[Hound Dog Mom]

I believe Patty has had some luck with this. I can’t stomach the taste of honey so it’s nothing I could ever do, luckily neither my dogs or myself have allergies anyways. I do take bee pollen though and so do my dogs.

[Pugsonraw]

I was reading an article in the WDJ that talked about giving dogs with allergies local raw honey to help exposé them to pollen in your area so seasonal allergies aren’t as bad.

Has anyone tried this? I’m curious if this works…….

[jamiek]

I happened across this thread while googling something and couldn’t help but registering just so I could reply. There are many well meaning but sadly uninformed thoughts here. I have a phd in animal nutrition and really encourage all of you to get your nutritional advise from your veterinarian not from a forum of people with opinions formed from the Internet. Dogs DO NOT “need” animal protein. There are several complete vegetarian diets on the market. Most dogs also do not “need” to eat a vegetarian diet. There are many dogs that have severe food allergies and their quality of life is greatly improved by a strict vegan diet. There are also MANY dogs whose lives are shortened by eating a diet too high in protein. It does not matter much whether that protein is from animals or plant based. A high protein diet is very hard on the kidneys and will eventually lead to premature renal disease. The trend of the pet food companies pushing a high meat diet is very scary. Especially for older pets. The argument that that is how our dogs ancestors ate is ridiculous. Their ancestors were not spayed or neuter, they were not on flea, tick or heartworm prevention, they were not vaccinated. There are reasons we don’t treat our pets as there ancestors lived. We love them, want to take the best care of them we can, and remember, their ancestors didn’t live very long. FYI, I’ve had dogs that have eaten foods with meat, 1 dog who eats vegan because of severe allergies, and 1 dog who ate vegetarian based on the recommendation of a veterinary neurologist for the treatment of a medical condition. They have all thrived. It’s not a question of meat or no meat for the average healthy dog. It’s a question of the correct balance of nutrients. Too much protein is just as bad as not enough. PLEASE consult your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist, not a random person with an uninformed opinion and an Internet education when it comes to the health of your pet.

[somebodysme]

Nah, I think that’s pretty much par for the course.

[Anonymous]

Your vet wanted you to feed him Iams…I’d look for another vet.

[somebodysme]

bullterriermom, I haven’t had allergy testing done yet, we are just trying elimination and I’m hoping to find a good food. I put her back on NV LID the Turkey one and she is actually doing good on it and the feet are slowly but surely healing all up. Her rash on her back has magically healed up out of the blue. I really can’t help but think it was demodex and just getting healthy and taking supplements and vitamins have healed up up. I really do not know what caused her feet to flare up.

As far as diagnosis, it was just the vet that told me all her rashes and hair loss and scratching was most likely food allergies and he made some suggestions. It was just up to me to research a good food to start with. He wanted to put her on Iams.

I understand is quite pricey to have accurate allergy testing done though.

[bullterriermom]

If you don’t mind me asking around how much did the allergy testing cost? I am considering getting it done for my girl, I prob will tack on another $200 to what you paid bc I live in NY lol.

[somebodysme]

Emily, is you dog having problems on the BB? If not, then just keep feeding it. I >think< the no potato issue is mostly with allergies and yeast problems. If he doesn’t have problems then a potato formula should be OK. It’s just high in carbs/sugar so it bothers dogs with yeast problems.

[dog34747]

The cheese smell, aka “Frito Feet”, is from yeast overgrowth on the skin. If you google it, you’ll see it’s very common side effect of excess yeast on the skin. My current dog does not have this, though he does have yeast allergies and gets ear infections. However, my previous dog had severe yeast/cheese/Frito smell all over his body, not just the feet and he bit, gnawed, scratched and itched almost non-stop, all day, every day. The vet said it was caused by allergies. He recommended bathing him 3 times a week to help relieve the overgrowth. That did help, the smell went away temporarily and he was less itchy but it always returned within a few days. A daily dose of Claritan or generic, really helped. Do not use the “D” formula that has a decongestant in it and is usually kept behind the pharmacy counter. He was about 50 lbs and I gave him one pill per day, it gave him some relief but 2 pills per day were too strong and he seemed drowsy, probably should not exceed 10 mg per 50lbs. Also putting about 1 to 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water bowl every day helped him too, he was a little less smelly and itchy.

