[pitlove]

Hi Charles-

Dogs only react to protein, not fat, carbs, vitamins or minerals. All of the ingredients mentioned above are either vitamins or minerals, so it is not possible for your dog to react to them as they contain no protein.

It is very possible that your dog has no food sensitivities at all and that the only issue is his environment. Has your vet mentioned doing an elimination diet for your dog? This is the golden standard for assessing food allergies, but it is challenging to do correctly. If you are interested in knowing more about how this works let me know and I’d be happy to explain.

[Charles B]

Ok – Our one boy we have figured out his environmental allergies and are on route to controlling them.

Our other food, has a food allergy. He is 100% on Acana Duck and Pear, however our vet doesnt like how much legumes are in it with the Golden Retriever Taurine issues.

So lets say the Acana is our control. This was the food we settled on after a lot of trying and paw licking.

We have also tried Acana Freshwater Fish, Acestry Duck and Potato, Wellness Duck and Oat, Canine Caviar Open Plains, Farmina Cod and Orange, and Farmina Lamb and Blueberry.

Ive created a spreadsheet, which can be seen here: https://tinyurl.com/yd9yxmuo

After a lot of comparison, I determined the following are all shared between the foods, except the control. If their names slightly differed I included them.

Biotin 5/7
Choline Chloride 5/7
Copper Proteinate 4/7
Copper Sulfate 2/7
Manganese Proteinate 4/7
Manganese Sulfate 2/7
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride 5/7
Riboflavin 6/7
Thiamine Mononitrate 5/7
Zinc Proteinate 5/7
Zinc Sulfate 2/7

[jessica n]

Hi Raw Food Experts –
I have been feeding my dog Nature’s Instinct Variety Raw (Beef + Lamb) his entire life. He is a French Bulldog, and with all their allergies and health issues, he does extremely well on this diet, so we’re careful that he only gets this food.

Nature’s Variety has changed this food and I am very concerned. The primary change I can see if that it went from 95% meat to 85%, and the fruits went from 5% to 15%. It is clear that they did this to lower price.

They’ve also introduced a new frozen raw food line, now their “Signature” frozen raw line that maintains the 95% meat, and is only sold at independent retailers.

What do you guys think about the change to 85% meat and the new recipe? Will this still be a 5 star frozen raw food? Or, should we consider moving to their new Signature recipe (if we can find it!)?

Details here:
https://www.instinctpetfood.com/newraw

[Kalii16]

I have my daughters beautiful 10 year old Pit Bull girl Kalii. Recently took her to the vet for her checkup/shots & the vet said she’s 12lbs over weight. She should weigh 55lbs and weighs 67lbs. When we play in the yard, she does come back in limping. She definitely has arthritis and the extra weight is not helping! My daughter had her on Taste of The Wild – smoked salmon. Recently I was told to put her on Zignature Catfish Formula. She’s been eating that for two days now (mixed with her Taste of the Wild). In the past, we have had issues with her skin. So we assumed she had allergies & took her off grains and chicken etc… and her skin cleared up. I guess my question is, is this Zignature food the best choice for her and will it help her lose weight? I give her two scoops a day. Also, what should I be giving her for the arthritis? Should I consider a raw diet and if yes, how do I go about that? I know zero about any of this! I just want her to be healthy and to live as long as possible pain free and happy. Thank you to anyone who can help me. Appreciate it very much!
Jean & Kalii

[anonymous]

/forums/topic/french-bulldog-allergies/#post-113902

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer,
I have a Staffy with Food Sensitivities Environment Allergies & IBD, I would be making her your own raw diet with human grade meats, no pre-made raw dog food, I went thru animal nutritionist in Australia & we started PAtch on a raw elimination diet to work out what ingredients he is sensitive too…
Dogs have a short digestive tract, their intestinal tract is make to digest a raw diet quickly so if the meat they have eaten is spoiled etc it quickly moves thru their stomach then onto their small bowel onto the large bowel then a small poo, kibbles are high in fiber & some grainfree kibbles are even higher in fiber especially if it has peas, lentils, chickpeas, I have found kibbles that have sweet potatos & potato work the best for Patch, if you do go back to a dry kibble look at “Natural Balance” LTD Sweet Potato & Bison or Natural Balance Potato & Duck formula or look at “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato formula..

If you can afford it look for a Holistic Vet in your area.. My boy went down hill last December & now I’m feeding my boy “Frontier Pets” Freeze Dried dehydrated raw thats free range grain free raw diet human ingredients, I started to slowly introduce & give to him at Lunch time only they’re small balls & you add warm water, straight away he started to get better I saw good results like you have seen he also eats “Wellness Core Large Breed dry kibble he isnt large breed dog but this Wellness Core large breed formula is high protein-36%, low/med in fat-13% low in carbs-31% low in Kcals-345Kcals Per cup… & has no lentils or chickpeas…You need to work out what agrees with your dog…or even join a few Raw feeding groups on facebook someone will help you get your dog onto a balanced raw diet with homemade ingredients not a pre-made raw….
Start with 1 meat protein she hasnt eaten before & you blend some green veggies & fruit,I used peeled apple, take out any seeds, broccolli, celery & parsley blended then put in ice cube tray cover with cling wrap & freeze, you add 1-2 spoons of the Veggie/fruit mix 1-2 frozen veggie/fruit ice cubes to 1 cup of meat…I balanced diet with Natural Animal Solution Digestavite Plus powder….

[anonymous]

I am so glad that you got a positive result from consulting a specialist 🙂

It is what it is, allergies just don’t go away but there is effective treatment.

Now, the next step, avoid vaccines, talk to your vet, ask about a medical waiver for the rabies vaccine.

[zcRiley]

Immediately stop feeding everything you just listed.

Fast her by skipping one meal as you run out and get a bag of Zignature Zssentials, dry grain free kibble for all ages, #1 for pups with various allergies (which you can do a test panel for).

Take a poop sample and test it for Clostridium (a separate test from the regular Giardia fecal test). Have the vet give her a short IV fluid treatment for severe dehydration.

After test results/or possible antibiotics treatment, get Proviabal (2-day paste, 10 day probiotic pill sprinkle over food).

I went thru the same thing and I had to figure all this out myself, took years. I’d also look to finding a new vet.

