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Search Results for 'allergies'
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AuthorSearch Results
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April 15, 2014 at 6:57 pm #38772
In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Susan
ParticipantMarie, its just his paws, & when the vet looked at Patch, just up his back legs he has hive like lumps.. Cause Ive only had Patch just over 1 year, last year, Sue the vet told me, Patch has Canine Atopy Dermatitis & the longer u have him, we’ll start to see a pattern form, she said, he’ll be worst either the begining of spring or summer, but in Patches case he seems to have his allergies the end of summer, she looked on her computer & went back to this time last year & guesss what, last March I was at the vets seeing another vet Johnathon about his feet & skin but they got better quicker then this time…Johnaton like to give drugs steroids & antibiotics, so I changed to see another vet Sue, she seemed to listen to me & not give drugs..she’s more into natural cures….I said to the vet, could it be food, she went thru what patch is eating & the only new thing in Patches diet is the Butternut Pumkin, Chicken he ate last year, egg he ate last yr, nothing happened, banana & biscuits he ate last year.
Ive started walking a new route on our morning walks a month ago & there’s alot of grasses, weeds & wandering dew, Patch loves to poo in bushes, I’d say that’s why his paws havn’t gotten better cause we go there every morning…Once you see a vet, she starts to clear lots of things up…things that I never thought of.. I just kept thinking its the food, also only 1 ear kept getting itchy so when he’s walking he must of brush up against a bush, then we’d walk home, I give him his breaky 1/2 to hour he’d start his licking paws & I asumued its what I just feed him…The ointment she prescribe that’s for humans ‘Mometasone Furote ointent’ is excellent, it has clear all his paws this morning they are all clear again…Im going to order on-line that Dermoscent Essential 6 spot-on as I hate giving any animal any drugs I have Auto Immune disease & I know steroids & other drugs can make u fell real yuk worst somtimes, so if I can I’ll always try to not give a drug to any animal unless its really really needed…I dont like these dog Antihistamine, it makes Patch very sleepy & I even halved the 8mg Iramine tablet last night, I gave him the other half his morning & he’s asleep now, normally he’s in the sun waiting at the door to go for our walk to the shops, oh well as long as he’s not going mad licking his paws…April 15, 2014 at 8:55 am #38729Topic: small vs taste
in forum Editors Choice ForumJackie T
MemberI am trying to find a grain-free food that both of my Papillons, 6 months and 3 yrs, will eat and maintain a good weight. One of my cats has grain allergies so all food must be grain-free. I have been switching from Orijen/Acana to Blue Wilderness to Wellness Core, trying to find a happy solution. The pup ate puppy formula until the last bag (last week which I mixed with the wilderness adult) at six months does she still need puppy food? It seems that the higher protein/fat content is more palatable for them, except the Core, they both ate around it. I have read the non-GMO list and found that the Orijen/Acana is one of the foods listed there. It is the food I used for my first Pap and the pup until recently, should I stick with it? my cats both eat Orijen/Acana too. Is switching between the different formulas in the Orijen/Acana line enough or should it be different brands of food? Thanks for your in-put.
April 15, 2014 at 7:00 am #38726In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
InkedMarie
MemberHow did you find out so fast it’s environmental and not food allergies?
April 15, 2014 at 1:16 am #38724In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Susan
ParticipantJust come back from the vets & ur right Shasta its allergies from outside not food allergies, the vet gave him Antihistamine called Iramine 8mg for dogs as she found that the human Antihistamine dont work as good as the dog Antihistamines.. there’s a new spot on by Blackmores called Dermoscent Essential 6 spot on, u apply one pipette weekly for 8 weeks then after 8 weeks u apply every 2nd week..It bio-diffuses through the skin & is stored in the sebaceous glands then it progressively released from the sebaceous gland then distributed along the body & absorbed into the skin, This regulates trans-epidermal water loss to optimise skin hydration & maintain the cutaneous ecosyestem balance, it reduces odour & reduces dry scaly skin..she said that she see another staffy like Patch but he’s worst & she put him on goats meat with broccoli..she also prescribed a stronger hydrcortisone cream called Mometasone Furoate ointment, so hopefully Patch will get better & a new holistic vet has just joined the practise so I’ll see her next time & a Animal Dermatoligist will be coming in 2months that does the allergy patch test, I mite look into that & see what he’s allergic too…
April 14, 2014 at 10:54 pm #38721In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Shasta220
MemberI’ve just kinda skimmed through the past few posts, but I read “Patch smells like yeasts my friend said it’s like mold.” I knew a dog once who had that distinct smell. They couldn’t figure out anything in his diet! and they bought an anti fungal shampoo (I believe it was Malaseb), have never had the problem since. The dog didn’t have any itching though, so I still think Patch probably has allergies… There’s that slight chance he might also have a skin fungus and shampoo would help clear it up.
If he has any outdoor allergies, have you any access to local raw honey? I know of some super allergy prone dogs that get a spoonful of raw honey every day and can now go outside in the worst allergy seasons without a problem.
April 14, 2014 at 10:35 pm #38720In reply to: Grain and White Potato Free Dog Foods
Annie J
MemberI just found out the results of my dog’s allergies today….
She is allergic to rice, corn, barley, tomatos, carrots and potatoes.I will obviously have to change her food… It will be tricky to find a good food with none of these ingredients.
I feed her actually with Fromm family Grain free salmon tunalini. It’s a very good food, but it contains potatos, tomatos and carrots.
Any idea on what i could give her now knowing her allergies…?
