[neezerfan]

My last dog had food allergies and we fed her only zd until she stopped having symptoms. Then we tried one food at a time for a few weeks to see if it caused symptoms. If it did, we started the whole process over again until we found a food that worked. When I used it about 6-10 years ago it did not have chicken in it. It had hydrolysed protein so it would not trigger allergies.

[Bobby dog]

Hi ab1028:
I give unrefined organic coconut oil internally and also use it externally for both my dog and cats. Initially I used it to help alleviate and improve some skin conditions both had. Now I use it for maintenance to keep their skin and coat healthy and moisturized; I really like the results. I feed it a few times a week and apply externally to one cat that has dry skin patches.

The most improvement in their skin and coats came from changing and improving their diets. You wrote that you tried to limit food. One suggestion I have for you is to try dog foods with different proteins (and starches if you feed kibble) to see if it may be a protein (meat or plant source) that does not agree with your dog. Keep the ingredient lists of each food and compare them if you observe a reaction to determine if they contain common ingredients that may be the culprit.

Another thing to consider is maybe your pup has seasonal allergies. I have never had a pet that suffered from this, but there are several posters on DFA that do. If allergies were an issue I would consider feeding local bee pollen or local honey to my pet. Here’s a link to a DFA forum on the subject and also a few articles about bee pollen and honey:

/forums/topic/bee-pollen/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2014/01/honey-good-for-dogs-cats-honey-is.html

Here’s some links to articles about coco oil you may find helpful, good luck!

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_11/features/alternative-treatments-updated_20861-1.html?pg=3

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

[Happy Dog]

Yes the vet gave some anti-histamine pills. When its really bad, I give the dog 1 pill and he’s fine (& very sleepy). But once he’s off it, its scratchy-scratch.

I feel the same about the oatmeal shampoo. It worked great with my previous Chi (passed last year at 14yr), made her all fluffy and soft feeling, smells great!
On Happy (the JRT-CHI mix), it seems to have the opposite effect – makes his fur dry and smells more ‘dog’ after 1-2 days of the bath.

Just wondering:

Canned vs Kibble. Canned is better (thanks for the Mercola link to Dr Karen Becker). Would canned food be less likely to cause allergies although it may have a similar ingredient make up as the kibble? I have been feeding grain free kibble with the exception of the Acana & Lamb. Could it be possible that the way kibble is processed just isn’t very good on the whole for dog with allergies, regardless if it is grain free or grain inclusive?

And would an allergy to a certain protein mean the dog would be predisposed to be allergic to similar proteins for example:
Chicken -> Duck, Turkey (all birds?)
Beef -> Bison, Kangaroo, Lamb (all red meats?)

I ordered the Mercola Probiotics. Hopefully some probiotics would help.

[Dori]

Hi Serena. One of my dogs has a lot of food intolerances as well as environmental allergies. Definitely going grain free will help. Also try to avoid foods with corn, soy, white potatoes and too many peas. As far as the shampoo is concerned, notwithstanding the fact that oatmeal shampoos are typically recommended for itchy dry skin, my girl does much worse when shampooed with an oatmeal shampoo. I’ve tested this out with her. I use dog shampoos for sensitive dogs, usually soap free are more gentle.

[Happy Dog]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I did go to the Vet. The 1st vet ruled out any issues. Same with the 2nd vet. They felt it’s either food or environmental allergies or both.

You’re right, the lamb and apple has oats in it. I decided to stop the lamb kibble and get back on 6fish. The next time, will probably rotate on the canned formulas..at least I can just get a can to try instead of committing to a bag of kibble.

[Susan]

Hi, when I first rescued my boy he would have the gurgling Bowel, I took Patch to the vets & vet said it was Colitis & to put him on a low fat diet, so vet put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal this kibble has stopped the gurgling bowel & rumbling, its a low residue kibble that breaks up easily & the fat% is 10%..I also could hear his bowel from another room & he too would not eat when this was happening of a morning he’d only eat grass also I would make him a piece of dry toast with either honey thinly spread or a fish paste very thinly spread as soon as he’d have his toast the gurgling would stop..Try a kibble with a low fat% 10% or under also watch what you feed at night… I dont give Patch no treats, nothing at night after his Eukanuba Intestinal kibble, this has also helped him….Have you tried the Wellness Simple range Limited ingredients they have the Duck & oatmeal & fat is min-11% u’d have to email Wellpet & ask what the max fat% is, they have the Simple Healthy weight at 8% fat its Salmon & Peas formula Im not sure about the peas thats why I havent tried as peas would give more wind pain..Ive been introducing Patch to the Holistic Select Senior also made by Wellpet cause the fat is min-10% I emailed Holistic Select & they said that the max fat is 11.98%.this kibble is a Hydrolized kibble & breaks up real easy.. I found when Patch ate real hard kibble he’d get the noisey tummy/bowel, so what I do know if I try a new kibble I boil the jug I put about 2 kibbles in a class of boiled water, I count to 40 sec then I get 2 small teaspoons & I place 1 of the kibbles that was in the boiling water on one spoon then I get the other spoon & push down, a good kibble should crush easily, a hard kibble wont crush & sometimes flings away..thats why I put 2 kibbles in the water just in case this happens but the Holistic Select Senoir or any of the Holistic Select kibbles are nice & soft after being in water after 40sec as the protein is hydrolized better on their digestion, Ive been trying to work out Patches health now for 1 year & we have it just right at the moment with the Eukanuba Intestinal & the Holistic Select senior Chicken meal & rice I only mix the Holistic Select & Intestinal for his lunch meal at the moment, But he was just on the Holistic Select for about 7months before I found the Holistic Select Senior, I did try a few other brand kibbles but they were too hard to digest.. Good-Luck also watch the fat if you give any treats or meats I do boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin for breakfast as the rice irritates Patches bowel I have also tried the Eukanuba FP as Patch has itchy skin & the fat% was 15% too high gave him the rumbling tummy/bowel then diarrhea, the Eukanuba Intestinal is for their tummy/bowel & for skin problems it cleared all his itchy skin up but at the end of summer he gets seasonal allergies from pollens & grasses & there’s nothing you can really do for that except put him in a plastic bubble & keep him looked up all summer Lol

