Wow I thought I was the only one with a dog with such horrible symptoms as this. My chihuahua is like a walking epi pen I have to keep injectable steroids and injectable Benadryl on hand in case she gets stung by or bit by an insect. Shes highly allergic to them. I could loose her in. Matter of 2 seconds if I don’t inject her. We were using Acana and she had bad gas and bloat ( she has intestinal food allergies too) I don’t know what ingredient she is allergic to but I know for certain chicken does not agree with her. She also got bad acid reflux on it and so did my other 3 dogs. From what I gather they could not handle the high protein. We switched to Brothers Allergy kibble and the Allergy symptoms eased up but did not totally go away but improved a lot but the acid reflux stayed. ( For a kibble I would still recommend this food) I am still feeding it until I run out and we are now feeding Darwin’s Raw which in only 2 weeks doing a half Darwin’s half kibble a day plus probiotics and enzymes the results for all 4 dogs is amazing. Acid reflux is gone and no gas and stools are always firm. No licking feet and they all seem to have more energy. My oldest just got her teeth cleaned yesterday and my vet made the comment about her fur and asked what I was bathing her in because she had the softest fur. I told him its not the shampoo it is what I am feeding her “Raw”
Seriously, I am not one to push food on anyone with they’re pets but I swear by Raw now and only wish I would have started mine out when they were puppies on it. But if you just cannot feed Raw then I recommend Brothers Allergy or at least a limited ingredient kibble and possibly grain free. Good luck to you. This is one of the best sites and the people on here are very knowledgable and wise.
Hello. We have a 3 year old Boston Terrier; he has terrible gas, frequent diarrhea and allergies to just about everything. His allergies ranges from skin rashes to ear infections to swollen eyes and mouth and closing of his airways. Some days, he has so much gas his stomach feels extremely tight. It has been an on going issue and we have run out of ideas. We have spent too much time at the vet and emergency visits; we just want to find him a nutritionous food that doesn’t result in complications.
Over the past 3 years, we have tried the Orijen Regional Red, Orijen Puppy, Acana Pacifica, Acana Puppy and Junior and most recently, switched him to Acana Light and Fit as per the vet’s recommendation. We recently switched vets and he suggested Hill’s Prescription Gastrointestinal Health. Based on the ingredient list and the review on this website, I don’t feel comfortable feeling him this ‘food’. I would like to stay with the Acana/Orijen brand if possible but if there is anything else that anyone can recommend, I am all ears. Help!
I need some help and advice. My dog Titus, a 12 year old Pit Bull, has terrible allergies. Well after one vet is now denying service because I am not satisfied with them after a $211 visit, one vet who I found is pretty decent I am at a stand still. His blood work is great, his lungs and heart clear, not really overweight it has been determined “ALLERGIES” We cannot afford to see a dermatologist or get the spots biopsied, can anyone, lol? So we were told change the food. She has recommended Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D Canine Ultra Allergen-Free, I cannot afford this. Does anyone have any recommendations to an alternative? He will not eat dry unless I mix it with canned. He gets 1/2 can + same amount of dry mixed 2 times a day, vet is fine with this. She said change treats or do not give him any… does anyone want to tell him he cannot have a treat, lol? Please give me your ideas, thank you.
Thanks Patty , That gives me an idea of how much to feed. darwin’s wasn’t sure because like you said each dog i different. The good news is we have decided after our next batch arrives we are going all Raw with all 4 of our girls. JRT are a bit more active than chihuahuas and shihtzu’s so I think 1/4 twice a day will be fine. My husband sees the difference in our two problem girls and he agrees lets go all Raw but he says no way are we feeding chicken bones or any Raw whole bones because one of our chihuahuas inhales her food and she has almost choked before on pig ears (we fed those a long long time ago and read up how bad they are and stopped. He does not want any of the dogs choking and dying from eating a chicken neck or wing (rolls eyes) but at least he has agreed to all Raw. My freezer will be here tomorrow and just in time for me to fill it with my new 20 lbs of Darwin’s .
Question, has anyone tried mercolas gentle chews? Are they safe for dogs with allergies?
I admit to being rather unhealthy in my own diet, therefor when our lab suffered food allergies and everyone was recommending probiotics I was at a loss. For this reason I visited numerous sites similar to DOG FOOD ADVISOR. I basically read reviews and comments of dog owners giving advice. I found a family experiencing the identical conditions our 8 year old lab was dealing with and followed their instructions to a T, luckily they where nice enough to respond to my comment with a detailed post. I try and share the 2 basic areas when I see it may be helpful. The first is use a supplement that contains the enzymes Aspergillus oryzae and, Aspergillus niger, ( I use the VitaHound dog supplement) but I have friends using other brands that contain the enzymes and they work the same. Second Feed a home prep diet of 50% of vegetables, 40% of meats and 10% of carbohydrates using three basic sources eg. chicken, rice, carrots. After 30 days, continue with dog supplement and discontinue the home made feedings to a quality dog food. BEST OF LUCK, our dog is allergy free, happy and healthy and I have read many thank yous over the years for passing on the wisdom.
I’m hoping someone can give me a recommendation for a good dog food for my Rhedyn. Rhedyn has several health problems, EPI being one. First she was diagnosed with Perianal Fistulas (PF) (last fistula was over 2 years ago), next she was diagnosed with SIBO and then EPI Oct. 2011, and bloated Jan. 2012.
