[wendeyzee]

Thanks Jenn,
I’ve never used Solid Gold or Wysong foods, i’ll check them out. I do know about the calcium thing with large breeds and was really careful about that, but something i had to learn the hard way is about protein levels in growing GSDs and some other breed as well, is they are prone to Panosteitis from to high protein. I was listening to everyone all over these boards saying high protein is good for growing puppies well not necessarily for GSDs. My Pup Theo at about 10 mos developed limping and sometimes it would shift around, I couldn’t get a grip on what the heck was happening to him, i was freaking out I thought it was hips, but no it was Pano! I think we are past that now but I’m gun shy about protein levels. I have Both dogs on fish, I’ve used Pure Vita salmon, Natures Select (wonderful food) but got tired of ordering off the website, then to Fromm which has a TON of carbs, then tried Zignature trout & salmon they liked it but both Zig. & Fromm have salt (why?) so now back to Pure Vita. I’ve trialed a few others like Great Life and Victor but really watching protein at least a while longer. I’m using alot of fish because they are both being treated for allergies and my vet dermatologist suggested it even though we don’t seem to have food allergies. I have looked at the editors choice lists for months now reading ingredient panels, guaranteed analysis, manufacturing facility and sourced ingredients as much as we can possibly know. Ugh its so hard!

[Susan C]

Hi Shichon:

I am new to this forum but not new to dogs or shihtzus and their itching problems. I’m not new to dog allergies or food problems. I have a shihtzu/lhasa apso mix who has suffered since I’ve had her (7 years–got her as a rescue). She has terrible flea allergies, so much so that she digs and chews until I can see either bruising or blood where she has been chewing. I’ve fed her commercial foods, prescription foods and finally settled on home cooking using organic ingredients, non-GMO meats, and free-range eggs.

I have found during all this research (and I mean RESEARCH—FOR YEARS) that a lot of itching has to do with what season we are in and where the dog goes outside. I live in a condo and we have hired a landscaping company to cut the grass. They use Round-up or similar pesticides and when I take my dog out to pee, she walks on the grass. The Round-up is made to kill weeds–and some of these weeds are beneficial to keeping away certain insect populations. The problem is that without the weeds, fleas and other insects overgrow and while we have a nice pretty yard, it’s full of fleas and other itch-making insects. Not to mention the exposure to the pesticide that my dog gets with just walking through the grass.

I use a homemade concoction to spray her every day and increase the usage when she starts itching. It’s made of apple cider vinegar and chamomile tea (brew it and let it cool). I keep it in the fridge and spray her paws before and after she goes outside. I also spray her backside as well because that’s the area that gets closest to the grass.

I mentioned the season earlier in my post because right now where I am, it is 70 degrees and in the middle of winter. This unseasonable warmth throws everything out of whack–I have flowers blooming, fruit trees with leaves, etc, all sorts of unnatural things happen when the environment is screwy–including my dog’s ability to fight off allergies and certain illnesses. When nature gets out of balance, it affects everyone, even humans. Even right now, the murder rate is doubled here in Birmingham, Alabama since the first of 2016…everything is crazy. Up until December 26, we had 70+ temps. It is supposed to be in the 40’s during the day in the winter in Alabama.

I feel our little shihtzus are very sensitive to all this, not to mention they are cold weather dogs and we put them in our US climate where it gets hot every summer. Our dogs are from the Himalayas. Not exactly tropical climate there. My suggestion to you is to spend a little time brushing your dog, use the spray I mentioned above, keep the puppy cool, and only bath him once a month, or once every 3 weeks. But brush his coat twice daily. I am a groomer as well, and we bath our dogs entirely too much. It is nice to have a sweet smelling pup but weekly bathing leads to changes in the dog’s natural ability to fight skin rashes and itchiness greatly decreased. Their skin is too dry, it starts itching, they scratch, we bathe, they scratch, they bite, we bathe—get the picture?

