[Moose’sMom]

Hello. We have a 3 year old Boston Terrier; he has terrible gas, frequent diarrhea and allergies to just about everything. His allergies ranges from skin rashes to ear infections to swollen eyes and mouth and closing of his airways. Some days, he has so much gas his stomach feels extremely tight. It has been an on going issue and we have run out of ideas. We have spent too much time at the vet and emergency visits; we just want to find him a nutritionous food that doesn’t result in complications.

Over the past 3 years, we have tried the Orijen Regional Red, Orijen Puppy, Acana Pacifica, Acana Puppy and Junior and most recently, switched him to Acana Light and Fit as per the vet’s recommendation. We recently switched vets and he suggested Hill’s Prescription Gastrointestinal Health. Based on the ingredient list and the review on this website, I don’t feel comfortable feeling him this ‘food’. I would like to stay with the Acana/Orijen brand if possible but if there is anything else that anyone can recommend, I am all ears. Help!

[CrystalGray804]

I need some help and advice. My dog Titus, a 12 year old Pit Bull, has terrible allergies. Well after one vet is now denying service because I am not satisfied with them after a $211 visit, one vet who I found is pretty decent I am at a stand still. His blood work is great, his lungs and heart clear, not really overweight it has been determined “ALLERGIES” We cannot afford to see a dermatologist or get the spots biopsied, can anyone, lol? So we were told change the food. She has recommended Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D Canine Ultra Allergen-Free, I cannot afford this. Does anyone have any recommendations to an alternative? He will not eat dry unless I mix it with canned. He gets 1/2 can + same amount of dry mixed 2 times a day, vet is fine with this. She said change treats or do not give him any… does anyone want to tell him he cannot have a treat, lol? Please give me your ideas, thank you.

[NectarMom]

Thanks Patty , That gives me an idea of how much to feed. darwin’s wasn’t sure because like you said each dog i different. The good news is we have decided after our next batch arrives we are going all Raw with all 4 of our girls. JRT are a bit more active than chihuahuas and shihtzu’s so I think 1/4 twice a day will be fine. My husband sees the difference in our two problem girls and he agrees lets go all Raw but he says no way are we feeding chicken bones or any Raw whole bones because one of our chihuahuas inhales her food and she has almost choked before on pig ears (we fed those a long long time ago and read up how bad they are and stopped. He does not want any of the dogs choking and dying from eating a chicken neck or wing (rolls eyes) but at least he has agreed to all Raw. My freezer will be here tomorrow and just in time for me to fill it with my new 20 lbs of Darwin’s .

Question, has anyone tried mercolas gentle chews? Are they safe for dogs with allergies?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Marcella –

Blood allergy tests are very inaccurate, they often give false positives for foods your dog isn’t really allergic to and false negatives for foods your dog really is allergic to. The only accurate way to determine what foods are causing issues is to perform an elimination diet. Personally, if a dog is exhibiting food intolerance issues I think it’s best to do an elimination diet so you know for certain what the triggers are and which foods to avoid. An elimination diet would involve feeding a food that contains a protein source and a carbohydrate source your dog has never eaten before for 4 – 6 weeks. You would then gradually start adding in new ingredients, one at a time, and closely monitor the reaction to each.

Here is some info:
-nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/03well.html?_r=0

-healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/07/protein-diets-for-pets-allergy.aspx

-whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_4/features/Dog-Food-Allergy_20239-1.html

-virtuavet.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/step-by-step-dog-food-allergy-elimination-diet/

-communityvet.net/2010/03/diy-elimination-diet-for-the-dog-an-cat/

[MindyH]

I admit to being rather unhealthy in my own diet, therefor when our lab suffered food allergies and everyone was recommending probiotics I was at a loss. For this reason I visited numerous sites similar to DOG FOOD ADVISOR. I basically read reviews and comments of dog owners giving advice. I found a family experiencing the identical conditions our 8 year old lab was dealing with and followed their instructions to a T, luckily they where nice enough to respond to my comment with a detailed post. I try and share the 2 basic areas when I see it may be helpful. The first is use a supplement that contains the enzymes Aspergillus oryzae and, Aspergillus niger, ( I use the VitaHound dog supplement) but I have friends using other brands that contain the enzymes and they work the same. Second Feed a home prep diet of 50% of vegetables, 40% of meats and 10% of carbohydrates using three basic sources eg. chicken, rice, carrots. After 30 days, continue with dog supplement and discontinue the home made feedings to a quality dog food. BEST OF LUCK, our dog is allergy free, happy and healthy and I have read many thank yous over the years for passing on the wisdom.

[marcella1]

I’m hoping someone can give me a recommendation for a good dog food for my Rhedyn. Rhedyn has several health problems, EPI being one. First she was diagnosed with Perianal Fistulas (PF) (last fistula was over 2 years ago), next she was diagnosed with SIBO and then EPI Oct. 2011, and bloated Jan. 2012.

