[InkedMarie]

I personally wouldn’t bother with allergy testing. When my now 7 yr old dog was four months old, he started ith ear infections. An online friend gave me a list of ingredients to keep away from: chicken, corn, wheat, soy, rice & flax. I found out that he can have organic flaxseed, none of the rest but no yeast. Its lol trial and error.

He eats half raw and I was hopeful that raw chicken would be fine but its not. Oh, well.

[NectarMom]

I work for a vet and even if you decide to do the allergy testing it is not 100% accurate and cost at my vet is $270. There is no perfect kibble out there and with Raw from my expierence my dogs cannot handle high fat Raw so we are going to try low fat Raw meat such as Rabbit and Young beef but we will not be adding any veggies due to my dogs right now are smelling of yeast more so than they ever have and from what I have heard from a long time Raw feeder CO is that some veggies such as carrot have sugar in it and that just feeds yeast. Its all trial and error and just doing research and learning what your dogs can tollerate.

[Wwhorse13]

Hi all,

I will try to make this as short as possible. I have a 4.5 year old male Irish Setter who has always had a pretty sensitive stomach. Back in February he started having diarrhea with a bit of blood in it and wasn’t as excited to eat as he usually is. He was put on metronidazole for five days and it cleared up. A few days after he was off the metro, he had diarrhea again. We did blood work which showed everything looked great but his amylase and lipase were elevated (not SUPER elevated like in pancreatitis but still elevated). The vet put him on Hills Prescription Diet I/D Low Fat and prescribed metronidazole and metoclopramide for about a month. He did great during that month, ate great, great stool, etc. Retested blood work at the end of the month and it was back to normal. However, a few days off of the metronidazole, he started having diarrhea again. We did an X-ray and ultra sound and both looked normal. Retested bloodwork a bit later and the lipase and amylase were elevated again. The vet thought it was more likely elevated because of inflammation and irritation in his stomach. We put him on Forti-Flora and it cleared up the diarrhea!! However, like 5 days later he started vomiting! It usually happened early in the morning (like 5:30am) and it was yellow, bile — sometimes if he wretched enough, it would have a tiny bit of blood in it.

We had him allergy tested via bloodwork and it showed that he was positive (allergic) to barley, beef, beets, lamb, cow’s milk, oats, pork, venison, yeast, banana, green beens and borderline for white potato.
So he is totally fine with things like chicken, fish, corn, sweet potato, etc

They gave me a list of dog foods he could eat but I am worried about all of them! Here is the food:

Active Care Healthy Joint Formula Chicken & Rice HPP Prescription Diet H/D
Hills Prescription Diet Z/D Ultra Allergen Free
Hills Prescription Diet D/D Rice & Egg
Hills Prescription Diet T/D Small Bites
California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice
California Natural Low Fat Rice & Chicken Meal NCN California Natural Grain Free Salmon & Snow Peas
Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Turkey Meal Formula
Purina Veterinary Diet HA-Formula
Royal Canin Vet Diet Early Cardiac
Royal Canin Vet Diet Anallergenic
Hills Prescription Diet C/D
Hills Prescription Diet T/D
Hills Prescription Diet J/D
Hills Prescription Diet J/D Small Bites HPP SD Adult Oral Care
California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice Puppy NCN California Natural Grain Free Chicken
California Natural Kangaroo & Red Lentils PNV Instinct LID Duck Meal Formula
Royal Canin Therapeutic Kangaroo & Sweet Potato RCW Vet Diet Urinary SO
Thrive

So here are my issues. I think the Hills Prescription foods have such junky ingredients! So many carbs in them! California Natural scares me to death because of all the recalls P&G have been having. Royal Canin I think is probably fine, but the more prescriptioney type stuff is loaded with junk, too. Nature’s Variety is also owned by P&G and I hate P&G as a company. Active Care appears to be ‘okay’ but I have NEVER heard of it before and don’t know anything about it!

I am so lost at what to do! I want to help him and if I knew that what they say he is allergic to is actually what is causing him issues, then I would switch. I just want him on a healthy food but none of those seem terribly healthy!! Any comments, suggests, support would be SO GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

[NectarMom]

I totally missed the phone number on the site but Tracy called me this afternoon and told me what I needed to do. Shes very knowledgable on the Raw topic. I placed my order for ground Rabbit and Rabbits small chunks and some ground Sardines. She recommended no veggies or fruits. I think she is right on the fruits and veggies being that even some veggies have some amounts of sugar and when trying to clear up yeast issues it is best to stay clear of them and she said they are not a part of a wolves diet in the wild so same for dogs. The Rabbit was the lowest fat and next would be young beef which we will offer that at a later time. Tracy said a month at least on the Rabbit then slowly introduce beef and the other meats but she said my girls need to build up their systems on Lean raw before we offer other proteins.

