[Pittiemama]

So I’ve never posted here before but have read and looked around a lot. I have a fair amount of knowledge regarding canine health and have had dogs for 25 years. Right now I’m facing a sad situation. My 5 year old rescue American Staffordshire Terrier has kidney failure. I adopted him nearly 2 years ago from our local shelter without knowing he had health issues but honestly I would’ve taken him no matter what, you know how that it is. I fell in love on sight! Anyway, he’s always had a questionable USG and it was at 1.019 when I adopted him as I had baseline blood work and urine done right after getting him. It fluctuates between 1.014-1.019. Since it wasn’t super low all the time and his other blood work looked normal no one really knew but had suspicions, as he was a big water drinker, much more so than my previous dogs. Now I’ve had him almost two years and his creatinine is creeping up. His BUN is 23 and creatinine is 2.2, it was 1.7 a month ago and 1.4 when I got him so it was never really, really low as the high end of normal from our laboratory is 1.6. His BUN is fine so far, thankfully. He had an ultrasound for a UTI he had about 8 months or so ago. It showed a kidney that looked a little weird but nothing to write home about, needless to say he a urinalysis, culture and a couple of rounds of antibiotics to kick it and be sure that if it was a pylonephritis the antibiotics would kill all the little bacteria that may be hiding, this was a suspicion as his creatinine was creeping up. If you looked at him, you wouldn’t even know he had an issue. He’s beautiful with a gorgeous coat, good weight, eats like a champ, good energy for a big, lazy pittie 🙂

Anyway, long story kind of short, here I sit broken hearted. He is a lovely animal with a ton of life ahead but I know how these things can go. He also has allergies so prescription diet isn’t the answer and you know it has some ingredients that I’m not thrilled about but the diets have their place and can be very important (this is solely my opinion that I don’t wish to debate at all nor pass judgement on anyone really as it’s not even an option.)

I’m very fortunate have an amazing team of veterinary professionals whom I know both professionally and personally who I love and deeply respect in my corner which is worth it’s weight in gold.

Here are my questions to you all, have any of you used supplements to support kidney function? He’s currently not taking any. Food? He eats dehydrated food, Brave by Honest Kitchen and really loves it. Have you worked with a Naturopath for kidney disease? I worked with a herbalist for one of my pitties many years ago who had mast cell cancer. Along with my vet, this may helped by dog live for 21 months instead of the 3 months we were given with him so I’ve seen how it can really help prolong a healthy, happy life. I have also worked with an acupuncturist for skeletal pain in a couple of my dogs. I’ve, happily, not had the experience working with a Naturopath for kidney disease until possibly now so frankly my experience in that arena is limited to the more traditional western side.

It’s long but if you got to this point, thanks and I look forward to hearing about your experiences 🙂

[Juanita B]

Go to AllergicPet.com A lot of positive results for all types of issues. I use the oil and spray on my dog and it helps but I just use it on his paws. There is also a powder to put in the food. Review. You might like it. All natural ingredients.

The allergies are not the food but the protein in the food. The brand also makes a difference. A dog may be allergic to one protein and not allergic to another protein in another brand depending on the combination of ingredients and other proteins interacting with each other. A neighbor of mine uses Zignature for her dog. The only thing I do not like about Zignature is although it stops the itching and there are no synthetic vitamins it appears it doesn’t have all the necessary nutrients in it but I might be wrong. The allergies could be environmental too. My dog is itching a lot this time because he keeps laying by the heater and maybe he has dry skin. I purchased Furminator itch relief shampoo; other than mild surfactants it has all natural ingredients. I also put a Furminator (all natural) conditioner on it afterward. It is not a cure but it helps. There is also tearless puppy shampoo. There are no parabens and no chemical dyes and is made in the United States. Go to furminator.com or amazon.com. Maybe chewy.com sells it too. I get mine from PetSmart.

[Juanita B]

My American Pit Bull Terrier has allergies too.

I have head wonders on Zignature (go to chewy.com and read the reviews) but it has peas in it and my dog quit itching but there is a lot of alfala for my dog. He is 2 1/2 now and has allegories since he was a puppy so I know what you are going through. I was just advised by a nutritionist to try Origen Tundra and all food must have absolutely no chicken of any type and no eggs. She also mentioned Acana Lamb and Apple but that has canola oil in it and that is made from a toxic plant. http://breathing.com/articles/canola-oil.htm

Go to http://www.orijen.ca/products/dog-food/dry-dog-food/tundra/ Don’t just go by the ingredients below; look at everything such an amino acids and other ingredients. I do not see anything your dog is allegeric to except peas but that is not on the top five ingredients. My dog is very sensitive and picky and he loves this especially with the freeze dry crumbled on it. I also add Answer’s raw goat’s milk which is supposed to help allegories. I don’t know the results yet. It has only been one week. I have noticed that his stool is better.

INGREDIENTS
Goat*, venison*, mutton*, bison*, whole arctic char*, rabbit*, duck*, whole steelhead trout*, whole pilchard*, whole alaskan cod*, goat meal, venison meal, alaskan cod meal, mutton meal, blue whiting meal, red lentils, green peas, duck fat, herring meal, pollock meal, garbanzo beans, yellow peas, alfalfa, dried kelp, pumpkin*, squash*, cod liver*, goat tripe*, goat liver*, mutton liver*, mutton tripe*, venison liver*, venison tripe*, carrots*, spinach*, apples*, pears*, cranberries*, freeze-dried elk liver, freeze-dried venison liver, freeze-dried bison liver, freeze-dried goat liver, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), juniper berries, rose fruit, dandelion root, elder flowers, marigold, dried chicory root, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

[anonymously]

Food sensitivities (food allergies are rare) usually result in GI disturbances, such as vomiting and diarrhea, not pruritus.