Really, that dog should have been on a grain-free food but I couldn’t convince my ex to do it. Technically the dog was his, so I could only do so much to provide relief.

[poconnell]

We have a Westie and a Cairn Terrior, they both have allergies to Wheat (as I do)! We feed them dry dog food that we buy from our local Pet store and we mix chicken thigh meat in with it and they will not eat the food without it. We feed them once a day, I leave the dry dog food in their dish as they basically just eat the chicken, but they do get the dry food as well. Is one time a day not enough, this has always been a concern of mine. Oh, and they do get treats, maybe too much. Thanks for any help you can give.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Well, if your dog as food allergies the first priority should be to find a food with out the allergen. What’s important to you in a food? Everyone has different criteria so you could get a million different answers. Concerning kibble I personally look for foods with at least 30% protein and 15% fat. I like to avoid foods that utilize a lot of ingredient splitting and/or plant-based protein contents. I like the majority of the protein to be animal-derived. I would avoid foods that are fish-based or high in omega 3’s. I like a company that is open about disclosing where their foods are manufactured and where their ingredients are sourced. The customer service has to be good – I will not purchase food from a company with poor customer service. Although not a deal breaker, I prefer foods that utilize fresh meat and meat meals as opposed to just meat meals.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[amirco]

Hello,
1.what questions should i ask myself before deciding what is the best dog food for my dog?
2.how can i find what food will be the best for dog with allergies ?is checking that the cause for the allergy is not one of the ingredients is enough

[Kazimber]

sorry I skipped a few words,

I also have my 4 months puppy EBulldog on TOTW Pacific Stream and he is doing good but also wanted a second choice since I’ve heard about their plant recalls and to have some variety in his meals also. I have read about how dogs develop allergies after staying forever with the same protein source. Suggestions for him would be appreciated!

[KatB]

Hi!
So, have been reading a lot about dog foods and various kinds, as well as dietary supplements for my two fur babies. I am looking for some help and suggestions from others who may be experiencing similar issues. So a little background first…..

I have two labs, a male yellow that is 6 going on 7, and a female black who is 4 going on 5. They are pretty healthy I am happy to say! My boy the yellow though, has sensitive skin and has been an itchy boy for most of his life. This past year, he was bitten by something in the back yard that gave him hives and an allergic reaction, treated by benedryl. He has also developed a skin infection on the underside of his chin twice this year. Baby girl the black does not have the skin problems he seems to have, however she got a a bacterial infection on her tummy twice this year. They have been on Kumpi, and have always loved it. Due to the skin issues and infections that they both suffered this year, and also due to the high caloric count that Kumpi has, I decided to try something else.

So we switched to Blue Wilderness, the chicken formula. We are on the 2nd bag now. They love the taste and eat it just fine. After reading about the high protein diet, and taking into consideration the skin issues, I also just started adding probiotics (Probiotic Miracle) and Celavin Omega 3 Oil. Am starting with smaller doses…..today is the 2nd day they have gotten a full 1/4 tsp. of the probiotic, and they also got a 1/4 tsp. of the oil. So far haven’t noticed anything different, but also no ill effects.

What I am noticing in the yard though…..loose and very fragrant (and not in a good way!) stools. I am hoping that the probiotics will start to kick in and help with that, but am wondering if there is an average time frame to start noticing a difference? They also seemed a tad gassy for awhile, that seems to have subsided, but probably still a bit too early to tell. Their stools are also not consistently loose…..some look pretty good, but not as firm as I would like to see. I would also like to find a food that might reduce the amount of stools that I am seeing. I read somewhere recently, may have been here, that a lady had her dog on a food and routine that has resulted in one stool per day…..wow! While I don’t necessarily expect that kind of result, it does seem like they are pooping a lot.

