[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 12 years 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 12 years 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.

[Dori]

I happen to think that The Honest Kitchen is a fabulous food. It’s not a raw diet. It’s dehydrated. You add water to it and let it rehydrate. It’s the only non raw food I feed my dogs. The Honest Kitchen is one of only two pet foods that can legally say they are 100% USDA human grade food, mostly organic fruits and veggies made in a human food plant. They other is Weruva canned foods. Weruva can no longer guarantee that their cans have no BHA so I don’t use them, besides the bha they also contain carrageen (sp?). I always keep The Honest Kitchen on hand in case I have forgotten to defrost raw. Typically I keep Zeal on hand. One of my dogs is allergic to ingredients in their other formulas. Another of their formulas that is good is Preference. All it’s missing is the protein so you an add any protein you want. It’s also good for a change for them to lower their fat intake. Raw has a high fat content. Darwin’s (a home delivered only raw food) has the lowest fat content that I am aware of. I rotate everything with my dogs. Food, supplements, oils, etc. Whatever ingredient they may be missing or low on one product I’m hoping they’ll get from the next. Also I feel it gives them a healthier gut and immune system.

[theBCnut]

Long haired chihuahuas have shorter hair than some shorthaired large breeds, so you can’t just go by length. A shorthaired toy breed should have hair under 1 inch, so he might be medium haired. Both JRTs and Rat Terriers can be wirehaired which is longer than shorthaired. You will have to be the best judge for our purposes. Even a medium coated breed would benefit from the rubber kong brush, they just grab long hair too much, of course that may be what you need at this point.

If he is very sensitive to flea bites, to the point where he has given himself sores in the past, that could be the cause of the dander. He could have very sensitive skin and have a mild allergic reaction to flea bites. Unfortunately with bite allergies, one bite can trigger a reaction that doesn’t completely go away for a week or more.

As for what is too much dander, at any given time, I can see a couple flakes on my completely normal dog, but it would be odd for me to see enough to be sure where it was coming from, or to see more than just a few flakes at one time on his whole body. BUT, some dogs do naturally have more dander than that, so if you aren’t seeing a bunch of flakes every time you rub his fur the wrong way, then your “expert” may just be overreacting.

• This reply was modified 12 years ago by theBCnut.

[Melissaandcrew]

I have dealt with pancreatitis dogs for over 20 yrs. I have yet to have a dog get better quick enough that bloods are normal if tested within a day or two of flareup. In other words false negs happen at the very onset of a flareup, not at the middle..as well, each flareup they have is more severe and longer in duration if not caught and treated.. Its not a disease in my experience that self heals.

If pancreatitis foods need to be low fat to get it under control.. Allergies affecting skin will not kill him but pancreatitis could so I would treat that first and worry about the allergies second. In other words don’t feed a high fat food just because its hypoallergenic.

Ibd can also cause the symptoms you are seeing. If it were my dog and my vet threw out those two options I would request treatment with metronidazole and cerenia-this controls the vomiting and diarrhea and is frequently used in both diseases. I would feed a bland diet for a week and then slowly introduce a lower fat food.

[Susan]