In my opinion, a visit to the vet is in order. There are a variety of things that could cause the symptoms you have described. Only a veterinarian that has examined your dog and has done some testing can diagnose.

Use the search engine here and look up “allergies” you may find some helpful information.

[anonymously]

What medication are you talking about? Frequent bathing at least once a week with a shampoo like Malaseb, unless your vet advises differently, might help.
My dog with environmental allergies and a sensitive stomach does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (dry and canned) as a base. Check Chewy.com for prices and delivery.

Check the search engine here for “allergies” you may find some helpful tips.

[Mariana A]

Hi, I’m from Portugal and I have a 4 year old Bull Terrier bitch, with mite allergies, so she has to take a medicine for the rest of her life.
I give her Orijin food, and I change the flavours every 2 months, because she gets sick of eating the same.
Am I giving her the right food ?
I just wanted to ear some feedback.

Thank you
Mariana

[Lisa C]

Tundra is a beautiful kibble. Pricey, but beautiful. I agree with Pitlove that “novel” proteins should be used in place of other more “traditional” proteins that may be causing health issues, mainly allergies.

I have my Dane/Coonhound, Fluke, on Tundra because it is the only Acana or Orijen formula that does not use rosemary. Fluke has idiopathic epilepsy and rosemary (and other mint family plants) are not recommended.

[Barbara K M]

My 11 y/o Pembroke Welsh Corgi has had terrible skin allergies for the last 6-7 years, especially in the hot summer months. I believe these types of allergies have to be related to diet, so I did lots of research and decided to try him on Fromm’s Gold. He’s been on it for about 6 months. Wow, what a difference! No more itchy spots, sores from scratching and excessive shedding! His skin is healthy, less shedding, shiney, healthy hair! He has more energy, and he’s just more lively and playful! I highly recommend Fromm’s Gold! I had it auto-delivered every month from Chewy.com. Wonderful company! And no shipping charges. I also have 3 cats who have benefitted from switching to Fromm’s cat food. Hope this helps!

[anonymously]

“We assumed the grain allergy. However with Cystine stones, he has a genetic defect and cannot process animal protein”.

Don’t assume anything regarding allergies. Unless the dog has been examined and tested by a board certified dermatologist. http://www.acvd.org/

The diets recommended for struvite or calcium oxalate bladder stones may not apply to your dog, the type of stones he has require a specific diet and treatment (like the one your vet recommended).

I would work closely with your veterinarian or find a veterinarian that specializes in Internal Medicine, do you have a veterinary hospital in your area? Your dog has a serious condition, this is not a DIY (imo)
http://www.caninecystinuria.com/Treatment.html http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjotherstones.html#cystine

PS: Have you tried the search engine at this site? Lots of information on “allergies” and “bladder stones”

[Denise R]

Thank you! I will check out those websites & brands. I also figured I’d print out the list of recommended foods & cross reference to see what we can get locally. Then from there I can check bags. Our dog is 14 1/2 &’we’ve been dealing with these allergies for years. It wouldn’t be so bad if the df companies would just write “new formula” or something on the bag but I think that the majority of the time they change the formula to increase their profit margin as opposed to doing it for the benefit of the dog. One after the other has added soy to their formulas. It’s funny too that you would think the more a brand cost, the better it would be for the dog. A couple of the “better” foods that I was looking at did not make the list of recommended dog foods at all. (I.e. I’m referring to two rating lists available in this forum. One is a list of recommended dog foods and the other rates the foods on a sliding scale.)

[Denise R]

Our dog had blood tests that determined that she was allergic to peanuts, potatoes, & soybeans as well as environmental allergies such as grass & pollen. For a while we took her for regular allergy shots but gave up when we felt we had just as good control through close monitoring of her diet & she really didn’t like to spend time outside anyway (& she’s a Brittany😧). Throughout the years we have found that the dog food companies will change their formulas and not inform the consumer even by stating “new formula” on the bag. You can read the ingredients list 50x’s & the 1st time you buy it without reading the label there are changes. With recent changes we found ourselves looking for again another dog food. We did notice that a lot have peas in them now too. Our dog DID NOT do well on anything with peas. Whenever she gets something she is allergic to she will lick patches of her skin raw or her mouth will turn bright red & her eyes water. So my words of advice are that you need to read the ingredients every time. With this new shift to add peas we are again searching for a new dog food. But fortunately we have found that one of the more reputable dog foods on the market (that our dog could never eat) has changed its formula and our dogs are doing well on it. Our Brittany’s skin is healing nicely & they all seem to be doing well again. PS for years the only food that suited our dog was one of the cheapest ones on the market. While it kept her allergy free we did notice an absence of the benefits of a good dog food, nice fur, reduced stool/waste, etc.

[Charmaine T]

My dog has allergies as well. Unfortunately, when you try to find a single protein/carb diet, the highest rated foods will add something stupid like eggs or chicken fat, which are red flags to an allergy dog. Or they mix several proteins, which makes the feed no longer useable. I can’t feed my dog fish oils and have to give him omega 3’s via Flax Oil. My dog can’t tolerate raw. I may have to go to cooking to get around the issues with bagged food.

According to my dog’s dermatologist, the proteins to avoid are poultry (chicken and turkey) and lamb, since they have been overused in dog food. Duck, Rabbit, Kangaroo and Bison are considered “exotic” since they are not included in mainstream dog food. I’ve seen some brands offer water buffalo (Southeast Asia, India and China). Some of these manufacturers have got to learn that less is more. I will not feed Hills or Iams special diets from the vets. I keep hoping I can search this site to find a food that will meet my needs. Good luck to us all.