Thanks,
AnnieApril 14, 2014 at 9:18 pm #38719In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Susan
ParticipantYes, his vet gave me a list of human Antihistamines last spring, when he was getting what looked like hives under his fur on his back & neck but that went away & I never bothered with the Antihistamines…I live Australia & its Autunm now & we’re having rotten raining days, I think what Shasta said is a good idea the wipes as Ive been trying not to wet his feet & keep them real dry, I dry them as soon as we walk in the door he knows his routine collar off dry feet. I do bath him weekly in his Malaseb medicated shampoo which helps heaps, but after 3 days the yeasty smell is coming back the yeasty smell started about 3 weeks ago & he was scratching one ear so I put his Dermotic ear drops in his ear & it went away… I saw a new different vet 1 month ago cause Patch was having real bad acid reflux since December & Patches old vet just put him on Zantac & carafate that worked but not 100% he was having pain on his right side under his right rib cage on & off.. the new vet looked at all Patches blood test & listen to everything that had been happening with Patch & he said it looks like Patch has IBD, Chronic Pancreatitis & skin allergies…there’s Acute Pancreatitis which is usually a one off incident from a reaction to a drug or an illness then there’s Chronic Pancreatitis is when several acute occurrences happen over time damaging the pancreas, the vet said we’ll start him on an low fat elimation diet..the first month which was March just gone, he said start with just boiled chicken, so I give just under 1 cup of shreaded boiled chicken then 1 week later I added 1 heap tablespoon of Butternut pumkin then I added 1/2 boiled egg all mashed up, for breakfast.. I still give Patch his vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal that’s he’s been on since August, I give him his kibble at night I soften in water then drain the water, with his Intestianal kibble his skin goes good.. I found just the chicken & pumkin wasnt filling him up & he looked like he was losing weight, so I put him back on the Intestinal just at night. I want to get him off the Intestianl kibble, Ive read kibble isnt good for dogs with Chronic Pancreatitis to much work on their Pancreas, Oh, the only other thing he has is a little slice of banana in the morning & at night..thats all he eats, Chicken Butternut pumkin, egg & his kibble that is also chicken & turkey.. I thought chicken allergy but his kibble is chicken…what’s the diference with a normal pumkin & butternut pumkin. Im wondering would there be a difference..I started the elimation diet about 1 month ago then the last 3 weeks we’ve had rain..thats what makes me think its the wet grass & wet walk ways..now Im starting to think maybe the Butternut pumkin.. I dont know… I’ll see the vet this afternoon that’s Patches old vet & see what she says, she’s an American vet that came to Austraila after getting married in the 90’s.. I think she gets real confused with Patch too….he does her head in..
April 14, 2014 at 7:26 pm #38710In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Dori
MemberWow! Ok. So he’s on a very bland diet. What exactly is very bland diet exactly? Maybe if we all get our heads together and see the ingredients of the bland diet we can try to figure this out together. At this point he may be food and environmental intolerant. It’s spring time and the pollen is crazy here in Georgia so Katie is just a mess. She now takes more antihistamines than I do and that’s saying something. I’ve got to do some research as to what other antihistamines are ok to give dogs. Hey! Are you giving Patch any antihistamines. Katie takes 25 mg. Benadryl (dye free) 3 times a day. Doesn’t make her the least bit sleepy, does help a little with allergies but not enough. This is a really bad allergy season and it’s just really begun here in Atlanta.
April 14, 2014 at 5:46 pm #38708In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Dori
MemberHi “thenut”. I’m always concerned about giving freeze dried meats or fish as treats. Doesn’t “up” the protein levels. I’m already feeding the dogs pretty high proteins due to the commercial raw feeding. I originally started with the raw fruits and veggies (tiny amounts per day) because of Katie’s (yes I will say it again) allergies but then I started thinking that raw freeze dried treats would add more to their daily protein levels. What do you think on this subject? As always, you are one of the posters that I trust your judgement and experience. Thanks, Patty.
April 14, 2014 at 10:42 am #38678In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Shasta220
MemberSue, for your treats, try going back to really basic things. Carrot sticks are good, then one of my recent ones was to combine boiled potatoes, carrots, chicken hearts, and parsley, then bake for about an hour or so. You can bake/dehydrate almost anything, but try to stick to no more than 2-3 ingredients, that way if it makes him act up, you’ll have fewer things to consider.
I agree with the possibility of outdoor allergies, since it seems to be just his paws. I know people who keep baby wipes around, so that might be a good thought as well as the water rinse Dori suggested 🙂
April 14, 2014 at 9:48 am #38668In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Dori
MemberSue, you really have to cut out all ingredients that I and others have posted. Your dog is obviously has food intolerances and actually they sound more like out right allergies. It really really sounds like allergies and not something else.
Again, try just carrot sticks as a treat for two or three days and see if it makes a difference. Also every time you walk your dog, before bringing him in the house, rinse his feet off incase it’s something his allergic to outside. You can keep a small kitty litter box with some fresh water in it. Rinse his paws (all four) and dry his feet with a clean towel. Don’t forget to change the water once or twice a day. That will help eliminate any issue he may be having from outside walks. What you’ll be attempting to do with the carrot sticks and the rinsing of his feet is an illumination test. It will help narrow some things down.
Allergy testing is sketchy at best. Human allergy testing is not totally perfected, canine testing is very inaccurate. You can have it done two or three different times and will arrive at different results. The only reliable way to know what your dog may have issues with is illumination. It’s really the only thing that works. Dogs can have reactions to multiple ingredients so you have to just do illumination.
Also, please do not put sugar in your treats. Very very bad thing to do. Dogs just love to it. They will eat pretty much everything and anything. Sugar is bad for the systems and horrendously bad for their teeth especially when there is no need to include sugar.
Shasta 220. Good catch on Sue including sugar in the treats, I missed that when I was looking over the ingredient list.
April 13, 2014 at 11:28 am #38614In reply to: Does anyone know about food Allergies
Dori
MemberA number of dogs have issues with corn, soy (that’s a big one for allergies), yeast, of course, wheat is a biggie too. Sounds like there are a number of ingredients that could cause allergies. Also some dogs cannot eat eggs. Have you thought of given them fresh organic carrots, string beans, blueberries, etc. for treats. Try that for a while and see how it goes. One of my girls has many many food intolerances and allergies so all treats here are fresh organic fruits and veggies. They love them and no allergy issues for Katie. I always have sort of fruits and veggies in the house so I give them what I’ve got. Sometimes a piece of apple, sometimes banana, whatever is in the house. If I’m eating a piece of fruit I’ll give them some too. My girls are very small..5 lbs, 6 lbs. and 7.3 lbs. so remember go according to size.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by
Dori.
