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Search Results for 'allergies'

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  • #54927
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    @DogFoodie It’s fine! It happens! I agree, there should be a “confirm report” thing. Once Lily was on my lap while I was scrolling, and I realized her paw was on my trackpad because the page went crazy!


    @Melissaandcrew
    What was the problem? Did it upset their stomach, or cause allergies?

    #54849

    In reply to: Custom Pet Food

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Petbrosia (dog version) has two base formulas. You cannot take ingredients out of the formulas. They just tweak the amount of each one for your dogs weight, age and activity requirements. For instance, if Hazel is young with no allergies then her nutrition profile for the grain free salmon might be 32 % protein and 16 % fat and 2 % fiber with calories of say 480 a cup while Laverne, who is older and has some mild allergies might have protein of 26 %, fat of 13 % and fiber of 2 % with 415 calories per cup. The ingredient panel reads the same ingredient list for both dogs. So……long story short, you can’t really customize ingredient wise. They will just change percentages of each ingredient to fit your dogs supposed needs. I hope that makes it a little clearer. Imho, it is a little misleading with their marketing. I think it’s a decent food and average price compared to foods like Orijen, Wellness, etc. But, don’t go into it thinking you are going to get an individualized food ingredient wise.

    CHRISTINE C
    Member

    When my 2yr old GSD was diagnosed with EPI, we were feeding her Orijen with enzymes. Stools firmed up but not to optimal level. I have changed her food to Merrick GF Pork, which I love for her skin allergies, but still not the results I’m looking for. It is 17% fat/ 3.8 %fiber. I think I need to lower the fat content more. I was thinking about Wellness Core Reduced Fat, but the fiber is too high at 8.5%. Using 1tsp of Enzymediane 6X per 1 cup of Kibble. Does anyone have any suggestions for a low fat/fiber grain free better quality kibble?

    #54736
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    Thanks everyone! Two more things I am wondering, first of all, how can I get sample bags online? I tried searching them on chewy and petflow, but I did not get anything relevant. Also, I was told by one of the pet store employees I should avoid chicken for Lily because she might have allergies. The Lotus dog food I bought does not have chicken, so if it helps then maybe that is the problem. I also heave some treats that have chicken though. Does anyone know if it is a good idea to avoid it no matter what? Thanks!

    #54582

    In reply to: Dog allergies

    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    Here are the ingredients to Hills z/d:

    Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Soybean Oil, Hydrolyzed Chicken, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement , Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors , Beta-Carotene.

    It doesn’t look overly horrible, but it doesn’t look great. I am surprised that it contains chicken and soy, both common food allergens. I might recommend trying your own elimination by buying high-quality dog foods free of certain common allergens and seeing which ones help. I have heard that feeding raw can help with allergies, but I can’t say from experience on that. Hope this is helpful!

    #54548
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    Since I adopted my dog Lily 1.5 months ago, I’ve been doing a ton of research on her food. This is my first time having a dog, though I have fostered for rescue groups, where the food was provided. One of the things I read on this site was about rotational feeding, and I thought it sounded like a good idea. I am feeding her Taste of The Wild Wetlands formula, but I am transitioning her to Lotus grain-free duck small bites for rotation. Other brands I am thinking of including are Wellness Core grain-free and Orijen.

    I was also considering mixing in some with wet food with her kibble, Wellness 95% or TOTW. The only issue is storage: wet food only keeps a few days in the fridge, and since she is small it would not be used up by then. I was wondering about freezing it as a possibility, does anyone know if this is okay?

    By the way, all of the foods I mentioned are grain-free. This is not a must, but Lily may possibly have some allergies, so I thought it couldn’t hurt. One of the pet store employees recommended avoiding chicken, because it is a common allergen.

    Lily is an ~3 year old, 10 pound, Bichon Frise. Any input or constructive criticism on the food is welcome. Thanks!

    #54503
    Kristin C
    Member

    Jan-I feed my girls raw meaty bones on the weekend and split a can of sardines between the 2 of them at the same time. I also split a can between the 2 girls mid-week as a snack. I prefer to feed whole food versus a daily “supplement”. Have you explored yeast overgrowth for the skin allergies?

