[Sully’sMom]

I just mistakenly posted this under a potato grain free forum…this is where I intended to go (that’s what I get for rushing while I’m at work!):

Hi all, I’ve been silent for a while. I did pose this question on a forum under Supplements, but thought I’d come back to my reliable group and post it here as well, as there’s always so much invaluable help and not sure if all the same parties participate in the different forums. Thank you for your indulgence:

Sully (1 yr, 7 mo yellow lab) has recently been diagnosed with allergies, most specifically to dust and storage mites (there are others, but these are the biggies). If anyone remembers us, we’ve been dealing with this for awhile, so this is actually a welcome finding – at least now we can proceed with some action! I was reading an article in the Nov 2013 issue of Whole Dog Journal about the wonders of coconut oil, and I thought this might help. Can anyone offer opinions/advice? Recommendations? It seems from the picture accompanying the article that there is no shortage of product options!

Appreciate any help I can get, as I’d like allergy resorts to be a last resort, not a first. Thank you!

[Sully’sMom]

My dog Sully (1 yr, 7 mo yellow lab) has recently been diagnosed with allergies, most specifically to dust and storage mites (there are others, but these are the biggies). I was reading an article in the Nov 2013 issue of Whole Dog Journal about the wonders of coconut oil, and I thought this might help. Can anyone offer opinions/advice? Recommendations? It seems from the picture accompanying the article that there is no shortage of product options!

Appreciate any help I can get, as I’d like allergy resorts to be a last resort, not a first. Thank you!

[Giles123]

Just found out yesterday after their allergy tests came back that our dogs are allergic to corn, soy and potato. The vet initially had them on hills ID because they were having many stomach issues. I guess now we know why. That food contains the components they are allergic to. We need to find them a food without these ingredients but I am so worried because there seems to be constants recalls on brands. Does anyone know of a good quality food that doesn’t contain these items and isn’t a feared recalled brand? Along with their probiotics they have to take Benadryl right now to keep the symptoms down. I need to find them a good food fast- please help

[Giles123]

Hi Sue this is Kelly. Just read your post and we are having similar trouble with our dogs. We finally had testing done for food allergy as along with bloody diarrhea they get yeast and bacteria in their stomachs constantly and we could find no reason as to why. The vet had initially put them on hills ID for sensitive stomach however since troubles continued and they actually would turn a little pink a short while after eating we did the allergy test. It’s just a blood test that they do and then see if their blood shows positive reaction to certain foods. Came back that they are actually allergic to corn, soy and potato. Apparently if your pet is allergic to something in their food or environment it can cause an allergic reaction that makes an overgrowth of yeast and bacteria in their stomach. Not sure if this will fix your babies troubles but if nothing is working maybe an allergy test might help to determine if their food is causing the problem. Best of luck to you I know how hard it can be seeing your baby struggle

[Kmsharp]

I’ve had shih tzus for 30 years and have tried all diets (we eat organic ourselves). Watch out for yeast if problems with dry skin or itching, may be also related to stomach issues. It looks like you can find lots of foods with high ratings here. We sometimes cook for our dogs – ground turkey, oatmeal, some veggies, olive oil. Make a large batch & freeze some – we do this to use all organic products. My dogs also do fine on a high quality dry food & wet food mix. I mix it up, add a bit of eggs when we eat them. One dog was allergic to beef. With a small dog like a shih tzu it’s easy to give them bits of healthy (fish, meat, sweet potato, cheese) leftovers too as a supplement (though some people never spoil their dogs like this!)

Good luck – these are fabulous, loyal, loving dogs!

[kcarter137]

I have a 1 1/2 year old 13 lbs chihuahua mix. She has a long story and I need help so here it is. She has been plagued with various ailments since we acquired her. After a couple months of raw feet and hairless patches on her body I took her to see an allergist/dermatologist. We did a food elimination diet and determined she was severely allergic to chicken, rice, and wheat; somewhat allergic to eggs, dairy, and fish in higher quantities. She has been eating cooked pork, 5-10% cooked liver, 15-20% pureed sweet potatoes with skin on, 15-20% raw beef, and every other day she gets half a sardine or canned salmon. She eats no bone but I supplement with calcium. She takes a glucosamine/chondroitin/msn supplement because she has bad knees. We recently started her on a wild salmon oil because my vet said she needed it also. He also told me that she’s not eating a balanced diet so she also needs a multivitamin. So I ordered one from b-naturals. I don’t know what else I can do for balance her diet out. My other half says we cannot feed her raw or bones. Help, please and thanks in advance!!

[A.Sandy]

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[klynnway@aol.com]

Thank you Patty! I would satill be running in circles had I not suggested the hypoallergic PV. They are reformulating he dry – due mid -lated Feb but I bought a large bag so I hope to have enough till then and shop ashe continues doing well- wood please!!

[GizmoMom]

I think Gizmo is allergic to See Spot mix. I decided to switch cold turkey from THK Preference to See Spot mix. Still using ground bison. He was chewing his feet and scratching his ears about 5 minutes after eating. I haven’t add any oil yet. The only change is from THK Preference to See Spot mix.

[GizmoMom]

That’s interesting! I’ll try the plant based for now. Since he’s allergic to fish, he might be allergic to calamari.