[Kenneth A]

I posted a question approximately two months ago about food recommendations for my English-Style Male Labrador. Thanks for all of the feedback I received and I decided to switch food from Pro Plan Focus to Acana Heritage. I must admit to having this nagging feeling that I am trying to fix something that is not broken (dog has no skin allergies, coat looks great, no digestive issues and no gas) but I want to feed him a higher rated food (better quality ingredients). So, I am going to try him on Acana Heritage.

I currently feed Earl (Lab) 3 cups of Pro Plan per day. Some pet store employees have told me I will feed less of the Acana but I wanted to reach out to the folks here to determine your experience. How much Acana would you recommend I feed Earl to replace the 3 cups/day of Pro Plan? He is at a healthy weight of 80lbs and I do not want more weight on him.

Thanks,

Ken

[Christina H]

Thank you very much Dave for sharing your findings! We are still monitoring the situation and do hope for the same positive outcome you are having since it is not easy for us to switch dog foods. We have a severely allergic dog that has allergies to some typical ingredients used in premium foods, it is quite challenging at best! I still find all of this rather strange…….

[anonymous]

Have you read the ingredients?
Ingredients: Chicken Liver Dried, Wheat Bran, Wheat Germ, Brewer’s Yeast Dried,Calcium Carbonate, Dried Apple, Calcium Phosphate,
Cod Liver Oil, Parsley, Apple Cider Vinegar, Alfalfa, Dried Kelp, Dandelion Root, Garlic, Calcium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Ginger, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract.

The price
1 pound – $20.00 plus S/H
5 pound – $90.00 plus S/H

“ENDURANCE is a unique supplement formulated for dogs and cats that are fed commercial kibble or canned food. Both can experience allergies, skin problems, constant shedding, bad breath, chronic ear discharges and digestive upsets”.

Wow! Sounds like a miracle supplement, lol! 😉

I see nothing unique about the ingredients. Most of the better kibbles have these ingredients included anyway.

CAVEAT EMPTOR

[Cathy J]

My 4 year old 90 pound Pitbull/??? mix has patellar luxation and has been recommended for surgery. I’m wondering if a trial of supplements and some type of Joint/diet special dog food might help the problem and maybe avoid surgery. Any suggestions of a reasonable dog food and supplements? He also has some allergies so add grain free to that request.

[Cathy D]

My sick dogs are in Petaluma, California.
I returned the food yesterday. I attached the lawsuit artical to the bag.
The pet shop owner said he had an email last week last week about the champion products being discontinued soon.

I wish I had asked more questions but with sick dogs & a lack of sleep , I just wanted to get home.

I have switched to Merrick fish single ingredient . My dog is not eating a full meal yet but I’m comfortable with Merrick. I am just sick about it. I tried for the best food. I never heard my dog whimper before but this last week was non stop. The vet said inflamed swollen ears, maybe allergies. She also chewed her food pretty good.

My 15 y/o Min Pin started having nightmares last week. I thought it was time for the sadest drive to the vet. She would jump up still asleep and run into things or fall of the couch. She is too frail for that 10 times a day. I gave her a few for treats for 2 weeks. They stopped now. She’s had a perfect 24 hours.

This the second day my dogs are off the food and they are so much better.

Again, my heartfelt thanks to you all for posting.

[Cathy D]

I subscribe to dog food advisor three weeks ago to get the list of the top choice of dog food . We took the list to the store and I bought Acana single ingredient . Just had the dog at the vet yesterday for allergies to something ears are swollen she’s biting, scratching more than usual and whiny. She doesn’t feel good and today I read this .

When this happens maybe the food should be placed on a watchlist so somebody can read the article and decide for themselves . it shouldn’t stay on the “best list “?

Years ago I gave my lab Nutro. Her ears swelled up so bad and the vet said it was an allergic reaction to the food. I can’t believe I didn’t see this .

Thank U all for posting , you saved my girl, Carla Chanel, 1.5 y/o in training for service.
God bless you all

[anonymous]

Per the search engine here:

/forums/search/environmental+allergies/

[kathleen p]

Some skin allergies can be caused by your dogs food. My dog (weimaraner) was having issues as well…gas, itching, teary eyes, loose stools, etc. I found a brand of food called Sport Dog Food (sportdogfood.com) I noticed a difference within 2 weeks of use! They have just now changed their formulas so now I have to slowly introduce him to a new one. They have some foods that don’t include all that “extra” stuff dogs don’t need in their diets. I plan on going for the Tracking Dog formula which is closest to what I have been using. Go to their site and check out the ingredients on their formulas and you might be able to find something to suit your dogs needs. They are on the somewhat expensive side and only sell large bags right now, but I think you could find something to help. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My dog is having a skin allergy and ailment. My vet suggests me to feed my dog with premium dog food but it’s not working. I have heard that organic dog food are best for skin allergies because they are nutritious.
Is it good to feed my dog with organic dog food? If yes, then which brand is best?

[Susan]

Hi emmygirl,
sorry my post is so long but as I’m writing I’m remember heaps of information & what I did with Patch….
You have written everything I have been thru with my IBD boy Patch who is nilly 10yrs old, I nilly put him to sleep in January, instead we did another Endoscope-Biopsies on esophagus & stomach, I thought he had stomach cancer…
Find a vet that does Endoscope + Biopsies & a vet that knows about IBD, you must get the biopsies done if you ever do Endoscope, some vets dont think to do the biopsies when looking at the stomach & small bowel, these vets are lacking experience in IBD, Patches stomach looks perfect when he had his 2 Endoscopes but his the biopsies told a different story. Biopsies tell the vet so much information what is wrong with your boy intestinal tract….Ultra scan was a waste of money, you cant really see the stomach & the vet can see the bowel but only if the bowel is thickening, vets thought Patch had thickening of the Bowel but he didnt, this happens after the dog has diarrhea for years, I wouldnt like to be a vet, 1 dogs cant talk & tell the vet were is sore what hurts etc, so vets have to do alot guessing sometimes when test come back OK.

