[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, 7 months ago by somebodysme.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 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, 7 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.

[pugmomsandy]

Any particular kind of fish that he’s allergic to? And do you mean white potato? I was going to suggest Nature’s Logic which has sardine meal in. Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance. Great Life Grain Free. Canine Caviar grain free Buffalo or Open Sky, I and Love and You Red Meat Medley (has herring meal).

[ShepherdMom]

I have a german shepherd x Belgian shepherd. He is allergic to:
Potatoes (very)
Chicken
Fish
Rice
Peas
Barley
Anyone have a suggestion for a dry food? Right now we are feeding Natures Instinct but would like other options.

[SandyandMila]

That’s why I prefer to make one like yours, I’ll know everything in it. I really like what I read about dulse, that u suggested. Since I already use bee pollen grandular, can I substitute dulse for the bee pollen. Would it be equal parts also? I think it could be beneficial for her allergies.

[ILoveDogs]

My dog was just diagnosed with crystals in her urine. She does not have an infection but my vet suggested changing her to Royal Canin SO. I always try to feed my dogs the very best I can afford. Currently they’re on a grain free diet of a mix of Wellness CORE and Canadae Pure Elements kibble with a little grain free canned and fresh chicken mixed in. I hate the ingredients of the SO – corn, rice, etc. Plus Jada has allergies and the grain free diet seems to help with that, along with fish oil supplement and sometime a Benedryl. Any suggestions for a diet other than what she’s receiving and in place of the SO?

[bigjake]

Thanks to all for the replies! Little pea we obviously have something in common! I had an idea to call the breeder in ohio and ask what he feeds his dogs..especially if it is inherited condition…I am in Arizona so he may be allergic to 115 degree weather,haha… Thanks again!

[little pea]

Hi bigjake and all. I did the full panel blood allergy test; environmental, mold, food, specialty foods. My breeder and vet recommended this over the scratch test. The problems for my dog were similar, it sounds, to yours itchy skin. I have done a few steroid shots, but I think we all agree this is not a path to take that effectively manages the problem though I do think environmental allergies season is a large contributor. My dog like yours will eat just about anything set down or just spit out the ite. We have no gas or stomach issues.
There is a lot of discussion on allergies and what test to conduct and the more deeply I looked into it the more confusing and controversial. My dog’s most reactive item was yeast on the food panel, but they do not do a break out the type…. beef and dairy, lamb, potato, rice, soy etc. etc. Molds allergy also reflected yeast and molds on food.
In following things up the aspect of yeast has fascinated me.
I have feed taste of the wild pacific salmon that contains potato and sweet potato…we have a lesser allergy to sweet potato. Salmon neutral
I have recently switched to Ziwi Peak venison but it is pricey for a large dog and I am looking actively looking at many things. The ziwi was helpful with less itching. I have also introduced goat milk yogurt. I believe I briefly saw a comment on another forum about rotating dog foods to keep the gut in a good working order, this and following what foods make things better or worse. I know eliminating bread and cheese was night and day with my girl.
My vet also said all of our bodies gradually become less tolerant to specific items we are allergic to…so with a four year old dog we believe we are seeing longer and more aggravated allergy reactions as certain intolerances develop in our bodies.
Also brushing and washing the dog with a medicated shampoo is helpful. Be glad you have a short hair! Try some Alaskan salmon oil. I was also told dogs are more reactive to white fish species.

[Randelli]

I asked a vendor if dogs could tell the difference in the taste of foods. She said maybe, but it is a good idea to rotate the variety of a particular brand to prevent an allergy to particular protiens. I think they can tell a difference but do not mind a change. I am using Taste of the Wild in various flavors. Try rotating for mild allergies.

[shilodakotamom]

Darwin’s felt she might be allergic to chicken or beef, but I started her out on the turkey.

[bigjake]

Hello again,Yes Food allergies, Our Jake is a pure white American bulldog. I planned on taking him to vet for testing..if I can find one that takes payments! We have been feeding him diamond foods, all flavors…still itchy, then went to their new beef grain free, more itchy..now were on taste of wild prairie mix and hes scratching worse than ever..The more we spend the more he scratches. I have read a lot in here and thinking we may need to switch to fish a veggies. I have saved a half dozen of old dog food bags to start goin thru ingredient lists!

[Hound Dog Mom]

What type of testing were you having done? Dr. Dodd’s NutraScan, which is a salivary, test looks a little promising: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/07/26/a-great-tool-for-dogs-with-rumbling-tummy-gas-diarrhea-or-vomiting.aspx . However, I still think the best best is an elimination diet – you know the results are going to be accurate and you can save all that money.

Also – just to be sure – we’re talking food allergies right?

