[lovemypets4life]

holistic health extension GRAiN FREE food is organic and especially beneficial for dogs with allergies and sensitive stomachs/digestive tracts

[lovemypets4life]

holistic health extensions has grain free food and also duck flavored food that is great for dogs that have food allergies

[husky3]

Hello,

I’m replying to my original post in regards to my Husky not losing any weight. We switched to a completely raw diet in February, and she is still gaining weight. 🙁 She weighs in at over 60 pounds now. She would have a poor body condition score. Can not feel ribs, or locate the spine or hip bones. Exercise has been a little less since it has been so hot lately, but I have also decreased her food amounts. Almost to the point that I’m not sure if she’s getting enough to sustain her daily needs. I don’t know what else to do at this point. I have two other Husky’s that are thriving! They have excellent body condition, and get just as much exercise, but with a lot more food, almost twice as much food!!

In May, we had an ultrasound done on her, and they said that there were some slight changes to her liver & kidneys, but nothing major. We also had her thyroid checked again, and ran tests for Cushings, Addisons, Diabetes, Diabetes Insipidous, and Atypical Cushings. They all came back negative. We ran an allergy panel as well, and she did have some environmental allergies that we are working on now with the drops.

While she tested negative for Atyp. Cushings, they did say her hormones were a little elevated, and we are treating that with Lignin and melatonin. I have seen a change in her attitude, for the better, but no weight loss.

She had an ear infection a couple weeks ago, and another one about 3 months ago, which is a new development. She also has red stained paws from her licking them, or perhaps it is a yeast overgrowth?

Does anyone have anything else to add to this conundrum? Any medical ailments that mimic cushings, or thyroid problems? At this point, I don’t think it can be diet related unless she is allergic to raw meat, and it’s not chicken.

Thank you for your help.
Tay

[lovemypets4life]

they could have food allergies. try switching to holistic health extension grain free. my maltipoo has bad allergies (always scratching himself, his ears, and hacks up flem) and this was the only way food that helped minimize his allergies

[lovemypets4life]

check out holistic health extension GRAIN FREE! it would be great for your dogs allergies. I have a maltipoo with bad allergies and this is the only food that works well with him

[boxeraddict]

Thank you

[theBCnut]

Intolerences to grain are extremely common. Look at Natures Variety Instinct. They have a few different protein sources to choose from.

[boxeraddict]

We have a 9 mo old Deaf Boxer puppy, when we got him 6 months ago he had allergy problems. Through a process of elimination we know he cannot have
-Chicken
-Lamb
-Fish / Fish oil
– Dairy

We finally found Natural Balance LID Venison and all his problems went away. No more itching, red skin, diarrhea, hair falling out.

Then he stopped eating it, refused to eat it. We had to find something so I tried Natural Choice Venison & Brown Rice LID Sensitive Stomach and all of his problems have returned.

I think grains could be part of the problem, I have looked at so many dog foods and I am so over whelmed. I don’t want to put him back on Natural Balance, any help would be appreciated!!!

[PugsleyOtisMom]

I have 2 chubby pugs. The oldest is a fawn 5 year old and his weight ranges from 23lbs to 25lbs. The other is a black 1 year old and he was 19lbs at last weigh in. Believe it or not I got the big fawn guy down from his top weight which was 32lbs. These guys love to eat and eat. I am very careful with how much I feed them and I try to exercise them regularly but the weight is not coming off. I realize that by feeding them BENEFUL that may be the problem. I am also having a lot of problems with their anal glands leaking. It seems like no matter how many times I get their anal glands expressed they are still leaking(food cause as well??). Any suggestions on the best food for pugs would be great!

p.s. The pugs also have lots of trouble with allergies… Coughing, ears itching, scratching.. you name it. Normally I give them a half a Benadryl and it does the trick but I am wondering if this is also food related?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Boxermom –

I used Merrick a few times (both their canned and dry) several years ago (back when the foods were still called Merrick Classics and Before Grain) and I always liked their food, my dog did well on it. I especially liked their canned food – so many interesting varieties to choose from. I like how they have seasonal varieties as well. I know a few months back a few of the regular posters that were feeding Merrick reported some problems with the food – around that same time a dog at the shelter I work for with severe allergies was eating the Merrick grain-free and we didn’t have any issues with the food. I personally think Acana is a better food, but if your dog isn’t doing well on the Acana the Merrick would definitely be worth a shot. Probiotics, digestive enzymes and a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin added to each meal may help with the loose stools and the transition.