This whole subject of best food(s) to feed is mind boggling to me….so many variables. A dear friend who is very health conscious, both for herself and her dogs, feeds hers Natural Balance (Dick Patten). But since they have now been sold to Del Monte, I have some real concerns that the good reputation they have built for their foods will soon go the way of many foods that have been bought out by large corporations. I am not necessarily ready to give up on Blue Wilderness, but am also reading that perhaps a potato free food may be a better choice. Sweet potato would be ok I think, from what I have read, but “regular” white potatoes can be an allergent.

So looking for some good advice on what to do here…..hang in and see if the probiotics start to kick in and do their job, or keep looking for a food that I can be confident is safe for them, and might help my itchy boy be more comfortable. The probiotic jar is such a small amount for the price…..I am willing to spend on my babies, that’s for sure! But it would be nice to find a food where I could potentially limit the supplements. That may be the ideal world. Would love suggestions on more cost effective probiotics and if I’m on the right track!

Any and all comments and suggestions welcome! I know that there are a lot of you who have done tons of research more than I have, and am hoping to get some shared knowledge that might help.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing your comments! It is very much appreciated.

KatB….dog mom!

[InkedMarie]

It’s hard to know what works for each dog. People say, myself included, to try grain/potato free. Then, my friend with the frenchie had luck with Aqualuk so who knows? My Boone is yeasty, I think. He does paw lick, alot & only once has he caused any damage by licking. My problem is his ears. I can live with paw licking because it could be behavioral but not ear infections.

So, to know whether it would work for your dog, who knows? I just know it worked or my friends dog. I’d think the food would be the same for all size bags, unless they had an ingredient change.

[somebodysme]

I keep hearing good things about Annamaet Aqualuk or the brand in general. Would this work for a yeasty dog? At this point I really don’t know what she’s allergic to. She had been on the Zign. for two weeks with absolutely no signs of allergies as far as scratching goes and it’s a lamb based food but it contains fruits and vegetables. On the NV LID Turkey she still scratches a little bit but her paws were fine on that and it has pretty much nothing but turkey, peas and tapioca and vitamins. Usually I can tell immediately if something is bothering her because she will begin to claw at her sides like when I gave her a rawhide to test, that happened in two days so I knew.

Another weird thing is she seems to do good until I buy a large bag of food but is fine on the tiny bags. Could there be some difference in the kibble used in large bags? I was thinking that maybe they package them somewhere different OR they may use more preservatives for the food that goes into a large bag? When I bought a large bag of NV, there was a definite difference in the appearance of the kibble..I will attest to that much! It also had a lot of “dust” (ground up bottom of the barrel kibble) in with the food which I was kind of miffed over.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.

[InkedMarie]

Yikes, darn auto correct! Even tho it has potatoes, she finally got them cleared up with Annamaet Aqualuk.

I need to always proof read when on my tablet!

[somebodysme]

Marie, the last sentence must have gotten auto-corrected, it doesn’t make sense…what did you mean to say?

[InkedMarie]

I’m just throwing this out there but a friend has a frenchie with horrible red, raw paws. Even tho it has potatoes,she finally to them learned with Annamaet Aqualuk.

[theBCnut]

Do you know what your Dachshund is actually allergic to? We can’t make a good food suggestion without that. We can explain how to start an elimination diet to figure that out, if you don’t know.

[Kazimber]

Hi there! I am new to this site and really like it! I am a dog lover…I have a 9 year old Dachshund who is allergic to most foods. My vet has him on Royal Canine Hypoallergenic but after reading food ratings I really want to switch him to a higher rated brand. I also have an English Bulldog puppy 4 months, on TOTW Pacific Stream but is shedding a lot, actually too much. Any suggestions for my 2 children would be appreciated!

