[Susan]

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

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

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

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

[Athony B]

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

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

Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Cindy,

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

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

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

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

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

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

[Lisa A]

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

[anonymous]

Hair and Saliva Test for Allergies are Worthless Pseudoscience

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

[crazy4cats]

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

[Christie B]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Christie B]

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

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

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

[Sara B]

Hello-

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

[Susan]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

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

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

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsey,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[anonymous]

@ Lyndsey D

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

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

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

[Lyndsey D]

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

[pitlove]

Katie-

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

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

[Lyndsey D]

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

[anonymous]

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

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

To Kullboys,

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

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

Here’s a parragragh from DFA post

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

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

[Calico J]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for the help!

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

[Carol H]

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

[Tara M]

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

[kullboys b]

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

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

Thanks .

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

[anonymous]

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

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

[crazy4cats]

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

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

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

Why add CGM in petfoods?

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

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

Zeaxanthin and lutein are antioxidants and protect the vision.

Facts, myths and misconceptions about corn:

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

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

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

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

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

[crazy4cats]

Hi Joanne-
How long have you been feeding it? Sometimes you have to give them time to adjust. I’ve learned this the hard way. 😳

Also, I just took a look at the recipe you are feeding. It is extremely high in calories at 498. A lot of the foods I feed are around 350 to 400. Maybe the higher calories and fat are not agreeing with your dog.

Another thing I’ve learned lately is that lamb is not the most digestible protein for dogs. Vets mostly recommend it if the dog needs a novel protein due to allergies or IBD. Can your dog eat chicken, turkey or beef? I think Purina is a good brand. I’d either give it a little more time or switch to a different protein with a little less fat. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by crazy4cats.

[joanne l]

Hi everyone, so I am a little worried, my dog is not a big water drinker. Since he been on pro plan lamb and oatmeal sensitive skin and stomach he’s been drinking a lot more water. Also he is licking his butt never did that before. I don’t know what to think. He is eating normal and stool looks okay, not firm but normal. I am wondering about Purina anymore, he has been on Purina for 1 year. So far he started having skin issues and than we went through a few days of being sick and now this. I am thinking of changing his food, but I don’t want to upset his stomach, but on the other hand I don’t know if I should continue with Purina.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
P.S. he don’t have grain allergies or lamb allergies. Just wanted to put that out there.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[Susan]

Hi,
The only way to know 100% what foods your dog is sensitive too is to do a food elimination diet..
Feed just 1 meat protein & 1 carb for 6 weeks & see does Sophie react” if Sophie doesnt react to the meat protein & carb your feeding then you can add another new ingredient into her diet but you can NOT feed any treats etc, it can take anywhere from 20mins for a reaction to show or take up to 6 weeks to see reactions but my boy reacts within 20mins raw chicken makes his back paw red hot & swell up but if I fed him chicken in a dry kibble he itches, red paws & smells less but he doesnt get the red hot swollen back paws, probably cause dry kibble meats have been broken down & cooked till there’s no real chicken protein left so he doesnt react to the chicken in a kibble as bad…

If you dont want to do raw or cooked elimination diet then best to use a Hypoallergenic vet diet this way you know 100% these vet diets haven’t been cross contaminated….

Baths – make sure you bath weekly or twice a week or as soon as Sophies starts to itch bad, baths wash off any allergens on skin, paws head etc also baths relieve the red itchy skin, I use “Malaseb”medicated shampoo weekly with Patch & I use baby wipes, Cucumber & Aloe wipes & I wipe him down after his walks or after being out the back yard, I use creams like “Bepanthen” Antiseptic Soothing cream for his red itchy rash on stomach & around his doodle from the grass & I use “Sudocrem” on his red paws & inbetween his toes at night is best to apply cream just before bed check out sophies whole body & head he a few baby wipes & wipes her down then apply a cream to any red itchy areas, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects his skin & paws so best to re apply before she goes outside you will start to see a big difference & relieve her itchy skin… its all about routine, wash cream etc & you can get a control on her itchy skin this all helps her a bit & if Winter is coming this is when you start the Elimination diet …
Do you have any roll/loaf kept in the fridge section, that has limited ingredients like FreshPet Vital & try this & give Sophie bath twice a week or weekly, use the creams & baby wipes days she hasnt had a bath & see is she better but the roll loaf must only have 1 meat protein & a few carbs as you wont know what she is reacting too..