[Suziemorgs]

Thank you for replies, she was on Origen until I found out she had allergies at the moment I’m feeding her grasslands Acana but since being on the grasslands has developed tear staining 🙁

[Suziemorgs]

Hi my Bichon Frise has been allergy tested ,she is allergic to Beef,chicken,salmon and soya can anyone recommend a dog food that don’t contain these ingredients as a lot of the food contain salmon oil 🙁

[GizmoMom]

Just got my order of See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix in the mail. What kind of oil can I add to the mix other than fish oil/salmon oil? My dog is allergic to fish oil and salmon oil. I think he’s also allergic/intolerant to fish.

Do I need to gradually switch the food? He’s been on THK Preference with cooked ground bison for about 3 weeks. Before this he was on K9 Natural freeze dried lamb, K9 Natural freeze dried venison and Wysong Epigen 90. And before this he was on many brands of premade raw. I’ve also tried PMR, but can’t keep up with it due to freezer space.

[Lori J.]

Hi,

I’m seeking out some new ideas….Currently feeding my Aussie mix Zeal (Honest Kitchen)…while we’re figuring out possible food allergies…and realized there’s egg in there…I’m looking for “simple”…not a gazillion ingredients.

Also, she’s got a yeast infection on her paws we are treating, so trying to avoid carbs now….

Ideas out there?

Thanks!

[Shasta220]

Jeff, thanks so much for the info on honey!

We are by the Oregon Coast (the land of liquid sunshine…aka rain…aka sideways rain!), so luckily things stay fairly constant with us, and the dogs don’t seem to get seasonal allergies. I’m not sure what Loki had, but when we adopted him last spring, he was sneezing non-stop, sometimes if we ran him hard, it’d get to the point of where he couldn’t breathe and started choking. I took him to the vet and asked them, they looked up his nose and said everything’s normal, but he might have some grass seed lodged in his snout. I kept an eye on him, and within a couple weeks it went away. It hasn’t come back yet, but I will wait and see if something about the spring blossoms caused it.

Loki is totally healthy other than that, he has the softest, shiniest fur out of the 3 dogs. I wonder if his sneezing was just from his initial acclimation to a new environment? We adopted him from a shelter that was about 50mi away, in a city. We live out on 5acres, about 2mi away from the nearest small town. If the sneezing starts up in spring though, I’ll get onto that honey for him!

About the shampoo…that’s a genius idea! I just hope my super wiggly Loki would come to the idea of liking it, LOL! (He can’t hold still for more than a fe moments…but heck, he’s a 2-3y.o. Kelpie/Aussie, who can blame him?) Our lab randomly got a nasty hot spot on the underside of her foot – she gnawed in between the toes until it was raw. In all her 12yrs, she has NEVER gotten a spot on her foot, it’s always been her back/rump. Luckily, I put some ointment on it and it went away the next day, but should it happen again – should I try the wash method using her Virbac Hexadine shampoo in he he ziploc bag?

@Sue, that’s weird your vet said no honey. I do see why they might say it’s sugar, but if it’s local raw honey, and just a tablespoon, the benefits are WAY greater than the chances of your dog having too much sugar! Be sure your dog isn’t at all sensitive to wheat/grains when you put it on the toast though. 😉

[Susan]

When You say you give ur dogs honey how much do u give them & how??? I was giving my boy honey on 2 pieces of toast no butter just the honey when he has his Colitis of a morning as he wouldnt eat nothing else, this help stop the gurgling noises in his bowels, I told my vet & she said stop with the honey it has sugar.. But I thought that honey was a natural sweetner..My boy has seasonal allergies worst in spring & summer gets better in colder months..Instead of the shampoo with their feet I use Detol antiseptic I put a couple of caps of the Detol antiseptic in a very shallow bath with cold water sook my dogs feet & all his reddnes & swollen feet go away also good for ant bites, Betadine Antiseptic Liquid is also excellent but it gets too dear the Detol or homebrand antiseptic works out cheaper.

[Badboris27]

:o) To be honest, when we heard about giving honey to the dogs, it made complete sense if you believe that allergies are the root cause. We were so desperate that we would have tried almost anything!

The impact of “something in this combination or the entire combination”, whether it be the honey, yogurt, non-poultry grain-free food and-or the vitamin, did have a very dramatic effect on our dogs. The sores that were so bad that they used to BLEED went away completely and their coats started “regenerating” for lack of a better word. The hair got thicker and a LOT softer. Prior to that, the ONLY progress we ever saw was when they were on antibiotics and steroids. When those medications were done, the problem always came back. Not anymore.

I’ve scoured the internet for information about giving honey & bee pollen to dogs since then and everything I’ve found has been very positive.

To your question – Yes, we will absolutely keep giving the honey because of the “micro-climate” area we live in (So Cal wine country, 25 miles inland of the coast and just at the edge of the desert – lot’s of variety in that). On top of that, a drought or a wet season can cause certain plant species to flourish while others don’t do as well. The local beekeepers must have a Co-Op of some sort because all of the raw, local wildflower honey in our stores is all packaged the same but some weeks it is darker, lighter, thicker or thinner. I suppose that depends on where that batch came from. My wife gets the honey at the smaller, natural stores and not the big name chains. Farmer’s market’s also have the local honey around here – and again, all packaged the same.