The problem has been with her rubbing/scratching her face after she eats, until she has sores all over her muzzle and the hair falls out on her face. So I did the blood allergy test. Here are the results for food allergies: Duck=2 (2=low level), Yeast=1 (1=very low level), oat=2, Rice=2, lamb=1, potato=4 (4=very high level), pea=3 (3=high level). She also has some allergies to weeds, trees and grasses – but I don’t believe these are causing the problem because she gets weepy eyes and rubs her face every time she eats. I did think it was the enzymes (for the EPI – pork based), but according to the test, pork had a “0” score – absent or undetectable levels.

Because she had PF, we switched her to a single protein source (fish), one that would maybe not cause any problems. We have not had any PF’s for a really long time (I think it has been more than 2 years). My biggest concern is the allergy stuff.

Today I bought some cod (raw), mixed it with some sardines (raw) I had, mixed in some veggies and gave it to her. She loved it, but it is expensive buying the cod ($4/lb.). And it was a lot of work – I made a HUGE pot of it. Rhedyn is 90 lbs. and so eats a lot!

Does anyone know of a good kibble that doesn’t have peas, potatoes, yeast, or eggs? Or is there new/more current information out there on the food these guys (with PF) can/can’t have?

Thank you for any help or ideas!
Marcella

[NectarMom]

Melissa, I know and it is because they do well on turkey and potato free as far as allergies and intestinal. Allergies but the acid reflux is a problem. I wasn’t sure what was causing the reflux until I read this thread and if it is the protein then I have to find a food that is turkey , lower protein and grain and potato free. I have even spoken to Darwin’s about the acid reflux and they said maybe it was because they were drinking too much water after meals which in result made them regurgitate up clear water but I know that would not cause acid reflux. Seriously I am getting tired of switching foods and waiting 6 months to see if it works only for it not to work and cause some issue with my dogs. It is very aggravating. They also had the acid reflux on Acana and that is when my one dog ended up with an ulcer.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi texasniteowl –

You may want to get your boy on some supplements that will help his allergies – quercitin, nettle, burdock root and perilla leaf, omega 3’s, bromelain, papain and coconut oil are all supplements shown to help ease allergy symptoms. Aunt Jeni’s sells a supplement called “Enhance Allergy Aid” with vitamin c, burdock root, quercitin and biotin. Vet’s Best sells a supplement called “Seasonal Allergy Support” with bioflavinoids, nettle leaf, vitamin c, perilla leaf and quercitin. You may want to consider purchasing one of these or a similar supplement and giving him some fish oil and coconut oil daily.

If your he is indeed allergic to your grass you should bathe him frequently in an herbal shampoo (avoid oatmeal-based shampoos) and have a foot soak ready to use after he’s been outdoors (you can make a solution using 1 gal. water, 1 c. hydrogen peroxide and 1-4 c. white vinegar or you can mix povidone iodine with water). Soak his feet every time he comes indoors so he’s not tracking the allergen through your house and vacuum frequently.

You should make sure his food is low in carbohydrates as high carbohydrate diets are “pro-inflammatory” and can worsen allergy symptoms. Your best bet, as Patty mentioned, would be a balanced raw diet. If that’s not possible a high protein canned or dehydrated food would be the next best option. If you must feed kibble keep it high protein. My top picks for kibble would be Orijen (38-40% protein), Nature’s Variety Instinct (35 – 42% protein), EVO (42-52% protein), Solid Gold’s Barking at the Moon (41% protein), Artemis Maximal (42% protein) Earthborn Primitive Natural (38% protein) or Wysong Epigen (60% protein). If you can at least top the kibble with balanced raw or a high quality canned or dehydrated food, this would be better than kibble alone.

Supplementing with probiotics is known to help allergies as well. I would recommend adding a high quality multi-strain probiotic to the food such as Mercola Probiotics, Garden of Life Primal Defense, Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic with FOS or Swanson’s Soil-Based Organisms. Probiotics may help firm up his stool as well. Some other ideas to help firm him up would be adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin to each meal and supplementing with digestive enzymes.

Remember it may take several weeks for things to clear up. Good luck!

[texasniteowl]

Hey all…I’m completely new here but have looked at a ton of the reports on the 4 & 5* rated foods. I have a 6yr old mixed breed (some lab) that we adopted at the end of December.
(Also, thru these descriptions, pls keep in mind that it’s been 20 years since I had a dog. We had some dogs when I was a child, but I haven’t had one as an adult.)

Anyway, Wilson came to us on Purina One Smartblend Lamb & Rice. I already knew that wasn’t a great quality food, so after a couple weeks I moved him to Fromm’s Duck & Sweet Potato.

That transition went pretty well but we’ve been fighting allergy issues since we got him. Now, it may turn out that he is just allergic to our grass (bermuda) and there is nothing to be done really, but I’m willing to experiment. (Also, he came to us with an ear infection, so we had lots going on there initially.)

