my dogs is a closed issue. We have learned to agree to disagree. I take them to her for any medical reasons and their yearly blood work up and titers and that’s it. I’m not interested in what I feed MY dogs. They live with me, I know what they react to and what they don’t. I know the differences that raw has made in their lives. Do not put to much emphasis on what the vets tell you about nutrition cause they don’t know it. Just stay strong, make a decision and stick to it. Don’t let the vet put your dogs on antibiotics for staining, it will make matters worse for them and their immune system. And also, don’t let the vets talk you into feeding whatever foods they sell out of their offices that are not fit for any living breathing animal to eat. I read ingredients like crazy to make sure that if their are ingredients that I cannot pronounce, do not know what they are and I wouldn’t eat it, then I don’t feed it to my girls.

[BRT]

So, I decided to go with the NV Raw Venison Bites. I started them on it this evening. The person who sold me the food also feeds her dog raw and she recommended I don’t mix the kibble and the raw together while transitioning the foods. She said I should start with dinner and give them less kibble and then an hour later feed them a bit of the raw bites. Slowly do that until their dinner is completely raw. Then work on transitioning breakfast.

I took her suggestion and someone is a little gassy. I think it’s my maltese/toy poodle boy (the one with the allergy issues).

This food smells, too. They loved it, but I found the smell awful.

My other concern is that little rescue baby (shih tzu/yorkie) likes to bring his kibble into the living room and eat off of the carpet. He’ll bring a mouthfull at a time and drop it on the carpet. Obviously, I can’t have him doing that if I’m feeding him raw.

I also don’t want to get too paranoid about cross contamination. Like if they eat and then go play with a toy. Do I need to religiously wash the toy daily?

In addition to food allergies/intoleranc he also definitely has environmental allergies, as well.

I’ve never tried the food elimination diet. I’m not even sure I’d know where to start.

I also didn’t realize how expensive this food is. I guess I’ll be eating Ramen noodles for a while. Just kidding…. Anything to keep my boys healthy.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by BRT.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by BRT.

[Regina D]

Before the sickness, no change. When we first got him, we fed Blue Wilderness that we had left from previous pet. (By the way, he eats no treats, no table food, gets nothing from outside). When the BW was almost gone, we saw here that Whole Earth Farms, by Merrick, was top rated. We also leave out at all times, dry Dr. Tim’s (recommended here). We decided to try that (introduced by weaning off BW till gone). He did fine on that (adult or chicken/turkey formulas) for a few weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I tried the beef stew formula. In retrospect, that may be the culprit. While he was sick, chick & rice, then gradually adding his regular canned. Was tolerating. Yesterday I mixed in about 1/3 can of beef stew with his other food, and this morning the “grumbling” started again (wretching and not eating, no vomiting, no diarrhea). Today the pet food store people sold me Natural Choice chicken,rice,oatmeal (he doesn’t seem to be allergic to grains) and Canadae chicken/rice to try. I don’t like the ratings on these, but thought the chicken/rice formulas may be helpful till he gets better. I am not mixing, just trying the NC first. Someone said to try dry food only, or dry mixed with 1/2 can. Can be so confusing!! Everyone has a different opinion. And vets always want to use a prescription food – I don’t want to go that route if I don’t have to.

[Susan]

Hi, have you ever tried an elimination cooked diet, its very rare for a dog to be allergic to that many proteins, Id be looking at the carbs the fillers in the kibbles that you have tried & it takes a good 3 weeks to see any results, the best way & I know it takes time is the elimation diet… start with a protein say turkey or duck with some pumkin mixed thru for one straight month, no treats nothing no other foods & with the carbs watch out for wheats, potatotes sweet potato any high carbs.. Brown or white rice are Ok, good as fillers when on elimination diets… I use pumkin as Patch get the runs from rice but not grounded rice is OK with him….any carbs that convert to sugars they make yeast thats what makes them stinky & itchy….Im going thru this with my dog at the moment, he normally doesnt itch in winter but he’s itchy this winter, so now Im looking at the food, before vet said it was grasses pollens etc but its winter & there’s no pollens at the moment, Like Betsy said Im trying the Wellness Simple limited ingredients range kibbles, Ive just bought Patch the Duck & Oatmeal Formula, it has no eggs, no gluten, no dairy, no corn, no by-products, no soy or No artificial preservarties, colours or flavours, its a good start, also can ur boy eat wet tin foods they dont have all the processed stuff that kibble have..Start all over again from scratch, thats what Ive been doing this week, Ive also been using human tin Salmon to replace Patches chicken mixed with pumkin he loves it, but I still havent started the Wellness Simple Duck kibble as the vet said 1 thing at a time, if Patch can handle the Salmon with his IBD then next week Im starting the Simple Duck but Ive given him a few simple Duck kibbles & he loved them so Im just using them as a treat for this week so far there’s been no diarrhea, the Wellness simple does have a Salmon & Potato kibble but Im trying the Oatmeal instead of too many potatos try & look at all the foods he has had & see what carb ingredient was in most of them then try a kibble that doesnt have the same Carb ingredients.. thats way Im trying the Oatmeal its something Ive never tried..keep us posted, Id like to know how he went & what food you choose..but Raw is the best if you can handle it.. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx

[Anita L]

Thanks for all the info BCNut and BobbyDog!

