[Susan]

Hi,
when I read Victors ingredients years ago I thought the same thing “YUK” Blood Meal” but when you think about it Victor is just writing what is in our dry kibble “blood & Bone”..
When you see a kibble being made you see all the blood meat etc all swirling around & when this is all dried up its a blood meal… So all dry dog foods would have Blood in them..YUK

I just goggled “Video of a kibble being made”
& look what I found its awful….this is why pentobarbital was found in dog foods..

“D & D Disposal
West Coast Rendering
Veron California April 2007
Stop at 4.10mins, look bottom left look at the white bag, it starts moving the dog is alive..
This is “why I hate” feeding a dry Kibble but Patch regurgites all wet foods 🙁

Yeah the Holistic Select mustn’t smell too great, Patch wasnt really happy eating it..
When I read posts on F/B I belong to a few IBD & skin allergies groups, a few dogs do well on Merrick LID formula’s…. take back the Holistic Select in 1 week & swap for a LID formula, go when a nice person is serving, normally the younger ones don’t care when I return food.. its the older ladies that ask questions.. You will find the right dog food for your boy hat helps stomach/bowel & skin, you just have to try a few different kibbles, look when Specials are on or when foods are reduced cause use by dates are close, I just paid 1/2 price for Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato, so I got 2 bags for the price of 1 bag, thats not bad & Patches allergies are doing heaps better….

[Ena L]

Hi! everybody I am new on this site, it is so hard to find a good food, for dogs, I have a Westie she is 8 yrs old, We done the blood test for food allergies, according to the Dermatologist specialist we started seem it is not accurate, before to the test we feed her boiled chicken and she start itching so much, her feet always so red, so we ask our regular vet and he suggested the blood test, which indicate that she is allergic to poultry mix, soy bean, green peas, oats, kelp, corn, duck.
We feed her now, lean beef, with carrots and potatoes, she eats good for the first day or two and then afterwards it is a battle, we have to beg to eat the food, we had try dry food, don’t even touch it, I order some grain free food from The Honest Kitchen, she doesn’t like that either..
So now after the special trip 3 hrs away 12-14-18 to the dermatologist specialist she give us a special homemade recipe with Venison, we will try this new recipe, she is been suffering with ears infections, red itchy and inflame paws, Dr. says she has Staff infection so now she is taking doxycycline and ketoconazole every 12 hrs to clear the staff infection.
We hope this meds. help her and she gets better.
If anyone have some suggestions I will appreciate it. Have nice day.

[Claudia W]

Hi,
I have 3 puppets-a cavi-3 yrs old, cockalier (cavi cross)-5 yrs old, and a Wheaten-3 yrs old . My Wheatie has allergies and was worse on Orijiin. I switched to Acana Singles. I went to purchase a bag of Acana Singles Pork & Squash and noticed the bags were different. One bag stated food had 27% protein and the other said 31% protein. On the 31% protein bag, some of the ingredients were different than those in the 27% bag. The clerk had no idea about this discrepancy and said they’d eventually contact Champion. Haven’t heard anything yet. There was nothing on the 31% bag that noted a formula change and I’ve had no issues with this food. My daughter just switched her 3 Davis and morkie to Acana as well.
I’m concerned about changes and consistency-both bags were made in Kentucky.
Comments appreciated!

[Merrick W]

Hi crazy4cats — not sure if you’re responding to me or to the original poster, Charles, but I very much appreciate your input and your taking the time to comment. I’m glad that the Purina products work well for your dog but, just for me, I don’t like what Purina puts into its dog foods, based on my observation of the ingredients within several of their products.

Just looking at the ingredients for the ProPlan Beef & Rice, as you are suggesting: first problem is that it is filled with grains and glutens, which I am trying to not feed my dog. In addition, there are a few other questionable ingredients. Here are six I wouldn’t be comfortable feeding my dog: Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat, Whole Grain Corn, Dried Beet Pulp.

I’m not a veterinary nutritionist but, again, just for me, and all the research I’ve done, and all the dog foods I’ve tried for my last and current dogs, I do not feel that corn is a necessary ingredient for dogs, it is even controversial among people and websites who discuss and research dog foods, including Dog Food Advisor, and in this product there are two different kinds. Also, it is beyond me why a dog would need Soybean Meal — and, by the way, Corn and Soy are the two top GMO crops in the world (if you care about giving your dog GMO-produced ingredients or not). Dried Beet Pulp is a filler, and is highly questionable, again including here on Dog Food Advisor. “Animal Fat” — what kind of animal(s) are they referring to? They need to be more specific — some of the animals they are using might be (a) offensive, you might be surprised what animals they’re taking the fat from, and/or (b) an animal that your dog might be allergic to.

But the most offensive to me is the Poultry By-Product Meal. ANYTHING from the chicken or turkey that is not used to make what is sold commercially (e.g., leg, thigh, breast pieces, skin) can be used in by-product meal, including feathers claws, and beaks, all ground down, and I don’t even want to take a chance with giving my dog such unknown and questionable ingredients.

For sure, the Sensitive Skin Salmon formula is light years better than the beef one, although it is filled with grains — which, again, may work just right for some people’s dogs, but not for mine. It also has the mysterious “animal fat,” brewer’s dried yeast which, like dried beet pulp, is a questionable filler, and, for heaven’s sake, what is “canola meal”..? Canola is a controversial ingredient and is also one of the biggest GMO crops.

Forgive me playing devil’s advocate here — especially given that you took time out of your day to make a contribution to this thread — but I know there are at least a few others who will be coming here looking for info about legume-free dog food and will also be interested in grain-free products, as I am, and I just want to make sure that people are able to see both sides of the coin and are able to make informed decisions about which products to buy — or not to buy — their dogs.

[crazy4cats]

How about Purina ProPlan Beef and Rice or their Sensitive Skin Salmon formula? Neither have chicken and are made by a company with years of research and testing. They also have veterinary nutritionists on staff and own their own manufacturing facilities.

Until a definite answer is found to the recent rise in DCM cases, I will only feed my pets a food made by a company that meets all those qualifications. Many dog owners who said they would never feed one of these brands have switched and their dogs are doing great. Including, my own!

It’s not worth the risk!

Have you done an elimination diet with a prescription food to find out exactly what your dog is sensitive to? Often it is discovered that the dog actually has environmental allergies. It would probably be beneficial for you to do one. Instead of switching food after food. I know that can be stressful. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,

about 1 month ago my English Staffy Patch had 5 wort type little lumps/skin tags removed, 1 had grown rapidly within 1 month, a very suspicious looking lump, the vet removed all & tested 3 of them for cancer, Lucky they all were “not” Mast Cell Tumors.