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Here are a few articles to start you off, there are hundreds more if you do a google search:

http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytest-Jeffers1991.pdf

http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytesting.htm

http://www.dermvetvegas.com/pitfalls_otc_blood_allergy.pdf

http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/allergies.htm

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/the-overuse-of-allergy-tests-they-could-do-more-harm-than-good/252344/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/tests-for-food-allergies-sensitivities-a-waste-of-money-doctor-says/article535082/

The only 100% accurate way to diagnose a food allergy is by performing an elimination diet.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[pacer1978]

Thank you for your responses. I wasn’t sure if the human supplements would still be beneficial for dogs. So…this is what I plan on doing. Can you let me know if this is recommended? I switch dog food every now and then (all 4-5 star brands). Currently, I have them on Solid Gold MMellenium. I give Mia (4-yr old Weim) and Lucy (guessing age to be around 10, not sure of breed, she is a mix) 2 Nordic Naturals fish capsules for dogs per day. I give Mattie (12-yr old Weim) and Lucy 1 Dasuquin per day. I will most likely start Mia on this soon as well. I plan on starting them on Coconut oil (heard there was a good brand through Costco or Cocotherapy was also good). Also considering probiotic..or prebiotic? Which is better? Any brands you would recommend for the pro/prebiotic?
They issues they experience:
For the most part, they are healthy with the occasional allergy bouts (chewing/licking paws). Lucy gets watery eyes..which has gotten a little better after getting her teeth cleaned (they pulled 4 teeth). Weims tend to get bad hips as they age, hence the Dasuquin. Mia sheds a lot for a Weim and Lucy does as well, Mattie not too bad. Mia also tends to have what appears to be flaky skin and usually a rash or irritation on her chest (most likely from the mat in her cage since I crate her during the day. She gets in trouble and tears papers up around the house when I don’t). I keep the mat clean, so I’m not really sure why this keeps happening. I’ve tried different types of mats thinking maybe she is allergic to the material, but that doesn’t help. I’m mainly just looking to improve their overall health and wasn’t sure if doing all this would be wasting money or actually helping. Thanks again!!

[Puppygirlsmom]

As for Grain free food, we and our Yorkies love Taste of the Wild dry kibble. It comes in a variety of flavors and is reasonably priced. You can buy it at Pet Smart and Pets Supply Plus. It gets high ratings and our Vet says it is a very good food.
Try using white vinegar to mop all hard surface floors and use as a fabric softener. It kills bacteria and odors, too. Use 1 cup of vinegar to a gallon of hot water to mop with.
Also, you can use Vinegar to spray your yard for weeds and pests. It works great and is not harmful to pets. I have a lot of allergies to cleaning products, so use as many natural items as I can.

[bullterriermom]

She has food allergies and I can not use chicken, would venison heart be ok?
Also side note(hound mom) I was glancing at other threads and I saw you use Carlson cod oil for omega3 which one is the one you use 390Mg 1,000mg?

[little pea]

Thanks ebk—going to make a call now. Please do not misunderstand the girl is pretty healthy. We just have a consistent scratching mainly to the face, ears, and neck. Some paw chewing depending on ???? can’t pin it down, but after three steroid shots over the course of a year and half I decided I was spending as much and went forward with the allergy test. Equally her brother has even more severe allergies. I did the full panel and we have environmental as well.
As I occasionally show, optimal health and coat are a must! Showing a compromised dog is unspeakable. Thanks again

[little pea]

I am entertaining that idea, but the more I read the more daunting the task it seems. The majority of her allergies are borderline. Beef, Yeast, Lamb, Cow’s milk, Rice and soy being positive or close enough. There is a good holistic vet I may consult. It’s overwhelming and I just had no idea, so I am very pleased to have found all the wonderful help here.

[ebk]

Sorry, Little Pea. I am not familiar with the hardcore allergy foods. Sounds like you have a lot of ingredient issues to deal with. I am sure someone can give you some knowledgeable advice. You might also look at making it at home. I am sure there are directions and recipes out there to be had. Also, severe allergies are a symptom of some environmental or internal issue. For example, if the liver is not doing it’s job, you are more likely to have allergy problems. You might want to try and find a holistic vet who can connect all of the dots and get to the root of the problem. Good luck and perhaps you will get more detailed feedback from other members.

Good for you, Pattyvaughn, for getting the kids involved and doing it in a responsible way. My brood consists of the following: 14 yo daughter (who can’t be seen with her parents right now, because we couldn’t possibly understand what she’s going through, as if we never went through adolescence. My daughter and son are 11 yo twins, and of course, my two 6 or 7 yo furry children, Angel (Black Lab/Husky mix) and Princess (Malamute) They rarely leave my side and they treat my children like they are their own.

[little pea]

I am new to this website, to all of these discussions, but would love to get some advice as I am searching for a dog food. My Newf came back with allergies to beef, chicken, lamb, cow’s milk, eggs, potatos, sweet potatos, rice, soy, yeast was very high, carrots, shell fish mix and fish excluding salmon. Can anyone suggest an excellent food? Ziwi peak is a bit expensive for such a large girl, and contains green lip mussels. Has anyone heard of Great Life or tried it?

