[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

[Cassandra S]

Hi there! I’m new to the forum, but I follow DFA news as closely as possible.

I own two pitbull mixes. Emma is a 2 year old German Shepherd/Pit Bull mix with back leg/hip problems. She has not be diagnosed with hip displaysia, but I have been told to put her on glucosamine/chondroitin supplements. Zooey is a 1 year old Pit Bull/possible Labrador mix…(not quite sure what she’s mixed with.) Both dogs are rescues.

Emma and Zooey both have gas issues. Lately Emma has been vomiting at least 2 or 3 times a week. Occasionally she vomits up pieces of kibble, other times its just foamy with bits of grass. Both dogs are a little picky. It’s been impossible to find a food that they both like. They are currently on Purina Dog Chow (which I hate, but I had to do it because of budget constraints) but I am looking to switch them over to a better quality food that won’t break my wallet (or my boyfriend’s). In the past, I had Emma on Blue Buffalo Wilderness, but she stopped eating it; I then switched her to Nature’s Variety Duck. She liked it for a while but then she started to only eat the freeze-dried raw kibble and not the rest of her food. Then I switched her to Merrick’s Bison and Sweet Potato recipe, but she began to chew incessantly on her legs to the point where she was going bald. This is about the time I rescued Zooey.

Zooey was on Vet Prescribed Science Diet. She ate it and then Emma started eating it. It concerned me because it was a puppy food and Emma has problems with her legs and I didn’t want her to gain weight and create more issues. I eventually put both of them on Purina True Instinct (the turkey venison one?) and they both liked it and ate it up, but again Emma would begin to vomit occasionally. I then switched them to Taste of the Wild, but neither of them would touch it. I tried Merrick’s Pork and Sweet Potato recipe and Zooey loved it, but Emma once again began itching and chewing and I worried for her health so I switched to Nature’s Variety again, which neither of the ate…

Since I just recently moved and changed jobs, money has been tight, so that is the reason they ended up on Purina Dog Chow…

Any sort of recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Neither dogs have allergy diagnoses, but I believe Emma may be allergic to fish (both Merrick foods had fish in them) since she had the itching and chewing problems.

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

[Dori]

I wouldn’t. I have a dog with many food intolerances and allergies as well as environmental issues. She had very yeasty ears. What fixed that issue was going to an all grain free diet also free of corn, soy, white potatoes and any type of poultry. I avoid anything that has any type of yeast in it. Any food or supplements that I have tried with her that contain yeast of any sort starts the yeasty ears all over again. My other two dogs though not having any allergies or intolerances whatsoever also used to have gunky ears. Their ears have all cleared up also once I made all the switches. All clear now. Good Luck.

[Amy B]

Hi everyone,
I’m finding this thread quite interesting. My 2.5 year old Maltese x Pomeranian has been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. He is allergic to fleas, dust mites and has food allergies. We still haven’t gotten the food part down pat yet and are a bit unsure what to do.
When he was younger he used to be on kangaroo mince and veggies, or beef and veggies. He seemed to be allergic to these so the vet suggested we put him on a novel protein of goat and sweet potato. He was doing well on this diet until the goat was costing us $80 per 3 weeks!
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we should put him on?
Lisa D I also heard from a pet store employee that fish is good for them. Could you explain to me more how long your dog has been on this diet for? And also why you spray him with white vinegar?
I was told to purchase fish mince from BARF dog Big Dog pet food range (all natural) but I saw it contained fine chicken bones (only after I purchased it) but I wanted to see how he would go on dry food as well. Has anyone had any positive experiences with sensitive skin dry food products?
PS. I’m from Australia

Thanks in advance! 🙂

[Dori]

I thought I would chime in also on Brother’s Complete dog formulas and the people at Brother’s. I truly believe that Brother’s is one of the best kibbles on the market (may be the very best) and the owner, his wife and sons who all run the business are truly kind, conscientious people who love canine’s and try very hard to help their consumers and anyone else who ask a question of them. Also, they are ALWAYS available either by phone or email. Wonderful people. I cannot say enough good things about them. The food is really fabulous. My dogs really did fabulous on their food and if you choose to use their food in your rotation you cannot go wrong. Unfortunately for me and my girls I had to discontinue the use of the food because all their formulas contain some sort of poultry and one of my girls is really highly allergic. As she is the poop eater in the group (I run around like a nut picking up as quickly as they all go but she always manages to find something if it’s my husband who lets the dogs out in the yard) I had to switch all three girls to fowl free food. They now all eat raw.