[anonymously]

Just curious. What type of allergy testing has led you to believe that your dog is allergic to peas?
Have you consulted a specialist? Have you ruled out environmental allergies via Intra Dermal Testing?

PS: My dog with environmental allergies and a sensitive stomach, does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea. She sees a specialist once a year and receives allergen specific immunotherapy with excellent results. She eats a variety of foods as toppers.
Allergies are a lifelong thing, expect flare-ups, they don’t just go away.

[Kimberly R]

Do not discount the possible link to Peas as a source to a dog’s allergies. Peas, pea flour, pea protein, pea fiber is now in almost all dry dog foods to get the protein numbers up. My dog started to develop allergies, or what appeared to be allergies, 6 months ago, while on a very good grain-free dog food. It started with an itchy tail head, then itchy back, then some hives on the face to full blown facial, neck and spine swelling, with difficulty swallowing. After 6 weeks of allergy testing and food “trials”, every food, including treats, that contained a form of “pea” created the same allergy symptoms within a half hour.

A recent finding by truthaboutpetfood.com shows that pea flour/pea fiber/pea protein is an ingredient from China. It is very likely that the allergy is actually a response to a toxin or poison. This scenario is all too familiar. The problem is that now that this cheap protein is available, it is difficult to find a dry dog food without it.

[anonymously]

If it was my dog I would take him to the vet ASAP. He may have a urinary tract infection which is extremely painful. It may wax and wane but without treatment prescribed by a veterinarian (antibiotics) it will not go away and will get worse and may result in more complications. The vet may also need to do an ultrasound besides a urine test and blood work to rule out bladder stones and properly diagnose your dog. Sounds like he may have allergies too. Often there are genetic factors involved, the food may have very little to do with it. Use the search engine here to look up bladder stones, and allergies.

PS: I would just go to the emergency vet, now. Today. Urinating blood is serious and requires immediate medical attention.

[Bernadette S]

My daughter uses Nutrisource Grain Free for her St. Bernard, who has skin allergies. It seems to work well.

[Susan]

Hi Debbie, sounds like Environment Allergies, pollen, dust, trees, mites etc have you tried an antihistamine? & wiping him down when he comes back inside? here’s the raw diet my boy was put on, I went thru a Animal Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan in Australia she does consults over the phone & Skype, first I just sent her a few emails asking for help & what could be wrong with Patch, she emailed me back & said we need to strengthen Patches stomach his immune system… Patch was put on the Maintenance Diet, he has IBD & Skin Allergies or you can scroll down & click on the Skin Allergy Diet, pick 2 proteins, feed 1 meat for breakfast & the other protein for dinner pick 2-4 veggies & 1-2 fruits, make sure you peel & cut up all veggies & fruit then put thru a blender & then I was freezing 2 spoon sections of the veggie/fruit mix, I was adding 1/2 capsule human Probiotic to each meal, the probiotic was gluten & dairy free, 1/2 teaspoon DigestaVite Plus 100 & Jacqueline omega 3,6 9 oil…I added all this very slowly into his diet cause of his IBD, for a 18kg -30lb dog, I was told to feed 1 cup raw (protein) twice a day, I picked low fat meat, kangaroo & 2 spoons blended veggies/fruit twice a day, I picked chicken for dinner I picked broccoli, celery, zucchini, apple & carrot…..now I cook this diet minus any bones, Patch kept regurgitating & burping up the raw diet.. 🙁
Is he taking omega 3, 6 & 9 oil? a lady from a Face Book Group “Dogs issues and other information support group” contacted Jacqueline & her dog was lacking omega 3, 6 & 9 in her diet.. http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html

The Face book group “Dogs issues, allergies and other information support group” Petra one of the Admin ladies has a Beagle with bad allergies as well….

[anonymously]

excerpts from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytesting.htm
Skin tests to determine what your pet might be allergic to are considerably more accurate, on the whole, than blood tests. However, they are not 100% accurate either. To have them performed, you will need to locate a board certified veterinary dermatologist
http://www.acvd.org/

[anonymously]

What type of allergy testing has the dog had? Intra Dermal Testing is the most accurate. By shots, the only shots I know of that work are Allergen Specific Immunotherapy.
It can take a while to see results, as much as a year, but it is wonderful when it works.

Maybe the vet that is treating him for hypothyroidism could recommend a
specialist/dermatologist. I would be very leary of any mail-in saiva or hair tests, I have heard that they are inaccurate
/forums/search/allergies/ via search engine, you may find some tips.

[Debbie K]

I have a 9 year old beagle diagnosed with and currently being treated for hypothyrionism. He has also been suffering from allergies. We’ve tried allergy shot that no longer work and tried changing to different kinds of dry dog food. Now we’re trying the raw diet. He loves it, however I’m unsure of what protein and or grains he should be eating. He is miserable and I’m trying everything I can think of. I appreciate any help.

[Margaret C]

My dog had Giardia and Coccidia when she was a puppy but any vet’s fecal test should find those. Coccidia isn’t always treated as it’s fairly common but my vet treated it as it was only found after three cycles of treatment for Giardia so she felt it best to treat since she was a small puppy.

Considering all you’ve tried and the fact that chicken and rice doesn’t help which is a tried and true solution usually, I would suggest switching out your water. It could be that your tap water has excessive fluoride or other treatments that are disagreeing with your pup. My parents had to switch to bottled water (they just buy the generic at the grocery store in large containers) when their cat wasn’t tolerating a normal diet and had constant urinary issues as well as diarrhea regardless of food.

I also can suggest from personal experience that if you buy high quality no-grain food (you’ve already invested in so much so I don’t think you’d mind. 😉 ) you will typically find your pet’s bowel movements to be smaller and solid as they digest more of the food and don’t have filler waste. I use Wellness Core for both my cat and dog. Each receives a quarter can of wet each day to ensure additional water volume and no constipation. The rest of the day is dry. Wellness Core doesn’t have any grain in it which grains tend to be more prevalent in allergies and inflammation.