[betsyofss]

Elizabeth, great question. I’ve got one of these too. Great suggestions as well.

My neighbor uses Honest Kitchen basic and mixes in cooked chicken. I’m trying to break her in but the mix is a little green for Hannah girl….. She also has allergies so the vet has her on single source protein.

We have two dogs so I’m trying to find something that will work well for both. Ranger’s issue is borderline obesity. He can and does eat anything.

Also trying to keep this side of $100 per month for the cat and dogs.

Let me know what works for yours!

[Akari_32]

Cindy, I give him honey for his allergies. It’s also good for itchiness. I just give him a little squirt. It’s 1 tablespoon twice a day for large dogs (50+ pounds), and he’s only 7 or 8 pounds. I don’t really put much science into it… Lol

[Shasta220]

I’m agreeing with Amy. Maybe try an elimination diet…if you’re switching Kibbles, try to make a list of identical and different ingredients and which kibble he did good or bad on.

There’s that possibility of environmental allergies as well. I think you can get allergy pills for dogs, so you might try that if you’re pretty sure it’s not food related. Try giving raw local honey daily, too. I know many people who swear by it for theirs and their dogs’ allergies.

Only way to see if the shampoo does it is by ditching it and seeing if that makes any difference. My lab is occasionally itchy, so I use a medicated shampoo (I can’t remember the name of mine, but Malaseb is very similar I think).

You also might try another shampoo: Shea Moisture African Black Soap shampoo. It’s not designed for dogs, but it is an organic shampoo that has ingredients to help dandruff and itching. I use it myself and we loooooove it. (You can prob find it online, but it’s usually at Walmart, Target, and Walgreens for about 10$)

Shampoos usually won’t fix a problem though, just mask it. Get a skin scraping done to make sure it isn’t something like mange. Best wishes and hopefully you can get through this!

[LexiDog]

Have you had him to the vet to be checked? When my dog was itchy, I took her to the vet and he did a skin scraping on one of the itchy spots to check for mange. The skin scraping didn’t show any signs of mites. Even then she was still treated for Sarcoptic mange to rule that out because the mites can rarely be seen under the microscope. I treated her with Revoluiton and still saw no difference. So it was probably not Sarcoptic mange. Then you have to look at environmental allergies and food allergies.

The one thing that stands out is that he started getting itchy again when you added the Acana Lamb & Apple. If it is the old formula (I don’t think the new one is available for purchase yet) it is grain inclusive. So it could possibly be due to the grains. One way to find out if he is sensitive to one type of food, you could do an elimination diet. I personally have not done this, but others on here have. So they will be more helpful with that.

As you will find out that some types of foods are better than others. For example, canned is better than kibble. Homemade raw is better than canned and so on… You can check out Dr. Karen Becker’s rankings at http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

[Happy Dog]

Glad to have found this site, it’s a wealth of information.

Needing some advice for my dog I adopted from the local shelter last August.
He came with the itches, pink/red patch on his belly, under his chin, face, around the eyes etc. Fur was really coarse yet greasy to touch. Chews his paws till it bleeds.

The fosterer recommended that we put him on a fish kibble. They weren’t sure what he was allergic to but it may have been chicken. So we put him on Wellness Simple –Salmon & Potato. Since then he has gone through:

Wellness Simple
Wellness Core Ocean
Acana Pacifica
THK Zeal
Orijen 6Fish

Topper: Fish 4 Dogs Salmon or Trout Mousse. Cooked salmon or any other fish once a week.

He was on Orjen 6 Fish till recently. We had him on through 3 bags, and he gets 1/3 cup + 1 /4 pack of Fish4Dogs Fish Mousse per meal. Twice a day.
He actually did quite well on it, less itchy, and started putting on weight. Still chews his paws though, I think he may have some allergies to grass. He was also getting quite chunky.

I thought I should started rotating him on different protein so he can eventually get some variety in his diet and went for Acana Lamb and Apple.
Before I committed to the Acana Lamb & Apple, I mixed a can of lamb and tripe to his kibble and he ate fine.

He’s been on it for 2 weeks. I mix the Acana Lamb & Apple (1/4 cup) with the Orijen 6Fish (1/4 cup). I had the kibble serving reduced as he was putting on weight.
I also switched to an oatmeal shampoo.