April 12, 2014 at 11:12 pm #38594Topic: Does anyone know about food Allergies
in forum Diet and HealthSusan
ParticipantWhat could be causing Patches paws to go real red…When I give Patch a Jazz biscuit, I found about 1/2 to 1 hour 1 of his paws would go real red & he’d lick & lick it as if something real bad was happening to his paw, I’d put a cold washer around the hot paw & then it would go away, so I stopped with the 2 Jazz biscuits at night before bed & decided to make him Gluten free Banana biscuits all I put in the biscuits was gluten free flour, just over 1/2 cup, 1 banana, 1 egg & some water.
Gluten free flour ingredients are …..
Gluten free flour (Maize, Rice) Starch (Maize, Tapioca) Raising agents (450,500) thickner (412, 466) Iodised Salt..
Jazz biscuits ingredients are…..
Wheat flour, Vegetable oil, Sugar, Salt, Malt Extract (from Barley) Raising agents (500, 330) yeast, Emulsifer (322 from soy) Antioxidents (306 from soy 304)
The only 2 ingredients that are the same is the Raising agent 500 & the flour but one was gluten free, so no wheat… I google Raising agent 5oo it said Sodium Caronate known as Sodium Bicarbonate or baking Soda.. does anyone understand food allergies & what would cause this reaction to Patches feet..or could he be allergic to wheat flour but he can eat bread & nothing happens to his paws…April 11, 2014 at 8:30 pm #38539In reply to: A Ketogenic Diet?
Susan
ParticipantYes, Im reading a book called ‘Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs’ By Lew Olson, PhD..She recommends a Low-Glycemic diet, high in protein & fat & low Carbohydrates…there are stories through out her book, one is about a dog called Jake a Doberman/Labrador mix, who started to have seizures when he was 3 years old, Jake was whats called a “Cluster” meaning he always had multiple seizures close together, Despite trying everything from conventional medications to acupuncture, his owner Jo was unable to get the seizures under control.. After exhausting all the usual medical avenues, Jo started to look elsewhere for alternative treatments, joining an online Epilepsy group, one of the things recommened by the group was a raw diet. With nothing else left to lose Jo started Jake on a new raw diet, Within five months Jake had gone from having seven seizures every two weeks to one a month, Her vet was astonised at the drastic improvement a raw, fresh food diet had made when all the other treatments failed..There’s more on how she explains how the sugar in carbohydrates can affect epilepsy, hypothyroidism, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, & yeast infections & how a low-glycemic diet is a good defense against all of these conditions.. Dogs dont have a nutritional need for carbohydrates..there’s more to read but too much to write..she has simple recipes in her book for illnesses, its an excellent read, its online for around $10..
April 11, 2014 at 6:02 pm #38530In reply to: Kirkland Canned vs Editor's Choice Kibbles
Carl L
MemberSo much to learn, crazy4cats, about our guy. And not just about food. We adopted him in November, and he came with “issues”. 🙂
Canadian Walmart does not seem to carry Pure Balance. So, so far, only Kirkland Cuts In Gravy at around $1 can.
As you say, good thing about Labs is they are not finicky eaters. My wife has Arrow chewing kale stems, for goodness sake. As long as we don’t discover allergies or GI problems, we should have a wide open field.
I think when we feel more confident, we will try to transition to homemade food. That will be the next research project. Ha.
Great people here.
April 10, 2014 at 8:47 pm #38471In reply to: Meat food good for Dogs?
Chanel
MemberI agree with you guys and i try to give my maltese fresh cooked (organic) meat like lamb bison or venison, i avoid chicken because they say for maltese is not that good and can give allergies! my problem is im still confuse how much i should give to her or if i could mix with some Honest Kitchen or Orijen the brands i normally use ! so please if you guys could help me with this i appreciate it
April 10, 2014 at 8:32 pm #38468In reply to: Nominate a Brand for Editor's Choice
Dori
MemberI agree with you RescueDaneMom. Although I’m not able to feed it because I believe Katie has developed an issue with alfalfa I would have continued to use it. My other two girls are fine on the formulas but Katie girl with all her allergies and intolerances is also the damn poop eater so everyone must eat what she does so as not to upset her system when she eats their poop. Regardless of what I have tried in the last 4 1/2 years there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop her. I never let the girls go out in the yard by themselves. I run around picking up poop as it comes out of all of them before she can get any. BUT, hubby is not diligent. Opens the door and lets them out when I’m out on errands. I’m at the point of thinking that if I’m out of the house the two younger gals will go in their crates and kitchen will stay in the kitchen and NOONE will go out if I’m not home to let them out and supervise and pick up poop.
But, yes, I agree THK should have stayed on the EC list and if something is going on and had to be removed then we should no why and what happened to change something that it needed to be removed. And, no, I never saw an abundance of alfalfa stems ever in either the Zeal or the premix.
Steven M
MemberThe sitter feeds the food I leave with Brutus. But the vet says even sharing a water bowl with another dog that eats a different food can set a dog’s allergies off, and the vet also said that since it seems just to be food allergies, they don’t really recommend drastic steps to track down the actually allergin
April 10, 2014 at 5:23 pm #38450In reply to: itching and rash
Shasta220
MemberI’d agree as well. Rashes are usually allergic reactions to some sort of food. My girl was constantly chewing on herself, to the point of bleeding many times. We found out she had various food allergies, and now she’s doing great.