About 3 weeks ago I bought a bag of Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast grain free (bison meal and also some lamb meal) from my local pet store (and they carry a great selection of grain free lines…Orijen, Acana, Wellness, Canidae, Cal. Natural, Taste of the Wild, Earthborn, Fromm’s and more…the only main one I wondered about was Merrick which they do not carry). We started off with a 1/4 new to 3/4 old. Wilson had some soft stool (but not diarrhea) for several days…it was almost a week before I moved the ratio up to half and half. We stayed on half and half for two weeks. Initially he also had soft stool again…but it also seemed like it alternated more…very firm (seemed like he was straining) one time and the next time, soft. Sometimes hard and soft at the same trip outside.

Also, he’s developed dandruff and is shedding a lot. Now, we are in Texas and we are having weather in the 70’s to even low 80’s one day already, so part of that is just the season. However, thru Jan. & Feb. he hardly shed at all. But the dandruff? And he also seems to me to be doing more butt dragging than previously. And he’s been doing a lot of paw licking and chewing the whole time we’ve had him.

Just yesterday, I finally upped his kibble to 3/4 new and 1/4 old. His morning poo was hard and seemed straining. His late afternoon poo was soft. (Not soft serve ice cream soft, but soft.)

I know it may be hard to separate the food reaction from the season or other issues (dryness in the house?/low humidity?) but all these things together have me leaning towards ditching the Earthborn and going back to his Fromm’s Duck & Sweet Potato for a bag and then trying a different grain free.

Any feedback or suggestions? I was thinking that I should maybe look for grain free that is duck or fish based since he did well on Fromm’s Duck & Sweet Potato? Also I noticed that the Earthborn is potato free (has peas and tapioca)…maybe I should try a grain free with potato or at least sweet potatoes?

I guess any feedback or suggestions you have as far as what to try or what to look for in behavior/reactions when changing food would be welcome.

Thanks.

[rdpalmer]

We have a brother and sister team of year old pups now. They are Blue Heeler/Australian Shepard mix. Mika (the female) has had 3 epileptic seizures (petit mal). We rushed her to the vet and had the tests done and originally thought it was hypoglycemia. But this last episode we were able to eliminate that and zero in on epilepsy. Moki (the male) walks around stiff….as if he’s stove up. They just turned 1 year last month. We are beginning to wonder if the dog food might be an issue. We are currently feeding them Purina Healthy Morsels. Could these issues be from food allergies? I hate the thought of having the drug Mika for the rest of her life to control the epilepsy. I’m already giving them Pro-Sense glucosamine and daily vitamins. Anyone have any ideas?

[theBCnut]

It did it to me too. A few days ago I was ready to throw my computer at the wall.

[Hound Dog Mom]

You’re not the only one having problems – I’ve been experiencing the same thing with several of the threads.

[JillMcN]

I have no idea why, but I cannot reply to that original thread. I am (obviously) logged-in now, and could answer other threads, but that particular thread logs me out every time.

Sorry Becky, about my delay in answering your question – yes – my pug has always been on the generic Atopica which is cyclosporine.

[brooklynp221]

I use to coat Brooklyn’s pills in peanut butter before I gave them to her. The kids also use to give her a spoonful of it for 20 minutes of entertainment, but I just read an article about how bad it can be for your dog and can cause allergies. There are also a lot of treats out there that are peanut butter so I would be careful of those too. I haven’t heard this before and just thought some of you might be as interested as me. Here is a link to the article:

http://www.askariel.com/Articles.asp?ID=267

[RDandSQ]

9 year old 75 pound dog’s lab work showed dilute urine specific gravity (1.007) and slightly high creatinine (1.7 vs. range of 0.5 – 1.6 mg/dL). Other kidney numbers were good. This dog often drinks a lot, leading to lower specific gravity. The vet suggested going to a Senior Food to get a bit less protein, so his kidneys have less work.

My dog is on Ziwipeak dyhydrated raw food (it’s not raw once dyhydrated) with “quality” protein and no grains etc. It’s pretty much all meat. He get’s 6 scoops per day, with fish oil and some other supplements (Missing Link and Sea Meal). I was focused on the percent protein (36%), but not on the total quantity. Doing the math it seems he’s been getting 122 gm protein per day!!

I now understand the guideline for older dogs is about 2 gms/ per kg (or about 1 gm/ pound), which is slightly more than for adult dogs. Based on this he should be getting about 75 gms/day.

I’m thinking rather than going to a commercial senior dog food with grains and other things, why not just give him less Ziwipeak and augment with vegetables? More so, as he seems allergic to meats other than venison. I was thinking of going down to 4 scoops (about 80 gm protein) per day, which is the recommended amount, and giving him vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potato, or cauliflower or a combination to make sure he gets the same amount of food he is used to (he’s on the skinny side of normal)

Does that make sense? Other suggestions?

[Becky]

Jill, have you always had her on the generic or did you start on Atopica and switch over? If you switched, could you tell any difference? EllieMae was so severe the vets said we should start on Atopica and then we might be able to switch over. She’s doing so well I haven’t tried changing anything yet. The poor thing probably hasn’t felt this good in her whole life.