Hope some of that helps. 🙂

[Cindy T]

Hello! I just adopted our 8 week old Malshi (Maltese/Shih Tzu). The breeder had him on Purina Pro Plan Focus and I knew we were going to change that. After to speaking to vet, she recommended either Royal Canin Puppy or Nature’s Balance. I decided to go with Royal Canin because I had always heard it is a good food and they do a lot of science based research when creating their foods. I also decided not to go with Nature’s Balance because she did she she usually sends allergic dogs that way and since we don’t know of any allergies yet with our little guy, I decided not to do that. After looking at the reviews on this site, I am dismayed to find that the Royal Canin food I chose (shih tzu puppy food since he seems to pull more to the shih tzu side) doesn’t have fabulous ratings here. Only 2.5 stars. Why do vets seems to like the foods that are never highly rated? With our previous dog, a different vet also recommended food that didn’t get great ratings here. I asked this new vet about Blue Buffalo and she said it is a good food but she thinks that it is too rich for lots of dogs and can cause diarrhea. SO whats a person to do? My vet says that having some grain is not bad for them and actually ok to do which seems to be opposite of what the other school of thought is. I just don’t know the right thing to do for my little guy. Please help!

[anonymously]

Newman’s Own Organics canned turkey (95%) is a decent topper, imo.
I use Nutrisca salmon and chickpea dry food as a base, it seems to agree the best for my dog with allergies and a sensitive stomach (she is 1/2 shih-tzu), the others like it too.
I also use Nutrisca canned foods, 4 years now, no problems.
Check out chewy.com for prices and delivery.

Homemade and tips, see general guidelines http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

[Heather V]

This is the first time I have EVER visited a site while researching information for my gang and encountered people as amazing as all of you. I was so overwhelmed with the kindness shown to first time dog owners, or perhaps first time having an issue. I use natural “everything” as much as I can and I’m constantly researching. Some of the rude, condescending and down right brutal responses I have witnessed from those believing they wrote the holy grail on dogs simply because their “bitch” had a few litters. You know the type..large asses, wearing men’s jeans, flannel shirts , muck boots…to the grocery store. Those manless heifers would do well to remember that at some point they also had their First dog. You guys are to truly be commended for sharing your experiences with others in such a respectful manner. Thankfully I gleaned a lot of information regarding my Blue Nose and her hairless back.She is my first female (bitch)ever. A week before her spay appointment my (bastard) male lol, got her right through the damn crate !!! Between serious food allergies and a liter of beautiful puppies I was at my wits end. Thankfully things seem to be turning around, thanks in part to posts on this forum

[Susan]

Hi Elena, if the Metronidazole helped then ask vet about Tylan Powder, it has less side effect & is suppose to have no side effects like Metronidazole has, Patches vet wanted Patch on low dose of Metronidazole for 6 months but he started acting weird & real paranoid after takin the Metronidazole for 1 month, so I tried the Tylan Powder 1/4 teaspoon once a day, you put 1/4 teaspoon in empty capsules & give with Dinner every night once a day, the Tylan Powder taste awful, so make sure you put in empty capsule, can turn them off meal… In America you once could buy the Tylan Powder over the counter from Pet Shops but I’ve read you now need a script from vet…
Join this Face Book group called “Dogs With Inflammatory Bowel Disorder”
someone on that site may know where to buy the Tylan Powder online, I live Australia & we need a script….also there’s a few dogs with Food Allergies & Food Intolerances….Have a look at IAMS Vet Formula Skin & Coat Plus Response KO, it’s just Kangaroo & Oat flour & Beet Pulp that makes poos firm, fat is 12% & no other ingredients to irritate the bowel…. https://www.iams.com/dog-food/veterinary-formula-dog-food-skin-coat-health-ko

I feed boiled chicken breast & boiled potatoes, broccoli & zucchini & add a small tin of salmon or make a big batch & buy the big tins of Salmon…. I don’t mix any kibble with the cooked meals, I feed 4 small meals a day, I give cooked for breakfast & dinner & kibble for lunch & a late dinner this way its not expensive feeding the cooked meals & the weight stays on… I feed a Fish & Rice kibble with no other ingredients…..

Boiled rice can irritate the bowel, my boy can not eat boiled rice, but he can eat kibbles with rice that’s been grounded up….

Can you find a kibble that is just turkey & rice or chicken & rice or lamb & rice where the fat is around 10-12% no higher?? fat can cause diarrhea….
Have you tried the “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 4 ingredients, Lamb, brown rice, rice & sunflower oil, I don’t know if C/N is money back guaranteed, if it doesn’t work you can get money back, some kibbles are only guaranteed if the dog doesn’t eat the kibble, so Patch has not liked a few kibbles lol, the Pet Shops know Patch and are very good when we have returned kibbles, they didn’t mind….it becomes expensive when they cant eat a kibble….
A few dogs with IBD & Food Sensitivities are doing really well on the California Natural kibble, stay away from kibbles that have peas, barley, chick peas, lentils, too many ingredients, only limited ingredients with just 1 protein & 1 carb like the California Natural has… http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1181

You may need to see a specialist that specialises in IBD/food intolerances, my boy had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, then was put on Vet Diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” low Residue kibble, its just Chicken, rice & corn, that was the only vet diet that worked for him, he had to stay on the Eukanuba for 6-12 months to let his bowel heal, (he was a rescue) then the next 1-2 years I tried every kibble & found the only kibbles that work were kibbles with just 1 protein & 1 carb, no peas, gave bad wind pain & farts, kibbles with potatoes/sweet potatoes gave him diarrhea but he can eat cooked fresh potatoes & fresh sweet potatoes, so the potatoes in the kibbles mustn’t be fresh & green or rotten potatoes,thats why I like rice….
You will work it out hopefully but try & not let Penny have diarrhea too much, it will cause thickening of the bowel lining as she gets older…..ask vet about the Tylan Powder or try & buy it online, poos are firm the next day….as long as she isn’t eating something she is sensitive too..