Just for what it’s worth–I feel your pain. I can share more info if you want. Just let me know. This is a problem that won’t go away once and for all. It’s ongoing so buckle down and get ready to spend some time with your puppy. Look at it like this, more time for you to enjoy him. Little shihtzus are the most precious.

Sissi

[Leslie C]

I know a little bit about seizures as I have had two dogs, a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Golden Retriever that did not live together and both had seizures. The Golden we bought as a puppy after the first Berner female died. I did a lot of research on the breeds and the issue of seizures. Bernese Mountain Dogs are prone to seizures as they age, Goldens are not. And no one knows what that means, prone to, or why. We believe that initially, the Berner had a brain tumor or cancer that travelled to her brain. I was using a regular vet who just put her on anti seizure meds that really didn’t help. No seizures, no personality, she only lived a month after we put her on the meds. As a puppy she never had seizure, therefor, we knew that she was not epileptic. Epilepsy is diagnosed before or around two years of age. The Golden was having seizures that were probably unrelated to his diagnosis, osteo-carcenoma (bone cancer) which he got at nine. He actually lived another year after he was diagnosed- usually the diagnoses is six months. Since he lived way beyond his prescribed “end”, probably because I was cooking human grade food, and because of the attention he got from his family, at his last visit to the vet they believed that perhaps tumors form elsewhere in his body may have metastasized to his brain. He got real bad real fast only in his last ten days. So I think the food was a big part of lengthening his life, making him happy and giving him the best quality nutrition, and sometimes there is just nothing else you can do. Heavy meds do not make a happy dog. He died Spring of 2015. My current Bernese Mountain Dog (unrelated, but from the same breeder as the other dog) has had four unpredictable seizures in the last year and a half. I thought at first that it might have been from the dry food because of the Golden’s seizures. I got rid of the enormous cookies (Pro-Pet) we got from Agway with our grain and hay deliveries. The dogs liked coming to the barn and chowing down on big bones. Its very odd though, his blood work was good, especially for a 9 year old Berner. My vet is a holistic vet, who gives our dogs (we have a Wheaten too) supplements to help them maintain an effective system. (Like vitamins). They are also regular vets that give shots and operate, and they absolutely believe that foods can be toxic to pets. Especially poor brands of pet food. (Look at what the first ingredient is on the label). HOWEVER, more toxic are the many unnecessary shots that they give. Really. The puppy shots and rabies (every several years depending on the dogs age) are necessary, but there are many other shots that you can ask your vet to omit. In addition, you are worried about cleaning products? If you’re okay, your dog should be okay, but you never know. I think that lawn products, stuff on the sidewalk, stuff that your dog can lick off his paws and get sick from are real problems. I am trying to find out if any of the dry foods I feed them have caused seizures or something else. The now get Merrick and Blue, and Blue Dog Bakery biscuits. Has anyone said anything about Milk Bone? (I think the UPS delivery guys give them Milk Bone when the drop boxes off). But really, I find it easy to cook for them, making chicken or fish for the family, I just make extra. We also have chickens so they get a lot of eggs, those small carrots, peas, cooked yams, apples, and even plain yogurt. If you know where it came from and if your eating it yourself its safe. Allergies are another story. I hope this helped a little bit… And please, if anyone discovered more about this bizarre and mysterious seizure conundrum, or about the dog foods and treats I listed above, please post!!

[anonymously]

I don’t know what you mean by “skin allergies”. Perhaps you mean environmental allergies.
If your dog has a sensitive stomach or food sensitivities, he may do well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea, as a base. My neighbor has a Cavalier mix with a sensitive stomach that does well on Fromm products.

PS: Use the search engine here to look up “allergies” for more info.

[Aprille L]

I am looking for a dry food for my Cavalier King charles spaniel, he is 8 years old, has skin allergies

[Susan]

Hi again, a few people in a Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” their Dermatologist put their dogs on vet diet “Royal Canine” Rabbit & Potato & there’s Venison & Potato PV for their itchy allergy dog, then after 3 months when skin & coat was itch & sore free they started introducing 1 new ingredient for 2 months then if everything was good another new ingredient wait 2 months again no scratching redness etc then add another new ingredient….
I feed the Vet Diet Royal Canine Hypoallergenic HP (Australian) Rice & Hydrolysed poultry liver cause Patch has intestinal & skin problems….

