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Search Results for 'allergies'
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Wellness has their Simple line, which I like. I am using their Simple Small Breed formula with my Cavaliers. It is Salmon based and the only flavor, atm, in the Simple Small Breed line. The regular Simple line has other flavors, but not all of them are grain free so you would need to check.
I also top my dogs’ kibble with canned food. I use Wellness, they have a 95% line that is just meat. I use other brands at times. Right now I am using Freshpet Vital, a lightly cooked food that is grain free and comes in roll form. I chop it into chunks and top their kibble with it, and add in their probiotics, fish oil and a little water. Not a speck left in their bowls. They do have some that are limited, the Turkey, Beef and Bison, and Whitefish rolls. I alternate flavors with the dogs.
I have two dogs that seem to have flea allergy dermatitis, and one of them also has mild food allergies as well. I am also using an allergy chew from Vet Classics (I bought at my holistic vet), but you can buy it online and also from Naturvet (same company). These have quercitin, colostrum and other things that seem to be helping them, too. Right now all are doing well…..hope I didn’t just jinx us, lol!
1st time poster!
We got our Brittany, Hunter, when he was only 8 weeks old and he was eating Taste of the Wild. He absolutely loved it! A few months later he started to show some signs of possible allergies which increased gradually. We then switched him to Science Diets ZD. He was still having problems so we got some testing done. The results were rather lengthy!
He’s allergic to lamb, duck, rice, soybean, oat, peas, barley and a mix of environmental allergies that include different grasses, weeds and mold.
Does Science Diet still look like our best option? We are also looking into meds to help take care of what his diet can’t fix. Price isn’t really the biggest issue and I’d really like something that is high in protein. Thanks in advance!
OH MY GOSH!!! You guys are hysterical!! 🙂
Cyndi and Dori are correct. I did get blocked from posting to the Purina Veterinary Exchange Facebook page. 🙂 I posted much more than below but this will give you an idea.
They recently posted an article about reasons not to feed “people food” to dogs which drummed up a LOT of negative feedback for them. I was actually one of the nice (well, polite) ones on the page. 🙂
1. I asked them if they felt veterinary nutritionist Meg Smart (who taught veterinary nutrition) was incorrect when she stated “I see a benefit in feeding whole foods whether cooked or raw.” http://www.angryvet.com/angryvet-nutrition-interview-drs-joseph-wakshlag-and-meg-smart/#sthash.fVPLTfI9.dpuf They ignored my question but warned me about marketing for other sites.
2. Sugar is apparently added for “texture and fiber”. But do the nutritionists and vets who formulate Purina diets, specifically Beneful, really feel that sugar is an appropriate ingredient for dogs? They told me this page was for their prescription line and that my question was “off topic”. Keep in mind that the original post was about “human foods” like “milk”, “raw eggs” etc. 🙂 I actually don’t disagree with most of the points they were trying to make (adding foods could alter the balance of the already balanced diet). It was their delivery that was the problem.
3. They posted info about their new HA line for allergies. These foods have been chemically hydrolyzed to break the proteins down into amino acids which makes them less likely to cause an allergic reaction (as the body is allergic to proteins not amino acids). However proteins that have been hydrolyzed create the same issue as monosodium glutamate — which has been shown to cause illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, white matter brain lesions, multiple sclerosis etc. So I asked Purina if dogs were “immune” to the problems associated with MSG in humans. They told me to check with my vet on what my dog might be immune to. Uhm??? So I explained I meant all dogs, not just mine. They ignored the question. Then I linked this article by vet Dr. Shawn Messonnier suggesting dog are affected by “excitotoxins” like those in Purina HA. http://www.byregion.net/articles-healers/Dr_Shawn.html Still ignored the question.
4. They also posted an article stating “Many people have turned to gluten-free diets to help them lose weight & feel better, but the fact remains that very few dogs’ diets are improved by going gluten-free.” So I asked them if they had done testing to demonstrate that gluten couldn’t cause “gluten ataxia” in dogs (gluten ataxia is a neurological disease in humans caused by gluten). I linked articles discussing gluten’s role in other diseases in humans, like type 1 diabetes (the kind dogs get) and asked if any testing had been done.
