[theBCnut]

Allergies are rare and true allergies are more commonly due to environmental factors than food. Food intolerances are a different matter though. You can usually get an idea if it is an environmental problem versus a food problem by where the dog is itching. Environmental allergies are usually contact allergies and the dog will experience itchy skin in the specific areas where the contact occurs, like feet with a grass allergy, or stomach for something the dog lies down on. Fleas hang out around the neck and tail. Food allergies/ intolerances tend to be a more generalized reaction, itching all over, soft stools, vomitting, eye discharge, ear irritation.

[PrincessPiper]

I’ve heard that most allergies are not caused by food but by environmental. I have a friend that has a Shih tzu and she would cry while biting at her legs. They tried everything and after many visits to the vet they have finally determined that she is allergic to grass. She asks to have her feet washed whenever she comes in from outside now.

[theBCnut]

To start with, I would just choose one of those protein sources and feed just it for a couple weeks. If it is the problem then when you increase the amount of it that you are feeding, the itchiness should increase too. Sometimes when the symptoms are mild, it takes longer to figure out what is causing it, especially if the symptoms are mild enough that you aren’t even sure if you are looking for a food allergy. It isn’t going to matter if you unbalance her diet short term, so don’t worry about that for now. I would start with just the beef and See Spot and see if you eliminate symptoms, then go to the whole carcass rabbit and maybe add a leafy green to it, but not much else. Since chicken is most likely, I would save it for last.

Once I finally got Micah symptom free for a bit, I can tell really fast if he has gotten something he is sensitive to. His skin gets hot and turns pink even before the itching begins. Bailey may have something environmental going on, since you say the itching isn’t constant. With a food allergy, I expect you to notice thinning hair, especially on a short haired dog.

[Cyndi]

Thanks somebodysme, but I can’t really say when her itching really started. It’s been atleast a month, if not more and I haven’t really introduced anything new. The rabbit is the newest, but it’s even been a while for that. That’s why I wouldn’t even know where to start. I guess I could start with the last thing I introduced her to and work backwards. & I doubt it’s her shampoo. I use an all natural shampoo and I’ve been using it for months. I’m wondering if it IS environmental. It’s been, with the exception of the last 2 weeks, very warm and humid, and she has been spending alot more time outside just laying around.

I know how relieved you were to finally figure out your dog’s allergies to peas. Bailey doesn’t itch and scratch all that much, that’s why I really didn’t give it much thought when it started. Figured she just had a plain old “itch” and was scratching it.

[somebodysme]

OH man, reading that is making my head spin! HAHA! I’ve been dealing with allergies since I adopted my dog back in Dec! I wouldn’t know where to start because any of that could be an issue. So you cannot think of anything new you just started? I’d try and figure out what’s the latest addition and stop that and see if it helps. It could be environmental too, shampoo? My dog will show signs immediately if she’s allergic to something.

[Cyndi]

I have a question for any raw feeder that would like to help. I have had Bailey on raw for just about 5 months now. I give her raw garlic and use different flea sprays, Mercola’s being one of them, so I’m 99% sure she doesn’t have fleas. I check her all the time too. It’s been maybe over a month now, not sure, but she’s been scratching and biting at herself and licking her front legs. The leg licking is like frantic leg licking for like 5-10 seconds and then she’s done and goes about her business. The itching and scratching isn’t constantly and just about every time she does it, I check her over and I find nothing. So, I’m thinking she maybe allergic to something she eats. In the mornings I give her the ground beef, ground tripe and ground organs for 2 or 3 days and do whole carcass ground rabbit for 2 or 3 days, with either sardines or eggs or veggie blend baby food alternated & right now I’m using the See Spot Live Longer mix on the beef days. For dinners I rotate between a chicken back/feet/heart/gizzards/liver or turkey neck/gizzards or a large rabbit piece & a rabbit head.

So, I know how a typical “elimination diet” goes, but I’m wondering if I just cut out something from her diet for a while, if that would work? & what should I start with? Is chicken the likely culprit here? I wish I could pinpoint when her itching and biting started, but I have no clue. Any help, as usual, is greatly appreciated!

[theBCnut]

/forums/topic/dinovite/
Sheesh, I had a hard time finding this. I’ve used DinoVite with good results before and I will use it again. I did not just add it to kibble, however, I made their Yeast Starvation Diet. I don’t think it is some kind of miracle food that will cure food allergies or anything like that, so if your dog is having problems with it’s food, a change of food is in order.