[dragonl8dy]

My two huskies reverse sneeze. My vet told me that it was allergies or very common in dogs and not to worry about it. Neither one did it when I first adopted them. Ten days ago, I stopped feeding them Kirkland green bag lamb and rice dry food and they are not reverse sneezing. Is there anyone else who is having the same problems with their dogs? My first husky didn’t start doing it until I had him about a year and my second husky didn’t start doing it either until a year after I got him.

[kateagray]

my senior dog has protein in her urine, protein/creatanine ratio came back at .4 and the and the test range said >.5 so the vet said it was ok, bloodwork looked fine but high triglycerides. (she had just eaten prior to the bloodwork so I’m not sure that matters) the lab result came back to suggest to also test for thyroid levels as hers was .7 and it should be between .8 and 3.5 but the vet did not suggest any testing on that. Hmm, I’m wondering why now. Vet says stay on low protein diet (currently 18%) took to a different Vet and he said that protein does not matter. Does it? She has gallstones and 2 occurrences of pancreatitis in 2006 and 2009. she has allergies too and I really just want to try to keep her comfortable the last few years of her life – don’t want to rock the boat and make her ill by switching dog food but she is on a prescription purina ha (hypoallergenic) diet and the reviews on here are horrible.

[bomashisha]

Thank you so very much for all the great information. I guess dogs can develop food allergies just like humans. Also, I never thought about the grain contamination nor the gluten thing. Wow. I will read up as you both suggested and thank you both again for your patience and kindness.

Lisa (and Earl)

[pugmomsandy]

Don’t be too mad at yourself. Who really knows anything about dog food or dog nutrition! You definitely don’t learn it in school and the vet definitely doesn’t teach you anything. They only only give you what they sell. Not all, some vets.

Any ingredient can be an allergen to your dog. It could be the corn or the animal protein or other ingredient. For grains, there is always a possibility of contamination with insects and molds and some grains have gluten which if your dog is sensitive or has developed a sensitivity to gluten, then you’ll need to take it out of his diet. If a dog eats the same food for so long, he can develop a sensitivity even though he might not have had a problem before.

Check out http://www.dogtorJ.com regarding gluten intolerance

Also in the other side of dogfoodadvisor in the Library, search for “grain” and some articles come up about some grain related diseases.

For kibble, it’s hard to say if any probiotics survive the kibble making process so I would suggest adding your own probiotic supplement which Dr Langers (as InkedMarie mentioned above) is on sale right now buy 1, get 1 at swansonvitamins.com!

Info on probiotics:

http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

Actually I have Mercola and Dr Langers probiotcs and Mercola digestive enzymes. I highly suggest both products (even if you only use them for a couple months) to get his digestive system/immune system on the right track. I give these to all my dogs and my 14 yr old fosters has great digestion/poop! And I just got him in late January at age 14.

Some of my other pug friends (which pugs can be an allergy prone breed) have had success with giving a colostrum supplement and a quercetin supplement for allergies.

You can also see other Dr Karen Becker videos on youtube or at the mercola.com site.

[kcarter137]

I have been lurking around on a few of the “Raw Food” Forums and decided to do homemade-cooked food. I would do raw but my boyfriend has vetoed it (hopefully I can slowly incorporated some raw items without him knowing). I have Dr. Beckers book, I have read it a few times and understand that I am going to need to supplement her food due to lack of bones but still have some questions. We are going currently reintroducing foods after being on a elimination diet of pork and sweet potatoes for the last few months due to her allergies. So far we have discovered she is allergic to rice and chicken. She can have fish. I still have a few more weeks of reintroducing items. I know the rice irrelevant. The dermatologist she’s seeing said that if she is allergic to chicken then she cannot have any “feathered” protein.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Will I need to supplement her feed with anything to make up for the lack of “feathered protein”?