Dogs who suffer with food sensitivities normally have Enviroment Allergies aswell, so its not just the food making Sophie skin itch, she could be sensitive to a certain grass, a tree in your yard or neigbours yard, pollens, dust mites, flea salvia, this makes it very hard working out what is making the dog itch, Keep a Diary write every down at night, then look back thru the diary as the years pass & you will start to see a pattern, she might be more itchy thru the Spring & Summer months & in the cooler months she is better ?? this is seasonal environment allergies, with food sensitivities the dog gets bad wind, farts, sloppy poo’s, diarrhea, vomiting,& yeasty smelly ears, paws, skin,….
Its best to see a Dermatologist or a vet that knows about skin & food senitivities..
Best to do food elimination diet in the cooler months when allergens aren’t as high, this way its easier to work out what Sophie is reacting too…

Just becareful with Zignature its very high in Legumes especially the Kangaroo formula..
Join this f/b group “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/
then go into their “files” click on
“2018-09-07 Copy of Diet and Taurine.pdf”
you will see all the dry food brands these dogs were eating when they got DCM Heart problems, the cases marked in light orange, “Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related” are diet related & the Zignature kangaroo is has 2 Orange cases, 2 GSH, Id say 1 has passed away by know as he was given 6-8months to live & that was 2015….
Years ago Zignature Kangaroo formula was really good it had more meat proteins then plant proteins then Zignature changed their Kangaroo formula & added less kangaroo meat & more Lentils & now dogs are ending up with heart problems & some have died, they cant absorb the Taurine…
They don’t know if it’s the Legumes blocking the Taurine, they dont know whats happening yet till they do more research, so until then best to fed a dry dog food thats less then 20% in Legumes maybe try a grain limited ingredient formula??
“Wellness Simple” has their Lamb & Oatmeal, Duck & Oatmeal, or Turkey & Potatoes Salmon & Potatoes formula’s these formula’s have very limited ingredients, just feed the same food for 2 months, no treats, no cooked foods, nothing then if she start getting better & she’s not reacting, then after 2 months add 1 new ingredient thats cooked or raw o her diet, no wet can foods as these have cross contamination ingredients..

[joanne l]

Hi, with my dog and my experience is that when he eats dog food with chicken in it there is a problem, but when I cook chicken there is no problems. This raises a red flag as to why the dog food? All I know is when you introduce too many proteins example rotating, some dogs immune system goes on over drive so you don’t want to do that which I know you mentioned you are aware. Stick to on protein and if there is no problems than don’t change proteins. Only change if there is a true problem. Give him some boiled chicken and see how he does than you will know for sure if it’s the chicken. My Dr. (not a vet) I was asking him about dog allergies I know he is not a vet but he is a good Dr. and he is the one who told me to give the dog fresh foods to see how he responds. He also said to feed him oatmeal, pasta just to see if a dog is really allergic to grains as well. That would be a true way of finding out. B/c some times it is something else in the dog food that we are not aware of. I did what he said and my dog can eat grains and fresh chicken. As far a kangaroo try to avoid exotic meats if you can until this FDA clears. IF you can’t than you can’t. Do what the dog responds well too.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by joanne l.

[the saw is family]

So in April I rescued this beautiful little beagle/coonhound mix and named her Sophie. Ever since I got her, she’s had the whole gamut of symptoms for what I have determined to be chicken and beef allergies. (my determination is based on her symptoms growing more severe when she eats chicken or beef.)

Let me say, as an aside, I’m a very pro-Orijen guy. I am the guy who scoffs at inferior foods and everything is inferior to Orijen. Well, my dog can’t eat Orijen. I tried a number of other brands I believed to be high quality, and settled on Zignature solely because of their hypoallergenic diets with a good potential to rotate flavors. I know it’s not the best, but if my sweet little dog stops suffering it’s worth it. It certainly is a good food, without question.