[jctwitty]

I have a female Wheaton she came down with allergies after she was fixed .
any suggestions on food, allergies to salmon rice potatoes peas lamb venison really hard to find anything with out one of these

• This topic was modified 4 years ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[somebodysme]

I know that it can be a pain, but you may just have to have different foods for different dogs. If the zig and fromm work for the dog with allergies then consider yourself extremely lucky and now find a food, maybe the fromm by itself for the dobbie pup to reduce the poo. I wouldn’t worry too much about the pooing a lot other than if it continues then change to something else. When I worry is vomiting and runs and rashes. Most likely it just has too much indigestible vegetables and fruits for his system. Be glad he’s not getting sick!

I can’t help on the rotating as I’m doing good to find only one food that my dog has not been allergic to so far…besides Purina Pro Plan which I really don’t want to go back to! But I can use the Purina as a base of operation and since she was not allergic to it I can safely assume that chicken is fine for her!

[mfulton7]

That’s what’s my husband and I are thinking. None if our puppies ever pooed this much. Its insane! I was always leary about the chicken but I will have to remember that. Weve been sticking to fish based foods because I thought those were better for allergies. Also when can I start rotating bags of food? My 2 other dogs are used to it but with the puppy being so young will it hurt her tummy if I start now? Also how often is it recommeded to rotate? Weekly, monthly? Should I mix foods? I’ve read about people doing that too.

[mfulton7]

I have a 7 week old doberman pup who is currently on zignature trout & salmon. She has been pooin a lot and she been on it for a week. No diarrhea these are normal stools, no parasites etc she just poos 6-10 times a day. Shes eating a total of 2 cups a day sometimes a little less. I feed her 3 times a day. I also have 2 other small dogs. One of them may have allergies not completely sure though. She cannot eat totw wild it makes her vomit horribly. The 2 dogs have been on natural balance lid, zig, nutrisource. Is there a dog food that would be good for all 3 of my dogs? I like fromm but the price of the grain free is on the pricey side. What about nutritionals? I know it doesn’t say grain free BUT it does say no wheat, corn, soy does this mean its similar to grain free? Other brands I’ve been looking into are merrick, wellness core, halo, castor & pollux ultramix, avoderm, natures variety prairie, whole earth. Would any of those work for a dobie, shihtzu mix and a chihuahua?

[somebodysme]

Honestly…I wish that a best food could be recommended but it will depend on each individual dog and I really hate to say that. Since Zig is just really not working for your puppy, I’d take him off. So how much are you feeding him, did you mean 2 cups for the entire day or 2 cups three times? If you are feeding 2 cups three times then that is entirely way too much food. My 50 lb dog only got 2 cups a day on zig. I’m assuming you meant that you feed three times with a total of 2 cups for the whole day…right? It seems like, my dog was going about 5 times a day on that food which is kind of a lot. I think it’s got too much “fluff”. HA!

I see Fromm being recommended a LOT! People really do like it. Honestly, it is trial and error. What I thought would be a wonderful after researching until I was blue in the face, ended up totally not working for my dog that turned out to be highly allergic to peas. She is on a potato and rabbit diet right now that’s doing pretty good. She will need to find a better food eventually though so the whole trial and error deal will begin yet again. Unfortunately the whole grain free diet isn’t the answer for her because of allergies.

I’d say that of the brands that you mentioned, they all have their fans and non-fans. They are all high rated foods.

Have you posted in the large breed puppy thread yet? Aren’t you the same poster from the review section that asked and I mentioned the large breed puppy thread? I seem to recognize your name now. That thread should keep you busy reading for a few days! HAHA! I think it’s 30 something pages by now!

[konamisan]

Hi Dr. Mike,

I’ve been feeding both my JRT & Yorkie raw food for two years now and have only had a problem with feeding the JRT chicken & turkey because she has SEVERE ALLERGIES to it. I’ve tried several brands i.e.;, Bravo, Darwin’s, Steve’s, Stella & Chewy’s, Vital, & lastly Nature’s variety Instinct.

I’ve fed them rabbit, venison, pheasant & lamb.

I recently tried the Variety Instinct Beef!!! BAD CHOICE!.

I started the beef this past Sunday Sept 15th, 2013. I purchased the Patties & the Raw Kibble Bites. I would give them the patty in the evening & the raw bites in the morning.

3 days into the feeding, I noticed that after my Xena the JRT started throwing up about 15 minutes after she ate this food. If she drank any water, she would throw it up too.