He seems to be worse now. Scratches more, the dry coarse fur is coming back, pink around the eyes, nose and under his arms, paws. One ear seems to be red inside, the other is fine (is it normal to have 1 inflamed ear instead of both?). Smells more ‘dog’.

So should I ditch the kibble? Or could it be the shampoo?

I was hoping he could eat more than just fish based food. I’d like to have him on a mix of kibble, canned food and homecooked meals 2x to 3x a week. Raw – I can get Primal, Addiction and some THK.

He didn’t do too well on THK zeal though. Went through 2 packs of the Zeal. He was pooping 4x a day (poop had stalks and bits of stuff that.. doesn’t seem digested), ate lots of grass (grazing like a cow), and was losing weight that’s why I put him on 6Fish. I though he needed more protein.

Any suggestions? I could go back to 6Fish, or I could go with another fish kibble like Core Ocean?

[indietheaussie]

Thanks guys! I also like Petcurean a lot 🙂

I have no reason to not like legumes right now for my dog, I’ve just seen a lot of negativity surrounding them and started to question what I’ll do when the formula change does hit the Singles line, obviously anticipating a problem before it even starts. He has yet to show any signs of sensitivities or allergies, and if he continues to go issue-free when the formula does change, then I will have nothing to worry about and will keep Champion in our rotation as long as the consensus remains that they are a good company in general.

[Nancy A]

Hello, We have a mini long-haired Doxie mix (with what, we wish we knew!) who has food protein allergies, and a long-haired Chihuahua mix (again, the mix is a mystery) who has had frequent bouts of pancreatitis (he has been stable for quite awhile now). We prepare the food for our allergic dog using a product called BalanceIT.
https://secure.balanceit.com/
BalanceIT was created by a vet (formerly on the UC Davis faculty) and products include supplements for making homemade food as well as a product that you simply add to a protein source (if vegetarian, either nuts or tofu) and gives you the recipe. I’ve recommended it three times on this forum today alone (I swear I’m not an employee, it just works for us). Good luck–when our little guy ends up in the hospital my husband thinks I need a psychiatrist (I probably do).

[Nancy A]

Hello, We have a mini long-haired Doxie mix (with what, we wish we knew!), who also scratched himself silly. We learned from the doggie dermatologist that food allergies rarely respond to steroids (the “P” in Temaril-P is prednisone). His scratching did not respond to steroids, which indicated a food allergy. His food had just about every common allergen (see article on this site regarding allergies). We switched him to a buffalo-based canned food (he hated it) because it was unlikely he had been exposed to that protein (he has a tender tummy and many of the novel proteins and hypoallergenic foods are higher in fat). It took about 2 weeks, but his licking stopped and he was cone free! After 6 months we were told we could add one of the proteins contained in his previous food. Because he loves, loves, loves chicken, I poured some homemade chicken broth on this food. Within about 24 hours, he was attacking his body again. He is now on an all-beef diet, which is hard to find because it seems like there is some kind of chicken in every food or it is too high in fat… sigh.

If you find that it is a food allergy–and you can figure out the offending ingredient–you may want to consider a product called BalanceIT. BalanceIT was designed by a vet (formerly on the UC Davis faculty) and products include supplements for making homemade food as well as a product that you simply add to meat if you want to make homemade food. I understand from our vets, as well as a recent peer-reviewed study, that it is extremely risky to make food for your dog without the proper supplementation:
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10666

With vigilance and a good plan to rule out problems, you will figure it out. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[GizmoMom]

I believe food is a factor in ear problem. Some dogs are allergic to chicken. Does your dog have other issues that might indicate allergies?

[jane c]

a raw mix -no potato – chicken OR beef with fruit/veg/eggs/alfafa/kelp etc. but she really does not like it.
I am considering going back to kibble-Horizon Legacy.
Maybe because I have to dispose of raw when she leaves it…
DFA says “10% of allergies are food related”
so food is not a huge factor in the ear problem?

[GizmoMom]

What are you currently feeding?
Best food for dogs with ear problems are grain-free and starch-free.

Avoid food with grains, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Allergies can also cause ear issues. Try to figure out which food your dog reacts to.

[Angela R]

Can anyone help me decide what is the best food for my English Bulldog – we live in a hot and humid climate and although she did really well on the Royal Canin English Bulldog food, this is not available in my new country of residence – for ease I changed to the French Bulldog, but this has more fat content and she picked up weight, after trying various options including K9, Orijen and Acana – non of which she either liked or just gave her an upset tummy, we ended up with the Royal Canin Obesity from the vet and she has lost weight, and we are now managing her weight with difficulty. I did not want to keep her on a medicated diet and the vet suggested due to bone issues that I should mix it with the Royal Canin Mobility diet – unfortunately during this time on both of the vet products she was itching, red and starting licking her paws that it drove us all crazy. I understand that it could be allergies from outside factors, but she really has never been quite as bad – I therefore decided to change her again (always changing her diet over time…) and decided on the Zignature brand of dog food which is supposed to be allergy free. Although she loves this food – and has stopped licking as badly her face and paws are still quite red but she is definitely picking up weight again as the fat content is higher again, but my biggest concern is the amount of water she is now drinking on this food, and the amount of poops she is having (she used to eat and almost go immediately – now it is 3 to 4 times a day and sometimes at night which she never did before) and she has a serious gas problem which she also never suffered before and it is causing her some distress… I have just bathed her and noticed some little red spots appearing on her tummy – she is full of “beans” and happy and as active as she can be in this heat and humidity but she seems uncomfortable and does not seem to be able to relax as much as she did before… I really am not sure that this new food is doing her any good and now trying to research alternative options but I just don’t know where to turn? Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I cannot do raw as with the cost of meat here is ridiculous and with the heat and humidity – I just dont trust it and also she was not that keen on the K9 anyway! We can’t get everything here but the latest one on my agenda is the Pronature? Thoughts?