So here’s why I’m at a loss. I got her the kangaroo, and fed her that exclusively for 2 weeks. She started getting better. The bag ran low and the store was out of it, so I got her the pork. Stupid me also bought her a can of trout and salmon wet food as a topper. (she LOVES the Zignature without the topper, I just like her to have variety so she ENJOYS her food). She is scratching and biting herself more, but not nearly as bad as before. Now, I know I did a bad by introducing other proteins. Fine, fine. I won’t do it again, believe me. Here’s my real question:

How likely is it that she is allergic to the pork vs the fish? Also, if she is more likely to be allergic to fish, does that mean ALL fish, or can it mean only, say, Salmon? Help! I love my dog more than my own life. I want the best for her.

[Susan]

Hi again,

here’s the Slippery Elm Slurry,
Formula:
Slippery Elm Gruel is made by the following Method:
1. Put 1 tablespoon of Slippery Elm Inner Bark Powder in a small Bowl or cup.
2. Slowly stir in 1/2 – 3/4s of a Cup of Boiling Water, making the Mixture into a Paste.
3. Add a little MORE Water to thin-out the Paste to the consistency NEEDED for a Poultice.
4. Add enough Water to make the Paste into a Gruel, that is THICK, like Cream of Wheat!

Then I cover the cup up with cling wrap or foil & put in fridge then when I need to use again I take out about 1 spoon of the slippery elm paste it turns toa thick jelly, put 1 teaspoon in a cup & slowly add a little bit at a time of boiling jug water until its smooth again & the paste can be sucked up into a syringe pull up 5ml & put side back of teeth/gums so he swollows, its soothe throat esophagus & stomach then about 20-30mins give is meal

Join this f/b group
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/
Heaps of support help & holistic information, I know its a raw holistic feeding group BUT we all dont feed raw, the dog needs to be stable & 100% doing well, then the dog comes off his vet diet, cooked or premium dry food onto a raw diet …
A few dogs in this group wont eat & have no apetite, very skinny, Doodles are normally have big appetites so something is wrong with your poor boy & he’s learnt if I dont eat, I wont get ??? my pain, nauseaous or wind pain etc… sometimes its good to rest the pancreas, stomach/bowel for 24hours but not for your boy..

“ROTATING” encourages the dog to eat when a dog is not eating & doesnt want to eat the same boring food 24/7, changing foods can also make a dog fussy but when you have a dog that wont eat everything needs to be tried…
Rotating foods strengthin’s a dogs immune system, especially when they have IBS/ IBD they need to strengthen their immune system & try as many foods, it has made Patches immune system so much stronger now, when I keep feeding Patch the same dry dog food nothing else for 3 months + Patch starts to react to that food, I’ve been seeing this in a few IBD dogs, my vet said she has a few IBD patients that start reacting when they eat the same dry dog food, this is when food allergies/sensititivies happen after a dog has just eaten the same food 24/7 year after year….
at first Patch would take 3 weeks to introduce a new dry food, now it only takes Patch 2-3 days & he’s eating the new dry food, as long as there isnt any “new ingredients” he has eaten before or Im not sure he is OK eating them…
it really depends on the dog, listen to your gut you know your dog best..you’ll know what to do..

Ask vet about Mirtazapine, Mirtazapine is most commonly used as an appetite stimulant for dogs and cats that are refusing to eat. It is also prescribed for the long-term treatment of various patients who are experiencing nausea, vomiting, and anorexia..

also you could post a post in the IBD holistic group & ask what do people give & do to encourage their dog to eat, there’s 1 lady at the moment Emma she is having problems her dog is very skinny & is not putting on any weight, the vet has said to stop the feeding the raw food for the moment, vet has put her dog on a Holistic Duck dry food…
Groups are good cause everyone is sorta going thru the same thing & you pick up so many good idea & some quirky ideas that work….

Good Luck I hope you get some answers 🙂

[zcRiley]

Farmina lists potatoes as the 3rd ingredient, which is the formula’s main filler. It lists taurine as the 4th to last ingredient, so you’re not getting much of it. And 2 to 3 different types of yeast is not good at all.