*Food
Over the years my good vet told me to keep a yearly diary, cause you cant rememeber every single thing you’ve done & they have done.. now I look back thru Patches diaries when I need to remember what was Patch eating when he was doing so much better, write what your feeding, times, meds, what were poos like when he’s eating ?? etc
Is he doing OK when he’s eating the cooked Turkey, Squash & Oatmeal, how are his poos? one of Patches first vets told me in the beginning, to look & see when dog is pooing, does the poo come out of bum properly formed poo?, then when it hits the ground it turns to slop cow patty poo? the vet said this is OK as long as poo’s are formed when its coming out of the bum & as long as the dog is just doing his normal 1-3 poos a day & is not pooing at all thru day & night at all hours, vet said to me this might be as good as your going to get Patches poos, he was eating the Royal Canine Hypoallergeniic dry kibble… but I ended up getting Patches poos firmer when he started teh TOTW kibble & I ended up trying the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic wet can food last year it was better then the dry R/C HP kibble, then after trying all the Intestinal vet diets Hills, Royal Canine & Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue worked the best but Patch skin was yeasty itchy & smelt bad then after joining the Canine EPI f/b group dogs were doing really well on TOTW or the Kirkland Signature, Natures Domain, Turkey & Sweet potato & Salmon & Sweet potato formula’s so I started Patch on TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & the Pacific Stream Salmon but teh Pacific Stream Salmon made him vomit he does firm poos but kept vomiting up the TOTW Smoked Salmon later I seen TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon is very high in toxins & another 2 fish formula’s brands Patch kept vomiting are very high in Toxins after being tested, then 3 yrs later Patch refused to eat his TOTW Roasted Lamb kibble, something had changed with TOTW kibble it smelt different, looked different & kibble size became very small….so now it makes me wonder if these kibbles are high in contaminates & toxins making my boy IBD have a flare??? thats why its best to cook their meals or find a really good dog dehydrated dog food that uses human grade ingredients.. as Patch has gotten older his acid reflux has gotten worse so he cant eat kibbles that are over 15% in fat now..
loow for lower fat around 10-13%-fat & low carb diet higher protein

Have you tried adding scramble egg with his meal? also the egg shell dry it out & crush & add 1 egg shell 1 teaspoon egg shell to one of his meals a day for his calcium, slowly start adding the egg shell if you fed home cooked diet……..Patch cant eat any kibbles that have fish or salmon oil in them he gets bad acid reflux from the fish oil also the fiber is very low in those Farmina vet kibbles 1.10% -fiber…Patch would be doing sloppy cow patties eating the Farmine vet diets that are very low in fiber..

When I read your post about your dog can’t eat most ingredients I knew its more then just the ingredients he is reacting too, sometimes it’s not the ingredients they cant eat, it reminded me of Patch when I first rescued him, he does have food sensitivities that I worked out BUT later I worked out there’s In-soluble Fiber, Soluble Fiber, Crude Fiber & Dietary Fiber, dogs with IBD need to work out what fibers agree with them & there isnt that perfect dry kibble diet for our dogs even vet diets dont help Patch or if a vet diet did help Patches IBD he gets his itchy smelly yeasty skin paws & ears.

Have you tried Royal “Canine Gastro Intestinal Low Fat” wet can food??? I bought a 12 can pack last week I had credit from a pet store I had forgotten about & at Lunch time if I think Patch doesnt seem well I open a can of R/C Gastro low fat & I take out the meat loaf from the can as it has heap of oil in the can so I pat dry the loaf with paper towel then I cut into 1/3 & he gets 1/3 of a can & I put the rest in bowl cling wrap bowl & put in fridge Patch does firm poos on the R/C Gastro Low Fat wet can & 5 yrs ago when he ate the R/C Gastro Low Fat he had diarrhea, so sometimes you have to re try foods or wet can or kibbles again cause sometimes its not the ingredients they are reacting too… its something else wrong either their small bowel or large bowel in the beginning it was Patches small bowel S.I.B.O now its his large bowel….
I would start the B-12 weekly injection ASAP you can buy & do yourself, if you join “EPI” Canine face book group they can help & tell you which B-12 tablets to get from chemist & where to buy the B-12 liquid for injections, you can never over dose your dog with B-12′, if they’re feeling crap or have had diarrhea the B-12 can really help them feel heaps better, alot of the EPI dogs take B-12 injections or tablets, I was going to get the tablets for Patch as B-12 is good for them & us humans when we are run down & unwell…..

Try & work out does your boy do better when you cook & add pumkin a soluble fiber soluble fiber is very easy to digest & dissolves in water or does he do better eating Lentils & Chickpeas they’re Insoluble fiber & Soluble fiber food? My boy doesn’t do well on Lentils or Chickpeas he gets instead dirrahea that night if he has ate a kibble with lentils..
google foods that are soluble fiber & foods that are insoluble fibers?