….Mass Cell Tumor is the most common skin tumor in dogs, it can also affect other areas of the body, including the spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow.
My vet said when she was doing a course to up date on dogs lumps etc they all were given photos of 7 different looking lumps found on dogs & they had to write what type of lump they thought they were, she said every vet wrote that they all looked like Skin Tags?? they all were Mast Cell Tumors that were cancerous tumors, so now vets recommend to have any type of wierd looking small, med or large lumps removed & do not poke, prod or let the vet remove part of lump to be sent away for testing, if its a Mast Cell Tumor the Histimines go thru the dog body when they are poke at or needle put in them etc, so it’s best to have the lump removed & a heap of surrounding skin tissue around the lumps removed if a suspicious lump.

Patch had around 17 stitches, 2 stitches in his right ear where 1 skin tag was removed the rest lumps were side of legs & stomach area.
The side of body where he had 2 lumps removed, he has brindle fur & black skin it has healed beautifully BUT the other side where he had 2 lumps removed & his fur is white & his skin is pink wasn’t healing too well, so I started applying “Bepanthen” Antiseptic Soothing Cream every night before bed, Bepanthen is made by Bayer, its in the baby section at shop/chemist, I also use Huggies Coconut Oil thick baby wipes, they have Aloe Leaf Extract & Coconut Oil in the baby wipes…The days he doesn’t have a bath I wipe down his skin, stomach, head, paws & bum, he suffers with environment allergies..

*Healing Foods to start adding to his diet – meal/kibble also give some as a treat or to lose weight if needed*

– Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring, are excellent foods for healthy skin. …
– Tin Sardines in spring water – drain the water/oil add 1/4 of the can to 1 of his daily meals or add
– Tin Salmon in oil or spring water – drain teh water/oil add 2 spoons to 1 of his daily meals or add
– 1 x Krill Oil Capsule to 1 of his daily meals
– Mussels – I buy the Freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels & give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat.

*Nuts-

– Walnuts
– Almonds x 3 almonds a day, give as a treat so he chews them, I bite 1 almond in 1/2 eat & give the other 1/2 of the almond to Patch so he chews it, only 3 full almonds a day as they can cause sloppy poo/diarrhea.

– Kelfir/Probiotic to strengthen the Immune System, – best given when stomach is empty so give as a drink first thing of a morning or inbetween meals so it works better, with the powder dog Probiotics (Purina Forti Floria) – add 10-15ml water to recommended probiotic dose swirl 15ml water & probiotic in a bowl..

– Vitamin C High Potency Powder
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is required for the synthesis of collagen. It is also a highly effective antioxidant protecting cells from damage by free radicals. Studies have shown that the vitamin can help speed the healing process of wounds.
We have NAS High Potency Vitamin C powder for dogs & cats in Australia.
https://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/high-potency-vitamin-c/

– Egg
– Goat Milk
– Chicken
– Sunflower Seeds
– Sweet Potatoes
– Broccoilli

[Melissa J]

I can’t review the food because UPS lost my order. I may try ordering it again and holidays when there is less theft. I wanted to point out this isn’t made in USA. Not that is a bad thing considering dog food that is made in the USA is filled with so many toxic ingredients that is causing cancer, obesity, diabetes and death in our pets. Who knew euthanized pets where put in dogs food?? I didn’t. Anyway this is made in Canada, not saying that is a bad thing either but I’m just curious as to why when you read pinto canyon website it sounds like it’s made right here in Texas. You have to read every tab to see their facility is in Canada. Again not saying that is a bad thing or good, I’m hoping it depends on the company that owns it. Because my dog developed allergies and I went through 4 vets, yes 1 holistic, steroids, antibiotics, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, over$1000, and no diagnosis of what the allergies are, the last vet said she needed to be put on meds the rest of her life, cost about $200+mo. So I started my own search. One thing I learned is Canada has worse regulations on their pet food industry then we do. I’ve also learned that if we do want to give kibble oven baked is better than extruded. Only concern here is if it’s made in Canada, distributed by pinto canyon, who is really the owner of the company? This food is only about $20. more than the toxic stuff I’ve fed her for 8yrs so I can’t help but wonder why they make it sound like it is made in USA and not Canada. I’ll update if I find out. Even if you Google where is pinto canyon dog food made, you won’t find it.

[Susan]

Hi,
I got your email but your post isnt here, same with with another poster post he has posted on someone elses post, it hasnt been posted either but the emails are all there, weird?

joanne l wrote:

Hi everyone this is an update, the vet gave Vonn probiotics and he did express his glands on his own, but it came back and the vet said change the diet. He rather the dog express his glands on his own if he can before he does it. Now I was looking at N. Instinct LID food but it has peas should I give it anyway? I am scared b/c of the FDA warning about grain free.

Honestly I wouldnt worry peas, Pea Protein is used in vet diets so if peas weren’t no good they would know by now, I really think its something to do with these hard Legumes, high legume diets or something else cause this low taurine isnt affecting all dogs..
Patch has been eating a G/F Chicken, Turkey, Potato & Pea diet & he’s fine, he went under
anesthetic 1 month ago, cause he is 10yr old he had to be tested before having anesthetic cause of his age & he is fine his heart is all good…

Your boy hasnt been doing well on the Purina Lamb formula for a while, there has to be another kibble that will agree with his stomach/bowel & food sensitivities, I never seen N. Instinct LID food on the Taurine-Deficient Diet table that was low taurine & Diet related. Only a few brands had formula’s that were diet related, this is where I think people are going nuts over this, In Australia vets have read the research they have at the moment & there isnt enough proof at the moment to change a allergic or IBD dog diet & make the poor dog ill & sick again..
I really think your dog will be fine & probaby better off once you find him the right diet..

[Christina C]

I have an older pug who is in the late stages of life. I’m recently retired so I’m devoting myself to making her as comfortable and happy as I possibly can. She is 13, missing several teeth now, and very bad back legs. She has a very sensitive tummy and frequently suffers from yeast infections. I was hoping someone could recommend some good homemade recipes I could make her to help with her issues. The research I’ve done in the past has recommended maybe using a salmon or turkey as a protein. I’m so confused about the whole starch part. I’ve read I shouldn’t give her any, others say yes it’s ok such as brown rice. Any advice would be much appreciated! If you have any exact recipes , I would love them. It’s seems so hard to find.

[Susan]

Hi,

How’s his bum?? did you apply a cold press, lay him on his side & relax him, apply & hold a few cold baby wipes on his bum for a few mins, then apply some Bepanthen soothing baby cream..
or get some Betadine & soak a few tissues in Antiseptic Betadine solution & hold on his bum for a few mintues & watch he doesnt lick, the Betadine will relieve his itch & reddness..

The food has to agree with your boy, what you like & think is good, these ingredients may not work aswell for your boy, or what might work for 1 person dog may not work for your boy & when a food doesn’t agree with someones dog they normally post bad things about that brand of food & its not the brand of food that’s bad, 90% of the time it’s the person dog who’s sensitive to an ingredient lol..

He seems to be having problems with Purina, time to move onto another brand, you normally know within 1 month if a food is going to work for the dog…

“Victor” has their Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
alot of people say good things about Victor, the “Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice” formula has the best ingredients out of all the Select formula’s & it has no Oatmeal or Barley, look for LID formula’s that have no Oats or Barley, no ingredients that are in his Purina formula..Maybe no Lamb aswell??
Can he eat Beef, Pork, Chicken?