You are correct Patty, Goat is not a low fat but it isn’t really high either. Tracy recommended Rabbit for now since it is a white meat and eventually we will need to feed a red meat. I just wonder if I can use Steve Browns mix with the Rabbit or would that be over kill? I bought 3 bags a while back and need to use them. They are in my freezer right now.

[NectarMom]

I have a few questions. I know my dogs cannot handle high fat in raw and I am going to keep them on Brothers Turkey and Egg as the main diet and they have been back on Brothers for 6 weeks but they just smell so yeasty even though they get their tea tree and aloe baths and they are itchy and chew the heck out of their feet. I know since our Pancreatitis episode we have to get past the Candida yeast again since antibiotics but I feel if I just start them off slowly on lean young beef with Steves topper for the added vitamins mixed with the lean young beef that they might benefit from that quicker than just being on kibble 100% of the time?? I would order it from My Pet Carnivore. They just smelled so different than when on kibble. Am I trying to fix this sooner or do you feel this would be ok to try in small amounts?? Please I seriously need some help here.

[Annette]

My dogs started out with same problems you mention. I got them when they were about 3 months and everything was fine. When about a year old they began having problems with loose stools/diarrhea. Switched their food a few times over next 1/2 year. Vet thought allergies and through process of elimination found my dog Gracie had allergies to things like artificial flavors and grains. George improved a little but then began to have frequent ear infections. Ended up using a limited ingredient diet but George just kept getting loose stools/ear infections, then began having yeast and bacterial skin infections. Turns out George has allergies to artificial ingredients, certain proteins (lamb & chicken for sure), grains, potatoes, peanut butter, and unknown outdoor allergies. After blowing up my brain with all kinds of research and having an extensive talk with the vet, I put both dogs on a low glycemic, organic, grain free diet (Nutrisca Salmon & Chickpea dog food). George began improving within 4-6 weeks but, I did have stay on top of things by keeping him bathed, daily ear cleanings, etc. At that point I began to add organic coconut oil into his diet. It is 1/2 tsp per 10 lbs but you must do it gradually or they will get gas and greasy loose stools. I have mastiff mixed breeds (110 lbs) so I started with a teaspoon and gradually increased about every 3 days or so. George’s skin and ears have improved greatly and no more diarrhea! This is the first time ever in 2 yrs I have gotten to a 3 month point without seeing the vet! (I should mention that they get a little fish oil and the treats I give them are organic, grain & potato free – made with pumpkin and turkey and they like them.) I will be adding some probiotics into their diet this month but haven’t decided exactly what brand yet, I’ll talk to the vet about it when he goes in for his shots. These things may or may not work for you but worth a shot.
Anyway, the site I found most helpful (besides Dog Food Advisor) was the Whole Dog Journal. I could have saved my brain a lot of damage by looking at them first. They had a canine allergy download that explained canine allergy issues thoroughly and in a way I could understand so that I could have meaningful discussions with my vet. I am less frazzled now and feel I have a better handle on helping my dog live a healthier life. Lol, did that just sound like an ad for them? If, knock on wood, we have George’s food issues pretty well cleared up then we’ll be tackling the outdoor allergen issues next. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[harpersmom]

Can anyone suggest great supplements for a 4.5 year old, Otherwise Very Healthy ,Female Akita who just had TPLO surgery, and will go back in in 8 weeks for the other leg? She’s no dummy, naturally cutting back her own calories when free feeding kibble- due to the reduction in energies spent. I feed Wellness kibble along with a Multitude of Fresh proteins & whole foods. I rotate, advocating variety: chicken, buffalo, salmon, mackerel, fresh caught river trout , a bit of seaweed for iodine, raw farm fresh eggs, some cooked whole grains (everything from barley to quinoa to oatmeal, i rotate), some greens, some fruit & veggies (avocado yesterday). I give a Fish Sourced Omega Oil supplement w/dha (extra now, for inflammation), glucosamine/chondroitin MSM, I’m making fresh chicken broth to give her collagen, and mixing the broth with gelatin for chicken blox treats. Extra protein right now for healing skin, ligaments, muscle. Normal supplements include daily and rotated treats, too: brewer’s yeast, marrow bones, cultured dairy (she LOVES my homemade creme fraiche and yoghurt), probiotics (daily, especially since she’s on antibiotics right now…wellness kibble has prebiotics in it, too), seasonally: fresh raw local honey w/pollen for allergies. Perhaps i’m leaving some basic vit/min supplements off this list, but are there any supplements that will specifically aid in healing, recover, address inflammation, or help reduce pain that i’m missing? The vet has her on Rimadyl, antibiotics, tramadol. Thank you… And if you’ve personally gone through a TPLO with a Big, Young, Active dog, i’d LOVE to ask you some very specific questions, if anyone has the time… I appreciate your help.

