[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, 4 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, 4 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.

[Hershy]

Thank you, Patty and HDM, for the food rotation information.. a huge help!

I have an emergency-type question. The vet wants to do cancer testing on my Mother dog, Charlotte, and is at the Vet now waiting for my answer.
A little background:
She has had allergies all her life, but after weaning her last (and final) litter, she had the worst allergy attack I have ever seen on her. I have her on meds to help her with the itching, maintained her thyroid meds, and used ear cleaner for her ears daily. I also changed her to a 5 star food about a month ago (after learning about them), and started her on Dinovite (what is your opinion about Dinovite?). It was time for her comprehensive checkup at the Vet about 2 weeks ago, so while there, so they were fairly alarmed about her allergies, but especially about the swelling in her lymph nodes. They gave her antibiotics, anti fungal meds, and said to continue the ear cleaner and if the lymph nodes don’t go down, she would most likely want to start cancer testing.
That’s where we are today. they didn’t go down enough to notice, so she wants to test. I ask if the lymph nodes could be swollen due to the allergy attack still being active. She said could be, she guessed. Also, she wants to lance her ear to remove a clot that formed from a hematoma (from shaking her head) that stopped bleeding, and clotted before we could drain it.
This all sounds bleak to me. I do not want my dog to undergo cancer treatment. I don’t believe they can cure my dog of cancer, if she has it. The test is $60. Not sure I want to know.
Is there a special diet to help with the immune system of a dog. I’m at a loss. I do not always trust the vet, and debate with them quite frequently about how I want to treat my dogs. I love them all, and want what’s best for them (4).
Please help me know what direction to move on this cancer topic. I am really nervous about it!

[bullterriermom]

Hi, everyone I am new here! I also was wondering about coconut oil. My husband and I just adopted our first bull terrier this weekend and she is awesome! She is 9 and she has food allergies that had reaked havoc on her skin and coat,( which is improving slowly) the foster told me they have her on Merrick duck and sweet potato(which I will keep her on) but I was thinking of also adding a little coconut oil to her food. Pros, cons? She also has a level 2 heart murmur if that matters, and a bald spot that has never grown in due to the neglect of her first owners not either knowing or caring about her food allergies… I also bought her Tropaclean oatmeal and tea tea shampoo for baths as b/c skin sensitivity and she is kinda a stinky girl. So any thoughts on coconut oil for her? Anything else I mentioned?

[Kona the blue pit]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but my 2 year old blue pit is getting crusty lumps on his body and he has diarrhea. All through the winter months he was doing ok maybe a lump here and there but otherwise ok. I was feeding him California Natural Kangaroo for about 5-6 months until the recall. Then I had to start feeding him Addiction Kangaroo for about 2 months and he was still doing ok. Now this past 2 weeks I started him back on the California Natural Kangaroo and his problems started. So I’m not sure if it is the food or if it is because it is Summer now.
Could he have become allergic to the kangaroo or maybe California Natural messed up on the formula?
I have also been giving him Benadryl so that could be causing the diarrhea also.
Not sure what to do should I switch his food already or give it a month or two?
Thanks
Brad

[SandyandMila]

Yes the primal chicken mix is the only one I’ve tried so far and just got the Bravo burger blends but haven’t tried it yet. I feed commercial raw in the am and either RMBs or that mix in the pm and the kibble and canned on the weekend for dinner. I haven’t used the Preference yet, maybe return it for baby veggie puree or the whole food supplement? And again the whole food supplement can be given whether commercial and homemade raw? Should I be worried about the brewers yeast in the Nature’s Logic? Mila’s skin and coat has been damaged due to allergies, not sure if the brewers yeast will make it worse? That’s the reason why I’ve switched her to raw and adding krill, sardine, coconut oils and supplements to get food. Thanks for all the help.

[Anonymous]

grain free health extension is the way to go

[somebodysme]

OK, I’m not going to give it to her today and see how that goes for a few days. I swear if that was the problem all along, I’m just going to go scream! HAHAHA!

[Shawna]

PS — sorry, some of the data in my last post I see is a repeat of what I said before. Sorry for the duplicate info.. Should have read previous posts BEFORE leaving last :).. Live and learn 🙂

[theBCnut]

I would definitely try it. It could even be whatever the carrier for the probiotics is.

[Shawna]

Hi Lagotto,

We noticed (at the breeders) that she had excessive drinking and urination, as compared to her 5 siblings, when she was about 6 weeks old. She came to live with me when she was 9 weeks old. At about 4 weeks old she started failing to thrive — because she had a collapsing trachea and couldn’t get enough milk from her mommy. So the breeder put her on raw goat milk and egg whites, syringe fed every 2 to 4 hours, til she could eat on her own. She was weaned onto raw food — mainly hamburger, eggs, raw milk etc.