[DogEDog]

Hello Spencer’s Mom,
If you believe that your dog has a food allergy (for instance chicken), it will not make a difference if that chicken is moist, dry, freeze dried, raw or raised in rolling meadows by nuns. It’s still chicken.
The fact that you have changed the protein multiple times muddles the waters as to what he is actually allergic to, if in fact, it is the food.
You need to place him on a food elimination trial with a novel protein and a novel carbohydrate. No treats, table food or trash can diving for the next 8 to 10 weeks. If you see an improvement, then add one additional food item and wait and see if there is an allergic reaction. If he’s rolling good, then add another food element. When you see that he reacts, remove the suspected food and see if he improves. If you really want to prove it, give him that last food and watch for a reaction and that will give you your answer. And I’ll bet it’s not grain that is the issue.
After going through the food elimination trial and there is no improvement, it’s obviously not the food and you should take him to the vet because NO ONE including a veterinarian can make a diagnosis of your pet without a physical examination and a history. In fact, you should take him now if he is that miserable.
Best of luck to you and your dog.

[mah4angel]

I use the Oster Naturals brand, I get it from WalMart, and also Nature’s Miracle fragrance-free odor eliminating formula. I’m not sure that it’s the best that I could be doing for Louie. I REALLY want to make my own dog shampoo and conditioner for him.
I made my own shampoo and conditioner for myself for about a year and then found a GREAT all-natural, fragrance-free, CHEAP shampoo at Whole Foods that works even better 🙂
I might check out some of the formulas mentioned here but, we have to give our pup a bath once a week. He wanders through everything and my fiancee and I have pretty intense allergies, PLUS he always stinks! He always smells like his food (which makes sense) but GOODNESS, EW! So, with having to bathe him once a week I need shampoo and conditioner that’s economical.

Also, tattoos! AH! I have two but I have like, three more planned… *sigh* SO addictive!

[pugmomsandy]

Also, here’s an article about detoxing. Some believe and some don’t.

http://www.thewholedog.org/artHealingCrisis.html

also gut health info:

http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

There’s a buy 1, get 1 sale going on right now at Swansonvitamins.com for Dr Langers Probiotics!!

[somebodysme]

Get some of that Freshpet Select Chicken and see if she does good at your home…it could be possible it’s environmental. But HEY if it worked at your Aunt’s then sounds like you’ve found a food. It’s a 5 star food. If you are worried about her teeth, then just brush them.

[Spencers Mom]

Thank you so, so much pugmomsandy!! This is great information. Sounds like we were on to something with thinking moist formula may be better for him. This is fantastic. I will start looking in to the brands you mentioned. Also thank you for the info on the teeth cleaning. I had no clue what to do there. Thank you again for taking time to respond to my post. 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

Some dry foods have more preservatives (and longer ingredient lists) as it’s suppose to have a shelf life of almost 18 months. Also kibble isn’t necessarily great for teeth as kibble breaks apart before it gets a chance to scrape the sides of the teeth. Gnawing on a beef or pork rib bone or bully stick or marrow bone or cow hoof will help keep teeth clean. You can also give him some probiotics to help his gut recovery form Moist & Meaty and get healthy for better digestion. There are several canned foods which are single ingredient products – like Merrick grain free, Hound and Gatos and probably some more. There’s also some organic canned foods like Party Animal or Newman’s Own. Kibble is hard to digest and I would give some digestive enzymes with it. Dehydrated or freeze dried foods might also be an option for him. You just add water and it serves up like wet food. Although there’s a couple 4-5 star rolled/refrigerated foods to choose from if you want to continue with those. A moist food is always better for a dog.

[Spencers Mom]

Hi everyone, I have a 2 1/2 year old, male Yorkie. We had the pleasure of becoming his pet parents a little over a year ago. We are having issues with food allergies. He gnaws/licks his feet, so much at times their raw, he’s constantly scratching. No sneezing. When we first got him he was eating Purina moist & meaty/beef & cheese. We wanted to switch him to a little healthier product and to a kibble thinking a kibble version was better for his teeth. Since then, he has had issues. Funny he wasn’t having allergy issues on the Purina. We’ve tried Nutro, Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance LID, Taste of The Wild High Prairie, even a prescription dog food from the Vet, (which made him vomit several times in just 2 weeks) and many more I can’t remember at the moment. Of those brands we’ve tried Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Salmon, Venison – which we have him on at the moment even Venison jerky treats. We’ve tried grain free, limited ingredient, etc. The Salmon made him vomit, may have been too rich for him. I’ve researched and researched, some posts I’ve read said California Natural was great for dogs with food allergies, but I’ve seen they have had several recalls lately. Little scared to try that one yet. We are at our wits end!! Hate to see our baby suffering. We are wondering now is it the meat protein (since we’ve tried so many different proteins) he’s having issues with or could it be the “dry” formula in it’s self. We left him with his Aunt for a week and she feed him Fresh Pet Select, CHICKEN. She said he didn’t scratch or gnaw any that week. So are we on to something, or just barking up the wrong tree (pun intended)??? Could there be some difference between the dry and wet formula that would cause food allergies??