The problem has been with her rubbing/scratching her face after she eats, until she has sores all over her muzzle and the hair falls out on her face. So I did the blood allergy test. Here are the results for food allergies: Duck=2 (2=low level), Yeast=1 (1=very low level), oat=2, Rice=2, lamb=1, potato=4 (4=very high level), pea=3 (3=high level). She also has some allergies to weeds, trees and grasses – but I don’t believe these are causing the problem because she gets weepy eyes and rubs her face every time she eats. I did think it was the enzymes (for the EPI – pork based), but according to the test, pork had a “0” score – absent or undetectable levels.
Because she had PF, we switched her to a single protein source (fish), one that would maybe not cause any problems. We have not had any PF’s for a really long time (I think it has been more than 2 years). My biggest concern is the allergy stuff.
Today I bought some cod (raw), mixed it with some sardines (raw) I had, mixed in some veggies and gave it to her. She loved it, but it is expensive buying the cod ($4/lb.). And it was a lot of work – I made a HUGE pot of it. Rhedyn is 90 lbs. and so eats a lot!
Does anyone know of a good kibble that doesn’t have peas, potatoes, yeast, or eggs? Or is there new/more current information out there on the food these guys (with PF) can/can’t have?
Thank you for any help or ideas!
Marcella
Melissa, I know and it is because they do well on turkey and potato free as far as allergies and intestinal. Allergies but the acid reflux is a problem. I wasn’t sure what was causing the reflux until I read this thread and if it is the protein then I have to find a food that is turkey , lower protein and grain and potato free. I have even spoken to Darwin’s about the acid reflux and they said maybe it was because they were drinking too much water after meals which in result made them regurgitate up clear water but I know that would not cause acid reflux. Seriously I am getting tired of switching foods and waiting 6 months to see if it works only for it not to work and cause some issue with my dogs. It is very aggravating. They also had the acid reflux on Acana and that is when my one dog ended up with an ulcer.
Hi texasniteowl –
You may want to get your boy on some supplements that will help his allergies – quercitin, nettle, burdock root and perilla leaf, omega 3’s, bromelain, papain and coconut oil are all supplements shown to help ease allergy symptoms. Aunt Jeni’s sells a supplement called “Enhance Allergy Aid” with vitamin c, burdock root, quercitin and biotin. Vet’s Best sells a supplement called “Seasonal Allergy Support” with bioflavinoids, nettle leaf, vitamin c, perilla leaf and quercitin. You may want to consider purchasing one of these or a similar supplement and giving him some fish oil and coconut oil daily.
If your he is indeed allergic to your grass you should bathe him frequently in an herbal shampoo (avoid oatmeal-based shampoos) and have a foot soak ready to use after he’s been outdoors (you can make a solution using 1 gal. water, 1 c. hydrogen peroxide and 1-4 c. white vinegar or you can mix povidone iodine with water). Soak his feet every time he comes indoors so he’s not tracking the allergen through your house and vacuum frequently.
You should make sure his food is low in carbohydrates as high carbohydrate diets are “pro-inflammatory” and can worsen allergy symptoms. Your best bet, as Patty mentioned, would be a balanced raw diet. If that’s not possible a high protein canned or dehydrated food would be the next best option. If you must feed kibble keep it high protein. My top picks for kibble would be Orijen (38-40% protein), Nature’s Variety Instinct (35 – 42% protein), EVO (42-52% protein), Solid Gold’s Barking at the Moon (41% protein), Artemis Maximal (42% protein) Earthborn Primitive Natural (38% protein) or Wysong Epigen (60% protein). If you can at least top the kibble with balanced raw or a high quality canned or dehydrated food, this would be better than kibble alone.
Supplementing with probiotics is known to help allergies as well. I would recommend adding a high quality multi-strain probiotic to the food such as Mercola Probiotics, Garden of Life Primal Defense, Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic with FOS or Swanson’s Soil-Based Organisms. Probiotics may help firm up his stool as well. Some other ideas to help firm him up would be adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin to each meal and supplementing with digestive enzymes.
Remember it may take several weeks for things to clear up. Good luck!
We have a brother and sister team of year old pups now. They are Blue Heeler/Australian Shepard mix. Mika (the female) has had 3 epileptic seizures (petit mal). We rushed her to the vet and had the tests done and originally thought it was hypoglycemia. But this last episode we were able to eliminate that and zero in on epilepsy. Moki (the male) walks around stiff….as if he’s stove up. They just turned 1 year last month. We are beginning to wonder if the dog food might be an issue. We are currently feeding them Purina Healthy Morsels. Could these issues be from food allergies? I hate the thought of having the drug Mika for the rest of her life to control the epilepsy. I’m already giving them Pro-Sense glucosamine and daily vitamins. Anyone have any ideas?
It did it to me too. A few days ago I was ready to throw my computer at the wall.
You’re not the only one having problems – I’ve been experiencing the same thing with several of the threads.
I have no idea why, but I cannot reply to that original thread. I am (obviously) logged-in now, and could answer other threads, but that particular thread logs me out every time.
Sorry Becky, about my delay in answering your question – yes – my pug has always been on the generic Atopica which is cyclosporine.
Jill, have you always had her on the generic or did you start on Atopica and switch over? If you switched, could you tell any difference? EllieMae was so severe the vets said we should start on Atopica and then we might be able to switch over. She’s doing so well I haven’t tried changing anything yet. The poor thing probably hasn’t felt this good in her whole life.