Hi Andrew, I too have a staffy with Cannie Atopy Demtosis, first as soon as u see her start to scratch stop her, as soon as Patch goes to scratch I say ‘no scratch’ & go & get his cream & apply where’s itchy also I bath him every 5 days in Malasab medicated shampoo, this is excellent, my boy also gets the yeast itchy ears when he has certin tin foods, ur dog needs a diet the she has never tried before eg..duck, kangaroo,venision,etc they say a hydrolized kibble.. Royal canin has the Hypoallergenic or Sensitive Control, The Hypoallergenic was OK with Patches itch BUT not with his red swollen paws that he’d get after some walks, In the end my boy was put on Eukanuba Intestinal this has cleared his skin cleared his paws as long as its not raining & he doesnt get his feet too wet, no more red swollen feet, but its a vet prescription & yes it has corn, but it seems to work for Patch.. People believe in the raw diet but my boy also has irritable bowel as well & vet said no to the raw as there’s to much bacteria…U’ll have to just keep trying different foods & start looking at the ingredients, & remembering what u’ve tried.. I write it all down.. Patch has a diary.. start to look for kibbles that dont have certain ingredients thats what Ive been doing, Like the carbs.. I was told potatoes are a NO NO. Most of these natural diets have the Patotes, Ive just Introduce the Nutro Natural Choice I think in America its the LID, Im in Australia, this so far has been Good, it has grounded rice, no potatoes or corn Poos are excellent he hasnt started the itching YET & has ears are good but its only been 2 weeks & Im still giving some of the Eukanuba Intestinal kibble with the Nutro, Eukanuba has the Dermatosis FP have you ever tried that I tried it but my boy got the runs from it cause of his IBD…. she may not have a real bad food allergy, it may be more the Pollens & grasses that affect her skin, Google ‘Cannie Atopy’ it will give you the 5 main things that cause skin allergies…but what may work for my dog wont work for ur girl… OH have u tried Antihistamine Tablets that humans take for allergies..My vet gave me a list that I can buy from my chemist when Patch gets the swollen lumps on his body again but so far he hasnt gotten them back this yr.. U’d be into spring now the worst time..Good Luck

[Evan O]

Hi, I’m looking for a dry dog food, grain-free, rice-free, yeast-free and with 5%+ fiber, I was hoping anyone would have a recommendation for me, I’m currently going through the list of 5 star foods trying to find one that fits this criteria. I believe my chihuahua is allergic to yeast, but I’m not 100% sure. I liked the ingredients of the Dr Harvey Oracle food, but its like $100 a bag, I was also hoping for like a 20-30 price for a ~5lb bag. Thanks for any advice!

[Akari_32]

Oh my god kill me.

This cat needs to learn some serious manners and house etiquette. He’s a sweet boy, but he sure is naughty! He tries to get in the blinds (they’re horizontal blinds, rather than vertical ones, so he all but tears them off the wall -_-), gets on the counter in hopes of food, plays with random things all night, tries to get into a closed off room all day, and thinks it’s time to eat EVERY time you go into the kitchen (I’ve tripped over him at least 4 times in the last week…). I’ve started spraying him with a spray bottle when he does bad things, mainly pulling on the blinds. That’s not even the worse part though…

Mom caught him scratching on the furniture the other day, and told me I had till Thursday (tomorrow, at this point) to get rid of him, before she came home from out of town. This is AFTER she told to get rid of him when she first saw him, then said I could keep him, and then went back and forth another few times, all since last Wednesday. I don’t even know what the crap to think any more. It’s ticking me off. Make your freaking mind up and tell me what you want me to do (before I get rid of you!!!)! Now she’s back to me keeping him, but making feel like the biggest dick ever for it, telling me to get him declawed, and that she hates cats, and all this other crap. And then she just texted me saying to buy him a scratching post (I haven’t bought one yet because why the crap am I going to spend the money on a scratching post for a cat I’m not keeping, or apparently now, declawing???). Just, whatever. I’m not over exaggerating at all when I say all this. At least when she first found out about him, she didn’t want him simply because she’s allergic to cats, which I can respect and understand, now she’s saying to get rid of him because she is mad that the cat is being a CAT.

I’m making an appointment for the vet tomorrow to get his shots and health check, and possibly neutered (we really aren’t sure if he is or not, he’s very fluffy and it’s hard to tell). I may actually call the humane society and see what they can do. Pull the “you guys are full of cats and I don’t want to give you another, can you just give me cheap vet care” thing. They do shots and fixing, but I don’t know if they do exams for the public. Won’t know until I ask, I guess.

My sister is giving me an old scratching post, and I may look into nail caps (thoughts on those?). I will not get him declawed. I’d sooner give him to the only people who apparently want this cat other than me, the nasty indoor smoker neighbors. Their house is so gross I want to shower every time I have to go in there. They do have a cat over there, though. They had two, but one ran away. Go figure. And they feed dry only, whatever’s cheap (I’ve seen versions flavors of Friskies and 9Lives over there). But yeah, they’re the only ones to say they want him. I may be able to get them to feed him wet/mostly wet, even if it is something like the huge $1 cans of Friskies from Dollar Tree, if they were to take him.

