[kali s]

I have been feeding my dog TOTW for 7 years. Since the beginning of November 2018, he has been vomiting frequently. We thought it was something he picked up on a walk – so gave it some time to ‘work it’s way through’. After 2 weeks – we took him to the vet for blood tests and xray. Neither caused the vet concern and he was put on a bland diet for 7 days as well anti-nausea and antacid. 7 days without vomiting, but his allergies prevented him from eating rice and he wouldn’t eat pumpkin – so not much fiber. After almost a 48-hour stretch without a bowl movement – he went back to the vet. Vet said since he had been vomit-free for 7 days – he could go back to his regular diet – including kibble. Two days later he was vomiting again, but vet was too busy … with Christmas approaching and dog not holding food down, we went to a new vet. He looked at the blood tests and xray done by the other vet and prescribed another round of anti-nausea. He was fine for 2 days – then started vomiting again when we added the kibble. He’s since had a new round of blood tests with the new vet and a radiologist looked at the x-ray. Still nothing. He is at the vet as I write – getting an ultrasound. After reading this forum, I am becoming more and more convinced that it was the new bag of TOTW we bought. The timing of that purchase coincides with the start of the vomiting. If the ultrasound shows no scary stuff going on … we are not going to try the TOTW again. If he fairs well on the new kibble – we know for certain what the problem is/was.

[Ann H]

I am amazed by the knowledge possessed by and shared on this forum! With all of that amassed info, however, I am still stymied. My 4.5 yr old chessie/lab mix just pronounced with food allergies over the last few months. He was eating Blue Buffalo until they changed the formula. His vet tests revealed he can tolerate wheat, chicken, beef, potatoes, and corn with no problem, but cannot tollerate rice, salmon, duck, turkey, lamb, or oats. That limits his protein sources and is a very hard combo to find- nearly all have some oats, fish or turkey. After recent info about grains being important to a dogs diet, I was searching for any brand that combined chix with wheat, but without any of the other offensive ingredients. I haven’t found one yet! I appreciated the food wizard provided by a poster, and it helped me narrow the list down to 3 possibilities. But all 3 have something in it that he can’t have, so I will have to see what he is least reactive to thru trial and error. Absent cooking his meals, can you offer any advice? If I do end up cooking for him, will I need to add supplements to insure he gets all the vitamins, minerals, oils, etc. he needs?

• This topic was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Ann H. Reason: Spelling corrected

[Joseph G]

Hello. Your messages a few months old, but I figured I’d still reply to it. My dog has severe allergies as well and is very difficult. My dog is on Apoquel because her allergies are that bad
And the benefits far outweigh any risk for her. She honestly hasn’t had any problems with the medication says she’s been on it, which has been a few years now. It doesn’t completely help with her allergies, but it definitely helps considerably. Even if I miss one dose, you can tell that she starts itching more. There is also a new medication called Cytopoint That is an injection that your vet gives your dog approximately every 4-6 weeks. After the initial evaluation of your dog, usually one of the techs can give your dog the injection and you don’t need to see your vet every time you go and pay an examination fee. You just pay for the injection. The injections aren’t super cheap, but it’s comparable or maybe less expensive than Apoquel. I haven’t tried it yet on my dog as she is doing okay on the Apoquel. Some people will say these injections are bad because they modulate the immune system, but they are safer than steroids and when your dog has severe allergies with horrible symptoms, sometimes you don’t have a choice. Trust me, I tried all the other stuff. Probiotics and other supplements might help, but you also have to be leery or ingredients in them your dog can be allergic to. The eggs in the food you were making can definitely cause allergies in dogs. Basically any protein is capable of producing an allergic response. In addition to Apoquel, I feed my dog Rayne Nutrition kangaroo manintenance dry food and canned food as a topper. It is a prescription food that you’ll need to have your vet approve when you order it online, but it is worth it. It is a whole-food dog food and has very high-quality ingredients in it. It is not like other prescription dog foods. This stuff is top-notch. The dog food and the Apoquel have helped my dog as much as possibly can be. I’m sure my dog is allergic to grass and other outdoor stuff, as well as some foods. Allergies to dog foods usually manifest as digestive issues. My personal feeling is that the Rayne dog food and Apoquel or Cytopoint would really help your dog. I would speak to your vet about it. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Christine,
What symptoms does your dog suffer with?? IBS stomach/bowel symptoms or just has skin allergies??
He might have Seasonal Environment Allergies, now he’s doing better cause it’s Winter & plant/trees in your yard or neighbouring yards aren’t flowering etc
You will know when Spring & Summer come back around keep a diary..
Or he was sensitive to ingredient in the grain free food, my boy can NOT eat a G/F kibble that has Tapioca, he starts to smell yeasty, scratches, itchy, scratches bum on carpet, Lentils cause bad gas, wind pain then has diarrhea, when he eats Barley he gets yeasty smelly skin, yeasty paws & sloppy yellow poos, rubs bum on ground, Corn Gluten causes yeasty smelly skin, paws, sloppy poos then diarrhea & rubs bum on ground, Oats = yeasty skin, paws & sloppy yellow poos, rubs bum on ground, Carrot cause itchy ears, shaking his head/ears..He doesn’t do well on any grain formula’s..

When he eats a grain free dry kibble that has Potato, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas further down the ingredient list his IBD & skin goes really well thru the Winter months then when Summer comes around something in the environment causes bad skin allergies, I know grass & wet grass is 1 allergens he suffer from, he goes down hill with itchy skin, red paws, whinging & he’s eating 1 of the same G/F foods he did well on thru Winter months, I rotate his G/F foods, Wellness Core, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato & Canidae Pure Meadow Senior & Canidae Pure Wild Boar all Grain Free formula’s.

If a dogs diet has too much Omega-6 & is way too low in omega-3, the omegas need to be balanced properly then the dog will suffer with skin problems…
eg-Omega-6 Fatty Acids-2.80% Omega-3 fatty Acids-1.00%,
Omegs-3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega-6% is…

Pet foods that are AAFCO aproved means nothing as some are NOT balanced properly… this is 1 thing Susan Thrixon pointed out in her recent link
“DCM Study Misses the Big Picture”
By Susan Thixton – December 14, 2018

DCM Study Misses the Big Picture

If he’s doing well on Blue Buffalo feed it but I would also rotate & feed another brand that has similair ingredients as the Blue Buffalo he does well on has. This way if there is something wrong with a certain batch, or its not balance properly etc he isnt eating the same dry dog food 24/7 also if ever something happens you know of another brand you can fall back onto..

[Christie B]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I had previously known what anon101 pointed out, but that didn’t factor in my decision to switch from grain free. And as dr. tim pointed out, allergies are to a specific protein in the food.

All I know is that he was fine when eating Blue Buffalo, but the reviews on this site (and others) steered me away. And I tried a variety of foods, and different proteins, to see what would work. And for 3 years none of them did. And I always stuck to 5 star rated foods from this site.

I just wasn’t sure if there was something in grain free foods that was used as a grain substitute that he could have been sensitive to.

He’s been back to Blue Buffalo for almost six months now with no issues. I was just curious why the ‘better’ foods didn’t work well for him.

[Christie B]

When I first adopted my dog almost 9 years ago, I started him on Purina ProPlan on the recommendation of my vet. He did fine on it, but that was before I knew anything about Purina and the quality of their food. And I didn’t know what a by-product was.

Then Blue Buffalo became popular and I switched to that. Everything was fine for years. Except he gained a bit more weight than was expected (I probably did feed him too many treats at the time as well). The vet told me that Blue Buffalo was too “rich” and recommended Purina again. Or Science Diet (because that was the line that they stocked in their clinic). So I started to research ‘quality’ foods and came to sites like this and read through the forums and figured I should switch him to grain free.

He’s been on grain free for about 3 years now.

But over the course of that time, he started to show signs of allergies and intolerance (constant licking, red paws, hot spots, head shaking, grass eating, excessive drooling, gas, etc.) Never all at once, but worrisome.