I’d try the Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice it has Lamb Meal in it aswell. Chicken formula’s seem to have more meat & better ingredients.
https://victorpetfood.com/products/chicken-meal-brown-rice-formula

“Nutro Wholesome Essentials” Large Breed Adult Farm Raised Chicken
The LID Lamb & Rice formula worked for Patch, years ago, he was doing small firm poos only 1 or 2 poos a day. It only haa about 3-4 ingredients

“Farmina” Lamb & Blueberry Adult Medium
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/120-lamb-&-blueberry-adult-medium.html

“Eagle Pack” Large/Giant breed Adult.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=85#.XAH-hvZuI5s

“Pro Pac Ultimates” Lamb Meal & Rice.
Made by Earthborn Holistic
https://www.propacultimates.com/dog-food/lamb-meal-brown-rice-formula/

“Sportmix Wholesome” Large Breed Adult.
Made By Earthborn Holistic
alot of people have good results if their dog has sensitive stomach/blowel..
https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/wholesomes-large-breed-chicken-meal-rice-formula/

“Holistic Select” Lamb Meal & Rice
but I think Holistic Select has way too many ingredients & probiotics, too many ingredients is opening the door for more reactions your boy might have & you wont know which ingredient it is..

You can always return the kibble or you might “find” a formula that agrees with him??
You wont know until you try, maybe look at a Chicken Formula, I wonder if he’s reacting to the lamb but there’s not much lamb in the Purina formula he’s eating, its seems to have more Oatmeal & Barley then Lamb, this is probably the problem??
His bum would be painful & sore so they lick & the more they lick & lick the same spot their tongue strips their skin..
I had a cat years ago, he had a small sore, probably was a Hot Spot, he licked it that much I had to take him to the vet to be stitched up, he made the sore triple the size..

I came home from shopping last week & Mr Patch had licked & licked his back paw inbetween his toes, he could not walk for 2 days limping on 3 legs & had to wear a shoe on his sore paw, the nut gave himself a red ulcer from licking in the same spot for 1 hour… Grass Allergies

[anonymous]

Quote: “I called my vet and over the phone he suspects a food allergy. He didn’t have any appointments today, but I will ask him to exam him. thank you”.
“Did anyone hear of a food allergy causing this”?

Good idea!
I would not apply anything to the area you could make the situation worse!
Food allergies tend to present as gastrointestinal distress, in example: diarrhea and vomiting.

Is there a vet tech at your clinic that could fit him in today? I would give them a call.
I am sure they could determine if his anal glands need expressing and it only takes a minute.
Plus it costs less for a 15 minute vet tech appointment.

Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi DM,
I’d say it was the Nexgard causing his seizures.. these new oral flea chews paralize the flea & tick nervous system, so imagine what these new flea chews do to the poor dogs?

Have you seen Rowans story, it’s so sad…he was given Nexgard…Both her dog were given Nexgard for the first time in their livies but Rowan reacted & was died within 5 months. 🙁

Frontline is the only flea spot on product that only penitrates 2 layers of the dogs skin & doesn’t go into the dogs blood system, my vet said “Frontline Plus Spot On” & the “Frontline spray” are both the least toxic out of all the flea products do not enter dogs blood & she recommened Frontline for my dog who suffers with IBD, he reacts to everything, he was OK when I applied the Frontline Spot On & I used the Frontline Spray to Spray his legs once a month, we had fleas at the park & he was bringing the fleas home, he’s allergic to fleas salvia & would itch for days after 1 flea bite.
When he doesnt have any fleas I DO NOT apply any flea products & will never give any of these “new” toxic flea chews to him, they’re poison toxic.
Heaps of dogs have died after having these new flra chews & now Im seeing adds for Bravecto 6month Spot On for cats, gee poor cats they’re more sensitive then dogs..

[Susan]

Hi Athony,
Your dogs probably have Environment allergies, my boy has Seasonal Environment allergies & food senitivities, they both normally come together…
I’ve worked out my boy food sensitivities & I’m in a routine for his environment allergies weekly baths in a medicated shampoo, twice a week when he’s really itchy, I use Dermcare Malaseb medicated shampoo, it relieves Patches itchy skin & paws & kills any yeast or bacteria thats on his skin & paws, he feels heaps better after his baths & Ive washed off allergens & dirt, then I use baby creams for his paws, “Bepanthen” soothing antiseptic cream for red rash on stomach from grass & “Sudocrem” on his paws to protect against the allergens, (grass).
I also use baby wipes to wipe him down after being outside…

If you want a diet thats ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free you’ll have to feed a raw diet, organic meats & vegetables humans eat.. if you live in Australia, then I’d recommend “Frontier Pets” dehydrated raw, it’s free range, organic meat, eggs & veggies..
I’ve heard “Answers” fermented raw is very good quality but expensive you could just buy their Goats milk as this will strengthen your dogs immune system also Vitamin C & Krill Oil added to your dogs diet..
The only other thing you could do is see a good Animal Dermatologist & have a “Intradermal Skin Test” done to see what are your dogs are allergic too in the environment then they get “Immunotherapy injections”

As the dog ages their allergies get worse, Patch is doing really bad this year at the moment its Spring & we’re having 4 seasons in 1 day some days, no wonder more & more dogs are suffering with allergies now….
Good-Luck

Have you tried “Cytopoint Injuctions” a few people say Cytopoint injection have helped their dogs they last 4-8 weeks depends on the dog, Cytopoint has less side effect then Apoquel..
Dog will have better quality of life relieving their itch, we dont have Cytopoint in Australia yet, we have Apoquel tablets, I bought 2 weeks worth but I haven’t used them yet, my vet said I can start giving Apoquel twice a day with his meals then once he stops his itchying reduce to just 1 Apoquel tablet a day, then 1 Apoquel tablet every 2nd day, a few of my vet dog owners are doing this then stopping the Apoquel & see how the dog goes in the cooler months..

