[Lisa H]

I have a 11, almost 12 year old Westie allergic to chicken, turkey, pork, eggs, wheat, peanuts, brewer’s yeast and go figure, kelp. He also has multiple environmental allergies. Everybody just laughs and says “imagine a Westie in the south with allergies”! This is per blood work done several years ago. He and I don’t find this amusing!
He is beautiful and since I have eliminated these things in his diet he has done much better, but he still has frequent stools, occasional GI issues including diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia etc. Thankfully he consistently tests negative for pancreatitis. He takes 10mg Pepcid /day. He is slightly overweight. His liver is a little enlarged and his liver enzymes are chronically slightly elevated. He has had intermittent anal gland issues.
I give him yogurt, recently started him on FortiFlora and feed him a very restricted diet. He was on Natural Balance LID and canned Wellness (he can only have 2 kinds). He kept getting sick on this. He is now on Solid Gold Hundenflocken which he does not like! I just bought Innova Grain Free Beef and Lamb to try.
Any other suggestions? It is overwhelming trying to find something for him. MOST of the 5 star foods have chicken or turkey in them. My head is about to explode from researching this! I have looked at everything including Honest Kitchen and many other Editor’s Choice top picks. I am very frustrated!
I want to have him on the best food for him, taking in to account his advancing age, his chronic GI issues, his allergies, his liver etc. I want to keep him around as long as possible and keep him happy and healthy. His vet states he looks about half his age despite the above. His teeth are good, his eyes are clear, his skin is good and he is a delight!
Please give me any suggestions. His diet is so limited! Thanks!

[T]

Have you tried feeding him any of the canned foods (Nature’s Variety Instinct, Merrick, etc.), fresh commercial foods (FreshPet, Just Food For Dogs, etc.), or considered cooking for him (Just Food for Dogs is a good option if you need a recipe)? Digestive enzymes may help as well as some alternative therapies such as herbs, acupuncture, food therapy, etc.

Westies are sort of known for exactly these sort of issues you’re describing. As they get older, it can definitely be even more of a challenge to figure out.

I’m a holistic veterinarian in Phoenix. If you were in my town, I would evaluate all of his symptoms, habits and preferences to try to identify imbalances. Then I’d use acupuncture, Chinese herbs and food therapy to help balance him. If you’re interested in this sort of veterinary care, you could check if there is a vet near you who knows about TCVM here: http://tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx

If you would like to read my articles about pet food, here is a link: http://naturalalternativesvet.com/category/blog/food-therapy-for-pets/

Good luck!
Tabitha

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