[Becky]

Unfortunately I don’t know much about her before I got her. She came to me through a couple of other people and I know what they had her on but not what her original family had her on. I’ve had her for 7 mos; a long time for a foster! She’s with SEPRA, Southeast Pug Rescue and Adoption, so please spread the word if you know anyone who’s interested in a very allergic pug! (but VERY VERY sweet)

[NectarMom]

I got my Darwin’s Turkey order Wed and it was packed so well and still very frozen so I put all of it (which was ALOT) into the freezer and kept one pack out for in a couple of days ( Today). Darwin’s called me the day the shipment came in and walked me through how to make a hopefully smooth transition start. I can honestly say I was very very nervious about starting a raw diet for my dogs since I hate meat with a passion ( I do not eat it)

Day one: Per advice from Darwin’s – Feed my usual mix and add in just half a teaspoon with each dogs meal of Darwin’s and mix in enzymes ( Mercola Brand) Now I have a VERY picky Shihtzu that will only eat out of my hand her kibble and can food but not this morning, she was trying to eat everyone elses and when I put her bowl down ( shes always last eating because shes so picky) Everyone else would eat her food before she got a chance but not this morning she actually ate all of her mixture right out of the bowl…OMG …I have not ever seen her do that in 2 1/2yrs she was born.

My short coat Chihuahua ( GiGi) smelled the Darwin’s in the bo as soon as I brought it in and put it on the floor. She was litterally climbing the walls wanting what was in that box ( Frozen Darwin’s LOL! I truely believe she would have eaten it frozen she wanted it that bad..hehe!

Now this is just the first day on it and the first feeding so I am hoping we do not have issues and I guess my only concern is the sweet potato since we are on a potato free diet. Time will tell if it agrees with GiGi since she is the one with intestinal allergies to what we do not know yet but for sure she is allergic to insect bites but that is not food related. Keep your fingers crossed for us. This is going to be a very slow process and we hope to make this work for our girls. I love the extra container they send to keep the raw in but I just for right now wish the porportions were a bit smaller since I am sure within 48 hrs I will be throwing some away.

[InkedMarie]

Becky, thank you for rescuing the pug. How long have you had her? Do yourself a favor and write down the ingredients in the food she was eating before you got her, if you know and the ingredients in the Nutro. That way, if she ever backslides, you will know what works for her & what doesn’t.

[JillMcN]

Becky, my pug is on Atopica – but the generic, which is cyclosporine. We save money by getting the generic. Thank you for rescuing that pug! 🙂

[Becky]

I foster a pug who was surrendered because of her severe allergies. She’d been through all the allergy tests and basically was found to be allergic to everything. They’d had her on meds, steroids, baths, dips–you name it, they did it. They took her to the vet to be put down because she was so miserable and they couldn’t afford it any more. Thankfully, she was rescued. She’s now on a med called Atopica which is unfortunately pretty expensive, but has been a miracle worker for her. When I got her, her skin was raw and bleeding and now she has a beautiful coat. She eats Nutro Grain Free Lamb and Potato. We found 2 things she’s really allergic to are wheat and sweet potatoes and this food seems to be working for her. (knock on wood) And she’s learned to like baby carrots for treats! 🙂

[cochise]

I went with orijen. there are different combinations of meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. it’s very nutritious. it is expensive. I started feeding him the 6 fish blend. and saw know real change in his stool. but I thought about the amount I was feeding and decided I was feeding too much. his stools were fine for 90-95%, but the end of his movement, it was soft serve. after I cut the feeding by 25%, he is starting to do a lot better. he still bites and licks his pause and rubs his knows, but i’m not going to give him chemicals. I think it will take more time to affect his allergic reaction. it is also likely the shedding has diminished.

the price range for a bag just under 30lbs is between $70 and $90. 6 fish is$80. if you haven’t checked the website, there is some interesting reading.

[K-Rae]

I started my 4 dogs onto pre-made raw a month ago. They are currenty getting chicken and beef (carnivora.ca), and mixed raw bones to chew on once or twice a week. I plan on switching them onto a different brand (k9choicefoods.com) and serving beef, bison and llama. No more chicken.
My 9 yr old pom/chi and my 8 yr old german shepherd are urinating way to much. The 10 yr old westie is a little more and the 1 yr old collie/chihuahua (yes I know) is completely normal. I have asked my vet for her opinion and she says switch back to kibble and you won’t have a problem, and if it does continue bring them in. I will not switch back to kibble, and the increased urination is the ONLY negative side effect.
– not drinking any more water (actually was less then when on kibble)
– eating supper at 6:30 out several times before bed at 10-11pm and directly before bed
– urine is clear when they mess in the house over night (not sure which dog, but probably the pom)
– eating 2% of their weight (they are at perfect weight and all extremely fit)
– never had any health problems other than food allergies (why we went to raw)
– normal energy level, maybe slightly increased because they feel good
– the pom has started eating feces again (he did it when he was a pup) * I have reviewed other forums on that and will be adding enzymes as per HDM 🙂
– everyone is defecating properly as per raw, not straining and not overally chalky
I am an educated dog owner, and have done my research before switching to raw. The pre-made works best for us because we work in emergency services and really never know when we will be called out and how long we will be gone. We need to be able to have a friend stop by and feed the dogs and can’t expect someone to feed primal raw for us or spend a long amount of time preparing it. I always keep 2 days of food portioned out into sealed glass containers in the fridge.

