[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!

[Shawna]

Konamisan ~~ other things, like vaccine reactions, can cause these same skin issues that allergies can cause. Has your JRT been vaccinated recently? Also sounds like there might be an internal yeast overgrowth (which can also manifest in symptoms like you are seeing). Does your pup have a “corn chip” or yeasty smell?

Also it is very common to have “set backs” or detoxes when the immune system is compromised and the body is allowed (due to a change to a better food etc) to rid itself of nasties.

How long has she been on the probiotics. Probiotics are very important but can cause a mass die off of systemic candida and that die off causes toxins (released by the yeast as they die). That die off can cause the symptoms you are seeing.

It very well could be a reaction to another food but I think some of these other possible reasons may be worth considering..

[BryanV21]

I’m late to the party, but when I have dogs with bad allergies I recommend Primal treats. They have nothing but meat in them, and come in a few varieties including venison.

[lewalk]

Okay, here’s my situation that I’m hoping to get some help with. There are no shelters or rescues in the parishes where I live and work so the animal problem is out of control. I have become the crazy dog lady around these parts. It’s to the point where people stop me on my mail route and offer me dogs. Ten years ago we bought our daughter a lab. I didn’t know better than to not shop, adopt. I do now. Actually I pick up starving and abandoned dogs rather than adopt. This has led to my having the lab who is ten and seven other dogs age three and under. I have realized recently that I need to change their food as they have an array of health problems. My lab is fairly healthy with the exception of dry skin and icky runny eyes. The three year old rat terrier has an itchy behind and has developed a darker pinkish tint bordering on a rash on his belly and inside his arms. The three year old pit mix is surprisingly healthy especially since she was starving when I picked her up. The one year old husky/German shepherd mix is healthy as well. I picked up four pit mix litter mates several months ago running down the highway in the rain. We have since learned they have an immune disorder which has led to them having red mange. The two black pups have dry skin and runny eyes like my lab. One brown pup has diabetes and one has recurring yeast infections on her belly. They are all on a mix of Red Flannel Adult and Purina Puppy Chow with Red Flannel Puppy recently mixed in. I feed them all the same food because it’s easier for me because they always want what the others are eating. I just realized their health problems could be from food allergies. Of course I feed the diabetic dog differently. She eats Science Diet w/d dry and canned food. I don’t have the money to spend a fortune on food as I have a lot of vet bills but I want them to be healthy and happy. Added to this is a puppy less than a year old who has IVDD. I had the sheriff go to the people’s house that had her and talk to them as she was barely able to walk and they weren’t caring for her. Cut to, me having another baby to care for. My saint of a mother is keeping her at her house while we give her the time she needs to rest and hopefully heal. I was also wondering if there was something I could feed her to boost her immune system as well. I was never really an animal person so I don’t know much. I’m trying to learn but am a bit overwhelmed. I will gladly accept all advice and be very thankful for it. I’m sure I haven’t included the correct info. I tend to ramble on and on when it comes to my fur babies.

[BryanV21]

I would indeed stay away from common ingredients, particularly chicken, lamb, and beef. However, I would dump the Royal Canin as soon as possible. Your vet probably put your dog on it as it doesn’t contain any meat/animal-based protein, which is fine as that should allow your dog to heal up from the allergic reaction. But I would NOT feed it long-term, since dogs should be fed meat.

You can search the 5 star foods here at DFA, then weed out the ones that contain chicken. Some may not be available in your area, but you can always find places on the net to buy it for little or no shipping cost.

If you have questions about specific foods, then feel free to ask. But make sure to put it in the proper forum, so that way it’s seen by more people.

And FYI, here are a few I’d suggest if you were in my store, as they are grain free and don’t contain any chicken, lamb, or beef…

Merrick Grain Free Duck or Pork
Zignature Trout & Salmon or Turkey
Acana Pacifica

You may want to check out a dehydrated/freeze-dried food such as those made by Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy’s, or even raw.

[LindseyPaterson]

I have a 1 year old Rottie who is currently on Medi-Cal Hypoallergenic dry dog food. The vet recommended this because they think he has a food allergy (when i rescued him he had patches of fur missing and is itchy and scratches) he has been getting better since he has had antibiotics and on this food. But I have been recommened by fellow Rottie owners to switch to Blue Wilderness the Duck one or Acana (the one with duck in as well) Im just worried that the blue wilderness one might trigger the allergies as it has chicken in it as well and i was told to stay away from foods that have common ingredients in them because his old owners fed him cheap food and that could be the cause to his skin condition. Any suggestions or opinions would help. Thanks.