[Babi S]

Our Lhasa poo has allergies. What food is best for her. Wet and dry.
Any advise is greatly appreciated!
Thank you!!

[anonymously]

excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

I assume you have checked via the search engine here /forums/search/allergies/

My dog was tested for environmental allergies by a dermatologist and has responded well to allergen-specific immunotherapy. We didn’t do the blood test for food allergies. As food sensitivities tend to fluctuate anyway.
I would never consider any mail-in saliva or hair test. Most people complain that their dog tests positive for everything!

The best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).

[Naturella]

Hey, all! It’s been a while! I’ve been in and out every once in a while, but mostly been busy with work and being offline while not at work.

Well, all is good, except the day has come that I believe my non-picky, will-eat-anything, didn’t-used-to-be-allergic-to-anything dog may have developed some allergies.

Over the course of 6+(ish) months I have noticed that he has been extremely itchy while on the following foods:

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural
Wellness Core Original
Castor and Pollux Organix GF

Somewhat itchy on:
Solid Gold Winged Tiger Quail and Pumpkin Cat Food

And had 2 days of diarrhea after consuming 1/2 of a cherry tomato.

Common denominators:
chicken/poultry
potatoes
tomato pomace (in 2 of the foods)

Naturally, I believe Bruno has developed some sort of an allergy to the above 3 items, so after I had had enough of watching him scratch himself hairless, I ran into my favorite store and explained the situation, and left with a bag of Zignature Trout and Salmon to try and heal my pup.

Now, I am somewhat familiar with elimination, and I have never noticed excessive itchiness when I have given Bruno raw or dehydrated chicken bits, so I am not even sure it is the chicken/poultry that is the problem and I may need to just give him a break and feed the plain fish Zignature for a bit to see if the itching clears up (I also plan to equip him with Dr. Wysong’s sensitive skin shampoo), but I would love to be able to feed my usual toppers to kibble, which include raw egg, various canned foods which some do have chicken or other poultry, coconut oil, yoghurt, and other dehydrated additives (whatever’s on sale really). I was told to eliminate all additives (besides lukewarm water and limited coconut oil) for 2 weeks to see if there is an improvement. I will do it and see how it goes, and hppefully I will be able to return to the usual or somewhat modified toppers, and if any of you has an idea or a suggestion, I am very open to hearing it. 🙂

[Kim E]

I bought the salmon and chickpea for my 6 month old puppy. I was feeding him natural balance kangaroo and sweet potato due to his skin allergies. The NB dog food stopped his itching with in 3 days! Great right? But what’s not is the $22 for 4 lb. It lasted him about a 1 week and a half to 2 weeks if I remember correctly. The size were about half an inch in diameter for “puppies to adult”. I went to visit my parents who live town with no petco and ran out of NB. I went to heb and saw grain free heritage ranch 6lb bag for 8$ I was a little skeptical. But I thought worse case scenario I just pick up a bag of NB when I’m near a petco (which is what I was already planning on doing. Gave my pup a cup and he started eating right way. They are 1/4th the size of NB food, which I feel like is way more suitable for a puppy. It seems to be working for his allergies as he is not scratching or biting his feet constantly. So for me this is great because it’s less than half the price f NB, I get more product, and my dog loves it. I will add that I tried the HR with lamb and brown rice which is soy/wheat and corn free. This does cause my puppy to scratch against the carpet for about 1-5 minutes after eating. I believe this is because this formula does contain grain. We will be sticking to HR salmon and chickpea but if your dog isn’t alergic to grain I’m sure the lamb formula would be just fine

[Natalie R]

InkedMarie: thanks! We are trying to transition her (we have some fish to add once per week, and we recently added the egg), but since she’s still having problems with basic bones and pollen allergies, we’re being slow with the transition. We will probably introduce the fish in a few days, and we have some turkey for tonight. She had allergies when we introduced it at thanksgiving, and we wanted to wait for them to subside before we tried again in case it was actually a reaction to turkey or we would have continued sooner. Still, I hadn’t seen any recommendations for just HOW many kinds of meat should be in rotation, so that is very useful! Thank you very much!

DogFoodie: thank you! It’s always good to have reassurance.

[anonymously]

Did you check the search engine here? I do not agree with all of the opinions expressed. /forums/search/allergies/

Do not put anything on it, it will only make it worse.
Assuming your dog is in good health and has seen the regular vet recently.
The best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).

Most dermatologists will not skin test for allergies until the dog has been exhibiting symptoms for 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief. There are also other treatment options that a specialist could offer.

Don’t be fooled by mail-in saliva and hair tests, I have heard they are unreliable

A summary of treatments for canine atopy:

Evidence-Based Canine Allergy Treatment

And here is a recent update:

Evidence Update- Evidence-based Canine Allergy Treatment

More info here:
http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytesting.htm
Skin tests to determine what your pet might be allergic to are considerably more accurate, on the whole, than blood tests. However, they are not 100% accurate either. To have them performed, you will need to locate a board certified veterinary dermatologist

excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

PS: If you wait, it may get really bad, keep an eye on the chest area for a bright red rash developing. When this happened to my dog I had to go to the emergency veterinary clinic. They usually prescribe steroids to stop the suffering and to temporarily get the situation under control. The Dr there reprimanded me for putting witch hazel on the rash. There are prescription creams that a dermatologist will prescribe that help, but usually only in conjunction with other treatments.