Try & stay feeding the home cooked diet or try a limited ingredient Freeze Dried raw if you I’m slowly introducing a new freeze dried dehydrated raw free range diet we have in Australia called “Frontier Pets” they’re small balls & you add warm water, so many dogs that can’t eat & have IBD symptoms are doing really well on this free range, dehydrated Frontier Pets dog food, it has no lentils, no chickpeas like most of these new grain free foods have now & my Patch is doing firmer poos then what he does when he’s just eating his Wellness Kibble…
I have to feed my boy dry kibble for some of his meals cause his sphincter flap isnt closing now & his food comes back up his esophagus into his mouth causing bad acid reflux, then sometimes the acid goes into his wind pipe & he becomes so unwell, cries, whinges, its awful to watch him when he becames so unwell, I wanted to put him down in January out of his pain, these last 5-6 yrs Ive tried everything & something always seem to work, I had him on Taste Of The Wild, Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb the Australian formula, has no chickpeas or lentils like the American TOTW formula’s have…. I could always fall back onto his TOTW if he started to do cow patty poos again when I was rotating his kibbles his vet said cow paddy poos is the large bowel where yellow sloppy poos is a small bowel problem but when he stopped eating it in December I had no kibbles that I knew worked & didnt iratate his IBD, his vet said please wait 1-2 months before we put Patch to sleep, his environment allergies are real bad at the moment & have put his immune system into over drive, we had just moved as well, so I didnt put him to sleep plus I couldnt do it, I just wanted more help, I wanted a miracle but vets cant always help the dog sometimes no matter how good my vet is, she always tells me Patch is her favorite & she always thinks & wonders how is he going when she doesnt see us but she said she knows he must be doing better cause I havent come…
Have you tried Metronidazole (Flagyl) tablets when he become unwell with vomiting & diarrhea/sloppy poo’s, I have Metronidazole in the cupboard with repeat scripts so I can just go chemist & get them out if I need them saving at $60 vet visit & as soon as I see he’s becoming unwell doing sloppy poos, vomiting or when Im introducing a new food, I put him on the Metronidazole for 14-21 days it helps him, Metronidazole has an anti inflammatory & antibiotic in it, so it helps a few health problems…
With a dry kibble, I’m feeding Wellness Core Large Breed at the moment even though Patch isnt a large breed dog, he’s a senior & when I email Wellness they said yes their Large Breed formula’s are OK to feed a senior dogs, they are high Glucosamine & Chondroitin for their joints & high in DHA, Patch is small to medium English Staffy weights about 40lb -18kgs, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is high protein-34%, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, then potatoes, peas, Patch can’t eat chicken he gets red paws but I had no other kibbles left to feed him & the man at Pet Barn said, if anything happens just bring it back all dogs food are money back Guaranteed, I got the 5,4kg bag 1/2 price $40 so I tried it, Patches paws went red but his stomach became better, he had no acid reflux, poos firmed up not 100% firm in the beginning but better then when he was eating a kibble that had grains, I can pick his poos up now on our walk & not leave a poo stamp on the grass, Wellness Core Large Breed is low-med fat-13%max, low Kcals-345 per cup, carbohydrates are 31% you must read the Kcals per cup when looking for a kibble, stay under 360Kcals per cup the higher the Kcals the more dense the food & harder to digest…
also have you tried giving your boy a acid reducer? Patch was taking Losec-(Omeprazole) for 2 yrs then this year I change it to Somac (Pantoprazole) what i take & he stopped eating grass everyday so he mustnt feel sick as much now, sometimes you have to do things yourself when you know in your heart what the vet is doing & advising you isnt helping your dog, & I saw my vet & she now wrote me repeat scripts so I can get the Pantopraozole from chemist cause the vets dont have Pantoprazole in Australia, Pantoprazole is used by American vets… but know if my vet & Patches other vet that does his Endoscopes & Biopsies see a dog like PAtch & cant work out what to do with the dogs bad acid reflux they can rememeber what we did with Patch & touch wood he seems to be getting better he has some bad days but I have his acid reflux under control no & I really want him on this Dehyrated free range, grain free food..
Try the new food just for 1 of his meals, thats what I do now, I feed new food for his lunch 12pm this way Patch has his kibble from breakfast 7am in stomach & small bowel then he eats something different for lunch a small meal then he gets his dinner 5pm kibble again & it seems to work for Patch when Im introducing a new food he gets it at luch time cause you can’t mix kibble & dehydrated raw wet food with a dry kibble, it would probably upset Patches stomach & the Holistic Vet Kathy that help formulate this new Frontier Pets dehydrated raw dog food droped off Patches new food + some samples to try & she said take baby steps, it took 1 of her patient dogs Bernie 6 months to get him onto the Frontier Pets, he was doing well then when down hill but yiou just restart again she said search for “Frontier Pets” on facebook & scroll down, look for Bernies Story” Italian Greyhound story, it will give you some hope…

[anonymous]

For best results go to a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Food allergies are rare. Food sensitivities fluctuate.
More often than not environmental allergies are the culprit.
The only accurate test for that is intradermal skin testing. The most natural treatment for environmental allergies is allergen specific immunotherapy otherwise known as allergy shots or desensitization.

See my posts, example /forums/topic/hes-got-good-and-environmental-allergies/#post-113364

[Channey T]

I am in the same boat right now and it is so difficult to see my dog like this. Last year, I thought it was bad and it has only gotten worse. He’s been miserable for the past year and I don’t know how I can help him. I want him to get better as natural and holistically as possible. We tried cooking him food at home instead of the prescribed vet diet for dogs with allergies (Ultramino) and haven’t seen any real improvement. I feel like the medicine that we’ve been giving him is only making his body more weak, his posture has changed dramatically in the last year and his bones seem brittle. We have another Frenchie and he is a solid burly dog so seeing the difference between the two of them is huge. Every time we go to the vet, I feel like we are just tossing our money at them with no real solution. We love our dog so much and we just want to make him better, if anybody has any recommendations on what we should do, let us know. Looking forward to hear from you.

[anonymous]

Yep, welcome to pet care, nowadays.
I also have a maxed out credit card related to veterinary bills. I gave up cable and eating out for my dog with allergies.

My vet said, next time get pet insurance, he plans to get it himself for his next pet.
At present, I have a dog that needs cataract surgery, it’s a long story but she is not adjusting to blindness very well.
Poorhouse here we come!

PS: Explain your financial situation to your vet, maybe something can be worked out

[Susan]

Hi Sandra,

Have you look at different diets, cooked, raw, wet can, freeze dried, air dried, what are their symptoms?
Have you done a food elimination diet?
until you work out what both your dogs can & can’t eat, you’ll be going around in circles & getting no where, or work out if they need more fiber or less fiber?? that’s easy, start adding boiled pumkin 1-2 spoons to one of their meals & not to the other meal & see if poo is firmer from the added pumkin meal. Poo will be a bit more orange..

I did the same with my boy, he didnt seem to do well on no kibbles when I first rescued him, turned out to have IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies finally after 5yrs I’ve worked out his kibble needs to be higher in protein, low in fat & low in fiber %, less carbs & more meat & the Wellness Core Large Breed seem to agree with him maybe your dogs are the same…need more meat proteins & less carbs, I also feed dehydrated raw for 1 of his meals, I’m trying to get him off kibble he has too many stomach problems on dry kibble.

Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large breed kibble, its money back guaranteed if it doesnt agree with your dogs, that’s why I tried it + I had run out of dry kibbles to try on Patch, it does have potato but its very high in meat protein, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients then a carb as 4th ingredient.
low in fat & fiber & only 30% carbs & only 346Kcals per cup so easier to digest, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble, so kibble is harder to digest.