[Cavalierluvr]

I had my Cavalier on ANP Naturals Grain Free Fish and Potato about 2 years ago through the winter. He was on this formula for about 6 months and in the Spring he developed an abscess on his anal gland. That particular winter we had a ton of snow, so I didn’t notice if his stools were getting loose. Now I’m afraid to try another grain-free food because I’m afraid this will happen again. It was an expensive procedure to have it taken care of. Has anyone ever had any type of issue with grain-free foods? Or maybe it was just this particular formula? He is allergic to chicken so he is currently on Canidae Lamb and Rice and seems to be doing well, however I’d like to try a food rotation with him and have heard some believe Grain-Free Formulas are better for toy breeds.

[pugmomsandy]

here is a link. I haven’t investigated it.

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/index.htm#What_diseases_has_it_been_useful_for

quotes:

I encourage you to discuss off-label use of naltrexone with your MD or veterinarian; consider printing some overview info from a web site that you’ve looked at, and take the copy to them. Be prepared for blank looks and then anything from mild interest to concern to outright resistance. This use of LDN is NOT well known; there’s no significant money behind it. Using LDN is spreading based mostly on word-of-mouth suggestions like mine. There are NO large, long-term, double-blind published clinical trials proving anything about the efficacy of LDN, because there’s not enough future profit. The availability of the 50mg tablets at current low prices (under roughly 6 different brand names) makes it impossible to recover the huge cost of such trials at 1/10th that existing dosage. Thus, existing trials are small and slow to be funded. You’ll have to rely on things like the Yahoo groups and web sites you find, and be willing to trust people talking about their own personal experiences. I don’t need trials to affirm what I’ve seen with my own eyes and what others report about their direct personal experiences. Do your reading; get comfortable at your own level of research; THEN take that background with you to speak with your (or your pet’s) health professionals.

From the woman I quoted in November:
“We use it especially with our geriatric dogs like Buck at 17 and Blessed at 12. A dog that is Silken sized [note: Silken Windhounds range 25-50 lbs from smallish females to oversized males] uses 1/3 to 1/2 mg per day. It comes in 50 mg pills for about $9, so it runs less than $9 per month [one 50mg pill provides 100 doses at 1/2mg nightly]. You can find info on how to dissolve the pill here (only dissolve 1/2 of a pill at a time

Sebaceous Adenitis is an auto-immune problem. Here’s information from a woman I know, about the off-label use of a drug called naltrexone. In its off-label usage, it’s referred to as “low-dose naltrexone” or just by the initials LDN. This is based on the ability of this drug to boost the immune system when taken at doses lower than 10% of the official FDA-approved use. Here’s info from one of this woman’s recent posts, in which she recommends someone consider LDN for her dog’s severe allergy problems (since allergies are now understood to be an auto-immune problem).

***quote***
… It is possible to strengthen the immune system easily and cheaply with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).

Chuck was deathly allergic to poison ivy, to the point of nearly being
hospitalized at the thought of it. He started LDN on May 1, 2009 just to accompany me in taking it for my multiple sclerosis, but found that by the next summer, he could play in poison ivy with no reaction at all.

My Mom has been severely lactose intolerant all of her adult life. She takes the LDN for her Crohn’s, but finds now that if she goofs up and has some cheese or ice cream, there is no problem. As an aside, my MS and her Crohn’s are totally under control, too.
[Side Note: I met this woman during the time she followed all the rules for managing MS–she lost significant memory function, was completely debilitated by heat, and was losing physical control of her body. When forced to give up all the best drug therapies available (due to loss of insurance) she learned about LDN. With NO other therapy, just a single daily dose of LDN has restored her to the point that you can’t see any outward signs that she ever had MS to begin with! She’s not cured by any means, but her body is fighting the MS much more effectively. The result: instead of getting worse and worse every year like when she took the costly but officially approved drugs, this woman’s health has actually been *restored.* She got her body, her memory, her very life back!]