Lastly, the more I read the more that I keyed on the allergens getting into the feet. We walk our dogs 2x a day no matter what. Often, we’re out in nature on grass, in the weeds, in the dirt, in shrubs, bushes, whatever. Our vet taught me how to scrub their feet using 1 gallon Ziploc bags and I do that a few times a weeks (the theory here being that dogs walk and “spin” in all of that flora which puts everything deep in those pads…then, they lick them and lick their fur, etc.). Take two Ziplocs, fill each one about 1/4th of the way up w/ warm water. Squirt some shampoo in one of the bags for the “wash” cycle and leave the other one as-is for the rinse. Stick your dog’s foot in the wash bag and from the outside of the bag, use your fingers to work the shampoo in between the toes and up inside the pads. Rinse the same way and dry with a towel. My “dog kids” are used to it now and they actually LIKE it, I think!

I’m not a vet and I’m no expert at any of this. All I can attest to is that this worked for us. Like anyone else going through a canine allergy problem, I was ready to be fitted for a straight-jacket!

If ANYONE has any other questions or observations, I’d love to hear them or help if I can.

One other note, our dogs also used to be on Soloxine for a thyroid condition and we’ve been able to get off of that, too.

Best to you,

Jeff

[Shasta220]

Jeff, I’ve never heard using honey could work, but that does make sense, as honey truly is a wonder food! Do you give your dogs the honey/yogurt even when their skin is fine, or only when you know allergies are coming?

We have two beehives (funny story, really…we got the hive, then a friend gave us one of his swarms. That swarm left within a few weeks, but some wild honeybees moved in and STUFFED it w honey in just a couple months! We won’t harvest it until summer though, of course. Have to make sure they’re settled in), so I’d imagine giving her a piece of the honeycomb daily would work, doesn’t get much more organic and raw than that!
Now I’m craving a spoonful of honey…:P

[Badboris27]

Hi – While looking through dog food reviews at this wonderful site, I looked at the Forums section and stumbled across your email. I felt that I had to reply. For the past 2+ years, my wife and I have been dealing with dramatic skin issues with our 8+ year old Huskies. We’ve had severe loss of fur from round skin sores that become very aggravated and sometimes bloody. Yellow flaky material was found around the edges of the sores. Both of our dogs would lick these sores and make them even worse.

We tried EVERYTHING including sprays, Neosporin, special shampoos, bathing the dogs every week or two, changing foods, you name it.

Everything we read and everything we learned indicated that this entire issue was allergy-based. We had (and still have) no idea if it was airborne allergens or food allergies.

At this time, our oldest Husky, who’s condition was the worst, is completely free of ANY sort of skin issues and his coat has completely replenished itself. Our slightly younger female is making excellent progress on the same program. Here’s how things got better for our dogs, in a hurry:

A life long friend in Texas was fostering a dog in their home and it had significant skin issues, sores and hair loss. They called the shelter for whom they were fostering the dog and here’s the advice they were given:

1. “Allergy” dogs do REALLY well on grain-free food, GOOD quality dog food and especially one that is of a fish & sweet potato variety. “Alternate” protein sources like venison or bison are good, too. Stay away from chicken / poultry based food.
2. Give the dog a tablespoon of raw, LOCAL honey every morning and every evening. this helps their immune system adapt to allergenic pollens that get on their coat and in their feet. It MUST be LOCAL to get the pollens that are in your area.
3. Give the dog a tablespoon of unsweetened, plain yogurt every morning and every evening. The pro-biotics help their digestive system. We use “FAGE Total 0%”.
4. Help the dog’s immune system with a good quality multi-vitamin given per the manufacturers’ directions.
5. Shampoo as follows: Use a Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo (“Vet Solutions” BPO-3 Shampoo for about $10 on Amazon) and next with a Hexadine shampoo (large bottle of Virbac brand is about $14 on Amazon).
6. Spot treatment is a good idea until the food-honey-yogurt-vitamin formula “kicks in”. We used “Virbac Chlorhexadine Gluconate Flush” from a local horse veterinary store. 12 oz was about $16.

After about 8-10 weeks, we have NO signs of any skin problems. This was such a relief after 2+ years of extreme frustration, anguish and expense.

The Texas shelter advised that extreme conditions could take up to four months as some dogs respond more slowly to the honey pollens.

Hope that this may be of help to you!

Jeff

[GizmoMom]

JASTECH, Thanks. I know I can release his AG manually. I prefer not to do it though. I usually take him to the groomer to get it done when needed.

RescueDaneMom, Thanks. I contacted THK and they said I can double the meat if I wanted to. As long as the meat stay within the recommended ratio (min. 1:1, max. 2:1), the balance will still be there.

Another question I have is the meat I add too lean? The bison I’m using is 10% fat. His coat has been drier than usual. Should I use meat with more fat? Maybe 15% or 20%.

I just started adding coconut oil to his food to see if it helps.

I think Gizmo is allergic to fish oil and salmon oil. When I gave him fish oil, his eyes would turn red and he tries to scratch them. Same with salmon oil.

I haven’t try flax oil. Not sure if he’s allergic.