I switched him back to Blue Buffalo (and restricted the amount…far less than the ridiculous 5 cups a day it says I should feed him) and ever since, he’s been fine.

No more issues.

Could it have been something with the grain free food? Every single one that I tried (and I always properly transitioned between them) eventually lead to symptoms.

I’ve seen a lot of negative comments on the Blue Buffalo review page. I mean compared to ProPlan, it’s definitely better. But are there any other foods (preferably ones that can be found in Petco or Petsmart) that are good that aren’t grain free?

[Susan]

Hi Vanessa,

My boy has IBD & Seasonal Environment Allergies..
Have a look at dry food that has Sweet Potatoes & Potato seem to help dogs when they have diarrhea/sloppy poos & stomach related probems…
Look at

“Canidae Pure Wild Boar” Page 3
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

“Canidae Under The Sun” Large Breed is low in Kcals per cup 328Kcals per cup.
UTS is on Canidae’s first page.

“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

“Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/simple-dogs

Wellness Core Large Breed Adult really help my boy when he went down hill with his Allergies causing a bad IBD flare about 1 yr ago, its low Kcals 346 per cup

My boy is eating Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato kibble at the moment, it’s Summer here & the Wellness Simple is for skin & stomach problems & has 1 single meat protein & has limited carbs, the Wellness Simple Turkey Protein % is 26min% -28max%,
lower protein then the Wellness Core formula’s.

Wellness has “Nutrient Profiles PDF” you can see the proper max % fat, protein, fiber, carbs, ingredients etc…

I’d try one of the Wellness Simple formula’s.
Wellness have a palability money back guarantee so if he wont eat it take back & exchange.. Wellness smells pretty good & my cat pinches Patches Wellness Kibbles & she wont eat her meal now the little bugger..

Or look at Raw – Stella & Chewy Patties or Raw Freeze Dried Kibble its like kibble he will lose weight eating a raw diet & might be more interested in his food..
Just stay 14% & under for fat, low carbs & low kcals per cup for weight ..

Start adding Tin Salmon or tin Tuna in Olive Oil, add 2 spoons to his meals, this will encourage him to eat, dogs normally love fishy foods & the Olive Oil will help with his constipation also boil some Pumkin or Sweet Potato pieces freeze them & take them out of freezer as needed they freeze & thaw very well, I put 1 piece of Sweet Potato in micro wave 5-8sec…Pumkin & Sweet Potato settle stomach..

I wonder if he’s getting “acid reflux” 2am?? This is the time acid reflux starts early hours of the morning with dogs, have you tried Zantac or Famotidine a acid reducer? given twice a day 20-30mins before he eats a meal? ask vet can you try it might make him more comfortable thru the night & could be why he’s not keen on eating food he gets bad acid reflux afterwards??
Labs normally LOVE their food… I’d stop the Coconut Oil as Omega oils can cause acid reflux.

[Susan]

Read the lastest Study “observational study” its not a complete study, you need years & years or research too do a complete study.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0209112&fbclid=IwAR31QNTyUhrXpuy8P0zs-yC81yJ7jnyUgtYuXZrIdBYxLwuq0R2JXecY2ck#sec008

Rodney Habibs
“Conclusions from the Study”

Certain diets and diet characteristics were associated with the development of taurine deficiency. Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers is likely multifactorial, including a combination of dietary, metabolic, and genetic factors.”

Researchers have no idea what is causing the sudden surge of DCM and according to the Pet Food Industry, it could be 5 years until someone figures it out.

The post is to not call out brands, but to be aware, informed, and make better decisions with each study that is being published and by “doing your own research”. – Rodney Habib

Rodney goes on to write,
Finally, no truer words spoken than this:

“The point of the study should have been to point out we have a serious problem with the “Complete and Balanced” claim on pet food labels. The study does prove Complete and Balanced pet foods were absolutely not ‘Complete’ for the dogs in this study (and many, many more dogs not in this study with low taurine blood levels and diagnosed with diet-related DCM).” – Susan Thixton

Rodney Habib also owns a Golden Retriever Sammy, Rodney post everything he finds straight away on his on his f/b page.
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Here’s link below you can see all the brands used in the study data:

DCM Study Misses the Big Picture

in link above you will read-
AAFCO feeding trials require NO final taurine level blood work of dogs that ‘passed’ the feeding trial. In other words, a pet food certified by AAFCO feeding trials provides absolutely no guarantee the diet would NOT result in low taurine for dogs consuming it (leading to heart disease).
The point of the study should have been to point out we have a serious problem with all Complete and Balanced claims on pet food labels. The study does prove Complete and Balanced pet foods were absolutely not ‘Complete’ for the dogs in this study (and many, many more dogs not in this study with low taurine blood levels and diagnosed with diet-related DCM).
Study authors should have contacted AAFCO and requested discussions to truly fix this serious problem. I’ve not read or heard any mention of study authors attempting to ‘fix’ the problem.
Study authors should be at every AAFCO meeting. Every single veterinary nutritionist should be present at every AAFCO meeting and advocate for improved Nutrient Profiles and feeding trial requirements.

Below is a paragragh from “Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets” Study

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0209112&fbclid=IwAR31QNTyUhrXpuy8P0zs-yC81yJ7jnyUgtYuXZrIdBYxLwuq0R2JXecY2ck#sec008

The nutritional adequacy statement for each diet was assessed to determine if there was a complete and balanced claim and if so, the method of substantiation for the claim (formulation or feeding trials) per the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) [32]. If diets did not undergo a feeding trial, but the pet food label claimed the diet was formulated to meet AAFCO guidelines, it was determined whether or not this was confirmed via formulations or analysis of the finished product based on the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) recommendations [33]. Research included a comprehensive evaluation of the pet food bag, the manufacturer’s website, and phone communications with representatives from both the supplier and manufacturer when available.
The ingredient list for each diet were recorded and assessed. Whether or not the diet was advertised as grain-free was recorded, and diets were considered to have legumes (peas or pea components, lentils, beans, or chickpeas) as a primary ingredient if included in the first five listed ingredients.

Diets that met AAFCO guidelines were not balanced properly, also they are concentrating
on G/F BEG Diets that have
legumes (peas or pea components, lentils, beans, or chickpeas) in the the first 5 ingredients,
again NO potatoes or sweet potato were mentioned..

Grain free diets were fine until these BEG diets came out around 2015-2016
BEG G/F Diets have Limited Ingreddients & are lower in meat proteins & higher in Legume plant proteins. When you read the Protein % its high & you think your dog is getting a high meat protein but he isnt he’s getting a high Plant protein diet & it looks like these legumes are blocking the dog from absorbing taurine in his diet causing low taurine for some dogs but not all dogs…

Not all Grain Free diets are bad, the Grain Free diets that have Potato & Sweet Potatoes & are balanced properly are fine same as the Grain Free Potato Vet Diets they are fine & have been good for years with NO low Taurine problems..

So if you have a dog who has IBD, Food Sensitivities/Allergies who can not eat grain in their diet or doesn’t do too well on grain diets, & you dont know what to do either ask your vet can you put your dog on a G/F Vet Diet or look for grain free diet that has potato or sweet potato G/F Diets that are high in meat proteins that have 2-3 meat proteins in the 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients & check is the diet balanced properly, look for brands like Wellness who post
“Nutrient Profiles” on their site with every single formula.
The Nutrient Profile for this product is also available for download. GET THE PDF
& you can see the whole NUTRIENT PROFILE for the food your feeding or thinking of feeding.
Here’s the AAFCO NUTRIENT PROFILE FOR CANINE MAINTENANCE for Wellness Core Large Breed adult formula. There’s also a Core Small Breed formula.. another good brand is “Farmina Vet Life” if your dog isnt do too well on a grain diet & has bad diarrhea. https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/sites/default/files/media/documents/CORE%20Dog%20Large%20Breed%20Q3%202018.pdf

Stick with dog food brands where they show the whole Nutrient Profile for that formula or email the pet food company & ask for the full Nutrient Profile for this product, if they will not email Nutrient Profile then look for another brand..

