[Shasta220]

Gosh, sorry you have such a lousy selection. I entirely understand though. When my minimal budget, I can’t afford nearly what I’d like to. We have awful selection too – just a Walmart and a few little pet boutique shops. I’m sure my lab’s flaky skin is some sort of intolerance, but at least she is on a food that never makes her stink, itch, and lose fur. She is WAY better than she was on her food last year, and hasn’t had a foul odor or hot spot since!

I will have to second Dori though – dogs allergic to chicken will be triggered by about any poultry source. Have you ever thought of buying food online? I know there are several sites that will offer free shipping, discounts, etc.. Personally I’ve never bought food online, but everyone who does that I talk to seems to be content with it, and most of them say they’ll never buy from stores again.

If it is just seasonal allergies (always that slight possibility.), I’ve heard of people who swear by raw local honey.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Shasta220.

[Akari_32]

I live in the land of Ol’ Roy and Purina Dog Chow. There’s really not much available locally that my mom is going to deal with. Pet Supermarket and Walmart, that’s all we got (that mom will shop at). Pet Supermarket has the crappiest selection of food I’ve ever seen for dogs with allergies. Everything is either chicken, has chicken, is crazy low in protein, or is all carbs. Or it’s chocked full of potatoes, which irritates the crap out of me. And then Walmart is…. Well, Walmart. Pet Supermarket does have Instinct, which Bentley likes, but it’s not always an option given the price. It also didn’t seem to help him at all, but we tried the beef.

This is the first time he’s ever been on a food with peas until now, so I doubt that’s a problem.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Akari_32.

[Dori]

Akari 32. I forgot to mention that the other allergy he may be having is to the peas. Dogs can be allergic to peas especially when there is an abundance in the food. Don’t worry, there are a lot of foods that do not contain peas if you want to give that a try.

[Dori]

There are plenty of foods your dog can eat that have no chicken in them whatsoever. Once you find a food that he does well on you can then while he’s eating that you can find a different one that doesn’t have anything that he has issues with and eventually have three or four different ones that you can rotate him on. There are probably more dogs allergic to chicken in all its forms including chicken fat than anything else. As I said, there are a lot of different proteins that you can try that do not have chicken or chicken fat, etc. You should really assume that if he’s allergic to chicken he will be allergic to chicken fat.

[Dori]

Hi Akari 32. I just went on line and checked Pet Botanics Salmon, also the lamb. The Salmon formula contains chicken fat in the list of ingredients. The Lamb formula includes chicken meal in the formula. If you dog is intolerant of chicken then I would not feed any type of poultry at all. You should also try to avoid grains, and soy in the ingredients. I have a dog with poultry allergies. Originally I thought it was chicken, it turned out to be all foul in any form. Always read the entire list of ingredients in each formula before you try it. A lot of foods contain chicken or poultry somewhere in the list of ingredients. It’s a cheap way to boost protein in a food. Also try to avoid foods that have too many peas in the ingredients. My dog, Katie, with all the allergies also have environmental allergies too. She gets worse in the Spring and Fall but always has food intolerances and allergies. Just recently figured out that she’s allergic to alfalfa.

[mogavero1955]

Hi Kayley, first of all, check the dog’s nails. My mini beagle bites her nails…when it is time for a cut. 🙂 If it is itchy, it probably is allergies. My other beagle has allergies and always gets ear infections. We have changed foods so often. Response FP, taste of the wild salmon, arcana fish, blue buffalo salmon, fromms duck and now earthborn lamb. The last four just the last two weeks! I noticed his ear infected tonight. The lamb I started yesterday. So, my advice is trial and error. I had heard Fromms was good but so are many others. I would recommend grain free. Good luck!

[Shasta220]

Greek is quite divine though. I am so frustrated that I have dairy allergies (to the lactose and one other thing, can’t remember what.), so I can’t even have yogurt anymore. Buuuuuut they make cultured coconut milk (even Greek style!), so I’m happy again XD

[Shasta220]

Definitely see how he does, but compare ingredients. As itching is almost always a sign of food allergies. Hair loss and red skin most definitely sounds like an allergic reaction. Do you remember foods that you previously fed him that made him flare up? Try finding those on here and compare the ingredients to Pet Botanics, and to Pure Balance. A bit of detective work 😉 I know it seems like a lot to do, and it will probably take a while. But once you can get it figured out, and have a list of all the culprit ingredients, it should be easier to find a food that won’t make him worse.