    #54479
    JAN E
    Member

    I have a 2 year old Golden Retriever who has been plagued with skin issues due to allergies her whole life. Food tests found she’s allergic to soybeans, corn, alfalfa, green peas, sweet potatoes and beef! I’ve used California Natural dry food her whole life, trying different ones until we determined the problem. I find that most quality dry foods contain many of these ingredients. Canned food seems pretty expensive. Can anyone suggest a dry food that does not contain these things? I’m seriously considering cooking chicken for her and storing portions in the freezer….! I’d also like to eliminate rice, if possible. She’s still having skin issues. (Haven’t yet ruled out grass.) Any help is appreciated!

    #54477
    JAN E
    Member

    I have a 2 year old Golden Retriever who has been plagued with skin issues due to allergies her whole life. Food tests found she’s allergic to soybeans, corn, alfalfa, green peas, sweet potatoes and beef! I’ve used California Natural dry food her whole life, trying different ones until we determined the problem. I find that most quality dry foods contain many of these ingredients. Canned food seems pretty expensive. Can anyone suggest a dry food that does not contain these things? I’m seriously considering cooking chicken for her and storing portions in the freezer….! Any help is appreciated!

    #54437
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Ryan, when he was going really well, was he eating what he is eating now when he’s scratching or have you added something new to his diet, also fleas maybe a flea has bitten him, some dogs are allergic to the fleas salvia, one bite & they go mad with scratching…I’d start an elimination diet, I’d start again, just 1 protein & 1 low carb for 2 weeks & see how he goes, then if he’s not scratching start slowley adding back everything your feeding him now, every 3-4 days, add 1 new food, then you’ll see what food or oil or powder is making him itch, my boy starts scratching within 2 days when I added a new food that he was allergic too, as soon as I stopped the food (potato & sweet potato) the itch stopped within 2days, also were you adding the green powder & kelp when he was doing really well, I’d keep a diary & every night write what he ate, where you walked, what you did that day with him, then you can look back 6months or 2 weeks & see if there’s a pattern if he starts his scratching again when he’s doing better…. winter is coming, so if its environment allergies he should get better in the winter, it drives me mad.. but it will be something simple, real little that can be causing the itch.. have you tried Malaseb Medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on the skin but doesnt strip the good oils from their skin, its very good shampoo for itchy skin..

    #54359
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Jenny, my boy goes thru stages he’ll be fine then all of a sudden starts his vomiting again & he starts eating grass as soon as he wakes up of a morning, cause he’s a rescue dog that I rescued nilly 2 years ago I’m slowley seeing a pattern, back in May I was moving but in the end I didnt move but had packed boxes & Patches routine had changed a bit after not moving I un-pack everything again Patch started his vomiting his kibble again, he had ultra scan it came back all good, so new vet thinks it was from stress, probably the moving he also said IBD like Patches old vet said but Im thinking more IBS not IBD, He was put on Zantac an ant acid but I dont give it daily no more, if I see him un-well in morning then I give him his Zantac…
    I always thought IBD was diarrhea or sloppy poos but some dogs have the vomiting & no sloppy poos, vet wanted him on Prenidsone (steriod) I said NO not yet, thats when I started the elimination diet & found he can’t have Potatos they give him a red rash all on his chest & he’s real itchy then diarrhea, Sweet Potatos gives him real itchy ears & itchy skin, anything with wheat his paws would swell up & one would go real red & hot, I have to put ice pack on the red swollen paw then it goes down..
    also I was told to feed smaller meals thru the day, not just the 2 large meals a day, I think this has helped..Now I try not to change his routine or stress him in anyway…
    another thing Patch also has is hive like lumps all over his body, last year vet thought environment allergies from grass, pollen etc but as time has gone its was more food causing his hives & itchy skin & ears which I proved thru the elimination diet I did..
    With the Cerenia, I’d just give when you think he looks sick, I know when Patch is ill, he doesnt want to play, he normally goes to his toy box & gets a ball & runs up & down the hallway or starts to pester me to play with him, when he’s un-well he just sleeps & starts doing his licking, his tonuge keeps coming out & he swollows.. I wish they could talk..