[Susan]

Hi Athony,
Your dogs probably have Environment allergies, my boy has Seasonal Environment allergies & food senitivities, they both normally come together…
I’ve worked out my boy food sensitivities & I’m in a routine for his environment allergies weekly baths in a medicated shampoo, twice a week when he’s really itchy, I use Dermcare Malaseb medicated shampoo, it relieves Patches itchy skin & paws & kills any yeast or bacteria thats on his skin & paws, he feels heaps better after his baths & Ive washed off allergens & dirt, then I use baby creams for his paws, “Bepanthen” soothing antiseptic cream for red rash on stomach from grass & “Sudocrem” on his paws to protect against the allergens, (grass).
I also use baby wipes to wipe him down after being outside…

If you want a diet thats ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free you’ll have to feed a raw diet, organic meats & vegetables humans eat.. if you live in Australia, then I’d recommend “Frontier Pets” dehydrated raw, it’s free range, organic meat, eggs & veggies..
I’ve heard “Answers” fermented raw is very good quality but expensive you could just buy their Goats milk as this will strengthen your dogs immune system also Vitamin C & Krill Oil added to your dogs diet..
The only other thing you could do is see a good Animal Dermatologist & have a “Intradermal Skin Test” done to see what are your dogs allergic too in the environment then they get “Immunotherapy injections”

As the dog ages their allergies get worse, Patch is doing really bad this year at the moment its Spring & we’re having 4 seasons in 1 day some days, no wonder more & more dogs are suffering with allergies now….
Good-Luck

Have you tried “Cytopoint Injuctions” a few people say Cytopoint injection have helped their dogs they last 4-8 weeks depends on the dog, Cytopoint has less side effect then Apoquel..
Dog will have better quality of life relieving their itch, we dont have Cytopoint in Australia yet, we have Apoquel tablets, I bought 2 weeks worth but I haven’t used them yet, my vet said I can start giving Apoquel twice a day with his meals then once he stops his itchying reduce to just 1 Apoquel tablet a day, then 1 Apoquel tablet every 2nd day, a few of my vet dog owners are doing this then stopping the Apoquel & see how the dog goes in the cooler months..

[Athony B]

Thanks this is a very useful resource, but…I have two German shepherds with really bad skin allergies and I’m reading about this link between their problems and the residue oxytetracycline (antibiotics fed to chickens, turkeys, cattle etc and which stays in them when they become meat meal for our pets) in almost all pet foods.

Does anyone know of any brands that are ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free in the animals used to make them?

Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Cindy,

My daughter name is also Cindy, your dog is a very lucky dog to have you has his owner & didn’t change his kibble & continue feeding him a dry kibble…You’d probably still have a very sick dog..

I too follow Judy Morgan DVM aswell my boy Patch is a rescue who I rescued 6 years ago, it’s his 10th birthday tomorrow, Tuesday 20th November also on this day I rescued him from being put to sleep that day 🙂
He came to me in a really bad condition for a 4 yr old dog, he has IBD diagnosed thru Endoscope + Biopsies, Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities…. It’s been a struggle he just had 5 weird looking wort type lumps removed 2-3 weeks ago & I just knew he was cancer free, he has the luck of the Irish the vet said gee he’s a lucky boy she was really worried about 1 lump on the side of his back leg so was I, this weird lump grew very quickly & look weird, we thought Mast Cell Tumor but no we wer wong thank god, he has a few angels watching over him..
Years ago I found Judy’s pup loaf recipe & tweak it a bit to suit Patches needs, I make Lean Pork Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potato & Lean Beef Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potatoes, I add 1 whisked egg, finally chopped parsely, chopped broccolli & spinach or kale, I bake in oven as Patch needs low fat when he eats any cooked foods, I make the rissoles 1/2 cup in size & bake them on a foil lined baking tray, take out 1/2 way 15mins to drain any water/fat & turn them over & bake till ready, they only take about 25-30mins & they freeze really well same as the boiled sweet potato pieces they thaw out pretty good…

He also gets freezed dried Mussels x 1-2 a day depends how big teh mussels are, strawberries, they are very cheap at teh moment, peeled apple, water melon, almond 3 a day whe I remember & his Bone Broth drink after his mid morning walk, I try to give him healthy foods that don’t cause any problems with his IBD… What I eat Patch gets some aswell… His IBD became worse last Nov-2017 after eating TOTW Lamb formula, he went down hill, I nilly put him to sleep in January 2018 instead I asked his vet can he do another Endoscope + Biopsies & found Patches lower Sphincter flap doesn’t close properly, sadly he doesnt do well on big wet meals now as he regurgatates them making his acid reflux worse, the only food he keeps down for his big meals is dry kibble 🙁
I was devastated but he does still eats a small wet meal for lunch only, lunch time is when he gets his freeze dried raw “Frontier Pets” or his Rissoles Sweet Potato etc, he still gets his little extra healthy foods, I want to try blueberries & beets next..

Do you follow “Rodney Habib”
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Rodney has been traveling around the world for 1 year talking to vets, Drs, scientist all around the world doing research on cancer in dogs & how to stop dogs from getting cancer… He’s a wealth of information.
Did you know there’s only about 110 Vet Nutritionist on this planet & 98% of them work for the big Pet Food companies, so there’s only about 2% vet nutritionist who aren’t bias like Judy Morgan that really want to educate us & get our dogs healthy thru natural foods & not feed these over processed dry pet foods & they will not recommend a high carb dry vet diet when your dog gets cancer ….. It’s sad I think…
I live in Australia & alot of pet owners feed either a raw diet or a cooked diet & a few feed kibble as base & add raw, the longest living dogs both came from Australia Bluey he was 29yrs old & Maggie she just passed away & she was 30yrs old both dogs were raw feed dogs..

Here’s a new group Dr Karen Becker, Susan Garret & Rodney have just started, its called
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=br_rs

[Susan]

Hi Jiles,
Have you had your dog thyroid checked?

join this facebook group, one of the admins in group Pete Lee has a dog who is allergic to her own yeast. Very rare but it happens… Ask Pete Lee or she’ll probably answer your post..

Join this f/b group heaps of help & where the Dermatologist vets are in your area.
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

I’d aviod all dry foods that have any type of fish, chances are your not getting the fish stated on your bag/formula.. also toxins, heavy metals & contaminates seem to be higher in fish formula’s.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets🐶🐱 may not work for your pet because of this problem!
Scroll dow to the results.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.125?fbclid=IwAR3JAeJouOK1TEOHlEKTRONZPp7FghmqdBaR561HJbc71J6fKucG5ncT9d8

Go onto Rodney Habibs f/b page – https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
scroll down a bit & look for “The False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy diets” video they tested Natural Balance LID Bison & Sweet Potato formula & it had Beef, Pork, Horse, Goat, Lamb in it & no Bison?

I have a dog who has IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies, I have found he does really well on “Wellness Core”, “Wellness Simple”- Turkey & Potato & “Canidae Pure”- Wild Pork & “Canidae” – Pure Meadow Senior, if you have a large breed look at Wellness Core Large breed adult or Wellness Core Small Breed formula’s are high protein, med -fat & low carbs..

[Lisa A]

Thanks Susan, I agree its good to rotate the proteins as I know dogs can become allergic after eating the same one. I didn’t know that information regarding meal in food but that makes it even hard to find something that has 1-4 ingredients as protein vs a carb and no chicken.

Right now I am most concerned with finding something that won’t put our pup at risk due to the increased awareness around DCM.

Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato dry – based on what I have read you want to stay away from peas and potatoes and when I recommended a different Wellness food to our vet last week she preferred Natural Balance over Wellness.

I am going to review the Purina Pro plan – sensitive skin and stomach salmon and rice formula with our vet to see if she agrees we should give that a go.