Also, maybe to help the hair growth, try adding fish and coconut oil? I absolutely adore those…my dogs get fish oil daily, and coconut oil 4-5 days a week. Even my super sensitive greasy-but-flaky skinned lab has improved leaps and bounds on it.

[Dori]

TJ. When I initially started rotating foods a long time ago I would switch every two or three bags, then I started switching every bag. Always very very slowly. I eventually switched to commercial raw foods for all my three dogs because one of them has many food intolerances and allergies. I feed all three girls twice a day as I always have regardless of what I feed them and can now say, and it’s been a few months now, that I can feed them different foods a.m. and p.m. with no issues whatsoever. No gas, bad breath, diarrhea, constipation, nothing. I rotate their proteins within a brand, I rotate brands and I rotate their supplements. Nothing seems to bother them any more. Just as humans eat different foods for different meals without issues, so do my dogs. I will also say that they are incredibly healthy. I have a 14 1/2 year old Maltese (she’ll be 15 on 9/9/14) and I have a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo and a 4 1/2 year old Yorkipoo. Vet is always praising how well they are. They only go to the vet at this point once a year for physical and the only vaccine they receive is rabbi’s vaccine. Hope any of this has helped.

Once you get your dogs accustomed to rotation, it has nothing whatsoever to do with their age. It is never too late to start rotating foods and they don’t take to rotation of diets any easier because they are young or old. Just take your time initially and before you know it you’ll be able to feed them different things all the time. Initially, like theBCnut, I used to add a complete probiotic and a digestive enzyme every day (not every meal). I haven’t done that in ages. Good Luck to you. Glad to meet you and welcome to the site if your new. If not, sorry I haven’t picked up on your name before.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Dori.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Kim B –

Great points! Freeze-dried and human-grade foods are wonderful – you’ll find some on the Editor’s Choice list. However some of the goals in constructing this list was to compile a collection of foods which would meet our reader’s needs in terms of availability and convenience among other things – you can read more about the selection guidelines here: /choosing-dog-food/brand-guidelines/. The majority of dog owners feed kibble as either the main component of their dogs’ diet – it’s often readily available, it’s convenient and it’s more cost effective than most “alternative” foods – so we felt inclined to include various brands of kibble as the bulk of the report. After thorough investigation we feel that all of these companies we have included which produce kibble provide a superior product as opposed to other companies producing kibble.

Concerning white potato, due to the nature of kibble manufacturing all kibbles require a starch component to act as a binder. There are pro’s and con’s to any binder (be it a grain, legume, potato, etc.). White potato provides a viable option for many dogs that are unable to consume grains due to allergies or intolerances. Concerns about particular ingredients are a great reason for all pet owners to investigate diet rotation – /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/.

[Dori]

Marie, there have been a number of what is known as a “silent recall” through the years and, unfortunately, you have to be googling and constantly researching and get on every dog food recall list on line that you possibly can in hopes that sometimes those in the know get wind of them. That’s what I do, anyway. I don’t rely on any one site for recalls. As you know The Truth About Pets is a really great one. I check that site out every single day as well as others. Anytime I find out about any company or brand that has done that I cross them off my list of foods. I don’t adhere to the thinking that anyone can have a problem so let’s give them another chance. Nope! Any company that has recalls worse, a silent recall, are not getting a chance to injure my girls. I’ve stopped feeding kibble and commercial treats for those reasons. I have been feeding commercial raw and now some home made with supplements and their digestive systems are now strong enough that if a commercial raw food company has minor issues I know they’ll be fine. I don’t really trust any kibble company. I’d always be nervous. The only company that’s not raw that I trust is The Honest Kitchen and I rarely feed that anymore because it contains alfalfa and Katie has recently become intolerant or down right allergic to it.

[Shasta220]

Great input, Shawna. I always LOVE hearing personal stories of things that worked. I’ve been fortunate enough to never deal with severe allergies, just to the basic no-no’s of corn, wheat, and soy. But those are the easiest things to avoid.