When she came to me I was making a home made raw diet for my current dogs and she went on that same diet. At her vet visit I told her holistic vet she urinated/drank a lot but her vet poo poo’d my concern and said puppies drink and therefore urinate more. She has bright eyes, she’s very smart, good coat quality etc. She’s a healthy puppy… In looking back I’m actually thankful that happened. Audrey continued on the homemade raw diet til her one year checkup where her bloodwork showed high bun and creatinine. I started tweaking her diet and would take her in every three months for additional bloodwork to see what the tweaking was doing. Turns out, the diet I had been feeding her all along was the best for her with one exception. To the diet I added a “prebiotic” and probiotics to help lower her BUN. Works like a charm..

Audrey continued on the homemade diet for several years but then I got too busy to keep up with homemade exclusively so I started incorporating commercial raw diets — Bravo as an example. Became busier yet and moved exclusively to commercial raw — Bravo, Darwins, Answers (recently started) and premixes like The Honest Kitchen Preference and Steve’s Premix with raw meats.. Audrey turned 7 years old the end of June and is still going strong. I have NOT lowered her protein. I have not lowered her phosphorus or made any other changes than adding prebiotic/probiotic and supplements. I use Garden of Life’s Primal Defense probiotic and Fiber35’s Sprinkle Fiber as the prebiotic. A really good prebiotic, made specifically for dogs, can be found on Dr. Mercola’s website under the “Pets” link and then under “Products”.

I would NOT regularly feed her kibble if I was paid to do so. In my opinion, kibble will cause a much earlier death in a kidney disease dog.. Kibble is a POOR QUALITY food for kd dogs/cats—even the best kibbles on the market… At the very least, feed a canned diet. If you can, feed raw or lightly cooked. I also don’t feed Audrey any grains. IF you are going to feed grains it needs to be either sushi rice (aka glutinous rice) or cream of wheat (or farina). These two grains are low phosphorus. All other grains have higher phosphorus and don’t add anything to the diet that can’t be found in a more species appropriate food.

You also want to feed higher fat foods — ditch the lean ground beef.. Feed the highest fat foods you can get (unless she is showing signs of pancreatitis). Fat adds calories without phosphorus—adding organic coconut oil is a good idea too. Protein is NOT damaging to the kidneys and only needs to be reduced to prevent symptoms of uremia in the later stages of the disease — such as vomiting or depression. Audrey has NEVER to date ate low protein.

Let her have ALL the water she wants. Audrey used to sleep in the water bowl when it was empty — she was that obsessed with water and, I’m guessing, desperately trying to tell me she needed some. She started this, sleeping in water dish, at the breeders. I kept potty pads ALL over the house for her. I was lucky in that she used them. During the night I keep her in a 4 foot by 4 foot enclosure we made (for our foster puppies). It was made out of wood and plastic chicken wire. I had her water bowl, her kennel, a blanket outside the kennel and a potty pad with LOTS of newspapers under it — she would fill a potty pad to the point of leaking during the night. As she got older she was able to hold it. Since about three months of age she has slept with me in my bed at nights.

Darwins now has a kidney diet.. I haven’t seen it yet but I do think it is worth checking out. Urban Wolf has a premix designed for kd dogs that can be added to raw or home cooked meats. And I think Grandma Lucy’s has a lower phosphorus premix that is also suitable for dogs needing their phos lowered..

Also consider adding a whole food B and C vitamin to the diet. These two vitamins are “water soluble” and because of the excessive urination can become depleted if not supplemented. I use Standard Process Cataplex B and C. I also give Audrey a whole food multi as a precaution. I use Standard Process Catalyn. Standard Process also makes a whole food supplement specifically for dogs with kidney disease. It’s called Canine Renal Support — I HIGHLY recommend using it. I also give liver support also by Standard Process — Canine Hepatic Support. The liver can become overstressed in a kd dog.

I HIGHLY recommend only using reverse osmosis or distilled along with a mineral water like Evian. Mineral waters (only those lower in sodium) have shown some positive benefits to kidney patients.

Also try to eliminate as many chemical toxins from your house as possible. I was already living in a relatively toxin free environment but I had to eliminate my Swiffer mop, candles ets. These have chemicals in them that the kidneys have to filter — putting an extra strain on them OR adding to the blood poisoning when the kidneys can’t filter as well. DO NOT use flea/tick or heartworm meds on her. And DO NOT vaccinate her. Audrey has only had one set of shots (given by the breeder before I got her) and has NEVER had a rabies shot. She was diagnosed before getting the shot and I was able to get a lifelong exemption for her in my state.