I am curious if other people that feed raw have had this problem? Did it resolve it’s self? Is it possible it is the chicken diet? I really don’t know? I am at a loss as to why they are urinating so much. Any help is appreciated.

[DoggieDoc22]

That makes sense, the sad truth however is that most vets are poorly educated when it actually comes to pet nutrition. Most veterinary schools don’t put a large emphasis on it, so the doctors rely largely on what they hear from food manufacturing reps.

Overall, the incidence of food related allergies in dogs is actually very low. Of all allergy cases in dogs, only 10-20% are caused by food, and of those, only about 10% of those cases are related to corn. Basically what this means is that in only 1 or 2% of dogs with allergies, the cause will be corn. Basically only 1 out of every 100 dogs with allergies will be allergic to corn. Factor in that only roughly 1 out of 10 dogs has allergy issues, and we are now saying that only 1 out of every 1000 dogs has a corn allergy.

As for boosting protein levels, there is no evidence that this is true. As far as the body is concerned, protein is protein whether it comes from a meat source or a vegetable source. Protein quality is determined by two factors: 1. Amino Acid profile, and 2. digestibility.

Corn, believe it or not, happens to be a good source of protein, it has sufficient levels of nearly every essential amino acid, and corn gluten meal in particular is comprised of 67% protein, which is actually higher than most meat meals, and only slightly lower than byproduct meal (which has a very high protein density). As for digestibility, corn meal is 87% digestible, which is more digestible than most meat protein sources.

If you are interested in where I got my information, there are many research articles on the internet where you can find all of this, this article in particular could be very helpful: https://www.vetlearn.com/_preview?_cms.fe.previewId=9955a990-1205-11e1-a602-0050568d3693

[DoggieDoc22]

Mom2cavs, it’s great that you have parameters as to what you will feed your dogs. You clearly have good intentions and want what’s best for your pets which is great. I can understand your stance against artificial preservatives and some of the other things that you mentioned but I’m curious as to what you have against corn wheat and soy. Unless your dog has allergies there is honestly no reason to be against any of those ingredients. Corn in particular, being that it is the one you singled out earlier. Why the anti corn stance?

[Mary Lou]

Hi Hound Dog Mom ~

Our 6 1/2 year old Bichon was diagnosed with a luxating patella with a grade of 1/2. The vet sells Dasuquin, but he knew I probably would not want to use it with our guy’s allergies. I think I would like to try the Joint Care RX you mentioned. Do you know how much I would give him at 14 lbs? Is there another supplement that you think may work better with this issue?

Thanks so much!!

[NectarMom]

Well I could only find Wellness Turkey 95% so I bought 2 cans. I only mixed up just a tiny bit to coat the regular Brothers Allergy formula and I have not seen my dogs eat like that in 6 months. Seriously my very very picky Shihtzu that will just about starve herself wanted more than what she was suppose to get. She is only 4lbs but shes probably a lb under weight IMO but my vet thinks shes a perfect weight. I just hope we don’t have no runny stools. I even added mercola probiotics in with it. I am shocked at how it made me feel seeing them beg for more, it made me feel like I have been starving them 🙁
I may try Darwins next but it is just so expensive. I tried raw instinct before ( The medalions and all 4 threw it up so I am hesitant to ship some in and have the same thing happen. HDM , The only concern I have with Brothers Allergy is that if there is indeed a detox period and I have been on this since Sept and my one with intestinal allergies has not shown any signs of problems except the last couple of weeks she has been chewing on her ankles and now there is a bald spot where he has never done this before even before switching to Brothers Allergy. All 4 have been shedding more than normal too and that started right after the switch but I assumed it was a part of the detox but I don’t know. My one chubby Chihuahua was 17.5lbs before starting Brothers and now she is 11lbs ( shes big boned) So I think her normal weight should be approx 10 lbs. We will see how the Wellness can turkey goes even though I am not a fan of Wellness.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi NectarMom –

I understand where feeding dogs with allergies can be difficult. What I would do is incorporate fresh versions of the foods that are already in their kibble – this way they can get some variety without running the risk of introducing a new food that throws their digestion off. So, if the kibble you’re feeding is turkey based you could buy some lean ground turkey and lightly fry it to mix in with the kibble or buy an all meat turkey canned food to mix in (stick with the all meat so you know you aren’t adding other potentially offending ingredients – Wellness, Newman’s Own and Wysong all sell 95% meat turkey-based canned foods). Once your dog’s condition has stabilized for awhile I’d work on incorporating new protein sources – one by one. Do it using fresh meat or all meat canned toppers and monitor the reaction. Then gradually work on introducing new foods once your dog’s digestive system has strengthened. I’m not sure how long you’ve been with the food you’re feeding now, but keep in mind that if a food is not working it’s just not working and it may be time to move on and try new protein sources and new types of food (often dogs do better on less processed foods – such as dehydrated, freeze-dried, raw or even a high quality canned food). Good luck!