Unfortunately I don’t know much about her before I got her. She came to me through a couple of other people and I know what they had her on but not what her original family had her on. I’ve had her for 7 mos; a long time for a foster! She’s with SEPRA, Southeast Pug Rescue and Adoption, so please spread the word if you know anyone who’s interested in a very allergic pug! (but VERY VERY sweet)
I got my Darwin’s Turkey order Wed and it was packed so well and still very frozen so I put all of it (which was ALOT) into the freezer and kept one pack out for in a couple of days ( Today). Darwin’s called me the day the shipment came in and walked me through how to make a hopefully smooth transition start. I can honestly say I was very very nervious about starting a raw diet for my dogs since I hate meat with a passion ( I do not eat it)
Day one: Per advice from Darwin’s – Feed my usual mix and add in just half a teaspoon with each dogs meal of Darwin’s and mix in enzymes ( Mercola Brand) Now I have a VERY picky Shihtzu that will only eat out of my hand her kibble and can food but not this morning, she was trying to eat everyone elses and when I put her bowl down ( shes always last eating because shes so picky) Everyone else would eat her food before she got a chance but not this morning she actually ate all of her mixture right out of the bowl…OMG …I have not ever seen her do that in 2 1/2yrs she was born.
My short coat Chihuahua ( GiGi) smelled the Darwin’s in the bo as soon as I brought it in and put it on the floor. She was litterally climbing the walls wanting what was in that box ( Frozen Darwin’s LOL! I truely believe she would have eaten it frozen she wanted it that bad..hehe!
Now this is just the first day on it and the first feeding so I am hoping we do not have issues and I guess my only concern is the sweet potato since we are on a potato free diet. Time will tell if it agrees with GiGi since she is the one with intestinal allergies to what we do not know yet but for sure she is allergic to insect bites but that is not food related. Keep your fingers crossed for us. This is going to be a very slow process and we hope to make this work for our girls. I love the extra container they send to keep the raw in but I just for right now wish the porportions were a bit smaller since I am sure within 48 hrs I will be throwing some away.
Becky, thank you for rescuing the pug. How long have you had her? Do yourself a favor and write down the ingredients in the food she was eating before you got her, if you know and the ingredients in the Nutro. That way, if she ever backslides, you will know what works for her & what doesn’t.
Becky, my pug is on Atopica – but the generic, which is cyclosporine. We save money by getting the generic. Thank you for rescuing that pug! 🙂
I foster a pug who was surrendered because of her severe allergies. She’d been through all the allergy tests and basically was found to be allergic to everything. They’d had her on meds, steroids, baths, dips–you name it, they did it. They took her to the vet to be put down because she was so miserable and they couldn’t afford it any more. Thankfully, she was rescued. She’s now on a med called Atopica which is unfortunately pretty expensive, but has been a miracle worker for her. When I got her, her skin was raw and bleeding and now she has a beautiful coat. She eats Nutro Grain Free Lamb and Potato. We found 2 things she’s really allergic to are wheat and sweet potatoes and this food seems to be working for her. (knock on wood) And she’s learned to like baby carrots for treats! 🙂
I started my 4 dogs onto pre-made raw a month ago. They are currenty getting chicken and beef (carnivora.ca), and mixed raw bones to chew on once or twice a week. I plan on switching them onto a different brand (k9choicefoods.com) and serving beef, bison and llama. No more chicken.
My 9 yr old pom/chi and my 8 yr old german shepherd are urinating way to much. The 10 yr old westie is a little more and the 1 yr old collie/chihuahua (yes I know) is completely normal. I have asked my vet for her opinion and she says switch back to kibble and you won’t have a problem, and if it does continue bring them in. I will not switch back to kibble, and the increased urination is the ONLY negative side effect.
– not drinking any more water (actually was less then when on kibble)
– eating supper at 6:30 out several times before bed at 10-11pm and directly before bed
– urine is clear when they mess in the house over night (not sure which dog, but probably the pom)
– eating 2% of their weight (they are at perfect weight and all extremely fit)
– never had any health problems other than food allergies (why we went to raw)
– normal energy level, maybe slightly increased because they feel good
– the pom has started eating feces again (he did it when he was a pup) * I have reviewed other forums on that and will be adding enzymes as per HDM 🙂
– everyone is defecating properly as per raw, not straining and not overally chalky
I am an educated dog owner, and have done my research before switching to raw. The pre-made works best for us because we work in emergency services and really never know when we will be called out and how long we will be gone. We need to be able to have a friend stop by and feed the dogs and can’t expect someone to feed primal raw for us or spend a long amount of time preparing it. I always keep 2 days of food portioned out into sealed glass containers in the fridge.
I am curious if other people that feed raw have had this problem? Did it resolve it’s self? Is it possible it is the chicken diet? I really don’t know? I am at a loss as to why they are urinating so much. Any help is appreciated.
That makes sense, the sad truth however is that most vets are poorly educated when it actually comes to pet nutrition. Most veterinary schools don’t put a large emphasis on it, so the doctors rely largely on what they hear from food manufacturing reps.