[GizmoMom]

Just wanted to add that I will be rotating proteins in the future. I am monitoring him to see if this helps with his allergies.

[Shasta220]

He’s a classic Heinz 57 (he has, without a doubt, at least 6 breeds, b/c I knew the dad, mom, AND grandma…all were 2+ mixes)… I’ve never bought a purebred dog, and I doubt I ever will… Too many great rescue pups out there…

I don’t think Diamond naturals is the culprit, honestly… His smell came on fairly gradually, when he was still on Nutra Nuggets lamb n rice (he’s been on it all his life and never had a problem until several months ago). DN is a 4-star dog food, and honestly we can’t afford anything over $1 per lb (3 dogs, chickens, ducks, cats, pony, and cow…food bill is pretty high as is).

I’m starting to think his problem might be combination between possible food allergies (I still just don’t understand why an allergy would gradually start…especially when he was fine just a while ago), and a couple other things.

[Shasta220]

Hm. That’ll be rather tricky to figure out, for sure! I’ll be sure to do my homework now, I guess… LOL! Sighs, if only I had the money/resources/freezer space to do a raw diet for the pooches. At least he’s not a horse allergic to grain…(and I do know of one!)

[theBCnut]

The price of the food doesn’t matter if it is a food intolerance, the particular ingredient does. It is definitely not a case of overwashing, you could even wash weekly. It’s called seborrhea, and is often associated with allergies and other skin irritations. It is an overproduction of body oils. Try comparing ingredient lists of the foods that you know he did well on with those that you know made him stink. My dog reacts to chicken and many grains, those were easy to figure out, but he’s also reactive to tomato, that was a bit harder to figure out. Others have had dogs thay react to chick peas, peas, fish, potatoes, you name it. Some of the ingredients are found in better foods, but rare in the cheap ones, go figure.

[theBCnut]

“Why would a company be listed there that has continuous issues with recalls and salmonella contamination (such as Innova, Merrick, etc…to name a couple). I am just bringing up a valid argument.”

Since this statement is utterly false, how can this be a valid argument? Neither Innova or Merrick has had continuous issues with recalls of any kind. If you go up to the red bar at the top, you will find the library. There is an article titled “How We Rate Dog Food.” You should read it. And you should also keep in mind that there is no method by which a future recall can be predicted. Past recalls are not a reliable indicator. Many companies have had a single recall and never had another.

As far as renal failure goes, do a little more research. Excess protein does not cause renal failure.

As for the rise in allergies, I have seen allergies increasing over a much longer period of time than that. Whether it’s from poor breeding practices, environmental pollutants affecting the immune system(my personal favorite theory), or sourcing of dog food ingredients, I don’t think anyone really knows yet.

As far as dog food companies go, they are businesses. They are in it to make money. There are a few that seem to actually want to do their best for dogs, but most are definitely only in it for the money, nothing else.

Statistically speaking, 20% of all dog foods will get a 1 star rating, 20% will get a 2 star rating, etc. If 20% are going to get a 5 star rating and there are very few truly great foods, it stands to reason that some of the foods on the 5 star list(a great deal of them) will not be top notch. Of course, my standards definitely aren’t yours. In fact I would go so far as to say this is not the site for you, because our feeding philosophy is definitely not yours.

[katana]

Hello,

Just making observation here. I notice that listed under the “best dog foods” tab that many are or have been recalled. Why would a company be listed there that has continuous issues with recalls and salmonella contamination (such as Innova, Merrick, etc…to name a couple). I am just bringing up a valid argument. Why would we invest into these foods if there are continuous mention of food recalls and salmonella contamination but yet they made the “best foods list” on this site. Also, some of these foods have extremely high protein that is over the scientific veterinary research according to VetMD where an adult is a maximum of 30% protein but some of these foods boast a minimum of 36-40% protein thus increasing the nitrogenous waste in the kidneys post catabolism of the excess amino acids. I have seen more dogs having renal failure that have been fed say Wilderness and Merrick as pets today do not forage for their food and burn the proteins they once use to over 90 years ago before modern dog food.

However, on a side note I am not happy with one single pet food company. They either take quality control too lightly and are always on the recall list; don’t fall within veterinary research nutrition guidelines as far as min-max nutrients per day (percent protein, fat, calcium, etc…); or they don’t specify exactly where their ingredients come from. Some will boast “organic” and as a scientist I laugh at this because many of the organic farming sectors it is legal and within regulation to use pesticides such as methane which is actually worse than say ethene in “inorganic” farming. Sometimes I actually wonder what this world’s logic has come to. Many know that dog formulas have changed in almost every company this past year. A correlation to this (not necessarily a causation) from speaking to many pet owners I have seen an increase in so called “allergies” rather it be environmental or food based. Without getting too detailed into immunology and immune responses with different allergens the point here is that: have any of you noticed an increase in pets itching and having reactions to food since all these companies changed formulas? Science backs that it is more due to environmental issues but as mass media is abundant and communication is easily obtained I have found many pet owners having issues across the USA and they all feed different foods but yet the environmental allergens are variable within regions. Could this be due to a common “farm” where say potatoes, rice, vegetables, or meat sources are mass produced and sent to companies individually? Many boast “made in USA” but which specific farm, etc? Any information out there on this?