    #54353
    Jenny M
    Member

    I’ve been reading this thread with interest as I have a small dog who has recently started throwing up pretty much daily. He’s been raw fed and minimally vaccinated since he was a puppy, so I was pretty shocked. Once he lost about 15% of his body weight from all this, I decided to have the endoscopy done on him and I should know the results next week. It showed a “normal looking” stomach with some inflammation in the small intestine so biopsies will be done.
    It’s difficult to say if the issues are food related or stress related, as this started about 2 weeks after I brought a new puppy home. Perhaps both as the original vomiting episode was accompanied by a nasty, angry red rash and hives all over his stomach/chest/legs. His skin felt hot to the touch, but thankfully that’s settled. At this point he’s getting Cerenia to control the vomiting (until we’re 100% sure what’s going on, and can either treat the food allergies with a change in protein sources and tweaking what he actually gets, or treating the stress issues perhaps present with the new puppy). I don’t want my dog on Cerenia or Pepcid for the rest of his life, however (like the original poster), I want my dog to be able to keep food down! He’s doing pretty well on Wellness 95% Salmon (NOT a complete diet, and not for long term, but a good start for a food elimination trial and pretty much the best thing I’ve found that agrees with him at this time).
    Unless something bad happens, I’m going to start stretching the time he gets the stomach medicine. Instead of every 24 hours, tonight I’m stretching it to 30. Later, perhaps 36, then 48, etc until hopefully his body is able to handle food without the help of the medicine. I do intend to keep it on hand in case of a flare up…
    Also, I ordered some things from the b-naturals.com website, Berts Zymes (digestive enzymes) and some other things to help aid dogs having digestive difficulties. If Chewy needs an extra “boost”, it might be something you’d be interested in checking out.

    Bobby dog
    Member

    Hi Laura:
    I like and regularly feed Wellness kibbles/canned and Holistic canned to both my dog and cats. I haven’t tried the Holistic kibbles, but they are on my list to try.

    I would look into feeding different proteins and carbs, but more importantly I would begin keeping a list of all the proteins and carbs in his diet. IMO if it is a food allergy or sensitivity saving the ingredient lists from each food (including treats and canned foods) and comparing these lists in order to find the offending ingredient(s) is the best approach; it is also time consuming.

    There are quite a few fish based kibbles. I found three that fall under my specific criterion without potatoes of any kind, but two of them have high calcium and phosphorous ratios and of these two one has low nutrient levels. I decided not to consider them after looking at their websites and reading comments about the companies on DFA. The third is Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe, however it also includes duck meal.

    This list may or may not be what you are looking for; none contain salmon, most contain sweet potatoes, some have flax seed, and some have fish you haven’t fed. Review the recipes carefully, they may include ingredients that you are trying to avoid:

    • Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe – potato free, includes duck meal
    • Pioneer Naturals Grain Free Whitefish
    • by Nature Ocean Whitefish & Green Peas Recipe
    • Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato
    • Wild Calling Whitefish recipe

    Here’s a link to carb values for Wellness kibbles:
    /forums/topic/carb-values-of-wellness-kibble/#post-54314

    Here’s some links to articles about allergies/food sensitivities in dogs:
    http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/grain-free-dog-foods-solving-yeast-and-skin-issues/
    http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/caring-for-a-dog-that-has-food-allergies
    http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/itchy-dogs-%E2%80%93-is-food-the-problem#.VDbE_LnQOpo
    http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

    #54250

    In reply to: Raaw energy

    sue102dal
    Member

    Bashi,
    He is not licensed USDA approved pet food manufacturer. He does not notify customer if out of item they order just replaces with whatever he wants without saying anything to the customer. he is a game butcher that thinks he knows it all about raw feeding. I have a degree in animal nutrition and mentored him to create his product line. Now all he does is bad mouth me to anyone that will listen. He sells his food cheap because he does not follow all USDA regulations!! He caused several dogs in my co-op to get sick because of his lack of concern for keeping the food as stated on his website he changes ingredients and dogs with food allergies got sick costing owners thousands in vet bill. So continue with him at your owm risk just make sure your pet has good health insurance!