Well here we are Saturday September 21st, and she has refused to eat either the patty or the raw beef bites as well. My Zeus, the Yorkie was refusing to touch it too. They both have diarrhea, Only my JRT is still vomiting she isn’t even keeping the water down.

She went to poo this morning and alarming to see, that she had BLOOD in her STOOLS!!! She is refusing to eat anything.

I called the Petco Store where I purchased this food & spoke to the Manager.

He suggested that I bring in the UPC Labels and to generate a written report to the Nature’s Variety Instinct Corp.

I contacted my Vet and He suggested I give her some boiled Chicken & Rice & some Pedialyte. My Vet also suggested that since I can’t afford to bring her to him to check her, he said ” Maybe you should consider giving one of your dogs up for adoption cause you certainly can’t afford the two to take care of them in a case like this”

I have never had an issue as this one to make my Xena soooooo sick. I know that she has not ingested anything other than this BEEF product.

I still want to feed them Raw. HELP WHAT DO I DO Dr. Mike & knowledgeable dog owners.

I also have them on Dr. Becker’s Liver & Kidney Support, Digestive Enzymes & the Spirugreen Super Food for Dogs.

Sincerely for My (Zeus 7 yr. old male & neutered & (Xena 6 yr. old Female & Neutered)

I’ve had Zeus since he was 3 months old & Xena since she was 6 weeks old.

Thank You ,

Konamisan

[somebodysme]

OH I’ve been going insane trying to get a handle on my dog’s allergies. I have heard a lot of people really like the Nutrisca. I had a lady overheard me talking to the manager at the pet shop telling him about my dog’s issues and she came up to me with a bag of Nutrisca in her arms and was saying how this food saved her dog and that she’d gotten friends to change too and their dogs are improved. I can’t use it because of the peas though. I’m pretty sure the pea allergy is pretty rare though but is it what it is. Rare or not, it’s her issue I have to work around. It is extremely limiting on the high end 5 star foods as most of them include peas as a main carb source.

I’m pretty sure that if she seems better, they suggest to give a food 6 weeks. It’s hard to do though when you don’t see that the food has healed them yet! I keep hearing that flare ups are normal. I keep telling myself this, my dog has only been 3 weeks on the food that she is on. I want to give it a fair shake but I want her WELL!!!!!!!! It was drastic the immediate improvement from Nature’s Variety LID Turkey to the NB rabbit formula. Within 2 days I could see the rashes just fading away. Then the improvement slowed down. ACK!

I have also heard a lot of good things about Zymox, it’s supposed to be very gentle and natural and good for yeast. I’m using a RX shampoo right now that’s working. Sebozole is what I’m using now. There’s a hot spot shampoo at walmart they sell that’s very gentle too, brand name is Pro-Sense. Don’t use an oatmeal shampoo if you are dealing with yeast, it helps feed the yeast.

[Lara]

Karma is on Nutrisca Lamb and Chickpea for about 4 weeks now. I wanted her off any kind of potato…white or sweet. That was the common ingredient in the previous dog foods. I have kept her on the Gentle Digest probiotic and the Claritin and Benadryl. And seems to do well on them.
I have added Dr Mercola’s Spirugreen and she does ok.
I truly believe not only am I dealing with food but environmental allergies as well
Karma definately does not like digestive enzymes. Vomits every time.
The vet even changed her heartworm med to Revolution from Heartguard

I had to get her off Rachel Ray because her stools were liquid and yellow….and she seemed constantly hungry
I was wondering about Zymox shampoo and the rinse? Wondering if I should give that a try….any thoughts?

I will be looking into that saliva test

Thankyou charlie and sombodysme. You both have helped me out so much and thanks for not making me feel like the only one dealing with this….sometimes I feel like my vet thinks I’m crazy because I want to try to fix the issue not put a “band-aid” on it!

[somebodysme]

How long has she been on Nutrisca? It will take a while on a new food for the crud to get out of their system. I’ve been dealing with an allergy dog too. Your story sounds a lot like mine and my dog started off in a low end type food Pro Plan and I wanted a better food so bought Blue Buffalo and then all he(( broke loose. I kept trying new food changing the proteins and she just got worse and worse with rashes and red ears and raw paws etc. We are on NB potato and rabbit for three weeks now and things are improving but not perfect yet. She also will break out suddenly out of the blue. I’m telling myself it is what they call a “healing crisis”. Supposedly that’s all normal. I will tell you that she looks better now than she has since I switched her off Pro Plan. I’m assuming you took her off the Rachel Ray stuff because you wanted healthier? Or was she having problems on that? On Pro Plan, my dog was scratching a little but had a watering eye and that was pretty much all. Then we finally realized that all the foods she was allergic to had only one common ingredient and it is PEAS. I know she is allergic to other things too though like rawhide and cow bones.