Many of my friends have tried varied foods, etc…all the common treatments and running bacterial tests on tryptic soy agar plates and running antibiotic resistant tests all prove negative for bacterial issues where the common diagnosis when vets (without PhD and backed research) don’t know what it is-is “oh it is bacterial or fungal.” Tests on sabouraud dextrose agar plates post autoclave was negative as well for fungal concerns so the common diagnosis we see is invalid. I find it odd that there is such an increase nationwide in pet allergies when 2 years ago it was far less common and timing just so has it after all these companies change their formulas. The growth has been exponential I noticed from research. So this is why I might ask…is there a common farm these food companies get their products from that may be causing this?

Again, just observation and thought it would make an interesting thread here.

[rhonda]

We adopted a six year small bread dog six months ago – he seems to be allergic to everything: Alfalfa, barley, corn, soybean, white potato, and green pea. I’m having a hard time finding a food that doesn’t have all of these ingredients. Can anyone help?

[Blue8091]

I would be so grateful for some feedback. I have an 8.5 yr Shih Tzu. Allergic to poultry. For the last 2 years I’ve been feeding Urban Wolf. I have no complaints (just got a perfect health review from vet on annual check up) except for the expense and it’s labor intensive to make – I was doing 6 week batches at a time (bagging/freezing). Looking to reduce cost and time. So, I transitioned him into Bravo Beef Blend. I miscalculated the amount to feed (my bad) and even at just less than 3oz per serving 2x a day, I’m at around $70 a month (Urban Wolf was slightly less). I work a lot of hours and so defrosting has been trying and when totally thawed – GAG. Blood everywhere and I’m having a hard time hanging in there. I re-freeze (1 5lb chub was about 12 days worth) once bagged into indv servings. Weirdly this morning he threw up – (prior to being fed and after his walk). A lil scary since he never throws up. I also note that the amount of his poo has decreased by half since on Bravo, and it’s super soft- on the edge of runny. His whole life he’s been very consistent in the poo area and never super soft – I’m really nervous about this now. He may be a perfect candidate for Bravo, it might turn out that I’m not the perfect dog owner for Bravo (lol). Is all this unthawing and refreezing bad?

Once upon a time we did the Innova EVO Red kibble. So, this morning was reviewing here because I have a lot of respect for the opinions. I see Innova has a fairly new product (maybe a year or sold old) Innova Prime Beef/Bison and Salmon Herring kibble and also Innova Farmhouse stews (wet). I was thinking about topping kibble off with a spoonful of the stew. I’ve talked to a few locally owned pet retailers and they are all thumbing their noses at Innova (Natura) because of the pet food recalls. I understand that, but I’m also thinking that Natura is hopefully addressing what went wrong and are back to producing good dog kibble and food. I’m not going to be making the money I have been and I have to get Loki moved to a food which is both good, not so expensive and in terms of time – not labor intensive.

Innova gets good reviews here and I’ve not seen where this has changed due to the recalls. I’m wondering if anyone has some advice for me. I’d be truly grateful!

[Shasta220]

I completely understand your need for economical nutrition! We have about the same problem… 3 years ago we had just two dogs and 5 cats. Now? 2 Betta fish, 3 cats, 3 dogs (aka PIGS with how much they eat…), 8 chickens, 2 ducks, a miniature horse, and a 600lb puppy dog (aka Iggy the Holstein steer…he doesn’t know he’s a cow)

We obviously cannot splurge that much on buying ultra quality food (our lab has allergies though, so she can’t have foods full of wheat/corn).

The most economical and quality foods I’ve found so far are Nutra Nuggets (I ONLY get the lamb n rice formula, since lamb meal is the first ingredient instead of corona or byproduct), Diamond naturals, and Kirkland signature. Kirkland is 4star food, about 25$ for 40lb, and can be found at Costo (possibly you could find it online?). Diamond naturals is very similar to Kirkland, but it’s 40$ (I get the Large Breed 60+ since it has glucosamine and chondroitin to help their joints). Nutra nuggets is the same price as Kirkland, but only 3-star.

To make the food last a bit longer, possibly try adding your own nutritious “fillers” such as sweet potatoes (baked), carrots, apples, and meat (cooked or raw). Possibly try to find a local butcher and see if you can buy meat-scraps, or meat that’s slightly expired (just past human-consumption, but 100% safe for dogs). I know a girl who was able to buy virtually unlimited amounts of expired meat for her 5 dogs and 8 cats… It was, I think, $.50 per lb, which is a serious steal! Yep, she gives her lucky pups 100% raw, lol!

I hope you’ve found something that’s good for the dogs and your wallet. Also, try not to get “lite” foods (I don’t ever get the lite ones…not even if it’s a quality brand), you may find yourself feeding more. Switching to a food that’s even a little better than Beneful might actually be cheaper, since you may feed less.

When I owned my 90lb APBT mix, he ate 9c of Dog Chow daily (and he was super thin, too!). We switched him over to Nutra Nuggets, and he went down to about 2c daily without gaining/losing ANY weight. My biggest tip is this: even if you can’t afford much, at least make sure meat is the #1 ingredient (meal is fine, avoid by product if you can…).