[NectarMom]

HDM, What would you recommend as a fresh food that my dogs with allergy issues can tollerate? If I find something that is working for all 4 of my dogs then I am terrified to upset that balance that we have built so hard to get too. I hope everyone knows that having a dog that has intestinal allergies is tough. I know when she cannot tollerate something because she gets bloated and is in alot of discomfort. Shes allergic to most anything including insect bites or stings. she is a dog that like a person has to have an epi pen close by or she could die in 2 seconds. I have had ALOT of dogs in my lifetime and loved them all but this little chihuahua is truely my heart. I think you are misunderstanding me but it has taken so very long to get just to where we are today with the allergy battle and it is far from over yet. I am truely scared to try anything else with these dogs.

[NectarMom]

I think it can depend on your dogs system and what they can handle. For my dogs we cannot rotate due to I have one with intestinal allergies and one that will litterally chew her fur off. I am not sure how people can rotate or switch when they’re dogs are going through a detox period. I would honestly be afaid to keep switching and or feed 2,3 or more foods at a time because if an issue with your dog arrises then how would you know which food was the culprit? I am of the mind set that over the years even when I mixed a couple of different brands of kibble that I cannot be certain which one caused the damage so in order to cure my dogs issues I had to drop both foods and start over.

From speaking to a Canine Nutritionalist I was lead to believe that dogs do not need Variety like we do so please enlighten me where it is stated that dogs need a variety in their diet? My dogs completely hate the diet they are on and some days turn their noses up to it and it bothers me but I do not give in and give them just anything they want because of the issues certain foods will cause them in the long run. When they get hungry they will eat. Its called Tough Love. My dogs get no treats, no can food and no table food. All they get is their Allergy kibble and that is it.

[Wellington]

After months of trial and error, our 7-year-old female Boston terrier is finally settled down with a mixture diet of Blue Buffalo’s wild mixture of grilled chicken and salmon (canned) and boiled fresh potatos. I mash and mix them, then warm the mixture in the microwave and serve.

We would like to not have to cook potatoes two or three times a week, and have tried different no-grain dry foods. But, so far all have resulted in either allergic reaction (scratching) or a return to the watery stools she had before we got her stabilized on the current diet.

Yes, I know–if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. However, I would like to experiment with a dry food that contains the basics of potatos and some kind of fowl such as chicken, turkey, duck,etc.

If it doesn’t work, we go back to boiling potatos.

If you know of a product that tends to be pure without a whole lot of additives such as blueberries, cranberries and multi-vitamins, please let us know. We would be most grateful for any recommendations.

[InkedMarie]

I would get a chicken, beef, potato and grain free food. Look in the dog food ingredients forum, for the stickie on top

[NectarMom]

I would not give her steroids unless you just have too. I can speak from expierence on this level because time after time my vet put one of my dogs on steroids and now from her being on it so long it is taking her longer to go through a detox period. I wish I would have found Dr Karen Beckers info a long time ago because then I wouldn’t have to be dealing with so many issues with my girl.

I feed her now Brothers Allergy Formula and I use Mercola brand probiotics and enzymes on her food. Dr Becker and Brothers recommend a no potato, grain and no sugar diet. Now I have been on Brothers Allergy since Sept 2012 and it has been a rough road and still is a bit bumpy at times but things have improved alot. My girl still would lick her feet constantly and so I read Dr Beckers solution for this and it has worked so far. She advises to mix 2 cups of white vinegar to one gallon of water and soak your dogs feet and do not rinse but towel dry. ( Keep mixture away from your dogs eyes) Also when giving your dog a normal bath only use a shampoo that is tea tree oil and Aloe. Using oatmeal baths only feeds the yeast. I don’t mind getting my food shipped in if my little dogs are going to be comfortable with the out come of their diet. Now I tried the white meat formula from Brothers and this made us go on a set back once again because of the sweet potato and fruits added in it so we are back on the Allergy and things are getting back to almost where they were. Good luck with your sweetness. Oh and if your dog has problems with yeasty ears then Dr Becker has recommended “Witch Hazel”

[konamisan]