I also linked a Journal of Nutrition page demonstrating dogs can lose weight on a HIGH protein diet (52% was the diet tested). This is about the time they blocked me and deleted all of my comments.
I don’t feel too bad cause they deleted most of the negative and questioning comments on their page from others too. 🙂
My guess is that you would be asked to leave, or appropriately quieted, if you started asking questions like this but if it’s boring and you want to stir the pot a bit….. 🙂
I LOVE Panera salads and more importantly, my 3 year grandson who is gluten intolerant loves their salads. Especially the apple one although he gives me all his pecans.. Woot woot 🙂
Hi Terri M. I went onto the healx.com site. I’ve never heard of them but that’s not so much my issues with them. My issue with anything I give my three dogs (or myself and husband) is they say it’s a proprietary blend. So you don’t actually know what’s in it. I don’t give them anything that I don’t know exactly what’s in a food, supplement, whatever. There are more natural ways that you can give omega 3’s to balance out omega 6’s in foods. Sardines, sardine oil, as I mentioned before. I try to go natural before I start adding pills.
As to the chicken, I don’t feed chicken, chicken fat, turkey, pheasant, quail. In other words, I don’t feed any fowl whatsoever. They are very high as a common allergen as BC noted. You’ll also note that when dog foods are recalled it’s typically, not always, some sort of poultry. If you choose to avoid fowl in all it’s forms don’t be fooled if a food says they are Venison or some other protein on the front of the food. Read the entire ingredient list. More than half the foods on the market will have some sort of chicken or turkey in the ingredients.
You didn’t ask but I will also tell you that I avoid canola oil like the plague. I don’t like anything about canola, don’t use it myself and it has a horrible allergic effect on all three of my dogs. Two of my dogs have no food or environmental issues whatsoever, they never did. Katie, 5 year old Maltipoo is the first dog I have ever had that has allergies. I adopted her at 9 weeks of age and she was a mess back then. It has been trial and error all the way with her but because of Katie I have had a wonderful experience on this forum and other canine forums and have gained a wealth of knowledge that I had never had a reason to know in the past. One benefit of Katie’s allergies and intolerances is that my other two girls have benefited from her having issues. They are all on raw food and look and feel great. Hannah, my 15 year old Maltese with multiple cancers (bladder and lung) has no idea she’s ill. No one would believe it including myself. No one that sees her or plays with her or watches her playing with the other two dogs can believe she is 15 years old let alone has cancer. I attribute all this to the raw food, fruits and veggies. I only wish I had started on raw many years ago.
When Katie was very very young vets had her on antihistamines, Atopica (horrible horrible medication that screws up their organs and lord knows what else). I’d taken her to a canine allergist who wanted to do skin testing which I refused to do. The poor baby was a real mess I wasn’t about to put her through that. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that not only does Katie no longer have allergy problems as related to foods, I can’t remember when the last time was that she had a antihistamine.
Rabbit can be one of the more expensive ones but there are so many other proteins you can use. Chicken is the cheapest but I always recommend anyone that has a dog with food intolerances to stay away from anything and everything with feathers. It’s worked for Katie who was in pitiful shape. There is a theory out there that just because they are allergic to chicken in a kibble doesn’t mean that they can’t eat chicken raw. That theory is just that, a theory. It is very possible to be allergic to the raw chicken as Katie is. I’ve asked before, I’d love to know who makes up all these theories out there. Most of them aren’t true. I guess sort of like “old wives tales”, some worked some didn’t.
By the way, as to the amounts of organic virgin coconut oil and the raw goats milk, you didn’t mention the weight of your dog. We would have to know that before advising you how much to add to your dogs food.