[A.Sandy]

quinoa is great, in fact is a lot better than corn or wheat just because a dog is not allergic to corn or things like that it does not mean i’ts good for them. My dog is not allergic to anything but corn is just not very nutritious or healthy. try feeding healthy grains like quinoa,barley or oatmeal, or grain free instead.

-Ana Expert/pet nutrition advisor
pupcatnutrition.com
@pupfacts

[ShepherdMom]

My dog is allergic to white potatoes, rice and barley. He is not allergic to wheat, corn or oatmeal. Anyone know if Quinoa would be OK?

[Becca]

I’ve been feeding my dogs raw for over 2 years. to make a long story short there has got to be something missing, one of my dogs is sooo allergic to flea bites. I have tired every natural or homemade product out there for prevention nothing works. I wont use the spot on poisons. there must be something to boost his immune system with food. here is what I feed them.
chicken back
ground duck bone in
ground turkey bone in
ground beef
green tripe
beef trachea
organ meat
liver
little amount of veggies
I have done so much research on digestive enzymes, probiotics then hear bad things about it. started giving salmon oil then find out its no good unless given vitamin e with it. now I’m thinking of trying Braggs organic unfiltered acv with the mother. I think my cat brings in the bulk of the fleas and he’s allergic too.

[Becca]

I’ve been feeding my dogs raw for over 2 years now. One of my dogs suffesr from sever allergies to fleas. I will not use the spot on poison and I’ve tried every natural and or homemade remedy that has ever been thought of, nothing works. I’ve done so much research it is driving me crazy, just when I think I have the answer I see something bad about it. I started giving my dogs salmon oil and found out that no good without giving vitamin e, I spent 3 days researching digestive enzymes and probiotics then I find out its a waste, if feeding raw. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m going to try braggs organic acv with the mother. just looking for the missing link of why one of my dogs rips himself to pieces for hours when bitten by fleas. I think my cat bring in the bulk of the fleas he’s also allergic.

[ScottsMomma]

Thank you all for the replies-as of right now, I’m doing a homecooked diet for him-which he loves. Still doing the fish oil. He is still itchy, shakes his body. Energy wise-he is one crazy dog-loves to play fetch, flies thru the house, etc. I’ve run my hands thru his fur and do not see anything alarming, no red spots, no bumps, no critters-just some dandruff. I’ve read that terriers can be prone to skin issues. Really hoping that a better diet and the continued use of oils will help with the dryness.

[Mom2Cavs]

Like you and Patty said, if you can trust a dog food company and the food is rated a good one, then their cat food should be pretty good, too. Most people feel that cats should never eat a dry food. They are also obligate carnivores and need high protein, i.e. meat. Now…I will say I do leave dry out all the time for my cat to nibble on and she does like to do that occasionally. She gets fed a wet/canned food morning and evening. I add in missing link well blend to her food. She has some allergy responses and this seems to help. She loves Instinct kibble (not all flavors/kinds, though) but hates their canned food. She also likes Orijen/Acana. Currently, she’s eating Fromm Gamebird kibble and loves it. It also is doing well with her allergies. She eats Mulligan Stew canned, Fromm Gold canned, Wellness canned and pouches. She likes Weruva ok. I’ve tried premade raw with her a few times but she eventually won’t eat it. I keep trying, though, lol. She’s in perfect weight, as well.

[Alsmom]

My dog is allergic to peas, wheat, barley, corn and soybean. Finally we have this knowledge and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed pawing thru the pages of all the dog foods ( raw, dry, and canned ). A long list of foods came along with Tristan’s allergy report. Addiction’s dry Le Lamb and canned venison stew seem to fit his needs. I think I know where to buy it too. Is this an overnite transition or a slow half new and half old? For some reason I feel anxious about picking the right food ( recall issues etc. )
If anyone out there has used the Addiction brand and types I plan to try…I would appreciate some feedback.
Tristan is 7, we have him for a bit more than a year. He’s been scratching chin and neck since we got him. The vet gave some shots, changed his food twice …no improvement. So now that we know what he’s allergic too I am optimistic and so happy to think how much more comfortable he will be. Thanks u! Alsmom

[theBCnut]

Hi Shihtzumom20

Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix is really good, no potato,but you might have to add some veg or something for bulk. Dr Harvey’s Fine Ground Veg to Bowl is ok, a bit heavy on potato.

[Shihtzumom20]