    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by sue102dal.
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Laura, here’s a link to “Holistic Select” Anchovys, Sardines & Salmon meal, I know you’ve said no Salmon but this kibble has no potatos, have a look at the ingredients they may be as close as you’ll get to the Proseries, A few dogs from the dog park have skin allergies & they are on the Holistic Select Anchovys, Sardines & Salmon meal for their skin & ears…. http://www.holisticselect.com/dry-dog-food-anchovy-sardine-and-salmon-meal

    Laura B
    Member

    Hello All,

    I have a 12 year old dog that is probably a lab mix who has been having problems with hair loss. a year ago he was losing hair in patches on his face and the tips of his ears. also some dry cracked skin on the tips of his ears, that i picked off, and swollen ears from tips almost to base. i took him to the vet many times and eventually another vet suggested that it could be allergies.

    I had been feeding him pro series hypoallergenic food in canada, but i have since moved to the states with him and i can’t get it here. the hair on his face had completely grown in and his ears were getting better as well. i just switched to pure vita salmon and potato, which he greatly prefers, but his ears are swollen again and no more signs of improvement with the hair coming back. i’ve been reading about this and it seems that ear infections are often triggered by food allergies, and this is a sign of the allergy (though the only problem with the ears is swelling, hair loss, and maybe some purple marks on the skin). i have looked everywhere for a food with similar ingredients but i can’t find anything that is just mostly herring, anchovies, and rice. i also supplemented with canned tuna to make the pro series more appetizing, and that seemed fine. if anyone can offer any suggestions of what to try or how to interpret this i would appreciate it so much.

    #54126
    Tracy L
    Member

    For the last 13 years, I have been told by the vet that my poodle had seasonal allergies. She has always licked her paws like crazy and it would drive her and my husband crazy. I have tried several pet foods (such as Science Diet, Nutro, Blue Buffalo, etc.) and 1. she hasn’t liked them, and 2. she still licked. However, recently, I visited a local pet store (not a chain) and the lady recommended Fromm for my picky eater. She also gave me some Stella and Chewy’s Super Beef Patties to help put some weight on my little girl (she stopped eating as much). My poodle seems to like Fromm, but she LOVES the Stella and Chewy’s patty. Also, she has not been licking her paws at all! I sure wish I would have figured out her food allergies sooner. 🙁 I also wish my several vets across the country would have mentioned that there was better pet food available.

    Now, I’m torn. She is 13 and I want what is best for her that she likes the most. Which dog food would you recommend for my allergic, picky eater senior poodle? She is in great shape (can walk 3 miles straight with no issue), but she does have a sensitive stomach at times.

    Thank you!

    #54083
    Carolyn W
    Member

    I’ve kept her on dry dog food as long as I could, but she just went through a bit of a sick spell and I noticed that when she threw up she had whole pieces of food in her tummy. I’m also noticing that she’s lost a bit of weight and when I popped into the vet today they confirmed she’s down just over half a pound. I’ve made my own food for her before when she broke her jaw but she seemed to have mild allergies to everything I used. (Except her banana oatmeal and cottage cheese breakfasts.)

    What would you recommend for an alternative to dry dog food? She also eats apples, pears, bananas and blackberries as snacks so I’m looking for something that might be a bit higher in the meat/protein. I’ve always had her on some version of lamb dry kibble and was leaning towards either the Kirkland or the Castor and Pollex. (Both based on the review I read on this wonderful site!) She could stand to gain a full pound too but I have to be careful as she has a slight heart murmur and I don’t want it to get worse.

    Thanks for the help!

    #53989
    Tiffany K
    Member

    For your Mini Schnauzer….The Honest Kitchen is so healthy as is mainly fish and veggies. This is the dehydrated formula; I believe it is called Zeal You add warm water and let it sit a bit. It looks like green gruel or oatmeal. But, I specifically purchased it for my Pit Bull/Great Dane mix who was hospitalized with pancreatitis (my mother was keeping her and I have never got to the bottom of what she was fed) but it has completely smoothed out her digestion problems , as well as helping her chronic skin allergies. It is just getting her to eat it. It smells exactly like fish food. If you mixed her 3 ounces of chicken in with the Zeal, I am sure she would gobble it down. Another “trick” is I use the chicken broth from boiled chicken as the mixing agent for the Zeal. I hope this helps and your little girl feels better each day.