[labgirl]

hi ! i have my guys on this food and my one lab has allergies and a super sensitive stomach, i switched right onto this stuff, coming off of acana. No issues. I feed my guy and within 20 minutes a beautiful poop!
what a great food . im so happy to hear more people on it and dogs doing great !

[theBCnut]

Yes, freezing the food kills the mites, but their bodies are still in the food so this won’t help a dog with allergies to the mites.

[Mom2Cavs]

What is your pup eating now? I have a friend that has an English Bulldog (all white) and he has allergies so she needs a hypoallergenic food. I would definitely go with a grain free if it were me. Also, I’m not sure if a Bulldog is considered a large breed. I know some can weigh in at around 60-70 lbs. If they are, then I would go with a food that has a calcium/phosphorus percentage suitable for large breed puppies. There is a list on this forum of foods that fit that bill that I would use until he is done growing. I don’t have large breeds, though, and I’m sure someone with more knowledge will post soon.

[kateagray]

Hi!

I’ve been posting in different threads with questions on different dog foods/supplements and then just realized…HELLO…there are forums on this website as well, thanks to Inkedmarie who suggested I check out a sub forum with different dog foods that were grain free with no potatoes. Thanks! I’ve decided to send my question out forum wise instead of post wise so I can keep better track of the advice that I am receiving.

Here is my dilemma:

In 2006 I took Nikki, my 13 year old Miniature Schnzauzer in for allergy testing – she is allergic to pretty much everything environmental is what I found out. She was on a duck and potato formula then. She had a couple of bouts of pancreatitis due to some pain medication she was prescribed for something else and then because someone in my family was naughty an fed her some sausage. My vet put her on a prescription diet of Purina HA. I believe that my vet is being super cautious as schnauzers are prone to bladder stones, pancreatitis/hyperlipidemia, and hypothyroidism. Nikki seems to do ok on this dog food, which I get but every time I ask her for an alternative she says absolutely not this is the only dog food she can tolerate. I don’t like that answer. There has to be alternatives.

I called them back recently and got a different vet in her practice – my regular vet is out for a time due to sick family member, and he couldn’t figure out why Nikki was on this dog food. He thinks it’s because of the food allergies. I ask him what food allergies and he can’t answer me. I thought she was on this food due to a sensitive stomach. So, I’m confused. I was also told to give her rice cakes as treats and tofu to give her any medications so that is all she has been getting. She can’t eat anything other than that is what she tells me and she pushes low protein which I’ve been reading may not be the answer. She’s been on this prescription diet for a few years and everything I’m reading now says that it might not be good to have a dog on that diet for so long. She’s been on and off antibiotics, anti bacterial pills, temaril p for years to help with her allergies and yeast infections. Nothing really seems to help and I’m worried I’ve just completely ruined her system with years of this. Purina HA has a low protein (18%) and fat content (8%) with hydrolyzed protein of soy. I honestly feel I can do better by her with a different dog food.

About a year ago Nikki was diagnosed with Melanoma. A tumor on the pad of her paw that was removed (but not a clean removal). She has been taking the Melanoma Vaccine every 6 months. The cancer does not look to have come back so far. (knock on wood) She also has gallstones that don’t seem to bother her but do show up in x-rays. She has a heart murmur and Also, on her last urinalysis I was told there was protein in her urine. We did a protein/creatinene ratio and it came back ok, so I’m told I don’t need to worry about that right now.

I’ve been researching dog food and supplements now for about 2 weeks and am now more confused than before. I purchased a probiotic from Nusentia (waiting to get it in the mail) that supposedly should help with her yeast issues and possibly allergies.

Do I stay with her current food and just give supplements or do I completely switch foods over (slowly)?

She’s 13 years old with a lot of health issues – I don’t want to rock the boat, but I also want to do my due diligence in finding her something to make her healthy and happy for the remainder of her life.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. I may have left some things out and if so, I’d be happy to clarify.