[Susan]

Hi,
when I read Victors ingredients years ago I thought the same thing “YUK” Blood Meal” but when you think about it Victor is just writing what is in our dry kibble “blood & Bone”..
When you see a kibble being made you see all the blood meat etc all swirling around & when this is all dried up its a blood meal… So all dry dog foods would have Blood in them..YUK

I just goggled “Video of a kibble being made”
& look what I found its awful….this is why pentobarbital was found in dog foods..

“D & D Disposal
West Coast Rendering
Veron California April 2007
Stop at 4.10mins, look bottom left look at the white bag, it starts moving the dog is alive..
This is “why I hate” feeding a dry Kibble but Patch regurgites all wet foods 🙁

Yeah the Holistic Select mustn’t smell too great, Patch wasnt really happy eating it..
When I read posts on F/B I belong to a few IBD & skin allergies groups, a few dogs do well on Merrick LID formula’s…. take back the Holistic Select in 1 week & swap for a LID formula, go when a nice person is serving, normally the younger ones don’t care when I return food.. its the older ladies that ask questions.. You will find the right dog food for your boy hat helps stomach/bowel & skin, you just have to try a few different kibbles, look when Specials are on or when foods are reduced cause use by dates are close, I just paid 1/2 price for Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato, so I got 2 bags for the price of 1 bag, thats not bad & Patches allergies are doing heaps better….

[Ena L]

Hi! everybody I am new on this site, it is so hard to find a good food, for dogs, I have a Westie she is 8 yrs old, We done the blood test for food allergies, according to the Dermatologist specialist we started seem it is not accurate, before to the test we feed her boiled chicken and she start itching so much, her feet always so red, so we ask our regular vet and he suggested the blood test, which indicate that she is allergic to poultry mix, soy bean, green peas, oats, kelp, corn, duck.
We feed her now, lean beef, with carrots and potatoes, she eats good for the first day or two and then afterwards it is a battle, we have to beg to eat the food, we had try dry food, don’t even touch it, I order some grain free food from The Honest Kitchen, she doesn’t like that either..
So now after the special trip 3 hrs away 12-14-18 to the dermatologist specialist she give us a special homemade recipe with Venison, we will try this new recipe, she is been suffering with ears infections, red itchy and inflame paws, Dr. says she has Staff infection so now she is taking doxycycline and ketoconazole every 12 hrs to clear the staff infection.
We hope this meds. help her and she gets better.
If anyone have some suggestions I will appreciate it. Have nice day.

[Claudia W]

Hi,
I have 3 puppets-a cavi-3 yrs old, cockalier (cavi cross)-5 yrs old, and a Wheaten-3 yrs old . My Wheatie has allergies and was worse on Orijiin. I switched to Acana Singles. I went to purchase a bag of Acana Singles Pork & Squash and noticed the bags were different. One bag stated food had 27% protein and the other said 31% protein. On the 31% protein bag, some of the ingredients were different than those in the 27% bag. The clerk had no idea about this discrepancy and said they’d eventually contact Champion. Haven’t heard anything yet. There was nothing on the 31% bag that noted a formula change and I’ve had no issues with this food. My daughter just switched her 3 Davis and morkie to Acana as well.
I’m concerned about changes and consistency-both bags were made in Kentucky.
Comments appreciated!

[crazy4cats]

How about Purina ProPlan Beef and Rice or their Sensitive Skin Salmon formula? Neither have chicken and are made by a company with years of research and testing. They also have veterinary nutritionists on staff and own their own manufacturing facilities.

Until a definite answer is found to the recent rise in DCM cases, I will only feed my pets a food made by a company that meets all those qualifications. Many dog owners who said they would never feed one of these brands have switched and their dogs are doing great. Including, my own!

It’s not worth the risk!

Have you done an elimination diet with a prescription food to find out exactly what your dog is sensitive to? Often it is discovered that the dog actually has environmental allergies. It would probably be beneficial for you to do one. Instead of switching food after food. I know that can be stressful. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,

about 1 month ago my English Staffy Patch had 5 wort type little lumps/skin tags removed, 1 had grown rapidly within 1 month, a very suspicious looking lump, the vet removed all & tested 3 of them for cancer, Lucky they all were “not” Mast Cell Tumors.

….Mass Cell Tumor is the most common skin tumor in dogs, it can also affect other areas of the body, including the spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow.
My vet said when she was doing a course to up date on dogs lumps etc they all were given photos of 7 different looking lumps found on dogs & they had to write what type of lump they thought they were, she said every vet wrote that they all looked like Skin Tags?? they all were Mast Cell Tumors that were cancerous tumors, so now vets recommend to have any type of wierd looking small, med or large lumps removed & do not poke, prod or let the vet remove part of lump to be sent away for testing, if its a Mast Cell Tumor the Histimines go thru the dog body when they are poke at or needle put in them etc, so it’s best to have the lump removed & a heap of surrounding skin tissue around the lumps removed if a suspicious lump.

Patch had around 17 stitches, 2 stitches in his right ear where 1 skin tag was removed the rest lumps were side of legs & stomach area.
The side of body where he had 2 lumps removed, he has brindle fur & black skin it has healed beautifully BUT the other side where he had 2 lumps removed & his fur is white & his skin is pink wasn’t healing too well, so I started applying “Bepanthen” Antiseptic Soothing Cream every night before bed, Bepanthen is made by Bayer, its in the baby section at shop/chemist, I also use Huggies Coconut Oil thick baby wipes, they have Aloe Leaf Extract & Coconut Oil in the baby wipes…The days he doesn’t have a bath I wipe down his skin, stomach, head, paws & bum, he suffers with environment allergies..

*Healing Foods to start adding to his diet – meal/kibble also give some as a treat or to lose weight if needed*

– Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring, are excellent foods for healthy skin. …
– Tin Sardines in spring water – drain the water/oil add 1/4 of the can to 1 of his daily meals or add
– Tin Salmon in oil or spring water – drain teh water/oil add 2 spoons to 1 of his daily meals or add
– 1 x Krill Oil Capsule to 1 of his daily meals
– Mussels – I buy the Freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels & give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat.

*Nuts-

– Walnuts
– Almonds x 3 almonds a day, give as a treat so he chews them, I bite 1 almond in 1/2 eat & give the other 1/2 of the almond to Patch so he chews it, only 3 full almonds a day as they can cause sloppy poo/diarrhea.

– Kelfir/Probiotic to strengthen the Immune System, – best given when stomach is empty so give as a drink first thing of a morning or inbetween meals so it works better, with the powder dog Probiotics (Purina Forti Floria) – add 10-15ml water to recommended probiotic dose swirl 15ml water & probiotic in a bowl..

– Vitamin C High Potency Powder
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is required for the synthesis of collagen. It is also a highly effective antioxidant protecting cells from damage by free radicals. Studies have shown that the vitamin can help speed the healing process of wounds.
We have NAS High Potency Vitamin C powder for dogs & cats in Australia.
https://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/high-potency-vitamin-c/

– Egg
– Goat Milk
– Chicken
– Sunflower Seeds
– Sweet Potatoes
– Broccoilli

[Melissa J]

I can’t review the food because UPS lost my order. I may try ordering it again and holidays when there is less theft. I wanted to point out this isn’t made in USA. Not that is a bad thing considering dog food that is made in the USA is filled with so many toxic ingredients that is causing cancer, obesity, diabetes and death in our pets. Who knew euthanized pets where put in dogs food?? I didn’t. Anyway this is made in Canada, not saying that is a bad thing either but I’m just curious as to why when you read pinto canyon website it sounds like it’s made right here in Texas. You have to read every tab to see their facility is in Canada. Again not saying that is a bad thing or good, I’m hoping it depends on the company that owns it. Because my dog developed allergies and I went through 4 vets, yes 1 holistic, steroids, antibiotics, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, over$1000, and no diagnosis of what the allergies are, the last vet said she needed to be put on meds the rest of her life, cost about $200+mo. So I started my own search. One thing I learned is Canada has worse regulations on their pet food industry then we do. I’ve also learned that if we do want to give kibble oven baked is better than extruded. Only concern here is if it’s made in Canada, distributed by pinto canyon, who is really the owner of the company? This food is only about $20. more than the toxic stuff I’ve fed her for 8yrs so I can’t help but wonder why they make it sound like it is made in USA and not Canada. I’ll update if I find out. Even if you Google where is pinto canyon dog food made, you won’t find it.