[konamisan]

Hello Everyone 🙂
I thank God for this site & Forum! I have a female JRT, she will be 6 yrs this March 2013. I have transitioned my beautiful JRT to “RAW” 9 months ago. I changed her diet because she wok me up at 3am in the morning whinning, scratching and the strangest thing I ever saw and experienced in my life. Her skin under her coat was a inflamed red and couldn’t believe how much she resembled a pug due to the whelps, bumps and hives she had all over her body. I could not imagine what could have brought this on??? I rushed her to the aspca emergency costing me a not so pretty penny! She was given an injection & some allergy meds. I held her and rocked her as the whipppering subsided.
Now nearly a year, vet visits, excessive shedding, scratching, ear infections, paw sores, excessive licking, more vet visits, more money, more money, 3 months wearing an e-collar. Just miserable. So as a MOM, I decided to do some research for these allergies she was yet properly diagnosed for and I read that an ancestral diet would be the best thing for her, so I have tried several brands from Steve’s to Nature’s Instinct, Darwin’s, Bravo’s Stella & Chewy, the list goes on. I had to elimnate dry kibble that consisted of glutens, grains, white & sweet potatoe, rice, flax seed, which increased the yeast growth in her ears which was almost like a cauliflower shap from the scratching, bleeding and infections. So here I am looking for much needed help because her allergies started up again. She scratched so bad under her front leg that she developed an infection there as well! she wouldn’t even let me touch her. She is still eating raw, but I don’t see any positive results nor changes. I currently have her on Instinct’s “Rabbit & Lamb” Buying anything and ordering from any retailer is practically hard to order due to the location of where I live. I have been reading the forum thread here & see that Primal & Bravo is the hot topic. I have her on Dr. Karen Becker’s Krill oil, Ubiquinol & probiotics. She is still shedding excessively! I can make another dog with all the hair on the floor & furniture of my home. I vaccum 3 times a week. I even had to change the shampoo I was bathing her with. If anyone comes by to visit, I tell them don’t wear black! LOL. I also have a Yorkshire Terrier, thankfully no problems with him Amen! So to all you wonderful people here, I could sure use your advice on what I can and should do??? As far as putting her back on Primal or Bravo’s???
Thank You ALL Sincerely,
Konamisan

[Mom2Cavs]

Thanks for the info. HDM! Interesting..I’ve been toying with the idea of feeding Nature’s Logic to my crew. The dogs are eating Merrick grain free for their kibble atm. They love it and all are doing very, very well with it. No allergy issues like tearing, anal glands, etc. I’ve also been using Merrick cans (concerned about the carageenan, of course), S. Nourish cans, and recently some Instinct cans as toppers. As I mentioned before on the recent comments section, I’ve also fed some freeze dried raw. The dogs get Fresh Digest half/dosed daily (prebiotics and plant enzymes). Lucy gets Standard Process Renal Support, too. I’m currently not using any extra omegas. My cat is eating Instinct Raw Boost kibble (which she loves) and Merrick, S. Nourish, Fromm, Soulistic, and recently some Tiki Cat cans. I tried Instinct cans with her but she absolutely will not eat them! I find this strange….maybe it’s the smell, texture, or even flavor? She is kinda picky. I know that Nature’s Logic is technically not grain free but I like the fact they don’t use synthetic vits. I might start wih the canned as toppers for the dogs since I do so like the Merrick kibble for them. My cat also has some issues I deal with. She has a pharyngeal polyp (husband won’t okay $ for surgery…but that’s another story) and she does do some obsessive over grooming (back only). I leaning toward allergies (re the overgrooming) but she is very finicky and won’t even try the limited ingredient diets I’ve tried (Natural Balance, various flavors). I believe her sense of smell is not the greatest with the polyp and the LIDs are usually bland. I’m thinking of trying Instinct’s LIDs with her, though. Except for the overgrooming on her back her coat is like silk! I know that overgrooming can be an OCD thing in cats, too, and she does seem to have that personality (she’s a Tortie). Anyway, I think I’m gonna get some Nature’s Logic for her, too, and see if she likes it and does better without the regular vits. She also gets some freeze dried raw. Sorry for going on and on….haha, just wanted to vent. Thanks! 🙂

[aimee]

Hi Mellisaandcrew,

I found this on Cerenia : “Cerenia is labeled only for treatment of nausea and vomiting, but can potentially be used extra-label for pain, inflammation, GI disturbances, allergies and immune diseases, bladder inflammation, CNS and spinal cord injury, and mast cell diseases.”