[kobe]

thank you so much Mrs.Nix

to HDM AND MRS.NIX,

MY BERNESE PUP HAS HAD GIARDIA TWICE- I BELEVE IT IS GONE BUT I HAVE ONE QUESTION–MY DOG TYPICALLY HAS STOOLS THAT ARE MOSTLY SOLID BUT THE END OF WHICH IS QUITE SOFT AND NOT AS FORMED-IS THIS A POTENTIAL CONCERN?

LASTLY-TO HOUND DOG MOM–THE ISSUE OF GRAIN CONTAINING FOODS VS NO GRAIN–WHAT DO YOU THINK OBJECTIVELY? DO DOGS THRIVE BETTER ON ONE OR THE OTHER?IF THERE ARE NO CORN ALLERGIES-IS THERE A REASON TO USE GRAIN-FREE?

THANKS AGAIN

KOBES’S DAD

[Max2Tucker]

I have a three yr old Anatolian with severe allergies. I recently had blood test done for food allergies. It came back with sensitivity to potato = 245, milk = 233, barley = 188, beef = 163, brewers yeast = 143, rice = 120, chicken = 118, lamb = 112. It has been a challenge to locate dog food products that do not include these products. I am currently using Blue Buffalo Basic grain free mixed with a can of the same product. She is on daily 10 mg of prednisone as well as antihistamine, lanoline rise and twice monthly bathing. I have read as much as I can get my hands on. I would appreciate any new ideas or a new approach.

[theBCnut]

Just white vinegar will do. I don’t know if ACV would be better. Yes, just leave it on.

[somebodysme]

Just white vinegar or do I need the Bragg’s stuff? I assume you just leave that on right?

OH yeah well my last dog we got back around 1990 so I don’t even know if any good dog foods existed back then. I can remember trying to put him on some Iams stuff and he hated it, back then, as far as I know, that was the “good stuff”. We’d never even conceived of the idea of Internet back then. Ya know, how did we find out anything back then? HAHA! Grapevine?

I forgot to mention that when we first got her she smelled really bad of that stinky cheese smell and the rescue people told me to spray her with that Nature’s Miracle odor stuff…GAH! Even people that are involved in dog rescue are clueless about yeast and the effects of too many antibiotics.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.

[theBCnut]

Yikes!! OK, do you rinse her feet off when she comes in due to contact allergies? Try adding a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water for rinsing her feet and you can use this on her girl parts too. Yeast don’t like the acid and it also kills several bacteria that may be opportunistic in those areas where she is having the most problems.

[somebodysme]

I do have the vetericyn but it just seems like any time I use it, it irritates her skin even worse. It’s so hard with her because she has such sensitive skin. The only spray I’ve used that doesn’t seem to irritate is made my Excel Medicated antiseptic spray. Everything else I have used on this poor dog is an irritant. UGH! It could have been that her feet were wet because I rinse them off after each walk, I towel dry them but still they could have been damp and maybe I put her in her crate with wet paws? May have even been something on someone’s grass? I guess it’s hard to say but all I know is I switched her back to NV and her paws are healing up nicely…sheeeew!

I appreciate being able to talk this over with you…it helps iron things out and I’m new to all this dog allergies and yeast stuff. My last dog ate grocery store food and was fine…of course at the time I never heard of DFA! HAHA!

[theBCnut]

Get the vetericyn and use it first. Don’t do antibiotics at all if you don’t absolutely have to, it will just set her back again. The copper smell does sound like a bacterial infection, not yeast, but the smell does sound like yeast, yikes!! BTW, vaginal area and feet are areas that hold moisture, so yes, they could be prime yeast areas.

[somebodysme]

Her smell was, to me, like a stinky cheese smell…like if you opened a bag of Cheetos and took a whiff. What does that tell you? Her paws, now that they are irritated, smell like if you’d been handling pennies. I think that’s irritation/infection not yeast? But I really am only guessing. The stinky cheese smell was after I stopped the probiotic pill for a few days. After I started the probiotic back, that smell went away quickly after a couple days. Poor dog, she can’t win for losing!