Zignature Dry formulas contain legumes BUT does not contain a bunch of fancy ingredients your dog absolutely does not need. You can read the ingredients lists on Chewy. The brand saved my dogs from severe food allergies from all the 5 star kibbles on the list. I crumble Primal freeze dried over it, they love it.

As for keeping a healthy heart, give VetriSCIENCE Laboratories’ CARDIO STRENGTH Heart Support Formula (for canine and feline), sprinkle over kibble per dog’s weight.
Active Ingredients: (Per Capsule) L-Carnitine HCl 250 mg, L-Taurine 250 mg, N,N-Dimethylglycine HCl 50 mg, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Succinate (Vitamin E) 30 IU Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Powder Blend 25 mg, Coenzyme Q10 20 mg, Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) Powder Blend 10 mg, Folic Acid 0.9 mg, Magnesium (as Magnesium Citrate/Malate) 0.5 mg, Potassium (as Potassium Citrate/Malate) 0.1 mg, Selenium (as Sodium Selenite) 0.007 mg.
Inactive Ingredients: Rice Flour,Titatnium Dioxide (Color), Vegetable Cellulose, Vegetable Stearate.

[Susan]

Hi Clarie,
AM, English Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Pitbulls are prone to environment allergies & food sensitivities, my Patch suffers with both…. Patches vet said normally when a dog suffers with Environemnt allergies the dog will also suffer with food sensitivities…
I tried all the Vet diets for Patch, Hills Z/D, Hills Potato & Venison & Royal Canine HP & they seem to make Patch paws worst & the Hills Z/d made his skin & paw smell real yeasty… In the end I did a raw elimination diet, Kangaroo & blended green vegetables/fruit, Broccoli, Celery & Apple within 3 days no more smelly yeasty skin & paws.. I added raw chicken for dinner within 20mins of eating teh raw chicken 1 of Patches back paws went red hot & itchy he wouldnt stop licking it, I had to put an ice pack on his back paw….Have you tried doing a raw elimination diet?

Another thing I do with his paws I buy the Huggies Cucumber & Aloe baby Wipes & I wipe his paws & body down after he goes on a walk & when he’s been outside, I also apply creams “Sudocrem” works really well, I apply Sudocrem before he goes outside of a morning & the thick Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects his paws from outdoor allergens then before he goes to bed at night I wipe his paws down with the Cucumber & Aloe wipes then I apply the Sudocrem on his paws & inbetween his toes with a cotten tip if they’re red.. You can buy Sudocrem from Amazon I also use “Bepanthen” Antiseptic Soothing cream when he gets a grass rash on his stomach & around his doodle, he goes outside & rubs his stomach & on the grass making his rash worse the Bepanthen cream is excellent works straight awa takes away the itch & redness.. look in you baby section at Supermarket for baby wipes & cream….
Patch has licked these creams & he’s still here they didnt make him sick 🙂 thats why best to apply creams at night before bed they also have a better sleep..

[Jennifer P]

I too wish they had better dog food for allergies. You need to find out by process of elimination what your dog is allergic too. Mine it’s chicken and apples. So far Blue Buffalo prescription HF is working, no apples or chicken. Pin pointing what they allergic too is the first step.

[InkedMarie]

Hypoallergenic? If dogs have food allergies or sensitivities, they’re unique to each dog. One dog food, even if hyped as hypoallergenic, isn’t going to work for every dog. If you know what your dog can’t have, look at ingredient lists or try Google and be specific about what not to be in ingredient list.

[joanne l]

Hi Susan I noticed that too with bags of food, when you first open it up it smells good and after a week or two it doesn’t. Fromm dog food always smells good even when opened for a few weeks. I used to use it but a lot of their formulas are too high in protein and too many grain free choices. Over all a great food. Getting back to exotic meats, I think for now when people have dogs that have allergies or IBS or IBD depending how bad, they may want to use prescription diets. I really never liked them, but if a dog is that bag off at least these companies have a lot of science and a lot of experience behind them. I know some people won’t like the ingredients and or they say quality is not good, but you also here people say their dogs got sick eating the top brands too. I hear it all the time on the internet people saying my dog got sick on orjein or wellness or merrick etc…. And that goes for to big brand names too. You will hear my dogs to great on science diet, pro plan etc…and you will hear my dogs didn’t. You will hear good and bad in all these dog foods. So like I said maybe people should go with the tried and true formula’s instead of exotic when it comes down to allergies and so forth. Like I said these new Formulas have not been around long enough to know. I get confused to with all these choices and even when I did try top brands I would hold my breath hoping the dog will take to it. I guess it is a matter of what the owner feels good about the food and has peace of mind with it.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by joanne l.

