[lois]

I have a mixed breed dog that just turned 10 years old around 24 lbs. Earlier this year he starting scratching a lot, pulling his hair out, biting himself to the point of causing bleeding and scabbing. Nothing the vet did helped until I switched him to a fish based dry dog food, Taste of the Wild, which he seems to enjoy mixed with a little canned food and the itching has subsided a little to where he isn’t pulling out his hair which is kept very short. Unfortunately it’s higher in fat and lower in fiber than the weight management food he was on, Science Diet Metabolic. His stool has also changed which I think is from the lower fiber and since I’ve cut the amount due to the fat he is always hungry.

I want to keep him on a fish based dry food which I mix with a little canned food but wanted to find one that was not as high in fat and with a little more fiber. Any suggestions on which brand would fit this description? The canned food does not have to be fish since I don’t use a lot of that when I feed him. Just a spoon to give it a little wetness.

[pugmomsandy]

Look into Wellness Core Ocean, Horizon Legacy Fish, Horizon Pulsar Fish, The Honest Kitchen Zeal, Smack Pet Food Salmon, Nature’s Logic Sardine, Nutrisca Salmon, LiveFree salmon, Holistic Select Sardine, Nature’s Logic canned sardine, Nutrisca canned salmon, Hound & Gatoes canned Trout or Salmon, Great Life Grain Free Salmon. You can also use canned/pouched sardines packed in water/no salt added for human consumption, and even raw sardines or mackerel. The Honest Kitchen Zeal is low fat and has a moderate amount of fiber and you can make just a spoonful if you wanted and it tends to generate a formed stool. I’ve used it before. For other novel proteins besides fish foods, there is also Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance in goat and rabbit.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[theBCnut]

Your canned food does matter if it has a protein that he is intolerant to, which is what it sound like. Just a spoonful is all it takes for the damage to his gut to continue until he has some serious problems. Please make sure that his canned food is also a novel protein and let him have some real relief from his itchiness.

[lois]

I want to think both pugmomsandy and Pattyvaughn for your responses. I will look into the suggestions and pay attention to the canned food as well.

Although I didn’t mention this in my post, my dog seems to have a little more pep on the fish based food and he hasn’t given me the “look at the food then look at me” look that he has in the past.

[Author]

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