    #53973
    theBCnut
    Member

    I feed half kibble due to the need to have something that the squeamish people in my house can feed. For raw, I used Darwin’s until just recently(allergy to flax stopped that), now I’m using grinds from Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore and other home raised meats. I add whatever my dogs need to those. For the last 3 days, they have been working on eating a whole turkey. Ocassionally, I use commercial raws, but 2 of my dogs have multiple food allergies, so there isn’t a whole lot I can use. I rotate everything I feed.

    #53701
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    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!

    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
    #53680
    aimee
    Participant

    Hi Chris,

    The only way to diagnose adverse food reaction is via an elimination diet. This mean taking a diet history and then picking sources that your dog hasn’t been exposed to. It is very difficult to do an elimination diet correctly. You must ensure the dog doesn’t get any other food/flavoring sources besides the test diet for 12 weeks. No flavored medications, toys, chews, cat box “snacks”, scavenged food outside Nada! And you must clear any existing skin infections.

    Limited ingredient foods purchased at pet stores have been found to contain proteins not listed on the bag. They are not suitable for use for doing this important diagnostic test!! Once diagnosed you may choose to ” challenge” the dog to see what the dog reacts to. It then may be possible to find a OTC diet to trial.

    I would only use home cooked, vet diets made for this purpose, or possible Rayne nutrition for an elimination diet.

    If the dog is reactive to the base protein in the hydrolyzed diet there is a chance he/she will react to the hydrolyzed version. Therefore if a dog has been exposed to chicken before then hydrolyzed chicken diet may not be the ideal choice for a trial.

    If your dog has environmental allergies in addition to adverse food reaction it will be harder to tell if there is a positive response to food trial if done when concurrently exposed to the environmental allergens.

    Good Luck

    #53671
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Chris, have you ever done an elimination diet to see what foods he can’t tolarate make him itchy..My vet said that Elimination diet is the only way that you will really know what foods he’s allergic to..If he can eat raw or cooked that would be the best, start with 1 protein only then slowely add a new food weekly & see what foods makes him itch or gives diarrhea..you know within 2 days if they have a reaction.. I found my boy cant have Potatos, they give him diarrhea & rash all over chest, sweet potatos, he gets itchy ears & keeps shaking his head, wheat, his paws go red & itchy he starts licking them & now chicken cause everytime he has chicken he gets his hive like lumps all over his body..it does take time an elimination diet but you will know 100% what foods he can & cant eat…I have Patch on the ‘Wellness Simple’ Limited Ingredient… He was on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic kibble but the fat was too high 19% he got Pancreatitis…Eukanuba FP has limited ingredients, its another kibble for skin allergies but its Fish & Potato & Patch got real bad diarrhea, I didnt know back then that it was the Potatos giving him diarrhea until I did the elimination diet, now I know he cant have any kibbles with Potato or Sweet potato & alot of the grainfree kibbles have Potato…. I dont know why they put Potato as potatos are high in carbs & carbs aren’t good for yeasty itchy skin…

    #53655
    Chris A
    Member

    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!

    #53634
    Shawna
    Member

    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 🙂

    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Shawna.
    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Shawna.
    #53584
    Molly S
    Member

    It is great to get advice from others that have been there, but this is an amazing article by one of the leading integrative vets with very detailed information on solving seasonal allergies. Much of this can be applied to dealing with pit bulls. Pitties are particularly sensitive to food ingredients as well as environmental factors.

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/01/pet-allergies.aspx

    Ensure they are on a high-protein, grain-free, potato-free food like Orijen, LiveFree or Pioneer Naturals.

    Use a combination of coconut oil and fish oil.

    Regular rinse/bath/use foot soaks to eliminate pesky allergens.

    Just like children with allergies, ensure that you do everything you can to eliminate environmental allergens in the home – clean air, air-friendly cleaners, and add diffusers.

    #53571
    Dori
    Member

    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.