[Christina C]

I have an older pug who is in the late stages of life. I’m recently retired so I’m devoting myself to making her as comfortable and happy as I possibly can. She is 13, missing several teeth now, and very bad back legs. She has a very sensitive tummy and frequently suffers from yeast infections. I was hoping someone could recommend some good homemade recipes I could make her to help with her issues. The research I’ve done in the past has recommended maybe using a salmon or turkey as a protein. I’m so confused about the whole starch part. I’ve read I shouldn’t give her any, others say yes it’s ok such as brown rice. Any advice would be much appreciated! If you have any exact recipes , I would love them. It’s seems so hard to find.

[Susan]

Hi,

How’s his bum?? did you apply a cold press, lay him on his side & relax him, apply & hold a few cold baby wipes on his bum for a few mins, then apply some Bepanthen soothing baby cream..
or get some Betadine & soak a few tissues in Antiseptic Betadine solution & hold on his bum for a few mintues & watch he doesnt lick, the Betadine will relieve his itch & reddness..

The food has to agree with your boy, what you like & think is good, these ingredients may not work aswell for your boy, or what might work for 1 person dog may not work for your boy & when a food doesn’t agree with someones dog they normally post bad things about that brand of food & its not the brand of food that’s bad, 90% of the time it’s the person dog who’s sensitive to an ingredient lol..

He seems to be having problems with Purina, time to move onto another brand, you normally know within 1 month if a food is going to work for the dog…

“Victor” has their Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
alot of people say good things about Victor, the “Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice” formula has the best ingredients out of all the Select formula’s & it has no Oatmeal or Barley, look for LID formula’s that have no Oats or Barley, no ingredients that are in his Purina formula..Maybe no Lamb aswell??
Can he eat Beef, Pork, Chicken?

I’d try the Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice it has Lamb Meal in it aswell. Chicken formula’s seem to have more meat & better ingredients.
https://victorpetfood.com/products/chicken-meal-brown-rice-formula

“Nutro Wholesome Essentials” Large Breed Adult Farm Raised Chicken
The LID Lamb & Rice formula worked for Patch, years ago, he was doing small firm poos only 1 or 2 poos a day. It only haa about 3-4 ingredients

“Farmina” Lamb & Blueberry Adult Medium
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/120-lamb-&-blueberry-adult-medium.html

“Eagle Pack” Large/Giant breed Adult.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=85#.XAH-hvZuI5s

“Pro Pac Ultimates” Lamb Meal & Rice.
Made by Earthborn Holistic
https://www.propacultimates.com/dog-food/lamb-meal-brown-rice-formula/

“Sportmix Wholesome” Large Breed Adult.
Made By Earthborn Holistic
alot of people have good results if their dog has sensitive stomach/blowel..
https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/wholesomes-large-breed-chicken-meal-rice-formula/

“Holistic Select” Lamb Meal & Rice
but I think Holistic Select has way too many ingredients & probiotics, too many ingredients is opening the door for more reactions your boy might have & you wont know which ingredient it is..

You can always return the kibble or you might “find” a formula that agrees with him??
You wont know until you try, maybe look at a Chicken Formula, I wonder if he’s reacting to the lamb but there’s not much lamb in the Purina formula he’s eating, its seems to have more Oatmeal & Barley then Lamb, this is probably the problem??
His bum would be painful & sore so they lick & the more they lick & lick the same spot their tongue strips their skin..
I had a cat years ago, he had a small sore, probably was a Hot Spot, he licked it that much I had to take him to the vet to be stitched up, he made the sore triple the size..

I came home from shopping last week & Mr Patch had licked & licked his back paw inbetween his toes, he could not walk for 2 days limping on 3 legs & had to wear a shoe on his sore paw, the nut gave himself a red ulcer from licking in the same spot for 1 hour… Grass Allergies

[anonymous]

Quote: “I called my vet and over the phone he suspects a food allergy. He didn’t have any appointments today, but I will ask him to exam him. thank you”.
“Did anyone hear of a food allergy causing this”?

Good idea!
I would not apply anything to the area you could make the situation worse!
Food allergies tend to present as gastrointestinal distress, in example: diarrhea and vomiting.

Is there a vet tech at your clinic that could fit him in today? I would give them a call.
I am sure they could determine if his anal glands need expressing and it only takes a minute.
Plus it costs less for a 15 minute vet tech appointment.

Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Athony,
Your dogs probably have Environment allergies, my boy has Seasonal Environment allergies & food senitivities, they both normally come together…
I’ve worked out my boy food sensitivities & I’m in a routine for his environment allergies weekly baths in a medicated shampoo, twice a week when he’s really itchy, I use Dermcare Malaseb medicated shampoo, it relieves Patches itchy skin & paws & kills any yeast or bacteria thats on his skin & paws, he feels heaps better after his baths & Ive washed off allergens & dirt, then I use baby creams for his paws, “Bepanthen” soothing antiseptic cream for red rash on stomach from grass & “Sudocrem” on his paws to protect against the allergens, (grass).
I also use baby wipes to wipe him down after being outside…

If you want a diet thats ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free you’ll have to feed a raw diet, organic meats & vegetables humans eat.. if you live in Australia, then I’d recommend “Frontier Pets” dehydrated raw, it’s free range, organic meat, eggs & veggies..
I’ve heard “Answers” fermented raw is very good quality but expensive you could just buy their Goats milk as this will strengthen your dogs immune system also Vitamin C & Krill Oil added to your dogs diet..
The only other thing you could do is see a good Animal Dermatologist & have a “Intradermal Skin Test” done to see what are your dogs are allergic too in the environment then they get “Immunotherapy injections”

As the dog ages their allergies get worse, Patch is doing really bad this year at the moment its Spring & we’re having 4 seasons in 1 day some days, no wonder more & more dogs are suffering with allergies now….
Good-Luck

Have you tried “Cytopoint Injuctions” a few people say Cytopoint injection have helped their dogs they last 4-8 weeks depends on the dog, Cytopoint has less side effect then Apoquel..
Dog will have better quality of life relieving their itch, we dont have Cytopoint in Australia yet, we have Apoquel tablets, I bought 2 weeks worth but I haven’t used them yet, my vet said I can start giving Apoquel twice a day with his meals then once he stops his itchying reduce to just 1 Apoquel tablet a day, then 1 Apoquel tablet every 2nd day, a few of my vet dog owners are doing this then stopping the Apoquel & see how the dog goes in the cooler months..

[Susan]

Hi Athony,
Your dogs probably have Environment allergies, my boy has Seasonal Environment allergies & food senitivities, they both normally come together…
I’ve worked out my boy food sensitivities & I’m in a routine for his environment allergies weekly baths in a medicated shampoo, twice a week when he’s really itchy, I use Dermcare Malaseb medicated shampoo, it relieves Patches itchy skin & paws & kills any yeast or bacteria thats on his skin & paws, he feels heaps better after his baths & Ive washed off allergens & dirt, then I use baby creams for his paws, “Bepanthen” soothing antiseptic cream for red rash on stomach from grass & “Sudocrem” on his paws to protect against the allergens, (grass).
I also use baby wipes to wipe him down after being outside…

If you want a diet thats ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free you’ll have to feed a raw diet, organic meats & vegetables humans eat.. if you live in Australia, then I’d recommend “Frontier Pets” dehydrated raw, it’s free range, organic meat, eggs & veggies..
I’ve heard “Answers” fermented raw is very good quality but expensive you could just buy their Goats milk as this will strengthen your dogs immune system also Vitamin C & Krill Oil added to your dogs diet..
The only other thing you could do is see a good Animal Dermatologist & have a “Intradermal Skin Test” done to see what are your dogs allergic too in the environment then they get “Immunotherapy injections”

As the dog ages their allergies get worse, Patch is doing really bad this year at the moment its Spring & we’re having 4 seasons in 1 day some days, no wonder more & more dogs are suffering with allergies now….
Good-Luck

Have you tried “Cytopoint Injuctions” a few people say Cytopoint injection have helped their dogs they last 4-8 weeks depends on the dog, Cytopoint has less side effect then Apoquel..
Dog will have better quality of life relieving their itch, we dont have Cytopoint in Australia yet, we have Apoquel tablets, I bought 2 weeks worth but I haven’t used them yet, my vet said I can start giving Apoquel twice a day with his meals then once he stops his itchying reduce to just 1 Apoquel tablet a day, then 1 Apoquel tablet every 2nd day, a few of my vet dog owners are doing this then stopping the Apoquel & see how the dog goes in the cooler months..