Overall, the incidence of food related allergies in dogs is actually very low. Of all allergy cases in dogs, only 10-20% are caused by food, and of those, only about 10% of those cases are related to corn. Basically what this means is that in only 1 or 2% of dogs with allergies, the cause will be corn. Basically only 1 out of every 100 dogs with allergies will be allergic to corn. Factor in that only roughly 1 out of 10 dogs has allergy issues, and we are now saying that only 1 out of every 1000 dogs has a corn allergy.
As for boosting protein levels, there is no evidence that this is true. As far as the body is concerned, protein is protein whether it comes from a meat source or a vegetable source. Protein quality is determined by two factors: 1. Amino Acid profile, and 2. digestibility.
Corn, believe it or not, happens to be a good source of protein, it has sufficient levels of nearly every essential amino acid, and corn gluten meal in particular is comprised of 67% protein, which is actually higher than most meat meals, and only slightly lower than byproduct meal (which has a very high protein density). As for digestibility, corn meal is 87% digestible, which is more digestible than most meat protein sources.
If you are interested in where I got my information, there are many research articles on the internet where you can find all of this, this article in particular could be very helpful: https://www.vetlearn.com/_preview?_cms.fe.previewId=9955a990-1205-11e1-a602-0050568d3693
Mom2cavs, it’s great that you have parameters as to what you will feed your dogs. You clearly have good intentions and want what’s best for your pets which is great. I can understand your stance against artificial preservatives and some of the other things that you mentioned but I’m curious as to what you have against corn wheat and soy. Unless your dog has allergies there is honestly no reason to be against any of those ingredients. Corn in particular, being that it is the one you singled out earlier. Why the anti corn stance?
Hi NectarMom –
I understand where feeding dogs with allergies can be difficult. What I would do is incorporate fresh versions of the foods that are already in their kibble – this way they can get some variety without running the risk of introducing a new food that throws their digestion off. So, if the kibble you’re feeding is turkey based you could buy some lean ground turkey and lightly fry it to mix in with the kibble or buy an all meat turkey canned food to mix in (stick with the all meat so you know you aren’t adding other potentially offending ingredients – Wellness, Newman’s Own and Wysong all sell 95% meat turkey-based canned foods). Once your dog’s condition has stabilized for awhile I’d work on incorporating new protein sources – one by one. Do it using fresh meat or all meat canned toppers and monitor the reaction. Then gradually work on introducing new foods once your dog’s digestive system has strengthened. I’m not sure how long you’ve been with the food you’re feeding now, but keep in mind that if a food is not working it’s just not working and it may be time to move on and try new protein sources and new types of food (often dogs do better on less processed foods – such as dehydrated, freeze-dried, raw or even a high quality canned food). Good luck!
HDM, What would you recommend as a fresh food that my dogs with allergy issues can tollerate? If I find something that is working for all 4 of my dogs then I am terrified to upset that balance that we have built so hard to get too. I hope everyone knows that having a dog that has intestinal allergies is tough. I know when she cannot tollerate something because she gets bloated and is in alot of discomfort. Shes allergic to most anything including insect bites or stings. she is a dog that like a person has to have an epi pen close by or she could die in 2 seconds. I have had ALOT of dogs in my lifetime and loved them all but this little chihuahua is truely my heart. I think you are misunderstanding me but it has taken so very long to get just to where we are today with the allergy battle and it is far from over yet. I am truely scared to try anything else with these dogs.
I think it can depend on your dogs system and what they can handle. For my dogs we cannot rotate due to I have one with intestinal allergies and one that will litterally chew her fur off. I am not sure how people can rotate or switch when they’re dogs are going through a detox period. I would honestly be afaid to keep switching and or feed 2,3 or more foods at a time because if an issue with your dog arrises then how would you know which food was the culprit? I am of the mind set that over the years even when I mixed a couple of different brands of kibble that I cannot be certain which one caused the damage so in order to cure my dogs issues I had to drop both foods and start over.
From speaking to a Canine Nutritionalist I was lead to believe that dogs do not need Variety like we do so please enlighten me where it is stated that dogs need a variety in their diet? My dogs completely hate the diet they are on and some days turn their noses up to it and it bothers me but I do not give in and give them just anything they want because of the issues certain foods will cause them in the long run. When they get hungry they will eat. Its called Tough Love. My dogs get no treats, no can food and no table food. All they get is their Allergy kibble and that is it.
I would get a chicken, beef, potato and grain free food. Look in the dog food ingredients forum, for the stickie on top
I would not give her steroids unless you just have too. I can speak from expierence on this level because time after time my vet put one of my dogs on steroids and now from her being on it so long it is taking her longer to go through a detox period. I wish I would have found Dr Karen Beckers info a long time ago because then I wouldn’t have to be dealing with so many issues with my girl.