[mah4angel]

Louie had his dental cleaning today and we were told that his pre-exam testing showed elevated liver levels (I think she said enzymes) and were prescribed a liver supplement called S-Adenosyl-225 or Denamarin SAMe (225 mg).
I tried asking the vet what could have caused his liver (enzyme?) spike (ALT/SGPT at 149 U/L, 100 is the cap) and she suggested it could be early liver disease, could be something he ate recently, it’s hard to tell without diagnostics.
What else can cause this spike? What else can I do to prevent this from happening again/care for his liver? He also has another ear infection, which sucks. But I think the original vet we went to probably under-prescribed the cortisone drops (Otomax with yeast and bacteria treatment), and did not instruct us to use/prescribe us an ear cleanser. So, that might have caused some of the problem.
Anyway, I don’t want my dog to have liver problems in the future, and I’d appreciate any suggestions you lovely dog enthusiasts have to offer.
Thanks so much 😀

[InkedMarie]

Cindy, HDM knows more about animal nutrition than I’ll ever know. Still on my iPad, will jump on the computer later and change the title. Why I made this list is because dogs with yeast issues tend to do better on foods without white potato or grains.

[Dustin-R]

Hello All,
I just found this site. It has a great wealth if information. I still am wondering about food for my 12 week Rottweiler. The breeder was feeding Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy , and I have continued feeding this since I picked him up at 8 weeks. I was wondering what would be recommended as a better food for him? It is stated as 36% protein, 16% fat, 6% max crude fiber, 10% moisture max, 1% calcium max , .9% phosphorus, .1% DHA, .9% omega 3 fatty acids. 3% omega 6 fatty acids. I have a TSC, PETCO, and Petsmart that are local. I would prefer local as to online. I would buy online if that was my only means to get what I needed for Him. I would also like to know what would be recommended when he is older.
Thanks
Dustin R

Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Tapioca Starch,Peas,Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene),Dried Egg, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Potatoes, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids),Alfalfa Meal, Potato Starch, Whole Carrots,Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass,Dried Parsley,Dried Kelp,Taurine,Yucca Schidigera Extract,L-Carnitine, L-Lysine,Turmeric,Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene,Vitamin A Supplement,Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1),Riboflavin (Vitamin B2),Niacin (Vitamin B3),d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6),Biotin (Vitamin B7),Folic Acid (Vitamin B9),Vitamin B12 Supplement,Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C),Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement,Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate,Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate,Choline Chloride,Sodium Selenite,Calcium Iodate,Salt,Caramel,Potassium Chloride,Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product,Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product,Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product

[Cavalierluvr]

Ok All, I purchased the Mercola Probitotic but haven’t started it yet because I wanted to continue with the Forti Flora and see if there was any change in his stool with the yeast amount. There was not. I told my vet about the Mercola product and he took the info and said he wanted to check into it to see if it was a good product. I just spoke with him and he said he called Mercola and they were very vague, he asked if any studies have been done on the product because he wants to make sure the bacteria are actually live, like they claim etc. He said he was put on hold for 11 minutes and they never picked him back up. This makes me a little nervous. Has anyone really used this for any length of time and seen good results? He said the only other probiotic he would recommend is Pro-Viable. I have not done research on that as of yet.

[theBCnut]

Forti Flora has very few strains of different probiotics and when you need to get yeast under control, using as many strains as possible is better. Swansons has a really good probiotic called Dr. Langers and it has a really nice price tag too. You pay a lot more when it is marketed to pets, but human probiotics are good for pets too.

Carbs in the diet feed yeast so getting your dog on a low carb diet is important, but you may need to switch over a month or so instead of the usual week or so. I highly recommend Brothers Complete for dogs with yeast problems. Their foods were specifically designed for dogs with these types of problems.

[DieselJunki]

I’m not sure the Purina would really help anything (It’s an awful food in my opinion)… I would put him back on the Fromms. The Fromms is at least a much better kibble and then add in a probiotic. I use the Mercola one’s but if price is an issue for you the Swanson one’s would definitely be cheaper per dose.

I heard you say he doesn’t like to eat sometimes, Hound Dog Mom suggested Trippet for my puppy when he was a picky eater. A couple spoonfuls and he was chowing down!

Vets really aren’t all that great when it comes to the nutritional requirements of a dog. If all else fails and you can’t get the yeast under control think about raw. I’ve heard many stories where feeding raw helped allergies, smelly dogs, yeasty dogs, ear infections, ect. Not that it fixes all problems but I believe what I read was that kibble is full of carbs that contribute to feeding the yeast.