[Susan]

Hi Joanne,

Yes I heard the same thing, it was the “Zignature Kangaroo” formula it’s very high red & green lentils, like I said these pet food companies up the protein % with plant proteins instead of having more Kangaroo meat cause Roo is more expensive in America, thats why I email Zignature a year ago & asked them where are they getting their kangaroo meat from?? cause I knew Zignature had changed their Zignature Kangaroo formula & added red Lentils there’s not much kangaroo meat in the dry Zignature formula now, where it once was good when I use to recommend Zignature for dogs with food sensitivities & allergies so they are paying top dollar for their Kangaroo meal now…

Most Australian pet owners normally feed their dogs a dry kibble & they add some raw Kangaroo meat or raw meaty bones with the dry kibble..
We can buy raw meaty beef, chicken, kangaroo, Crocodile bones, Kangaroo tail, Kangaroo minced meat, from Pet Shops, I’d say its all By product meats healthy fresh By Product meats, By product Kangaroo is apparently is very healthy.
Our vets always recommend to add some raw Kangaroo to your dogs diet cause its very healthy, I cant handle the smell of Kangaroo, its has a strong meathy smell & tastes very rich meat, when its made into a dry kibble cooked & cooked at high tempretures this is when these byproduct meat lose their goodness & dont have all the goodness they once had…

Our dead Kangaroos, dead cows, dead horses that are on the side of the road are picked up by the local council, the council for that area is informed & a garbage truck goes & gets the dead animal off the rd within 24hr & it’s put into the garbage truck, then it’s taken to the tip & if its a dead dog or dead cat the animal is scanned for a microchip & owner is notified, if there’s no Micro Chip the cat or dog is throwned into the garbage truck & taken to the local tip…
I’d say America probably does the same thing, all road kill probably ends up as land fill…
I hope it does cause Patch eats American made kibble, he seems to do better with his IBD then the Australian made grain free formula’s, he does OK on some Australian made grain dry kibbles but better with the Potato, Sweet potato grain free US kibbles.

I use my nose, as soon as I open a new bag of kibble I smell it, some kibbles smell OK when the kibble bags is first opened, then after 1-2 weeks I re smell the kibble thats in air tight containers & some kibbles starts to have an “awful” off meat smell & of cause Patch likes this kibble BUT I throw it out or I take it back to the Pet shop it’s an expensive brand, But Wellness & Canidae kibbles always stay & smell the same as they smelt when I first opened up the kibble bag, they dont smell worse after 2-3 weeks, where some Australian, made kibbles smelt awful & I’ve noticed the ones that were Fish started to get a rotten fishy smell after 2 weeks…

Start smelling your dry kibble from the day you open the bag then after it’s been in Air tight container or in it’s orginal kibble bag & see does the smell stay the same or get worse??
Then you’ll know rotten rendered meats were used, I think the kibbles that start to smell of rotten meat after 1-2 weeks have use rendered rotten meats….

How’s your sick dog going? I don’t know his name, is he doing much better now he’s on the different Pro Plan Sensitive kibble?
He might be like Patch, very sensitive & they know straight away when something isnt right with their food, cause a few American brands of kibble that ended up on the high toxins & contaminates list, Patch ate & became unwell after he ate those formula’s..
I use to feed fish thru the Summer months cause of Patches allergies then I’d rotate & feed Lamb or Pork thru the Winter months…

So sometimes toxins & contaminates play a big part in making our pets ill & die..

[Stephanie S]

For anyone who has their dog on (or is considering putting their dog on) Taste of the Wild dog food, beware! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

Stay away from TOTW dog food!!