Elimination diet is the only true way to find out what your dog is sensitive too…..
also few people have done the Jean Dodds Nutri-Scan Food Sensitivity Salvia test, it test for 24 foods…..
http://www.nutriscan.org/

or change the kibble your feeding to another brand & see how your dog does, preferably different ingredients with higher omega 3…..

[Pitlove]

Boddy D- I wanted to explain MY vet’s reasoning for wanting my dog to use the Royal Canin prescription diet for his food trial since El Doctor urged you to stay away from it based only on the ingredients.

When a protein is hydrolyzed, they break it down into its component amino acids which in turn makes it harder for the dog to have a reaction to. Now of course if your dog had a soy allergy, he would still react. Other reason for my vet wanting me to use the prescription diet and not an over the counter limited ingredient diet is because, when Royal Canin has their prescription allergy diets manufactured the machine is sterilized after each “run”. It can not be guarenteed that commercial dog foods labeled as “limited ingredient” use those same quality control measures. In fact, I believe it was another poster on here, Aimee, that once said that some over the counter limited ingredient diets had tested positive for proteins that should NOT have been in the food. Cross-contamination is NOT what you want when conducting a food trial.

The reasons my vet and I spoke about that I listed above is why when doing a TRUE food trial to test for food allergies, the prescription diet (while it may be expensive) is the recommended food. However, you’re welcome to think on what both myself and El Doctor have suggested and make your own decision.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Bobby D- My dog started showing symptoms of allergies at a young age. One vet said it was partly due to where we live in the south. Recently we started a food trial for him with guidence from his vet, to determine if his allergies were related to food, his enivornment or both. He was put on Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein and has to be on it for 2 months. Within just a few days of feeding the food, I noticed a huge improvement in a lot of his symptoms (he gets sores as well and they all dissapeared). However, I’ve noticed that my boy seems to react quickly to environment or diet change. I’m sure it is not like that for every dog.

If you want to rule out food allergies, I would highly recommend doing a true food trial with a prescription food. I think once we can get the money I will bring my boy to the dermatologist for further testing, but for the moment this was the easier thing to do on a budget and it’s really helping him find relief.

Best of luck!

[anonymously]

I didn’t want to go to a specialist either, so instead I wasted time and money and spent a year going back and forth to the regular vet, bought dehumidifiers, air purifiers, tried various expensive foods and diets…….with poor results.

Best of luck.

PS: I answered your question, food allergies/sensitivities don’t usually result in pruritus.
Environmental allergies wax and wane and they get worse as the dog gets older.
Even under the best of conditions, when they respond to treatment, flare-ups happen occasionally. They don’t just go away.

[anonymously]

Dermatology – Common Issues

“Atopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environment”.
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.

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/).

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 dogs test positive for everything!

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

[Pittiemama]

I posted this is the Health issues and Nutrition portion. Maybe this would have been a better place. I don’t know so…