I Couldn’t Live Without: Cerenia

Maybe it is of benefit as an anti inflammatory early in the course of pancreatic inflammation ?????

[NectarMom]

I feed Brothers Allergy to 3 out of my 4 dogs. The only one of my dogs that can eat the White meat formula from Brothers always does fine on most anything except shes still scratching like mad on her sides but it could be environmental also because even my other 3 on the Allergy formula are scratching and right now my skin is really dry. We have been on this brand for 6 weeks , maybe a bit longer and I am giving extra Enzymes and Probiotics to all 4 every feeding and they all had horrible gas before and now none of them have gas but all 4 have acid reflux and they never had that before. My one with intestinal allergies sometimes will walk through the house and spit up watered down kibble. I limit how much they get each feeding. I feed 1/8 cup morning and 1/8 cup evening. I have 3 Chihuahuas and 1 Imperial Shihtzu. It is like pulling teeth to get them to eat the Allergy formula but they have to like it and thats all they get because my one hadn’t had any bloating and discomfort in quite a while since switching to Brothers Allergy formula but she cannot eat the white meat recipe nor any of the biscuits from Brothers. Intestinal allergies are very painful for a dog and I can tell almost immediately when something does not sit well with her. All 4 of my dogs ate the Original Allergy formula much better than since they added the Menhaden fish to it now. I wonder if they ever plan to switch back at all. I don’t mean to be a downer about this food but when 4 dogs do not want to eat it unless they are just so hungry then it must taste pretty bad.

[PennyLanesMom]

Hi Amydunn19
Oh your poor dog taking on a copperhead. I think it was a mixture of feeding our JRT small bites of people food ALL the time, raw hide bones, and predisone for allergies. Our Vet will do anything he can to help. I will ask him about your suggestions. Our JRT is on pepcid right now and I plan to keep her on it for a little while longer – I don’t want her to relapse again. She has been on medication twice as long this time. Have you ever used the Purina FortiFlora probiotics with your JRT? They were given to ours both times and I don’t know if I trust them. They have a 12% fat content and it just worries me a little. Would love to know any feed back.
Thanks so much 🙂

[Miss Spirit]

Our nearly 8 year-old Golden Retriever is starting to itch more than ever. What seemed to be only seasonal allergies is now growing to a year-round trend. 🙁 My head is spinning trying to figure out where to go next in terms of diagnosis, treatment options, etc.

While perusing the net I landed on this fairly new product called Doggie Goo. It seems like it’s too good to be true (you know what they say about that.) Has anyone tried Doogie Goo for their dog’s allergies? Any insights to share?
Thank you!
Lou Ann

[hamiltonmom]

We adopted our 5 year old black lab from an animal rescue two years ago. Hamilton was four years old and had spent two years in shelters before he wound up in a shelter in our area. Hamilton appears to be an allergic dog, he has very dry skin and is constantly licking his paws. On our vet’s advice we have him on Omega 3 capsules and an antihistamie. Hamilton is also a very fussy eater, liking a food one day and turning his nose at it the next. He currently is eating Merrick Classic with a scoop of Natural Balance Stew mixed in. He seems to be doing well on this food combination, with his weight holding steady at 71 pounds

[nrite71]

My soon to be 2yr old rescued pitmix seems to have a slightly different problem. Her glands seem to express themselves too often and at crazy times. We tell her she has stinky butt and she walks to the bathroom and waits patiently to be wiped and spritzed. I have taken her numerous times to the vet, only to be told “there is nothing there”…nothing there because it’s on my couch or carpet! I have taken to making her crazy HIGH fiber dog cookies at home..but we are not always consistent with how many she gets and how often throughout the day. Sometimes my kids give her a ton and other days not so many. She currently eats Wellness Complete Dry. I want to change her food to maybe something with more veggie fiber but the idea of switching her is not appealing. She has the most sensitive GI track and if she gets the runs…well that doesn’t help with her anal sacs. If we could keep her consistently draining them when she went out side for potty breaks that would be great. Unfortunately she can just be laying around and you get a whiff of it and want to die! Can anyone suggest a dry dog food that is good all around and might be higher in veggie fiber. So far she doesn’t have allergies but her eyes do get yucky if her ears start getting messy. She is a sweet girl and we love her ..and her stinky butt…but we would love for everyone’s sake if we could get rid of the stench. I am going to look into the miracle homeopathic stuff mentioned in an earlier post… maybe it will help her.