Steven M
MemberI have not tried Divovite yet. I have 2 year old Bullmastiff that has been on Taste of the Wild/Bison pretty much since I rescued him (had him on Blue for about a month, the foster had him on a raw diet for a month and I have no idea what he was eating before)…He seems to be having food allergies, but can’t tie it down to one thing that he is allergic to. When he stays at the sitter’s for more than a day, he comes home licking and rashy. The first time it was small red bumps everywhere including his ears, eyes and jowls…The second time it was hot spots and the dry flaky bumps that others have talked about on this thread. Both times the vet prescribed antibiotics. The first time, he got a steroid shot and some eye and ear cream too…the second time I had to go to the vet twice and the second time he prescribed a second antibiotic and a steroid boosted antihistamine…and said that I could give my dog up to 15 Benadryl a day for the rest of his life. I agree with all of you that think that meds for life is ridiculous. I don’t think I want to go raw with his diet either. I am willing to try Dinovite, it isn’t that expensive for a 90 day supply (for my 120lb bully, $1 per day)…
I want to add this though- those concerned about diatamaceous earth need to do more research on it. I’ve used it several times all by itself to kill fleas. Non-food quality is used in pool and hot tub filters, food quality is used by farmers in their livestock foods to help fight intestinal parasites because it is actually crushed shells and corals and it cuts the parasites skin and causes them to dehydrate. Many sites will recommend it all by itself as a treatment to your pet’s coat to fight fleas and you can add it to food by itself for the same reasons farmers use it. I’ve never heard it being referred to as a “binder.” And to the post talking about the ingredients to the solvents and poisons including H2O, RIGHT ON man!!!! People are so worried about “chemicals” they can’t pronounce, but most people would not have any issues eating an egg…well you know eggs are chemicals and if you looked at the chemical make-up of an all natural egg, you wouldn’t be able to pronounce them either (Ovalbumin, Conalbumin, Ovamucoid, Ovomucin, Lysozyme, Avidin, Ovoglobulin, Ovoinhibitor) and that is just for the whites of the eggs….
April 9, 2014 at 8:43 pm #38376In reply to: High Liver Levels
Dori
MemberCaroline. Thank you so much for posting. Good luck on Saturday when you re-test. I’ll be praying for you and your dog. I’m also praying that it was some supplement, or too many different supplements that have taxed or toxed her liver. Anyway I’m trying to cover the basis and, thank God, though Hannah’s vet is not a holistic vet, she seems to be taking the same steps that Dr. Becker and other’s that I’ve been researching since I found out the results on Monday. Just Monday?? It seems like longer than that. Anyway, more testing tomorrow and I’m hoping like your dog, after a month or so leaving any and all supplements out that except for the milk thistle and the Denamarin that things will get back to normal levels. If it’s not something worse than I can only assume it’s a supplement or too many that I’ve given. I have an auto immune illness and tons of allergies myself since about 1997 everything is fragrance free and dye free in my home. No candles burning, no fragrance sprays for bathrooms, nothing at all. Backyard has no lawn, all flower beds, so no week killers or anything like that.
Funny that you should mention Darwin’s prescription diet. I spoke with James at Darwin’s this afternoon for quite a while about Hannah and what’s going on. I’ve printed out all the forms, nutritional analysis, etc. on the LS diet. He’s given me his direct line to give to Hannah’s vet and also said he’d gladly send the vet some samples if she wants to see the food herself. I told James I will not put her on any food the vet sells, Hills, SD, Royal Canin, whatever. Not after all the good she has derived from her present diet. I refuse to put her on crap diets for the remainder of her life regardless of how long or short it may be. Anyhow, he was so great and made me feel so much better. I have really been a totally wreck since Monday morning when the vet called with Hannah’s liver levels skyrocketing and out of control. After my conversation with him it was the first time all week that I felt like I could take a deep breath and actually breathe.
Oh, and more great news. He gave me the name and phone numbers of three holistic/integral vets that he knew personally and from different conferences in my area. So it was a win win conversation.
Thanks again for your post. I don’t feel quite so alone. I’ll be thinking of you on Saturday and will post everyone along the way about Hannah and next testing of x-ray and ultra sound and Cushing’s test.
Everyone here has been keeping me a little saner and a lot less weepy. Thanks everyone from the bottom of my heart I love you all.
April 9, 2014 at 9:34 am #38309Aleksandra S
MemberGood call on slick floors, it’s all hardwood in my house. She does not have any problems running outside. I also suspect some allergies, since her front paws are saliva stained.
April 9, 2014 at 9:13 am #38307theBCnut
MemberAnnamaet is first on any list because the list is alphabetical, not to say that Annamaet isn’t a good food, because it is. You might get a better response to your question if you posted it under a topic about arthritis instead of one about allergies though. With arthritis, grain free is a good idea because grains are known to be inflamatory. A good joint supplement with hyaluronic acid in it would definitely be in order. And finally, make sure that you keep any extra weight off of her. Oh, one more thing, slick floors are hard on joints.
Mel, I must be more cat than I thought. I know when I’ve been rubbed the wrong way. Good thing you aren’t in charge of the universe.
April 9, 2014 at 7:50 am #38298theBCnut
MemberFirst, all allergies, even seasonal, may have a genetic component. Second, has the vet looked at these pups? It is unusual for that many in a litter to have allergies, and this could be a nutritional deficiency or something else not allergies. Even if it isn’t allergies, switching foods is the first thing I would try, in case there is something missing in the diet.