I feed her now Brothers Allergy Formula and I use Mercola brand probiotics and enzymes on her food. Dr Becker and Brothers recommend a no potato, grain and no sugar diet. Now I have been on Brothers Allergy since Sept 2012 and it has been a rough road and still is a bit bumpy at times but things have improved alot. My girl still would lick her feet constantly and so I read Dr Beckers solution for this and it has worked so far. She advises to mix 2 cups of white vinegar to one gallon of water and soak your dogs feet and do not rinse but towel dry. ( Keep mixture away from your dogs eyes) Also when giving your dog a normal bath only use a shampoo that is tea tree oil and Aloe. Using oatmeal baths only feeds the yeast. I don’t mind getting my food shipped in if my little dogs are going to be comfortable with the out come of their diet. Now I tried the white meat formula from Brothers and this made us go on a set back once again because of the sweet potato and fruits added in it so we are back on the Allergy and things are getting back to almost where they were. Good luck with your sweetness. Oh and if your dog has problems with yeasty ears then Dr Becker has recommended “Witch Hazel”
Hi ALL,
I’m new to your forum and truly new some advice! My JRT is 6 yrs old. 2 1/2 years ago, she woke me up at 3am in the morning whining. I turned on the lights to see what was wrong. To my shock and amazement, you could see how red her body was through her white fur. Her body had small lumps and her face had literally changed and looked like a pug! She was scratching, runnining round the house, jumping in & out the tub it was totally frightening and horrible for her. I rushed her to the ER pet hospital. Where she was given a cortiszone injection and Benadryl. I, half bent over the metal cold table coddling her as the lumps, redness,scratching and whining subsided and a whopping bill. It was ok to take her home a 8am in the morning and told to give her the Benadryl 2 times a day for 7 days. 6 months after that episode, she started scratching her ear and body, shaking her head excessively, her shedding, I could have made another dog with the fur that was falling off her although she wan’t balding. So I took her to the vet and he too gave her meds and irrigated her ears. It wasn’t ear mites. She scartched her ear so bad that it bled and she had to wear an e collar in total about 4 months. This went on and off for another 6 months. Her vet never tested her for what could be the problem. He said it may be allergies. Maybe is not the answer I wanted to hear and my JRT & I were both miserable not to mention the bills which was exhausting my finances. I love my Xena and could not stand to see her suffer any more! So I started doing some on line research of what could be the problem? I learned that putting her on a “Raw Food Diet” might be the answer. So I set out to find which one would be helpful.
I stopped feeding her chicken, anything that had potatoes in it and any other grains & cut out the dry kibble. I started her on Steve’s. After about a month, I started seeing that the scratching had subsided the shedding had not. I kept her on it for another half month then introduced her to others like Bravo, Primal, Darwin’s Instinct & Stella and Chewy’s. I even tried shampoos with out success making sure there was no oatmeal in it. For sure that made her scratch & ear cleaning products. I also founf Dr. Karen Becker’s site and bought the “Probiotics, Krill Oil & Ubiquinol” The last 3 products I ran out of. When I can afford it, I’m thinking of purchasing Dr. Becker’s product the “Detox” bites.
Her coat is soft and shiny, but the scratching has come back, she is licking her paws now and her privates & the shedding continues which I serioulsy vaccum 3 times a week. Don’t wear black to my house 🙁 lol although not really funny. Please someone HELP!!!!!!!!!
Konamisan
Well here I am again and the scratching has crept up on us both.
Thank you both for the advice 😀 I will definitely look into both a better food brand to substitute and I will keep a closer eye on his possible allergies and skin issues in the future.
HI Benny-
Both foods are nearly identical, so I would not expect a problem at this point. However(there always is a but, huh?) Sharpei are NOTORIOUS for skin conditions, yeast issues and food allergies. If it were my pup, I would upgrade the food to something that (at the very least) is corn, soy, wheat free and preferably grain free if you can find something in your price range. Better to pay now, then later-
Hello,
I have a 14 year old black lab mix with terrible skin problems. The vet said it is food allergies, tha she might be allergic to the red dye in some foods, and or allergic to beef. We have had her on Natural Balance Potato and Duck for years and her problem has never gone away for good, keeps coming back and “flaring up”. The vets solution is steroids but then she drinks too much and has accidents in the house and I can’t give her the steroids since I work 10-12 hours/day. I am looking for suggestions/help. I want to switch her food but am not sure where to start. Thanks in advance.
I’m trying to convert a friend at work from Pedigree (yikes!) to a high quality food for her seven year old Cocker Spaniel with allergies and resulting yeast issues.
Her dog had allergy testing completed; and was borderline for the following: duck, rabbit, barley, wheat and cow’s milk. She tested borderline – positive for peanut and sweet potato (white potato was normal).
I’ve been trying to research ingredients for a few days now and have come up with, might potentially be, a couple of contenders; ie: Nature’s Variety, Canine Caviar grain free, EVO, Dr. Tim’s grain free Kinesis to name a few just to start. I wish I could recommend Nature’s Logic, but it contains cheese powder which I presume is out due to the cow’s milk result.
I’d love to hear your suggestions!
AnonymousInactive
You didn’t say what food & treats you were feeding. So many health problems are food/treat related.
My Shih Tzu had pancreatitis at 12 yrs. Plus terrible allergies with both my dogs & getting steroids. I started studying dog nutrition. I decided to try Blue Buffalo as this was the only company to write back out of 3 others I contacted.
Within 3 weeks all allergy related problems started going away. in 2 mo. the pancreatitis was GONE and she has never had another bout. She is now 15 1/2 and the boss of the house. no steroid shots or pills for over 3 yrs.
Hound Dog Mom is very knowledgeable so you might also ask her.
Hello,
We adopted our beagle when he was six-months old. At the time, he had ear issues-itching, excess wax, bad smell, etc. After the traditional vet treated him several times for the same symptoms, I figured it was related to his food. Back then I didn’t know about grain-free dog foods and simply searched online for allergy free dog foods.
I found the Holistic Select Brand-Duck & Oatmeal and he was on that diet for about three years. In November, my dog started developing stomach symptoms similar to colitis/IBD. Just last week I had him tested for food allergies using the saliva test-Nutriscan but won’t have the results back for a couple of weeks.