I have a 5 year old rescue Am. Staff. who sadly has early kidney failure. I’m seeing a holistic vet in a couple of weeks for guidance on so many things with him. He also has a lot of food intolerances. I was wondering what you all know about home cooking. I hear a lot about raw but I’m wondering about cooking. Right now I feed Honest Kitchen Brave. It’s great and he loves it but if his phosphorous starts to rise I’ll need to rethink his diet a little or I may start earlier just to be sure he’s getting everything right. I’m definitely in the planning stage right now. Also I add in a little kibble to decrease the cost some, Honest Kitchen is spendy and would be about $250-300/month on it’s own (my guy is 74#) and to decrease the phosphorous I found a kibble that’s balanced but has a lower phosphorous due to their formulation. I’m not at all restricting as he’s not at that point yet but I figured if I find something that’s a little lower and still balanced, that’s probably best right now. Because of his allergies I feed him fish diets, which is the only protein I’ve found so far that works well and the one that doesn’t give him pink skin and ear infections, so unless I figure out another protein that he can tolerate, fish it is. Also he’s allergic to some grains (I think corn…ick, wheat…no thanks and not sure about rice) and I don’t want to feed him grain, just my preference. I’m mostly wanting meat, veggies, fruit and supplements.
Here’s my question:
Have any of you cooked meals with fish? Most of the diets I see are chicken, turkey, beef etc. What fish did you use? I mostly see pollock, mackerel, sardines etc. What have you used? I’m thinking of using a base like Honest Kitchen Preference or Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl and adding cooked fish. Again, I’m not married to that idea but because balance is so difficult and I want to be sure he is getting the right nutrition. Balance is key! It is with everything but he’s a complicated dude, hence the trip to the holistic vet. I’m sure she can help but so many of you have knowledge and experience that I figured it would help me narrow down some ideas and research points.
Thanks a bunch!

[Pittiemama]

I have a 5 year old rescue Am. Staff. who sadly has early kidney failure. I’m seeing a holistic vet in a couple of weeks for guidance on so many things with him. He also has a lot of food intolerances. I was wondering what you all know about home cooking. I hear a lot about raw but I’m wondering about cooking. Right now I feed Honest Kitchen Brave. It’s great and he loves it but if his phosphorous starts to rise I’ll need to rethink his diet a little or I may start earlier just to be sure he’s getting everything right. I’m definitely in the planning stage right now. Also I add in a little kibble to decrease the cost some, Honest Kitchen is spendy and would be about $250-300/month on it’s own (my guy is 74#) and to decrease the phosphorous I found a kibble that’s balanced but has a lower phosphorous due to their formulation. I’m not at all restricting as he’s not at that point yet but I figured if I find something that’s a little lower and still balanced, that’s probably best right now. Because of his allergies I feed him fish diets, which is the only protein I’ve found so far that works well and the one that doesn’t give him pink skin and ear infections, so unless I figure out another protein that he can tolerate, fish it is. Also he’s allergic to some grains (I think corn…ick, wheat…no thanks and not sure about rice) and I don’t want to feed him grain, just my preference. I’m mostly wanting meat, veggies, fruit and supplements.

Here’s my question:
Have any of you cooked meals with fish? Most of the diets I see are chicken, turkey, beef etc. What fish did you use? I mostly see pollock, mackerel, sardines etc. What have you used? I’m thinking of using a base like Honest Kitchen Preference or Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl and adding cooked fish. Again, I’m not married to that idea but because balance is so difficult and I want to be sure he is getting the right nutrition. Balance is key! It is with everything but he’s a complicated dude, hence the trip to the holistic vet. I’m sure she can help but so many of you have knowledge and experience that I figured it would help me narrow down some ideas and research points.

Thanks a bunch!

[anonymously]

Dermatology – Common Issues

“Because only some dogs and cats develop ear infections, other conditions often contribute to the development of otitis externa and ear infections in your pet. Allergies, parasites, and masses or tumors can all cause ear irritation and infection. Allergies are the most common cause of ear infections in dogs and cats. Since an ear infection can be secondary to an underlying problem, it is often important to diagnose and treat the cause of the ear infection while treating the ear infection”.

[anonymously]

Dermatology – Common Issues

“Atopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environment”.

[Tabby R]

Oh, okay. Thank you!
My yeasty dog has many allergies and rashes and is dealing with a yeast infection and I want to make sure his diet is not worsening or causing his allergies/yeast.
I still don’t know what he reacts to. The diet he eats is LID. And he gets flare uo sometimes but I don’t know why.
Very frustrating and upsetting.