Kate

[Gus]

So to add one more issue to the search I’m looking for grain free, poultry free, large breed puppy food. My pup is 6mo old and has been itchy since day 1. A vet told me puppies don’t typically develop food allergies so young but, flea treatments and oatmeal shampoos haven’t helped at all. He has been on Natural Balance which gave him very runny poo, Innova lg. breed puppy and then it got recalled and we couldn’t get it anymore and now Orijin lg. breed puppy. Chicken and turkey have been ingredients in all of those so I’m looking for a grain and poultry free large breed puppy food but am not having any luck with the large breed puppy aspect. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[somebodysme]

It erupts with red sores all around in the bald spot, then in a couple days it is like it’s healed up and turns grey with no pustules but remains bald. Could it be an allergic reaction to some plant, like a cedar or juniper plant or a yew that she’s going into/under? Nowhere else but just that area though, nothing on her face or head etc. It does not appear to itch either, she’s not trying to scratch it. There were a few of these when she was at the vet and he didn’t seem too concerned by it. Like I’ve said, he connected it to food allergies and said it could also be environmental allergies too. We are starting with food. He did say that if it doesn’t improve that we may consider taking her to a dermatologist and have allergy tests run.

Patty, I have some Vetericyn, you think I should try that huh…

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by somebodysme.

[somebodysme]

I’d like to know if this sounds familiar to anyone…I’m pulling my hair out trying to figure out dog allergies. Back history story. My dog had all the classic allergy symptoms of watering eyes, gunky ears, scratching her ribs, gnawing the knees, inflamed elbows and of course infected paws, and this odd rash on her back at the approximate spot of the Frontline application . We had our vet visit and was given an antibiotic shot and cortisone shot and then pills to follow up with and the infected feet healed up and the scratching went away etc…but the odd rash on her back pretty much stayed the same. In the mean time, we were told to change her diet so I researched and ended up with Nature’s Variety LID Turkey and all seemed well…the rash started going away and all of her allergy symptoms are now gone except for that back rash. All of a sudden, the rash has begun to come back. Let me describe it…It is in anywhere from dime to quarter sized bald spots with red skin..the red skin will then go away and the skin will turn gray with no apparent irritation…the hair doesn’t seem to want to grow back in those gray rash spots. When she was at the vet, the vet had just lumped the rash in with allergies. He even did a scraping for demodex which none was found. At first I thought it was from an application of Frontline as that is when it all started…but it has been over two months since she’s had frontline(MANY baths later) and the rash is still there and now is popping back up, yesterday she had two new rash spot pop up! She has been on NV food for about three weeks and rash just started back a few days ago. She is on nothing but NV and a probiotic. I have taken her off of everything trying to make sure it’s not a supplement or vitamin. What I can’t figure out is all the other allergy symptoms have vanished but this back rash is now coming back with a vengeance! Does this sound familiar to anyone? Maybe ringworm or some other non-food allergy related rash? HELP!!!! Would it make sense that all the other symptoms went away but this other symptom of food allergies came back? To me it doesn’t!

[NectarMom]

I am glad to hear something positive about this particular food since I just ordered the CC Venison. I do not have the issues you have with your baby but mine do have yeasty smell to them and yeasty ears and itchy constantly. One of mine has something else going on that I am hoping it isn’t the same issue we had before. I think shes allergic to turkey and may be having intestinal allergies to it so we are switching.

Did you just do a switch over with your dog or did you mix with his previous kibble? Glad your baby is doing so well on CC 🙂

[bomashisha]

I have been feeding my lab Muenster Dry Dog Food for several years with no problem. He recently developed allergies and even though we are not sure they are caused by his diet, we decided to change to Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Kibble. Everything was going along fine for a few days but now his elimination habits have drastically changed. He used to go to the bathroom twice a day, once after breakfast and once after dinner when I take him for his walk. For the last week, he is just about stopped going to the bathroom after breakfast. He continues to go to the bathroom during his walk for the most part, but occasionally, he doesn’t eliminate until later on in the night. Also, he has way more flatulence than previously and it has a very noticeable odor. I am not sure if just feeding the kibble is what is causing the problem since it appears there is very little fiber in it. What do you all recommend as a supplement to the kibble? Thank you.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Sorry to hear your girl is having so many issues! Let everyone know how the Canine Caviar works out. If it doesn’t work you may want to check out Addiction’s foods. They have many kibbled, canned and dehydrated foods marketed towards dogs with allergies/sensitive stomachs. They have several novel proteins – kangaroo, venison, brush tail, eel, buffalo, etc. Most of their foods are low in fat as well.