[little pea]

Having done an allergy test, I now can’t find a food… in addition one item that came up as positive was yeast. When I contacted the test clinic they could not give me a break out as to what kind of yeast….
Where do I go from here?

Many allergic items were borderline to borderline positive. Raw is not really an option as we are talking about a 110 lbs of dog.
I am currently using ZIWIPeak venison but this has green lip mussels… and she has a borderline allergy to shell fish mix. It too is a bit pricey.

[somebodysme]

UPDATE: I did stop giving this for four days(Aug. 1,2,3 & 4) and what happened was, she started getting yeasty and stinking so I started her back on it and the stink went away immediately, like the next day! OH and not only did the rash not improve but it actually got much worse. She’s been back on the probiotic for 3 days(Aug 5, 6 and 7) now and the rash is calming down and the pustules are gone. GAH! When I was looking up yeast information, I saw dog photos of skin infections from yeast and it looks just like what she has. So I’m guessing it’s yeast because she’s been on Anti-biotics and cortisone (also Ivermectin) so much since she was a puppy that it’s just killed all her gut flora. UGH!

[pacer1978]

Hello,
Hoping a few people out there can give me suggestions. I’ve been reading forums now for what seems like 2 weeks and still undecided. I have three dogs: 2 Weimaraners (12 yrs and 4 yrs old) and one mix (guessing on her age since she is a “rescue”) of maybe 10. All are female. With a few occurrences of allergies (I feel it is more airborne..grasses, pollen, dust/dander more than food related), they are pretty healthy. However, I believe in feeding good quality dog food since they are your kids. I was feeding them Nature’s Variety, both Prairie and Instinct formulas. Since Petco has a lack of protein (mainly beef and chicken, which I try not to give them since they say that is the most common protein used), I considered switching brands. I found Nature’s Domain (Kirkland’s brand), but realized Dog Food Advisor downgraded the brand to 3 stars. Can anyone suggest a reasonably affordable food (since I’m feeding three!), that doesn’t lack on quality (looking for at least 4-5 stars), AND processed by a manufacturer that has limited food recalls? I am currently trying out Sold Gold, but realized they are processed by Diamond and I don’t quite trust them since the many recalls I’ve read. Sorry for the long post…and thanks in advance!

[orenc26]

Hi,
My dog Nicky is a 8 month Cavalier King Charles Special, we got him when he was 4 month and everything was fine, we got a recommendation from our vet to change his food to a brand called Science Diet, Nicky immediately started to have diarrhea, we talked with the vet and he performed a fecal test to check if everything is ok, the test was negative, than we changed his food to royal canine, it was good for a couple of weeks but than he got giardia. We started with an antibiotics and probiotic.
From that point, we are on an endless loop, during the antibiotic treatment he is fine, a day after we’re done the diarrhea comes back (really bad). The vet checked to see if he has any worms in his poop but nothing. We are doing a special test now to check for staff in his poop that a regular test cannot find.
Any ideas what it could be? We were told that it might be a food allergies.
I know that the cavaliers are very sensitive dogs, is it a known issue? Do we need to give him a specials food?

Thanks in advance.

[mssmiley]

my boston terrier has been diagnosed with alopecia…. she is balding on her chest and hind legs. The balding is all symmetrical. The vet has done a skin scrape and tested for other known causes of hairloss. All these tests come back negative. Now she says that the hair loss is going to be a result of a thyroid issue or hormore issue. We are going to start running more tests to look into which it might be. Have any other owners out there had to deal with alopecia in their dogs??? She’s perfectly healthy otherwise, but what concerns me is how these thyroid/hormone issues may affect her later on in life. For those of you who are dealing with alopecia or thyroid/hormone issues…. what food are you using to help your dog? Are there foods out there that can help bring the re-growth of the dogs hair back? She is currently of blue buffalo freedon small breed dry food. We switched her to the freedom line when the hair loss began bc we wanted to rule out allergies for the hair loss reason.

[avamom]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have been referencing DFA since I first put down the deposit on my English mastiff puppy. She is will be 7 months old this week and we have had a time. I was feeding Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy for the first 5 months. She had a rash and I thought it might be a food allergy she was on flea meds and I never saw any. It wasn’t horrible but it was constant. I took her off thinking maybe it was the chicken and put her on Natural Choice Sweet Potato and Venison. It got much worse within a week. Got to looking at ingredients and realized there were sweet potatoes in the BBWP as well. Tried Natural Choice Venison and Potato better but still not gone (this one had carrots). We discovered a beta carotene or at least an orange vegetable allergy. Took her off everything and cooked her rice or potatoes and ground venison for a month. She got too lean and even though she was getting a multi vitamin I was concerned about proper nutrition. Help! What can I feed her that is good for her overall health and proper growth, but that does not cause allergic reactions.