[Cavalierluvr]

Hi All,

I am thinking of putting Jasper on a probiotic. The vet found that Jasper has a lot of yeast in his stool. He currently put him on Purina Veterinary FortiFlora. The vet said that once the yeast clears he should not have to remain on a probiotic, but I am thinking it might be a good idea. Jasper has had several bouts of not wanting to eat his food, and will eat grass and vomit the grass/bile. On a really bad day, he refuses to eat at all. On a normal day he is so excited to eat. I’ve tried a few different foods, but he was mainly on Fromm Gold, and Canidae Lamb and Rice. He was on the Canidae since late summer when finally in March he started to not want to eat and wanted grass and to throw up. I tried Zignature, but he didn’t seem to do well…I finally put him on Fromm Beef and Veg GF. Then we ended up at the vet. He said not to switch foods right now and to use the probiotic. After doing research, I would like to eventually get him on a Grain Free/Potato free diet and add a probitoic daily. I’ve read about Probiotic Miracle and Wholistic Pet Digest. Is anyone familiar with either one of these and if so…would you recommend it…or is there something better?

[theBCnut]

I started by googling homemade dog food and went with the yeast starvation diet since it only needed a very limited number of things added to it. That gave me time to do more research. I started out using raw as a topper to their kibble and then I moved to feeding one meal raw, the other kibble. like Sandy, I’m the only one in the house that is willing to give raw meet to the dogs so mine or also still on kibble too, just in case.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Okay I just posted a long response and – naturally – it went right to the spam folder.

I would recommend visiting healthypets.mercola.com – this is the website for holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker. Read the following articles:
1. Vestibular Disease in Dogs: Symptoms and Proper Treatment
2. Ear Infection: Number 1 Reason Dogs Visit the Vet
3. Help Your Dog Overcome These Three Common Dog Allergies
4. Does Your Pet Have Allergies? What You Need to Know and Do
5. How to Manage Your Pet’s Allergies
6. Eating These Foods Can Cause Dog Yeast Infection
(I’d post the direct links, but I think the links are what sent my previous post to the spam folder).

Have you tried any alternative treatments? Often drugs will clear up the symptoms for a time, but they don’t treat the underlying cause so the issues will be recurring. It’s important to make diet and lifestyle changes to permanently eliminate the issue – especially in the case of allergies, yeast infections and chronic ear infections. What is your dog eating? Is he on a high quality probiotic supplement? Antibiotics wipe out gut flora and balance of strong gut flora is necessary to help overcome allergies and keep the immune system strong. BTW – if his allergies are food related an allergy test likely won’t give you accurate results. The only way to properly diagnose a food allergy is through an elimination diet, allergy tests are very inaccurate.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Bernie831 –

Here are some articles on chronic ear infections, vestibular disease and allergies from Dr. Karen Becker that I strongly recommend you read:

<i>Canine Vestibular Disease</i>
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/04/canine-vestibular-disease.aspx

<i>Does Your Pet Have Allergies? What You Need to Know and Do</i>
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/07/02/does-your-pet-have-allergies-what-you-need-to-know-and-do.aspx

<i>Ear Infection: Number 1 Reason Dogs Visited the Vet in 2011</i>
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/07/02/top-10-dog-medical-conditions.aspx

<i>Tips For Keeping Your Pet’s Ears Healthy</i>
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/06/25/how-to-care-for-your-pet-s-ears.aspx

<i>Yeast</i>
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

You’ve got your dog on a lot of medications. Have you tried any alternative treatments (change in diet, supplementation, etc)? You’ve had your dog on several antibiotics, antihistamines, etc. – often drugs only treat the symptoms and not the underlying cause, so you may find that his problems will be recurring without a change in diet/lifestyle. Also, is he on a quality probiotic supplement? After being on so many various antibiotics this is important – antibiotics will wipe out his gut flora and a healthy gut is key to avoiding allergies and keeping the immune system strong. BTW – what does he eat? Sorry for all the questions.

That’s all I’ve got – I haven’t had any personal experience with these issues (that god). Maybe someone will pop in with some more input.

[Bernie831]

Hello everyone, we are having such a tough time with Bernie our 4.5 welsh terrier. Let me just say since a puppy we have had constance ear problems and stomach problems. He at one point had a yeast infection in his paw from constant licking and chewing- he was probably between 2/3 but it resolved with medication. I will now start with the most recent issues.