[Bobby dog]

Hi cindy q:
Akari is using it for Bentley’s allergies and I am sure she will be back to tell you her experience with it. I would definately look into using local honey or local bee pollen if my dog had seasonal allergies. In the mean time here’s a few links for you to check out:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2014/01/honey-good-for-dogs-cats-honey-is.html

[Mike Sagman]

I can understand your frustration with some of the topics that have been created by other members.

However, these forums were never intended to limit any discussion to “the Editor’s Choice foods” as you suggest. The only restriction here is that one must be a member to participate.

And although ideally it would be nice if members would stick to subjects related to which dog foods they consider to be the best, we also recognize the need for many pet owners to introduce additional topics that are important to them and their pets.

So, these discussions frequently include topics like cancer, allergies, kidney problems, cost savings and (yes) even dog treats. The only time we feel compelled to delete threads is when they have nothing to do with dogs.

And of course, as a member, it’s always your choice to select which ones you choose to read or reply to.

[Dori]

Hi Brenda. I’m not sure if you would feed commercial raw, but Vital Essentials Raw and also Natures Variety Instinct Raw are both great. I have three toy dogs, a Maltese that will be 15 years old in September and weighs around 7.5 lbs, and a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo (has tons of allergies/intolerances to foods and also environmental allergies) and weighs 6 lbs. and I also have a 4 1/2 year old Yorkipoo that weighs 5 lbs.. They all do really well on both these foods including Katie, my allergy girl. Both brands make the raw food in what would be sort of a kibble like size (bites) so you can just scoop the amount you want into the bowl, wait about 10 minutes and feed. The patties are more cost efficient but you, as I, aren’t concerned about the cost. For me it’s because my dogs are so small (they eat 1/4 cup twice a day) that the cost is not prohibitive. I’m assuming that would be the same for you. Anyway, hope I’ve helped. I don’t feed any kibble because it’s just too difficult to find anything that Katie can tolerate. She came to be at 9 weeks old with food issues and I have not found any kibble that she can deal with so I gave up. Dori

[Nicole K]

I have been battling bad cases of diarrhea in my border collie pup since we got her. We’ve tried every quality food from TOW, BB, Wellness, and Acana. Nothing seemed to work. After ruling out food allergies, Maci was diagnosed with fiber responsive diarrhea and prescribed Royal Canin Gastro. Well….EVERYTHING cleared up and for the first time, our dog (now 11 months old) is having regular potty – no fountain anymore! However, I am not a fan of the ingredients! Has anyone tried anything else that is easily digestible, low fat, and high fiber that isn’t junk? I run her in agility and I’d love to have a quality dog food in her system that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg for chicken bi-product. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

[Susan]

With the Elimination diet you must only give the 1 food for at least 2 weeks, my vet said 1 month, but I saw Patches reaction within 2-3 days after giving sweet potatoes, you cannot give any ather foods, nothing else, no treats, no oils nothing, then if ur dog isnt scratching or has diarrhea then you add another food like rice or I added pumkin, its very hard & takes time, Ive stopped at the Chicken, pumkin, boiled egg, bannana, But if u can afford the Holistic Select this is an excellent kibble the Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon, meal for scratching & itchy skin, its the best seller at our Pet Barn with the itchy dogs, I cant use that flavour as my boy has Pancreatitis so Ive got Patch on the Senior, Holistic Select cause the fat is low 10%..then when his itch clears up, Holistic Select has Duck Meal, Lamb & Rice meal & Chicken & rice they also have a grainfree turkey & lentils. you can rotate feeds so when 1 bag has finished buy him a new flavour & see how he goes the Duck kibble is just duck as the protein so is the lamb meal so if ur dog does have any food allergies but its rare for dogs to have food allergis only 5% of dogs, but stay away from the high carbs potatoe, sweet potato, rice is OK its a low Gi carb its a good carb.. it gets complacated, so Ive been just sticking with the Holistic Select & Patches Vet Pescription kibble as he has a few health problems & he’s been doing good with his skin, stomach & bowels, I dont want to push it…Good-Luck hope Chance is looking beautiful & shinning in a month, you watch his fur after being on a good premium food..he’ll shine…

[Susan]