Unless your dog has an active infection, he should not be on antibiotics. They wreak havoc with the system. Also, steroids is only dealing with the symptoms and not whatever he is allergic to. I had been advised to put Katie on steroids but I and her vet said no, also no to the antibiotics. Her vet is very strict about antibiotics. ONLY if a dog has an infection either visually or proved by blood tests. She’s not real thrilled about prednisone either. The practice I go to has four vets. The one I see now that joined the practice last year is good with raw foods. The other three just push the garbage they sell and think you’re misguided feeding raw. The new vet that I use trained for a couple of years at Georgia Veterinary Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. Susan Wynn (homeopathic, holistic nutritionist). Dr. Wynn was thrilled when she found out who I was using as a regular vet. Said my dogs couldn’t possibly be in better hands.
Hi Terri M. Please make sure that the raw virgin coconut oil is organic. Also, with the coconut oil, don’t start at 1 TBSP. start by adding very little per meal and eventually work your way up to the TBSP. Giving your dogs that much coconut oil without having introduced it slowly is sure to cause diarrhea. As far as the raw goat’s milk, I would also introduce that slowly until you’re sure that your dog is tolerating it well. I would also not start with both the coconut oil and raw goat’s milk at the same time. If you’re dogs have any issues you won’t know what caused it. What omega 3 supplement were you thinking of using? Canned sardines in water with NO salt that you buy in the grocery store is a good way of adding omega 3. Another way is also adding a fish oil. I use Nature’s Logic Sardine Oil. I keep it in the fridge and splash a little on one of their meals in the day then the bottle goes right back in the fridge. Fish oils go rancid pretty quickly so even though a food will say it contains fish oil, it’s viable really to be of any use which is the reason that fish oil should be kept refrigerated. I feed my girls canned sardines two or three times a week either as a mid day or evening snack or as a topper on their meal and on those days I do not add the sardine oil. I prefer sardine oil to other oils because sardines have a very short life span. In other words they’re not swimming around in waters long enough to absorb a lot of the dangers and toxics that have now so contaminated our waters. I never ever feed my dogs salmon or salmon oil because of the contaminated waters that they general come from. You have to really trust your fish monger when selecting fish for your dogs and make sure they know where the fish came from.
I noticed that you said you also bought freeze dried. Keep in mind that freeze dried is the most expensive way to go.
Let me say that I am delighted that you are going to feed your dogs raw. I’ve been feeding my three dogs commercial raw foods for a little over 2 and 1/2 years, maybe closer to three and the difference in them is nothing short of miraculous. I have a maltipoo, Katie, who I used to say was allergic to life in general. She was a complete and total mess. She was always itchy, tear stain,, gas to clear a house out, diarrhea, yeasty ears, shedding like crazy (her breed is not suppose to shed, they have hair not fur…..I’m allergic to animals), I could go on and on and on. Other than the occasional bout of seasonal allergies (Spring, Fall), all those issues have cleared up. No more scratchy, stains, gas, yeast, her hair is now not shedding at all and very very shiny. Good luck I know you’ll be happy you made the switch. Eventually when you have things better under control I hope you’ll give thought to rotating your dogs commercial raw meals with different brands and the different proteins within those brands.
Sorry, one more thing. Don’t forget the treats you feed. Most commercial treats contain grains and other garbage. Not all, but most. I feed little bits of organic fruits and veggies as treats. Healthy and none cause harm as commercial treats do. You also don’t have to worry about the dreaded recalls.
Topic: Miserable Dog!