DFA is a fabulous site and Mike and Sandy have truly done a wonderful job. We’ve all gotten a free educational here and though I’ve thanked Mike and Sandy often, I don’t think they really understand how indebted we all are to them. Unfortunately, the site also brings out “trolls” as they are called. I think of them as despicable human beings who decided that their envy of Richard, his knowledge, his sons and their food were fair game for them. It’s really a shame because Richard brought so much knowledge to this site. I will also be forever indebted to Richard because he shared Katie’s story (allergy riddled poop eating dog of mine and one of the loves of my life) with Shawna and gave me her phone number after getting her permission a couple of years ago. She helped me enormously and continues to help me now with all that we are going through with Hannah.

[NectarMom]

I been using Brother’s Complete for 2 yrs and 3 of mine do fine on it and my 4th girl does not do well on it because she is allergic to Poultry and fish but I can honestly say before I started using it my dogs smelled yeasty and it took approx. 8 months to get the yeast out of their systems when feeding only Brother’s Complete and now they are free and clear of Candida Yeast. I now rotate different brands that are grain free and white potato free. Brother’s Complete will always be one of our rotation foods.

[meky6ra]

Yes, she has a history of allergies. She was more or less allergy free for two years, then I decided to try the WEF, then BAM! hives! I’m pretty sure that she’s had all of the other ingredients before, if the ingredients list is accurate.

When my husband and I adopted her, we didn’t know anything about dogfood, didn’t know what was in the food that we were feeding her, and struggled with her horrible allergic attacks. Her health was what made us start researching dogfoods. Before we stopped feeding her supermarket brands or Royal Canin (the food our vet recommended) I don’t know if she ate pork or not. Since then, though, she hasn’t had pork and she hasn’t been itchy until now.

I also know that she’s allergic to plastic, which is what the WEF packaging is made of. I thought that maybe it was the plastic, so tried Merrick Pork, which has packaging similar to ones that she’s been ok with in the past. WORSE hives than the WEF were the result. Now she’s back on her Wellness Simple Salmon and Peas. Her hives are going away, so this is why I think that it was the pork.

I also don’t think that a dog has to be on a dog food for very long to be allergic to something. Sometimes a dog develops an allergy over a long period of time, but sometimes not.

[DogFoodie]

So, it sounds like you’ve possibly dealt with other intolerance / allergies that your pup might have had previously. Is that the case? At first, I thought this was his first reaction ever, to anything. It seems like a dog that has any intolerance / allergy, is likely to have more.

I’d probably compare the rest of the ingredients just to be sure. I’d hate to see you rule out pork. Maybe keep it in your back pocket (figuratively) to try again another time just to be sure. My thought was that it could been another ingredient or an environmental allergy…, or depending on the type of reaction, it could’ve been a problem with the food (an ingredient, a chemical, preservative or some sort of chemical reaction).

And, I don’t believe you have to have had prior exposure in order to illicit a response. I have a pup whose food intolerances have me confounded. I believe his food intolerance issues started as a result of vaccinosis as a tiny pup. He’s just turned two and there are very few foods I can feed him. I never know what he’ll react to and I always have a food spreadsheet going.

[meky6ra]

I guess her allergic attack could have been caused by something in the environment that happened to be around at the same time that I gave her the new food… My vet said that was possible. Nothing else in the ingredients seemed like possible triggers, also. It just seemed like too much of a coincidence.

[Lynn J]

I believe that you need exposure to an allergen for awhile before you develop the allergic reaction. That’s not to say that pork didn’t agree with your dog, or that you didn’t need a longer transition period.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Mary,

In what way did it inflame your dog’s allergies?

I’d be a little surprised if your dog had a pork allergy that you were unaware of.

[meky6ra]

Oh no! I just bought a bag of WEF beef and lamb and started transitioning my dog to it. I did notice that it smelled a little funny, but not bad enough to cause alarm. It had a bitter smell that reminded me of horse feed. Fortunately for us, it inflamed my dog’s allergies (I assume because of the pork, as she’s never had it before) and I had to stop feeding it. I inspected the kibble pretty well and didn’t see any unusual particles.