[pugmomsandy]

somebodysme,

Do you also give fish oil and coconut oil for allergies? A Pugvillager is having good success with her pug’s allergies with colostrum and quercetin.

[somebodysme]

We are doing good on Nature’s Variety the LID Turkey one so far. Horrible allergies before! If you notice also that the Nature’s Balance isn’t fish and sweet potato, it is SWEET POTATO and fish. I just can’t see how a diet mostly sweet potatoes is a good thing. The doctor recommended that but I just didn’t want that for my dog.

[jaxsmom]

We have a 6 month old lab mix puppy that has developed a poor appetite and weird eating habits within the last month. He was on blue buffalo lamb and oatmeal puppy food for a couple of months. One day he started getting diarrhea and was acting less energetic and wouldn’t really eat without much coaxing. So we took him to the vet and there were no issues. The vet recommended Prescription Diet food for digestive health and we tried that. He seemed to like that and we decided to slowly get him back on his old food and he would eat his old food when it was mixed with the Prescription Diet. We wanted to get off of that since the first ingredient is corn and get back to something more natural. We tried switching to the blue buffalo large breed puppy chicken and rice to see if he liked that flavor instead. But he really doesn’t have much interest in it and won’t eat it all of it. He will usually take a few kibbles and bring it to a rug and eat it there and then walk away for a bit. His stool is sometimes solid, sometimes loose and it varies how many times he goes in a day. He sometimes has gas too. He also itches his ears and paws a lot, so we are thinking he might have allergies. Does anyone have a suggestion for a dry food that is natural and in the same price range as blue buffalo? Should we get a large breed puppy food? We are considering Hollistic Select as an option.
Thanks for the help!

[BlondieMIA]

Ive been searching the web for some numbers, just out of curiosity I suppose, of what the best selling dog foods on the market are. I mean, we all agree that there are many dog foods that are on our personal do not buy list; whether it be because our dogs may not like the food, or because we do not like whats in the food, then theres the dog foods that people say they buy, but the real truth lies in the actual sales of these foods. I started searching for top dog food sales for the most recent year & I can’t seem to find anything definitive. I was looking for quantity as well as top sales. For example, Yum Yum Food sold 10,000 pounds of dry dog food or 2000 bags of dry dog food (I wouldn’t know how the companies break down their “quantity” sales). Then also Yuck Yuck Food sales were at $1.2 million. (both dog food names are just made up). Does any one know how to collect this data or find it? Any help would be appreciated.

Why did I start to search for dog food sales?
Well, I have 5 dogs. I love them all dearly, but dog food prices have really seemed to sky rocket. Back when I only had 3 dogs, they all ate “good” dog food. (Taste of the Wild). I actually switched from Eukenuba (excuse my spelling) because my oldest, Nikita, started to develop skin problems & allergies. Then when the youngest 2 we rescued joined the family, I was feeding them all Taste of the wild. But the $60 something plus tax with everything else, my 2 trips a week to the pet store was exceeding easily $300…$1200 a month just in food, treats ect. (edible items) So, I started buying both Taste of the wild and some less expensive food. My thoughts were to feed Nikita TOTW, & feed the others a mix of both. But of course they all want what the other has & lets face it, sometimes you just want Mc Donalds.

Now, I am aware of whats in certain foods and whats better for my dogs to eat. If I were able to, I would feed them the best of the best. If someone asks me what I feed my dogs, to be honest, my answer may vary depending on whose asking. The only one I know Im 100% truthful with all of the time is our vet. It seems dog food brands are becoming a “human” category. If I were to meet a person with a LV purse & a yorkie in it, Im most likely to say that all my dogs eat the best foods. Why? Im not sure, but I feel if I were to say for example, Pedigree, you might as well tell the woman you live under a bridge. The conversation would most likely end quickly & she would run in the opposite direction. (yes extreme, but just so you get the point.) Does buying Pedigree make you poor, cheap, uneducated about dog food or d. all of the above?

So that being said, Im curious to see quantity sales numbers vs revenue. How many people are actually buying quality dog food? How many pounds of dog food did pedigree sell vs taste of the wild or blue? I bet blues $$ numbers are up there, but Im assuming pedigree exceeds most in quantity (lbs).

Whats your perception of the top brands sold? Food for thought… Thanks in advance to all that can help me get this solved. 🙂

[somebodysme]

Huuummmm…I wonder how that millet would be with the allergies or yeast problems? The reasoning behind using millet sounds valid…more logical than potatoes which a wild dog(wolf) would never ever eat…would they?