In December, I had switched his dog food again, just to get him off of the grains. The holistic vet I took him to said to feed him a limited dry dog food until his stomach issues are resolved. He recommended Acana Grasslands and my dog has been on that diet close to eight weeks. While his symptoms have not disappeared, they are much better than before. My only concern is that the Grasslands formula has duck in it too. Doesn’t this seem like an unlikely choice?
I feed Brothers Allergy Formula and my largest Chihuahua was 17.5 lbs and she has lost 6.5lbs in the last 3 months we have been on Brothers. She still needs to loose a few more pounds and I feel very confident if I keep feeding her the recommended amount then she will loose the rest in no time. I don’t mind getting my dogs food shipped to me since they all seem to be doing well on this brand. The only thing is since the ingredient change with adding Menhaden Fish my dogs don’t eat their food as well so I am hoping by the time I order another bag that they will have changed the Formula back to the original ingredients. But I am grateful that my one with intestinal allergies has not had any issues since we switched off of Acana onto Brothers Allergy Formula. We are still having detox issues though , all 4 of my dogs are still licking their feet and scratching like mad but I am hopeful that this will pass once we are on Brothers for approx 6 mos. I am also adding Mercola Enzymes and Probiotics on their food and that is all they get. No treats or anything else
I have an 8 old Great Dane who refuses to eat unless there’s lots of special treats in it – chicken breast, peanut butter, treats, etc. She’s on the skinnier side of healthy, getting too close to underweight for my taste and her refusal to eat is not helping! We use a glucosamine joint powder that mixes with water, so if she doesn’t eat her food within 20 minutes, it becomes soggy cereal. I’ve tried giving her dry kibble and using the joint powder separately and she still won’t eat the kibble unless she’s starving. She never says no to treats and will walk around sniffing things like she’s hungry but really waits for desperation to set in before she goes for the bowl.
I had her on Canidae, as that’s what she was fed in foster care (I’ve only had her 4 months) and she was fine, though never food motivated. She was also fine staying with my sister for a few weeks. In both places, she had another dog who would gladly eat her food if she left it so I think competition played a big role there.
I recently switched her to Taste of the Wild, as I thought the different flavors might be enticing and I’ve tried two different TOTW flavors but she’s had the same reaction as with Canidae.
Any suggestions of other foods in a similar price range to try? Apart from joint stiffness, she’s got no health issues or allergies that I’m aware of. I’m going crazy trying to please this stubborn old lady!
Konamisan ~~ other things, like vaccine reactions, can cause these same skin issues that allergies can cause. Has your JRT been vaccinated recently? Also sounds like there might be an internal yeast overgrowth (which can also manifest in symptoms like you are seeing). Does your pup have a “corn chip” or yeasty smell?
Also it is very common to have “set backs” or detoxes when the immune system is compromised and the body is allowed (due to a change to a better food etc) to rid itself of nasties.
How long has she been on the probiotics. Probiotics are very important but can cause a mass die off of systemic candida and that die off causes toxins (released by the yeast as they die). That die off can cause the symptoms you are seeing.
It very well could be a reaction to another food but I think some of these other possible reasons may be worth considering..
Okay, here’s my situation that I’m hoping to get some help with. There are no shelters or rescues in the parishes where I live and work so the animal problem is out of control. I have become the crazy dog lady around these parts. It’s to the point where people stop me on my mail route and offer me dogs. Ten years ago we bought our daughter a lab. I didn’t know better than to not shop, adopt. I do now. Actually I pick up starving and abandoned dogs rather than adopt. This has led to my having the lab who is ten and seven other dogs age three and under. I have realized recently that I need to change their food as they have an array of health problems. My lab is fairly healthy with the exception of dry skin and icky runny eyes. The three year old rat terrier has an itchy behind and has developed a darker pinkish tint bordering on a rash on his belly and inside his arms. The three year old pit mix is surprisingly healthy especially since she was starving when I picked her up. The one year old husky/German shepherd mix is healthy as well. I picked up four pit mix litter mates several months ago running down the highway in the rain. We have since learned they have an immune disorder which has led to them having red mange. The two black pups have dry skin and runny eyes like my lab. One brown pup has diabetes and one has recurring yeast infections on her belly. They are all on a mix of Red Flannel Adult and Purina Puppy Chow with Red Flannel Puppy recently mixed in. I feed them all the same food because it’s easier for me because they always want what the others are eating. I just realized their health problems could be from food allergies. Of course I feed the diabetic dog differently. She eats Science Diet w/d dry and canned food. I don’t have the money to spend a fortune on food as I have a lot of vet bills but I want them to be healthy and happy. Added to this is a puppy less than a year old who has IVDD. I had the sheriff go to the people’s house that had her and talk to them as she was barely able to walk and they weren’t caring for her. Cut to, me having another baby to care for. My saint of a mother is keeping her at her house while we give her the time she needs to rest and hopefully heal. I was also wondering if there was something I could feed her to boost her immune system as well. I was never really an animal person so I don’t know much. I’m trying to learn but am a bit overwhelmed. I will gladly accept all advice and be very thankful for it. I’m sure I haven’t included the correct info. I tend to ramble on and on when it comes to my fur babies.