Hi ALL,
I’m new to your forum and truly new some advice! My JRT is 6 yrs old. 2 1/2 years ago, she woke me up at 3am in the morning whining. I turned on the lights to see what was wrong. To my shock and amazement, you could see how red her body was through her white fur. Her body had small lumps and her face had literally changed and looked like a pug! She was scratching, runnining round the house, jumping in & out the tub it was totally frightening and horrible for her. I rushed her to the ER pet hospital. Where she was given a cortiszone injection and Benadryl. I, half bent over the metal cold table coddling her as the lumps, redness,scratching and whining subsided and a whopping bill. It was ok to take her home a 8am in the morning and told to give her the Benadryl 2 times a day for 7 days. 6 months after that episode, she started scratching her ear and body, shaking her head excessively, her shedding, I could have made another dog with the fur that was falling off her although she wan’t balding. So I took her to the vet and he too gave her meds and irrigated her ears. It wasn’t ear mites. She scartched her ear so bad that it bled and she had to wear an e collar in total about 4 months. This went on and off for another 6 months. Her vet never tested her for what could be the problem. He said it may be allergies. Maybe is not the answer I wanted to hear and my JRT & I were both miserable not to mention the bills which was exhausting my finances. I love my Xena and could not stand to see her suffer any more! So I started doing some on line research of what could be the problem? I learned that putting her on a “Raw Food Diet” might be the answer. So I set out to find which one would be helpful.
I stopped feeding her chicken, anything that had potatoes in it and any other grains & cut out the dry kibble. I started her on Steve’s. After about a month, I started seeing that the scratching had subsided the shedding had not. I kept her on it for another half month then introduced her to others like Bravo, Primal, Darwin’s Instinct & Stella and Chewy’s. I even tried shampoos with out success making sure there was no oatmeal in it. For sure that made her scratch & ear cleaning products. I also founf Dr. Karen Becker’s site and bought the “Probiotics, Krill Oil & Ubiquinol” The last 3 products I ran out of. When I can afford it, I’m thinking of purchasing Dr. Becker’s product the “Detox” bites.
Her coat is soft and shiny, but the scratching has come back, she is licking her paws now and her privates & the shedding continues which I serioulsy vaccum 3 times a week. Don’t wear black to my house 🙁 lol although not really funny. Please someone HELP!!!!!!!!!
Konamisan
Well here I am again and the scratching has crept up on us both.

[BennyB143]

Thank you both for the advice 😀 I will definitely look into both a better food brand to substitute and I will keep a closer eye on his possible allergies and skin issues in the future.

[Melissaandcrew]

HI Benny-

Both foods are nearly identical, so I would not expect a problem at this point. However(there always is a but, huh?) Sharpei are NOTORIOUS for skin conditions, yeast issues and food allergies. If it were my pup, I would upgrade the food to something that (at the very least) is corn, soy, wheat free and preferably grain free if you can find something in your price range. Better to pay now, then later-

[doglover37]

Hello,
I have a 14 year old black lab mix with terrible skin problems. The vet said it is food allergies, tha she might be allergic to the red dye in some foods, and or allergic to beef. We have had her on Natural Balance Potato and Duck for years and her problem has never gone away for good, keeps coming back and “flaring up”. The vets solution is steroids but then she drinks too much and has accidents in the house and I can’t give her the steroids since I work 10-12 hours/day. I am looking for suggestions/help. I want to switch her food but am not sure where to start. Thanks in advance.

[DogFoodie]

OK, in a nutshell, my question was about kefir. I’m interested in it for myself and my dogs and recommended it to a friend recently for her dog ~ kefir made with goat milk as her dog is allergic to cow’s milk, which she could pick up at a nearby health food store. It doesn’t sound like making kefir is easy though and I wondered if you made your own or bought it and if it’s difficult, etc.

[grover]

Anybody have any comments on this supplement? My Golden Retriever mix, 70lbs, 2 1/2 yrs plus has struggled with paw licking and ear infections. Its the dead of winter now, nothing is pollinating, I have a large capacity Hepa Filter running non stop inside, no carpeting, and I have fed him Taste of the Wild from the start and now Earthborn (Grain Free). Looking at the DinoVite web page I see grains as the usual culprits for allergic reactions followed by nutritional deficiencies which the DinoVite product claims to address.

[Ramona72]

Am feeding salmon/brown rice by Nulo as it was recommend for my dog with allergies. Am also using the following: Ultra hemp oil, Mercola digestive enzymes, 1/2 25 mg Benadryl once a day, & pumpkin for her straining. She passes more stools now, but they are smaller, harder, and black. Anything is the diet that could cause this?

[Mom2Cavs]

veggienut, which poster are you directing your comment to? Bailey, the originator of this thread has resolved his issues by eating a limited ingredient, grain free diet. Yay, glad you’re doing better, Bailey! Allergy testing can be quite expensive and sometimes not all that accurate (as I’ve read and understand it) and an elimination diet might prove to be the best route to go in determining allergies/intolerance in the diet.

[Anonymous]

Licking is a sign of allergies. You should consult your Vet and can do allergy testing to see what your dog is having issues with.

[DogFoodie]

I’m trying to convert a friend at work from Pedigree (yikes!) to a high quality food for her seven year old Cocker Spaniel with allergies and resulting yeast issues.