Poultry, on the other hand, is a bummer. It’s one of the most palatable things to a dog! I think your doggie chose poultry allergies just to make your life much harder ;p Hope you find something that works for your dog’s stomach and taste buds…

[Shadow@01]

Hi there

I have a 8 month old Australian Shepherd bitch which I bred myself. Sire & dam has no skin allergies, neither any dogs I trace back to in the line. 4 puppies out of 7 in the litter seem to be having a bit of a skin allergy so I am thinking the reason for the allergy might be genetic, rather than just be a seasonal thing.

All this time I have been feeding Royal Canin Junior, supplementing with Salmon oil capsules. I am thinking of switching over to ACANA PACIFICA ( 60% Fish / 40% Veg / 0% Grain). This being a all life stages food, would this be highly recommended for a growing active working puppy? I would like to see if the no grain, chicken & beef makes any difference to her itchy skin.

I have received feedback from another source that all lifestage feeding is not recommended for a growing puppy, especially a working puppy.

Any thoughts on this???

[Ann S]

Thought I would just add my experience with Earthborn grain free. One of my dogs can’t eat turkey, so I tried Earthborn’s Great Plains and Meadow Feast, only to learn the hard way that he’s also allergic to peas, which the second ingredient. Since I have avoided foods with peas any higher than 4th or 5th, he’s had no problems. So while it’s very affordable, sadly I cannot buy this brand.
Am a little bummed after splurging to join that I can’t use most of the foods on the editor’s choice list due to these two allergies. Budget is also an issue for us feeding two adult dogs and one puppy who will soon be bigger than the grownups. We give raw once or twice a week.

[Shasta220]

Because sometimes it’s both, and other times it’s just one or the other. I’ll have options available that will be more “reliable” ingredient-wise, with no “and/or”, and I’m looking around for garbanzo flour to do grain free! Doubt I’ll use it to replace /all/ grain flour, but at least in a couple. My “competitor” is nowhere near that. All treats have dairy, and only one /doesn’t/ have wheat #1. instead, he uses rice.

The reason being for the eggs is because we own chickens and ducks. Sometimes we have more of one egg in the house, and the flour is a texture issue. It never quite turns out the same, so I have to change the mix just a little bit.

Dogs around here don’t seem to be allergic to much more than the basic wheat/corn/soy (if they are, then their owners are completely unaware). Every dog I’ve met has a treat like milk bone, Purina, Ol Roy, etc. So I’m not too worried about losing potential customers over grain and eggs.

Thank you for the concern. If it raises an issue, then I’ll either scratch the recipe, or fix it so I can keep it always constant 🙂

[mogavero1955]

Elisa, I have two beagles. The larger one has the same problem. He is 10 though.
His food is changed often due to allergies but is now on Fromm’s duck. It’s not that though.
He’s had this for a couple of months. I hear his tummy all night. It sounds like
springs….I always do grain free.
I just think he doesn’t chew but I’m not sure. Hope someone willknow.

[Akari_32]

I’ve got a Jack Russell/Maltese mix with various food and seasonal allergies. I’ve tried just about every food on the market around here (most of the Innova’s, all the Wellness CORE’s, all the Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature’s Variety Instinct Beef, and several other random brands with different types of proteins, with and with out different grains), and all he’s done good on were Innova Prime Beef and Lamb, and now, since I’m reluctant to go back to them since the recall, Pure Balance Grain Free Salmon and Pea.

I’m really surprised at how well he is doing on the PB. And its only $16 for 11 pounds (or $6 or $8 for 4 pounds?). His fur is growing back, and he’s itching less. My next step is to try some local honey for his seasonal allergies, and I’d also like to try the new bison flavor PB. I do also want to try him on EVO (despite the recall crap) because I’ve got some coupons and he did so well on the Innova Prime before it was recalled. They’re pretty much the same, just the EVO has much more protein. He really likes red meats. I think he was a wolf in his past life, taking down a rancher’s cattle LOL

[Shawna]

No, generally not. Sweet potato and white potatoes are not of the same family and it would be a coincidence if a dog was allergic or sensitive to both..

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

[Shasta220]

I’m not too sure as I’ve never dealt with potato allergies. If you have a food w/o any of those ingredients, you could possibly try to feed him some sweet potato and see if it does anything within a week or two.

[theBCnut]

They aren’t the same thing, so while he may still be allergic to them, it doesn’t automatically mean he is allergic to them.

Look at Nature’s Variety Instinct LIDs.