Hi, what foods do you feed Chance, I put Patch on an elimination diet about 2 months ago cause of his itchy skin & red sore paws inbetween his toes & itchy ears… Patch has seasonal allergies around Summer & Autumn at his worst, when I started doing Patches elimination diet he was doing good then as soon as I added sweet potato with his boiled chicken breast 2 days later his ears started to itch & I had to use his Dermotic ear drops, excellent product clears his ears up straight away, so I stopped the sweet potato & he stop ripping at his ears.. Ive read you need to choose foods with low Gi carbs for itchy skin problems helps to keep the sugar levels constant…stay away from kibbles with potatos, sweet potatos, peas found in a few grain free kibbles…Have you tried a good fish based kibble…Holistic Select has Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal, this kibble helped my friend Staffy, he had terrible red itchy skin when he was 9months old, she tried vet pescription diet kibble, then she tried the Wellness complete health the whitefish with sweet potato recipe & it didnt help, then she tried the Holistic Select Anchovy,Sardines & Salmon meal & now Bronson has beautiful itch free skin, she also mixes a couple of tin sardines in spring water with his kibble..but not all dogs are the same, you can only try & see if you see any change… look for a low carb diet with fish as the protein & see if things improve…

[LexiDog]

How “local” does raw honey have to be for it to be benificial for allergies? I found some about 15 miles from my house. Would that work?

[Akari_32]

Not sure what his allergies are to, but NutriSource Super Performance is extremely high calorie (529 per cup, I want to say?). It is chicken and grain based, though. NutriSource also makes grain free foods that have various protein sources, that are also high calorie (just not quite as high).

When I needed to get weight on my 11 year old lab mix, I used Wellness CORE puppy with really great results.

[Dru N]

I was told my American Bulldog had food allergies, and I tried a million different kinds of foods. It turned out he has some food allergies but worse skin allergies. We bathe him every so often (once a month or so) in Dr. Bronner’s and while the soap is on, we rub in Neem Oil and while Neem oil is stinky, it completely clears up his skin allergies. In a day or less after a breakout and a bath, his fur is super soft and all the redness goes away.

[Dru N]

My 9 year old American Bulldog has a inoperable tumor and has been on prednisone for the past year. His appetite is extreme. We have been feeding him FreshPet Select for about a year now. He also gets a lot of snacks. He is still losing weight and rather than increase the FreshPet which is expensive, we would like to give him a high calorie dry food in addition to the FreshPet to keep his weight up.

He should be about 120 lbs. He’s lower than that now, probably closed to 105 to 110. The last time we tried to give him Blue Buffalo he got really bad gas. He also has a lot of skin allergies. Do you have any suggestions on a dry food that would be good?

[goldie d]

My dog has very bad allergies to poultry and fish also has pancreas issues so she needs food that is lower in protein and fat. 24% protein or lower 12% fat or lower. Any help would be much appreciated.

I will not do raw food.

[Jessica B]

So I had my dog Cinnamon allergy tested. In addition to being allergic to pretty much every kind of grass out there and every kind of tree and dust, she’s also pretty allergic to green peas, eggs, sweet potato, and peanuts. She’s been eating Blue Freedom Grain Free but there’s something in it that she’s allergic to (can’t remember what it is off the top off my head which ingredient it is) so I need to switch her to something else. Honestly, I am overwhelmed trying to find the right food for her–I want something that’s of comparable (or better) quality, but it seems like every time I find something that doesn’t have one thing in it, it has something else in it. Anyone know of any place that has a table of ingredients in various dog foods that I could reference? Or just know off the top of their head? 😉

Thank you so much!

[Megan S]

My 4 year old Papillon, Bandit, has had recurrent problems with crystals (struvite) in his urine for the past nearly two years and had to have surgery to remove bladder stones a year ago. The two or three times a culture has been done the crystals that have been found were not bacterial based although I do think he’s had some urinary infections at times as well, he’s been on several rounds of antibiotics over this time frame. Anyway, after the surgery a few months later x rays showed small stones again beginning to form so I started him on Solid Gold’s berry blend twice a day over his Wellness CORE Oceanfish food. After about 6 weeks we did another x ray and the stones appeared to be dissolved so I thought the problem was solved. Recent urinalysis have shown he again has crystals in his urine however… though again not bacterial in nature according to the culture. Because of this my vet said it might be time to try the Science Diet C/D food….she knows I’ve been reluctant to do this and she was reluctant as well. In addition to my loathing of all things Science Diet Bandit also has a long list of food allergies (corn, chicken, eggs, rice, and wheat) of which two are in this food (chicken and corn). There has been a very short list of foods I’ve found that do not have these things in them, and I have worked hard for four years to get his allergies under control. I just didn’t feel like I had any choice but to try this, I can’t put him through surgery for stones repeatedly…my question is does anyone know of any better quality foods that are alternatives to Science Diet’s C/D for this problem? I can’t be the only one who has a dog with allergies that this is an issue for but I haven’t had much luck with my research thus far… There’s got to be some combination of nutrition levels I need to look for that C/D has that helps this specific issue…

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me!

[USA]

Hi Leslie

Would you consider making your Jack a homemade diet? If he has no food allergies or intolerances a homemade diet using chicken, beef, turkey, fish, pork and other meats would be beneficial for your pup. You would use lean meats, 10% fat or less. Lightly cook the meats. Add about 20% non-starchy pureed veggies and fruits. Occasionally add some organs and sardines.

Supplement with Omega 3 oils, digestive enzymes, probiotics and a vitamin mineral mix like Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mixes and you have the basics of an economical, highly nutritious, species appropriate low carb diet that would help your precious pup do the best he can!! Turmeric is an excellent supplement for dogs with cancer. Slight adjustments to the diet with fiber would depend on the needs of your dog.