The vet doesn’t know, all he just says is allergies. He doesn’t mention a word about all the antibiotics she’s been on or anything like that and needing a probiotic. All they do is stick needles in her and the sores heal up real quick and send us home with a pile of pills to take for a couple weeks and give a suggestion to some food and then I’m on my own. I do not want her to have to take more antibiotics but she can’t have infection either! So I’m d*mned if I do and d*mned if I don’t!

[theBCnut]

I’ve never heard of yeast causing pustules, so I don’t know. Usually pustules are something like a staph infestion, and they can be very localized. But if her microflora are out of balance then just because she has yeast issues doesn’t mean she can’t have other stuff going on too. I just don’t know. Yeast could definitely have the skin damaged enough to allow something else to get a foothold.

The epsom salt could have definitely caused irritation too. Have you ever gone to the beach and not been able to rinse off immediately after? Very irritating!

Do you recognize the difference in smell between yeast and seborrhea? Could the smell have been more towards rancid grease? Irritation will cause the skin glands to over produce oils, that’s why I’m asking. That can be very localized.

[somebodysme]

Yeah that makes sense, she had to wear a cone all the time so she didn’t lick but I think it also caused some irritation so I didn’t keep doing it because it didn’t help. Maybe rinsing would have stopped the irritation.

So anyway, do y’all think that yeast would cause the feet and vaginal area to be irritated but not the rest of her? Also I had stopped her probiotic to see if that caused the back rash and that also did cause her to stink like yeast…I started her back on probiotic and a few days later is when the feet broke out…thought maybe a delayed reaction to the lack of probiotic? I realize there are a lot of factors but mostly I wondered if yeast would cause the feet/vaginal stuff? At least It would make some sense and I can make decisions for her food choices. Right now I’m baffled!

[theBCnut]

Dogs develop intolerances due to inflamation in the gut wall allowing undigested proteins to get into the bloodstream. Grains have proteins in them, as do a number of other nonmeat foods, and are known to be inflamatory. You don’t have to believe in it for it to be a fact. That being said, if your dog doesn’t have a problem with grains then your dog doesn’t have a problem with grains and you don’t need to avoid them. Mine does, and it isn’t in my head or the fruit of an active imagination. True allergies are very rare and it is not well understood what causes them, but they are not the same thing as intolerance, no matter what your vet calls them.

[spencer777]

Budget is a big concern for me too I don’t like to spend more than $1lb. like the previois poster salid 4 health falls in that range if you have a Tractor supply near you I switch protiens every bag for my vizsla with skin problems between fish lamb turkey and venison from nat choice (a little more expensive) . Not a beliver in grain free food allergies are mostly protien based. A dog can develope allergies (histimines) from eating the same protien. Good luck.

[theBCnut]

Licking off the epsom salts works as a laxitive and can mess with blood values too.

[somebodysme]

I know, I’m so afraid that she’ll need more antibiotics! That’s why I was just panicked! I’m so glad they are healing up. You know, I did NOT know that the epsom salt soak needed to be rinsed off. When her feet were bad before, I’d soak them in epsom salt but did not rinse it off, never read to. UGH! Good to know.

[theBCnut]

If her paws ever do that again, an epsom salt foot bath will help, but it must be rinsed off afterward. Also look for a product called Vetericyn gel. It is an oxigenating spray and good for her girl parts as well as her feet. Any time you think you have something on the skin that you are afraid might need antibiotics, use that first.

[somebodysme]

I forgot to mention also that her girly parts were itching really bad too along with the paw rash.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.

[somebodysme]

That’s a good idea, I’ll go ahead and put that food all wrapped up good in the freezer. I’m thinking it just has too much fruit and veggies(carbs). I could probably even alternate it in every few days. I’m giving her some pumpkin and she LOVES IT! HAHAHA! I’m going to try the lamb NV LID next and see how that is. A small bag only lasts a week if that.

I guess it could be the “healing crisis” but dadgummit…her paws were bleeding all over the carpet and she was chewing them and absolutely miserable. I couldn’t think of anything to do but get her off that food and back to NV. I gave it a few days hoping it would take care of itself but it only kept getting worse. After she’s back on NV, the feet are healing.