It may not be the ingredients they are reacting too? maybe the fiber, fat & protein percentages may not be agreeing with them in the kibbles you’ve tried?…

*Wellness Core Large Breed formula,
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Dried Ground Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Pea Fiber, Potassium Chloride, Spinach, Broccoli, Vitamin E Supplement, Carrots, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Zinc Proteinate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
This is a naturally preserved product.
low in fat & fiber & only 30% carbs 346Kcals per cup,
it may not be the ingredients they are reacting too?? the fiber %, fat % & protein percentages may not be agreeing with them…

PROXIMATES:
MOISTURE
PROTEIN 34.17
FAT 12.88
CARBOHYDRATES 30.66
FIBER 4.89
ASH 7.56
AMINO ACIDS:
ARGININE 2.64
HISTIDINE 0.77
ISOLEUCINE 1.34
LEUCINE 2.20
LYSINE 1.98
MET + CYS 0.94
METHIONINE 0.57
PHE + TYR 2.40
PHENYLALANINE 1.37
THREONINE 1.31
TRYPTOPHAN 0.40
VALINE 1.53
FATTY ACIDS:
LINOLEIC ACID 2.19
ARACHIDONIC ACID 0.08
MINERALS:
CALCIUM 1.61
PHOSPHORUS 1.12
POTASSIUM 0.96
SODIUM 0.22
CHLORIDE 0.40
MAGNESIUM 0.17
IRON 254.27
COPPER 2.35
MANGANESE 2.82
ZINC 20.17
IODINE 0.29
SELENIUM 0.05
VITAMINS & OTHERS:
VITAMIN A 1,144.24 VITAMIN D3 84.63 VITAMIN E 62.67
VITAMIN K N/A THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) 0.33 RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2) 0.76 PANTOTHENIC ACID 2.40
NIACIN 7.50
PYRIDOXINE 0.49
FOLIC ACID 23.44
BIOTIN 0.58 VITAMIN B12 7.96 CHOLINE 152.33
TAURINE 0.01
1 cup (g) 98
kcal/kg ME 3,540
kcal/cup 346
kcalories Total %
kcal- Protein 1,220 35.6%
kcal- Fat 1,117 32.5%
kcal- Carbohydrates 1,095 31.9%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 1.00%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3.25%
Other Total per cup
Glucosamine Hydrochloride 750 mg/kg 73.3 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate 250 mg/kg 24.4 mg

[Lisa C]

Sorry if this is a duplicate message… Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free – adult dry. (Specifically Duck & Sweet Potato Recipe). I see a canned version, but not the dry – curious how it rates with you guys. Been feeding it for a month now and it’s helped with allergies.

[Martha W]

My 3 year old cockapoo has had chronic gastroenteritis since she was a puppy. Her symptoms have escalated in frequency and drama: lethargy, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, seizures. We’ve switched her food several times suspecting allergies: from chicken to rabbit to turkey/sweet potato and now kangaroo! All food has been purchased through the vet. The one consistent thing in her diet has been CET Hextra Chews, recommended by the vet for oral hygiene. She hasn’t had one in three weeks, after the last horrible week long gastro incident. And she has been fine.
I’m beginning to suspect that the chews have been the culprit all along.
I think very highly of the vet we go to, but it seems reading this posting, some dogs just can’t digest the Virbac CET Hextra chews.
Too bad, as she adored them.
Now she doesn’t have any treats at all, which feels a bit cruel.
If anyone can recommend a safe treat I would appreciate it.

[Blaire S]

I used to bathe my german shepherd anywhere from 5 to 10 days, depending on itchiness. I used a sulfur shampoo for dogs, but head & shoulders dry scalp worked also. Back then, there was a spray called Gentocin that really helped his hot spots and feet. I think there is a new, better product. When his skin began to ooze and get pink (not a full on hot spot) one spray and in 20 minutes it calmed down.
I also did a skin test for allergies, I think it helped but not cheap. At least it gave me a tool for label reading!

[Lisa H]

Hi!

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

Thank you!!

[anonymous]

“I feed her Acana and Orijen mostly but I remembered when she was a pup she mostly ate raw and didn’t have any issues at all”

That’s because allergies don’t tend to show up till later (age 1-4) and they tend to get worse with age.

Diet has nothing to with yeast, yeast is caused due to a breakdown in the immune system, same with the skin infections and ear infections.
I’m not a scientist, the dermatologist can explain it more clearly.

[anonymous]

For the best results, make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist.
Here is a good article about what you might be looking at, keep in mind there are even newer treatment options than when this article was written
http://www.nevetdermatology.com/canine-atopic-dermatitis-treatment/
/forums/topic/allergies-and-itchy-dogs/
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

[John B]

I sent you a question 3-4 days ago regarding my golden retriever shepherd mix with major allergies. You responded Friday/ Saturday last week. Unfortunately, I losing your response before I could read it and cannot now locate it. Could you resend your earlier reply? Thanks.

John Bodine (jdbodine)

[anonymous]

“We were considering going back and pursuing a request for a dermatologist, or at least restarting the Cytopoint injections”.

Sounds good. Best of luck

PS: The grass eating may be related to his environmental allergies. Environmental allergies can also play havoc with the gastrointestinal system. He is probably eating the grass in an attempt to alleviate an upset stomach, nausea and such.
Also, most supplements are a waste of money.
Regarding that solid gold supplement, did you read the ingredients?
A fish oil capsule would do the same thing (check with your vet first)

[Anonymous]

Hi, again, Nancy

Yes, I understand about pancreatitis — my female has it, and we know all about watching the fat intake. The Wellness Core Tender Bites that I have been feeding my pups for about 5 weeks has 21% crude fat, versus the 6% or so in the canned foods (also Wellness Core) I was feeding. But — I’m happy to report — absolutely no problems so far. And I have not had to throw any of the Tender Bites away, whereas I tossed TONS of the canned foods away, uneaten. I was making a lot of my own dog food from chicken breasts (baked), carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. The pups ate this, but not with gusto. I also give them two Nutri-Vet senior vitamin tabs a day. But, so far, they’ve been doing really well on the Tender Bites (but I still offer the canned), which are 70% raw, gently dried.