[Lisa A]

Hi Crazy4cats,

Thanks for the info. I will ask the vet about ProPlan Sensitive Stomach Salmon recipe, she typically likes a single source protein and this has fish meal too, not sure how she will feel about it. I do like that the first ingredient is Salmon and not some type of meal. She suggested we go to L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Large Breed Bites® Dry Dog Formula but others have told me lamb is a low taurine food and I also don’t like that the first ingredient is lamb meal. I’ve spent days reading ingredient list and because he is allergic to chicken and we need a single source protein I’m going crazy. Just want the very best for our pup he is 3 and hope he lives a long life.

[Lisa A]

Hi Susan,

Yes he was on a vet prescribed diet that is how we figured out he was allergic to chicken. We Once we eliminated the chicken his stool improved immediately but the prescription food was no longer sourced due to getting quality venison. That’s when we started LID/grain free over the counter and he didn’t do well on Venison/Sweet potato from Natural Balance thats when we moved to Zignature Lamb and he’s done really well.

Sorry I did mean Zignature Pork.. they don’t make beef. This is what’s inside the zignature pork – Pork, Pork Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Chickpeas, Pork Fat, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols.

The Canidae Pure Wild has sweet potatoes, peas, chickpeas as the first set of ingredients where as the Zignature doesn’t have any potatoes but does have peas/chickpeas.

The only one so far our vet likes from the over the counter is the Natural Balance LID Lamb but I am concerned with the ingredients below, not the highest quality starting with lamb meal but it doesn’t have any legumes or peas or potatoes.

Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Lactic Acid), Lamb, Dried Tomato Pomace, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Inositol, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Beta-Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Citric Acid (used as a preservative), Rosemary Extract.

The Farmina Vet Life formula’s food when I look up what they recommend for GI one has chicken in it and the other has two types of protein. Our vet prefers single source protein.

I am totally confused and at a loss on what to do dispite the vet telling us to go with Natural Balance LID Lamb and Rice.

[Lisa A]

We just learned about DCM a week ago from our vet during an appointment for an ear infection on our 3 yr old golden. I’ve been reading information every night and trying to figure out what to do. We are currently on a grain free lamb food by Zignature, that is due to our golden having allergies to Chicken. He was on prescription food for the first 1+ of his life and after he was stable we were able to move to over the counter, mainly due to the prescription food he was on which was venison – they were having trouble sourcing quality ingredients so the food was discontinued. Now I don’t know what to do. Its nearly impossible to find a grain inclusive food that doesn’t contain a single source protein, prefer beef, vision, or lamb. We spoke with our vet last night and she suggested – https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/lamb-meal-and-brown-rice. I would love to hear others thoughts.

[Susan]

People can do their own research & book to see a Dermatologist vet.
While waiting for Dermvet appointment join 1 of the really good Dog Allergy f/b groups thats out there…
Heaps of really good ideas…

“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogAllergiesIssuesandOtherInformationSupporGroup/

[anonymous]

Hair and Saliva Test for Allergies are Worthless Pseudoscience

(excerpt below)
Bottom Line
Saliva and hair tests for food allergies are a scam and a waste of time and money.

[joanne l]

Spy Car, I think everyone knows that, but most dog foods have fillers. So I would take the grains before the peas. Not everyone can afford a meat base diet. It is clear that dogs don’t need fillers, but we are talking about grain free and grains, and yes I think grains are better if you are using dry dog food, unless of course a dog is allergic to grains.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Christie B-
How about Purina ProPlan salmon sensitive stomach? Many people on the FB page I’m following regarding DCM who have dogs with chicken allergies and are switching off of grain free foods are feeding it with good results.

[joanne l]

Hi Christie looks like you have your hands full, sorry to hear about your dogs allergies. I do like the one with out the peas and pea fiber. Sometimes dogs can be allergic to peas too. Boy years ago dogs never had so many allergies I still wonder why. I hope you can find something and maybe some one on here can be better help. By the way is your dog okay with grains? If so you don’t really need grain free unless your dog does better on grain free. Most limited ingredient diets have peas and chickpeas. But to answer your question I do think it is worth the money to have no peas in the diet.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by joanne l.

[Christie B]

My American Bulldog mix has allergies to chicken, which I’ve heard is common with bully breeds. I rotated many different foods for the past 9 years that I’ve had him, in the hopes that I’d one day find the formula that wouldn’t trigger an attack.

So many non chicken protein formula’s have chicken or chicken meal as the 3rd or 4th ingredient. I guess it’s an inexpensive protein to add to formulas.

I’ve tried lamb, beef, pork, turkey… after a few weeks more often than not allergy symptoms appear. It’s harder to try a new food in the spring and winter because he also has environmental allergies, so it’s hard to figure out what triggers him.

So far, fish seems to be the safest protein. He used to eat Blue Buffalo with no issue when he was younger but the vet recommended stopping it because he was gaining too much weight on it (even after I cut back on the feeding amounts).

I went to Petsmart two weeks ago in search of a limited ingredient food. The previous bag that we tried was Zignature, but reviews here along with neither of my two dogs wanting to eat it (I literally had to put a small bit of shredded cheese on the food to make it appealing) turned me off that brand. I was looking at Nulo’s formulas when an associate wearing a Nulo shirt approached me (of course). She said they have a Salmon based limited ingredient formula. I read the label: Deboned salmon, salmon meal, yellow peas, chickpeas, canola oil, died sweet potatoes… didn’t see any chicken, beef, pork, turkey and gave it a shot.

The bag is almost gone. Both dogs are actually eating it. Stool is ok. I haven’t noticed any excessive drooling that indicated a possible upset stomach. No uptick in eating grass (sometimes they just like to graze). It seems like so far, so good.

However, there were some concerns in reviews that I read. I heard that peas and pea protein are also common allergens. Nulo has two product lines: Freestyle and Medal. Petsmart exclusively sells the Medal series and Freestyle is found online. I asked the rep in the store what the difference was and she said it was name only. The formulas were the same. However, when I went to order from Chewy yesterday (usually cheaper than Petsmart), their Freestyle was almost $20 more than the Medal at Petsmart. It made no sense. I contacted Nulo on their FB page and this was their response:

Thanks for reaching out to us here at Nulo. We appreciate the opportunity to help!
Our FreeStyle Limited+ and MedalSeries L.I.D. recipes are formulated using only one animal protein source and do not include the fruits and vegetables found in our other recipes. The difference between our FreeStyle Limited+ and MedalSeries L.I.D. recipes is simply the inclusion or exclusion of peas – our FreeStyle Limited+ recipes do not include peas or pea fiber.

Is the exclusion of Peas worth the $20 difference? Are fruits and vegetables usually the cause of allergies that they would be omitted in the Limited formulas?

[Christie B]

My 10 year old American Bulldog mix has food and environmental allergies. Paw licking, face rubbing, excessive drooling…it’s worse in the Spring and Fall but sometimes changes in diet can trigger a few days long reaction. The vet told me to give him 5 1mg Benedryl twice daily when he shows symptoms and if he’s drooling excessively to give him a Pepcid twice daily.