Sept 2012 he had a vestibular episode. I thought he was having a stroke. He could barely stand, very wobbly, couldn’t really walk, his eyes were rapidly moving back and forth so we rushed him to the emergency vet. they kept him over night and they explained it was doggie veritgo and he was safe in a padded cage (if you can imagine how scary this night was for him and myself) and they gave him medication to keep him calm till morning. we then had a nuero consult and he said it was probably a middle ear issue and decided to go in there with the digital boroscope and check things out. He cleaned his ears out really good, saying the left one was worse but no further testing was needed- ear drum was intact and an MRI could be helpful (very expensive) but he didn’t feel it was necessary.
About 2 months in late december he started acting up again. constantly circling(alway to the left) rubbing his head on walls, in the shower, on the carpet. His seemed to not hear as well (which was hard with welshies b/c they are so stubborn but I knew he wasn’t hearing me the same) He just wasn’t reacting the same to sounds basically. So we took him to our personal vet, and she immediately said to consult with a nuero vet again. Her biggest concern was his eye pupils were not reacting to light, they didn’t dialate or constrict when light was shined into them. So we went to a nuerologist and he recommended an MRI, spinal tap, and Myringothomy. That was all to rule out any tumor, lesion, as well as rule out any bacterial infections in the ear itself. All MRI /spinal tap CSF fuild tests came back clear thank god but it did show inflammation to his brain showing some concern. But he put us on antiobiotics (Zenaquin 50mg) and we waited for the culture of the middle ear to come back. It came back clear -no active sign of bacterial infection. We stayed on meds and about a month later inflammation in his left ear still present and starting to act up again. Bernie didn’t have alot of “stuff” in his ear mainly inflammation seen by the nuero in his check ups causing discomfort. So our nuerologist switched antibiotics thinking the one he was on (zeniquin) he was resistant too. So we switched to another one and tried that for about a month (calvamox). Slight improvement, not much and his left ear was right back to where it was when we started after a few week check up follow the med change. So the nuerologist gave us two options, try another antibiotic randomly or do another myringothomy and try to get a culture that would show us the correct meds to use. I am a very inpatient person and trying another random medicine wasn’t good for me so we go back in to the middle ear and try to get another sample. AGAIN, culture taken and no sign of bacteria or infection in the middle ear. So then my doctor calls saying it could simple be an allergy and prescribed an antihistime and see him a week.

So I was very frustrated and decided to make an appointment with a skin specialist to get allergy testing. He overlooked Bernie’s records and prescribed Atopica- an immunosuppressent drug. and we will do skin testing in 2 weeks.

Bernie is doing okay, seems to be doing better but I’m just afraid I’m not doing all that I can to take care of all this. ANYONE had any experience with chronic ear infections, vestibular disease, allergies, etc……I just need any advice or support in all our efforts to make sure we are doing the right thing!!!

[puppylove]

We have had good results with Solid Gold, but our shihpoo developed yeast, still trying to figure out the problem. The pet food store worker said that Solid Gold had the highest protein value, but after reading this blog, I’ve learned there’s a lot to learn about dog food and the tricks of the industry.

[theBCnut]

Including shipping they top $4 a pound for me. I use some Darwin’s, but not all. When I started feeding raw, I googled homemade dog food and found DinOvite. It was an easy way to get started. I used their Yeast Starvation Diet for a bit while I read up on feeding raw. It’s a very easy recipe and I still make it occassionally with some modifications. There are a few premixes and vitamin/mineral mixes that are made to be mixed with either boneless meat or grinds that are also an easy way to get started. These are more expensive than doing it all from scratch, but less expensive than premade balanced raw diets.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Poor guy! If it were me, I’d probably do some fish oil, joint support, anti-inflammatories, antioxidants and enzymes.

Vet’s Best has a supplement called “Active Senior Aging Support” that doesn’t look too bad. It has glucosamine, msm, vitamin c, l-carnitine, l-taurine, CoQ10, lycopene, vitamin e, brewer’s yeast, fish oil, spirulina, papaya extract (papain), pineapple extract (bromelain), lecithin, chlorella, cranberry extract, acai extract, bee pollen, goji berry extract, grapeseed extract, pomegranate extract, bilberry extract, dunaliella salina sea algae extract, milk thistle extract and pygeum extract.

BTW – just got in a little of little black pug mixes at my shelter. Soo adorable. Not sure what they’re mixed with but they’re very “puggy.”

[theBCnut]

My dog with yeast, grain intolerance, and IBS issues got probiotics and enzymes with his raw and kibble until he was no longer showing symptoms for a while. Now he gets them a few times a week like the other dogs. I’m like Sandy, I feed whatever I grab out of the freezer. I do make a point of not putting the same stuff side by side in the freezer. My dogs get a different raw every day, but when I started, I fed beef for a week and then added in chicken, then turkey and pork. Now I feed about 8 different proteins, but I make sure I feed fish once a week, tripe once a week, and raw meaty bones two or three times a week.