    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.
    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.
    #53461
    Terri M
    Member

    Yes! The coconut oil is organic, virgin pressed. Thanks for all your feedback/help. I value others opinions as this is the first time I have had to deal with allergies in my frenchie. My other 2 are brindle and they never had issues. He (my honey one) seems to be allergic to air! I agree about adding things slowly. 🙂

    Check out this site: http://www.healx.com and look at the Omega3 Booster. This is what was recommended to me. It is a whole food supplement. Let me know your thoughts on this.

    I know what you mean about treats. I came home one day to a big bag of animal cookies on my kitchen counter. My husband was trying to be sweet and fed the dogs animal cookies! LOL I knew he meant well. I have tried berries and sometimes they will eat and sometimes not. They love apples. What is your opinion on chicken? Everyone is telling me to stay away from it. We have had them on rabbit and geez it is SO expensive. Thanks for the tip about sardines!

    #53459
    Dori
    Member

    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.

    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Dori.
    #53445

    In reply to: Miserable Dog!

    Barbara
    Member

    Hi Victoria, I feel for you and agree with the others and their suggestions. Maybe you could afford the difference in price from the Ol’Roy to something better for the relatives large dogs, especially the chocolate lab with the allergies. All the corn in Ol’Roy and other bad ingredients has to contribute to the skin allergies. You might also want to search the forums for allergies and skin issues. Omega 3 really helps. I use Victor grain free dog food and it has great ingredients and if you can find a feed store or co-op near you it can be very reasonable. The grain inclusive Victor is even a better price. Check their web site for a dealer near you and call them for prices. Good luck with your quest to help these dogs.

    #53409
    theBCnut
    Member

    It should be apparent that your dog is improving within the first week or so, but it can take 10 or so weeks for all symptoms to clear. With recurrant yeast infections, you should definitely suspect food allergies and you should also definitely add probiotics and digestive enzymes to each meal for a while. For many dogs with yeast, going as low carb as possible is beneficial, because one of the types of yeast that cause these problems feed off starch in the diet. Good luck. This is a beast of an issue.

    #53407
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Laurie, my vet said the same thing Patch has seasonal allergies when I first got him, I kept saying maybe its his food, he gets itchy ears, red inbetween his toes & a rash on his chest when I feed him potatos. Patch cant eat Potatos, sweet potatos & now I think chicken as he starts to get hive like lumps under his skin after eating chicken I kept thinking it was from our walks the hive like lumps but this winter he has had his lumps so I started an elimination diet thats when I found he cant have potatos, sweet potatos, you need a low carb diet, yeast loves carbs….Karen Becker has a video how you have to starve the yeast, also I soak his paws in betadine antiseptic or the Detol antiseptic lotion its cheaper & does the same thing kills the yeast inbetween his toes, they smell like corn or a yeasty bread shop.. You dont say which Hills Angel is on, if its the Z/d….

    When you change their food if ur slowly introducing the new food it takes maybe 2-3 weeks to start seeing results, with Patch if I stop a food thats making him itch I see results 1-2 days, they stop scratching, their paws aren’t red & Patch stops scratching his ears & shaking his head..thats when I know when he starts shaking his head & shaking his ears something that he has eatin isnt agreeing with him..
    The Holistic Select Anchovy, sardines & salmon meal is suppose to be good & it has no potatos like alot of the grainfree kibbles have..Patch is on the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal limited ingredients, he’s going OK so far but when I started him on the Wellness Simple Duck & oatmeal after 3 weeks he started shaking his ears & head I looked at the ingredients again & I saw Potato Protein as soon as I stopped the Duck & Oatmeal he stopped shaking his ears then I started the Lamb & Oatmeal & he’s not shaking his ears…
    I forgot is Angel on a good dog Probiotic for her stoamch & bowel?

    #53385
    Victoria W
    Member

    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.

    #53377
    Laurie H
    Member

    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!

    #53373
    Stacey C
    Member

    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.