Thanks!!!!!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi kobe –

The trout and salmon formula is appropriate for large breed puppies. They recently came out with two new formulas – duck and zssential (a multi-protein formula) – and I haven’t had a chance to look into either of those formulas yet. While I do believe you should reserve a couple novel protein sources in the even that your dog ever does develop allergies, there’s no reason to avoid a limited ingredient kibble just because your dog doesn’t have food allergies. In fact, I prefer single protein kibbles so that when I rotate I know my dog isn’t getting exposed to the same protein source daily. My dogs eat raw now and I only feed one protein per meal.

[theBCnut]

You also have to throw in the possibility that since the food is agreeing with her body more that her body now has the opportunity to get rid of some of the toxin that have been accumulating in her system for so long. This detoxing can cause the exact same things you are seeing. I was fortunate that when Micah had skin eruptions it was all in one small dime sized area on his foreleg, easily treated and then gone. If the biggest problem you had with the NVI LID was constipation and bad smelling poop, I would stick with it for a while, but add a source of fiber, and of course digestive enzymes. It takes a while for yeast to die back, but she may handle the Zignature just fine later. You could throw it in the freezer and try again in a few months.

I wish I could be of more help.

[kobe]

Dear Hound Dog Mom,

thanks again for your info!!
one last question–what do YOU think of Zignature kibble?-i just received samples of a limited ingredient kibble with the Zignature label
do you think it meets your requirements –or not–to feed a 5 month old bernese puppy?
also, is it better to avoid limited ingredient kibble if my pup has no food allergies?

your advice is much appreciated

Kobe’s dad

[magnoliasouth]

Hello all! I have a dog that has all kinds of allergies, tummy and skin problems. It’s made shopping for food a nightmare. I am presently using Wellness Core Ocean formula, but my husband is a government contractor and due to the inefficiency of the present administration, he is taking a severe cut in pay in addition to furloughs.

That said, I’m looking for a much more affordable dog food that has the following requirements:
* No poultry
* No beef
* Grain free or sensitive stomachs
* Omega rich, but not too high.

She can tolerate omegas but there is a line where too much nauseates her and she begins vomiting. She has chronic eczema and I’ve noticed that not enough Omegas makes her skin flaky, but too much (as I mentioned) makes her ill. There has to be a balance in there somewhere.

The other thing is her chronic ear infections. She once had an ear infection so badly that she had to have two surgeries and both of her ear drums ruptured! I never want to go through that again. It took months to get rid of.

I saw a post earlier where someone asked about chicken fat and the answer was since it is so refined, there isn’t much chicken in it. Would a dog with so many allergies like mine do okay with chicken fat?

I’ve talked to several different vets for various opinions, and all they want to do is have me buy their Hills food, which is no help at all.

Many thanks to anyone who can come up with an answer to my puzzle.

[somebodysme]

I’m hoping that someone more familiar with dealing with allergies and yeast issues could make some sense of these symptoms after two different foods given. I’m just so confused!

She’s been on two different foods post vet visit where I was told that all her issues were most likely dog food allergies. Her worst problem was that her paws were full of pustules and raw and infected. She had runny/watery eyes and her ears were gunky. She was scratching her sides and gnawing her knees…etc. She had been on Pro Plan chicken. She was given antibiotics and prednisone.

1) I purchased some NV LID Turkey and things improved a lot and she was on that for 6 weeks. She still had a slight amount of eye watering and still some general scratching but much better than before. Her paws were healing up and she was not scratching them at all. No pustules on them at all but skin was still kind of pink. She was kind of having constipation and her poo was the most horrible smelling you can imagine.

2) I decided that I would try a different LID food and purchase Zignature Lamb. Similar list of ingredients but no tapioca and this time LAMB instead of TURKEY. Her constipation issues went away and her remaining scratching and eye watering totally cleared up after about a week and a half and I thought we’d found the best food for her.