[NectarMom]

I know you don’t mean no disrespect Marie, I was trying to replace a can food that I did not like one ingredient in it and probably jumped the gun. I thought I was going about it slow which is why they only got 1 tsp each. I am not feeding kibble anymore but just wanted a little extra for the girls and that is the reason for the can food. I think what I will do is just do the raw twice a day and in between the feedings give them a marrow bone to chew on. Probably best if the least Variety right now I give them the better since they are so sensitive to change. We do transition slow so we don’t have that issue but from what Darwin’s told me a tsp of food is really not enough to make a dogs system react like that unless it just plain did not agree with them. I need to just stick to Raw. Thanks for your reply 🙂

We have been on Darwin’s since March 14th and just stopped the Brothers Allergy kibble about 3-4 days ago so my main concern is the acid reflux and I am trying to narrow that down. We were on Brothers for 8 months and itching did not stop nor yeasty smell on the skin and acid reflux and they would not eat the Brothers without can food mixed with it so really I have not switched foods a lot.

[marcella1]

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

[theBCnut]

DinOvite is a powdered whole food supplement that is primarily flax and kelp. I’ve used it in their Yeast Starvation Diet as half of my dogs daily food and had great results, but I haven’t used it added to a regular kibble. I liked it well enough that I will use it again. You do need to add fish oil to it.

[theBCnut]

When my dog was diagnosed with epilepsy, the first thing my vet told me to do was to make sure my food had no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The second was to look for sources of MSG such as natural flavor, broth, citric acid, brewers yeast, etc. The third thing was to eliminate chemicals he could come in contact with as much as possible, insecticides, fertilizers, and cleaning chemicals. The fourth was to eliminate or mitigate stress as much as possible. Every epilepsy dog has a threshhold level, when they are pushed over their threshhold, they seizure. The trick is to reduce the things that keep them near their threshhold so it takes more to trigger a seizure.

[NectarMom]

WOW I did not know that about Apple Cider Vinegar. I am currently giving my parrot ( my vets instructions) 15ml to one quart of water as his sole drinking water for 10 days because he had slight yeast in his crop. Interesting topic about the Vinegar. HDM Thanks so much for your wealth of info 🙂

InkedMarie I am going to go check that out …Thanks

[Jackie B]

While switching to quality food was all my poodle needed, I came across some things relevant to your issue.

Water in the ears encourages ear infections, so if she’s swimming a lot that could be an issue.
Zymox shampoos and ear cleansers are highly helpful for skin conditions.
Watch your treats also– many dog treats are total garbage.

[theBCnut]

I have a yeasty, allergy dog on Brother’s Complete Allergy, too. He started on it in the same timeframe as yours, back at the beginning of September. I’ve found he can’t handle grains at all, he can’t handle much starch, and he may be sensitive to some chicken, but not all. To give him a little variety, I feed some raw food(with Richard’s blessing). I get some from Darwin’s, beef, turkey, and duck. And I also order from Hare Today, rabbit, goat, mutton, things I know don’t bother him. Yesterday, I got my first order from My Pet Carnivore. I also get tripe and a few kinds of fish. The key is learning what proteins your dog is having issues with and staying away from them.

[DogFoodie]

LOL, Patty! : )

I did have to give up on one co-worker who insisted that she was going to stick with Nature’s Recipe chicken, no matter what. I talked her into at least trying the grain free version and she insisted that her Cocker Spaniel (whose poor ears are so yeasty, red and swollen shut) got so much worse when she switched them to the grain free version. Forget trying to talk about the detox process with her ~ despite the fact that the majority of our “clients” are addicts. She’s stubborn… at least she was willing to try something different, that makes me think maybe she’d try something different again some day. She did add Greek yogurt to the Cockers diet and was happy that it seemed to help some of the paw licking and contributed to some regrowth of fur. It’s a start.

Convincing your friend to switch from Diamond was a great move on her part. A part of me felt bad giving my other friend the Solid Gold food, knowing it’s a Diamond product, but it’s a decent product otherwise and I wasn’t going to use it. I had bought a couple of bags of it once at Petflow.com. I always grab their cheap “trial” offers of products ~ the Wee Bit for $3.99 for a four pound bag and the regular price is $13.99.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi donnaf –

I’m not sure if a change of food will help “wet dog” smell, but Iams is a pretty low quality food so changing would definitely be a good idea. As far as specific recommendations, I’m not sure where you shop, how much you’re willing to spend or what type(s) of food(s) you’re willing to feed (kibble, canned, dehydrated, raw, etc.) – so recommending a particular food would be difficult. The recommended 4 and 5 star rated foods would be a good place to start – you’ll find all different types of foods with all different price ranges so I’m sure you can find something to suit your needs. I’ve personally noticed that on less processed foods my dogs tend to smell better. Since I’ve switched to raw they have almost no odor on their fur or breath.