Anyways, I got a good deal on some lesser wet foods (Purina One, Sheba, and Fancy Feast) so we’ve got about 60 cans of these. It’s better than nothing right now. I’ve got coupons for BOGO Wellness Select-whatever, which I’ll get before they expire. He’s still got some EVO dry left, but I’ll need some more soon. It was just a teeny baby bag (2.2 pounds) and he’s just a big fatty (11.4 pounds). I’ve got his mix pretty well figured out, I think. I’ve been mixing half wet and half dry, according to how much he should be eating according to the can and bag, and feeding him 2-3 times a day, about 2 tablespoons. It seems about every other day he wants an extra snack, which is when he gets fed a third time. Mom said he was so hungry the other day when I was at work that he was just walking around the house meowing and meowing. Granted I had fed him at about 10 and she said she finally broke down around 7 and fed him, so I could understand him being hungry. He also won’t take treats unless he’s starving. Kind of a weird cat lol

So anyways, all this drama is why I haven’t updated you guys. Moms given me one month to try him out, and if she’s still pissy about him, he has to go :/ If that happens, and if I have no other takers, I’d think I’d rather see him go to my neighbors rather than a shelter. What do you guys think about that? I’m honestly not so sure, either way…

[Dori]

Awwww. He’s still a baby. You have to be careful at this stage. Too many different types of treats at the same time will always upset their tummies. Do forget he’s still a puppy puppy and not completely fully developed with everything working as it should. At first when I have puppies what I use for treats is their own kibble. For one. They don’t know the difference and dogs love to eat anyway. Second is that you know it works, he’s not allergic to it and his system tolerates him. When he gets older if you want to use something else as a treats for training find one that is teeny tiny since you’ll be giving him quite a few and keep his training sessions initially to around 10 minutes at a time. They say that the first 10 minutes in training is when they get the most out of it. You can then let him rest or play for a couple of hours and then train again for another 10 minutes. You can lengthen his training time once he’s older. Just keep in mind that he’s a baby. Small dogs mature way way slower than large dogs. Some small dogs are still considered puppies until they reach the age of four. Some really large dogs at four are almost considered middle age. I’ve had some dogs that I’ve always trained with their own tiny kibble. It’s almost still so surprising how much effort they’ll expend to get a tiny piece of treat. But they love the praise from mommy and daddy. I’m telling you, they really are like little babies and toddlers. That’s a good thing for you to always remember. They are helpless and you have to pretty much always make the right decisions for them. A lot of people through the years have made statements to me that they didn’t realize they were doing something wrong, that their dog really liked it. Just cause he liked it doesn’t mean it was good for the dog or that maybe one would have been good but more…not so good. I love hot fudge Sundays but I’m pretty damn sure more than one is gonna make me really really sick.

[FreeholdHound]

I just use the broth/pasta mix at first and then as things improve add in some kibble or boiled chopped meat. I don’t use “whites” in my house either, but now buy the elbows just to have for Harry. Avoid the healthy grains until things firm up. Pumpkin, rice, oatmeal (Harry’s allergic to oatmeal-go figure) have never worked for him. Rice will work eventually but the pasta speeds things

Harry’s food intolerances have made me a pro at bland diet. When my Mom had emergency abdominal surgery I was her chef for 2 weeks – fed her the same meals (minus the kibble) LOL.