10 Benedryl pills a day seems crazy. I know my dog is large at 120 pounds, but an adult human is only supposed to take 1-2 pills daily. Do dogs process the drug differently? Two pills twice daily has always ceased the licking and rubbing. I’m afraid to give him 5 at a time.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by Christie B.

[Sara B]

Hello-

I have done some searching around on the forum for various discussions related to this topic. It is a bit tricky to sort through all of them so I thought I would just put this out there to see what folks have to say or what experiences they have had. I have a 1 year old lab mix who has been diagnosed with struvite crystals. She has had a UTI. I also just had a sample of her urine sent off to a lab for a culture to get more information. She may be going on an antibiotic.
Obviously my concern is that those will turn into stones which would not be good. My other concern though is that vet has prescribed Hills U/D. I asked him if he had any other options for my dog and he said no she would need to be on this for the rest of her life. I went home and looked at the ingredient list and cannot for the life of me understand how this is better than the food I am currently feeding her. I am also concerned about the side affects (weight gain, allergies etc). I have her on Honest Kitchen food right now to help with the increased water intake and have ordered Super Snouts Urniary Berry to help with the PH and hopefully preventing UTIs. Wondering if I should put her on the Hills Science for a time and then once the crystals dissolve go back to her food? Or If I should do a combo of the two? I dont really feel that I can ask my vet for suggestions because he seems unwilling to help in that regard.

[anonymous]

I am so glad you are working closely with your vet.

If her problems continue even through the winter, I would ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Unless your vet feels confident he can treat the condtion.
A positive response to Apoquel is indicative of environmental allergies.

/forums/topic/hes-got-good-and-environmental-allergies/#post-113364

/forums/topic/doodle-with-allergies/#post-119649

[Susan]

@ Anon
I thought you use a cheap puppy shampoo on your allergic dog, you were posting & telling everyone Malaseb is crap..
“Remember”

[Susan]

Hi Sandra,
you in the UK?
CHANGE food
these are the ingredients
“Wainwright’s Salmon & potato puppy”

Composition: Salmon Fish Meal (26%), Potato Starch (21%), Barley (14%), Red Sourghum (13%), Rapseed Oil (7%), Whole Linseed (5%), Potato Protein (5%), Beet Pulp (4%), Alfalfa (2%), Dicalphosphorus (1.5%), Minerals, Seaweed (0.4%), Chicory (0.05%), Extract of Yucca Schidigera (0.02%), Marigold Meal (0.005%), Rosemary Oil Extract

1 or 2 of these ingredient isnt agreeing with him.
My boy can not eat Barley he farts, bad wind & sloppy poos..

A dog should fart but my vet said it “shouldn’t smell” & clear a room, this means he’s making bad gasses, methane combine with hydrogen sulfide makes the fart smell bad….
Vet made me change Patches food, he said look for a kibble that has Potato or Sweet Potato, then finally I found a few different brands of dry foods that agreed with him & I rotate them… best to rotate his foods so his immune system builds up & he gets use to different ingredients, once you find a few different brands that agree with him then rotate these dry dog foods, what I do when the kibble bag has only 1/4 of the kibble left I start adding the new food with the old kibble, more old formula & less new formula untill he’s on 1/2 old & 1/2 new, then I feed that for 3-5 days then I add more new kibble less old kibble…

Look for another puppy food that has NO Potato Starch, Barley, Red Sourghum, Rapeseed oil & “No Salmon or Fish Meal” Fish dog foods are VERY high in Heavy Metals, Toxins & Contamines so I would avoid all fish wet & dry dog foods……

Look for a puppy formula that has either Lamb, Duck, Chicken, Turkey, Venison with Sweet Potato, Brown Rice, Oats, Potato, Vegetables, Fruit, healthy ingredients…
Picture all the ingredients on a plate

I’ve been looking thru the UK ingredients in dog foods & most brands are adding fish, this is telling me the UK pet food companies are getting very cheap byproduct fish ingredients, heads, guts, tails etc so I’d try & avoid dog foods that have fish ingredients if you can, if the fish is further down the ingredient list then OK but no fish meal/ocean meal in the first 5-6 ingredients…

Chicken & Turkey are cleaner meats when used in dog foods..
If you want to feed fish then buy & add tin Salmon in spring water, Sardines in spring water added 1-2 spoon to 1 of his daily meals, add healthy fresh ingredients to his meal once you find a dry food that agrees with him.

With Probiotics they are best given on empty stomach, so either first thing of a morning when he wakes up then feed 1 hour later or give probiotic drink inbetween meals when stomach acids are low,
if you’re using a probiotic powder then add 10ml-15ml cool water in a bowl with probiotic & swirl around to dissolve the probiotic powder & then let him drink the probiotic drink, my boy use to love his probiotic drink at 10am, I’d give it as a treat..
He needs his food change then he wont need to take the probiotic, something isnt agreeing with him..
Make sure you keep a diary & write everything down you have tried & first 10 ingredients as Frenchies are known for Food sensitivities & Skin Allergies…
Just remember the vet isn’t a vet nutritionist….

Barking Head & Forthglade dog food looks really good, take back the Wainwright’s Salmon & potato puppy food you’re feeding now, tell pet shop or online pet store Wainwright’s Salmon isnt agreeing with your pup & now he wont eat it, dog foods are normally guaranteed for palability, money back or exchange & they will exchange for another food Look for new food with not too many ingredients, you can add your own healthy fresh ingredients..

Have a look at
* Barking Heads- https://barkingheads.co.uk/collections/dog-food

* Forthglade – https://forthglade.com/shop-dog/dry-dog-food/turkey-brown-rice-cold-pressed-natural-dry-dog-food

* Simpsons – https://www.simpsonspremium.com/dogs/puppy

* Eden – https://edenpetfoods.com/products/dog-food/eden-80-20-dried-food/eden-80-20-country-cuisine.html

* Millies Wolfheart – https://www.millieswolfheart.co.uk/

[Olive M]

Their recipe changes are definitely a way to lower the quality of the product. Their rabbit recipe now contains a significant amount of pork, as well as other fillers. It is, actually, virtually identical to the Primal brand of raw foods – and my dog is extremely allergic to Primal foods. I think it’s the clay and the vinegar, at leas, as well as adding proteins she doesn’t tolerate. I’ve been feeding her the new formula without realizing it (I thought only the bag had changed) and she has been absolutely miserable and itchy and her eyes are weeping tremendously. Now I know why. They claim it’s to make it more nutritious, but it’s nothing of the sort. It’s to make it cheaper (for them, not customers) and use more low quality, mass produced meats that many dogs are allergic to.

[Deb M]

The company that tests and the Clean Label Project rated Ol’ Roy Dog Food as 5 stars. If that does not give one pause at the legitimacy of the lawsuit, I do not innerstand why.

My dog, a 6 yr. old Pomeranian, gets Orijen on the side of her home-cooked wet food, along with excellent vitamin, mineral and other supplements. The only issues she has is when our chickens get fleas and her reaction if we do not get the chickens sprayed down with neem and their yard dusted with D.E. in time. She is very allergic to the flea bites (who isn’t?) and she gets bacterial infections.