This is not that hard to learn and there are plenty of people here to help you along the way! I wish you and your pup the BEST!!!

[Susan]

Its just that you say that when ur dog was 5months he was diagnosed with Dermodectic mange now he’s 1yr old, it should be all cleared up by now, unless the treatmant didnt work properly.. Big Dog Rescue rescues Dogs from pounds that have Mange & within 3 weeks you see a big improvement with their skin, you could send a msg to Mina at Big Dog Rescue on F/B & ask her what treatment she uses for the pound dogs that have had mange.. I know she just feeds them Royal Canin kibble as it gets donated to big dog rescue by R/C, so food doesnt seem to make a difference with mange as its mites that are living on the dogs body..
I’d have another skin scraping & see if the mites are still there….or maybe ur dog has another problem with his skin, I feed Patch vet prescription diet Eukanuba Intestinal cause he has Pancreatitis & IBD & that has corn in it & his skin cleared up when he was put on the Eukanuba Intestinal..weird I know corn is suppost to bad, I have also started a elimination diet 2 months ago & realised that sweet potatos & potato made him itch, then vet said that Patch has seasonal allergies from pollens grasses etc… & was put on an Anthistimine & hydrocortisone cream, I just use my cortisone cream, as soon as I see him starting to scratch, I put the cream on where he’s scratching if he hasnt had a bath within 7 days he has his bath & I have to leave his shampoo on for 10mins then rinse… its time consuming but in the end it all pays off when he’s itch free…not keeping me up at night licking & scratching…

[Susan]

Did you have a skin scrapping to see if it was mites or yeast infection, it should of went away if it was mites & treated properly be now, my friends white staffy was real bad, real red skin & hairless in the end, she was put on vet prescription diets that didnt help, in the end she was put on Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys Sardines & salmon meal this helped her & she looks beautiful know…Holistic Select have a grainfree puppy Anchovys Sardines & salmon meal but it has potatoes in it…. they have just released a new grainfree called ‘Deboned Turkey & Lentils recipe’ that has NO Potatoes..Its worth a try or the Adult Health Anchovys Sardines & salmon meal.. you have to also treat the outside..I bath Patch every 5-7 days with Medicated Malaseb shampoo & I use a hyrocortisone cream as I dont like medications.. The best is an elimination diet that way u’ll know what makes him scratch, he may not have food allergies, he may suffer from eviornment allergies, or flea allergies, have you googled ‘Atopic dematitis in dogs’..also keep a diary, write when he’s real itchy, what foods he was eating at the time & over the years u’ll start to see a pattern, patch has seasonal allergies worst summer & the end of summer Autumn..also he may need an Anthisimine Patch was put on Iramine 8mg tablets theyre a dog anthisimine not human..maybe find a new vet, I see one vet for Patches skin then the other vet for Patches tummy & bowel they are both in the same surgury but sometimes some vets specialise more in certain areas, well thats what Ive found, Sue’s better with Patches skin & Johnathan is excellent when it comes to Gastro & stomach problems..Give the Holistic Select a try http://www.holisticselect.com

[Dori]

ab1028. I’m wondering what food your feeding your miniature poodle. In my case I have three tiny toy dogs. Until I switched their food to a grain free, poultry free their ears were always matted. Typically the mats around and behind the ears is because they scratch their ears a lot when their ears are bothering them. I didn’t put it together for quite some time. It wasn’t until I was doing elimination diet because one of my girls has lots of allergies/intolerances to foods, and environment that the first thing I did was remove all poultry including any type of foul. Then I switched to grain free. After a while was when it dawned on me that because she was not scratching her ears anymore she no longer had the matted ears.

I guess I should actually answer your question on the hair detanglers. I’ve always had long haired dogs (I’m 65 so there have been quite a lot of them) and the detangled never ever worked for any of the mats. I tried a lot of different brands, followed the directions, etc.

They do make detangling combs and such and they seem to work pretty well. I comb all my dogs out probably every other day or so and none of them have mats behind the ears. My Maltese will occasionally have a mat somewhere on her body but that’s because I keep her hair long (show coat) and at 15 years old she still playing and running hard with the other two.

Leah12345. I don’t use the leave in conditioners. I’m not a fan of them. The dogs seem to attract more dirt for some reason. I bath my girls every 7 to 9 days and professionally groomed probably around every 6 weeks. Some times less. Depends on how my health is doing.

[Katherine S]

I have an American Bulldog who has many food allergies. Does anyone know of a good venison based dry dog food? Venison is one of the few meats he can eat that does not make him sick. Thank you.

[Gloraidy R]

I’m also looking for a free of synthetic vitamins and minerals, grain free/good for sensitive dogs to allergies, and i can make it into a rotational dry kibble diet(cans are too expensive to feed to large dogs and i dont have the fridge space for a raw/home made diet). I recently heard of different studies (done with humans, not dogs so it might/not apply) where the researchers compared the health of people who took synthetic vitamins from pills and those that took their vitamins from their diet(vegetables, fruits, meats ect.). They found that those that took synthetic vitamins had higher occurrences of cancer than those who ate their naturally occurring vitamins in foods. Here are two sources where you can get this info from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/selenium-vitamin-e-supplements-increase-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk-201402287059 , http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-diet-cancer-questions
“Can nutritional supplements lower cancer risk?
There is strong evidence that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods may reduce the risk of cancer. But there is no proof at this time that supplements can reduce cancer risk. Some high-dose supplements may actually increase cancer risk.”

so please help me find one >.< for my very special adopted senor furbabies.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Gloraidy R.