[Athony B]

Thanks this is a very useful resource, but…I have two German shepherds with really bad skin allergies and I’m reading about this link between their problems and the residue oxytetracycline (antibiotics fed to chickens, turkeys, cattle etc and which stays in them when they become meat meal for our pets) in almost all pet foods.

Does anyone know of any brands that are ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free in the animals used to make them?

Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Cindy,

My daughter name is also Cindy, your dog is a very lucky dog to have you has his owner & didn’t change his kibble & continue feeding him a dry kibble…You’d probably still have a very sick dog..

I too follow Judy Morgan DVM aswell my boy Patch is a rescue who I rescued 6 years ago, it’s his 10th birthday tomorrow, Tuesday 20th November also on this day I rescued him from being put to sleep that day 🙂
He came to me in a really bad condition for a 4 yr old dog, he has IBD diagnosed thru Endoscope + Biopsies, Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities…. It’s been a struggle he just had 5 weird looking wort type lumps removed 2-3 weeks ago & I just knew he was cancer free, he has the luck of the Irish the vet said gee he’s a lucky boy she was really worried about 1 lump on the side of his back leg so was I, this weird lump grew very quickly & look weird, we thought Mast Cell Tumor but no we wer wong thank god, he has a few angels watching over him..
Years ago I found Judy’s pup loaf recipe & tweak it a bit to suit Patches needs, I make Lean Pork Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potato & Lean Beef Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potatoes, I add 1 whisked egg, finally chopped parsely, chopped broccolli & spinach or kale, I bake in oven as Patch needs low fat when he eats any cooked foods, I make the rissoles 1/2 cup in size & bake them on a foil lined baking tray, take out 1/2 way 15mins to drain any water/fat & turn them over & bake till ready, they only take about 25-30mins & they freeze really well same as the boiled sweet potato pieces they thaw out pretty good…

He also gets freezed dried Mussels x 1-2 a day depends how big teh mussels are, strawberries, they are very cheap at teh moment, peeled apple, water melon, almond 3 a day whe I remember & his Bone Broth drink after his mid morning walk, I try to give him healthy foods that don’t cause any problems with his IBD… What I eat Patch gets some aswell… His IBD became worse last Nov-2017 after eating TOTW Lamb formula, he went down hill, I nilly put him to sleep in January 2018 instead I asked his vet can he do another Endoscope + Biopsies & found Patches lower Sphincter flap doesn’t close properly, sadly he doesnt do well on big wet meals now as he regurgatates them making his acid reflux worse, the only food he keeps down for his big meals is dry kibble 🙁
I was devastated but he does still eats a small wet meal for lunch only, lunch time is when he gets his freeze dried raw “Frontier Pets” or his Rissoles Sweet Potato etc, he still gets his little extra healthy foods, I want to try blueberries & beets next..

Do you follow “Rodney Habib”
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Rodney has been traveling around the world for 1 year talking to vets, Drs, scientist all around the world doing research on cancer in dogs & how to stop dogs from getting cancer… He’s a wealth of information.
Did you know there’s only about 110 Vet Nutritionist on this planet & 98% of them work for the big Pet Food companies, so there’s only about 2% vet nutritionist who aren’t bias like Judy Morgan that really want to educate us & get our dogs healthy thru natural foods & not feed these over processed dry pet foods & they will not recommend a high carb dry vet diet when your dog gets cancer ….. It’s sad I think…
I live in Australia & alot of pet owners feed either a raw diet or a cooked diet & a few feed kibble as base & add raw, the longest living dogs both came from Australia Bluey he was 29yrs old & Maggie she just passed away & she was 30yrs old both dogs were raw feed dogs..

Here’s a new group Dr Karen Becker, Susan Garret & Rodney have just started, its called
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=br_rs

[Susan]

Hi Jiles,
Have you had your dog thyroid checked?

join this facebook group, one of the admins in group Pete Lee has a dog who is allergic to her own yeast. Very rare but it happens… Ask Pete Lee or she’ll probably answer your post..

Join this f/b group heaps of help & where the Dermatologist vets are in your area.
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

I’d aviod all dry foods that have any type of fish, chances are your not getting the fish stated on your bag/formula.. also toxins, heavy metals & contaminates seem to be higher in fish formula’s.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets🐶🐱 may not work for your pet because of this problem!
Scroll dow to the results.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.125?fbclid=IwAR3JAeJouOK1TEOHlEKTRONZPp7FghmqdBaR561HJbc71J6fKucG5ncT9d8

Go onto Rodney Habibs f/b page – https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
scroll down a bit & look for “The False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy diets” video they tested Natural Balance LID Bison & Sweet Potato formula & it had Beef, Pork, Horse, Goat, Lamb in it & no Bison?

I have a dog who has IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies, I have found he does really well on “Wellness Core”, “Wellness Simple”- Turkey & Potato & “Canidae Pure”- Wild Pork & “Canidae” – Pure Meadow Senior, if you have a large breed look at Wellness Core Large breed adult or Wellness Core Small Breed formula’s are high protein, med -fat & low carbs..

[Lisa A]

We just learned about DCM a week ago from our vet during an appointment for an ear infection on our 3 yr old golden. I’ve been reading information every night and trying to figure out what to do. We are currently on a grain free lamb food by Zignature, that is due to our golden having allergies to Chicken. He was on prescription food for the first 1+ of his life and after he was stable we were able to move to over the counter, mainly due to the prescription food he was on which was venison – they were having trouble sourcing quality ingredients so the food was discontinued. Now I don’t know what to do. Its nearly impossible to find a grain inclusive food that doesn’t contain a single source protein, prefer beef, vision, or lamb. We spoke with our vet last night and she suggested – https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/lamb-meal-and-brown-rice. I would love to hear others thoughts.

[Susan]

People can do their own research & book to see a Dermatologist vet.
While waiting for Dermvet appointment join 1 of the really good Dog Allergy f/b groups thats out there…
Heaps of really good ideas…

“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogAllergiesIssuesandOtherInformationSupporGroup/

[anonymous]

Hair and Saliva Test for Allergies are Worthless Pseudoscience

(excerpt below)
Bottom Line
Saliva and hair tests for food allergies are a scam and a waste of time and money.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Christie B-
How about Purina ProPlan salmon sensitive stomach? Many people on the FB page I’m following regarding DCM who have dogs with chicken allergies and are switching off of grain free foods are feeding it with good results.

[joanne l]

Hi Christie looks like you have your hands full, sorry to hear about your dogs allergies. I do like the one with out the peas and pea fiber. Sometimes dogs can be allergic to peas too. Boy years ago dogs never had so many allergies I still wonder why. I hope you can find something and maybe some one on here can be better help. By the way is your dog okay with grains? If so you don’t really need grain free unless your dog does better on grain free. Most limited ingredient diets have peas and chickpeas. But to answer your question I do think it is worth the money to have no peas in the diet.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by joanne l.

[Christie B]

My American Bulldog mix has allergies to chicken, which I’ve heard is common with bully breeds. I rotated many different foods for the past 9 years that I’ve had him, in the hopes that I’d one day find the formula that wouldn’t trigger an attack.