[pearl i]

Hi,

Our 10 month old puppy has had continuous itchy skin since we brought him home: licks/ sometimes bites the inside of both groin areas, and his front paws, one more than the other. When we got him from the breeder he was IAMS (chicken protein), then has switched to Orijen LBP (chicken protein), and is currently on Acana Pacifica (fish protein.) He started Acana about a month or so ago, and is still itchy. This week was his second time visiting the vet for antibiotics, antihistamines, cream, etc (not prednisone this time, as he was prescribed that in April for the same issue.) Our vet believes it to be a food allergy as per his age, she wants him to continue on Acana Pacifica and give it some more time. However, she mentioned possibly trying venison or rabbit if Acana Pacifica doesn’t work out.

I researched a bit and found Natural Balance LID, it has high reviews in regards to relieving allergies, but the ingredients are listed to average- below average according to this website. I would like to switch him over to another dry food that is highly ranked with a different protein that he has not tried: venison, rabbit.

Anyone have any feedback related to this? Recommendations for a dry food?

Thank you in advance!

[Tina]

Anyone own a Golden Retriever? If so what do you feed yours?
My Golden Retriever Angel is 8 years old and has these problems;
*dry skin
*itchy skin
*red skin
*scabs all over back, chest and tail
*weak hip and joints
*Gains weight really quick
*eats very fast
*Very gassy
She is on Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior along with Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Adult and Wellness Simple Salmon and Potato mixed in. She has only had chicken her entire life. These are the brands that she has tried as a puppy and a adult;
*Eukanuba Puppy
*Purina Pro Plan Puppy
*Purina One Adult
*Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Adult
*Royal Canine Golden Retriever
*Blue Buffalo Large Breed Senior
*Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior
*Wellness Simple Salmon and Potato
None of these I was happy with and none of them did the trick except for Royal Canine (kinda). What can you suggest? I’m open to ANY suggestions, including all life stages dog food. She will eat anything and I mean anything at all. My only stipulation is that I can find the brand in multiple stores. She never gets bored of the same brand or flavor.

Thank You All

[Susan]

Hi everyone, the thing is he doesnt have diarrhea at the moment, he hasnt had sloppy poos or diarrhea since December when I tried a new grainfree diet that was 15% fat & was Salmon & potatos, So the fat was probably too high & maybe the potatos gave him diarrhea..He has more stomach problems burping, stomach acid & bad reflux & Ive read that prednisolone can affect their stomach & give stomach ulcers, Ive been doing alot of reading & have read that with IBD that the stomach can be affected, its connected to the small intestine & the dog will need less fiber but when the large intestine is affected they need higher fiber diet & Patch does better on a low fiber diet, so it must be his small intestine that has the problem, the only real way to diagnose IBD is to open him up & do bi-opsys & I wont do that, his last vet kept wanting to cut him open but the new vet said if the prednisolone works then he knows that its IBD & he doesnt need to prove it to himself by opening him up… Ive read that it can cause aggression in dogs… thats all I need Patch is a Staffy & has been bitten a few times by little dogs but he has always walked away but today at the Mall a little black dog bit him & Patch bit her back & wouldnt let go of her fur, the owner said sorry that his dog bites other dogs & I havnt givin Patch the Prednisolone yet ….Today Ive put Patch back on his Zantac as I took him off 1 month ago as hes been doing heaps better.. I have real bad stomach acid & take 40mg Somac twice a day & Im much better so Im thinking Im not on a steriod for my stomach acid… I think this new vet has read all Patches history that was sent over & read that Patches last vet dignosed Patch with IBD & seasonal skin allergies & thinks that the prednisolone will help his skin (paws) problem…. for some reason I wont except that Patch has IBD or IBS. I dont know why, maybe cause its Irritable bowel & no irritable stomach just something in my gut is telling me not to give Patch the prednisolone & the high dose 30mgs a day for 2 weeks..maybe if I give him just 2 x5mg tablets in morning & the other 2 at night instead of the 3x5mg .. my mum has Myloma & for chemo she was put on 40mg a day & she weigh 90kilos