I would suggest that you give her only one food until you find that it is OK. I would also suggest to not give any of those supplements you mentioned because right now you have no idea what she’s allergic to. My dog reacted badly to spirulina! If she has yeast then keep the probiotic. Then once you know the food is OK, add ONE new supplement at a time until you know it’s OK and no reaction. Any of these things can cause problems for a sensitive dog. She could easily be allergic to salmon oil or coconut oil or that glucosamine. Honestly the only thing that I can give my dog without it causing a problem, that I have tried, is her human grade probiotic.

If your dog was NOT allergic to the Rachel Ray food then look at the ingredients and try and find a better quality food with the same basic ingredients. Like if it has chicken then you know that chicken was not the issue. What I have learned from having a dog with allergies is that you can’t just say “oh that food has 5 stars it great for my dog”. It just doesn’t work like that. These dogs have a whole new set of rules when it comes to what to feed.

[GSDsForever]

yellowdaisy,

I think HK is an excellent company, with quality foods and high standards (including safety). The formulas are pretty gentle and I’ve never known dogs to have trouble with it, especially sensitive/touchy stomach dogs. I like the Zeal formula best (which many sensitive dogs do well on when they can’t on other foods), then the Embark. Zeal is HK’s highest protein and uses a very high quality source, though the fat is very, very low — which some dogs do best with and others need to add back.

The only negatives I encounter with HK are that some formulas are grain inclusive (when owners don’t want that), some dogs aren’t crazy about the soupy texture, and high cost . . . esp. grain free Zeal & Embark. I would like to see, at their higher price point, their base ingredients be organic (like Stella & Chewy’s) when it’s a known heavily pesticide contaminated ingredient or preference for less contaminated fruits/veggies/greens chosen when organic isn’t feasable/prohibitively expensive — kind of like how I shop at the grocery store. But they are still very clean, high quality foods and I would feed them + highly recommend the brand.

In Nutrisource/Pure Vita’s defense, I really don’t think that their food can be blamed for tumors. Something triggers cancer to start in the body and that can be many complex factors, usually involving toxins as insults to the body and the immune system + some genetics. From there, we do know from research that cancer feeds selectively off sugars/simple carbs and need an acidic environment to be active . . . but that’s after the cancer has taken hold. Certain breeds (and their mixes) currently have very high incidences of cancer, like Goldens or Bernese Mountain Dogs; or there is a breed specific cancer like hemangiosarcoma. Some stats show more than half of all dogs and cats now die of cancer.

Pure Vita does pretty clean sourcing, for example using more expensive wild caught fish exclusively (protecting against toxins like PCBs in farmed salmon) and imposes a good bit of safety testing and quality standards. Many dogs seem to do really well on the food, esp. those with allergies/sensitivities or needing a bland diet and limited ingredient diet.

At the same time, virtually all commercial pet foods have significant contamination with bacterial toxins (enterotoxins, endotoxins, cytotoxins, etc.), from the meat, processing and handling, sanitation issues, storage, heat or lack of heat processing, moisture spoilage (like aflatoxins, etc in grains), lack of freshness, rancidity of fats/oils, etc. (You can read more about this in texts like UC Davis Vet School’s/DVM Strombeck’s Home Prepared Dog & Cat Diets, chapter 3 on commercial pet foods/food safety & preparation.)

Nevertheless, I do think homemade diets (balanced) using a wide variety of fresh foods in rotation, cleanly sourced (wild fish, grass fed & free range, organic), are best. So I think you are on the right track. Good luck!

[muggle11]

I have a 13 year old Jack Russell Terrier with some skin allergies. Several years ago we switched her to a lamb and rice food and that seemed to help with the itching. She has put on a few pounds and is getting older, so I would like to switch her to a senior food. I have not been able to find one that contains lamb and rice. The pet store recommended Blue Buffalo, which does not seem to be a favorite from the comments I see on the site. Thanks.