So many non chicken protein formula’s have chicken or chicken meal as the 3rd or 4th ingredient. I guess it’s an inexpensive protein to add to formulas.

I’ve tried lamb, beef, pork, turkey… after a few weeks more often than not allergy symptoms appear. It’s harder to try a new food in the spring and winter because he also has environmental allergies, so it’s hard to figure out what triggers him.

So far, fish seems to be the safest protein. He used to eat Blue Buffalo with no issue when he was younger but the vet recommended stopping it because he was gaining too much weight on it (even after I cut back on the feeding amounts).

I went to Petsmart two weeks ago in search of a limited ingredient food. The previous bag that we tried was Zignature, but reviews here along with neither of my two dogs wanting to eat it (I literally had to put a small bit of shredded cheese on the food to make it appealing) turned me off that brand. I was looking at Nulo’s formulas when an associate wearing a Nulo shirt approached me (of course). She said they have a Salmon based limited ingredient formula. I read the label: Deboned salmon, salmon meal, yellow peas, chickpeas, canola oil, died sweet potatoes… didn’t see any chicken, beef, pork, turkey and gave it a shot.

The bag is almost gone. Both dogs are actually eating it. Stool is ok. I haven’t noticed any excessive drooling that indicated a possible upset stomach. No uptick in eating grass (sometimes they just like to graze). It seems like so far, so good.

However, there were some concerns in reviews that I read. I heard that peas and pea protein are also common allergens. Nulo has two product lines: Freestyle and Medal. Petsmart exclusively sells the Medal series and Freestyle is found online. I asked the rep in the store what the difference was and she said it was name only. The formulas were the same. However, when I went to order from Chewy yesterday (usually cheaper than Petsmart), their Freestyle was almost $20 more than the Medal at Petsmart. It made no sense. I contacted Nulo on their FB page and this was their response:

Thanks for reaching out to us here at Nulo. We appreciate the opportunity to help!
Our FreeStyle Limited+ and MedalSeries L.I.D. recipes are formulated using only one animal protein source and do not include the fruits and vegetables found in our other recipes. The difference between our FreeStyle Limited+ and MedalSeries L.I.D. recipes is simply the inclusion or exclusion of peas – our FreeStyle Limited+ recipes do not include peas or pea fiber.

Is the exclusion of Peas worth the $20 difference? Are fruits and vegetables usually the cause of allergies that they would be omitted in the Limited formulas?

[Christie B]

My 10 year old American Bulldog mix has food and environmental allergies. Paw licking, face rubbing, excessive drooling…it’s worse in the Spring and Fall but sometimes changes in diet can trigger a few days long reaction. The vet told me to give him 5 1mg Benedryl twice daily when he shows symptoms and if he’s drooling excessively to give him a Pepcid twice daily.

10 Benedryl pills a day seems crazy. I know my dog is large at 120 pounds, but an adult human is only supposed to take 1-2 pills daily. Do dogs process the drug differently? Two pills twice daily has always ceased the licking and rubbing. I’m afraid to give him 5 at a time.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by Christie B.

[Sara B]

Hello-

I have done some searching around on the forum for various discussions related to this topic. It is a bit tricky to sort through all of them so I thought I would just put this out there to see what folks have to say or what experiences they have had. I have a 1 year old lab mix who has been diagnosed with struvite crystals. She has had a UTI. I also just had a sample of her urine sent off to a lab for a culture to get more information. She may be going on an antibiotic.
Obviously my concern is that those will turn into stones which would not be good. My other concern though is that vet has prescribed Hills U/D. I asked him if he had any other options for my dog and he said no she would need to be on this for the rest of her life. I went home and looked at the ingredient list and cannot for the life of me understand how this is better than the food I am currently feeding her. I am also concerned about the side affects (weight gain, allergies etc). I have her on Honest Kitchen food right now to help with the increased water intake and have ordered Super Snouts Urniary Berry to help with the PH and hopefully preventing UTIs. Wondering if I should put her on the Hills Science for a time and then once the crystals dissolve go back to her food? Or If I should do a combo of the two? I dont really feel that I can ask my vet for suggestions because he seems unwilling to help in that regard.

[anonymous]

I am so glad you are working closely with your vet.

If her problems continue even through the winter, I would ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Unless your vet feels confident he can treat the condtion.
A positive response to Apoquel is indicative of environmental allergies.

/forums/topic/hes-got-good-and-environmental-allergies/#post-113364

/forums/topic/doodle-with-allergies/#post-119649

[Susan]

Hi Sandra,
you in the UK?
CHANGE food
these are the ingredients
“Wainwright’s Salmon & potato puppy”

Composition: Salmon Fish Meal (26%), Potato Starch (21%), Barley (14%), Red Sourghum (13%), Rapseed Oil (7%), Whole Linseed (5%), Potato Protein (5%), Beet Pulp (4%), Alfalfa (2%), Dicalphosphorus (1.5%), Minerals, Seaweed (0.4%), Chicory (0.05%), Extract of Yucca Schidigera (0.02%), Marigold Meal (0.005%), Rosemary Oil Extract

1 or 2 of these ingredient isnt agreeing with him.
My boy can not eat Barley he farts, bad wind & sloppy poos..

A dog should fart but my vet said it “shouldn’t smell” & clear a room, this means he’s making bad gasses, methane combine with hydrogen sulfide makes the fart smell bad….
Vet made me change Patches food, he said look for a kibble that has Potato or Sweet Potato, then finally I found a few different brands of dry foods that agreed with him & I rotate them… best to rotate his foods so his immune system builds up & he gets use to different ingredients, once you find a few different brands that agree with him then rotate these dry dog foods, what I do when the kibble bag has only 1/4 of the kibble left I start adding the new food with the old kibble, more old formula & less new formula untill he’s on 1/2 old & 1/2 new, then I feed that for 3-5 days then I add more new kibble less old kibble…

Look for another puppy food that has NO Potato Starch, Barley, Red Sourghum, Rapeseed oil & “No Salmon or Fish Meal” Fish dog foods are VERY high in Heavy Metals, Toxins & Contamines so I would avoid all fish wet & dry dog foods……

Look for a puppy formula that has either Lamb, Duck, Chicken, Turkey, Venison with Sweet Potato, Brown Rice, Oats, Potato, Vegetables, Fruit, healthy ingredients…
Picture all the ingredients on a plate

I’ve been looking thru the UK ingredients in dog foods & most brands are adding fish, this is telling me the UK pet food companies are getting very cheap byproduct fish ingredients, heads, guts, tails etc so I’d try & avoid dog foods that have fish ingredients if you can, if the fish is further down the ingredient list then OK but no fish meal/ocean meal in the first 5-6 ingredients…

Chicken & Turkey are cleaner meats when used in dog foods..
If you want to feed fish then buy & add tin Salmon in spring water, Sardines in spring water added 1-2 spoon to 1 of his daily meals, add healthy fresh ingredients to his meal once you find a dry food that agrees with him.

With Probiotics they are best given on empty stomach, so either first thing of a morning when he wakes up then feed 1 hour later or give probiotic drink inbetween meals when stomach acids are low,
if you’re using a probiotic powder then add 10ml-15ml cool water in a bowl with probiotic & swirl around to dissolve the probiotic powder & then let him drink the probiotic drink, my boy use to love his probiotic drink at 10am, I’d give it as a treat..
He needs his food change then he wont need to take the probiotic, something isnt agreeing with him..
Make sure you keep a diary & write everything down you have tried & first 10 ingredients as Frenchies are known for Food sensitivities & Skin Allergies…
Just remember the vet isn’t a vet nutritionist….

Barking Head & Forthglade dog food looks really good, take back the Wainwright’s Salmon & potato puppy food you’re feeding now, tell pet shop or online pet store Wainwright’s Salmon isnt agreeing with your pup & now he wont eat it, dog foods are normally guaranteed for palability, money back or exchange & they will exchange for another food Look for new food with not too many ingredients, you can add your own healthy fresh ingredients..