I will definitely be going to TSC tomorrow for the DE.
Our 55 lb Aussie/Blue Heeler (Gazpacho or Spocho) mix is the one that is having the worst reaction with the fleas (hot spot and hair loss -wise). Doc said she is allergic. He put activyl on her and said don’t bathe her for the next 3 or 4 weeks. But she has no hair on her butt (baboon butt)! He also gave her a shot for the itching. That was Friday and today, Mon, she is itching horribly. So now I am realizing about the house, the yard, the bedding, etc. We do not have carpet (hate it!). Actually we have slab right now due to water damage, ugh! But we do have a rug in the den and a rug in the bedroom. The rug in the den is a shag rug! I am dreading treating it but I know I have to. Any suggestions on this?

Spocho is also 9 years old and has trouble with her hips. The DE sounds like it would help her greatly! I am thinking that I will add it to the other supplements (Miracle Pack) which I give in plain yogurt. They love it!

On the treats, I do have some milk bones, marrow bones and raw hides left. I’m thinking I need to quit being cheap and throw them out. I have done so much research on the food that I haven’t gotten to treats and don’t even know where to start. Suggestions?

On the food, my pups only get kibbles (the quality kind). Now I am wondering if I need to add a canned food (quality kind of course).??????

I will also be picking up the medicated shampoo and the p/i sounds great too. I have coconut oil that I use already (on my skin, my hair, cuts/scrapes, and the list goes on). I tried to put it on Spocho’s butt once and it def seemed to soothe her right away, but a few mins later she was licking it off….is that normal?

I’m also thinking of adding coco oil to their supplements. What would you recommend on this? How much and how often?

Sorry for so many questions. I appreciate any answers!

[Dori]

All my dogs (three toy breeds) are fed commercial raw diets as of about 1 1/2 years ago. I rotate brands as well as proteins. I can now rotate them from meal to meal without a slow transition but that took quite a while to accomplish. Their guts are now at the point that changing from protein to protein doesn’t bother them in the least. My favorite of the commercial raw brands are Primal Pronto (although any of their complete “Formulas” are great), Natures Variety Instinct Raw, Answers Detailed Raw (a bit hard to find), Darwin’s Natural Selection (that’s an auto delivery food only from their web site or by phone), Vital Essentials Raw. These are the brands that my dogs have thrived on. Some of the others are pretty popular also such as Stella & Chewy’s, etc. my dogs haven’t faired as well on the other brands. Since being on raw they no longer has goopy stuff coming from their eyes, tear stains are gone, no more yeasty ears, their skin and coats are healthy and very very shiny. Oh, also no more gas, gurgling tummies, no more smelly poops. You’ll find that their poops are much much smaller and firm enough to easily pick up and dispose of. Their bodies utilize more of the nutrition in raw than they do on kibble. Added benefit of raw is that they are grain free. Dogs don’t have a necessity for grains, white potatoes, corn, soy, etc. One of my girls is allergic to all things poultry (anything with feathers) so I avoid all of those.

Many people start their puppies right on raw after a couple of weeks being home. Usually when you bring a puppy home it’s best to keep them on their same food for a couple of weeks that they were eating at the breeder. Theory being that they are stressed enough going home with a stranger to a new environment with no familiar scents, missing litter mates, etc. But then you do a slow transition as if you were transitioning from kibble to kibble. Initially you may find that the puppy has some diarrhea but that will pass. What I did was purchase a product from The Honest Kitchen called Perfect Form and while I was transitioning them to raw (good for transitioning any foods really until they get healthy enough to transition without issues) I would add the recommended dose to each of their meals. Gets rid of the diarrhea almost instantaneously. At least that’s been my experience with the product. I no longer feed dehydrated foods because to me they’re not strictly raw. Not crazy about freeze dried either.

Commercial raw is more expensive than kibble but you’ve already been feeding ZiwiPeaks which is an expensive dog food already so it shouldn’t be too shocking. I believe raw is much healthier therefore you save a ton of money at the vet which makes up for the more expensive diet.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[BRT]

I have an eight year old male maltese/toy poodle mix. He’s 19 lbs. Anyway, my poor boy is struggling with allergies. He’s actually on prednisone for a week. Otherwise, he’s perfectly healthy.