[Pittiemama]

Hi Shawna,

Thanks so much! It sounds like you are a wealth of knowledge. How cool that your dad was a Naturopath. Growing up with it is almost like learning a second language from birth I bet. I have a lot to digest. Although I don’t work for a vet anymore, I was a vet tech by training and worked in a veterinary hospital for many years so learning about this kind of stuff is kind of what I live for but I wish it wasn’t because my dog was sick.

I’m a huge pittie lover too and he’s our fourth. I’ve had a lot of dogs but bully breeds are also my favorite by a country mile! Funny thing our other dog is a Chug (Pug/Chi mix) and she thinks she’s the boss. She’s pretty adorable though.

Due to his allergies, there are some things I won’t be able to do like the eggs or the tripe (I don’t think) but am going to look into some of the others. I had been researching myself and ran across Standard Process so I was glad to see that you have used it and think so highly of it. You never know. It looks like you can’t but it from the company but I think I saw it on Amazon. If you know of another seller that’s reputable, I’d appreciate it. I’d like to get him started on it. I looked at Chewy.com but no go. Also the probiotics, they are such an easy thing to start right away. I like the Honest Kitchen Brave as well and talked to my vet who said that we’ll use phosphorous binders if his phosphorous gets above 5.0. I’m thinking if it progresses (glass is 1/2 full) of trying to change to a food that’s a little lower in phosphorous which will be a challenge due to his allergies. So far what works is fish based and grain free and most of those are not low in phosphorous. It looked to me that if I want to stick with Honest Kitchen (which I do like) then the Keen (Turkey, potato and oatmeal) would be a little lower. It’s an option but again…it’s all about the allergies too. It is a tricky situation.

It is heartening to hear your little girl lived so long after the diagnosis. Having worked in a vet hospital for so many years, I’ve seen a lot of kidney disease and one never knows how fast or how how slow it’s going to progress so I want to make it as slow as possible.

Thanks again!!!

[Shawna]

Hi Pittiemama,

Hopefully I can help you here. My puppy had kidney disease right from birth. It is believed her kidneys just weren’t able to develop (she was the sixth puppy, the runt, for a 12 pound Chihuahua / Boston Terrier mix). The breeder had to had feed her, due to a collapsing trachea, raw goats milk and egg whites to keep her alive. She had symptoms (excessive drinking and urine) at just six weeks of age. She was officially diagnosed at one year and given a year to live. She lived to eight years and seven months old and then passed for reasons not directly related to kd.

A little background on me, my father is a naturopath. I did consult with him when I got Audrey’s diagnosis but being raised by him, I was able to mostly formulate the plan of attack myself.

Audrey’s numbers, when she was diagnosed, were right around the same as your babies — and she lived almost seven more very very healthy and happy years. It could happen for your baby too.

The first thing I would suggest is to keep up on his dental health. You won’t want to use anesthesia for dental cleanings so RIGHT now start doing anything and everything you need to keep his teeth clean. It was actually bacteria likely from a dental infection that got into Audrey’s kidneys and ultimately took her life. Use fresh garlic in his meals. Use an enzyme supplement in his water, Dr. Melissa Shelton’s essential oil called Dog Breath is very effective and a drop can be added to his water dish or you can mix with water in a spray bottle and spray right on teeth. http://www.animaleo.info/dog-breath.html I would also recommend a product made by Green Pasture’s called Infused Coconut Oil. It’s high in vitamin K2 (which has been shown to have great benefit for teeth) and has other wonderful nutrients. All of my dogs get it but I found it when Audrey’s teeth were already needing some extra support. 🙁 http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm

I HIGHLY recommend Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It is a food based supplement that “feeds” the kidneys but also has a product called a protomorphogen (which is the RNA/DNA of the kidney cell) that helps prevent inflammation to the kidneys. It is the one supplement she never went without. I also used their SP Canine Hepatic Support when I thought she needed a little liver support — helps with allergies too. I also used their Cataplex B and C as water soluble vitamins may need to be added due to the large amounts being urinated out.