[Stephanie S]

Jessica – if you still have your puppy on Taste of the Wild dog food, please stop immediately! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! On August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

If your puppy has experienced vomiting and/or having bloody diarrhea since starting TOTW, please file a Pet Food Report via the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine Safety Reporting Portal at http://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov. You also need to contact your state’s Bureau Chief with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and report your dog’s illness. You can find the contact information of your state’s Bureau Chief at http://www.aafco.org/Regulatory/State-Information. The Bureau Chiefs are also reporting issues to and working with the FDA Complaint Coordinators and both organizations need as much information as possible.

[Stephanie S]

For anyone who has their dog on (or is considering putting their dog on) Taste of the Wild dog food, beware! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

So stay away from TOTW dog food!!

[Stephanie S]

For anyone who has their dog on (or is considering putting their dog on) Taste of the Wild dog food, beware! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

So stay away from TOTW dog food!!

[Stephanie S]

For anyone who has their dog on (or is considering putting their dog on) Taste of the Wild dog food, beware! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

So stay away from TOTW dog food!!

[Stephanie S]

For anyone who has their dog on (or is considering putting their dog on) Taste of the Wild dog food, beware! There is an active Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

Stay away from TOTW dog food!!

[Stephanie S]

Diamond Taste of the Wild Class Action Lawsuit!

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have (had) been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

So stay away from TOTW dog food!!

[Stephanie S]

Due to food allergies, my two dogs have been on TOTW Pacific Stream for years. In June, 2018, my dogs became extremely ill (vomiting, bloody diarrhea) following two feedings from a newly opened bag. Three months and over $4,000 in vet bills later, my dogs are still trying to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. And, it is poison! You may already be aware, but on August 28, 2018, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Diamond Taste of the Wild dog food (http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-class-action-lawsuit/). TOTW’s Pacific Stream, Roasted Bison & Venison and the Puppy formulas have tested positive for arsenic, bpa, cadmum, mercury, lead, total pesticide and acrylamide. Many people have been posting complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com reporting symptoms similar to what my dogs are experiencing. Others are posting complaints regarding their dogs suddenly developing itching problems. A couple of people have even posted about their dogs dying after they began vomiting and having bloody diarrhea.

If your dog is experiencing problems, please file a Pet Food Report via the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine Safety Reporting Portal at http://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov. You also need to contact your state’s Bureau Chief with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and report your dog’s illness. You can find the contact information of your state’s Bureau Chief at http://www.aafco.org/Regulatory/State-Information. The Bureau Chiefs are also reporting issues to and working with the FDA Complaint Coordinators and both organizations need as much information as possible.

[doginlaw]

Thank you! I’m glad your dog is feeling better on the wet food! I talked to the vet about possible allergies and I still want to get him tested for them eventually. The other thing the vet mentioned was that the last time he had blood work done, his thyroid levels were low but they couldn’t tell if that was due to hypothyroidism or something else. (He’s also had some difficulty losing weight, even with a reduced amount of the Nulo senior food, but again it’s hard to tell if that’s his thyroid or he just hasn’t been active as much because of his hip dysplasia.) They took some blood for a thyroid panel so we’re waiting to hear back about that. I have heard that hypothyroidism can cause skin issues in dogs as well.

I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to ask about the best time to give him the taurine supplement, but the vet did recommend 1000 mg twice a day and mentioned “adding taurine to his meals” so I’m guessing it’s OK to give with food. (As an aside, something I’ve learned working at Pet Valu is that they do test the nutrient levels in their private brand, Performatrin, and they add taurine to their dog food if it doesn’t already contain a certain amount. We’ve had a few customers come in worried about grain-free food and heart disease and that was the company’s answer, so I thought I’d share that too in case it’s useful to anyone.)

The other thing the vet recommended was keeping him on a fish-based food because of the omega-3s. He’s crazy about anything with fish, so hopefully no problem there. 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Joanne,

when you look at the Ingredients in the Lamb & Rice formula & then the ingredients in the new Pro Plan Chicken & rice formula are the ingredients all the same? or are some of the ingredients further up or down the ingredient list??…or is there’s a few different ingredients in this Chicken & Rice formula that arent in the Lamb & Rice formula?
I’d say there’s another ingredient he is sensitive too cause he has eaten cooked chicken & is OK you can either take back teh Chicken & rice formula thats what I do lol so Patch can try another brand, I just say he wont eat it, Pet Shops have a Palability Guarantee money back.. then buy a new food & take maybe 2 weeks introducing the new formula…
I stay feeding 1/2 old formula & 1/2 new formula for 5 days..