Have a look at
* Barking Heads- https://barkingheads.co.uk/collections/dog-food

* Forthglade – https://forthglade.com/shop-dog/dry-dog-food/turkey-brown-rice-cold-pressed-natural-dry-dog-food

* Simpsons – https://www.simpsonspremium.com/dogs/puppy

* Eden – https://edenpetfoods.com/products/dog-food/eden-80-20-dried-food/eden-80-20-country-cuisine.html

* Millies Wolfheart – https://www.millieswolfheart.co.uk/

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/06/canine-nutrigenomics-by-dr-jean-dodds-science-as-windowdressing/ (excerpt below,click on link for full article and comments)

I have written about Dr. Dodds before. (1, 2). She is a prime example of a variety of the ailment sometimes called the Nobel Disease. She is obviously a smart and confident person who has made real contributions to veterinary medicine outside of the conventional academic career path. Unfortunately, she has come to embrace a variety of pseudoscientific views, and she has such confidence in her own talents and beliefs that she does not feel obligated to subject her own theories to the usual sort of scientific testing and critique. Her ideas about allergies, thyroid disease and, as we shall see, nutrition, are widely viewed as unproven, unlikely, or outright factually incorrect by experts in these fields, but Dr. Dodds has moved forward with not only books of advice but commercial diagnostic tests without apparently feeling any need to demonstrate her ideas are correct through scientific research.

[Susan]

Hi Rebecca,
I’d ask vet can you re-do a 21-28 day course of Flagyl (Metronidazole) twice a day, every 12 hours with a meal the first 10 days then down to 1 flagyl a day with his dinner till course is finished, Flagyl helps heal the stomach & bowel, just make sure Flagyl is given with a meal not with a small snack/treat.. His bowel needs time to heal & strenthen his immune system, do you have him on a probiotic?, also has he been retested to see if the Giardia cleared up?
Frenchies are known to have intestinal problems, I was going to get a French Bulldog & my vet advised against it, I have Patch (staffy) who has IBD & skin Allergies the vet said French Bull Dogs have a few health problems.. In Australia Frenchies being inbreed or breed with a parent who has health problems, they’re known to suffer with food sensitivities & skin problems..

also have your tried “Natural Balance” LID Potato & Duck formula the fiber is 3% or try the Natural Balance LID Fish & Sweet Potato formula.. alot of people have really good results with Natural Balance LID.
Potato & Sweet Potato seem to help dogs who are doing soft, sloppy or diarrhea poos, stop all chicken if giving any home cooked meals or any treats that are chicken, try Turkey or Pork instead & boiled potato instead of the boil rice, sometimes boiled rice can irratate the all ready irratated bowel..
If you’re on facebook join this group.. you dont have to be a raw feeder, heaps of help & people who have had a dog who has had Giardia..
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsey,

How did you work out your do is sensitive too wheat, barley, soy, corn, dried egg, venison, rabbit, salmon, dairy/milk?
The only way to work out food sensitivities is to do a food elimination diet, blood, salvia & fur testing test can give false positives….Waste of money..

Best Testing for Environment allergies is the “Intradermal Skin test” ask your Dermatologist about Intradermal Skin Testing & can you start Immunotherapy injections, is often the best treatment plan for environment allergies & baths weekly or twice a week baths to wash off allergens on skin & paws…
* Probiotics to strengthen immune system & diet high in Omega 3 will also help, especially if you’re cooking meals start adding foods that are high in Omega 3, Flaxseed, Sunflower oil, Linseed Oil, Chia Seeds, Nuts- I was giving my boy 3 Almonds a day as a treat, i’d bite 1 almond in 1/2 & give Patch the other 1/2 of the Almond..he has a beautiful shiney coat…

If you’re cooking then start doing a food trial, start with 1 meat protein & you know your boy can eat sweet potato so add sweet potato as the carb & now every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient & see does your boy react…
My boy reacts within 20mins of eating an ingredient (Chicken) his back paw goes red hot & swollen & he start licking & licking back paw, then as the days pass he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & very itchy, but Chicken doesnt upset his Intestinal tract he has IBD, Carrots make his ears itchy & yeasty he starts shaking his head/ears…
It can take up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to certain ingredients..
Elimination diet is slow but you will know 100% what he can & cant eat..

A really good food is
* “Ziwi Peak” wet can or air dried
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

also look at Aldis” new “Pure Being” formula’s, grain free & grain formula’s
/dog-food-reviews/shep-dog-food/

* “Wellness Core” formula’s – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/core

* “Canidae Pure Wild” & “Pure Meadow” if your boy is a senior – https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I’d stay away from Zignature, Zignature is one of the dry foods that is VERY high in legumes & dogs are not absorbing Taurine causing heart problems, DCM…..
Make sure the dry food you’re feeding doesn’t have a heap of legumes in the first 6 ingredients & Zignature does…. there shouldnt be no more then 20% Legumes in a dogs diet..
The dry dog foods list is in this group below, we are NOT allowed to post the Taurine list as it has peoples private info…
Here’s the f/b group join “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/
then look in their “Files” click on 2nd link
“2018-10-05 COPY of Diet and Taurine TABLE”…. & you will see cases mark in Yellow & then Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related,
Zignature Kangaroo formula has 3 cases & i’d say the first young GSH has passed away by now as he was diagnosed 2017 & given only 6-8months to live 🙁

Join this facebook group for Skin allergies,
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
a Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, DVM, DACVD from Canine Skin Solutions “Healthyskin4dogs”
frequents this group, there’s heaps of help & really good advice..

Weekly baths are the best to do, baths wash off any allergens on skin & paws & relieve itchy red skin, I also use Huggie Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes, I wipe my boy down when he comes back inside & I use “Sudocrem” cream on his paws & around his mouth when skin is red & inbetween toes are red, Sudocrem is an anti-bacterial, ant-fungal healing cream, also works as a barrier & protects the skin & paws, excellent for skin problems… sold on Amazon

[anonymous]

@ Lyndsey D

Consider Zignature https://www.chewy.com/zignature-turkey-limited-ingredient/dp/36739

I switched my allergy dog that is under the care of a dermatologist (never had her tested for food allergies) to a grain inclusive food due to the grain free scare that is going on.

Didn’t work out, she is back on Zignature, same thing for a friend of mine who has a dog with sensitivities, her dog is back on Zignature after a brief trial on a grain inclusive food, that didn’t go well.

[Lyndsey D]

Well that isnt exactly what I was asking, as I said my dog has allergies (wheat, barley, soy, corn, dried egg, venison, rabbit, salmon, dairy/milk, might be forgetting one) so while I might find a food that does not have most it would have at least one – most has either barley or the egg or none and salmon oil. At the moment I am using Natural Recipe easily found at Target or Walmart (chicken, pumpkin and sweet Potato) and cooking the rest of the time chicken breast, brown rice, carrots, sweet potatoes and flaxseed until his dermatology appointment. It’s nice to have a few choices though. Cant find much info on sourcing or who makes it for Fleet Farm (Mills).

[pitlove]

Katie-

It isn’t very challenging for a company with a veterinary nutritionist and multiple veterinarians on staff to be able to formulate a food that is appropriate for both sensitive skin and sensitive stomach. Salmon tends to be a good protein for dogs with skin allergies (the main protein in Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach is salmon) and the right types of fiber and % of fiber can help dogs with sensitive stomachs. Plus limiting the amount of ingredients in the food, adding probiotics to the food and having ingredients that are easy on the GI system.

As someone with a dog with both skin allergies and a very sensitive GI system, I can attest to the fact that Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach was a miracle for my dog. We only switched when we found a cheaper food of similar quality that came in a larger bag.

[Lyndsey D]

I’m kind of a food snob but since my dog has allergies and is limited on many foods now I thought I’d give it a try since ingredient wise it seemed comparable to high end ones and for $2.99 (on sale) for the last 3.3lb bag I thought why not. It’s the Turkey, Pea and Sweet Potato recipe. 25%protein, 15% fat, 3% fiber, 10% moisture. Ingredients in order: Turkey, chicken meal, whole ground garbanzo beans, whole ground peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat, pea starch, pea protein, Turkey meal, natural chicken flavor, flaxseed meal, potassium chloride, dried chicory root, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried carrots, minerals vitamins yada yada yada… my dog can eat this which is amazing since he is allergic to soy, egg product, barley salmon and much more, so if this checks out as okay I’d be okay with that.. anyone??