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

[Kim P]

Among several other key ingredients in most dogfoods, my Australian cattle dog is allergic to potatoes; does that mean he’s also allergic to sweet potatoes and yams?– anyone know?… I’m having a difficult time finding food he can eat – as he’s also allergic to rice, flaxseed, & oat.

[Kim P]

Among several other key ingredients in most dogfoods, my Australian cattle dog is allergic to potatoes; does that mean he’s also allergic to sweet potatoes and yams?– anyone know?… I’m having a difficult time finding food he can eat – as he’s also allergic to rice, flaxseed, & oat.

[Dori]

Hi Jakes Mom. Make sure it’s raw organic coconut oil. It’s very healthy. I’m not sure what type of coconut oil you’re cooking with. The amount to give them daily depends on how much your dog weighs, activity level (I think). I have three toy breeds and I give them approx. 1/4 tsp. per day in their food. I’m allergic to cats so I have absolutely no knowledge or information about cats in any way shape or form. I still brush my three dogs teeth two times a day. I have done that since adopting them at 8 and 9 weeks old. One is 14 1/2 years old (Maltese), I have two 4 1/2 year olds one is a Yorkipoo and one is a Maltipoo. I also feed commercial raw foods twice a day with extras. I have a Maltipoo that has too many allergies, intolerances and environmental issues so I no longer feed kibble ever and right now I can’t feed canned either. All three dogs have bright white teeth all the way back to their molars. None have ever had a professional cleaning.

[Isabel P]

I already feed 2 of my 3 Dr Tim’s grain-free but my 3rd dog is now allergic to potatoes so I am forced to feed her Orijen. I’m shocked to not see it on the list- I’d love to know why…it’s the only dry grain free potato free dog food I have found. It’s very pricey however I thought it was a 5 star rated food.

[InkedMarie]

Do you know what your dog is allergic to? You said skin issues; what are they exactly? That being said, there are other venison foods out there.

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

[Dori]

Hi weezerweeks. I’d like to ask this question of you as stated that you only feed canned. Have you fed your dog Ziwipeak canned? I feed raw to all my dogs and THK Zeal on occasion to two of my dogs, the third can’t have anything with alfalfa which THK contains. (She’s got many many food allergies, intolerances as well as environmental allergies). I’m looking for possibly a canned alternative to feed on occasion as raw (commercial raw) is so high in fat that I’d like to give them a break once in a while. Though I think Weruva appears to be a great canned alternative, I’m concerned that they can no longer assure anyone that their cans do not contain bha. Thanks, Dori

[Tera H]

I am looking for help from someone who knows alot about the different foods out there. My golden retriever has food allergies. She has been on prescription diet royal canine potato and venison for about a year. She just turned 1 in Sept. She had many vet visits to the vet because of diarrhea and skin issues. She does well on this food. We were told to try another type of food after being on that brand for at least 4 months. We tried others types and have not found one that does not cause more issues. Wondering if anyone knows of a different dog food that uses venison and potato that is of quality? Thanks in advance for any help!

[Shasta220]

I don’t know too much about allergies, but I honestly don’t recommend Hills at all. It sounds like it’s probably some sort of food allergy. Dogs can get sensitive to the most inconvenient things like chicken, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. I wonder if getting an allergy test or doing an elimination diet might help?

If the allergies at all seem seasonal, then there’s the slight chance that honey might help. It has to be raw and local, add a spoonful to her meal every day. It’ll probably only help if they /are/ seasonal allergies, but I’ve known people who had dogs with disgusting skin, and had miracle transformation after being on that!

[Susan]

My Rescue dog has skin allergies, I.B.D Colitis & now the new vet has said Pancreatitis & I.B.D, When I spoke to this new vet the other week, I said, I rescued Patch over 1 yr ago & have had nothing but problems with his skin, swollen feet, bowels & his stomach, I said the people who owned him before must of not cared for him properly to have all these health problems, they must of not feed him properly or gave him crap food & the vet said, No, he would of started to have his Irriatble bowel when he would of been around 1yr old, he would of inherited the skin allergies & bowel problems, I said, I thought it would of been from his past, then vet sad No, dogs illnesses start to come out around 1yr old..I know Labs are known to have stomach problems & weight problems, I dont think desexing would of contributed, it just happened probably, Ive also been asking questions, I think we want a normal dog & we look for answers & Im finding there’s no answers, we just have special dogs that are very very lucky to have found us..Good-Luck

[Dori]

Hi Betsy, for Sam’s sake I hope it is the Bug Off and not the food. I thought I had food issues with Katie. It’s gotta be really rough his being able to eat only two different foods. I’ll start off really slowly with the Bug Off Garlic and all the dogs, slower on Katie then the other two.