[Susan]

Hi Howard, did she take Metronidazole (Flagyl)? its an antibiotic for the stomach & bowel, also smell her breath does it smell & what of?? that’s how I know what’s happening with my boy when I smell his breath, when my boy starts doing the yellow mushy poos I have a few scripts of Metronidazole the vet has given me & I put Patch on the Metronidazole with food for 10 days & change diet, also I cook potatoes instead of rice, boiled rice can irritate the bowel…. Australian vets are using boiled potatoes now instead or the old fashion boiled rice..
When Patch has had the gurgling pinning bowel noises it was either from the boiled rice or an ingredient he was sensitive too, then over the years I found he has food sensitives…. He has had Pancreatitis when I first rescued him, vet put him on a vet diet for his skin allergies & the fat was toooo high at 19%…..now I cook chicken breast, potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes, it depends some days I add Kangaroo rissoles some days or I add salmon in spring water drained, I put it all thru a blender for a few seconds….
I cant get The Honest Kitchen in Australia if I could I’d be feeding Patch the “Zeal” the fat is only 8.50% its low in carbs & limited ingredients & fish as protein so easy to digest, for the days I’m lazy…..http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

I wouldn’t be feeding a raw diet with those symptoms, or if you do want to feed a raw diet, I went thru a Naturopath cause Patch was diagnosed with IBD & needs low fat diet & has Skin Allergies the raw worked for his skin but not his stomach (IBD) he kept regurgitating & burping up the raw Kangaroo & blended raw veggies but when I bake the kangaroo into rissoles & boil the same veggies, he’s OK, so I cook instead now & freeze meals…..

Sounds like you just haven’t found the right diet yet or she may do what happens with Patch, he needs his foods changed every month when I feed kibbles or he starts reacting to an ingredient, I posted a link about this I’ll try & find it, he cant stay on the same kibble too long he starts doing yellow sloppy poos….
Go supermarket get a couple brown potatoes, 1 small sweet potatoes, 1 zucchini & a small broccoli head, peel boil & put in containers in the fridge also maybe change the chicken to turkey or try the chicken & potato & see if there’s any gurgling pinning bowel noises & yellow mushy poo, if its still making loud noises change the protein, no chicken…maybe at first just do the chicken & potato & see if there’s improvement in stools, if there is then add some zucchini wait 2 days look at poos if poos are firm then add broccoli or whatever you want to add, then after a couple of weeks start adding some tin salmon in spring water drained to get all the healthy omegas & vitamins from the salmon, I add 1/2 a small tin per meal but you could make a few meals for a couple of days having a smaller dog… if you do see vet ask for a script for some Metronidazole its good have in cupboard when this happens, she may have too much bad bacteria in the stomach/bowel (S.I.B.O) & needs the metronidazole to fix everything up again….

[jewel0247]

Hi,
My 12 yr old dog is hospitalized with pancreatitis (on fluids, bowel rest)… She also has elevated liver enzymes. Before getting sick, she was fed darwins in the morning with coconut oil and natures variety instinct in the evening with probiotic. She was doing great with her skin and allergies…

I want to modify her diet to less fat… Any suggestions? Cancelled darwins and was thinking either honest kitchen preference (add ground turkey) or natures variety instinct rabbit. She’s very picky..

Should I start her on milk thistle or sam-e?

Thank you for your time

[Thaylia S]

Good evening, Mike!

Please consider adding Nature’s Logic to your list of Editor’s Choice foods. I have a 12-year-old female Samoyed who has had problems with food allergies for the past several years, and when I changed her food to Nature’s Logic at the suggestion of the good folks at our local holistic pet food store, Brookside Barkery and Bath, in Kansas City, MO, her skin has cleared up beautifully!

I feed both the canned and dry formulas to my two babies, and they love it! It is a little pricy, but so worth it in my opinion. As I tell my friends who say they would NEVER pay more than $XX for a bag of dog food, I would rather pay up front for the best nutrition I can find for my critters than pay later at the vet!

Thank you for your consideration of my suggestion for your list. 🙂

[Susan H]

It sure sounds like she has food allergies. I, personally, would try feeding plain old chicken and rice for a while, then consult the list and start on a raw product or any limited ingredient (/?s=limited+ingredient+dog+foods) food. I like the raw because of the lack of additives.

My old (16, 13 and 11 yrs) dogs are getting a combo of Orijen freeze dried, Natures Variety raw and green tripe. We had some skin and coat problems and this seems to be clearing it up. It'[s not an inexpensive way to go, but neither were all the vet bills.

[Susan]

Hi Boo, stop feeding the can wet food, I was feeding a wet can food & my boy started to scratch & shake his head, I was feeding the wet tin food of a morning & his kibble for dinner, since I’ve stopped the wet tin food no more scratching, I started a elimination cooked diet for breakfast, I knew his kibble wasn’t making him scratch its Fish & Rice kibble, he cant eat the grain free kibbles tooo many starchy carbs, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Tapioca, Carrots, Peas, etc, with his new elimination diet when I added carrots he started to scratch again & shake head (ears)….you need to work out is it from food or environment allergies??
Be careful with the apple cider vinegar & lemon juice that will dry out the skin & make the itch/rash worse, also bath in Malaseb Medicated shampoo every 5-7 days when rash is bad bath time…..I apply Hydrocortisone 1% cream on my boy red paws & under his mouth when if real red & itchy… you can buy the Hydrocortisone cream over the counter at the chemist, thinly apply the cream of a night at bed time & thru the day if needed… or try the Sudocrem its in the baby section, its for eczema, dermatitis, nappy rash etc….

