Please Help! My vet said my dog has food allergies....

Looney Tunes · 10-24-2009, 10:47 AM

...but the vet did not say what my dog is allergic to.

I am getting overwhelmed looking for a US ingredient only food for dogs with allergies????

Am I avoiding grains, chicken, rice, what?

My dog eats a premium chicken food now, but I need something else and I am reading all kinds of things but I don't have a clue what my dog should be eating.
She is my first dog, but I thought she was eating a really good food.

I went to the speciality pet store and they sold me a brand that was "grain free" but I then researched and found out they get some ingredients from China. I don't trust that!!!!!

Please any suggestions with reasoning? Am I being overly concerned?

chrisn6104 · 10-24-2009, 11:01 AM

Usually it's the grains that cause the allergies. You could also be having allergy problems from a nonfood source as well. Something in the backyard, around the house, or a place you take your dog.
Grain free is a good place to start, if you're concerned about products from China stay away from those foods.

MoosMom · 10-24-2009, 11:04 AM

Its more than likely a grain allergy. That tends to be most common. What brands of grain free foods were you looking at and what kind of dog do you have? If you are concerned about the ingredients coming from China I might recommend you look into going RAW for your pooch. It's very easy to do and will probably save you money over dog food and it will do WONDERS for a dog who has allergies. There's a great sticky at the top of the food page as well as many many posts on the subject here. Good luck to you!

Darkmoon · 10-24-2009, 11:07 AM

What food is your dog on currently? That will help us know what to really avoid.

Looney Tunes · 10-24-2009, 11:19 AM

My dog is a Husky-mix about 55 pounds.
She is on Eagle Pack with human chicken or turkey added and some veggies. She was on Holistic Chicken, but I switched her to Reduce Fat Eagle Pack a year and a half ago.

The store sold me Natural Balance LID. I emailed them and got an official response about the ingredients and manufacturing. 96% are US, 4% other and they told me where. The China import is not acceptable to me.

I have been looking at Orijen, EVO, Pinnacle's Choice and Flint River Ranch. Others have suggested Candiane, Solid Gold, or Wellness....

I just don't know where to start. Is RICE considered a grain to avoid? or just Wheat and Corn?

I am not sure RAW is an option right now, although I have considered it.

Thanks!

Darkmoon · 10-24-2009, 11:55 AM

Try Taste of the wild. Grain free and had other meats in it besides the normal. I have my dog on High Prairie which is venison and Bufflo.

Also have you tried going to a very very blah diet like Boiled chicken and white rice? Try that for two weeks because it is just 2 ingredients. If the allergies are still going then you know it's one of those 2 foods.

dieterherzog · 10-25-2009, 06:06 PM

That's the reason I hate vets. They say, "Oh, your dog has food allergies." What food allergies? "Well, we can't say but let's try some Hill's Prescription Diet and we'll figure it out".

Screw that. All they have to do is ask you what food your dog eats, and just eliminate that slowly from the diet!

1. Eagle Pack Reduced Fat is not a good food (disclaimer: in my opinion)
The first three ingredients are: Ground Yellow Corn, Ground Brown Rice, Pork Meal

Eliminate pork from your dog's diet - a LOT of dogs are allergic to pork. She may also be allergic to corn and rice. ELMINATE THAT.

2. Pick up a bag of grain-free kibble that doesn't contain pork and has a minimal amount of ingredients. The best kind of diet for a husky is usually fish - so you might want to try Orijen's 6 Fish - it contains only fish as the main protein source. If that works for your dog, then you have fish as a reliable protein source.

3. You can then try chicken and turkey formulas and if those work as well, then you have fish, chicken and turkey as protein sources.

Looney Tunes · 10-25-2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieterherzog

That's the reason I hate vets. They say, "Oh, your dog has food allergies." What food allergies? "Well, we can't say but let's try some Hill's Prescription Diet and we'll figure it out".

Screw that. All they have to do is ask you what food your dog eats, and just eliminate that slowly from the diet!

1. Eagle Pack Reduced Fat is not a good food (disclaimer: in my opinion)
The first three ingredients are: Ground Yellow Corn, Ground Brown Rice, Pork Meal
.

Yes, I know now. My first dog...I learned.!! I thought I was buying a premium food made in the USA...Little did I know.

Anyway, I am going to try Orijen Fish. I like the company and I think the food is safe for my dog. I originally asked for US products, and while Orijen is made of Canadian products, they are local and not imported... If Orijen does not work, EVO will be next.

Thanks---

Leroy&Lucy'sMom · 10-25-2009, 08:50 PM

I've looked extensively into Orijen Fish before, it sounds like a wonderful choice. My Leroy has allergies (both food and seasonal) and fish as a unique protein has always worked well for him.

There is no way for your vet to tell you what he's allergic to unless he goes to a specialist and gets an allergy test done. Usually costs around $250-$350 for the test. Good luck with the Orijen, i hope it is the cure for your dog and you don't have to do the allergy test.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieterherzog

That's the reason I hate vets. They say, "Oh, your dog has food allergies." What food allergies? "Well, we can't say but let's try some Hill's Prescription Diet and we'll figure it out".

It all depends on the vet. My vet actually gives the option of getting an allergy test done with a specialist to find out exactly what is causing the reaction. He's never pushed a prescription diet on me... That's why a good, knowledgeable vet is so important, imo.

loganbean · 10-26-2009, 12:20 PM

My dog had horrible allergies. I was hoping it was a food allergy- so I began feeding him Hills RX Ultra. He ate it for 3 months- that and nothing else- and he is 95% better. I didn't want to feed him Hills forever- so I took another poster's advice and looked into the Wellness Basic Food Solutions line. It was made for dogs w/ allergies. All Basic products has one protein and one carb (rice)- and three other ingredients (such as flaxseed or tomato puree). I started feeding Logan Wellness Basic Duck and Rice on Saturday. So far- he has had no reaction.
By feeding the Hills you can truly see if it is a food allergy. It worked for me and I saved hundreds of dollars. Good luck!
And trust me- I didn't mind having Hills "pushed on me." My old vet said, "here's some Prednisone." I went to another vet and she said, $400 allergy test and $400 for steroids or Hills RX for three months. I prayed and prayed it was a food allergy and was pleased to spend $92 a bag for my dog's relief. No, I don't know what he is allergic to- but I can add one food at a time to his basic diet and see what brings a reaction. So far- duck so good!

Binkalette · 10-26-2009, 12:25 PM

Corn, Wheat, and Soy are the top 3 food allergens in dogs.. I agree with what others said, I would put her on a home made diet or a very minimal ingredient kibble diet and slowly eliminate what ingredients she isn't allergic to.. It will help give you a better idea of what she -is- allergic to.

brecken · 10-26-2009, 12:28 PM

pure vita california natural or eagle holistic select. if your dog is losing its fur then california natural is the one my moms boxer had allergys and was losing her fur, and i put her on cal nat and her fur grew back. cal nat also carrys a fish oil supplement which also works. all of these foods are made in the u.s

kacaju · 10-27-2009, 06:13 AM

Solid Gold makes a Beef and Barley food

bully · 10-27-2009, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looney Tunes

Anyway, I am going to try Orijen Fish. I like the company and I think the food is safe for my dog. I originally asked for US products, and while Orijen is made of Canadian products, they are local and not imported... If Orijen does not work, EVO will be next.
Thanks---

You gotta love vet's, they mean well but have little clue when it comes to nutrition.

I just recently switch to the 6-fish from their large breed puppy. I think fish is probably the best meat/protein source for a dog - I'm getting great results.

Keep us posted.