    #53348
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Adrienne, have you ever tried an elimination diet to see what foods make him itch & make his poo sloppy, My Patch has IBD & itchy skin allergies, I’ve read that the 2 come together with some dogs, something they eat irratates their skin & stomach, then they have sloppy poos or diarrha.. Im awful at explaining why & how things happen, I started Patch on an elimination diet & I found he can’t eat potatos, sweet potatos & now I think chicken, cause after he eats chicken he gets hive like lumps all over his body especially the white fur/skin part….Patch cant have a high fat% or high protein% diet, I did my elmination diet for breakfast cause I knew his Vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal worked for him & never gave him diarrhea or itchy ears & skin..
    So I give the Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner…
    breakfast I started with boiled chicken breast & 1 tablespoon of pumkin to much pumkin made his poo very soft & sloppy, then the next week around 5days if everything is good I added boiled sweet potato within 1-2 days, 1 of his ears started itching so I stopped the sweet potato & just gave him the chicken & pumkin again he went good again, then after 2 days no itchy ear when everything was good again I added potato with the chicken & pumkin within 20min he got a rash all over his stomach & chest I thought we must of walked near a plant or bush, something that morning so next morning I added a bit of boiled potato again he started scratching & the rash came up again then that night he was pooing real sloopy then had very sloppy poos the next day I stopped the potato, then I tried boiled egg he was ok with egg…
    just keep adding foods that you want him to eat or what foods are in kibbles to see what makes him itch & poo sloppy, you see within 2days when a food doesnt agree with them..

    I have Patch on the Wellness Simple Limited ingredients Lamb & Oatmeal as the lamb & oatmeal is the only one without potato, he has the Wellness simple for breakfast & the Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner & at lunch he has Tuna Pumkin white rice & a few peas he’s
    not pooing sloppy or diarrha & he’s not scratching on the Wellness Simple here’s a link to have a look at their range the Simple is down the bottom, but out of all the kibbles that I tried the Wellness simple has been the best kibble so far & his poos are the best that they have ever been…..write everything down in a diary
    http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

    #53342

    In reply to: DinoVite

    chocolabowner
    Participant

    We tested out dinovite with our chocolate lab. She has bad allergies, and it shows with paw chewing, skin spots and hair loss.

    We used dinovite for a 90 day period and she had more energy was less irritable and stopped all scratching. And her ear infections went away.

    Then stopped using it and they all came back over the last year. We are starting her again on dinovite.

    Dinovite saved our dog and we will continue to use it from now on.

    #53314

    In reply to: Venison-only dog foods

    Dori
    Member

    Primal Raw Formula has a Venison that does not contain any other “animal” ingredients. It does contain some fruits and veggies. I don’t know whether your dog has any issues with any fruits and veggies in particular. It is one of the foods I use in rotation because I have a dog with allergies and intolerances to all things fowl including eggs. She does well on their Venison Formula.

    #53304

    In reply to: Venison-only dog foods

    InkedMarie
    Member

    Why only venison? You say allergies, what proteins exactly is he allergic to?

    #53295
    Lisa M
    Member

    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.

    #53277
    Jerry S
    Member

    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?

    #53266

    In reply to: DinoVite

    Nita P
    Member

    I’m not familiar with that brand if food, but if you like it, I would stick with it. For my dog Bella, I actually switched her to just white rice & ground elk meat when her ear issues got really bad this summer. I had ordered the dynovite and it arrived a few days after we went to the vet. The vet gave us a round of meds that really made her feel bad – she lost complete control of her bladder & just laid around with no energy. Took her off meds after 2 days. Kept with the rice and elk (you can use rice and chicken too) with broth mixed with the Dynovite and the Lickychops omega oils. I had a different dog in 2 weeks. Her personality changed completely too! Her ears (yeast infection, allergies) cleared up, the bad breath got better (it’s not all gone), her coat is amazing and she sheds about 10% of what it was before dynovite. She also had the paw chewing & licking issues, which are supposedly allergies. From my personal human issues, antibiotics caused yeast issues (along w/ diet choices) and I see that in my dog too. I read a lot of the info on the dynovite website and I wasn’t up for the raw diet, but I did learn a lot from their suggestions. I went to the rice/meat only with the dynovite to clear any food allergies we might be dealing with (just like I’ve done w/ myself in the past).

    I don’t store it in the fridge – just in an airtight container.

    We recently lost our oldest dog & I stopped the dynovite for about 7-8 days (just for no reason other than grief forgetfulness) and Bella’s paw chewing came right back. Needless to say I’ve now had a 2nd round of proof this supplement works for my dog.