[joanellenapril]

My dog was eating Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream. (He is allergic to grains.) Costco came out with a version of the same food called Nature’s Domain Smoked Salmon (or something similiar). They are both manufactured by Diamond Pet Food. I switched him over slowly and everything was fine. When I completed the transfer and he started eating only Costco’s version, I almost immediately noticed that he started drinking a lot more water. (I’ve since been to the vet and he ruled out diabetes.) Any comments or similar experiences with different levels of sodium in dog foods. I am about to try a test having bought another bag of TOTW and will mix them half and half again, Thanks in advance.

[amydunn19]

James – While I agree with some of what you say in theory, it doesn’t always hold true in reality. I think Kristi probably would get better results with a long-acting insulin such as R, but without a vet who is well versed in diabetes, it is a dangerous proposition. Comparing diabetes in humans to diabetes in dogs is helpful in many respects as there are similarities, the flaw with that is dogs can’t communicate in terms we can understand until trouble is there. They can’t say they are feeling bad or shaky and short of checking their sugar many times a day, there is no way to know. If you can stay home non-stop with your dog, then great but most people don’t have that luxury. Also, to say diabetes is impossible to control with nph insulin is just wrong. I have done it for five years now and there are many others out there who have – in fact most dogs are maintained on nph. And just because someone uses a long acting insulin doesn’t mean you throw routine out the window. These dogs are best maintained on the same amount of food at the same time every day. As far as low glycemic foods are concerned, I have found just through my personal experience, that my dog’s blood sugar is just consistently lower and better since she is on Nutrisca. She feels better, looks better and it helps with her allergies. I actually tried Evo when she was first diagnosed and her bg was sky-high on it. The one thing I have found is that diabetic dogs react differently to different food. There was a series in the Whole Dog Journal last year about diabetic diets and the interesting part was there were many different case studies of diabetic dogs and almost all of them were on completely different foods. Some were on commercial diets, home cooked, raw, and even prescription diets but the owners all had great success by finding the food that worked for their dog. You can analyze the numbers and ingredients until your face is blue but if the theoretical “best” food doesn’t give you results, then you have to consider how your dog processes insulin and food.
Kristi, I would find an online forum for dogs with Cushings and/or diabetes so you can talk to people who are going through what you are with their dogs. There are tons of knowledgeable people out there who can really tell you about Cushings and diabetes who live it everyday.

[NectarMom]

I would go for more hypoallergenic foods since there are more people looking for foods that their canines are not allergic to. Nulo is one that comes to mind since they do carry a grain free and potato free kibble in one of their lines. I would also try to go with different Proteins, Read reviews on this board for certain kibbles and you will probably find most of your answers to certain foods. Good luck with your Store.

[InkedMarie]

Nectar Mom: A couple things: not all dogs who are allergic to chicken as a protein source have trouble with chicken livers, fat, eggs etc. One of mine is like that. He cannot have chicken as the protein source but he does great on Brothers Allergy and he’s done fine on other foods that have chicken something-or-other in it. . Every dog is different, no way can a dog food company make a food that will satisfy every single allergic dog.

[NectarMom]

Thanks Patty for you recommending I try Mercola enzymes and probiotics. I feed Brothers Allergy to my one with intestinal Allergies and tried the white meat formula and she got very bloated so then we knew that protein source she cannot deal with. She eats the Allergy formula but not with gusto. I cannot. Wait for Brothers to bring back the original Allergy Formula. I have a bunch of bags of white meat formula (Thank you again Richard for sending that) 3 out 4 of my dogs eat it and one has to have the Allergy formula. I want to eventually get all 4 back on the Original Allergy Formula when it comes back out.

Getting back to the enzymes and Probiotics. My lil intestinal allergy girl is doing so much better now that I am adding 1/2 scoop of enzymes to her 1/8 cup food in the morning and in the evening we do 1/2 scoop of probiotics with 1/8 cup of food. So far so good.