I should mention that my male pup is sensitive to wheat — it was a long process to determine this, as it was by trial and error. When I avoid wheat in both food and treats, he does really well. I took him to a dermatologist several years ago (he’s 11), but they didn’t test for food allergies. Why???? So I had to do my own food testing. Many dog food products are “grain free” in the last many years, so it’s relatively easy to avoid wheat. Treats are the worse offenders. You might want to try staying away from wheat for awhile to see if this is a problem for your Schnauzers. My male is the one on Apoquel for various other allergies — Apoquel was a LIFE CHANGER!

My pups are mixed breed, but predominately Jack Russell terriers. They are litter-mates, but soooooooo different health-wise. The female has pancreatitis, but no other health issues. The male has diabetes, cataracts (he had surgery for this), and lots of allergies. We have only ever fed them premium foods recommended by DogFoodAdvisor, with the exception of Dr. Marty’s, which I bought from the infomercial.

Stay in touch, Nancy. Best of luck with your food search.

[Charles B]

Wow my spelling was horrible in my first post… Blame my phone.

Anyway, Tex has always been a grass eater. And he has a stomach of steel. We don’t believe he has stomach upset. Ive treid giving him some doggie supplements to help regulate him, but saw no change at all. We actually just tried the SeaMeal from SolidGold, and that makes his allergies much much worse.
https://www.solidgoldpet.com/product/seameal/

When we first took foster the vet perscribed us creams, cleaning wipes, and powders for him. When we cleared his infection we went through a different allergy med every 3 weeks for about 3 months. We did get a Cytopoint Injection. It lasted for about 2 weeks and then we were back to severe itching. On the injection the itching never fully subsided, but i was improved. The Apoquel works, and it works very well. He does get blood work every 6 months to monitor on it.

We were considering going back and pursuing a request for a dermatologist, or atleast restarting the Cytopoint injections.

[anonymous]

Please visit a board certified veterinarian asap for testing/diagnosis/treatment.

It’s been a year/4 seasons without significant results by the regular vet.

Do not give over the counter meds/supplements or apply ointments, creams that are not intended for veterinary use unless advised to do so by a veterinarian that has examined your dog.
See my posts:
/forums/search/atopic+dermatitis/

Intradermal skin testing done by a veterinary dermatologist.
/forums/search/environmental+allergies/
Good luck
PS: The initial testing can run about $800. the solution for allergen specific immunotherapy can run about $200 or more maybe 3 times a year. We just see the dermatologist once a year for a checkup. Otherwise he is available by phone and will talk to the regular vet if need be.
The treatment is lifelong, but it is natural, similar to the allergy shots people get to desensitize. No prednisone. Don’t get me wrong, it can take up to a year to kick in, but we saw results right away. They can still have flare-ups but they tend to be mild.

[Susan]

Hi
There’s Vet Diet “Royal Canine” Select Protein, Potato & Rabbit dry kibble & Wet can food
also look at “Ziwi Peak” has a Rabbit air dried formula & Rabbit wet tin raw food. https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “Rayne” Clinical USA, Kangaroo, Rabbit or Crocodile formula’s..
It’s best you do your own raw elimination diet, that’s what I did with my boy 4yrs ago…

These salvia, blood or fur testing are not accurate, they give false positives, the only way 100% is to do a food elimination diet, normally dogs have food sensitivities, food allergies are very rare & the dog normally has IBD symptoms when he has food allergies….

[Susan]

Hi Charles,
sounds like my boy he’s part cow as well, Patch has IBD, Evironment Allergies & Food Sensitivities, Patch has stopped eating heaps of grass these last 2months since I changed his medication for his acid reflux, I think the Prilosec was making him feel sick & then he’d eat & eat grass, also after he ate certain kibbles like TOTW he’d go outside & eat heaps of grass, since I changed his diet most of the grass eating has stopped, his vet said only let him eat about 1 min worth of grass then stop him, when he eats too much grass it was causing diarrhea, the grass clears him out also too much long grass can get tangled causing a blockage, I watch a Vet TV show & there was a Labrador he did the same would eat & eat grass all day long then 1 afternoon the dogs mum came home early from work lucky cause she noticed her dog he didn’t come to great her like he normally does when she comes home, she found him in real bad pain outside, she rushed him to the vets & he had bloat, when vet operated he found what look like a big ball of wool but it was a big ball of grass all tangled together in his bowel vet removed it…..
now I make sure Patch doesnt go over board with his grass eating, he only eats & eats grass if something is really wrong with his stomach/bowel then I bring him inside & give him 5mls Mylanta or a Quick Eze & he feels better then goes to sleep, are you sure your dog isn’t feeling unwell in stomach? has he always been a heavy grass eater?

I have found baths the best as soon as Patch is really bad with itchy skin & red itchy paws normally around every 5 days thru the hotter months he gets a bath in Malaseb medicated shampoo, the bath & Malaseb relieves his itch & washes off any allergens on his paws & skin, when I dont feel like bathing him, I ge the baby wipes Coconut Oil or the Cucumber & Aloe wipes & wipe him down & wipe his paws, this Summer in Australia was the worst Summer I’ve had with Patches allergies, I dont know if its cause we moved, vet said it is & we dont have CADI injection yet in Australia…..
Have a look at “Cytopoint Injections” given every 4-8 weeks depending on dog & his allergies, Zoetisus are the makers of Apoquel make Cytopoint after so many dogs were having side effects with the Apoquel, Cytopoint is suppose to have less side effects, you could give it a try & see..
https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/cytopoint/

[Charles B]

Over the past year we have fostered and adopted a Golden that’s got some pretty nasty allergies.

We have him eating Zignature Kahatoo and Venison. I see that a Goat and Quail just came out. Hoping to try theses as well.

Anyway he does have some food sensitivities, and when he came to use on Kirkland Grain Free Chicken he was a walking Yeast infection. We got that sorted and after lots of trial and error got him on his current food. It’s still not perfect, and if we give him the wrong treat he’ll start kicking st his face and lick between his toes till they bleed.

He loves being outside sun bathing in the grass. He also loves to eat grass. He’s part cow. He will bathe, grab a mouthful of grass, then roll on his bag chewing till he’s ready for some more.

He’s been on Apoquel for 7-9 months now off and on. On a good day we can give 8mg and be fine. On a bad day we are on 32mg a day. Now that spring is here we are on 16 morning to deal with the allergies.