Now, just for clarification – I know you’re describing the smell as “wet dog,” but does it smell at all like moldy bread, cheese popcorn or fritos? Because that’s a whole new issue. Some dogs (like goldens) who have long hair can tend to be naturally stinky, but a dog with a moldy bread/frito smell may have a yeast infection which would require more specific dietary changes.

[NectarMom]

I use Earth Bath ( Tea tree and Aloe) This works awesome for my girls when winter weather can dry out their skin. I also use Mercola products but I find that just treating internal isn’t enough so using the Earth Bath helps a bunch. You puppy is too young for yeast problems but if he has it when he s adult Dr Karen Becker recommends 2 cups of white vinegar to 1 gallon of water. I just soaked one of my Chihuahuas feet in this mixture and then towel dried her feet ( do not rinse) and be careful not to get into the dogs eyes. My girl hasn’t licked her feet yet.

[NectarMom]

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”

[Melissaandcrew]

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-

[theBCnut]

I have used it as part of my dogs diet when he started showing multiple symptoms such as yeasty ears, nonstop scratching, mucousy stools, etc. I made their yeast starvation diet with a few tweaks and fed my dog that in the morning and Brothers Complete Allergy Formula in the evening. I was very pleased with my dogs progress. It took about 2 1/2 months for him to be completely better, but you wouldn’t know he had a problem now. I have never used DinOvite as a supplement to regular kibble.

[aimee]

Hi Mary Lou!

Sorry for the late reply.. I was out of town for a few days. Glad the link helped!

[DogFoodie]

Thank you so much, Sandy! I was hoping you’d also chime in. : ) Those are all great recommendations.

I’m so glad my friend is willing to switch foods. I think what she’s feeding actually contains some of the allergens that are problematic for her dog. Thank you both, Jan and Sandy, so much for your help!

I also happened to read this, posted by Hound Dog Mom recently to someone else whose dog has yeast issues and thought it would be great advice for my friend as well:

“I would recommend adding a high quality multi-strain probiotic – probiotics are “good” bacteria that will help keep the “bad” bacteria (like yeast) in check. I would also add a supplement with natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial anti-parasitic and anti-viral properties. Some good options would be coconut oil (organic virgin), oil of oregano or fresh minced garlic (make sure you give an appropriate amount of garlic and don’t give for more than 3-4 days consecutively, take at least 2 days off after every 3-4 day cycle). If your dog has yeast on her paws (or any other area, such as the ears) they should be disinfected daily. Soak the paws in a solution of 1 gallon water, 1-4 cups of white vinegar and 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Clean the ears with 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part witch hazel. If the whole body is infected with yeast bathe the dog in a natural anti-fungal shampoo – I would look for a tea tree oil shampoo, avoid oatmeal shampoos as the oatmeal acts as food to the yeast. ”

I think those supplements are easy enough to add to her dog’s diet ~ easy enough that I think she’d actually do it!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Yes, it does contain corn.

Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier 28 Formula

Ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Brown Rice, Chicken Fat, Chicken, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Egg Powder, Barley, Natural Chicken Flavor, Cellulose, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Anchovy Oil, Dried Brewers Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Soya Oil, Fructo-oligosaccharides, Salmon Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Choline Chloride, Dried Brewers Yeast Extract (source of Mannan-oligosaccharides) , Taurine*, Vitamins [DL-Alpha Tocopherol (source of Vitamin E), Inositol, Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C*), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Magnesium Oxide, Borage Oil, Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Glucosamine Hydrochloride*, L-Carnitine*, DL-Methionine, Marigold Extract (Calendula officinalis L.), Tea (Green Tea Extract), Chondroitin Sulfate*, preserved with Natural Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Citric Acid and Rosemary Extract

Brewer’s Rice: Leftover debris from human-food production, no nutritional value.

Corn Gluten Meal: 85% of corn in the US is genetically modified, according to the NCAP corn gluten meal is “a by-product of processing corn to make corn starch and corn syrup.”; gluten is cheap and of low bioavailability and used to falsely boost the protein content of a food; corn is also highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination.

Natural Chicken Flavor: Source of MSG

Dried Beet Pulp: 95% of sugar beets grown in the US are Monsanto’s genetically-modified variety.

Dried Brewer’s Yeast: Potential source of MSG.

Soya Oil: 93% of soy is genetically modified.

And look at that huge long list of synthetic vitamins and minerals at the end – they need to add all those because the main ingredients are of little to no nutritional value.

If you can afford this, you can afford much better for your dog. You’re paying a premium price for a mediocre food.

[DogFoodie]

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!