[anonymously]

Did you check the search engine here? I do not agree with all of the opinions expressed. /forums/search/allergies/

Do not put anything on it, it will only make it worse.
Assuming your dog is in good health and has seen the regular vet recently.
The best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).

Most dermatologists will not skin test for allergies until the dog has been exhibiting symptoms for 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief. There are also other treatment options that a specialist could offer.

Don’t be fooled by mail-in saliva and hair tests, I have heard they are unreliable

A summary of treatments for canine atopy:

Evidence-Based Canine Allergy Treatment

And here is a recent update:

Evidence Update- Evidence-based Canine Allergy Treatment

More info here:
http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytesting.htm
Skin tests to determine what your pet might be allergic to are considerably more accurate, on the whole, than blood tests. However, they are not 100% accurate either. To have them performed, you will need to locate a board certified veterinary dermatologist

excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

PS: If you wait, it may get really bad, keep an eye on the chest area for a bright red rash developing. When this happened to my dog I had to go to the emergency veterinary clinic. They usually prescribe steroids to stop the suffering and to temporarily get the situation under control. The Dr there reprimanded me for putting witch hazel on the rash. There are prescription creams that a dermatologist will prescribe that help, but usually only in conjunction with other treatments.

[Dori]

Kevin R. One of my girls, a Maltipoo, was riddled with food intolerances, sensitive and allergies and also environmental issues. Her dermatologist/allergist here in Atlanta, Ga. at Blue Pearl Georgia Veterinary Specialists suggested that I not do that particular testing nor the skin testing and shots. He told me it would be a very long process and the duration of the injections would probably be long term as she was such a mess. He advised me that the very best way to deal with her situation was to attempt to either do an illumination diet or try to figure out and eliminate ingredients in her diet and also to remove all, or as many, toxins in the home environment. I no longer burn candles, no air freshener sprays, no plug ins. I switched to natural type cleaners. Never ever any type of carpet freshening powders that are then vacuumed up. Hardwood floors are cleaned with a solution of vinegar and water. I also wipe her paws (all three dogs actually) when she comes in from out in the yard. I switched to a landscaping company that only uses organic products. I removed all the lawn in our patio/back area where they play and potty to stone, gravel and flower gardens….annuals and perennials. Just early on this year I had two types of testing done solely out of curiosity on my part because I had spent years “fixing” her issues to see what they would come up with. I did the Nutriscan Saliva test by Dr. Jean Dodds first and I believe the cost was around $250.00. If memory serves me that tests for 20 items. Though the test was informative as it did have things that I had already eliminated from her diet I did find that the test showed that she was sensitive to one of the few foods she actually does very well on. I then heard about a test called Glacier Peak Holistics on an allergy group I’m on. That tests for 200 including food and environment which cost $85.00. It is a food and saliva test. I that test was spot on for every single thing that through the years I had eliminated from her diet. The food that she does well on was not something that came up as a sensitivity on that test. It did come up with with food ingredient that I was not aware of and that was cucumbers. From time to time Katie would itch, not a lot but it was there. Turns out that they must have coincided with times that I shared cucumbers with the girls. I eliminated the cucumbers and she’s never scratched again. I feed all three of my dogs commercial raw frozen diets rotating brands and proteins with the exceptions of the ones that Katie cannot tolerate. For treats they get fresh fruits and veggies. I’ve been feeding them this way for a little over 4 1/2 years. Switching to the raw frozen was how I was able to eliminate her food issues as it was the quickest way to eliminate soy, grains, all fowl, corn, white potatoes, tomatoes, white rice, all night shade plant ingredients which are all pro inflammatory. I got Katie at the age of 9 weeks old and at that early age she was an allergy sensitive mess. It took me two years to go through the elimination process with her. She is now 6 1/2 years old and a happy camper. Quite comfortable and happy in her own skin. I continue to wipe all three toy dogs privates and paws with warm clean wash cloths. I should mention that I also have a “no shoes” policy in our home. No one, including repairmen, etc. enters our home with shoes on. It would defeat all I’m doing by dragging in environmental stuff that’s on the bottom of their shoes. Everyone is perfectly happy to go along with my wishes and as a matter of fact through the years more and more people that I know have gone with the “no shoes” in the house policy. I also purchased one of those iRobot Roombas that is programmed to go on daily and then I do a deep in the wall vacuuming once a week. It sounds like a lot but when it all comes together it’s all really easy and has changed her and our lives around.

Edit: I will add that there are some people that do not believe in the allergy tests that I have had done on Katie nor their efficacy. All I can say is that they really were spot on with Katie’s issues. Both companies will send you the kits that you need to do the testing with detailed instructions, you send everything back to them and typically in a week or so you’ll get an email with the results. You can then call them and they will go over the results in detail with you.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Dori.

[Kevin R]

Hi Dori, thanks for the advice. I have a Westie. She’s not that close to the ground, but I wondered about this as well. Being a Westie, she has her share of allergies and it sounds like this could be the cause. I don’t know though. I may try the washcloth like you mentioned. I’ve been using the baby wipes, but like you say, they don’t appear to be as effective as one would like. Thanks again.

On another note, does anyone else have any other opinions on the intradermal allergy testing? Anyone currently doing immunotherapy and having success? Thanks.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Kevin,

I have a Cavalier that has had vaginitis, the result of a recessed vulva as well. She doesn’t have any allergies or food sensitivities at all. I’m lucky with her – she’s my easy dog. Her infection was treated with antibiotics and Mal-A-Ket wipes.

Did your vet first rule out a bladder infection or urinary crystals?

[anonymously]

I never had any blood tests (to identify allergies) done on my dog, just the skin testing by a dermatologist.
The best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).