As mentioned, Audrey turned 7 last month and is not on any medications (no phosphorus binders, no sub-q fluids etc) just the supplements.

I don’t use it but I know others that have had positive results with the herbal tinctures from Five Leaf Pharmacy. http://caninekidneyhealth.com/ I would NOT follow their diet though… 🙂 http://caninekidneyhealth.com/

I would also highly recommend reading the material on Mary Straus’ dog aware website. This is the site where I got most of my knowledge / as well as courage to continue feeding Audrey a high protein raw diet. She has some EXCELLENT info on the site — when to feed low protein, when to lower phosphorus and how much (phosphorus is an essential mineral – lowering it too much too early can have unintended consequences), which foods are lower in phosphorus etc. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html

Your puppy can still have a fantastic quality of life.. Learn as much as you can, stay positive and enjoy her fully!!!!!

If you ever want to chat offsite, I can be reached at shawnadfaemail @ yahoo. com (take out the spaces–they are included here to prevent robot spammers from sending me junk mail).. 🙂

[somebodysme]

I’m still trying to figure out this little rash my dog has on her back that the vet said was allergies. He did a scraping and it was negative for mites. So anyway, I’ve changed everything except for the pro-biotic that I give her which is called PB8, available at any health food store for humans. Does anyone think it’s worth a try to stop giving it to see if that could possibly be causing that rash? I was reading up on allergic reactions to acidophilus and one side effect is a rash. Other than that, she’s acting like she feels really good and the rash doesn’t seem to itch.

[Lagotto]

Hi Shawna, my 10 weeks old Lagotto has just been diagnosed with serious kidneys problems her BUN is way off chart her urine is almost as clear as water . She drinks over a liter of water a day. I have her for 21/2 weeks she hardly gains any weight. She is taller but very thin. The breeder offered to take her back and put her down. Apart from excessive drinking and urinating and not put on weight she is full of energy and really playful.I decided to keep her,the vet didn’t recommend any diet plan for her just told her to let she eats normal food, she eats puppies musli mix with raw met and let nature take it course. Her musli comprise of roll oats, dehydrate pea, carrot, bone meal plus all essential vitamins and minerals. Since she has been diagnosed I stop feeding her those food and go on low protein, low phosphorus, low sodium,. She got her appetite back with the meal I made which is 1 cup cooked white rice with one whole egg, two eggs whites, a spoonful of low fat ground beef. Cook in 1 Tb coconut oil. I sprinkle one capsule of fish oil, and grind 900mg of calcium carbonate to it. She has been eating this food for 3 days. Her weight is up for almost 200 g. I am not sure this diet is good enough for her growth. I ask the vet or phosphorus binder and start to sprinkle on her food. The vet now recommend pediatric junior digest & dental 29. I mixed a little of the dry food into home cooked . Her water intake is almost double her usual high intake. Your Audrey story is really inspiring . What do you feed Audrey? Home cooked or dry food.what is your strategy with Toilet train?

Many thanks, Lagotto

[Honeybeesmom1]

Hi everyone.

I noticed about a week ago a lump on the left side of Honeybees butt…about the size of a gumball.
It keeps going away and coming back. At times it’s more soft and other times more hard.
I’ve read a little about anal glands and cysts but how do I know which one it is?
Does he need to see a vet in order to determine what it is? I have no idea what to think of it.
His vet is more of meds than natural…so I’m asking here first.

Also…I’m making my first purchase of Darwins! I’m excited as I’ve read good things here about it.
Honey is only 5 lbs. I can afford to feed him Darwins twice a day..and the others once per day.
What feeding would be best for him? Raw once or twice daily?
He’s the sensitive one that’s allergic to fleas, grass and pollen.
So I’m thinking raw twice daily?
Thanks! :0)

[lovemypets4life]

my pitbulls allergic to rawhide also and I bought him vets choice dental bones and he LOVES them, and I especially love the fresh breath ones

[lovemypets4life]

holistic health extension GRAiN FREE food is organic and especially beneficial for dogs with allergies and sensitive stomachs/digestive tracts

[lovemypets4life]

holistic health extensions has grain free food and also duck flavored food that is great for dogs that have food allergies

[husky3]

Hello,

I’m replying to my original post in regards to my Husky not losing any weight. We switched to a completely raw diet in February, and she is still gaining weight. 🙁 She weighs in at over 60 pounds now. She would have a poor body condition score. Can not feel ribs, or locate the spine or hip bones. Exercise has been a little less since it has been so hot lately, but I have also decreased her food amounts. Almost to the point that I’m not sure if she’s getting enough to sustain her daily needs. I don’t know what else to do at this point. I have two other Husky’s that are thriving! They have excellent body condition, and get just as much exercise, but with a lot more food, almost twice as much food!!