AAFCO recognizes 2 nutrient profiles, Growth and Maintenance. If a food qualifies for growth, the company may choose to label it as All Life Stages. All Life Stages foods are good for ALL life stages
April 8, 2014 at 3:07 pm #38217In reply to: Nominate a Brand for Editor's Choice
NectarMom
MemberWell I will chime in about THK and the alfalfa. My Shih Tzu ( Tootie) is my Poultry allergy girl and after switching her to Nutrisca ( Salmon and chickpea ) and adding in sardines and halibut she had been doing fine up until yesterday afternoon then started chewing on her feet. I had already bought a box of THK Zeal before but she wouldn’t touch it but last night she ate it with some added sardines and halibut and low and behold this morning her poop had stems of alfalfa in it. It looked like she had been outside eating grass and I follow them around the backyard to watch everyone’s poop ( Yes I know my husband says I am loony too) My dogs are never left unattended even in our own backyard because I am such an over protective mother hen with my girls. Plus I have one that is my walking epipen so I really have to watch her because she is allergic to insect bites and bee stings ETC. So I went through the box of Zeal and there is longer stems of alfalfa in it. I am super disappointed being that I paid so much once again for a food that will not work. It is all so crazy how these days dog food has to be such a huge scare issue. My dogs are my little children and to think of loosing any of them makes me just get teary eyed. I think the older I get the more attached I get and I am sick of trial and error with just trying to do the right thing by my girls. I am 51 years old and I have had quite a few dogs in my lifetime but I have not ever had as many food issues and allergies with dogs before these 4 and I believe it is in the food that is causing all these problems with dogs these days. We are completely at the mercy of dog food manufacturers unless we have time to cook healthy meals at home for our pets but that is not always feasible for most that are working hard for retirement. Ugh I nominate no foods because I have yet to find that one that even comes close to helping a couple of my special needs ones.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 12 months ago by
NectarMom.
April 8, 2014 at 2:41 pm #38207In reply to: Nominate a Brand for Editor's Choice
Dori
MemberC4C Sorry I didn’t. I looked at the list but I already knew there wasn’t anything on it that allergy girl here could eat so I didn’t bother. I wish I could buy some budget friendly foods but they all seem to include either white potatoes, rice, soy, corn, grains, alfalfa and the list goes on with Katie Mae and her issues. I have never had a dog with allergies to anything before. Honestly we’ve had her for 4 1/2 years and she is by far the most expensive dog I have ever had between surgeries, allergies, foods, dental, etc. etc. (She was the runt and due to be put down). She is also the sweetest most loving dog I have ever had. Her nic name here at home is “Mushy Gushy” even the neighbors call her Mushy Gushy and funny thing is she answers to it. Cause that’s what she is.
April 7, 2014 at 1:54 pm #38120In reply to: Need help choosing for for small breed dogs
maggieful
MemberAkari 32 mentioned feeding honey, is this safe/acceptable? I only ask because I’ve never heard of it. Also, how much should the dog be given and are there any benefits besides treatment for allergies? Thanks!
April 6, 2014 at 10:51 pm #38064In reply to: Best food for Dalmatians?!
aquariangt
MemberSince turkey isn’t a super high allergen, you may try a food with no rice or barley. As Shasta said, that sounds like an allergen, so it’s usually easiest to try eliminating things that are common allergies, in this case, the grain. Brewers rice is filler/junk anyway, so good to get away from that.
Pro plan is fairly expensive for what it is, so you should be able to find a high quality food that is grain free for a similar price point. I wouldn’t particularly recommend going back to it either, especially not that blend
April 6, 2014 at 6:53 pm #37992In reply to: PET OWNERS BEWARE OF CANINE CAVIAR DOG FOOD
Jeff P
MemberI have been feeding Canine Caviar for 14+ years consecutively with absolutely zero issues other than rotating the protein source occasionally. I have one new dog that has chicken allergies so I have switched from the chicken to the fowl. I rotate between that and the lamb so that their protein is changed up now and then.
Canine Caviar has always proven to be in the very top of a short list of superior holistic products that you can feed to your pet with the peace of mind to know that they are being well cared for and have the best chance of longevity. I recently lost my boy Pomeranian at the ripe age of 18 (three months shy), I currently have a 16 year old Lhasa Apso, a 13 year old Chihuahua and an 11 year old Chihuahua that have all been on CC their entire lives. The Lhasa was switched to CC after having to bladder stone surgeries, one of which happened after being on Prescription S/D for a year after her first surgery. That is the reason I researched and found CC and started buying it.
Even if and I don’t believe CC ever had a recall I would return any tainted product and replace it with a new bag and continue to feed my animals knowing that if there had been a mistake made it would have been just that and it would be dealt with appropriately.
With Confidence,
JeffP.S. I do not work for CC in case someone was going to ask, however I do work for a pet store and I sell dog food every day to all kinds of pets and their owners. CC may not be right for every pet it is a great product and I am always confident in recommending it to my customers! Also it has a Loyalty Reward Program for it’s regular customers. There is only one other food that I sale that offers the same reward!
April 6, 2014 at 9:34 am #37905Gina N
MemberHi There ,
My guy has lots of allergies, the one thing he did kind of well on was natures variety lid lamb. I know lamb isn’t an option for you but check to see if they have a rabbit( hypoallergenic meat) as an option. the kibble was small enough for my guy ( 10lb yorkiepoo ) I hope this helps 🙂 One more tidbit, I’ve been told to use canned ,at one point , because of gus’ mold mite allergy. Maybe a canned is a better option for you?
April 6, 2014 at 2:27 am #37867Alissa D
MemberWe’ve always had trouble finding a food my Yorkie will eat. She’s extremely picky and won’t eat for a day or more if it’s not something she likes. We just got the results of her allergy tests back and along with numerous environmental allergies she’s allergic to milk, chicken, beef, barley, flax, lamb, soy, venison, and peas. I’ve been to every pet store in the city and haven’t found a single dry food. She refuses to eat any wet dog foods except for a few of the cheap ones she can’t have anymore. The vet wasn’t helpful at all with finding something. For now we’re cooking her ground turkey, pork roast, sweet potatoes, and eggs because it’s all she’ll eat. We’re looking for dry food so it can sit there without spoiling until she’s hungry enough to eat it. So far I’ve only found two kinds of food online that she can have, Canine Caviar duck and chick pea and Taste of the Wild smoked salmon.