Most dermatologists will not skin test for allergies until the dog has been exhibiting symptoms for 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief. There are also other treatment options that a specialist could offer.
Don’t be fooled by mail-in saliva and hair tests, I have heard they are unreliable

A summary of treatments for canine atopy:

Evidence-Based Canine Allergy Treatment

And here is a recent update:

Evidence Update- Evidence-based Canine Allergy Treatment

More info here:
http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytesting.htm
Skin tests to determine what your pet might be allergic to are considerably more accurate, on the whole, than blood tests. However, they are not 100% accurate either. To have them performed, you will need to locate a board certified veterinary dermatologist

excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

PS: A lot depends on the expertise of the specialist to get the solution right, regarding allergen specific immunotherapy. Even when it is effective, sometimes the solution has to be tweaked from time to time. And it can take a year or so to see dramatic results. In my dog’s case I saw improvement right away, however, they still have flare-ups…

[anonymously]

Allergies usually require lifelong treatment. They don’t just go away. From what I know and have read, environmental allergies could cause the symptoms you describe. The same way they can cause inflammation, pruritus, ear infections, etc.

I did the same thing with my dog with allergies, she was doing so well that I was able to decrease her allergy treatments. She was fine for a few months but recently had a flare-up. So, we are back to the beginning. Luckily she responds to immunotherapy and is doing well. We only see the specialist once a year, otherwise, he returns phone calls.

PS: Lesson learned, going forward I will be more cautious about making changes in any regimen that is working for her.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by anonymously.

[Kevin R]

It is. So can environmental allergies cause this issue? She used to be on Atopica and I’ve taken her off of it. So far, she’s been doing pretty good. Still a little itchy, but not near as bad as she was before going on Atopica.

[anonymously]

Is this the dog you posted about before? The one with allergies?
“She is a very allergic dog”
If so, the same advice applies. I would see a specialist. Her problems could be related to her environmental allergies (or some other medical issue) and have nothing to do with the food.

[Jenn H]

Pitlove you are absolutely correct. Every dog is different. My point was that when weeding out the protein sources as possible allergies chicken is a good place to start, then beef, then the next most common meat….
It would be nice, easy and convenient if all dogs could eat the exact same things.

[Susan]

Hi Natasha, how old is your pup? & have you wormed her? My boy was eating the Wellness White Fish & Sweet potatoes Complete Health kibble, about 2 months ago, he was doing OK poos when I started introducing the Wellness White fish & Sweet potatoes kibble & mixing it with vet diet kibble…. I use a vet diet kibble that he does good on, to fall back on when something goes wrong with his poos……He suffers with IBD food intolerances & skin allergies….. after 1-2 weeks eating the Wellness kibble, he started farting, having bad gas pain & doing sloppy yellow poos, so I wormed him with Milbemax an all wormer cause he was due to be wormed & I changed his kibble back to his vet diet kibble & started cooking & freezing & feeding a cooked meal for breakfast, Chicken breast, potato, broccoli, sweet potatoes & zucchini, but at first I just feed chicken & potatoes to see his poos stayed firm & they did then I added 1 new veggie per week, only if his poo was firm….
I’d worm your pup if she is due soon to be wormed & change her food, try a different brand a limited ingredient kibble like “California Natural” Lamb & Brown Rice Puppy it has only 5 ingredients, the Wellness brands have tooo many ingredients to pin point which ingredient is doing this if it is an food sensitivity, if after trying another limited ingredient food & the poos are still yellow go & see a vet, she may need some “Metronidazole” antibiotic for the stomach & bowel….
Here’s California Natural site it has better ingredients then the American Vet Diets have, its good to have a food that you know they do well on so if you have to you have a kibble or wet tin food you can feed quickly if needed… In Australia our vet diets have better ingredients, its probably our strict custom laws…. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
Or you could try “Daves Pet Food” if you don’t want to cook Chicken, he has Delicate Chicken & Rice that puppys can eat…. look at the ingredients to the Puppy kibble it has too many ingredient like the Wellness… http://davespetfood.com/product/daves-delicate-dinner-canned-dog-food/

[HammockLover]

I just adopted a second dog yesterday and the shelter switched over to this food (they used to use Science Diet). I got really excited at the prospect of saving some money and the convenience of getting it at the grocery store (currently I use Merrick Grain Free) so the first thing I did was come on here to see if it was reviewed.

While it isn’t reviewed, I just got done going through the ingredient list to at least see which ones are controversial and thought I should share here:

***I couldn’t find info on the following ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Manganous Oxide, L-Carnitine***

Spray Dried Egg Product – Cheap protein filler, a by-product remaining after making liquid eggs for humans.

Tomato Pomace – Cheap fiber filler, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex – A controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

The last one is what concerns me, so I plan on sticking with Merrick. I apologize if I missed any, this was just me looking at about 15 dog food reviews here and cross referencing the ingredients.

[Katie D]

@Xavier G
We had a Weimaraner with the same symptoms. She had a lot of different allergies. I mean her vet records were like a novel and we were advised by many vets to give her a Benadryl daily for them. You can try going without it in certain seasons and see if it’s possibly just seasonal but it really helped Abby.

[Rebecca M]

Thanks! Regular dental cleaning his entire life and brushing. Vet thinks it is a genetic thing. I have though about allergies, but the other pap also had loose stools. Maybe I moved to canned too quickly.

[zcRiley]

I dog sat a 10 yr old with half missing/bad teeth. I put the kibble into our Ninja blender & pulsed it to a chunky powder. No water needed, easy to eat. Is your Pap’s mouth in pain? Dental cleaning helpful? C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste nightly does wonders. Also check for allergies/diseases for the diarrhea, it may not be the wet food causing it.