Her dog had allergy testing completed; and was borderline for the following: duck, rabbit, barley, wheat and cow’s milk. She tested borderline – positive for peanut and sweet potato (white potato was normal).

I’ve been trying to research ingredients for a few days now and have come up with, might potentially be, a couple of contenders; ie: Nature’s Variety, Canine Caviar grain free, EVO, Dr. Tim’s grain free Kinesis to name a few just to start. I wish I could recommend Nature’s Logic, but it contains cheese powder which I presume is out due to the cow’s milk result.

I’d love to hear your suggestions!

[Mom2Cavs]

No advice, but I find it odd that your vet wanted you to use a limited ingredient diet and then recommended Acana Grasslands, which has lots of ingredients in it. If I were to use Acana I would use their Duck and Pear food, which is one of their 2 limited ingredient diets…the other being the Lamb and Apple. These formulas contain one protein and one starch (oatmeal) and have way less ingredients than the other Acana formulas.

[theBCnut]

They use duck because most dogs are not exposed to duck, so it could be a novel protein, that is a protein that your dog has not been exposed to, so it won’t be allergic to it. Obviously that’s not the case with your dog, so I don’t know why you would be encouraged to use it unless it was an oversite.

[InkedMarie]

I have a dog who can’t have chicken but does fine with duck. Go figure

[Anonymous]

You didn’t say what food & treats you were feeding. So many health problems are food/treat related.
My Shih Tzu had pancreatitis at 12 yrs. Plus terrible allergies with both my dogs & getting steroids. I started studying dog nutrition. I decided to try Blue Buffalo as this was the only company to write back out of 3 others I contacted.
Within 3 weeks all allergy related problems started going away. in 2 mo. the pancreatitis was GONE and she has never had another bout. She is now 15 1/2 and the boss of the house. no steroid shots or pills for over 3 yrs.
Hound Dog Mom is very knowledgeable so you might also ask her.

[BeagleLover]

Hello,
We adopted our beagle when he was six-months old. At the time, he had ear issues-itching, excess wax, bad smell, etc. After the traditional vet treated him several times for the same symptoms, I figured it was related to his food. Back then I didn’t know about grain-free dog foods and simply searched online for allergy free dog foods.

I found the Holistic Select Brand-Duck & Oatmeal and he was on that diet for about three years. In November, my dog started developing stomach symptoms similar to colitis/IBD. Just last week I had him tested for food allergies using the saliva test-Nutriscan but won’t have the results back for a couple of weeks.

In December, I had switched his dog food again, just to get him off of the grains. The holistic vet I took him to said to feed him a limited dry dog food until his stomach issues are resolved. He recommended Acana Grasslands and my dog has been on that diet close to eight weeks. While his symptoms have not disappeared, they are much better than before. My only concern is that the Grasslands formula has duck in it too. Doesn’t this seem like an unlikely choice?

[NectarMom]

I feed Brothers Allergy Formula and my largest Chihuahua was 17.5 lbs and she has lost 6.5lbs in the last 3 months we have been on Brothers. She still needs to loose a few more pounds and I feel very confident if I keep feeding her the recommended amount then she will loose the rest in no time. I don’t mind getting my dogs food shipped to me since they all seem to be doing well on this brand. The only thing is since the ingredient change with adding Menhaden Fish my dogs don’t eat their food as well so I am hoping by the time I order another bag that they will have changed the Formula back to the original ingredients. But I am grateful that my one with intestinal allergies has not had any issues since we switched off of Acana onto Brothers Allergy Formula. We are still having detox issues though , all 4 of my dogs are still licking their feet and scratching like mad but I am hopeful that this will pass once we are on Brothers for approx 6 mos. I am also adding Mercola Enzymes and Probiotics on their food and that is all they get. No treats or anything else

[sp464]

I have an 8 old Great Dane who refuses to eat unless there’s lots of special treats in it – chicken breast, peanut butter, treats, etc. She’s on the skinnier side of healthy, getting too close to underweight for my taste and her refusal to eat is not helping! We use a glucosamine joint powder that mixes with water, so if she doesn’t eat her food within 20 minutes, it becomes soggy cereal. I’ve tried giving her dry kibble and using the joint powder separately and she still won’t eat the kibble unless she’s starving. She never says no to treats and will walk around sniffing things like she’s hungry but really waits for desperation to set in before she goes for the bowl.

I had her on Canidae, as that’s what she was fed in foster care (I’ve only had her 4 months) and she was fine, though never food motivated. She was also fine staying with my sister for a few weeks. In both places, she had another dog who would gladly eat her food if she left it so I think competition played a big role there.

I recently switched her to Taste of the Wild, as I thought the different flavors might be enticing and I’ve tried two different TOTW flavors but she’s had the same reaction as with Canidae.

Any suggestions of other foods in a similar price range to try? Apart from joint stiffness, she’s got no health issues or allergies that I’m aware of. I’m going crazy trying to please this stubborn old lady!