ONLY give filtered or other forms of “clean” water. I would avoid tap water at all cost. Lower sodium mineral waters with good amounts of calcium and magnesium have been shown to be beneficial for dogs with kd. I like Evian water because it is high in calcium bicarbonate. I didn’t give it all the time but made sure (at least in the beginning) to give it regularly — I got lax in the later years and I truly believe Audrey would still be with me if I had not. She was doing so well though and my life got busier..

I HIGHLY recommend getting some Garden of Life Primal Defense probiotic and Garden of Life Acacia Fiber supplements as well. These are used as “nitrogen traps” and as BUN begins to build up the bacteria consuming the fiber will cause some of the nitrogen to be routed through the bowels freeing up the kidneys from having to deal with them. I gave probiotic foods (like green tripe, fermented veggies etc) frequently but when I noticed she was feeling a little lethargic, depressed, not feeling well etc I assumed nitrogen was building up and I’d give her the probiotics and prebiotic for several days. Always worked like a charm. Will be quite important as the disease progresses and he starts getting symptoms. This also allows for a higher protein diet. The protein doesn’t damage the kidneys but it does, due to BUN, add to symptoms. Oh, I forgot to mention. Audrey ate a HIGH protein raw diet up until the last six to eight weeks of her life. Audrey never had a problem with phosphorus but as your puppies disease progresses you may have to watch the amount of phosphorus in the foods you are feeding. The golden rule is to limit phosphorus but it’s obviously not always necessary. That said, phosphorus can damage the kidneys if it gets too high in the blood so either monitor it or feed the right amounts of phos for the stage your pup is at. Right now while phosphorus isn’t as big an issue, I like the Honest Kitchen Brave. To that I would add a raw egg a few times per week and give Answer’s raw goat milk regularly as well. Both raw eggs (if not whipped etc) and raw milk can easily increase the “master antioxidant” in the body called glutathione. This will obviously help out everything. Later, when phos needs to be more restricted, you may not be able to give the whole egg (as the yolk is higher in phos).

Supplements —
1. Organic Turmeric is good as it is anti-inflammatory but it also is anti-fibrotic (prevents scar tissue). Audrey didn’t tolerate turmeric well so she didn’t get it but in general it would be quite helpful for a dog with KD.
2. Spirulina, chlorella and pumpkin seed oil are all high in chlorophyll and supplies lots of other nutrients. Dogs with KD can be at risk for anemia and chlorophyll is awesome for anemia.
3. Burdock root is a prebiotic and of the herb world is considered to be the “blood cleaner”.
4. Milk thistle helps spare glutathione and is a good detoxer.
5. Distilled water (given once in a while) and food grade activated charcoal are good detoxers too.
6. Copaiba essential oil is great for pains and inflammation plus more. A therapeutic grade, like Dr. Sheltons, is the only kind to use on pets. Can be given in food or rubbed into the skin over the kidneys as an example.
7. Braggs brand apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion or tummy issues. Audrey didn’t need it often but when she did I would mix it 50/50 with water and syringe feed it. She hated it but within seconds would burp and feel better.
8. Therapeutic grade peppermint oil, ginger extract or Dr. Shelton’s GI Joe essential oil work great for tummy issues as well. I got sick to my tummy and used the GI Joe to help. Kept me from vomiting and soothed my tummy.
9. Learn about essential oils if you don’t already know. If you have a Facebook account, join AnimalEO’s page and sign up for Dr. Shelton’s Friday Fun Facts. I didn’t know about them early enough to be much use with Audrey (specifically Dr. Shelton’s oils) but I sure wish I had.

DON’T do ANY more vaccinations – not even rabies if you can at all avoid. Audrey was legally exempted from having to get the rabies vaccine for life. She wasn’t protected either as she only got her first shot (at six months) before diagnosis was made. No heartworm, flea/tick or anything like that either.

I know there’s things I’m forgetting but hopefully this is enough to give you a good jumping off point.. 🙂 Hugs to you and your baby boy!!!!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Shawna.

[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