In May, we had an ultrasound done on her, and they said that there were some slight changes to her liver & kidneys, but nothing major. We also had her thyroid checked again, and ran tests for Cushings, Addisons, Diabetes, Diabetes Insipidous, and Atypical Cushings. They all came back negative. We ran an allergy panel as well, and she did have some environmental allergies that we are working on now with the drops.

While she tested negative for Atyp. Cushings, they did say her hormones were a little elevated, and we are treating that with Lignin and melatonin. I have seen a change in her attitude, for the better, but no weight loss.

She had an ear infection a couple weeks ago, and another one about 3 months ago, which is a new development. She also has red stained paws from her licking them, or perhaps it is a yeast overgrowth?

Does anyone have anything else to add to this conundrum? Any medical ailments that mimic cushings, or thyroid problems? At this point, I don’t think it can be diet related unless she is allergic to raw meat, and it’s not chicken.

Thank you for your help.
Tay

[lovemypets4life]

they could have food allergies. try switching to holistic health extension grain free. my maltipoo has bad allergies (always scratching himself, his ears, and hacks up flem) and this was the only way food that helped minimize his allergies

[lovemypets4life]

check out holistic health extension GRAIN FREE! it would be great for your dogs allergies. I have a maltipoo with bad allergies and this is the only food that works well with him

[boxeraddict]

Thank you

[theBCnut]

Intolerences to grain are extremely common. Look at Natures Variety Instinct. They have a few different protein sources to choose from.

[boxeraddict]

We have a 9 mo old Deaf Boxer puppy, when we got him 6 months ago he had allergy problems. Through a process of elimination we know he cannot have
-Chicken
-Lamb
-Fish / Fish oil
– Dairy

We finally found Natural Balance LID Venison and all his problems went away. No more itching, red skin, diarrhea, hair falling out.

Then he stopped eating it, refused to eat it. We had to find something so I tried Natural Choice Venison & Brown Rice LID Sensitive Stomach and all of his problems have returned.

I think grains could be part of the problem, I have looked at so many dog foods and I am so over whelmed. I don’t want to put him back on Natural Balance, any help would be appreciated!!!

[tmthompson17]

I have a chocolate lab retriever who will be 6 months on August 1. It seems like since we got him about every other month he has diarrhea. We started him out on eating Pedigree puppy chow. He was having diarrhea for a week and nothing was physically wrong with him. The vet prescribed a probiotic and some pepto which worked for a while until we were done with the pills then it started again. Then the vet thought it was because he was eating grass or because he was allergic to beef. We weened him off of Pedigree and started him on the Science Diet (which was lamb and rice). He has been on the Science Diet (and diarrhea free) for 3 months and yesterday started with the diarrhea again. And I read that the Science Diet is not a good food for dogs to eat. If any one has any pointers for me that would be great! I’m a little lost right now..

[somebodysme]

We are in the beginning stages of finding out what my dog is allergic to. Right now she is doing well on her dog food but I’m VERY limited as to what to buy her and would love to see if I can find out if she is allergic to sweet potatoes. Without buying a bag of dog food that contains sweet potatoes or some other food ingredient…would a home cooked sweet potato cause an allergic reaction the same as a kibble food with sweet potato? And other ingredients too such as salmon or beef? Right now she’s on Avoderm Revolving Menu Duck and is doing great on it. I cannot find any other food that is similar and can only order this on line. It’s like everything has sweet potatoes and potatoes in it. Oh and something like brown rice, could I experiment with cooked brown rice? Her reactions to foods are very fast, just a couple days and I can see it, her eyes begin to water and her ears turn red.

[somebodysme]

Yes I have heard of that because some dogs swallow large chunks to rawhide without chewing them, this was not our issue though. She didn’t have any digestive problems…just terrible scratching. I suspect that the rawhide was most of her allergy problem. There was something in the Earthborn Holistics Coastal Catch that made her start scratching too though because she was taken off the rawhide after her vet appointment. It wasn’t until I, one by one, started reintroducing new things that I discovered the rawhide was an issue.

[labgirl]

rawhides do “blow up” in the stomach and expand a lot.. my dog used to get very sick from them. ive not started using more natural treats like Bully sticks/bullwrinkles – they chew like a rawhide but are 100% digestible and cause no bloating like rawhides do. id use that instead of rawhides. more safe in my opinion

[theBCnut]

They do bleach rawhides.