C4C. Absolutely ear gunk, etc. can be from poor nutrition, intolerances and allergies. My three girls had nasty ears all the time when they were on grain inclusive foods. No sooner did I clean their ears out when they’d be all gunky again. A little while after I switched them to grain, white potato, white rice, soy free diets their ears cleaned up completely and have never had a problem again. Katie who has seasonal allergies also doesn’t have ear issues when she has the seasonal issues. It’s all so interesting.

[theBCnut]

Yeasty ears are usually due to a couple different things, swimming or food intolerances. Since Sam lives in the frozen north, I don’t think he has had his head under water, and we already know that he definitely has food intolerances. It very well could be to the CC, but he has been completely fine on it in the past. Dogs that have these issues can be intolerant of any food that has protein in it, and some have issue with foods that shouldn’t have protein in them. but garlic definitely does have protein in it. That doesn’t make the garlic bad, just bad for Sam, if it is the garlic. Allergies and intolerances are individual to the dog, so just because Sam is reacting does not mean you should worry about it.

[Shasta220]

Dori, I don’t know much, but I’ve heard tons of people use local raw honey for allergies. Have you ever tried that for your girl?

[Shasta220]

dogspotindia, really? Hills is full of junk, by-product, and tons of stuff dogs are easily allergic to. If you want the condition to get /worse/, then yes, you DEFINITELY want Hills! 🙂

[Susan]

Have you looked into Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth, Google S.I.B.O, in dogs then put him on the SIBO diets, if you feel he has most of the symtoms…My boy is on the Vet Prescription diet Eukanuba “Intestinal” Protein 23% Fat-10% crude fiber 1.75% Beet Pulp-3.3% it’s the only kibble that seems to work for him, His Sloppy poos are excellent now, his skin cleared up, ears also cleared up but come back sometimes after been on alot of bush walking, so I’d say he has allergies to pollen or grasses something in the enviorment..

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

[Dori]

Hi Lea J. I feel like this is my mantra but I will say it again. I have a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo, Katie, has had severe food allergies and intolerances as well as environmental allergies since we got her at 9 weeks of age. I’ve tried any and all suggestions out there. Went through a ton of food, most of which to no avail. What finally worked for her is commercial raw foods. I like Primal Pronto the best. I also rotate her foods with Darwins, and Answers raw. I’ve tried Stella and Chewy’s raw and Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw which I didn’t like at all. Anyway, I have three small dogs that I feed 1/4 cup twice a day. I do add and/or feed sardines (canned in water, not oil), coconut oil, probiodics, digestive enzymes, fresh fruits and veggies. Their treats consist of fresh fruits or veggies. I don’t use store bought treats. To many issues with Katies allergies. My 14 1/2 year old Maltese has arthritis in her right hip and also two degenerated discs mid spine. I rotate supplements as well as their foods. I haven’t found any particular joint supplement that has worked miracles. I have just ordered Sprintime’s Joint Health and Fresh Factor. Some people have been reporting that they are having good luck with these. Anyway, I think I’ve digressed here from my mantra which is: Grain, Soy, Poultry (in all forms), White Potato and Rice Free food as well as anything else you think your dog may be allergic or intolerant to. Your allergy list really doesn’t seem to be that bad though I wouldn’t doubt that she has more problems than just the ones you named. Full disclosure, I don’t believe that food allergy testing for dogs can be trusted. My dogs allergist/dermatologist as well as their traditional vets all would not do the testing. They said the tests are inaccurate, misleading and cost a lot of money. When vets tell you they won’t take your money, you know they are being accurate. To this date there are no known food allergy testing on animals that are accurate. As far as kibble goes, I can’t really recommend any because I’m not comfortable in my knowledge of their ingredients anymore. I figured out most of Katie’s food allergies by her reactions to the foods I was feeding and then comparing ingredients with other foods trying to figure out what was bothering her. She has many many issues. She just recently became allergic or intolerant to alfalfa. Allergic or intolerant to me is all the same. All I’m sure of is that either way, she can’t eat it so I don’t care whether some people say that it’s not really an allergy, it’s an intolerance. It’s all trial and error really and constantly researching ingredients. What works for my dogs may not work for others but eliminating the obvious typical allergens is a good place to start. It’s an incredibly long road in helping our allergy prone dogs but the work is well worth it for them. Exhausting on us. Oh, Spring is finally here in Atlanta where we live so for the last two days I’ve been giving her Benadryl twice a day. I hate having to do that but there is nothing I can personally do about environmental outdoor allergies. Trust me, if there was a way I would have found it by now. This is the first time I have ever had a dog with allergies and I’ll just say it keeps me on me on my toes with all things food related for her. Katie’s how I came across this site a couple of years ago and I, she and my other dogs have benefited immensely. Good Luck. If you need any clarification on anything I’ve said or any more questions please ask.