Hi ScottsMomma! Thanks for rescuing a dog, he will be thanking you to! Seeing as you mentioned raw I would say that would be a great way to go! Raw should really help with any allergies and you can really customize the meal plan, anything that doesnt seem to sit well with him, you can simply move on to another protein. My shih tzu loves raw, its amazing how he took to it, and I am sure your terrier will love it too. While you are researching how to balance, Hound Dog Mom is the best for explaining that!, you can start with a pre-made raw or do a pre-mix in which you add your own meat to it. There is a great section for pre-made raw dog food here to help you choose the best, but I think a lot of people use Primal and Stella & Chewys I would to if I could get it! I have used Nature`s Variety and think its ok, Dawson loves it and he does well on it, but I like making my own then you know exactly what you put into it. But when I get busy I still use it.
For pre-mixes I know of a few, Urban Wolf, Honest Kitchen The Preference, Grandma Lucys makes one, Sojos I believe makes one, and one I think its called Steves Real Food, or something like that. I havent used them as Dawson doesnt really do so well on high potatoes, and urban wolf is the only one I can find here.
Check out the raw dog food forum, lots and lots of great help and questions that have already been answered. Here is a link /forums/forum/raw-dog-food-forum/
Oh and for the skin and dandruff, You can use coconut oil and a fish oil, I like to use krill oil, Here is an article from the whole dog journal on dosage:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_9/features/Fish-Oil-Supplements-For-Dogs_20600-1.html
But now I five Dawson sardines instead of the krill oil, its cheaper and a whole food source he loves sardines!
And then coconut oil is half a teaspoon per ten pounds. I give Dawson his sardine requirements once weekly, so thursday, and then coconut oil every day, but you can do it however works best. I believe some people do every other day.
I hope this helps some! It is overwhelming when you first start, but its so much better for your dog than any kibble or canned food. I know more people with more knowledge than me will chime in!

[theBCnut]

Did your vet do anything to help you figure out what your dog is actually reacting to? If you had some idea, you wouldn’t be stuck with such an inferior food. You could at least find a few foods and rotate between them.

[pacalady]

I have had several dogs with ear infections etc and feeding a lamb in rice formula got rid of it. The vets told us to feed iams lamb and rice.

[Cocker_mom]

Hi, InkedMarie! Since about April I’ve been feeding both my dogs the Iams Healthy Naturals Adult Lamb Meal and Rice dog food. They’ve both responded well to it, and it was included on the list of (literally, hundreds–at least one thousand) dog foods the allergy testing company gave me. Basically, it’s an average kibble, but it’s easily accessible in my area. Prior to that, I had my allergy prone cocker on Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin dog food and my older cocker on Blue Buffalo Senior Turkey (both are considered limited ingredient foods). (I’d highly recommend both those foods; it was just a 20+ mile drive one-way every time I needed dog food.)

To put things in context, I got my allergy prone cocker in September, 2012. I was visiting the vet pretty much every two weeks and he was constantly on keto, benadryl, special shampoo for the elephant hide, and various ear medications. The shampoo improved the elephant hide somewhat, but he was still having problems with ears and itching/licking in general. Once I got him on the Nature’s Recipe, he slowly started improving (I was beginning to think we had a definite winner!), but then spring hit and his skin, eyes, ears just drove him crazy with itching, so he really didn’t enjoy a substantial change in his condition. I did the food allergy test first just because I wanted to eliminate as many of the most likely causes as possible before considering something like an allergy panel/allergy shots. After getting the results, I rid the house of any foods, treats, etc. he was allergic to and made the decision to put both dogs on the same food with my vet’s approval. There was a little adjusting of portions for my older cocker, and she definitely liked the Blue Buffalo much better (it has oats, and I didn’t want to risk my allergy prone dog getting a morsel of it), but she’s doing really well on it.

The warm months were a nightmare for the little guy. The exposed skin and the yeast and the elephant hide cleared up completely with the food adjustment but the ears were the worst I’d seen yet–literally Velveeta cheese at the worst, and medicines weren’t providing much relief. More bi-weekly vet visits, and I even participated in some trial drugs when everything else failed. Thank goodness for the first hard frost. It’s winter now, and his ears have cleared up, so I am pretty confident now the food issues have been ruled out. We’ve both gotten a much needed break from the ear agony. He looks far and away better than ever and the constant itching/licking isn’t going on now that it’s winter. That’s what convinced me to do the outdoor panel before his 2nd spring with me. The tests aren’t terribly invasive or expensive–they use only a small blood sample. I couldn’t imagine having a chronic yeast infection! I’m hoping the allergy shots will prep him for the spring allergens.

I could probably start a whole new thread about cockers and their ears, but I can tell you that having owned two cockers now, my experience with the younger dog has been COMPLETELY different than the older one. Basically, I’ve always exercised preventative care with my older cocker just because cockers are naturally prone to infections with their big floppy ears–cleaning and drying the ears once a week or so, keeping the insides or the ear shaved close, and letting them air out. She’s had maybe 3 or 4 ear infections in her 13 years, and her ears are very clean and healthy. My younger cocker’s ears are a mess–gnarly and misshapen on the inside with a lot of scar tissue particularly on the left ear and there is an ugly polyp on the left ear too. He is truly a special needs dog, and I’m thinking the product of overbreeding (resulting in a very cute but very issue-prone pup).

I know a lot of dogs do well on a food elimination diet, and I believe I truly gave that method a fair shake (the food he was on when he took the food allergy test was actually on the testing company’s approved list–although none of the prior foods I tried were), but my dog’s issues are caused by a variety of allergens that aren’t limited to just food. I spent literally thousands of dollars in vet bills for various treatments that treated only symptoms but not the true problem, and I have no regrets with the allergy tests. I truly believe we’ve reached a turning point. They might not be necessary for every dog, but if your dog is experiencing chronic allergies and a food adjustment isn’t completely alleviating the symptoms, the test is worth it.

[InkedMarie]

CockerMom: as someone who has a dog with ear infections, can you please tell me what food you’re using?