[Lara]

I have a chocolate Lab that has had numerous issues. I rescued her off of Craigslist in Oct. The person I got Karma from had her on Rachel Ray Noutrish. I switched her to Blue Buffalo Freedom for puppies (grain free) It all started in December with a big ear infection to both ears and small, red bumps on her abdomen last December. Diagnosis: chicken allergy. Switched to Natural Balance Potato and Fish with tuna and salt-free peas which she did fine on…for awhile. I noticed increased itchiness..she scratched and bit everywhere…no fleas. She also developed a UTI with struvite crystals so I switched to NB Potato and Rabbit. My vet suggested Hill’s Prescription for the crystals and UTI which I refused. The vet also states to stop giving her tuna and peas as the peas may have contributed to the pH problem. My baby has had 2 back to back UTI’s one with the crystals and one without. During the 2nd UTI I switched to Nutrisca Lamb and Chickpea (grain and potato free) and canned Lamb from Wellness as a topper (only in a.m.) She seems to be doing better although she still itches and bites her paws but it appears to go in spurts….. I’m wondering if it is enviromental allergies and not food. She has some eye goobers but I started using Ark Naturals Eyes So Bright and that has helped tremendously. She also was very flaking but that has almost gone away since starting her on Nutrisca. She is on Claritin/Benadryl/probiotic/salmon oil/liquid glucosamine and sometimes coconut oil. She is also on a cranberry extract for a urine pH of 9.
I have started to notice she is losing fur on the tips of her ears (just started last week). She has no ear infection that I can see. I had been cleaning 3x per week because they began to smell…now I am down to 1x per week
I use Richard’s Organics Incredible Skin Spray for the itchy areas and any hotspots. I also at times will rub in coconut oil
She has little red bumps on her belly which come and go….literally they are there in the morning and sometimes almost gone by night (could be the benadryl/claritin combo)
I have tried digestive enzymes twice (different brands) and she has vomited with both…not sure she can tolerate them…I’ve started slowly both times
I have to bring her back in for a re-check of her urine to see if the pH is down
Every dog food she has been on she has liked….she is not a picky eater (she even eats pills as if they were a treat)
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and sorry it is long

[Mom2Cavs]

As you all may remember, I’ve been battling things with Laverne. She would have anal gland issues and goopy eyes, she would lick her forearm and scratch her back sides. Sometimes she would lick her back knee?…I guess that would be what it’s called lol. She would scoot only sometimes. Her stool would be loose to full blown diarrhea at times, except when we tried NV LIDs…then she was too constipated (they all were) and the other symptoms were still there. Finally, one of her breeders told me that her brother and mother could never have poultry! So….I’ve been working on getting poultry out of the house. We have tried Zignature, still didn’t do the trick (maybe I didn’t give it long enough). We then went on Holistic Select grain free. Things were a little better. Now, I also top with canned food (and something tells me sometimes it may be the canned that’s causing the problem). I’ve narrowed the canned down to a few kinds whereas I was using quite a lot of different kinds before. Things were a little better, still not where I would like, though. In there as well I used some Natural Balance I had in the dog closet to see if it would be better than the Hol. Sel. I had the Lamb & Rice and the Swt. Pot. & Fish. Things were even a little better. I used to like N.B. but am leary of it now..bummer. When I finished with the N.B. I transitioned in a small bag of Acana Lamb (from the dog closet, of course!) This is what they are on now. We’re only on the first day with only Acana Lamb & Apple as the kibble, but so far so good. I’ve stopped treats for the time being, as well. I’ve been using the kibble, which they all readily take (even picky Lucy…don’t know how long this will last). Today I gave Acana topped with Wellness 95% Salmon for breakfast and only dry Acana for dinner. I think that’s my plan….kibble and can for breakfast and dry for dinner. They also get part of their dry right before bedtime as a snack. It’s really too soon to tell but today has been fine with this arrangement. I pray it keeps on working….I like Acana and maybe eventually I can use other flavors, like Ranchlands. I’ll keep y’all posted. Please keep us in your thoughts.

Oh, I wanted to mention that I did order some Big Dog Natural in beef. While the dogs all loved it very much, it really did a number on Laverne’s bowels!! Too, too much for her so…..we will not be using it in the future.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[theBCnut]

When it comes to allergies, you go with what works first and worry about quality after. First you have to just find one food that works.

[somebodysme]

Ya know bandb, my dog does have some eye boogers (HA!) and I bet you are right, it’s most likely caused by the potatoes. I think for now we’ll “bask in the glory” too! HAHA! It’s a very small issue compared to before.