[Kim L]

Hello,

I have posted on other topics before, so forgive me if this background is a repeat for anyone. I have a rescued Shih Tzu that has developed allergies in the past year or so. The vet says they aren’t super serious as they only really cause red skin/crust under one armpit, but I know they are yeast-related so I have decided to start on Nusentia Probiotic AND Enzyme Miracle.

My question is that since his skin is already infected, I am clearly going to use these at the higher doseage suggested and not just a maintenance dose. I know any results could take weeks to see. In the meantime, I have also read that plain Kefir and coconut oil are great Probiotics as well. Would it be ok to also give him one or both of these in smaller doses? I certainly do not want to overdose him, but from what I have read, “overdosing,” per say, is not super likely.

Anyway, I would just love some suggestions/ideas/other things I can use to help my poor guy feel better. I already bathe him in the Malaseb shampoo and have Zymox drops for his infrequent ear infections. I try ACV in his water when I can, but he realllllllllly hates it so it isn’t a real option for me.

Thanks!

[theBCnut]

She can’t be allergic to every kind of meat. Maybe you should try narrowing down what type she is allergic to. Chicken and beef allergies are extrmely common.

[debbie d]

I feed my Rotty the BB Freedom and she does good on it, actually she does best on it, when I have switched her I end up going back, less stomach issues. I use BB Basics in rotation for my Bostons, one with allergies, and they all do good on it too. Never had any issues and will continue to use

[DogFoodie]

Hi Robert,

First, how awesome you adopted them together! They must be thrilled to have stayed together.

I have to say, I agree with Marie and Sandy. I’m not a fan of Natural Balance. For those who need it as a last resort due to intolerance allergy issues, it’s a different matter. The product is owned by Dell Monte. They’ve been know to have some QC issues; for example, some limited ingredient product have been found to have proteins other than those listed. Not good if you’re feeding a dog with food allergies.

Since you’re not aware of any intolerance issues, you have lots of great choices. In addition to those Sandy mentioned, I’d also add that Canine Caviar has tiny kibble. And, Wellness, is a great product, made in-house at WellPet, and they have lots of both grain inclusive and grain free options for toy and small breed dogs.

[Wanda F]

Thanks for your great tips! I’ve checked into Darwin’s and a afew others but as much as I like Brewer, I don’t know if his monthly food bill should exceed the monthly payment on a new Lexus. That being said, I’d still like the best for him and feel I could do raw from my kitchen and fill in with Nutrisca or Orijen( for vitamins, minerals and probiotics) but in some of the “expert research” I’ve found they say feeding both is not beneficial. Something about time in digestion being different. Sometimes all of this information is overwhelming..I grew up with farm dogs and fed them whatever; they lived long and don’t remember them ever being sick. Are all of these health issues, with our canine friends, recent? Both of my last 2 dogs have had very sensitive digestive systems and allergies.

[Nina Z]

My dog recently had another bout of vomiting/diarrhea (both at the same time this time) so I decided to take the plunge and have her tested for allergies. Her results came back and her food choices are super limited, as she tested borderline to potatoes, beets, and peas (among the more common beef, wheat, etc). Thankfully, the only protein she was definitely allergic to was pork.

My question is, should I follow the food recommendations given to me or can I fudge a little with the peas/potatoes/beets? The options given to me were AvoDerm, Pinnacle, and California Naturals, along with prescription diets. I would probably go with the Pinnacle if I had to, but I really don’t want to go with any of them. The other choice I have is Honest Kitchen Thrive, but I was really hoping to get a kibble for cost/convenience.

Any suggestions? Any other foods that don’t include peas/potatoes/beets that other people are feeding? I could also live with a mix of the HK and Pinnacle, using the kibble as treats or something I suppose.

[Marietta B]

I would go with Ziwipeak air dried or canned. My dog has allergies, too, and she does really well on this and it is on the Editor’s Choice list. You can also use an antibacterial rinse on your dog or use it as a foot soak. It’s 1 gallon water, 1 cup white vinegar and 1 cup of peroxide. Don’t get it near the dogs eyes and don’t rinse it off. Never use an oatmeal bath or shampoo if you think your dog is itchy because of yeast. It will feed the yeast and make it worse. Don’t feed any starches at all like grains, potatoes or even peas. Don’t feed any sugar, either. I also started my dog on a steroid that is made from plants that is completely safe and natural. You can use Only Natural Pet Stores Immune Balance or buy the human grade plant steroid called Moducare. The only thing that helped my dog was steroids from the vet and I needed to get her off them and all of this is working. Good luck!

[Shasta220]

My Cassy is on Diamond Naturals currently. She’s gone through horrible allergies before, and is itch-free now that I’ve finally been able to get rid of corn/wheat/soy.

She still has really bad dandruff – no itching, just flakes. It’s sometimes off and on, too. I’ve given her coconut and fish oil (sardine/anchovy), but it didn’t really seem to help.