It can take a 2-3 weeks for a dog to get use to a new kibble, my boy had bad farts for 2-3 weeks when I introduced Canidae Pure Wild dry kibble again, he had eaten this formula last year & the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior formula & same thing happened, bad farts for 2-3 weeks, he was clearing a room lol, it’s the Chickpeas they’re 5th Ingredient, he cant eat too many chickpeas & can NOT eat Lentils, as soon as I was introducing 1/2 Wellness Core & 1/2 Canidae Pure Wild the farts got worse, his poo’s were nice & firm still, it took about 2 weeks then farts were all gone & the small bag of Canidae was finished, so I bought a bag of Purina the new Pro Plan Opti Derma Adult 7+….
I liked the OptiDerma formula cause the fat is 13%max & Kcals are 348 per Cup & its a senior formula for skin problems, the only problem is the kibble size, they are tiny, very small kibbles, good for digesting but not real good when the dog has big mouth Patch loves them…
I’m up to 1/2 Wellness Core & 1/2 Pro Plan OptiDerma Senior & we have no farts, no bad gas so far, so this formula might be OK, fingers X Patch won’t get his acid reflux & his itchy skin subsides & I’ll see if its the Chicken in his Wellness Core formula thats made his skin allergies worse or its his Environment allergies from the trees in neigbours back yard, Patch normally does really well with his allergies thru Winter months but since moving here he’s been a mess this Winter, I also started him on Wellness Core in March cause I had run out of foods to feed him for his IBD & he was having a IBD flare so vet said look dont worry about his skin at the moment, we have to get his IBD under control & he does really well with Chicken & Turkey with his IBD/stomach but not with his paws & skin…

He loves getting a new food & I enjoy going to pet shops with him & looking online for new dog foods.. We are getting alot of new dog foods in Australia at the moment, Im still waiting for CANIDAE’s new Grain Free PURE Ancestral, Red Meat Formula, Raw Coated Dry Dog Food, With Lamb, Goat & Wild Boar..
BUT it has Lentils 6th ingredient 🙁 but I will still try it but VERY slowley over a 1 month period & I’ll see does he react..
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/
Good-Luck

[Susan]

Hi,
I just read my emails & I saw Luey Photo’s, if you click on the links in the email that DFA sends then the instagram link works…
He’s BEAUTIFUL, he’s all white & he has small black patch like my Patch has on his left eye & a bit of black on his right ear the same as my Patch has, I watched his video playing & he’s wearing his nappy & purple doggy pants, he looks so cute, soft & cuddly….

I wanted a Frenchie last year so I ran it by Patches vet & she told me, Oh no Susan not that breed, they have way too many health problems, she said you have been thru so much with Patch I wouldnt want you to have to go thru it all over again, she said this breed suffers with Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivities, Stomach & Bowel Problems, Breathing Problems cause of their short snout, becareful on hot days make he’s breathing OK…
My vet said the problem is inner breeding & breeding Frenchie who have health problems, greedy back yard breeders continue to breed sick Frenchies cause they can get $3000 in Australia….My vet said if you do still want to get one go thru a proper registered breeder who isnt breeding sick French Bulldogs…

In 2015, Frenchies were the fourth most popular registered dog in the United Kingdom and in the U.S. the sixth most popular AKC registered dog breed.They were rated the third most popular dog in Australia in 2017.

You posted.