[BlackandBlue]

Ooh nasty anal gland problems (thank goodness my dog hasn’t gone there). For now I’m going to “bask in the glory” (thx Freeholdhound for that quote) of Wellness Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes. Never thought I’d say that about a 3 1/2 star dog food. Cause I can’t tell you how many food trials I’ve done with my dog, including raw medallions, dehydrated, and homemade. And you’re right Somebodysme, peas could be a problem for my dog and food with peas will be avoided.
At the vet, they suggested my dog go back on Royal Canine Potato and Whitefish veterinary diet. Yes, my dog did OK on it, except for really goopey eyes that disgusted my kids (caused by white potatoes). So, I refused the food and found the Wellness Whitefish. Anyway, there’s some Royal Canine Veterinary Diets that are only available in Canada that may work for my dog. Such as the RC Catfish kibble. I don’t know why they don’t sell that in the US? (Sorry I’m stooping so low as to be seeking out Royal Canine dog food but I’m in ear infection fallout.)

[somebodysme]

Patty, it would just seep out when she was sleeping. We’d be sitting around watching TV and she would be asleep on her blanket and all of a sudden the air would fill with that nasty dead fish odor.

OH and she is also allergic to beef rawhide and beef chew bones they sell packaged up like the Red Barn bones.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.

[theBCnut]

Anal gland problems are another allergy symptom, problably the one I hate the worst.

[somebodysme]

blackandblue, the NV LID has PEAS right after the tapioca so don’t dismiss it’s the peas. The symptoms of pea allergy with my dog are: red ears, watering eyes (mostly just one eye), hairless dime to quarter sized rash with pustules on her back and one large one on her tail, red/raw underside of her neck, red rash all over her chest, irritated genitals, completely raw paws with bloody pustules, scratching of her sides and thinning of the hair on the sides from scratching, pimples on her chin, irritated elbows, gnawing on knees. That’s about it, I think…UGH!

Natural Balance potato and rabbit is the only food, so far, that has worked for her…and it’s basically a bag of potatoes but I don’t know what else to do…she has to eat and she loves the food and it seems to very much agree with her. Not only are her allergy symptoms going away, she also has a very regular digestion and no anal gland problems like she had on the others.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.

[FreeholdHound]

I tried to try NV when I got a sample pack – Harry refused to go anywhere near the bowl- that was a cheap -n- easy food trial LOL

[theBCnut]

Allergies can be to anything that has protein in it. That’s why it’s so difficult to pin them down. So far my dog is some grains(I haven’t tried to find out which ones he is fine with yet, or if it is pretty much all the common ones) and chicken. There is still something that he gets ocassionally that sets him off that I haven’t figured out yet, so I’m still going through food trials. I’m finding more things that he can eat every week and that is kind of exciting.

[BlackandBlue]

You guys totally get how troublesome dog allergies are! Somebodyisme (peas) and Freehold (sweet potatoes) both your dogs are allergic to non-meat proteins? Interesting. Maybe my dog is allergic to the tapioca in NV? Could that be possible?
The Wellness Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes is basically a bag of barley if you look at the ingredients (it’s only got 22% protein). Not an ideal dog food but if my dog’s issues clear up on it, what am I to do?

[FreeholdHound]

Ugh! That sucks. Did the ear thing w/ Harry too. Turned out to be Sweet Potatoes in his case. It’s soooo aggravating

[somebodysme]

blackandblue…it certainly could be something other than the meat that’s causing issues. That’s what I was doing…going from one protein to the next and finally I realized she’s allergic to PEAS! It caused all sorts of problems including itching ears. Now off the NV LID turkey and on to Nature’s Balance potato and rabbit and all her problems have vanished! But hopefully the wellness will be your answer! I just looked up that food and guess what…NO PEAS! Unless I missed it?

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.

[BlackandBlue]

Update: Sensitive allergy dog was eating Merrick GF Beef & Sweet Potatoes fine, almost finished a small bag. Transitioned to Nature’s Variety GF LI Lamb. Dog starts shaking head, scratching at mouth (lips itchy?), licking paws. Five days into the transition to NV, I take her to the vet. Microscopic cytology of ears ($28) revealed bacteria and yeast infection. Dog’s on Otibiotic Ointment ($12.50) ear drops for two weeks. No transition switch to Wellness Super5Mix Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe dry. And dog’s doing much better, no itching and licking but I think her ears will take another week to heal up. So now I’m adding lamb (I think?) to the list of foods she should NOT eat.
Frustrating to say the least.

[somebodysme]

She is still going great on the NB rabbit formula. No yeast problems and her feet are just about all healed up, they had gotten really bad. I am seeing still some pustules pop up then go away quickly which I am hoping is healing crisis. It’s only been just over 2 weeks. She really loves the food. Her ears were always more pink than they should be on all those other foods we’d tried but now they are just normal looking. I’m very happy she can eat without getting a terrible rash.