[anonymous]

https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-classic-adult-dog-food
One of my dogs does well on this food. Very reasonable.

My other dog that has allergies and is under the care of a dermatologist does best on a fish based food, in fact I am going to put her back on Zignature Whitefish kibble as a base.

“He’s been on this for more than six months now and his poop is a great consistency. However, in an ideal world, I’d like to move him over to another food for two main reasons: 1. Price! (yes, it’s not the most expensive, but it is more than I want to spend) and 2. Rating (only 3 stars on dog food advisor)”

If your dog is doing well on this food I would not switch to a cheaper food just to save a few bucks, you may end up spending your so called savings and more at the vet.

PS: Ratings on dog food sites mean sheet. Just my opinion.

[Susan]

To Kullboys,

With rotating dog foods, the idea is that by allowing short exposure to a wider variety of protein types, the immune system is primed to a larger range of potential allergens, which strengthens the immune system and may reduce the risk of allergies or symptoms developing, this is particulary “Important for YOUNG animals”.
Added benefits, a rotational diet allows a better chance of providing a more complete and balanced diet. While most dog foods sold commercially have been balanced to meet nutritional guidelines there is always a chance that one brand might be a little deficient in a nutrient compared to another brand, by rotating a variety of foods your pet is less likely to suffer any deficiencies as they will draw whats needed from other diets..

Dog Food Advisor recommends to rotate your dogs diet, DFA is where I learnt to rotate & strengthen Patches Intestinal tract.

Here’s a parragragh from DFA post

“Isn’t changing dog foods dangerous for the animal?”
Although some pets can’t tolerate menu changes, I’ve never been able to find “a single scientific study” proving diet rotation to be unhealthy or detrimental to a dog.

/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

[Calico J]

Hello! I’m currently looking for a legume and fish-free dog food for my 2-year-old lab (I’m eliminating allergies and legumes seem to be the only culprit). Single protein, preferably chicken. High quality. Good manufacturer. Basic chicken and rice, you know?

My dog is quite active, so a food with high protein and a fair amount of fat is also important.

Anyway, one of the foods that came up in my search was Wysong Fundamentals: https://www.wysong.net/fundamentals

Dry Matter Analysis: http://www.wysong.net/WysongPetProductsAnalyticalInfo

Protein: 42.1%
Fat: 15.8%
Fiber: 4.0%
Ash: 10.5%
Calcium: 2.2%
Phosphorus: 1.2%
Magnesium: 0.1%
Sodium: 0.4%
Taurine: 0.3%
Cabohydrates: 24.4%
Kcals (as fed/cup): 435/cup
Calorie content/kg: 3,480kg

INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Organic Chicken, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor, Taurine, Calcium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Citric Acid, Yeast Extract, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Chicory Root, Yeast Culture, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid [source of Vitamin C], Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product.

My dog turned 2 in July, so he’s full grown. Very much a field/working lab in physique. Muscular, but long and lean. Very agile. 60lbs.

It’s just… I’ve never seen calcium and phosphorus this high in a dog food, so I wanted to ask if it was safe to feed to my pup.

Thank you for the help!

P.S. I’m also considering Nature’s Select High Protein: https://naturesselectpetfood.com/products/dog-food/select-high-protein
Calcium: 1.4%
Phosphorus: 1.0%

[Carol H]

I just wanted to share and by no means an expert however, we had a big boy who the vet thought had food allergies and did the elimination diet for almost a year. It was frustrating and expensive but finally took him to a dematologist in Florida. Best thing we could have done, turns out a simple blood test revealed his thyroid levels were low. Put him on meds twice a day (inexpensive) and he has become a new boy!

[anonymous]

I am not aware of any such thing. In fact, one of my dogs does best on fish based kibble as a base
She is a senior with environmental allergies and has never had a uti.
For best results discuss with a veterinarian that has examined your dog and knows the dogs history, not the internet.

Per the search engine.
/forums/topic/bladder-stones-in-6-year-old-female-pug/#post-113166

[Tara M]

Hello all. I have an 8 year old spayed female pitbull with consistent recurrent UTI’s. X-rays are always negative. She’s on cranberry supplements as well as multiple immune support supplements. She eats Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Salmon recipe dog food (she also has allergies and salmon was recommended for thi). A friend who is very into the dog show world mentioned today that she thinks the fish-based dog food is what is causing my dog’s UTI’s and that I should change it to one of the more novel proteins such as kangaroo. Has anyone else heard of fish-based dog foods causing UTI issues? I can’t find anything about it anywhere online but she says that everyone in the breeding/dog show world will NOT feed their dogs primarily fish-based diets for this reason.

[kullboys b]

I have a 6 lb long-haired chihuahua and she is currently on Blue Buffalo. I want to switch her to a higher quality food and have narrowed it down between the 4 below. I wanted to see if anyone could help me choose 1 or narrow it down (based on your experience or research). My dog doesn’t have any allergies and generally likes any food that’s put in front of her 🙂

– Nature’s Logic
– NutriSource
– Zignature
– Orijen
– Instinct

Thanks .

• This topic was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by kullboys b.

[anonymous]

Call the vet and have her call you back, explain what is happening. I would try to work closely with your vet, prescription food and all.
However, since the symptoms have been going on for several months and the dog has not responded to treatment I might ask her for a referral to a specialist, either a veterinary dermatologist or an internal medicine specialist.
You can use the search engine here to look up “environmental allergies”
Example:
/forums/topic/doodle-with-allergies/#post-119649

PS: I am assuming routine labs/tests have been done and medical issues (other than allergies) have been ruled out.

[Louise A]

Hi my dog Sofia is allergic to chicken Low Positive she really loved her chicken I had to visit the Pet ER about 2 weeks ago and poor Sofia loved her chicken jerky treats the vet told me why not try the duck I guess I always thought all poultry would be bad since she is allergic to chicken but I have read up on duck it seems that it is very good with allergies does anyone have any information on this I did buy her some duck jerky and she loves it.
thank you

[crazy4cats]

Here is an article found on the Taurine-Deficient Cardiomyopathy Face Book Page:

In addition to the below, corn gluten meal is an excellent precursor for taurine.

Debunking Myths around Corn Gluten Meal
Avi Deshmukh, DVM, MS, Ph.D.

Why add CGM in petfoods?

Most of the available CGM contains about 70% protein. It is an excellent source of
methionine & cysteine, which are beneficial while acidifying the urine to prevent
and/or manage urinary caliculi. Because of this, CGM is typically combined with
another animal or plant protein source.

Additionally, when compared to other proteins, CGM has a low level of ash (<
2.0%) and a full complement of vitamins and xanthophylls such as zeaxanthin and
lutein.1

Zeaxanthin and lutein are antioxidants and protect the vision.

Facts, myths and misconceptions about corn:

Misinformation about corn & CGM Facts about corn & CGM
(1) Corn is not digested by dogs and
cats
No mammal can digest the intact corn
kernel.
**However, when corn kernels are ground
and cooked, corn is >90% digestible.

(2) Corn & CGM are cheap ingredients
and added to cheapen the food
***High quality of corn and CGM are
expensive ingredients.

(3) Corn and CGM are fillers
The term “filler” means that it has no
nutritional or beneficial value to the pet.
***Both, corn and CGM, provide a number
of beneficial nutrients to improve the
animal health
(4) Corn & CGM cause allergies in
pets
***The incidence of “True food allergies”
is very low. In fact, animal proteins are
potentially more allergic than plant
proteins. Studies show an incidence rate
of 1.5% of adverse reactions to food
may be caused by corn or CGM.

(5) The cob is added along with corn
kernels
***Cob is never added in the pet foods.

From what I can tell, corn gluten meal is a much better addition to dog kibble than legumes and/or potatoes.