ALL of our food is contaminated. All of it, even organic gmo-free, which is all I use in our house. We also use filtered and distilled water. Do people realize what is in their tap water may where the contamination may be coming from and what is making our pets and ourselves sick?

We do the best we can for ourselves and our pets. It is all we can do. Make your decisions based on all the data you can and go from there. Remember to check out those accusing others of nefarious deeds to see if they are chronic “suers”, too. That is how some places make their money.

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/06/canine-nutrigenomics-by-dr-jean-dodds-science-as-windowdressing/ (excerpt below,click on link for full article and comments)

I have written about Dr. Dodds before. (1, 2). She is a prime example of a variety of the ailment sometimes called the Nobel Disease. She is obviously a smart and confident person who has made real contributions to veterinary medicine outside of the conventional academic career path. Unfortunately, she has come to embrace a variety of pseudoscientific views, and she has such confidence in her own talents and beliefs that she does not feel obligated to subject her own theories to the usual sort of scientific testing and critique. Her ideas about allergies, thyroid disease and, as we shall see, nutrition, are widely viewed as unproven, unlikely, or outright factually incorrect by experts in these fields, but Dr. Dodds has moved forward with not only books of advice but commercial diagnostic tests without apparently feeling any need to demonstrate her ideas are correct through scientific research.

[Susan]

Hi Rebecca,
I’d ask vet can you re-do a 21-28 day course of Flagyl (Metronidazole) twice a day, every 12 hours with a meal the first 10 days then down to 1 flagyl a day with his dinner till course is finished, Flagyl helps heal the stomach & bowel, just make sure Flagyl is given with a meal not with a small snack/treat.. His bowel needs time to heal & strenthen his immune system, do you have him on a probiotic?, also has he been retested to see if the Giardia cleared up?
Frenchies are known to have intestinal problems, I was going to get a French Bulldog & my vet advised against it, I have Patch (staffy) who has IBD & skin Allergies the vet said French Bull Dogs have a few health problems.. In Australia Frenchies being inbreed or breed with a parent who has health problems, they’re known to suffer with food sensitivities & skin problems..

also have your tried “Natural Balance” LID Potato & Duck formula the fiber is 3% or try the Natural Balance LID Fish & Sweet Potato formula.. alot of people have really good results with Natural Balance LID.
Potato & Sweet Potato seem to help dogs who are doing soft, sloppy or diarrhea poos, stop all chicken if giving any home cooked meals or any treats that are chicken, try Turkey or Pork instead & boiled potato instead of the boil rice, sometimes boiled rice can irratate the all ready irratated bowel..
If you’re on facebook join this group.. you dont have to be a raw feeder, heaps of help & people who have had a dog who has had Giardia..
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsey,

How did you work out your do is sensitive too wheat, barley, soy, corn, dried egg, venison, rabbit, salmon, dairy/milk?
The only way to work out food sensitivities is to do a food elimination diet, blood, salvia & fur testing test can give false positives….Waste of money..

Best Testing for Environment allergies is the “Intradermal Skin test” ask your Dermatologist about Intradermal Skin Testing & can you start Immunotherapy injections, is often the best treatment plan for environment allergies & baths weekly or twice a week baths to wash off allergens on skin & paws…
* Probiotics to strengthen immune system & diet high in Omega 3 will also help, especially if you’re cooking meals start adding foods that are high in Omega 3, Flaxseed, Sunflower oil, Linseed Oil, Chia Seeds, Nuts- I was giving my boy 3 Almonds a day as a treat, i’d bite 1 almond in 1/2 & give Patch the other 1/2 of the Almond..he has a beautiful shiney coat…

If you’re cooking then start doing a food trial, start with 1 meat protein & you know your boy can eat sweet potato so add sweet potato as the carb & now every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient & see does your boy react…
My boy reacts within 20mins of eating an ingredient (Chicken) his back paw goes red hot & swollen & he start licking & licking back paw, then as the days pass he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & very itchy, but Chicken doesnt upset his Intestinal tract he has IBD, Carrots make his ears itchy & yeasty he starts shaking his head/ears…
It can take up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to certain ingredients..
Elimination diet is slow but you will know 100% what he can & cant eat..

A really good food is
* “Ziwi Peak” wet can or air dried
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

also look at Aldis” new “Pure Being” formula’s, grain free & grain formula’s
/dog-food-reviews/shep-dog-food/

* “Wellness Core” formula’s – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/core

* “Canidae Pure Wild” & “Pure Meadow” if your boy is a senior – https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I’d stay away from Zignature, Zignature is one of the dry foods that is VERY high in legumes & dogs are not absorbing Taurine causing heart problems, DCM…..
Make sure the dry food you’re feeding doesn’t have a heap of legumes in the first 6 ingredients & Zignature does…. there shouldnt be no more then 20% Legumes in a dogs diet..
The dry dog foods list is in this group below, we are NOT allowed to post the Taurine list as it has peoples private info…
Here’s the f/b group join “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/
then look in their “Files” click on 2nd link
“2018-10-05 COPY of Diet and Taurine TABLE”…. & you will see cases mark in Yellow & then Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related,
Zignature Kangaroo formula has 3 cases & i’d say the first young GSH has passed away by now as he was diagnosed 2017 & given only 6-8months to live 🙁

Join this facebook group for Skin allergies,
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
a Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, DVM, DACVD from Canine Skin Solutions “Healthyskin4dogs”
frequents this group, there’s heaps of help & really good advice..

Weekly baths are the best to do, baths wash off any allergens on skin & paws & relieve itchy red skin, I also use Huggie Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes, I wipe my boy down when he comes back inside & I use “Sudocrem” cream on his paws & around his mouth when skin is red & inbetween toes are red, Sudocrem is an anti-bacterial, ant-fungal healing cream, also works as a barrier & protects the skin & paws, excellent for skin problems… sold on Amazon

[anonymous]

@ Lyndsey D

Consider Zignature https://www.chewy.com/zignature-turkey-limited-ingredient/dp/36739

I switched my allergy dog that is under the care of a dermatologist (never had her tested for food allergies) to a grain inclusive food due to the grain free scare that is going on.

Didn’t work out, she is back on Zignature, same thing for a friend of mine who has a dog with sensitivities, her dog is back on Zignature after a brief trial on a grain inclusive food, that didn’t go well.

[Lyndsey D]

Well that isnt exactly what I was asking, as I said my dog has allergies (wheat, barley, soy, corn, dried egg, venison, rabbit, salmon, dairy/milk, might be forgetting one) so while I might find a food that does not have most it would have at least one – most has either barley or the egg or none and salmon oil. At the moment I am using Natural Recipe easily found at Target or Walmart (chicken, pumpkin and sweet Potato) and cooking the rest of the time chicken breast, brown rice, carrots, sweet potatoes and flaxseed until his dermatology appointment. It’s nice to have a few choices though. Cant find much info on sourcing or who makes it for Fleet Farm (Mills).