[banditsmom]

Hi I am a newbie here who has learned a real lot about dog nutrition by reading this site. Much more than I thought I would. I’m very happy about it.
I have 5 small dogs and I’ve decided that the youngest one,who is a 2 yo LH Chihuahua is allergic to chicken. She’s been itching and licking and biting at her paws. Chicken is the only thing she has had consistently in her diet, probably 5 days a week. I always put a little meat on top of their canned and it’s usually chicken. She gets a variety now. I used to feed them exclusively Merrick ( a lot of the chicken ones) but for the past 3 months I’ve used different brands and protein. As it turns out these are all 4 or 5 star foods on here.
Thing is, I need to find a good rotatation of foods without any chicken ingredients for the 5 of them. Of course they’re picky…
I’ve been trying different foods and so far I have Trippet original and Wellness turkey stews.
Reading here about the manufacturing is scary. I started looking for companies who manufacture their own and I found Nutrisource. They have 4.5 stars on here. ( would put in a link but I don’t know how). They also are not on the recall list on here.
Anyway, I’m interested in their Nutrisource Lamb and also their Pure Vita and Natural Planet Organics foods. Neither one of those canned foods are rated here so I really need opinions. They all look to me like they have very high fat contents.
For Pure Vita turkey stew the guaranteed analysis is pro 8.5% fat 5.5% fiber 1.5% moisture 82% they also list ash which is max 1.9%. For Nat. Planet turkey it is pro 10% fat 8% fiber 1.5% and moisture 78%. There is the Nutrisource lamb and rice it is pro 9% fat 8% fiber 1.5% and moisture 78%.
Sorry this is so long but I don’t want to make mistakes. Your opinions on this would really be appreciated.
Other foods I’m looking at are Ziwi Peak, Addiction and Natures Logic. Thanks

[Dori]

Hi Losul. First, how’s Turbo doing and have you been able to calm down a little? I hope so.

I really appreciate that in the midst of what you’re going through you’ve taken the time to get info for me and pass it along. I came out at the same conclusion that you did but you have no idea how gratified I am that they are your findings also. I’ve been doing a lot of research also on the different HW meds since Turbo was diagnosed and decided that since I have to do something, and living in the South, I will do it all year long long.

I do have another issue that I’m really taxing my brain over. I know a lot of you don’t like the idea of HW med that includes the flea ingredient. But living here in Georgia we have a lot of mosquitos, and fleas. Because we don’t normally get cold freezing weather for enough days in a row (this winter being the exception) nothing, and I do mean nothing, seems to die. I’ve gotten mosquito bites myself in the dead of Winter here. Fleas are pretty much a year round thing. Ticks? Not so much. I need some thoughts on my situation and my girls. Do I go with just the HW med or HW and flea? I’m mostly concerned about Katie getting flea bites with all her allergies she would probably have a pretty bad reaction. Good Lord! I sometimes feel this will never end. I go to sleep thinking of all these issues and wake up with the same thoughts wondering “Did I actually fall asleep?” or has these been some really long nights. Of course, if it’s not only these issues then there’s the food issues (allergy dog to food and environment, scents, you name it she can’t handle it). Then there are the supplements. Katie has started scratching again, no change in food, no fleas or anything on her. I started removing supplements one at a time for a couple of days and it seems she’s not doing well with the Mercola digestive enzymes. The other two are doing fabulous. I didn’t know they could have a reaction to digestive enzymes. I swear this little girl is going to have me pulling out what little hair I have left. Shawna referred to Katie as a delicate flower. I wish those were my kind thoughts of Katie. But she’s so damn cute, sweet, and with all her issues she’s just the happiest “go with the flow” little girl I’ve ever had the pleasure of having in my life. Not to mention it was because of her that I found this site (whilst pulling some hair out, mine, not hers) and my other two girls have been the beneficiaries of this fabulous site and my goto fabulous/wealth of knowledge posters. Thank you again for being so caring not only about your dog but all dogs. Some of you posters are so amazing.

[sambrolaw]

Try Natural Balance Limited Ingredient. I have my dog with food allergies on this and she does very well. It isn’t as highly rated, but she actually won’t eat the higher ranked foods!

[Dori]

Have you tried feeding her a commercial raw for cats? There are a few out there. She might like that. I don’t have cats but I thought I’d put that suggestion out there for you. My sisters and brothers have cats. I’m the only dog person in the family now. I’m allergic to cats, also to dogs which is why I have “hypoallergenic dogs” Maltese, Maltipoo, Yorkipoo.