The only thing that has my vet puzzled is in an Allergy Formula why would Chicken livers be added when Chicken is usually an allergy protein in some dogs? And then we have the other 3 on the white meat formula. They have been on Brothers since Dec 10, 2012 and we have had ups and downs but I am hopeful. They are all 4 still scratching and licking feet and one has yeast and bacteria in her ears and after using what the Vet prescribed (Tresaderm) she had a bad reaction and her ears turned blood red so I did some research on my own and ordered some Zymox and its been only Day 3 but its looking good so far.

[InkedMarie]

Iams and Ole Roy are not good foods at all. I suggest if you travel to make sure you have a small bag of what you feed always with you. For the dog with allergies, you may want to look at a grain & potato free food. If you click the link for dog food ingredients, there is a stickie at the top with a list of those foods.

[mighnee]

My Cav spannie at the age of 11 is suffering from left mitral valve failure and vascular hypertention…its a cav thing but still a bummer…in any case he decided to stop eating his kibble and only eat the canned food i put on top….im feeding blue salmon and sweet potato canned he is allergic to chicken /duck/turkey. the fish unfortunately is the highest in sodium…not great for the hyper tension….i want to make sure he is getting what he needs….would a diet of straight canned food be ok? i feel like its just feeding him dessert…thoughts?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DrYattz –

You really can’t give a healthy dog too much protein. Most of the Solid Gold formulas (aside from Barking at the Moon) are actually low in protein, so I doubt that was the issue. My dogs eat a raw diet with 45%-55% protein at each meal – about twice as much protein as is in most kibbles. As far as worrying about availability I’d recommend you get your dogs used to rotating foods. Switching between brands and protein sources is MUCH healthier than feeding the same food day in and day out. Once you get your dogs used to it you shouldn’t even have to transition between foods. Before I switched to raw when my oldest was on kibble I got a new brand of food with a new protein source every 2-3 weeks and a rotated canned food toppers daily – he had no digestive issues. All three of my dogs now eat raw and get something different at each meal – no issues here either. The Ol Roy Pure Balance looks like a decent budget friendly food, it’s low in protein and fat though so it’s a good thing you’re adding the chicken.

[DrYattz]

We have three hounds: Annabelle (a golden retriever), Nellie (a black lab/beagle), and Sophie (who looks like an albino brittany spaniel). After years of struggling to feed them all well, we began giving them a mix of chicken (boiled, shredded leg meat) and dry food. The dry food remains the issue: Solid Gold (too high protein?) made their stools green and slimey, and IAMS Healthy Naturals appears to be provoking an allergic reaction in Sophie. She spends hours licking and chewing her paws and her butt, and the fur under her tail is now a deep brown color. (The other dogs appear to be doing quite well.)

One issue is our lifestyle: we travel a great deal, generally with the dogs. It has happened several times that we find ourselves running out of dogfood in a remote corner of Georgia or Virginia. The availability of the chicken is never a problem, but certain dry foods can be impossible to find. So, we switched to the Iams because we could get it at WalMart or Kroger fairly easily. Yes, we could be better organized and order large stocks of something less readily available, but the convenience of grabbing a bag of dry food in St. Simons (rather than driving two hours to Savannah) is difficult to give up.

We are looking at Ol Roy Pure Balance Lamb and Brown Rice. But we wonder if, with lots of protein and fat coming from the chicken we give them twice a day, if we shouldn’t consider something else. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi gypsygirl –

A good place for this post would be the Diet and Health issues thread. The difference between grain-free and hypoallergenic is that hypoallergenic foods just avoid common allergens, grain-free is just grain-free. Hypoallergenic foods are often grain free, but they generally use a novel protein as well. Was your dog itching on Orijen? If she wasn’t I’d go back to that, it’s a great food. Dandelion in the food shouldn’t bother her because of pollen allergies. Another food you might want to check out is Nature’s Variety Instinct – they have a Limited Ingredient line that uses novel proteins and it’s grain free and white potato free.

[gypsygirl]

I am new here and wondering if anyone has heard of a dog food called Canine Plus Lifetime, a Canadian company, it is corn free, wheat free, and by=product free. My little shiz shu has many allergies and have her on Natures Harvest Hypo allergenic now but still itching. What is the difference between grain free and hypo allergenic. I had her on origen fish but saw that it had dandelion stuff in it and since she is also allergeric to grass and pollen and the like I took her off that. Hope this is in the right place and if not could someone point me in the right direction for this topic. thank you