So I finally found some GF food (Pure Balance salmon) for about $1/lb, and I’m trying it to see if she is possibly slightly reactive to all grains (or maybe chicken, for that matter. Doubt the chicken tho as she’s been on lamb formula w same results).

My question is how long would it take (estimated) for her flaky skin to go away if it /is/ a grain allergy?

[aquariangt]

Hi Betsy, this is kind of related to your food energetics topic as well.

I had noticed once that Liesl was stretching out on the wood floor, like REALLY stretching, and sticking her face under the ottoman, only going outside when she had to, and always staying in the shade… etc (not too a scary alarming rate, just more than she should have been) and that was on a lamb rotation. She also felt warmer than usual-and nothing really wrong with her according to the vet.

I did some research and found some articles about the yin/yang foods with warming and cooling. The next bag I picked up after reading this was duck based-one I normally use anyway (Fromms game bird) and that seemed to reduce the problem. This was last summer. I tried Lamb again in the winter, and the issue was drastically better. So while I don’t know a ton about the Chinese healing properties and such, this one seemed to make sense. So while I don’t know if everything about that is true-with some of the allergies and whatnot- the lamb warming definitely seemed to make a difference with her, but not with Willoughby or Dani. I am not sure why it seemed to have a different effect on Liesl, but for the next few months, I’ll be avoiding lamb foods

Venison falls under the same category, but I haven’t tested a venison based food, and am reluctant to until winter again.

[InkedMarie]

I don’t use those types of dental chews but I hope anyone reading, who uses them, pays attention to ingredients, if you have a dog with sensitivities/allergies. I know people who only look at their dogs food; have to pay attention to everything that goes in their mouths.

[Susan]

How do you know its food allergies?? You sure they dont have Enviornment allergies, My boy gets itchy red paws & itchy skin & he has enviornment allergies, only 1-5% of dogs will have true food allergies, Im reading a book at the moment & its rare for dogs to have food allergies, Dr Rob Zammit writes, the number of dogs that really have a food allergy is fewer than the number of dogs diagnosed with the condition, far too often, if a dog has a non-seasonal propensity to scratch it is diagnosed as having a food allergy without proper testing..the only way you’ll know if its food is you must do an elimination diet, A reasonable elimination diet is cooked rice & lamb, no snacking inbetween meals,.In the case of true food allergy improvement will be seen after 7 days with the dogs skin looking normal by the end of 3 weeks. If ur dogs improve on an elimination diet it could be useful to include additives such as polyunsaturated oil, omega oils & other natural oils found in various herbs, the critical thing is to add only 1 additive at a time. The best starting point is omega oils add this a the recommended dose for aleast 6 weeks , if there’s no deterioration in symtoms then add another additive can be given if the lamb & rice is working then the next additive should be in the form of raw bone, these must be sheep origin, so use mutton flaps, lamb necks or brisketbones from sheep again no other additives must be given for another 6 weeks. You may want to pick another meat, but only use the raw meaty bones from that animal….also bathing should be done weekly with a good oatmeal base shampoo too keep the oils in the skin, if ur using all those product they are not working maybe its a time for a change with products, I use Malaseb medicated shampoo & I saw an improvement within 3 weeks, skin started growing back also Blackmores has a excellent dog range called Paw (Pure Animal wellbeing) I also uses the Paw Nutriderm replenishing conditioner this can be left on the skin moisturising the skin weekly… The basis of the diet could become a good quality super premium dry food as long as the ingredients are similar to those used during the elimnation diet…

[DogFoodie]

I’d love to hear from others who subscribe to Traditional Chinese Veterinarian Medicine (TCVM) theories, in particular, Food Energetics.

Has anyone used either a warming or cooling food, or a food to transform phlegm or drain dampness with success?

I’d love to hear your story!

Here’s a great article from Dogs Naturally Magazine:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/allergies-food-energetics/

And, a great Food Energetics chart from Herbsmith:
http://www.herbsmithinc.com/Home/Education/foodcharts/default.asp

[Maureen P]

I am looking for a 5 star (or as close to) quality Grain Free and Potato Free dog food in both kibble and wet dog food for my 12 year old JRT @ 13 lbs, 11 year old CHI @ 6 lbs. and 9 year old Yorkie @ 7 lbs. – They all have terrible itchy and dry skin, licking paws and pink irritated belly skin – Where my pups are concerned no price is to high for their well being. I know I am over the top and love them like my children ( crazy dog lady here!)

They currently eat Artemis Small Breed Adult Dog food. Two of the 3 are on benedryl with every meal – Will not give them the predisone, only helps when they are on it.

I give them the Coco Therapy coconut chips, fruit and veggie crunch treats. At dinner in their food they get cosequin plus MSM, as well as brewers yeast and garlic tablets, Dr. Mercola krill oil. In their Poland Springs water (have never had tap water, as I live in NYC) I put 1 tsp.of Bragg Organic/unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

I bathe them monthlywith Dr. Mercola Peppermint Shampooand also use the same conditioner, both are recommeded by Dr. Mercola for skin problems. I have even tried no conditioner at all and only using 1/2 water and 1/2 Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar with no rinsing. This all started about 18 months ago.

Please. . . . any help or information would be greatly appreciated !!!! Thank you all . . .