Hello All,
This is a desperate attempt to help a dog who is currently very very miserable. I am living with relatives for a short duration, and ever since I have been here with them their beautiful chocolate lab has had severe allergies. She is 4 years old this fall and suffers from seasonal allergies. She is so itchy, her fur is being chewed off on her abdomen and legs, and every few weeks she gets a horrible irritation under her neck that looks so infected! I don’t trust the vet my relatives are using, she seems more than happy to keep pushing very strong antibiotics and prednisone off on this dog. The dog will get better after about a week, but by better I mean the rash and oozing sores start to lessen, at the expense of her vibrance (when on the prescribed regimine of meds she just lays around and sleeps). They feed all 4 of their big dogs Ol’ Roy dog food, one of if not the worst dog foods out there. They wont listen to me about needing to change them over and currently I can push no more. ( I will continue to try though) Until they see reason what natural supplements can I give her on top of her food to help her out. Also, I’ve been giving their golden retriever who has hip dysplasia glucosimine tablets any suggestions there also.Hi everyone! I am so glad I found this forum 🙂 I have a Chinese Shar Pei who just turned 1 yr old (yesterday) and she has had recurring yeast infection problems (in ears, mainly and now in the folds of skin near her mouth and between toes) every 2 months since she was 4 months old. My vet gave her some kind of medicine that went in her ears for 2 weeks, and it cleared it up at first, then gave her Chlorpheniramine 4 mg pills to take -I pill 2x daily. She then increased it to 2 pills, 2x daily. Angel has been on Hill’s Science Diet (canned and dry) which I now see could be at least a big factor in this 🙁 We thought it was a good quality food 🙁 Anyway, my vet still thinks it’s just seasonal allergies, not food related. Can anyone tell me appx guess how long it would take (after switching brands) before there might be an improvement? Any and all comments, suggestions, about fighting yeast infections very much appreciated!
Hello everyone! Brand new here and I am looking to get some helpful advice. I have 5 small dogs (3 chinese cresteds, a minpoo, and a pom) . 1 of them has many food allergies that makes changing foods a nightmare (SHE HAS BEEN TESTED) . I have had them all on Solid Gold for about 12 years. That is almost all she can eat. A while back they changed up their foods and I haven’t been happy with it since. Then I look at this site and see Solid Gold hasn’t got the best ratings to add to my unhappiness. I checked out a new pet store in the area and found Pioneer Naturals. Never heard of it before. The clerk said one of her coworkers had tried it but it was way too rich and made the dog sick. I was looking at the venison formula, or maybe bison. Can anyone weigh in on this for me? My doggies and I TIA.
Topic: Venison-only dog foods
Does anyone have recommendations for a toy poodle who can only have venison as the sole protein in his food (no chicken meal, eggs, or proteins from other animal sources) due to allergies? We’ve been through Natural Balance (didn’t help with allergies and he didn’t like the taste of any of it), Wellness (VERY fishy and made his allergies acutely worsen), Evangers (which was discontinued). Right now we use Evo 95% wet food, which has had recalls, and California Natural dry venison (which has had recalls, and seems to be being possibly discontinued? or at least it is very hard to find). I have a source for venison ground hamburger meat with ground bone, but I also have been unable to find vitamin supplements to add to it. I’d ground up some of the dry CA Natural and called it “sprinkles”, and he would eat it that way sometimes. He’s seen 2 vets, consulted with a vet internist, and has seen a veterinary dermatologist, so yes, it is documented that it is both food allergies and skin allergies. He did not go for any of the freeze dried stuff. Thanks so much.
I have a Siberian husky and an Alaskan malamute on Earthborn Holistic bison dog food for the last 2 years. Both dogs coats became fuller within a few months of trying this food and the malamute’s coat became much softer and still is to this day.
Over the last 4 months, however, my husky (6 1/2) has begun to slowly develop bare spots on his hind legs and to a lesser degree on his sides. My vet noticed some matting near those areas and his skin was fairly dry and flaking but saw no other red flags. His blood work showed no issues. I brushed out the matted fur over the next couple weeks and bathed him with an anti-bacterial/anti-fungal shampoo as a precaution a week ago. His skin feels softer and doesn’t appear to be flaking anymore, but his coat is still dry in those areas. His coat has also lost some of its color over the last few months and has become dull on his rear legs. He has not been scratching at all.