[ladyquixote]

Hi all, first want to thank ya’ll for all the great info you supply here. Have been gathering nutrition info for about a year now and have some major budgeting concerns regarding planning cooked meals for my two dogs. Background: Eldest dog, Gracie is 12 y.o./55# (she is much bigger than standard Aussie) and has major yeast and anxiety problems. Found an alt vet last March who prescribed a variety of chinese herb powders which have significantly helped both problems but still a work in progress. Second dog, Tonto is about 3-1/2 (turned up at my front door emaciated last year and ended up part of our family). He weighs about 60 and is experiencing airborne allergies, due for vet check tomorrow for further input. Both are Aussie mixes.

Foodwise, they were on a mix of the 5-star dry no-grain dog foods since beginning of last year, then began adding the usual recommended toppers plus supplements and then transitioned to all-cooked meals over the last three months. It’s quickly begun taking a lot of my time to prepare meals, so this evening I sat down to figure out my monthly cost. Until now I would go out and buy enough food for a week so the cost bite wasn’t so noticeable.

I knew it was getting too costly but the final tally ended up being $15/day for two dogs! Way, way too much. In addition to the food, there are the supplemental herbs and now monthly visits to the alt vet to check progress which should end once both dogs level off with their itchies.

I’ve removed cottage cheese, carrots and rice which make great fillers because both dogs’ itchies worsened. So more meat takes the place.

My question to you is this, if I switch back to at least level 4-star dry dog food and toppers what would you suggest would be the right ratio between the both?

Gracie’s daily calorie target: 1037, Tonto’s daily calorie target: 1280
Here is a sample 1-day meal divided into two meals for Gracie:
— Chicken Liver pate, (chicken liver smothered then pureed): 2 TBSP 47 Cal
— Chicken Hearts, (lightly smothered then chopped fine): 1-1/2C 402 Cal
— Turkey, Ground; 93% Lean: 1-1/4C 425 Cal
— Mixed Veggies, 1 Cup Cooked then pureed: 40 Cal
— Pumpkin, Canned; 2 TBSP: 13 Cal
— Berries, 1/2 C: 36 Cal
— Alternate Every Day: Either 1-Egg or 1/2 tin Sardines in Water: 65-72 Cal
— Supplements include, Probiotics, 1/2 tsp finely ground eggshells, 1-multi, fish oil or coconut oil.

I’d be interested in your input as well as hearing what your average cost per day is for two medium sized dogs! Thanks so much.

[arwyru24]

My cat that has what seems to be an iron stomach, seems to have environmental allergies/sensitivities. He was overgrooming bald patches on his legs and under his arm pits so among other things I switched from a clay litter to Tidy Cats pure naturals and I mix in Blue Buffalo clumping since its been on sale. I don’t really have a go to at this time.

[Jenna]

Hi Paige

There has been some research done into protein sources that are similar (chicken and turkey eg) that suggest that there may be a connection between sensitivities to both. However without trying, you won’t know. Many times food intolerance runs concurrent to inhalant and environmental allergies, and often the symptoms are the same. You are very limited in what is available based on your criteria, so I might give a single source protein turkey or duck and option, and I might not rule out grain, rather choose one that has had limited exposure like Oatmeal etc. I use the GO! Sensitivity + Shine. Are you sure that chicken and Salmon is out, as many foods using those protein sources contain many other carbs that contain protein such as alfalfa, flax, carrots, eggs, etc.? Is home cooking an option? You could have a nutritionist formulate something, and this could work?

[Honeybeesmom1]

Hey Akari. You’ve decribed my Chi. to a T! I’m 99 percent sure Bentley is allergic to fleas.
Honeybee also has a problem w/ pollen and grass – but his main problem is fleas. I put him on Darwins for months and no change in his hair loss, fleas and itching.

I’ve put him on THK Thrive for months then Zeal for months, Merrick canned for a few wks, then Nature’s Logic kibble for a few wks, then NL canned for a few wks, home-cooked, Pure Balance canned for a few wks, Wellness canned for wks, 4 health canned…NO change w/ his red skin. And all the while he was on all of that diet change…he still had one thing…fleas.