HERE’S WHAT THEN HAPPENED: Almost over night, her paws erupted into a mass of pustules and she began chewing them like crazy. She was also smelling sour. BUT and this is where it gets confusing…all her other symptoms are going away. Her eye doesn’t water, her ear is clean, she’s not scratching her body and even that rash I keep talking about on her back is suddenly healing up. But her paws are HORRIBLE and FULL of blood filled blisters and pustules!

I rushed out to the store and bought a small bag of NV again and after two days her paws are already healing up and she is not gnawing them. Now of course her eye is watering…

What the heck? This is what I’m thinking has happened. Perhaps the Zignature is too high in carbs and it’s yeast on her paws? But yet Lamb is working better for the allergy aspect of it? Does this sound logical? One food is good for some symptoms and the other food is good for other symptoms just doesn’t make sense to me! GAH!

I would sure appreciate some expert input from you guys! Thanks!

[InkedMarie]

Go to the Dog Food ingredients sub forum, at the top is a stickie of grain & potato free foods. You’ll have to find the foods website and see which ones don’t have the proteins your dogs can’t have but it’s a start.

[pacer1978]

Thanks Hound Dog Mom….just to confirm one small detail. It was stated to give a dog 1/4 tsp per 10 lbs of the coconut oil. For easy measuring with an eye drop, I converted tsp to ml. 1 tsp = 1.23 ml.
My two bigger dogs are about 55-60lbs and my smaller one is about 35-40. So…
1.23 x 6 (per 10lbs) = 7.38 ml of coconut oil
1.23 x 4 (per 10lbs) = 4.92 ml of coconut oil

These seems a bit high to me. Is that accurate?

So, to reiterate…my dogs receive:
Mattie (12 yrs, 55-60 lbs, Weimaraner): Daily- 1 Dasuquin (for joint for older dog), 7.38 ml of coconut oil (for overall health), and will start on probiotic once received (for overall health/digestive support)
Mia (4 yrs, 55-60 lbs, Weimaraner): Daily- 2 fish oils (skin/coat/shedding/flaky skin/slight allergies), 7.38 ml of coconut oil, and will start on probiotic once received
Lucy (approx. 10yrs old??, 35-40 lbs, mix): Daily- 1 Dasuquin (joint for older dog), 2 fish oils (skin/coat/shedding/slight allergies), 4.92 ml of coconut oil, and probiotic once received

Is this too much or OK in your opinion? You seem to be knowledgeable and offer assistance to many on the forum. Are you a vet or what is your background?

[bullterriermom]

I adopted a 9 yr old dog 2 weeks ago, I got her from a rescue. They were a little fuzzy on her background. They told me about her food allergies that at one point she was bald, and also she was often left in a crate in her own filth. She is spayed now but you can also tell she had puppies at some point. She has nightmares frequently so I bought her a stuffed toy with a squeaky yesterday thinking it may make her feel more secure… Well she immediately took it but she started whimpering and cring with it in her mouth. Then she started in and out of her crate with it (we leave door open) and circling the living room. She also started panting, so I took it away.. Then she started looking for it.(she is not a dog who looks for her toys after we finish playing she is generally content after. What should I do give her the toy, throw it out? I don’t want to cause her any additional pain. She is here to have a good rest of her life and I am so upset (I cried) that I may have caused her and pain)

[Pugsonraw]

Anyone have any advice on transitioning allergy prone dogs to new supplements? My experience has been that I will try a new whole food supplement, joint product, enzyme or probiotic and within days my dogs are a hot itchy mess. I try to change only one thing at a time to try to test drive a product.

Needless to say, I’ve tried a lot of products. Not sure on how long to wait before deciding if a product is working or adding to their allergies.