Is there another route we should be perusing? We can’t force him to stop eating grass so we would like to figure another way around it.

Apoquel is $2.39 a day for us, do $71 a month in pills.

[anonymous]

For best results go to a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Food allergies are rare. Food sensitivities fluctuate.
More often than not environmental allergies are the culprit.
The only accurate test for that is intradermal skin testing. The most natural treatment for environmental allergies is allergen specific immunotherapy otherwise known as allergy shots or desensitization.
For a grain free limited ingredient food consider Zignature whitefish or Nutrisca salmon.

[pitlove]

Hi Jo C-

There is no accurate test out there for food allergies. The serum testing is notorious for false positives and false negatives.

Each of those are different immunoglobulins in the body that are responsible for setting off certain histamine reactions. This SHOULD have been explained to you by the doctor that did the testing, but clearly it was not which makes these results useless as you can’t interpert them well.

If you want to do this correctly, you will need to start over and conduct a proper elimination diet. It is the gold standard for accessing food allergies. An elimination diet can be done a couple different ways.

Option 1: A home cooked diet of a single novel protein (something your dog has never had before) and a single carbohydrate (again, one your dog has never had before). This is to be the SOLE diet for 3 months. No treats, no table scraps, no flavored medications, no food from other pets, no dental chews, nothing at all but the diet.

Option 2: A commercially prepared hydrolyzed protein diet from the vet’s office. Same rules apply here. With these diets the protein molecules are so small that the bodys immune system does not recognize them as a threat and will not form a histamine reaction.

Once the 3 months is up, you can then do a food challenge and reintroduce the old food to see if the symptoms come back. If the dog is positive for food allergies, he/she should have improved over the course of the elimination trial. If the allergies are due to something in the environment, its likely no change in symptoms would occur.

This is very hard to do for most pet owners, but when done correctly will give you a definite answer as to if the dog has food allergies. Sorry, to say, but I would throw out your results from the serum test and see if you can get your money back. There has been an overwhelming amount of research proving that the reliability of those tests is very low.

[Jo C]

Hello everyone so I had my dog allergy tested & turns out he’s allergic to most things & finding commercial food he can eat is proving pretty hard as is purchasing the food he’s not allergic to.

The only meat he is not allergic to is Rabbit
The only other foods are potato, oat & barley.
Would seem as though Rabbit is not ised in most pet food anymore or stocked in Butchers. (Im in UK)

I’m wondering if anyone could help explain the meaning of the results like what is IgE & IgG

Something’s he tested positive IgG & not IgE

For example for beef his results were IgE 0 IgG 1

Thanks everyone.

[Anonymous]

Hello, Joanne! I appreciate your kindness. I’m sorry you and your pooch are having to endure chemo, but am happy it’s available, aren’t you? Your pup has a wonderful Mommy for going to the time and expense of extending his (her?) life and/or making him more comfortable. Regarding your other pooch with the skin problems, up until a couple years ago, one of my pups had almost no hair in the summertime due to itchiness and rubbing due to allergies. He would get a few months relief in the winter, but the rest of the time he was on heavy antihistamines to get by. Then our vet put him on what was a new drug then: Apoquel. His hair grew back and he has absolutely NO itching year-round. He only has to take the med from April through about Thanksgiving here in Texas. You might want to ask your vet about this drug and if it might be appropriate for your pup. Our female had similar hair loss problems after she was put on estrogen to help her with slight incontinence. No itching, but terrible hair loss. After taking her off the estrogen, her hair came back. Is your dog taking estrogen? Hope Apoquel is the answer to your problem, and best of luck with the lymphoma. The Wellness Core Tender Bites are small bags and may still not be your answer for two 130 pound pups, as it is about $28/2lb bag. Perhaps you won’t need the Tender Bites if Apoquel helps with the skin problem. WOOF!

[Susan]

Hi Hronn,
like CockerlierMon has posted just feed the Hills Z/d nothing else & see does he start getting better?? Vet diets are high in Omega 3 so skin should start to improve, the only way to find out what foods your dog can eat is to do a food elimination diet, he eats 1 meat protein & 1 carb for 6-8 weeks if he has no reaction diarrhea, sloppy poos, wind, farts, itchy smelly yeasty skin, itchy ears, shaking head/ears, red itchy paws, etc then you introduce another new ingredient for 6 weeks see how he goes, does he react?
You can do food elimination diet with the Hills Z/d formula wet or dry formula’s or there’s Hills D/D formula you can try if the Hills Z/d doesn’t work for him, it takes time doing food elimination diet but you will know 100% what ingredients he can & can’t eat..
See how he does on the Hills Z/D, the Z/d didn’t work for my boy, it has Corn Starch & my boy reacts to corn he gets red paws & his skin started to smell yeasty & he became real itchy, Hills is money back guaranteed so if your boy starts having diarrhea, yeasty itchy skin, or gets worse like my boy did then you can take back for refund or try another vet diet like “Royal Canine” Hypoallergenic HP…My dog was put on the Z/d for his IBD & then he started having his yeasty smelly paws & skin…
What symptoms is your dog having? Intestinal problems, skin problems or both?
are you bathing weekly in a medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens on skin, paws etc, baths are really good & relieves itchy skin & paws, I also use creams on paws & around mouth anywhere thats red & itchy I apply cream to stop the itch & reduce the reddness, I use Cortisone 1% cream at night before bed & of a morning before our walk I use “Sudocrem” Sudocrem is a anti bacterial, anti fungul thick healing cream for Dermatitis, Eczema, Nappy Rash, protects the skin & paws…
If you boy can handle Lentils, Chickpeas & Peas (Diarrhea/sloppy poos, wind/farts) then the dry kibble Nutram looks very good, but it has alot of ingredients, he needs a dry kibble that has limited ingredients, 1 meat protein & 1-2 carbs so there’s less ingredients for him to react too….
Can you feed a raw diet or cooked diet? this would be best, if the Hills Z/d makes him better then after 8 weeks just eating the Hills Z/d then start introducing 1 new ingredient with the Z/d food or for lunch feed this new 1 cooked ingredient for 6 weeks then after 6 weeks if he doesnt react then add another new ingredient then you can cook 1 meal with these ingredients he can eat & didnt react & feed the Hills Z/d for his other meal.
Baby steps, do it slowley & keep a diary, write down what your doing, he might have both food sensitivities & environment allergies, if he’s having Intestinal problems & itchy smelly skin, paws…

[CockalierMom]

As haleycookie mentioned, the only accurate way to determine food allergies/sensitivities is through an elimination diet and Hill’s ZD is the perfect food to start that with. If your vet did not discuss with you, then for 12 weeks only feed the Hill’s ZD with absolutely no other food. If you need to give treats then use the kibble, or buy the ZD treats. After 12 weeks and no issues, then slowly introduce a new food to see is there is a reaction. This is how a proper elimination diet is done so please discuss this with your vet. If you can find foods where there is not a reaction, then you will have other choices, but do the full 12 weeks before considering adding another food.