I have a 1 year old Rottie who is currently on Medi-Cal Hypoallergenic dry dog food. The vet recommended this because they think he has a food allergy (when i rescued him he had patches of fur missing and is itchy and scratches) he has been getting better since he has had antibiotics and on this food. But I have been recommened by fellow Rottie owners to switch to Blue Wilderness the Duck one or Acana (the one with duck in as well) Im just worried that the blue wilderness one might trigger the allergies as it has chicken in it as well and i was told to stay away from foods that have common ingredients in them because his old owners fed him cheap food and that could be the cause to his skin condition. Any suggestions or opinions would help. Thanks.
I feed Brothers Allergy to 3 out of my 4 dogs. The only one of my dogs that can eat the White meat formula from Brothers always does fine on most anything except shes still scratching like mad on her sides but it could be environmental also because even my other 3 on the Allergy formula are scratching and right now my skin is really dry. We have been on this brand for 6 weeks , maybe a bit longer and I am giving extra Enzymes and Probiotics to all 4 every feeding and they all had horrible gas before and now none of them have gas but all 4 have acid reflux and they never had that before. My one with intestinal allergies sometimes will walk through the house and spit up watered down kibble. I limit how much they get each feeding. I feed 1/8 cup morning and 1/8 cup evening. I have 3 Chihuahuas and 1 Imperial Shihtzu. It is like pulling teeth to get them to eat the Allergy formula but they have to like it and thats all they get because my one hadn’t had any bloating and discomfort in quite a while since switching to Brothers Allergy formula but she cannot eat the white meat recipe nor any of the biscuits from Brothers. Intestinal allergies are very painful for a dog and I can tell almost immediately when something does not sit well with her. All 4 of my dogs ate the Original Allergy formula much better than since they added the Menhaden fish to it now. I wonder if they ever plan to switch back at all. I don’t mean to be a downer about this food but when 4 dogs do not want to eat it unless they are just so hungry then it must taste pretty bad.
Hi Amydunn19
Oh your poor dog taking on a copperhead. I think it was a mixture of feeding our JRT small bites of people food ALL the time, raw hide bones, and predisone for allergies. Our Vet will do anything he can to help. I will ask him about your suggestions. Our JRT is on pepcid right now and I plan to keep her on it for a little while longer – I don’t want her to relapse again. She has been on medication twice as long this time. Have you ever used the Purina FortiFlora probiotics with your JRT? They were given to ours both times and I don’t know if I trust them. They have a 12% fat content and it just worries me a little. Would love to know any feed back.
Thanks so much 🙂
My soon to be 2yr old rescued pitmix seems to have a slightly different problem. Her glands seem to express themselves too often and at crazy times. We tell her she has stinky butt and she walks to the bathroom and waits patiently to be wiped and spritzed. I have taken her numerous times to the vet, only to be told “there is nothing there”…nothing there because it’s on my couch or carpet! I have taken to making her crazy HIGH fiber dog cookies at home..but we are not always consistent with how many she gets and how often throughout the day. Sometimes my kids give her a ton and other days not so many. She currently eats Wellness Complete Dry. I want to change her food to maybe something with more veggie fiber but the idea of switching her is not appealing. She has the most sensitive GI track and if she gets the runs…well that doesn’t help with her anal sacs. If we could keep her consistently draining them when she went out side for potty breaks that would be great. Unfortunately she can just be laying around and you get a whiff of it and want to die! Can anyone suggest a dry dog food that is good all around and might be higher in veggie fiber. So far she doesn’t have allergies but her eyes do get yucky if her ears start getting messy. She is a sweet girl and we love her ..and her stinky butt…but we would love for everyone’s sake if we could get rid of the stench. I am going to look into the miracle homeopathic stuff mentioned in an earlier post… maybe it will help her.
James – While I agree with some of what you say in theory, it doesn’t always hold true in reality. I think Kristi probably would get better results with a long-acting insulin such as R, but without a vet who is well versed in diabetes, it is a dangerous proposition. Comparing diabetes in humans to diabetes in dogs is helpful in many respects as there are similarities, the flaw with that is dogs can’t communicate in terms we can understand until trouble is there. They can’t say they are feeling bad or shaky and short of checking their sugar many times a day, there is no way to know. If you can stay home non-stop with your dog, then great but most people don’t have that luxury. Also, to say diabetes is impossible to control with nph insulin is just wrong. I have done it for five years now and there are many others out there who have – in fact most dogs are maintained on nph. And just because someone uses a long acting insulin doesn’t mean you throw routine out the window. These dogs are best maintained on the same amount of food at the same time every day. As far as low glycemic foods are concerned, I have found just through my personal experience, that my dog’s blood sugar is just consistently lower and better since she is on Nutrisca. She feels better, looks better and it helps with her allergies. I actually tried Evo when she was first diagnosed and her bg was sky-high on it. The one thing I have found is that diabetic dogs react differently to different food. There was a series in the Whole Dog Journal last year about diabetic diets and the interesting part was there were many different case studies of diabetic dogs and almost all of them were on completely different foods. Some were on commercial diets, home cooked, raw, and even prescription diets but the owners all had great success by finding the food that worked for their dog. You can analyze the numbers and ingredients until your face is blue but if the theoretical “best” food doesn’t give you results, then you have to consider how your dog processes insulin and food.