[somebodysme]

As far as the astaxanthin that you suggested, do you just buy it for people usage? What mg pill do you buy? I give her a product called PB8 for a probiotic one pill each day. Human dosage is 2 per day.

See I just KNEW that her demodex had come back judging by her appearance but the vet didn’t see any sign of demodex and suggested from her appearance that she is suffering from allergies and most likely from her food. So we’ve been on Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch that did not seem to agree either and she was eating grass like she was possessed…HA! Her scratching was coming back and her ears were bugging her too. I bought a small bag of Nature’s Variety LID Turkey and have been giving her this for a couple days and the grass eating and slightly soft stole has already gone away. Luckily she is able to switch foods without any problems.

[somebodysme]

Laughing about the Beneful comment Cyndi…my dog has been through several expensive dog foods trying to find one that’s not causing allergies and my husband says to me yesterday “what about that Beneful dog food that’s supposed to be so good?” HAHA! UGH! 🙁

[paige-s]

I just wanted to start a thread to tell everyone about Canine Caviar 🙂

Its very similar to a raw diet but in kibble form. There is many options to choose from aswell.
Grain free has 3 options – venison, duck, herring (all are single protein, no potatoe)
Lamb and pearl millet
Chicken and pearl millet
Special Needs
Puppy grain free

The special needs diet can replace almost all Science diets from a-z from the vets office. Personally i have my girl who has a liver disease on it and is doing better then ever.
Its great food for diabetics, sensitive stomachs, dogs who throw up alot, colitis, ibs, kidney problems, pancreas problems, and more.

the food has a proper alkaline level and pH level as well. i have seen this food do fantastic things for dogs (i work with clients directly helping choose dog foods and nutritional based questions).
For any dog with allergies this food i great because there is no grain, no potato, and no chicken in 3 of its options.
For dogs with sensitive stomachs, colitis, ibs, any tummy problems, the entire line has pre and probiotics in the food too, as well as peppermint to help calm the stomach. Check the food out for yourself and put your dog on it and you will see amazing results.. !!

[muddy little mutt]

Okay thanks :)..I really think it’s environmental because she had a flare up after playing around outside. She has dry skin in the winter but no itching. I’ve been changing up her food so I don’t think it’s a food allergy.

[pugmomsandy]

Does she itch all year? Can it also be in part to a food intolerance? You can try Herbsmith’s AllerQi, a tablet with stinging nettle (sometimes it’s with quercetin) and also feeding a food with a “cool” meat like duck. A paw rinse (water and vinegar) before coming inside the house. Also coconut oil – 1 teaspoon a day – may help with allergies.

[NectarMom]

We feed Hare Todays ground rabbit mixture in the morning and in the evening we feed Brothers Turkey and Egg. We have been back on Turkey and egg kibble for approx 8 weeks since our bout with Pancreatitis and now We have been feeding 1/2 Raw and 1/2 kibble a day and my dogs are more itchy than ever. I am wondering if it is the carrot in the kibble because carrot has natural sugars in it and sugar feeds yeast as in result causing sugar to feed on the yeast so I am wondering since the ingredients are similar in the Turkey and egg as Natures Variety Instinct but NV has no carrot added , I would switch to the NV Rabbit LID. Yes once again considering a food switch because it is not atopic allergies, for them to smell yeasty it is food allergy. I kept going back to turkey and egg because I was told it takes 6-8 months to rid their systems of Candida but after doing a ton of reading up on it and asking another legit source it should only take 3-4 months at most. Any thoughts?

[somebodysme]

I found the Nutrisca recommended on a website that was all about yeast in dogs because that is what I believed my dog was suffering from. This might be something to try. When I was at the petfood store, a lady overheard me talking to the manager about my dog’s issues and she had to come up to me carrying a bag of Nutrisca and told me it was the greatest food EVER! She said her dog had so many skin problems and she researched until she thought her eyes were going to come out of her head and decided on Nutrisca and she said she has all her friends buying it too. She told me all her dog’s skin problems went away.

Don’t forget about stuff like raw hides too. Those and others can cause allergies too.

[somebodysme]

You haven’t mentioned if the Orijen is the chicken formula? This could be the problem if it’s chicken allergies because it will have more chicken than an el cheapo junk dog food. That is what happened for my dog, I thought that grain free was the answer so chose a grain free chicken and that’s when she really got bad.