[Lea J]

I have just discovered this forum! Where were you 4 years ago?
Anyway- I have a 45 lbs rescue border collie chow mix, now 8 years old. She is wonderful but has severe itchiness. We have done allergy testing and found she is allergic to eggs, corn, wheat, catfish, rice, milk. Tried allergy shots- no difference. Tried elimination diets- she just lost weight. Tried just about every dog food out there. Even tried making dog food. Went to dermatologist who suggested Natural Balance LID Sweet Potato and Venison. Still itchy but somewhat less. (I have often wondered if this could be environmental) Discovered some arthritis recently, and has been on adequan with good results. Any suggestions for supplements, food, treats, etc for either of these conditions?

[Dori]

Hi Mountainhound. Though I have no objection to any of the ingredients specifically, it does seem as though there are an awful lot of lentils, peas and garbanzo beans. Just thought I’d add my thoughts for anyone thinking about this food. I feed raw, but if I were to go back to feeding kibble I would not feed this change up. When I was feeding kibble Acana Pacifica was in my rotation, none of the dogs did particularly well on it. Not anything really bad other than my allergy prone sensitive stomach girl who couldn’t eat the Acana. I eventually switched to all raw because of her. They are doing fabulous now EXCEPT Spring has come to Atlanta and, of course, allergy girl also has environmental allergies. So bad that I’ve had to put her on Benadryl twice a day for the last couple of days. I hate it!!!!!

[Pugsonraw]

Hi Dchassett,

I took both my pugs off several supplements right now (not just Springtime)… I have food & allergy tests run about every 6 months and this time around something I’m giving them triggered for NutraSweet in it as well as some of the normal food allergies I usually see. I’m not sure what it is so I’ve completely scaled back to rotating in a few of these things:
organic coconut oil, mercola krill oil, mercola enzymes and probiotics, braggs apple cider vinegar, and a hypoallergenic phycox joint supplement. I’ve used these over the year… and these have not triggered anything for the pugs. Not sure where the NutraSweet came from but I don’t want it in their diet.

Just when I think I’m wining the battle with their allergies or food choices, something changes…. and Spring is here in CA! My pugs are so different and it is hit and miss with products I try… what works for one, makes the other super itchy…

I have been looking at the Bug Off garlic though… even ordered the granules but they have not arrived yet. I was just at the vets yesterday and they were trying to suggest accuguard which is an oral pill.

Not sure if this helps but I find sometimes you just need to test it out, cross your fingers and see how it goes…

Dawn aka Pugsonraw…

[Naturella]

Well, today I had another success… My best friend, who also owns a lab-hound mix (like my roommate) began her journey in better dog nutrition.

I have not talked to her much about that because I thought that her dad was doing most of the doggie care, and the few times I have been over at her parents’ house (where the dog lives), the dog looked like she would rather eat me than her dinner… SO I had not raised the subject until today.

She moved back in with her family in a new house and we were hanging out and she had to go back to walk her dog. I went with her, but before that I had to take her to my fave pet boutique with the free samples. Needless to say, she got an informational pamphlet, a bag full of free samples, and the recommendation to get on this site. I love this store, in case I have not mentioned this before. ANYWAY, in the car (we rode together), I was explaining to her about how what she feeds now (Kibbles ‘n’ Bits) is bad, what is good, and how it will help her dog. She (the dog) is a bit overweight, has fat pockets formed in a few places, and may suffer bad joints in the future.