[Dori]

I feed commercial raw as well as home cooked raw. I feed both Primal Pronto Beef, and Lamb. They make other proteins but one of my girls has allergies to all things poultry so those are the two I stick to. I also feed Darwins. Darwins is less expensive and also less in fat content. I have three toy dogs. One is a 14 1/2 year old Maltese, 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo and 4 year old Yorkipoo. I have to admit that they are all chow hounds and have never met a meal they don’t inhale and certainly haven’t turned down. They have done equally as well with Primal as they have with Darwin’s. I feed a rotational diet so both Darwins and Primal as well as other commercial raws are in my freezer. Primal Prontos are geared to be able to scoop and serve. It is raw but little bits (somewhat like the size of kibble) and defrosts very quickly on the kitchen counter in their bowls which is really very convenient when I’ve forgotten to take some other raw from the freezer. Doesn’t happen often but it does happen.

[Mom2Cavs]

What you are giving him sounds like a good plan. The Nature’s Logic fortifier is a whole food supplement and I believe should not be “too much”. I really don’t know if you mean you might overdose him on something or if it’s too rich. But, either way, it should be a healthy supplement to add if he tolerates it. All the rest are fine, too. The doses for all these supplements for such a small dog should be small, as well. If you are worried about changing the taste of his food and him not eating, then you could use something else to help deliver the supplement, like yogurt, cottage cheese, etc…. to put some of the supplements in and give as a treat. As for the joint supplement, you could always get one that is packaged like a treat and give it that way, so it doesn’t have to be mixed into his food. The coconut oil would probably be licked right off your finger as a treat, and if the fish oil is a gel cap you could wrap it in something, like cheese, or use cream cheese and cover it and give as a treat, as well. The probiotics and enzymes shouldn’t change the taste of the food. And as far as him being healthier without all the supplementation….sometimes supplements can cause issues, like allergic ones, or loose stool, etc., so it is a choice you have to make, whether or not to give, and if you do want to give supplements to try to find those that the dog can accept either in his food or as a treat. I should know all this because I have smaller dogs who don’t eat that much food and I do like to give supplements. Lucy, my Mixed Breed, has a rare type of skin cancer (I believe she’s in remission, atm, yay!) and she takes a liquid maitake mushroom supplement in her canned/dry food every morning. I was very worried she might not take it in her food and I’d have to get creative, but she has with no problems…very good, lol. I also give Standard Process supplements, which are powders, and sometimes they will give a little loose stool, so I back off a little. If I feel I’m overloading them with supplements I tend to break it all up between morning and evening or give as a treat during the day. Sometimes I don’t give a supplement every day, but every other. I also evaluate their supplements at times to determine if I still need to give something or if I can stop for awhile. I also like to rotate supplements, too. I will give Wholistic Pet for awhile and them I’ll switch and give Nature’s Farmacy stuff, or Springtime, Inc. I’ve used cream cheese to give pill type supplements to Lucy because she’s picky. The Cavaliers tend to just eat anything I give them lol. These methods have worked with my dogs and I hope some of the suggestion help.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Mom2Cavs.

[sue102dal]

He does not properly label his food in accordance to USDA laws is not licensed by USDA to manufacture pet food. Will substitute if out of something you ordered without contacting you. Changes recipes without notifying you this can be a problem if your pet has food allergies or medical issues restricting certain proteins. He refuses to say where he gets his meats from. does not have an employee stay at any delivery site to handle any issues with orders. Also heard some complaints that they do not follow acceptable delivery times deliver when they want not at prearranged time.

[Shawna]

Just saw your bloodwork question. Eosinophils are white blood cells (part of the immune system) that help fight of parasitic infections (like worms). They can also be seen with allergies/intolerances. I’m not surprised to see them high and I would think that the fact that they are not above normal, in an otherwise healthy dog, is a very good sign.. Aimee, Patty, HDM or anyone else have any thoughts on that comment?

Higher HTC shows increased production of red blood cells but I’m not sure how that would pertain to heartworm infection, if at all? First I would check past blood evals to make sure this isn’t his normal and not elevated at all.

