[omalik]

So my dog has been suffering lately from allergies and we got the allergy test done and it list a lot of food she could be allergic to. I used to feed her home made food basically boiled chicken/beef with veggies and last week started mixing that with Canidae and Wellness canned food. She actually looks better with canned food and home made food combined and her allergies look a little better as well. Her vet wants to start her on a science diet food and I really don't want to after reading bad things about it.
I'd like to get some recommendations from you guys on what to give her or any other recommendations.
I'm also attaching copy of just the food resuls just so you guys get a better idea.
I really appreciate any help.
[IMG][/IMG]

[briteday]

looks like you need to stick with rabbit, venison, pork, chicken...in that order. I don't know the brands but I know there are rabbit and venison kibble out there. As for canned you might try a brand like Evangers. My allergy dog did really well on it.

[frank12]

Most canned food will contain rice, vegetables and a meat like chicken, beef or lamb. I believe Iams and Nature's Variety will have venison or rabbit varieties. Above all, I would trust the opinion of your veterinarian.

[BoxMeIn21]

Wellness has also come out with a grain free canned food called 95%. It's pretty good stuff...check halfway down the page.
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_w..._index.html#95

[rosemaryninja]

Natural Balance makes a venison & sweet potato formula, and Instinct has a grain-free rabbit formula. Maybe you could look into those...I would go with the Instinct.

Have you considered feeding raw? Feeding raw is a good way to ensure that any allergens are isolated from your dog's diet.

[omalik]

Originally Posted by rosemaryninja

Natural Balance makes a venison & sweet potato formula, and Instinct has a grain-free rabbit formula. Maybe you could look into those...I would go with the Instinct.

Have you considered feeding raw? Feeding raw is a good way to ensure that any allergens are isolated from your dog's diet.

I was thinking about trying Nature Variety raw food. I'm not sure if it's too late, my dog is 8 years old Shih Tzu and never had raw before, but once in a while I just give her a very small piece of raw chicken when I'm preparing her food and she really likes it.
If you guys think raw might wotk for my dog I'm definetaley willing to try.
This is the link to Nature variety raw products,
http://www.naturesvariety.com/raw_products

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by omalik

So my dog has been suffering lately from allergies and we got the allergy test done and it list a lot of food she could be allergic to.

There is no reliable test to determine what food your dog is allergic to. It just doesn't exist.

It is very rare, almost nonexistant that a dog is allergic to raw meat, bones, or organs. When dogs do have food allergies, its almost always to grains.

Yes, going raw is the answer to your problem but not Natures Variety as it has non-animal products in it (possible allergens) and is very heavy in bone. Feed a prey model raw diet and watch your dog's allergies disappear. In the very unlikely event they don't disappear it is very easy to do an elimination test when feeding prey model raw to pinpoint exactly what your dog is allergic to.

For help starting a prey model diet, check out this web page

http://www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm

Her vet wants to start her on a science diet food and I really don't want to after reading bad things about it.

You really don't want to fed Science Diet.

[briteday]

There are some excellent websites in a sticky post at the top of the food section here on the forum. Those of us who feed raw got together and listed our favorite information sites.

Raw is not as hard as it may seem at first. And I have one dog that was sensitive to any commercial dog food with red meats of any kind, all grains, and goodness knows what else. We made the switch to raw food a few years ago and the difference is amazing. She can eat anything...red meats of all kinds are fine. I still don't feed grains, but that's a personal choice. Her whole health picture has changed since going to raw food. In addition to the constant licking and scratching until she bled, the dog was always at the vet for something...ear infections, urinary infections, weird swelling in her neck, severe dental disease, ... Since switching to raw we see the vet once per year for a check up and she no longer needs to have any dental cleanings.

Good luck with whatever you decide is best for your dog.

[rosemaryninja]

You are only slightly better off feeding her Science Diet than you would be if you fed her McDonalds every day.

Raw is a great way to go - it is cheap and great for your dog, especially for a dog whose diet needs to be tightly controlled. It's not at all too late to change; I switched my Beagle when she was over 9 years old and had no problems making the change at all.

If you're going to try Nature's Variety, I would just go all the way. The whole point of feeding non-processed food is knowing exactly what goes into your dog's diet and making sure none of it is going to trigger off her food allergies. You can't do that with pre-packaged raw. Feeding raw is not at all as complicated as many think it is...there are many excellent resources out there, including this forum, that will guide you through the process.

[omalik]

Thanks for all the replies. i'm gonna go ahead and start her on raw food, I'm just going through some links posted in stickies just to learn more about what to give her, but I have some chicken breast at home and I think I'll try and give her some of that today.

[rosemaryninja]

Excellent. Don't forget to give her both meat AND bone. It's very important that she get both those things, as well as some organ meat, but that will only come in a few weeks when she's more accustomed to raw food.

Keep us posted of your progress and please feel free to air any questions.

[TomN]

Originally Posted by RawFedDogs

There is no reliable test to determine what food your dog is allergic to. It just doesn't exist.

I was thinking the same thing. I wasn't aware they could actually test for food allergies other than an lengthy food trial. Even then it's elimination one ingredient at a time to find the culprit.

The allergy tests done by dermatologists are tests done for airborne(atopy) or contact allergens.

[omalik]

So I gave her a small amount of raw chicken breast yesterday just to see how she reacts and she really seemed to like it and showed no problems. I gave her some more chicken breast today and she ate it all up, tomorrow i'm gonna try and give her a bone with the breast and hopefully she'll like it.
Is there any chicken bone you guys recommend to start of with, just keep in mind it's a Shih Tzu.
Once again thanls for all the help.

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by omalik

Is there any chicken bone you guys recommend to start of with, just keep in mind it's a Shih Tzu.
Once again thanls for all the help.

Most any chicken part with bones in it would work. For a dog that size I recommend either a wing or drumstick.