In my case, the paws would not heal up without an antibiotic…I had literally been treating them for months…with daily betadine soaks and they just would not heal up. They’d appear to be getting better then they would get worse and bleed…over and over until we’d had enough. Her feet were covered with pustules though. It doesn’t sound as if your dog is as severe as my girl was.

You can buy a good probiotic for humans to give them…what enzymes would you suggest patty?

[somebodysme]

That yellow discharge could be infection and that smells nasty too. It really to me sounds like food allergies. The allergies start at the feet. I saw it explained why but of course I can’t remember now…like that’s where dogs sweat so that’s where the toxins come out? I actually had two vets tell me it was most likely food allergies and to try something without grains and without chicken. My vet had to give her an antibiotic shot for the infection in her paws…it was that bad. To me it smelled like stinky cheese…kind of like cheetoes or parmesan cheese which I thought was yeast. I just think it’s best to go at least to the vet so they can tell you if it’s yeast or not and if there’s infection…it won’t heal up without antibiotic. At least if it’s not yeast, you won’t have that to worry with. My vet suggested a venison or duck limited ingredient food and also said that fish would be ok too. If it’s yeast…one of the few dry kibbles I’ve seen that is supposed to be ok for yeast is Nutrisca. I would definitely stay away from chicken until you figure it out. My dogs symptoms were swollen infected paws, itching bald spots in various places on her body, watering eyes, pink inside to ears with some brown discharge and itching in them, just a whole lot of scratching going on all over but mostly the paws. She was having to wear a cone because she was chewing her paws. I really wasted a lot of time trying to self diagnose because believe me I am so anti-doctor it’s ridiculous. HA! If the vet tells you it’s food allergies, you do not have to buy their dog food! When I made a face at the suggestion of IAMS RX…my vet suggested a venison or duck grain free food of my liking…HAHAHA! But she had to have a shot to clear the paw infection! Believe me, I am kicking myself for not taking her to the vet sooner! It would have saved us both a lot of pain and suffering!

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks for your input. I know a lot of people say yeast smells like corn chips. I looked into the flea dermatitis online and I’m thinking it could be that more so than yeast now. Especially since my American Bulldog is showing the same signs and he has never (knock on wood) had allergies to any food, even when I ignorantly fed them Purina. I didn’t put them on any flea medications because I couldn’t afford what I used to use (Trifexis) and I guess maybe the fleas were left to bother them too long and it caused a reaction. They never had fleas until primarily outside dogs came to live at my house for a few months and I think they got fleas from them. I’m just afraid if I go to the vet she will want to put at least my Saint on some kind of medication, plus having to pay a fee just to have them looked at. I know that sounds horrible, but any chance I can avoid a trip to the vet I will do it lol. I figured that by at least supplementing their kibble with raw will be enough to clear up the issues they have.

[somebodysme]

After having been through all the self diagnosis and then taking my dog to the vet to get correct diagnosis…please don’t just assume it’s yeast because I thought my dog was yeasty and the vet told me “OH no…yeast smells a certain way and I don’t smell any yeast on her”…but to me I thought it was yeast I was smelling. They also get stinky from skin irritation which could just be from a food allergy which is what my dog has, most likely the chicken but I’m in the process of figuring that out. Anyway…my point is to take your dog to the vet and see if it really is yeast. I can’t remember what it’s called but their skin produces a secretion that stinks when they have irritated skin from allergies.

[AnnieluvsPoms]

thank you hound dog mom and pugmomsandy. i wish i knew why it started in the first place. 2 of our dogs are fine and Loki just can’t seem to get his stools back to normal. I don’t know what it is. He was on this prescription stuff that’s made by purina (from the vet) but that didn’t seem to help get his stools back to normal. Now I’m only feeding him boiled chicken and rice. I’m worried about him not getting enough nutrients though with just feeding him boiled chicken and rice. I decided to go with Holistic Select for digestive health as the dry food I am going to try once his stools improve (hoping they improve!). He was seen by the vet and other things were ruled out; however, he has not been tested for allergies.

[frenchielove]

Hi…I will soon be the mom of a French Bulldog. She turns 8 weeks in several days. I’ve heard so many things about grain-free foods, among other things, and I’m so confused!! I want to give my Frenchie the best food possible, especially since this breed is prone to skin issues/allergies. Any suggestions??? Thank you so much!!!