Does anyone happen to know of any foods she can eat or might even like? I ordered the Canine Caviar one since she doesn’t like fish but she probably won’t eat it. Smaller kibbles that aren’t rock hard would be good too since a bunch of her teeth never grew in and she has a hard time chewing. Smaller bags that we can freeze would be helpful because she’s allergic to storage mites as well. Thanks for your help!
April 5, 2014 at 7:31 pm #37848In reply to: Who makes what food
Dori
MemberHi Nectarmom. It’s nice knowing your still around. I hadn’t seen too many of your posts lately. My girls are doing better than I could possibly have imagined. A number of months back I did the complete transition to raw. All bad breath, gas, tear staining, goopy runny eyes has been history for quite some time. Their teeth are all incredibly white, I wasn’t expecting that they could get whiter since I’ve always brushed their teeth. Their hair (fur) is shinny soft and they all smell kinda sweet. It’s not their shampoo because I use soapless shampoos with no dyes or perfumes because of Katie and my allergies. The three of them have always been chow hounds but this is really ridiculous. They lick their bowls clean and leave them like they came out of the dishwasher. Lola who was getting a little chunky has lost some weight. Well, actually they all have on the raw. Lola was up to 6 lbs. maybe a little more, she’s now at 5 lbs. where she should be. Katie was a little over 7 lbs. she’s now at 6 lbs. where she should be, and Hannah was up to 8.5 lbs. and now weighs 7.3 lbs. Vet is delighted with all their weights and wanted to know what I’d done differently. So all is good here. Oh, they the water that they drink is from the tap at home, we have a whole house filtration system. I never thought it was the water. I always suspected it was the food for it to be happening to all three of them even though some were posting on the other site that it was clogged tear duct, hair in eyes, etc. For all three in both eyes, couldn’t be. I gave up the discussions, dropped the site, listen to the posters and moved to raw. I do add unrefined coconut oil, sardine oil (3 times a week, or sardines packed in water), organic fruits and veggies. No commercially made treats. How are your dogs doing? Still tear stained?
April 5, 2014 at 6:56 pm #37845Topic: No Budget friendly diet?
in forum Editors Choice ForumNectarMom
MemberI put my dogs as a priority so here is my situation, We are feeding Brothers complete Allergy kibble and rotating through proteins except for chicken. I am thinking of switching because my dogs still after a year and a half chew on their feet and scratch like mad and even after I feed them they are still hungry and bugging me to feed them more food! I do not want to rock the boat and make things complicated for my girls or make matters worse but it is honestly getting to the point where I feel like they are not getting enough out of this food since they are so hungry all the time. I have 3 Chihuahuas and an imperial shih Tzu and I feed 1/8 cup in the morning and 1/8 cup in the evening but my shih Tzu is on a different diet and she is not interested in eating anyways. Anyone else have any similar issues? Ugh I am so tired of trying to feed my dogs what I feel is good and it ends up back firing on me. My thoughts are it was Winter so no atopic allergies should happen and Candida should be out of their systems by now so I don’t know what to think?
April 5, 2014 at 6:21 pm #37842In reply to: Nail biting
Dori
MemberIt could be a reaction to the poultry but it sounds somewhat more of an allergy season issue. The only thing at allergy season is keep maybe a bucket (small pail) by the door and before he walks in the door rinse his feet off and keep a towel nearby. It’s pollen season is seems to be really bad already and it’s so early in the season. Here in Georgia where I live everything is coated in a yellowish/greenish powder. I’ve already started hosing and wetting down the backyard area where I let them down and trying to rinse off steps to back door. My dog has food allergies and intolerances but she also has same issues with outdoor allergy seasons.
April 5, 2014 at 5:17 pm #37840Topic: Westie with multiple allergies
in forum Diet and HealthLisa H
MemberI have a 11, almost 12 year old Westie allergic to chicken, turkey, pork, eggs, wheat, peanuts, brewer’s yeast and go figure, kelp. He also has multiple environmental allergies. Everybody just laughs and says “imagine a Westie in the south with allergies”! This is per blood work done several years ago. He and I don’t find this amusing!
He is beautiful and since I have eliminated these things in his diet he has done much better, but he still has frequent stools, occasional GI issues including diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia etc. Thankfully he consistently tests negative for pancreatitis. He takes 10mg Pepcid /day. He is slightly overweight. His liver is a little enlarged and his liver enzymes are chronically slightly elevated. He has had intermittent anal gland issues.
I give him yogurt, recently started him on FortiFlora and feed him a very restricted diet. He was on Natural Balance LID and canned Wellness (he can only have 2 kinds). He kept getting sick on this. He is now on Solid Gold Hundenflocken which he does not like! I just bought Innova Grain Free Beef and Lamb to try.
Any other suggestions? It is overwhelming trying to find something for him. MOST of the 5 star foods have chicken or turkey in them. My head is about to explode from researching this! I have looked at everything including Honest Kitchen and many other Editor’s Choice top picks. I am very frustrated!
I want to have him on the best food for him, taking in to account his advancing age, his chronic GI issues, his allergies, his liver etc. I want to keep him around as long as possible and keep him happy and healthy. His vet states he looks about half his age despite the above. His teeth are good, his eyes are clear, his skin is good and he is a delight!
Please give me any suggestions. His diet is so limited! Thanks!April 5, 2014 at 1:43 pm #37829In reply to: Pet Botanics
Akari_32
ParticipantAlso, with the buying online note, he’s only about 8 pounds, so to get any free shipping for his food would just be ridiculous lol
The only Diamond foods down here that are sold in smaller bags are TOTW and Canidae. Pet Supermarket does have Diamond Naturals, but only the humungo bags, and they’re $40. I don’t think that food is worth a $1 a pound lol But if Diamond wasn’t so bad about recalls, I’d have Bentley on his TOTW High Prairie Puppy every now and then. He loved that stuff.