[Mary Lou]

Hi Aimee ~ I had to register on here just to say thank you!! Dupree has been under the care of a dermatologist for two years. I wish I had known about the itchnot site earlier. What great info! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have some reading to do! : )

[aimee]

Hi KC,

I’d recommend you go to http://www.itchnot.com This is a website from a veterinary dermatologist and has loads of good information. On the left sidebar click on CE notes. The combination of “ears and rears” is apparently one of the hallmarks of food allergy! So when you mentioned that your dog’s belly and privates are very dark that rang a bell with me. You may want to see if your vet thinks a food allergy may be the problem.

Here is some info on doing a food trial. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

I did one with my dog.. his problems were GI related but we cleared the problem. Oh… when tested I found out that a lot of the “limited ingredient diets” you can purchase in stores have tested positive for proteins not on the label whereas the vet versions tested “clean” So If you are going to do a trial I’d use a vet version. Good Luck

[theBCnut]

I used Brothers Complete Allergy Formula for mine and he’s doing great. No vet visits and no drugs. The food costs more but not as much as my vet.

[tarancara]

Ugh, I have a Newfoundland with CONSTANT ear problems and I feed a no grain, but it’s kibble.. I’ve been thinking about going raw with my dogs diets but I’m vegan and the thought of actually handling the meat makes me ill. ( AT least with a kibble I can pretend 😉 )

[shelties mom]

My vet recommended this product to a client who said she couldn’t believe how effective and fast it cleared up her dog’s ear infection.

[panda]

Hi KC,

I’ve got the same ear problem with Bailey my 7 yr old yellow lab. He seems to favor his right ear. We have to clean his ears and put some stuff in it mostly every night. I’m going to see if I can get to the bottom of this. I’ll keep you posted.

paul

[KC-Cajun]

Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Thanks, that’s Gertie my 2 year old bloodhound. 🙂

You can get an avatar by going to en.gravatar.com.

[KC-Cajun]

Wow! Lots of info…thank you so much. I think I’ll try the Natures Variety Instinct since our local pet store carries it. She’s so sweet–I want her to be comfortable.

Nice avatar. We been babysitting our Beagle since 2007–she’s ours now, I guess :)–and we’re now crazy about hounds. Never knew they were as sweet as retrievers!

(By the way, how do you upload an avatar? Can’t find it in Profile.)

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi KC-Cajun –

If your dog is battling a yeast overgrowth the best thing to do is to eliminate (or limit as much as possible) grains (corn, rice, oats, etc.) and starches (white potato, tapioca, peas, etc.). Your best option – foodwise – would be to feed a home-prepared diet with no starchy ingredients, a canned food free of grains and starches, a freeze-dried food free of grains and starches or a dehydrated food free of grains and starches. Kibble is a bakery product so by nature it must contain starch in some form as a binder, kibble would therefore be your worst option. If you must feed kibble go with something high in protein (>35%) and white potato/grain-free – such as Orijen or Nature’s Variety Instinct. You may also want to go with a novel protein and avoid chicken (all Blue Wilderness formulas are primarily chicken-based), I’ve heard of this contributing to yeast in dogs that are sensitive to common proteins. I would also recommend supplementing your dog’s diet with a high quality multi-strain probiotic, yeast is a “bad” bacteria so feeding probiotics which are “good” bacteria can help get the yeast overgrowth under control. Some good options are: Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms (15 strains, plus enzymes and whole food nutrients), Garden of Life Primal Defense (12 strains plus whole food nutrients) or Mercola’s Probiotics (14 strains). Disinfect the ears with with witch hazel and cotton balls. Make sure all the debris is removed from the ears daily. Results won’t happen overnight, so once you get on a better food, start supplementing the diet and disinfecting the ears give it some time. It could take a month or two to get the yeast under control.

[KC-Cajun]

I have an 11-year-old Lab who has battled ear problems all of her life. The vet said it’s a yeast problem. Now she has some raw spots on her skin, the skin on her belly and privates is very dark, and she’s covered in lumps. I had a Golden before that never had lumps and only an occasional ear problem. I also have a 7-year-old Beagle who’s had exactly one ear infection in her entire life.

I changed her over to Blue Buffalo Salmon about 5 months ago and it seems to have eased up, but it’s still there. And I’ve spent THOUSANDS of dollars over the years on vet bills for the same problem, over and over again. (Vet #1 always found it necessary to run the same expensive tests every time I brought her in–“We can’t be sure it’s the same issue..”, and after 10 years, I switched to Vet #2. Vet #1 also charged $18 to examine their teeth {approximately 15.5 seconds}, but I digress…)

What can I do to cure her of this? Am I doing something wrong? After reading a lot of your posts, I feel terrible that a change of diet could possibly have prevented those horrible lumps/tumors. Any advice would be most appreciated–I want her golden years to be as comfortable as possible as she has been a loyal and beautiful friend 🙂