He cannot tolerate chicken, beef, and lamb. He’s been on Lotus Grain Free Duck for a year and his itching is still pretty bad, so the vet and I are thinking we need to add duck to the list of foods that don’t work for him. Plus, I just found out the glucosamine chews he’s been on are beef flavored. Ugh! Now, I just switched him to a veggie based hypo allergenic chew.

I feel so bad for him and want to find him some relief. I’ve been doing a lot more research and my options are switching him to Lotus Grain Free Fish. I’ve also been researching Nature’s Variety.

I’ve looked at NV Instinct Kibble Salmon formula, NV Instinct Raw Boost Kibble Venison formula, and of course NV Instinct Raw Venison formula. I have no idea what to choose.
Of course his vet is completely against raw.

Please, please help me decide. I have to find a food that will give him some relief.

He used to be on Natural Balance Venison for the longest time and did great on it, but after the recall I never went back. Then I learned they were bought out and the food hasn’t been the same.

Thank you!

[Jazz Lover]

I’ve read same re bacteria HDM. That is good info re veggies which I’ve not heard prior.

I have plain yogurt but have yet to try. Still a bit concerned re calcium, although he is 14mos. He’s been on nor cal honey (1T) & 2 10mg allergy rx for seasonal allergies. I want to be sure I can identify what affects him if there’s an issue, so not to get crazy w/ too many changes.

I ordered the book “Unlocking… !

[Becky]

I love this site! Every time I come here I find what I’m looking for. I have a pug with this staining issue, but it’s more a saliva problem than the tears. All around her mouth and chin is stained. Her tongue hangs out of her mouth so anywhere she lays she leaves stains, and she licks her feet so they’re stained, too. Her breath has a metallic smell to it.

She’s on Rx food for bladder/kidney problems so I can’t really change her food. I do give her filtered water, for the bladder problem. I use stainless steel bowls. She’s 12 and this staining thing just came up a few months ago. She’s been on the same food and water for years. I mentioned it to the vet tech when she was in for a nail trim and she said it was probably allergies.

I’ve been wiping her face already (she’s a pug….). Any other suggestions? I wish I could stop it inside her mouth before it comes out in the saliva all over my house!

[Jean Ann]

Cardiologist Dr. Charla Jones (Austin, TX) sees my Cavaliers, and she says the high protein, grain free dry foods are too rich for my dogs. Too much protein is hard on the kidneys, etc. Also, my dogs tend to gain weight on it (bad for their hearts); their normal weights range from 17 to 19 lbs. The other dry foods that are not rated well. My Cavaliers get very high grade fish oil twice daily and are doing beautifully heart-wise. Limited ingredients have about 21% – 24% protein and doesn’t taste very good, but they’ll eat it.
Also our 6 month old, 7 lb grand dog, Lily, gets dark gunk in her ears when eating the Victor dry and she started having congestion and a wet nose wheeze when on Merrick grain-free, but that could be seasonal allergies, I guess. At a loss as to what to feed her.
We fed Muenster organic for years. NEED HELP Any help out there?
Many thanks, Jean Ann Jones

[Jean Ann]

Three Cavalier, two with MVD but stage 0. Looking for well-balanced dry food

[Dolly]

Hi,

I wanted to start giving my 15 yr old glucosamin chrondroitin supplements as she has arthritus. I bought a bottle with the following ingredients listed: Sodium, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroiton Sulfate- under other ingrediants: cellulose, gelatin, magnesium stearate and it says contains shrimp.

She has no known allergies, I wanted to know 1- is this safe? She also has mild heart problems which she is taking medicine for so I wanted to make sure this wouldnt cause any heart related strain.

Second- what is the dosage? she weighs about 55lbs.

Last- I also have a 9 year old cocker spaniel (about 30 lbs)- he shows no stiffness or pain, he’s very active and entergetic, but should I start him on a lower dosage now to help avoid it in the future?

thanks!

[Mom2Cavs]

I used to love Natural Balance for my gang. I had one with intolerances/allergies and digestive issues and this food helped at that time. I also loved that they had canned and treats to “match”, making it easier to feed an intolerance prone dog. Sadly though, they have since sold to Del Monte and that makes them a no go for me anymore. If I had to use them to sort out an allergy I might….but I would search for other ways to do it first. It’s really frustrating when a food you like and trusted sells out to a large conglomerate. If I had to shop at Petco, I would use Wellness or Nature’s Variety.

[theBCnut]

Natural balance is a good tool for figuring out food intolerances and allergies, but it isn’t a food I would want to feed every day.