Every 2 days his belly gets sweaty and smells like an old wet dirty sock. Even 2 days after a bath. I bought Virbac Ecto-soothe for $20 from my vet that kills fleas, ticks and lice.
But I think a bottle of $3 dish soap would do the same.

I flea comb him probably 10 times a day and have a glass of water w/ dish soap in it to throw the fleas in.
I have sheets over my furniture ( to catch flea eggs) that I take off and wash in hot water, dish soap and essential oils every 2 days.

I have hardwood floors that I vacuum and mop everyday. I HATE to put the flea drops on them – so I was doing things naturally which was not working.
I bought Advantage and put on all pets…and 2 wks later fleas are back.

First thing I did this morning…was flea comb him – and he had a flea. I bet that one flea bit him 50 times all night. My life’s mission right now…is to kill every flea I see. lol
I’ve even treated the yard w/ DE.

Yesterday I pulverized some oatmeal in my magic bullet and mixed in some warm water and let that sit on him for a few minutes. Rinsed w/ cool water as that soothes his skin.

He’s only 5 lbs..but keeping fleas off him is as hard as keeping them off an 80 lb dog.
I also flea comb the other 2 dogs just as much. I’m in Louisiana and it’s hot & humid in the 80s and 90s now. And we always have problems w/ fleas here.
Good luck w/ Bentley…I know it’s hard.

[Susan]

Hi, sounds like ur dog is allergic to fleas as you said you washed him & killed some fleas… some dogs can just have 1 flea bite & they will itch, scratch & go mad with itchness…I know I wrote to use Antiseptic lotions (Betadine) just becareful with the iodine & antiseptic lotions as they will dry the skin more, they will kill any bacteria but will also make his skin very dry & more itchy, I only use when Patches paws are real bad & his cortisone cream isnt helping, another very cheap way to relieve his itch & dry skin is what my Dermo doctor told me to do, was go to supermarket in the breakfast section buy some oatmeal that we cook & eat its very cheap he said add some water & make a paste & I was to put this oatmeal paste on my itchy skin & face as I suffer from Scleroderma, the oatmeal will soften his skin & stop his itch & its cheaper also he can eat some & it wont hurt him.. try to leave on for 10 mins then rinse…I would try this before the Antiseptic lotion as it sounds like his skin is very dry & furless from fleas…you should start to see an improvment & fur starting to grow back within 2 weeks & try to keep the fleas off him, in the summer at night when Patch is sleeping I go on a flea hunt thru his skin & kill the fleas on him he loves the massage.. he often picks up fleas from the dog park as I dont use no flea products on Patch as he had a real bad reaction to Advantage spot on & was so sick for 1 week his mouth swelled up, his ear swelled up & was spewing blood 7 hrs after applying the Advantage spot on so vet has said dont use any spot ons or Comfortis she said that the Frontline spray was good but its dear if you have a big dog.. Good Luck as its summer over there, Im having winter & I hate the rain & cold, prefer the heat & beach..

[DogFoodie]

Hypoallergenic is basically nomenclature. If a hypoallergenic food contains beef, and your dog is intolerant of our allergic to beef, he’ll still produce a response.

You wanted low residue. Did you identify your dog’s reaction to foods of varying fiber levels? The food you’re feeding now contains a lot of grain (filler ingredient), so it’s producing a larger stool volume.

I’d look for a grain free food with a higher percentage of meat protein and lower carbs along with lower fiber. You might look for Victor GF Ultra Pro, which meets those criteria and has a fiber level of about 2.5%.

I’d also consider adding digestive enzymes. One I’ve had great success with four one of my dogs is Swanson’s BioCore:https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-biocore-optimum-complete-ultimate-full-spectrum-enzymes-90-veg-caps. It helps him break down sugars from starches and vegetables better than any other enzyme I’ve used.

[Starr D]

thanks to every one for their response! only one has skin allergies – some bumpy dermatitis along back. it generally improves when we limit grains and use oatmeal shampoos. it is also worse in spring and summer so we think grass may also contribute. Not much itching, but an occasional Benadryl takes care of it when he does. does the nurtrisource gf require a prescription? does the eukenuba intestinal?