I was told by a dog food rep in Petsmart last week that dogs tend to build allergies to the same pet food over a period of about 2 years and suggested trying a different formula in the same brand. Is there some credibility in this?Topic: Black Lab allergies
I have a 5 yr old black lab (Jake). In the last year or so he has been constantly licking and chewing his feet. We tried allergy shots (depomedrol) and it didn’t help at all. He is eating a chicken based dry dog food that has not wheat or corn. We add canned food and also cook chicken thighs and add that meat. We also have 3 other dogs, 2 german shepherds and a mixed breed. The others do not have this problem. I bought a natural formula supplement for dogs and he has been on it for about 3 weeks but I don’t see any results yet.
Any suggestions? My husband and I are retired so cost of food is an issue (of sorts).
Hi all, I’m glad your dog ended up okay. Of my 3 Cavaliers, only 1 reverse sneezes (Laverne). Stella, my Cav at the bridge, reverse sneezed, too. I’ve heard it has to do with the dog maybe having allergies, or the shape of its upper palate. Anyway, it’s harmless and I just put my hand over her nostrils to get her to mouth breathe and all is well. 🙂
I am a college student looking for a good food on a budget. The dog I recently adopted is on Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Small Bites mixed with a grain free wet food. He doesn’t have any grain allergies so I am interested in switching him over to a good food that is more college student budget friendly!
When reading some reviews, I saw some negative feedback on the brands Diamond and Nutro. I know that Nutro is AAFCO certified, so I was wondering what problem there was with this brand? My parent’s shelties have been on Nutro Max their whole lives and have wonderful coats, etc. I just want to make sure I am the most informed as possible before making a switch!
My dogs used to eat Evo, but after the recall I switched them just to be cautious. After all the drama with the recalls and the company changing hands, how do I trust them again? SHOULD I trust them again? My dilemma is this – my boy Duke had a mast cell tumor removed, so in an abundance of caution I want to switch his food to one with higher protein. Evo Red Meat would be perfect for his allergies – chicken, turkey, fish (except salmon), sweet potato, kelp, rice, and barley. But I have to wonder about the quality with it being made by one of the big brands. Help!
I have 5 schnauzers. I currently feed them Canidae. 2 of them were spayed earlier this year and gained weight, mainly around the chest area. All my dogs are fixed and these 2 were not fat until being fixed. The others did not gain like this.They all eat the same everyday. I am looking for a good weight control food that is also hypoallergenic, as 3 of them have allergies. Any suggestions on what you have used. Cost is of no importance as I will try anything until I can get them regulated on something that works.
Right?? LOL
Bentley’s fur is growing back pretty well. Almost at full length again on his but and thighs. You can see his legs are still red, but he seems to not be losing any more fur, so whatever. I think its the Pure Balance I had to buy him. They didn’t have any of the 95%, so I got him the puppy stew kind, and its making him itchy. That and everyones allergies in general are just really horrible right now. I haven’t been able to breath for like a month, and a lot of people are catching colds, as well. So thats not helping him, either. But his new diet should help! Wish there was an affordable raw diet for the cat. I would love to try it. He really loves his beef heart lol
Re: 9 year old lab/keeshond mix. This years summer scratching was worse than ever and turned into hot spots. Benadryl not much help. Then vomiting started. We discovered tapeworms, made our visit to vet and treated her for that, being careful not to med near feeding time so she wouldn’t lose the dose if she vomited. Weren’t able to finish antibiotics for hot spots because of the frequent vomiting, but wounds are healing nicely. Switched to home cooked rice and chicken a week ago and no more vomiting, no more scratching, healing and well. Tried to gradually add dry food back in the other night – maybe 20 kibbles in with chicken & rice and she threw up a little and showed signs of itching for the first time in days. Stuck on chicken and rice, but not sure that that is nutritionally sound for long term and not sure how to get her back on a regular diet – can they develop food allergy later in life and what should I do to figure out what brand to try? Could really use some advice. Thanks.
Hello!