Mom used to feed my dogs on dog chow, but I’ve since taken over now that I can afford it. Been a few years now, and they never skip meals, and look much better. In fact, Haley hasn’t had a hot spot since. She usually chewed herself up out of boredom, but I’m sure some of it was food related.
As far as any boutiques go, there are none locally. There are some if you drive all the way out past PetSmart (a 15 or so minute drive) or in the opposite direction (a 30 minute drive). Not much around my city. Lots of places for people to eat, but not for pets lol
Moms always like “why can’t have normal food??” (Meaning, whatever the other dogs are eating, or something from the grocery store). I tell her that’s what she gets for having a dog with allergies. (I’m the one who bought him for her LOL).
April 4, 2014 at 11:17 pm #37786In reply to: Pet Botanics
Shasta220
MemberGosh, sorry you have such a lousy selection. I entirely understand though. When my minimal budget, I can’t afford nearly what I’d like to. We have awful selection too – just a Walmart and a few little pet boutique shops. I’m sure my lab’s flaky skin is some sort of intolerance, but at least she is on a food that never makes her stink, itch, and lose fur. She is WAY better than she was on her food last year, and hasn’t had a foul odor or hot spot since!
I will have to second Dori though – dogs allergic to chicken will be triggered by about any poultry source. Have you ever thought of buying food online? I know there are several sites that will offer free shipping, discounts, etc.. Personally I’ve never bought food online, but everyone who does that I talk to seems to be content with it, and most of them say they’ll never buy from stores again.
If it is just seasonal allergies (always that slight possibility.), I’ve heard of people who swear by raw local honey.
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This reply was modified 12 years ago by
Shasta220.
April 4, 2014 at 10:56 pm #37784In reply to: Pet Botanics
Akari_32
ParticipantI live in the land of Ol’ Roy and Purina Dog Chow. There’s really not much available locally that my mom is going to deal with. Pet Supermarket and Walmart, that’s all we got (that mom will shop at). Pet Supermarket has the crappiest selection of food I’ve ever seen for dogs with allergies. Everything is either chicken, has chicken, is crazy low in protein, or is all carbs. Or it’s chocked full of potatoes, which irritates the crap out of me. And then Walmart is…. Well, Walmart. Pet Supermarket does have Instinct, which Bentley likes, but it’s not always an option given the price. It also didn’t seem to help him at all, but we tried the beef.
This is the first time he’s ever been on a food with peas until now, so I doubt that’s a problem.
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This reply was modified 12 years ago by
Akari_32.
April 4, 2014 at 10:24 pm #37780In reply to: Pet Botanics
Dori
MemberHi Akari 32. I just went on line and checked Pet Botanics Salmon, also the lamb. The Salmon formula contains chicken fat in the list of ingredients. The Lamb formula includes chicken meal in the formula. If you dog is intolerant of chicken then I would not feed any type of poultry at all. You should also try to avoid grains, and soy in the ingredients. I have a dog with poultry allergies. Originally I thought it was chicken, it turned out to be all foul in any form. Always read the entire list of ingredients in each formula before you try it. A lot of foods contain chicken or poultry somewhere in the list of ingredients. It’s a cheap way to boost protein in a food. Also try to avoid foods that have too many peas in the ingredients. My dog, Katie, with all the allergies also have environmental allergies too. She gets worse in the Spring and Fall but always has food intolerances and allergies. Just recently figured out that she’s allergic to alfalfa.
April 4, 2014 at 8:37 pm #37776In reply to: Nail biting
mogavero1955
MemberHi Kayley, first of all, check the dog’s nails. My mini beagle bites her nails…when it is time for a cut. 🙂 If it is itchy, it probably is allergies. My other beagle has allergies and always gets ear infections. We have changed foods so often. Response FP, taste of the wild salmon, arcana fish, blue buffalo salmon, fromms duck and now earthborn lamb. The last four just the last two weeks! I noticed his ear infected tonight. The lamb I started yesterday. So, my advice is trial and error. I had heard Fromms was good but so are many others. I would recommend grain free. Good luck!
April 4, 2014 at 8:05 pm #37765In reply to: Recommendation for Probiotic
Shasta220
MemberGreek is quite divine though. I am so frustrated that I have dairy allergies (to the lactose and one other thing, can’t remember what.), so I can’t even have yogurt anymore. Buuuuuut they make cultured coconut milk (even Greek style!), so I’m happy again XD
April 4, 2014 at 7:56 pm #37764In reply to: Pet Botanics
Shasta220
MemberDefinitely see how he does, but compare ingredients. As itching is almost always a sign of food allergies. Hair loss and red skin most definitely sounds like an allergic reaction. Do you remember foods that you previously fed him that made him flare up? Try finding those on here and compare the ingredients to Pet Botanics, and to Pure Balance. A bit of detective work 😉 I know it seems like a lot to do, and it will probably take a while. But once you can get it figured out, and have a list of all the culprit ingredients, it should be easier to find a food that won’t make him worse.
Also, maybe to help the hair growth, try adding fish and coconut oil? I absolutely adore those…my dogs get fish oil daily, and coconut oil 4-5 days a week. Even my super sensitive greasy-but-flaky skinned lab has improved leaps and bounds on it.
April 4, 2014 at 7:26 pm #37756In reply to: Rotating Foods
Dori
MemberTJ. When I initially started rotating foods a long time ago I would switch every two or three bags, then I started switching every bag. Always very very slowly. I eventually switched to commercial raw foods for all my three dogs because one of them has many food intolerances and allergies. I feed all three girls twice a day as I always have regardless of what I feed them and can now say, and it’s been a few months now, that I can feed them different foods a.m. and p.m. with no issues whatsoever. No gas, bad breath, diarrhea, constipation, nothing. I rotate their proteins within a brand, I rotate brands and I rotate their supplements. Nothing seems to bother them any more. Just as humans eat different foods for different meals without issues, so do my dogs. I will also say that they are incredibly healthy. I have a 14 1/2 year old Maltese (she’ll be 15 on 9/9/14) and I have a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo and a 4 1/2 year old Yorkipoo. Vet is always praising how well they are. They only go to the vet at this point once a year for physical and the only vaccine they receive is rabbi’s vaccine. Hope any of this has helped.