So the store hooked her up with samples of Victor for joints, nutri source, earthborn, canidae pure, merrick beef, nutrisca salmon, and some other ones.

When we got to her place, I was a bit scared to get out of the car, but I did… Her dog barked at me like crazy (as usual), but I let her sniff me this time and eventually she calmed down. We decided that if I were to give her some of the new food as treats, she may like me even more, so we did. We tried the Merrick, and she liked it. We were friends now! We walked her together, talked more about food and how it affects EVERYTHING – smell, gassiness, joints, mast formations or fat pockets, allergies, everything. So when we got back, we gave her dog some of the Nutrisca Salmon, and boy, she LOVED it! So we mixed it with her dinner serving of the crap… I mean, of Kibbles ‘n Bits, and she ate some, but not too much (she is stressed because this is her first day in my friend’s new house). But, I think my friend has potential. She had bought a bag of Back to Basics for her dog in Fall and I was proud of her! So yeah, making progress… I am so excited!

With this being said, I really am sorry, Carlyn, but I don’t think anything will help this guy’s dogs, unless, like Patty said, someone whose opinion he values (more) tells him the same stuff you have been… So yeah…

[Shasta220]

It does sound like you need to take a slow approach to food, Patty and Sue gave good suggestions – starting with only a couple ingredients at a time, since he probably has many allergies.

There’s the slight possibility that he’s reacting to environment as well. Maybe try an anti fungal shampoo to see if it helps, and if it’s environmental allergies, possibly trying to give him coconut oil and raw LOCAL honey daily? That seems to have helped my sensitive lab a whole lot when diet alone wasn’t quite cutting it. Plus, the coconut oil helps oral health and makes super soft fur 🙂

[Harpers Mom]

Patty, I have a question for you. I remember you say you give your allergy dogs bee pollen. Multiple friends recommended I do the same for Harper. Today I happened to run across a local honey stand that had bee pollen so I picked some up. But I am unsure of the dosing. Harper is currently about 55lbs and had moderate allergies but they always get worse as spring gets worse.

[Shasta220]

Yes, Patty, I have no doubt that his dogs have allergies….he just has that old-fashioned mentality that dogs naturally stink and get itchy, regardless of the food. I’m just so sad that he thinks all it takes is a little bit of anti-itch ointment. Sure, that’ll cover it up, but it doesn’t eliminate the problem. Like if you chew a piece of gum, sure, it’ll make your breath fresh; but as soon as you spit the gum out, the only way to eliminate bad breath will be to get them teeth scrubbed! (Sorry for the lame example, but I think y’all get my point.)

[Susan]

The elimination diet is best, like Paddy said, home cooking then freeze meals… also what are you bathing him in, I found Dermcare Malaseb Medicated shampoo to be the best but its a Australian made shampoo, its excellent, I dont know if you can get the Malasab where u live I suppose u’d get it on the net, it removes scale, degrease the skin and kills cutaneous micro-organisms which can cause dermatitis..I bath my boy every 5 day as soon as I see him start to itch, also I have creams I put on him so the itch doesnt get out of control…u need to treat the inside & the outside, alot of people reconmend fish sardines etc have u tried a fish diet & nothing else.. Ive noticed when my boy eats a Jazz biscuit within 10-20 mins one of his paws swells up all red & he licks & licks it, I put a cold washer around it, so he must be allergic to wheat & whatever is in Jazz biscuits.. its hard but u’ll start to see & find out what makes his itch itcher..

[Jasmine W]

I have a greyhound mix who seems to have the same things your dog has but not as bad. Leo had very bad hot spots though. A friend told me chicken allergies are super common in dogs. Seemed ridiculous but apparently since many dog foods contain beaks feet and feathers aka “chicken by products” or “fillers” well dogs who’ve eaten these dog foods even once can develop a chicken allergy. When I had Leo on a grain free chicken free formula he had loose stools and a runny nose still but less itching and no swelling around tick or flea bites. He got so much better that I let him have chicken treats. This seemed ok so I bought the grain free blue buffalo wilderness chicken formula and now he’s sliding back again. He even got some hot spots again and hadn’t had any for years. So we’re going back to no eggs no chicken no duck no turkey, no poultry of any kind. Try that and let me know. Also dairy products even yoghurt can cause a runny nose and “runny rear.”