    I moved Bella to a full serving pretty fast and she tolerated it very well. I’m very pleased with Dynovite!

    Hope that helps!

    #53071

    In reply to: Black Lab allergies

    Bobby dog
    Member

    Hi Susan D:
    If it is a contact allergy to grass that will be tough to keep him off of it; rinsing your dog off after each time in the grass and bathing regularly might help. Here are some sites with info on rinses that help with both contact allergies or food intolerance issues:

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/12/16/thirty-seconds-to-relieve-your-pets-itchy-paws.aspx

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/25/dog-foot-bath.aspx

    #52944

    In reply to: Confused on Homemade

    Donna L
    Member

    Wow! Thank you Angela. That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. You didn’t leave out any details and I’m grateful for that especially the wide variety that you can pick and choose from. My Toby has allergies to sweet potatoes, peas, salmon, and kale, and so the vast other ingredients to pick from was exactly what I’ve been searching for. Thank you again. Sounds delicious 🙂

    #52887

    In reply to: Black Lab allergies

    Susan D
    Member

    My vet said it is not food related but is a contact allergy – probably to the grass. Since I live on a one acre fenced property, I don’t know how to keep him off the grass. The vet said that food allergies usually manifest on a dog’s stomach and cause a rash and loss of hair. None of that is happening to Jake.

    #52862
    Susan D
    Member

    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).

    #52851
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    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. 🙂

    • This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
    #52708
    DogFoodie
    Member

    I would TOTALLY second C4C’s post!

    Wellness products are excellent. I hope the new food helps to quiet their allergies / intolerances. I never had good luck with any Acana products, even for my dog without food sensitivities.

    Good luck!

    #52673
    Jennifer C
    Member

    . Thank you for the posts! We’ve had her for about two years. She is about 4-7 but that is certainly a guess. So hard to believe she was a stray as she is WONDERFUL. She had worms-giardia-severe skin issues when we adopted her. She was a black lab with white flakes all over. She has an incredible appetite. She is very low key but super sweet. Her stools are formed goes twice a day. Eats AM & PM. Dry skin is better but itching and her ‘event’s are not much better. She alsogets chronic eye infections with lots of discharge / crust. Vet has suggested possibly allergies. Thyriid normal. Has had bouts of UTI x 3. Has always been on Purina one.

    #52661
    DogFoodie
    Member

    Hi Jennifer,

    The yeast (Malassezia) infection is secondary to the seborrhea. The seborrhea could be the result of a medical issue (like thyroid) or allergies, either environmental (flea bite dermatitis) or food related. If it were thyroid related, you might see issues related to weight loss or gain, as well.

    First, I’d like to ask some questions: about how old do you think she is; how long have you had her; did she have the condition when you adopted her; has it ever improved or gotten worse (do you know what caused the change); how long has she been eating the Purina and has she ever eaten anything else? How are her stools?

    Without knowing the answers to those questions, my first thought is that changing foods is such an easy way to see if that’s the culprit, that it’s worth trying.

    I would choose a simple grain free food that contains a single animal protein. I would choose a protein that your dog hasn’t eaten. She’s been eating lamb, so maybe try something like duck or rabbit. Look for a food that that doesn’t contain other high histamine ingredients like tomato. I would avoid fish oils, in the event that fish is a problem as fish oil, in theory shouldn’t contain protein, but it isn’t a guarantee; same goes for chicken fat. Chicken is a common problem ingredient, so I might avoid all fowl for right now. Look for something that contains none of the ingredients she’s getting now.

    I’d recommend Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet in either duck or rabbit. Some other good limited ingredient foods are Zignature, Back to Basics, Wellness and Earthborn Holistics. I’m not a huge fan of Natural Balance or California Natural, but both are affordable.

    Figuring out food allergies or intolerance, is very time consuming and can be very frustrating. Keep notes on what you’re feeding and how she reacts to it and be patient, give the new food time to work. A true elimination diet is a lot of work and can be very challenging to do. Feeding a limited ingredient food is easier and keep in mind that treats can be problematic as well.

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