[Douglas R]

I am so sorry for everyone’s heartache, it’s terrible to feel helpless when your pet is ill.
You may have noticed the shift in dog food about 5-10 years ago as grain-free varieties showed up and soon dominated, when it because clear that many dogs were having allergic reactions and health issues to the corn and fillers kibble dog food manufacturers were packing in the “food.”

But the pricier grain-free is still a highly processed “food” product, made with the same machines, processes, and sometimes questionable ingredients it was 20 years ago. Rachael’s version of processed kibble is not much different than most others, though for reasons described above, there may be something specifically unhealthy about this product.

This is why there are now so many versions and ways to get raw dog food: just meats, vegetables, fruits, etc., minimally processed. There is a long list of benefits owners experience when their dog’s eat real food: they are no longer finicky about eating, are more alert and energetic, skin and coat improve, and overall doggie-smell and rank dog breath go away. And…for butt-scooters, that issue is resolved for reasons I won’t describe…

You can now find raw varieties in grocery and pet stores, and there are many online companies that deliver, while we have had luck with a local more affordable California company, 7 Sky Dog Food.
Our Heeler had a seasonal summer skin rash–common with the breed, that he used to scratch and obsessively lick to open sores, requiring steroid shots and the cone, but it’s been greatly diminished eating natural foods. The cone hasn’t come out of the garage in several years, and beside a vaccination visit, was the last time he went to the vet.

[Douglas R]

Hi Megan,

For food allergies, chicken is by far the most common because many dog foods are primarily chicken (a relatively inexpensive protein) or contain at least some chicken–for example, chicken fat as a second ingredient in a version labeled “beef.”
The brands you list are all processed kibble, and even pricier grain-free is basically the same highly processed “food” product recently linked to heart disease.
Many dogs with various health concerns have had luck eating raw food instead, just simple ingredients of meats and various nutritional vegetables and fruits that dogs are biologically geared to eat and thrive on.
You can find some raw varieties in grocery and pet stores, and there are now many online companies that deliver, while we have had luck with a more affordable California company 7 Sky Dog Food.
Our Heeler had a seasonal summer skin rash–common with the breed, that still occurs, but has been greatly diminished. He now doesn’t scratch and lick to the point of creating sores.
Good luck!

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