Once you get your dogs accustomed to rotation, it has nothing whatsoever to do with their age. It is never too late to start rotating foods and they don’t take to rotation of diets any easier because they are young or old. Just take your time initially and before you know it you’ll be able to feed them different things all the time. Initially, like theBCnut, I used to add a complete probiotic and a digestive enzyme every day (not every meal). I haven’t done that in ages. Good Luck to you. Glad to meet you and welcome to the site if your new. If not, sorry I haven’t picked up on your name before.
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This reply was modified 12 years ago by
Dori.
April 3, 2014 at 5:05 pm #37672In reply to: Nominate a Brand for Editor's Choice
Hound Dog Mom
ParticipantHi Kim B –
Great points! Freeze-dried and human-grade foods are wonderful – you’ll find some on the Editor’s Choice list. However some of the goals in constructing this list was to compile a collection of foods which would meet our reader’s needs in terms of availability and convenience among other things – you can read more about the selection guidelines here: /choosing-dog-food/brand-guidelines/. The majority of dog owners feed kibble as either the main component of their dogs’ diet – it’s often readily available, it’s convenient and it’s more cost effective than most “alternative” foods – so we felt inclined to include various brands of kibble as the bulk of the report. After thorough investigation we feel that all of these companies we have included which produce kibble provide a superior product as opposed to other companies producing kibble.
Concerning white potato, due to the nature of kibble manufacturing all kibbles require a starch component to act as a binder. There are pro’s and con’s to any binder (be it a grain, legume, potato, etc.). White potato provides a viable option for many dogs that are unable to consume grains due to allergies or intolerances. Concerns about particular ingredients are a great reason for all pet owners to investigate diet rotation – /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/.
April 3, 2014 at 10:55 am #37631In reply to: Need some suggestions to switch one of my dogs food
Shasta220
MemberGreat input, Shawna. I always LOVE hearing personal stories of things that worked. I’ve been fortunate enough to never deal with severe allergies, just to the basic no-no’s of corn, wheat, and soy. But those are the easiest things to avoid.
Poultry, on the other hand, is a bummer. It’s one of the most palatable things to a dog! I think your doggie chose poultry allergies just to make your life much harder ;p Hope you find something that works for your dog’s stomach and taste buds…
April 3, 2014 at 8:05 am #37612Shadow@01
MemberHi there
I have a 8 month old Australian Shepherd bitch which I bred myself. Sire & dam has no skin allergies, neither any dogs I trace back to in the line. 4 puppies out of 7 in the litter seem to be having a bit of a skin allergy so I am thinking the reason for the allergy might be genetic, rather than just be a seasonal thing.
All this time I have been feeding Royal Canin Junior, supplementing with Salmon oil capsules. I am thinking of switching over to ACANA PACIFICA ( 60% Fish / 40% Veg / 0% Grain). This being a all life stages food, would this be highly recommended for a growing active working puppy? I would like to see if the no grain, chicken & beef makes any difference to her itchy skin.
I have received feedback from another source that all lifestage feeding is not recommended for a growing puppy, especially a working puppy.
Any thoughts on this???
April 2, 2014 at 3:16 pm #37565In reply to: Earthborn grain free
Ann S
MemberThought I would just add my experience with Earthborn grain free. One of my dogs can’t eat turkey, so I tried Earthborn’s Great Plains and Meadow Feast, only to learn the hard way that he’s also allergic to peas, which the second ingredient. Since I have avoided foods with peas any higher than 4th or 5th, he’s had no problems. So while it’s very affordable, sadly I cannot buy this brand.
Am a little bummed after splurging to join that I can’t use most of the foods on the editor’s choice list due to these two allergies. Budget is also an issue for us feeding two adult dogs and one puppy who will soon be bigger than the grownups. We give raw once or twice a week.March 31, 2014 at 11:10 am #37351In reply to: Gas problem in puppy
mogavero1955
MemberElisa, I have two beagles. The larger one has the same problem. He is 10 though.
His food is changed often due to allergies but is now on Fromm’s duck. It’s not that though.
He’s had this for a couple of months. I hear his tummy all night. It sounds like
springs….I always do grain free.
I just think he doesn’t chew but I’m not sure. Hope someone willknow.March 30, 2014 at 7:23 pm #37268In reply to: Need help choosing for for small breed dogs
Akari_32
ParticipantI’ve got a Jack Russell/Maltese mix with various food and seasonal allergies. I’ve tried just about every food on the market around here (most of the Innova’s, all the Wellness CORE’s, all the Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature’s Variety Instinct Beef, and several other random brands with different types of proteins, with and with out different grains), and all he’s done good on were Innova Prime Beef and Lamb, and now, since I’m reluctant to go back to them since the recall, Pure Balance Grain Free Salmon and Pea.
I’m really surprised at how well he is doing on the PB. And its only $16 for 11 pounds (or $6 or $8 for 4 pounds?). His fur is growing back, and he’s itching less. My next step is to try some local honey for his seasonal allergies, and I’d also like to try the new bison flavor PB. I do also want to try him on EVO (despite the recall crap) because I’ve got some coupons and he did so well on the Innova Prime before it was recalled. They’re pretty much the same, just the EVO has much more protein. He really likes red meats. I think he was a wolf in his past life, taking down a rancher’s cattle LOL
March 30, 2014 at 5:34 pm #37254In reply to: Potato allergies
Shasta220
MemberI’m not too sure as I’ve never dealt with potato allergies. If you have a food w/o any of those ingredients, you could possibly try to feed him some sweet potato and see if it does anything within a week or two.
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This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by
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