I currently have a two year old toy schnauzer suffering from the usual allergy symptoms, chewing or licking of paws, pink itchy skin, etc. I started noticing these symptoms at a very early age, so for one of her regular check ups I brought the issues up to my vet. She stated that allergies don’t tend to start showing up until after they are atleast two years old, and that she was probably just doing “puppy” stuff and I was overreacting. After growing up with schnauzers in my life from an early age, I am pretty aware of “most” of there common health concerns. Our last family baby had diabetes, pancreatitis, and finally went completely blind. My parents always fed low grade food (kibbles n bits, pedigree, royal canine) and now knowing this can lead to so many health issues I have kept my little girl (Sophie) on nothing but 4 and 5 star food. Noticing the allergy symptoms I started to rotate foods to see if anything would help or change, and nothing seemed to help. Within the colder months the chewing decreased, but nothing was cured. Now recently she came back from the groomers in massive pain! Skin and ear problems. I went back to the vet and finally after some tests they said she had bacterial and yeast infections due to what they can only guess is seasonal allergies! After the antibiotics and healing process I am desperate for her to never have to endure such pain from something I feel I could of prevented! Any help on food, vitamins, etc. Would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you!!Vegetarian Dog Food
To most Americans, leading a vegetarian lifestyle is the right way to healthy living. As a result, they feel obliged to extend this sort of lifestyle to their pets. Such beliefs have brought about a wide-scale marketing campaign for vegetarian dog foods.
Depending on your definition of vegetarian, certain ingredients and food types may be incorporated or removed from a vegetarian diet. As a minimum requirement, most meat sources – pork, beef, fish, etc. – are usually removed from the diet. Animal products such as milk and eggs are also usually not incorporated into the diet.
Why do people switch their pet diets to Vegetarian Dog Food?
Most vegetarians believe that vegetarian diets are healthy when compared to the traditional diets, which include animal-source foods. Vegetarians extend this assumption to their pets, which of course is not always true. For example, dogs do not suffer from disorders such as high cholesterol. Therefore, cutting your dog’s meat intake with the intention of reducing its cholesterol intake does not serve any real health benefit to the dog.
Other folks believe that meat contains contaminated bacteria that may harm their dog. This may be a real and legitimate cause to worry; however, meat products that have been properly canned or dried pose a far lower risk of disease transmission when compared to raw vegetables or fruits.
Some people cut their pet’s meat or animal-source intake with the premise that it causes food allergies. Pets rarely develop food allergies. When it comes to pets, the risk of developing allergies due to protein intake from meat or protein intake from plants is the same. Cutting meat intake rarely helps solve this problem.
The most likely Effects of switching your Dog’s Diet to Vegetarian
The nutritional demands for dogs are very different when compared to those of humans. A perfect vegetarian diet for a human may; therefore, not be suitable for a dog. A vegetarian pet food that meets all the requirements – of the dog species – is very difficult, but possible to develop. However, it becomes even more difficult when you decide to use ingredients that fit a purely vegetarian diet: a vegan diet.
A protein and calcium need of a dog, for example, is much higher when compared to that of a human. Such nutrients are usually derived from animal ingredients.
Of course, it is possible to derive such nutrients – Calcium and protein – from synthetic substitutes; however, the process is much more expensive and far less reliable. The process may prove very effective theoretically, but fail miserably in the “real world”.
Finally, even if the dog eats the vegetarian diet that you serve it, it may not consume it in the proportions that its body requires. Pets enjoy a cookie or a fruit on an occasional basis; however, they may not enjoy consuming vegetarian products for their survival. Therefore, even if you come up with a vegetarian diet that meets all the requirements, your dog may not take in as much as its body needs. Thus, it will suffer nutritional deficiency eventually.In a concluding remark, vegetarian diets are healthy – to a certain extent. However, they may deprive your dog of certain essential requirements. If you must serve your companion with vegetarian dog food, ensure that it takes it in sufficient quantities, and that it has all the essential nutritional requirements.
Recent Topics
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Easy Cat Pregnancy Calculator for Cat Owners
by 3 months ago
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How do I keep a dog entertained passively?
by 3 months, 1 week ago
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Best enrichment toys for a smart dog? Others are getting boring.
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Need healthier alternatives to Purina Moist & Meaty
by 5 months, 1 week ago
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dog vitamins
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2 months, 1 week ago