Leo gets a homemade dog food meal separate from his kibble meal. He gets a pound of ground beef freshly cooked and drained of fat plus a quarter can of “tripette” green tripe and “Solid Gold Seameal.” He’ll take a bit of ground up frozen peas with this meal but if I put too many peas in it he won’t eat. I’m concerned he’s getting too much protein. He won’t eat pumpkin. I’ll try the beet fiber. I know the tripette is making his coat soft because that’s what it did for my friends dog and before eating tripette Leo had a rough coat. Tripette is amazing stuff. I don’t really know what good the Solid Gold Seameal is doing but its filled with vitamins and minerals.

[theBCnut]

You need asystematic approach to discovering his allergies. He is likely allergic to more than one thing, and it isn’t just meats that you have to figure out. Plant matter has protein in it too and can cause these reactions. I understand that you don’t want to do a raw diet, but you need to do an elimination diet at least temporarily. You need to give him one protein and one starch for a few weeks, nothing else, and see if that takes care of the itching. If not, you need to try a different protein and a different starch for a few weeks and see if that stops the itching. Once you find something that he doesn’t react to, you can start adding back one ingredient at a time to his diet every couple weeks to see if he starts reacting. Then you will be able to figure out what specifically to avoid.

Some people get lucky and can find a Limited Ingredient Diet that works to start this process with, and if you want to try that route, your best bet is to try different varieties of Natural Balance or maybe Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Rabbit. You need to keep ingredient lists of foods you have tried that didn’t work and try to figure out what they have in common. If you find a food that works, you need to compare its ingredient list to figure out what it doesn’t have in it.

It’s quite a bit of detective work, but once you know what to avoid it is easier.

[theBCnut]

Google causes of hot spots. They are a common sign of food allergies. So is itching and body odor, greasy coat.

[jakes mom]

I did not know that! Maybe it’s ok for dog ears? I did consider an allergy but it’s just one ear so didn’t think she would have an allergic reaction on only her right side. She eats a variety of canned foods, different brands and flavors.

[kvee]

My dog has been thriving on Orijen Puppy. We did try a couple before Orijen, and she has been doing better on it.

It’s a bit pricey for some but because its rich, Susie doesn’t eat much. She’s a 20 lb. 9 m.o. chimix and eats aprox 1.5 cups a day. Sometimes not even that. She is in excellent shape and is very athletic.

Hope this helps. I printed a list of 5-star foods from this website and started researching it one by one. I settled for Orijen and Acana (I’ve heard it is good to rotate foods so dogs take advantages or the benefits and aren’t as prone to develop allergies to certain ingredients).

I hope this helps.

[T S]

We have two male JRTs (5 & 7 yrs) and a female Labrottie (9 yrs). After seeing ads and getting some samples from a local rep, we tried the Blue Buffalo–dogs rejected it outright. We tried the Wild stuff, various flavors, and inevitably at least one of the three turned up their noses at each flavor of the food. Talked to vets, who sell canned Canin and Hills, about allergies, food ingredient quality, flavor variety. Went back to Fromms, tried three different flavors (chicken, beef and pork), and all three dogs are happy with the dry pork & applesauce formula. They’re energetic, different vets are all REALLY happy with all 3 of their overall health, especially weight maintenance vs activities levels, and their coats, teeth and skin are all great. None smells, they all sleep and BM on schedule w/o problems. We looked at MANY of the so-called ‘holistic’ and ‘organic’ foods. Local pet store guy recommended some ‘natural’ and raw foods, but it made no sense to change from what’s working now. Fromm’s is US made, only US ingredients, and no recalls we know of. We don’t feed them ANY human food, and they almost never get snacks or treats–so no threat of allergic reactions. Labrottie came to us from a poor-quality non-US food diet, and she’s a much happier, healthier, energetic dog now.

[Dori]

I rotate foods and supplements. Three of the glucosamine/chondrotin supplements that I use with my 14 1/4 year old Maltese are: Dasuquin with MSM, Actistatin Canine Extra Strength and GlycanAid HA. If your dog has a chicken intolerance then I would not give her the K9 with chicken flavoring. It may do more harm than good. I think she probably would have an issue with it. I have a dog with chicken allergies/intolerances and she cannot have anything with any kind of poultry flavoring or ingredients of any sort. The three above are very good. I’ve done a lot of research. I go through a bottle of one and then rotate onto another and so on and so forth.