[theBCnut]

It could be a food intolerance to any ingredient that has protein in it. Mine can’t have chicken, many grains, or tomatoes.

[theBCnut]

No, they should have been very early on your list. The expensive foods are grain free and soy free and almost all of the limited ingredient foods shouldn’t have had those either, since they should have one meat protein and one starch and only the vitamins and minerals needed to balance that. Allergy tests are still known to give false positives as well as false negatives. A proper elimination diet would have served you better.

[brewer]

Will do. Hopefully his rash clears up quickly. Thanks

[Cocker_mom]

I am new to this forum and mom to two cocker spaniels (ages 13 and 6), so I’ve seen my share of ear infections and whatnot. I adopted my youngest cocker a little over a year ago (September, 2012), and he had terrible elephant skin on his groin and chest and he stunk of yeast–it was all through his ears and on his little nose and paws. Just pitiful. He was a stray and his owner didn’t claim him although he was housebroken and sat on command when I got him. My vet initially suggested a “lifestyle” change–just being consistently cared for–might improve the skin. Unfortunately, it didn’t improve the near constant itching/licking, and we tried all kinds of medications on top of daily benedryl which just knocked the poor guy out. Much like spotcdb’s case, it would clear up only to come back. I tried the fancy, super expensive all natural dog foods for allergy prone dogs. We rotated foods to eliminate potential allergens. No substantial changes. It took about 5 months for me to make the decision to just test for the food allergies (about $200), and I’m so glad I did. He was VERY allergic to–surprise–OATS and SOY! Those would have been the last ingredients to be eliminated rotating the foods out. Today he is on a dog food (the company that does the testing gave me a HUGE list of foods/treats he could eat that wouldn’t trigger a reaction) that doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg but is still good for him. I just had an outdoor/indoor allergy panel done for him this week. Again, so glad I did because he was still having problems with his ears in the warm months, and it looks like he’ll need to go on allergy shots, which I’ll start before the spring to hopefully give him a head start. Never experienced anything like this with my older cocker, who I’ve had since she was 12 weeks old. Long story short, I really wish I’d done these allergy tests from the get-go, or at least in the first few months. I could have saved my little guy a lot of irritation and myself a lot of money. Incidentally, the elephant skin was completely eliminated shortly after getting him on the right food. He is SO much better, prettier, and happier than when I brought him home.

[theBCnut]

I don’t know if it will help the dog’s skin, but plug in air fresheners are toxic to humans too. Yes, unplug it, then carry it right out the door and pitch it in the trash.

[brewer]

I have a 90 lb 10 month old German Shepherd who has some allergies. I took him to the vet and was advised it is food allergies, most likely turkey that is in his food. I am eliminating the turkey and switching to a salmon diet. It is nature’s domain salmon dog food which is grain free. Could there be a dye in this brand of dog food that is causing the problem?
I searched the internet and also found that air fresheners could be causing the problem. I am wondering if I should get rid of the plug in air fresheners as it seems the rash began when we plugged them in shortly before Christmas, also around the same time we gave him the turkey dog food and some new treats (stopping treats as well).
I am just trying to get this under control as quickly as possible and would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations.

[ScottsMomma]

We recently adopted a terrier mix from our local Humane Society. He is my first dog-knew nothing about food so we just picked up the standard Kibbles & Bits for him which he ate just fine. Noticed on his second day with us, how much he was scratching; neck area, face, biting along his legs & paws. Took him in for a visit, was told he had dry skin, to try fish oil, also started reading up on dog food and picked up Earth’s Pride Grain free Duck & Vegetable. He is eating that just fine, no issues with messy stool (does have some gas) not bringing anything up. Took him back today since he has also been shaking his head along with the scratching, doc looked in his ears, said they were clear-just looked irritated. Said it is most likely allergies-which is what I suspect-but allergies to what? We live in Maryland so pollen is not an issue right now-possibly dust? Or food-how do you tell? His fur is nice & soft, but skin is dry and he has some dandruff. No major sneezing or coughing. I’m at a loss as to what to do. Doc gave me a med. called Prednistabs and a drop for his ears. I don’t know weather to try a different food with less ingredients, try Raw (does a raw diet help with both food & inhalant allergies)

[GoldenGirl]

Alright, so before I suggest anything I want you to know that I’m currently going to school for veterinary technology and I work at a wonderful feed store where I get a lot of “hands on” experience 🙂 So first off, the tear stains are actually caused by a minor bacterial infection that permanently stains the affected hair, the only way to get rid of that stained hair is to trim it off. Now, you can prevent further staining by using a supplement like “Angel Eyes” (a powder that you add to their food), which is actually a mild antibiotic! As far as food goes, Stella & Chewy’s is a great brand (I use it personally) but if you’re using their freeze dried meals they’re only a complete mean when you add water! Adding water also brings down their protein content because it dilutes it. They also have a frozen raw (what I use) which is actually even healthier then their freeze dried (frozen raw is the healthiest type of food you can feed your doggies). Feel free to message me with any questions, and remember ALL DOGS ARE DIFFERENT! What works for one may not work for the next, that’s why there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog food, because different dogs are allergic and sensitive to different things 🙂