I’d love to see a list of PEA FREE foods! I’ve got my fingers crossed they don’t go do something stupid like add peas to this formula like they’ve done with some of their others. Why would they add peas to a LID recipe? Isn’t the purpose of a LID to have few ingredients to help dogs with allergies? I just wish they’d quit trying to appeal to the human diet and worry about feeding dogs!

[BlackandBlue]

Your dogs’ issues sound like what I’ve got with my dog. So, I’d recommend these two foods because it sounds like your dogs do well on fish based kibble:

*Wellness Super5Mix Complete Health Limited Ingredients Whitefish & Sweet Potato dry dog food(not grain free but still this formula is great for dogs with allergies, etc). Protein 22, Fat 12, kcal/cup 400.

*Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato and Salmon dry dog food (grain free, only available at PetSmart, very reasonably priced). Protein 24, Fat 12, not sure of the kcal/cup but it’s less than the Wellness mentioned above.

I really hope that helps you and your dogs.

[baileydog]

We are bringing home an 8 week old black lab puppy this weekend and are trying to figure out which food to start him on. He is estimated to grow to about 90 lbs and has been eating Purina Pro Plan Sport. We also have an 11.5 year old chocolate lab (70 lbs) who has been eating Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison for a few years. I would love to be able to have both dogs eating the same (better!) food if possible and we would switch our older dog to the better brand. Our older dog has really slowed down, has had ACL surgeries, has arthritis and is prone to yeast growth in her ears. She has allergies, but I think they are more seasonal, to grasses and such (itchy skin, licks her paws) since they flare in the spring.

After reading through most of this thread, do you think it’d be okay to put both labs on Earthborn or Fromm?

[mdbd]

So we have adopted a wonderful senior (12-year old) mini poodle. (I’ve always been allergic to cats but had a dog years’ ago). She was in a kill shelter for about a week then with a large dog rescue facility for 2 months. She had been on a generic kibble (apparently) with her original home. and the rescue. Our first day yesterday was absolutely fine, but today she had her first hair-cut and I noticed just what dry, flakey skin she has and her hair is quite dry. She has many flakes coming off and, of course, with all the flakes coming off – I’m now sneezing and my eyes are watering like crazy – as are my son’s. Other than the skin and coat, she is in wonderful health.

I am absolutely NOT going to give up on this old lady so I really need some helpful suggestions for foods and supplements as they have come a long way since I last had a pet.

a) What is the best dry dog food for a senior (does this equate to grain free or something else)? Cost is way less important than quality.
b) Are there any particular ingredients that are really bad for senior poodles and/or any that are really beneficial?
c) Should she stay on kibble given she has always had it or would you suggest wet?
d) Is there any dog food or supplement that will alleviate her dry skin and prevent the flaking? If so, liquid or tablet form?
e) This may sound crazy – but is there any food or supplement that helps decrease allergens in a pet to assist an owner who is reacting badly to the pet?
f) Is there anything (food or supplement) to assist in helping the dog become less smelly?
g) Is there any topical cream or bath wash that would assist her?

We’re an allergen-free house generally because of my allergies so wood floors, no drapes, etc.

Any help/advice would REALLY be welcome! Thanks!

[tamsam07]

Thanks ladies, I found the forum with the pic of the ingredients also. I had someone ask me about it, and I too informed him that I didn’t think it was a good food, especially for a dog with food allergies.

[theBCnut]

I’m glad you finally found something that worked for your dog. And I’m sorry that it took so long for you to try that particular combination. But your vet could have just as easily steered you wrong since he did not suggest that food knowing your dog had an allergy to peas. His knowledge was not what led him to suggest a particular food, other than to know you had a dog with a food allergy and he was suggesting a different food than what you were feeding.

His knowledge should have led him to instruct you on how to do a correct elimination diet.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by theBCnut.

[somebodysme]

Marie, my dog didn’t almost die, the person asking questions here had a dog that almost died. Had a reaction and swelled up and had to be rushed to the vet. Dogs die from that! Heck humans can die from that. Your throat swells up and you suffocate! This is not something you dilly dally around with and ask questions at the forum…you have to do what you have to do!

Marie, my dog had a terrible rash all over her back and tail for months until I finally fed what the vet suggested in the first place. What I said was that I could have saved my dog a lot of misery if I would have listened to what my vet told me instead I tried to research and self diagnose.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.