[anonymous]

Okay, so the blood test.

Intradermal skin testing done by a veterinary dermatologist is the most accurate way to test for environmental allergies.

I suspect the test you had done detects sensitivities and not true allergies.
Check with your vet.

Per the search engine: http://www.nevetdermatology.com/canine-atopic-dermatitis-treatment/
/forums/topic/allergies-and-itchy-dogs/
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

[anonymous]

What test did you use?

Because even if I was to believe it was accurate (I don’t) it would be impossible to avoid all those ingredients in any commercial dog food.
The prescription food goes through a process so the dog does not react to the allergens.

Do you mean food sensitivities as opposed to allergies?
Because food allergies are rare and food sensitivities tend to fluctuate.

If his problems continue I would go to a veterinary dermatologist for testing/diagnosis/treatment. I think you would get much better results.

[Leslie K]

Westie has always had sensitive stomach with occasional bile vomit and refusing of food. Only occurs in early morning accompanied by noisy stomach / intestines. In the last month has been virtually every morning. Murphy is 14 yrs old and has been on a twice a day feeding of prey type raw diet his entire life which eliminated skin allergies.
Have tried splitting his dinner and giving 2nd portion before bed as well as just giving him some sweet potato or 1/2 slice of bread at bedtime. That works occasionally but not enough. Any suggestions on what my senior boy might need in his elder years to make it through the night without waking with stomach distress? Maybe probiotics?

[Kimberly S]

Kathy B, I also have a large breed with recurring UTI’s and I am very encouraged by your post. I did have one question for you though, my dog also has allergies to grain, is Zignature a grain-free food? Also, are all of Zignature’s ingredients have the cranberries or is it a certain label I should look for?
Thank you for giving me hope to an endless battle.
Kimberly S

[Susan]

Hi Patty,
are you walking her daily, throwing a ball in the yard or park for 20mins X 3 times a day? Excerise will help her lose weight, get her into a routine with her excerising, eat meals the same time, feed 3 small meals a day, if she is hungry then start adding beans with her raw food or as a treat, buy the frozen beans, make sure she goes on daily walks, same time everyday…
A raw diet does make the dog lose weight, cause they are not eating all those carbs that’s in dry processsed kibbles, they are eating what their bodies have been build to eat, raw food, a dog has a short digestive tract made to quickly digest raw meat & move quickly into the small bowel before any bacteria starts to breed, the raw meat moves thru the stomach quickly into the small bowel then large bowel then poo…
A raw diet is healthier, higher in protein & higher fat what a dog needs….
I’ve just started my 9yr boy on Dehydrated Raw Diet. “Frontier Pets” due to declining health, I have to try everything before I put him to sleep, I just wish I started him on this dehydrated raw diet earlier when it came out… I know in the past my boy lost weight when he was eating a home made raw diet, I didnt want him to lose weight, I had to increase his raw diet to keep his weight on, the home made raw diet stopped his yeasty smelly skin, stopped his red paws, then I started a raw elimination diet & found he can not eat chicken, it was the chicken causing his red paws & itchy smelly skin, he also suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies as well Spring & Summer & baths are best for environment allergies, you wash off the allergens that’s on their skin & paws……
Are you bathing her weekly or twice a week? or as soon as you see her really scratching, rolling around on carpet grass scratching herself give her a bath in a medicated shampoo, it will reduce her itchy skin & paws. I use “Malaseb” Medicated Shampoo for Patch, the Malaseb kills any bacteria or yeast on his skin & paws, relieves his itchy skin & red paws, puts moisture back into his skin & leaves him feeling so soft & silky.. Buy some Malaseb shampoo & start bathing weekly or every 5 days especially now Spring is here….
Look for a raw wet diet or dry air dried raw diet or dehydrated raw diet & stop the Wellness Core dry kibble, if you have 1/4 to 1/2 a bag of the Core then take it back to pet shop & buy her some more raw food, just feed her the raw diet for 1 month & you will see a difference, have you looked at Ziwi Peak air dried & wet can food raw? Ziwi Peak has limited ingredients & good for dogs who have food sensitivities & environment allergies, You don’t need to feed as much as you do with the dry kibble, the 1/2 a cup comes in the Ziwi Peak bag, here’s their site https://www.ziwipets.com/ contact Ziwi Peak if you have any questions.

[anonymous]

Please consult a veterinary dermatologist. Your dog is young, environmental allergies get worse with age, not better.

See my posts on the topic. /forums/search/environmental+allergies/

[patty S]

She has dry skin and scratches all the time. I have tried a homeopathic treatment for itching cuased by environmental allergies but so far there is only a slight improvement. The vet did give her a shot last year that worked great for the itching but I hate to keep using that as my research showed it wasn’t a great choice. I do give her coconut oil. I am at my wits end. I tried the raw diet and she likes it and is healthy except overweight still. Anyway, thank you.
Patty

[anonymous]

Maybe the milk thistle is causing gastrointestinal upset an/or allergies.
Some information here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2011/04/milk-thistle-in-dogs-and-cats/
See the comments too.

I like Zignature or Nutrisca as a base for dog food, I always add something like a bit chopped boiled chicken meat or something and a little water.
I have heard good things about Pro Plan Focus for sensitive skin and stomach.

Hope these articles help. When you do “research” you are going to get all kinds of opinions.
Homeopathic veterinarians have very different views on diet than traditional veterinarians.
So you will get a lot of conflicting information, and some of it will not be accurate.
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/