Kristi, I would find an online forum for dogs with Cushings and/or diabetes so you can talk to people who are going through what you are with their dogs. There are tons of knowledgeable people out there who can really tell you about Cushings and diabetes who live it everyday.
Thanks Patty for you recommending I try Mercola enzymes and probiotics. I feed Brothers Allergy to my one with intestinal Allergies and tried the white meat formula and she got very bloated so then we knew that protein source she cannot deal with. She eats the Allergy formula but not with gusto. I cannot. Wait for Brothers to bring back the original Allergy Formula. I have a bunch of bags of white meat formula (Thank you again Richard for sending that) 3 out 4 of my dogs eat it and one has to have the Allergy formula. I want to eventually get all 4 back on the Original Allergy Formula when it comes back out.
Getting back to the enzymes and Probiotics. My lil intestinal allergy girl is doing so much better now that I am adding 1/2 scoop of enzymes to her 1/8 cup food in the morning and in the evening we do 1/2 scoop of probiotics with 1/8 cup of food. So far so good.
The only thing that has my vet puzzled is in an Allergy Formula why would Chicken livers be added when Chicken is usually an allergy protein in some dogs? And then we have the other 3 on the white meat formula. They have been on Brothers since Dec 10, 2012 and we have had ups and downs but I am hopeful. They are all 4 still scratching and licking feet and one has yeast and bacteria in her ears and after using what the Vet prescribed (Tresaderm) she had a bad reaction and her ears turned blood red so I did some research on my own and ordered some Zymox and its been only Day 3 but its looking good so far.
Iams and Ole Roy are not good foods at all. I suggest if you travel to make sure you have a small bag of what you feed always with you. For the dog with allergies, you may want to look at a grain & potato free food. If you click the link for dog food ingredients, there is a stickie at the top with a list of those foods.
Hi DrYattz –
You really can’t give a healthy dog too much protein. Most of the Solid Gold formulas (aside from Barking at the Moon) are actually low in protein, so I doubt that was the issue. My dogs eat a raw diet with 45%-55% protein at each meal – about twice as much protein as is in most kibbles. As far as worrying about availability I’d recommend you get your dogs used to rotating foods. Switching between brands and protein sources is MUCH healthier than feeding the same food day in and day out. Once you get your dogs used to it you shouldn’t even have to transition between foods. Before I switched to raw when my oldest was on kibble I got a new brand of food with a new protein source every 2-3 weeks and a rotated canned food toppers daily – he had no digestive issues. All three of my dogs now eat raw and get something different at each meal – no issues here either. The Ol Roy Pure Balance looks like a decent budget friendly food, it’s low in protein and fat though so it’s a good thing you’re adding the chicken.
We have three hounds: Annabelle (a golden retriever), Nellie (a black lab/beagle), and Sophie (who looks like an albino brittany spaniel). After years of struggling to feed them all well, we began giving them a mix of chicken (boiled, shredded leg meat) and dry food. The dry food remains the issue: Solid Gold (too high protein?) made their stools green and slimey, and IAMS Healthy Naturals appears to be provoking an allergic reaction in Sophie. She spends hours licking and chewing her paws and her butt, and the fur under her tail is now a deep brown color. (The other dogs appear to be doing quite well.)
One issue is our lifestyle: we travel a great deal, generally with the dogs. It has happened several times that we find ourselves running out of dogfood in a remote corner of Georgia or Virginia. The availability of the chicken is never a problem, but certain dry foods can be impossible to find. So, we switched to the Iams because we could get it at WalMart or Kroger fairly easily. Yes, we could be better organized and order large stocks of something less readily available, but the convenience of grabbing a bag of dry food in St. Simons (rather than driving two hours to Savannah) is difficult to give up.
We are looking at Ol Roy Pure Balance Lamb and Brown Rice. But we wonder if, with lots of protein and fat coming from the chicken we give them twice a day, if we shouldn’t consider something else. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Hi gypsygirl –
A good place for this post would be the Diet and Health issues thread. The difference between grain-free and hypoallergenic is that hypoallergenic foods just avoid common allergens, grain-free is just grain-free. Hypoallergenic foods are often grain free, but they generally use a novel protein as well. Was your dog itching on Orijen? If she wasn’t I’d go back to that, it’s a great food. Dandelion in the food shouldn’t bother her because of pollen allergies. Another food you might want to check out is Nature’s Variety Instinct – they have a Limited Ingredient line that uses novel proteins and it’s grain free and white potato free.
I am new here and wondering if anyone has heard of a dog food called Canine Plus Lifetime, a Canadian company, it is corn free, wheat free, and by=product free. My little shiz shu has many allergies and have her on Natures Harvest Hypo allergenic now but still itching. What is the difference between grain free and hypo allergenic. I had her on origen fish but saw that it had dandelion stuff in it and since she is also allergeric to grass and pollen and the like I took her off that. Hope this is in the right place and if not could someone point me in the right direction for this topic. thank you
Does your dog have any allergies or anything? I have a yeasty dog and just found out, this week, that I need to make sure he has an animal enzyme, not plant. We’re all still learning but glad to read you don’t want to put him on the vets food. Don’t!!
Hi
My vet put Jack on Iam veterinary low residue dog food for this condition but i read the reviews and it seems to be a low quality dog food. Weims develop allergies later. He is in good health and has had negative stool specimens. WHat probiotic do you suggest and what dog food that is found at usual specialty dog food stores? My female is on Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Salmon.
thanks,
loren