As far as other blood work or a urinalysis —- sorry, no help there… 🙁

[Honeybeesmom1]

Hi Akari, my Chi. is doing the same thing. He also started his bad cough yesterday – and I asked my husband was pollen out…he said yeah on sidewalk and cars. I ran to see
and pollen everywhere! He also has the red paws and itching.
I’ve decided yesterday to lay down puppy pads because when he gets this way it’s so hard on him. He will be 11 Y/O next month…and 6 lbs. For a long time he’s been allergic to grass also.
I think keeping him inside is the best thing I can do for him right now.

[Akari_32]

So this dog is back to scratching like crazy. I’m wondering is it’s more of a pollen thing…? Cars are litterally covered in yellow dust, and my fish ponds have yellow Inge around the edges– it’s disgusting! He’s much worst this year than he was last year, and my allergies are terrible this year as well (I might as well have a cold at this point, because at least it would be over soon!).

I’ve been wiping him down with baby wipes, and I bathed him that neosporin stuff once, and he’s got flea stuff on, so he doesn’t have any fleas on him. His feet are the worst, and his knees and thighs are pretty bad too (everywhere he comes into contact with grass, basically). There’s an empty lot with about 40 pine trees behind our house, which is the main source of the areas pollen.

If this is the case, there’s really no way around it, other than potty pads or a potty patch thing inside, and our house is so small that there’s really no where to put either (besides the fact that both if those options are pretty disgusting lol). Or we could just constantly run Benadryl on him and get cortisone shots every so often …

[Melissaandcrew]

I have a dobie with a very sensitive stomach, and it came to a point of thinking grain free would never work for her. I finally found Victor grain free ultra pro. For her, LESS fiber was the solution. So, if you try a food with more fiber and it doesn’t work, think about going lower. Every dog is different. Boxers are notorious for allergies and stomach issues, so perhaps a boxer forum can help.

[traceearsena]

Hello. After many months of various attempts to help our rescue boxer with his allergy issues, we finally have some control with grain free food/treats and daily allergy drops. However, I have noticed that he has much more loose stools which is now to the the point of huge diarrhea. He’s even had accidents in the house which is not him unless he can’t help it. When he was off the food for awhile and on a prescription food for urinary crystals, his stools seemed better.
Vet had him on a course of antibiotics and imodium a couple weeks back. His stool was negative for anything but she said there has been something going around causing diarrhea. Didn’t do much good. The brand he has been on for most of the last year since we adopted him is Earthborne Holistics-Coastal Catch. Our trainer highly recommended the brand. We have also tried adding the pumpkin but didn’t help much. Our other dog, without allergies, is fine on the same food.
Would like a recommendation for a grain free that has helped others who might have had this issue. With this quality of food, I would expect his stools to be smaller and formed. The lovely side issue with this is he is having anal gland issues (or as we call it-fishies!) Thanks for any suggestions.

[myfriend]

I have just in the few day last began to read raw food for dogs on facebook on forums and books, I have a male dog that has severe allergies….. I am attempting to get all if not most of his processed foods buying his food from a butcher… my vitamix has actually ground chicken and bone up… but he did eat a raw chicken leg and the ground up chicken no problem… today was the first day of this but I am hoping he will never eat processed dog food again

Good Luck

[InkedMarie]

You don’t need puppy food. As long as it’s an all life stages food, it’s fine. What is your pup allergic to and how did the vet determine that?

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Have you checked out the 4 and 5 star puppy foods on the review side of this site? Any food that is labeled puppy or all life stages is ok to feed a puppy. It’s hard to know what to recommend when there is no mention what he is allergic to.

[aimee]

I respect immiticide.. I can’t lie the drug scares me a bit. It is painful and is injected deep into the back muscles. When injected into legs it causes lameness. Rarely it has caused sterile abscesses and if it leaks and migrates and gets to the spinal cord very very rare cases of paralysis have been reported. I’ve heard of dogs having “allergic” ie anaphylactic reactions again very rare. As far as organ toxicity …it is a lot safer than what used to be used. Still knowing all that it is what I’d choose for my own dog if ever faced with a heartworm positive dog.

P.S. Means a lot to me that you hoped I would be one of the ones to reply.