“I was also making him white rice with chicken breast carrots peas spinach and zucchini. That actually constipated him for 2 days then it was back to the soft pieces of poop”.

did you continue to fed the white rice with chicken breast carrots peas spinach and zucchini when he was constiped?? and his poos went back to the soft pieces of poop? or did you change his diet & feed him something else cause he was constipated & you wanted him to poo??
You may have answered your own question, you might have to do elimination food diet with cooked ingredients & do not feed any dry kibble at all & see if you add less white rice can you just get the meal right where he does 2 firm poos?? not constipated & no pieces of poo…
You need a vet who knows alot about Intestinal problems… In Australia we don’t have Specialist vets like in America, our vets who have a passion for certain health problems continue to study about certain health problems & then we pay the same price to see a vet that knows more about a particular health problem, when you ring to book a vet visit we are asked why does your dog need to see a vet? then the lady says Oh I’ll book you in with such & such vet cause he knows about Intestinal health or Skin allergies..
You need a vet that wants to learn more & becomes very interested in whats wrong with Luey & helps him…Like what happened with my Patch…

[Sabrina H]

I saw yet another vet and she insisted it was environmental allergies. She wasn’t at all concerned with the ear problem since there’s nothing visibly wrong and he’s had it for so long, and she didn’t seem to care much about the itchiness simply because he didn’t scratch during the vet appointment. I strongly dislike this vet. I took my cat to her and disliked her so much that I went to another clinic in a completely different town, yet somehow she ended up being there too. She wouldn’t even entertain the idea of it being a food allergy and just told me to try Benedryl. The Benedryl did seem to help the ear issue and switching his food to Zignature Turkey (my local feed store has a great price!) helped the anal gland problem. Even though it’s 6% fiber, this food doesn’t cause him issues like the 5.5% fiber foods did. He’s still itchy though! I’m thinking maybe pork is a problem. It seems like he gets aggressively itchy any time he has pork, and meat from domestic pigs makes him itchier than wild boar.

[Susan]

Hi
if your vet has “prescribed” the Omeprazole 20mg please try it, it may not of agreed with you but it might help your little man, if not ask vet to try Pantoprazole instead, natural doesn’t work for acid reflux, I tried natural (Slippery Elm) + Zantac for 2 yrs & NOT tried Patch on the Omeprazole cause its a PPI, then my vet said to me, its all about quality of life Susan & he is having 5 bad days a week, maybe 2 good days a week if he’s lucky, so I started Patch on 10mg Omeprazole in morning & the other 10mg at before night, but in the end these PPI drugs work best given in 1 dose in the a morning & they last 24 hours… I gave Omeprazole for 10 days with 200mg Metronidazole twice a day aswell to kill any bacteria in gut & he was heaps better, I had my old happy Patch back again, then I stopped the Omperazole & Metronidazole & 2-3 days later Patch started having a licking & grinding attacks again, so I only gave him the Omeprazole for 2-3 days when he needed it & was having an acid attack then I stopped cause its a “PPI” but in the end Patch was heaps better while taking the Omeprazole so he stayed on it for 2 yrs & this year I had to changed him over too Pantoprazole in March cause he went down hill real bad again his flap isnt closing properly, Pantoprazole is what I take for my GORDS & my flap doesnt close properly either, I have to sleep sitting up & I raise PAtches head aswell at night while he sleeps, he’s started doing really well again when I changed him from 20mg Omeprazole to Pantoprazole 20mg once a day morning, BUT 2 days ago he had a bad licking attack after I had just posted a post to you lol, he had eaten these coconut lamb balls for Lunch he was fine the last 4 times he ate this healthy natural pet food for lunch but the other day it must have been too much fat & he wanted grass badly crying at the back door having a panic attack to get out..
I keep grass inside in water so if he needs grasss badly at night I have some I have picked on walks & washed, I dry the grass blade & give 1 pieces at a time not too much, the grass in water only lasts about 4 days then goes yellow… I find the Quick Eze Chews work the best he gets instant results, I told my vet & she said if its working then do what helps him..
We are seeing vet tomorrow morning, he’s getting a Dexafort injection for his skin allergies but I dont want to do it, I read all the side effects 🙁 the vet wanted to do this Dexafort injection back in March & I said not yet, I want to fix his stomach first.. but Spring has come early & its hot already here in Australia & Im not putting him thru another itchy Summer & then he reacted badly with a IBD flare attacked with his stomach & Esophagus.. last Nov thru to March this year.
It’s VERY stressful seeing the dog you love suffer….
I hope he gets better soon…