[pitlove]

Katie-

It isn’t very challenging for a company with a veterinary nutritionist and multiple veterinarians on staff to be able to formulate a food that is appropriate for both sensitive skin and sensitive stomach. Salmon tends to be a good protein for dogs with skin allergies (the main protein in Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach is salmon) and the right types of fiber and % of fiber can help dogs with sensitive stomachs. Plus limiting the amount of ingredients in the food, adding probiotics to the food and having ingredients that are easy on the GI system.

As someone with a dog with both skin allergies and a very sensitive GI system, I can attest to the fact that Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach was a miracle for my dog. We only switched when we found a cheaper food of similar quality that came in a larger bag.

[Lyndsey D]

I’m kind of a food snob but since my dog has allergies and is limited on many foods now I thought I’d give it a try since ingredient wise it seemed comparable to high end ones and for $2.99 (on sale) for the last 3.3lb bag I thought why not. It’s the Turkey, Pea and Sweet Potato recipe. 25%protein, 15% fat, 3% fiber, 10% moisture. Ingredients in order: Turkey, chicken meal, whole ground garbanzo beans, whole ground peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat, pea starch, pea protein, Turkey meal, natural chicken flavor, flaxseed meal, potassium chloride, dried chicory root, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried carrots, minerals vitamins yada yada yada… my dog can eat this which is amazing since he is allergic to soy, egg product, barley salmon and much more, so if this checks out as okay I’d be okay with that.. anyone??

[anonymous]

https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-classic-adult-dog-food
One of my dogs does well on this food. Very reasonable.

My other dog that has allergies and is under the care of a dermatologist does best on a fish based food, in fact I am going to put her back on Zignature Whitefish kibble as a base.

“He’s been on this for more than six months now and his poop is a great consistency. However, in an ideal world, I’d like to move him over to another food for two main reasons: 1. Price! (yes, it’s not the most expensive, but it is more than I want to spend) and 2. Rating (only 3 stars on dog food advisor)”

If your dog is doing well on this food I would not switch to a cheaper food just to save a few bucks, you may end up spending your so called savings and more at the vet.

PS: Ratings on dog food sites mean sheet. Just my opinion.

[Susan]

To Kullboys,

With rotating dog foods, the idea is that by allowing short exposure to a wider variety of protein types, the immune system is primed to a larger range of potential allergens, which strengthens the immune system and may reduce the risk of allergies or symptoms developing, this is particulary “Important for YOUNG animals”.
Added benefits, a rotational diet allows a better chance of providing a more complete and balanced diet. While most dog foods sold commercially have been balanced to meet nutritional guidelines there is always a chance that one brand might be a little deficient in a nutrient compared to another brand, by rotating a variety of foods your pet is less likely to suffer any deficiencies as they will draw whats needed from other diets..

Dog Food Advisor recommends to rotate your dogs diet, DFA is where I learnt to rotate & strengthen Patches Intestinal tract.

Here’s a parragragh from DFA post

“Isn’t changing dog foods dangerous for the animal?”
Although some pets can’t tolerate menu changes, I’ve never been able to find “a single scientific study” proving diet rotation to be unhealthy or detrimental to a dog.

/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

[Kelley W]

Hello, I think my dogs are allergic to fermented foods. I started feeding them Answers Dog Food and both did poorly on it. Severe and intense itching. Vomiting and diarrhea. The one dog with vomiting and diarrhea was taken off of it immediately. The other dog was on it for 3 months and had loose stool the entire time. Everyone said “it’s die off” “give it time” “I can’t imagine a dog would be allergic to raw goats milk”, etc. etc. His stool used to be perfect when he was on Darwins and other non-fermented foods. I’m going to switch back.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Kelley W.

[Calico J]

Hello! I’m currently looking for a legume and fish-free dog food for my 2-year-old lab (I’m eliminating allergies and legumes seem to be the only culprit). Single protein, preferably chicken. High quality. Good manufacturer. Basic chicken and rice, you know?

My dog is quite active, so a food with high protein and a fair amount of fat is also important.

Anyway, one of the foods that came up in my search was Wysong Fundamentals: https://www.wysong.net/fundamentals

Dry Matter Analysis: http://www.wysong.net/WysongPetProductsAnalyticalInfo

Protein: 42.1%
Fat: 15.8%
Fiber: 4.0%
Ash: 10.5%
Calcium: 2.2%
Phosphorus: 1.2%
Magnesium: 0.1%
Sodium: 0.4%
Taurine: 0.3%
Cabohydrates: 24.4%
Kcals (as fed/cup): 435/cup
Calorie content/kg: 3,480kg

INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Organic Chicken, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor, Taurine, Calcium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Citric Acid, Yeast Extract, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Chicory Root, Yeast Culture, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid [source of Vitamin C], Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product.

My dog turned 2 in July, so he’s full grown. Very much a field/working lab in physique. Muscular, but long and lean. Very agile. 60lbs.

It’s just… I’ve never seen calcium and phosphorus this high in a dog food, so I wanted to ask if it was safe to feed to my pup.

Thank you for the help!

P.S. I’m also considering Nature’s Select High Protein: https://naturesselectpetfood.com/products/dog-food/select-high-protein
Calcium: 1.4%
Phosphorus: 1.0%

[Carol H]

I just wanted to share and by no means an expert however, we had a big boy who the vet thought had food allergies and did the elimination diet for almost a year. It was frustrating and expensive but finally took him to a dematologist in Florida. Best thing we could have done, turns out a simple blood test revealed his thyroid levels were low. Put him on meds twice a day (inexpensive) and he has become a new boy!

[anonymous]

I am not aware of any such thing. In fact, one of my dogs does best on fish based kibble as a base
She is a senior with environmental allergies and has never had a uti.
For best results discuss with a veterinarian that has examined your dog and knows the dogs history, not the internet.

Per the search engine.
/forums/topic/bladder-stones-in-6-year-old-female-pug/#post-113166

[Tara M]

Hello all. I have an 8 year old spayed female pitbull with consistent recurrent UTI’s. X-rays are always negative. She’s on cranberry supplements as well as multiple immune support supplements. She eats Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Salmon recipe dog food (she also has allergies and salmon was recommended for thi). A friend who is very into the dog show world mentioned today that she thinks the fish-based dog food is what is causing my dog’s UTI’s and that I should change it to one of the more novel proteins such as kangaroo. Has anyone else heard of fish-based dog foods causing UTI issues? I can’t find anything about it anywhere online but she says that everyone in the breeding/dog show world will NOT feed their dogs primarily fish-based diets for this reason.

[kullboys b]

I have a 6 lb long-haired chihuahua and she is currently on Blue Buffalo. I want to switch her to a higher quality food and have narrowed it down between the 4 below. I wanted to see if anyone could help me choose 1 or narrow it down (based on your experience or research). My dog doesn’t have any allergies and generally likes any food that’s put in front of her 🙂

– Nature’s Logic
– NutriSource
– Zignature
– Orijen
– Instinct

Thanks .

• This topic was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by kullboys b.