[Susan]

Hi, have you tried the Holistic Select kibbles they are Hydrolized proteins & the kibble is a low residue kibble…low residue means that the kibble breaks up more easier in the dogs stomach & when water is added to a low residue kibble it will soften straight away they are not real hard kibbles..alot of grainfree kibbles are very very hard exspecially if they have poatoes they go straight thru Patch.. I have my boy on the Eukanuba Intestinal as he has I.B.D, Pancreatitis & seasonal allergies, itchy skin….he was on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic kibble & this gave Patch very very sloppy poos as the fat% was 19%, now Patch is on the Eukanuba Intestinal a low residue kibble fat is 10% it has cleared up Patches skin & fixed his sloppy poos… Ive been slowly adding the Holistic Select senior Chicken & rice the Fat% is 10% the Protein is 26% & the kibble softens straight away if I add water….. You probably wont find a low residue kibble that is grainfree, I prefer a kibble with just a few good grains like rice & oatmeal..I dont mind oatmeal as the oatmeal helps sooth Patches tummy & bowel…. http://www.holisticselect.com they do have 2 grainfree kibbles also..Good-luck its so hard finding a kibble that agrees with a dog with digestion problems, its taken me 1 year to find the Holistic Select kibbles that break up easy & dont upset Patches tummy but he still on the Eukanuba aswell I mix them together now or sometimes he has 1 kibble for lunch & the other kibble for dinner.. I ask him which one & he picks the kibble thats in containers.. I just wish I could do the whole rotation thing like a lot of people do on this site but Im just so happy that Patch is pooing normal & I can pick it up with no messes on someones lawn..

[raam]

Hi, my 6 month old Belgian Malinois pup has had three bouts of giardia. Every time he was on Panacur, he lost interest in his food and it stayed that way after, preferring to starve himself rather than eat. In his short life I switched him from Blue Buffalo Wilderness LBP to Fromm LBP, and then after his last bout switched to Farmina LBP.

He initially went nuts over the Farmina, so I was surprised he lost taste for that as well (he always found the BB and Fromm a bit ‘meh’ to begin with). Before the giardia he also had beautiful solid, dark poops after switching to Farmina, though it hasn’t solidified since (although he was tested negative at the last fecal checkup).

I was hoping it would change with a strict feeding schedule (it’s there for 15 mins, then I take away), but it has been a month and a half and he still dislikes the kibble, only eating a minimum. I now mix it with a bit of wet food because he was getting too skinny.

Any people with similar situations or advice? I feel stuck between wanting to stick it out or switching yet again (I was considering Acana LBP).

Our trainer suggested he might be allergic to chicken, but he has no symptoms other than mushy poop and a dislike for his kibble.

[Harpers Mom]

Merrick is a rich food so it is common for dogs to have runny poos if they aren’t used to something like that. I would look for a food maybe slightly lower protein, but definitely get off Science diet, not a good food. I’m not too familiar with weurva, but others on here are. Why type of skin problems do they have (allergies, dander, etc)?

[Melissaandcrew]

What type of skin issue do they have? Schnauzers are not a high skin issue breed do I surprised yoj h as ve more than one with food allergies?

[Susan]

With food allergies dogs can have hive like lumps over their body, red itchy skin & diarrhea & other symtoms, it doesnt happen straight after eating, can take a couple of days for the reaction to show, maybe he needs his fur trimmed as summer is coming up if ur in America..vets normally have real good shampoos & conditioners for dry skin, I found shampoos & matching conditioner with oatmeal have helped my boys skin..

[Susan]

Hi, Omayra has ur little man been fleaed? as that is probably causing his itch, a nice bath & a good flea product like frontline should keep the fleas away Frontline make a really good spray, I dont know if it can be used on pups u’d have to check..food allergies are rare especially a 3month old pup, only around 5% of dogs will suffer food allergies, some may be intolarant to certain foods, & have food intolarences also look at the Fat% on ur treats alot of treats are high in fat & you can only give a few treats a day as they can cause diarrhea & muchy poo.. its best to use ur dogs daily kibble (Blue Buffalo) as a treat when training…..make sure you keep up with his worming….sounds like u are both sharing ur little boy so make sure that you both arent giving treats at different times & just use some of his kibble as a treat…
Someone else will have to help with the Raw as my boy is on kibble & home cooked chicken & pumkin..sounds like ur little boy has a loving caring home..