[Becky]

I’m the one whose dog had the allergy tests and it showed she was allergic to everything. But she’s my foster and it was her original family who did the testing. One strange thing, though, it showed she was NOT allergic to corn! But as I’ve had her for over a year, I’ve also found she’s allergic to sweet potatoes and barley. Or at least she gets diarrhea when she eats something with that in it, so I’m assuming she’s allergic or sensitive to those.

She’s on a food that agrees with her, she eats carrots and blueberries for treats and I found some Nutro grain-free treats without barley she can eat and she’s happy. (with her Atopica) She’s getting adopted Sunday after a year! I’m going to miss her so much but it will be good for her to have a forever home.

Does anyone else use acidophilus? That seems to help with her stomach issues, too.

[InkedMarie]

Somebody’s me: how did your dog almost die?

[somebodysme]

I could have sworn that in this conversation she mentioned that her dog was tested and basically allergic to everything. Without going back and reading it all…

I was lucky enough to discover that my dog is allergic to peas. Once I started feeding her a “healthy” grain free diet is when it all went to heck. I finally listened to my vet and fed the food that he suggested (he did NOT sell it to me) and that is when the rash went away. Once I had a food that I knew she could eat, I then went through every ingredient and found the only same ingredient of all the grain free foods she had eaten and that gave her a rash, was the peas. The new food has potatoes and no peas. I kept trying new meats to find a cause of a terrible rash she had.

Had I LISTENED to my vet, I could have saved my dog a few months of misery. But NOOOO, I thought I knew more than my vet! We are not giving our vets enough credit for all the experience they have with working with thousands of animals for many years. So maybe they aren’t trained a lot in nutrition in college…so what, can’t a vet do reading and research on their own just like we can. And to generalize and say “vets know nothing about dog nutrition” is just wrong to say! There are way too many self proclaimed experts on the Internet these days! I’m not saying to just not do your own research but when a dog is so sick they have almost died, it is time to listen to our vet’s advice! Time to stop self diagnosing!

[DogFoodie]

Hi guys,

For those of you dealing with extreme allergy issues, have you had allergy tests performed by your vet?

I seem to recall a conversation a long time ago about the reliability of those tests and can’t recall what some of the opinions were regarding that, but it seems like your vets would’ve at least suggested it by now.

[Becky]

definitely–and that’s what we pay them for! If you can’t trust your vet with your dog’s food, you might want to find another vet.

[somebodysme]

But when you are dealing with a dog that’s almost DIED from an allergic reaction to food, I believe that a prescription food is warranted! Obviously her food choices she is making are not working, her dog almost died from it! I really think it’s ridiculous for us to be saying that vets know nothing about food! I think it’s crazy to think that we know more than our vets!

[Becky]

That’s not necessarily true of all vets. My vet doesn’t push any particular food and always goes for any natural, holistic treatments first. But, those don’t always work in every situation.

[NectarMom]

Seriously Somebodysme? I would never recommend a Vets choice in food for any dog or cat . Simply because Vets have had no Canine or Feline training on feeding the proper diet. Most Vets sell science Diet prescription diet and if you look on here at the ingredients you will see it is not a good choice for a diet for any dog or cat.

[somebodysme]

Could you go through the ingredient list on Stella and Chewy and use some of those ingredients to cook a meal? I also thought about Wysong has a rabbit canned food that’s all rabbit. You could maybe try that and cook some of the vegetables that are in the Stella and Chewy food? Just give some of the rabbit canned mixed with veggies that are OK? That would make it less expensive!

TBH, at this point though…if I were you, I would buy some of the vet dog food and try that. I’ve heard of dogs that have really good results with it. I just would try it if I were you. Maybe your vet can give you a sample of it? At least you could know if she reacts to it.

[theBCnut]

I don’t think there is a cheap solution to your problem. Xena needs a food that does not have any of her triggers, even if that means you have to make it yourself. If Stella & Chewy’s Rabbit worked for her then that is where I’d start. You might want to look at what protein sources Hare Today has available, but as I said, it isn’t cheap. Good Luck!!

[Becky]

It’s also available as a generic–cyclosporine. It’s still kind of expensive, but much cheaper than the brand name. Have you looked into that? Even if you can get her on it for a little while to give her some relief. I’m serious when I say it’s a miracle drug. Another place you could check is http://www.thehonestkitchen.com They’re not real cheap either, but they have some good info on there about nutrition. You mentioned Hills Science Diet–that’s not the same as the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein. One bag of that cost me about $36 which is about what I was paying for the Nutro, so it’s not a whole lot more than a good quality dog food (and less than some of them!) Worth looking into…. Good luck! I know how frustrating it is.