Looking for some feedback…..thanks, Dawn

[dog34747]

I have an 8 year old male, retired racing greyhound with a very sensitive stomach and allergies. He’s had severe ear infections, nasal congestion, compulsive licking and digestive problems. He is also hyper allergic to flea bites, with them even turning in to mini staph infections at each bite. Over the past 3 1/2 years I have tried nearly every brand on the market from Purina on up to Orijen. If it’s sold anywhere between the specialty boutique shops and PetsMart, I have probably tried it. I’ve tried grain-in, grain-free, corn-free, soy-free, gluten-free, chicken-free… etc. etc. I have tried chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, beef, bison, and I think one even had ostrich or something. Basically I’ve tried everything. I have even tried the high-end frozen raw diet food, he just simply won’t touch it. He does not appear to be allergic to chicken specifically, I’ve tried poultry based foods and foods with absolutely no poultry of any kind and the result is the same.

Every single grain-free food causes, horrendous breath, loose stool and severe gas. No amount of pumpkin, yogurt, supplement pro-biotics or pre-biotics seems to fix it, sometimes those relieve things for a day or two but never permanently. It seems directly linked to the percent of protein, above a certain point and these issues start. He seems ok around 22% but usually anything in that range is not grain-free.

The grain-in foods (and treats) increase his nasal congestion (like a kid sucking the snot in vs. blowing his nose, not the same as a reverse sneeze) and the obsessive licking, and they also exacerbates the ear infections. He has had the ear infections recurring, or perhaps even continually but low level, since I got him. He was on a grain-in food when I got him and I immediately switched to grain-free but the ear never fully cleared up even on grain-free. The ear is finally cleared up (for now) after lots of meds though I’m worried his diet will bring it back.

I have tried some raw foods and veggies but they seem to pass through him without even being digested at all.

Any kind of food with potato as a major ingredient seems to act as an immediate diuretic, causing him to be constantly thirsty, panting and drinking and therefore needing to go out 7+ per day every few hours and even having accidents in the house which otherwise he has never had before. This includes all those limited ingredient foods because they all seems to be potato based.

The only time I have had any luck with a food is with Iams Sensitive Naturals Ocean Fish. Yes, I know it doesn’t rank highly and many people here are against it, but it was literally the only food that stopped the breath/stool/gas problems in their tracks, nearly overnight. I’ve heard others say they had similar good luck with Iams and attribute it to the beet pulp, not sure if that’s really true but I can say it worked for my dog. He went about eating it with no digestive issues for 9 months or so but the silent ear infection got worse and worse and the nasal issues got worse. Then we tried Eukanuba Wild Salmon/Rice and the ear/nasal continued to get worse and the licking started. The only benefit to the Eukanuba was his coat was suddenly full, fluffy and soft and the traditional greyhound bald spots were even filling in. I was bothered by the increase in allergies so I’ve gone back to looking for something else.

So I’ve since re-tried several other grain-free foods and the Biljac Sensitive formula, all produce the same old problems. Re-tried a limited potato food, same problem.

I’d like to note he has been tested repeatedly for worms, giardia, heartworms, etc. and all negative. He has had bloodwork taken regularly and it is all absolutely perfect, including thyroid. His teeth have been cleaned by the vet recently and are good. He has absolutely no medical issues outside of the allergies and stomach sensitivities. Also, several vets and others suggested giving him claritan or benedryl to relieve the nasal and skin related reactions but it seems to do nothing for him.

I’m sorry this post is so long, thanks for reading all of it, I was trying to give the full background so folks know what I’ve already tried on this great food adventure. I’m looking for any suggestions, advice, testimonials, whatever on food and treats. I’m willing to try any food to get him to be comfortable, as long as it doesn’t require a second mortgage to pay for it. Thanks in advance!

[ShepherdMom]

Hi Pug Mom Sandy. Thank you for your reply.
The fish allergy test was for a mix – Catfish, Cod, Herring, Mackerel and White fish and it was considered significant (280 out of 400). We were told not to give him any Omega 3’s from fish oil.
The potato is white potato but as a significant allergen (291), the vet suggested avoiding sweet potato also.
Thanks Freehold Hound. I will check with the vet to see if sardines would be OK.

[FreeholdHound]

I would say Natures Logic too if pup is ok w/ sardine. My boy can’t have salmon or white fish but does fine w/ sardines. He’s doing great on NL beef formula.