Allergies..can anyone recomend a food or vitamins

[Aspen and Misty]

Konnor has terrible allergies to something in Dog food. Before we fed him RAW his whole stomach was red and covered in ichy bumps. We switched him on to RAW and his allergies went away. He has since been switched back onto kibble (a different brand then before) and he is having worse reactions to it then before. He is always itching, all over like he is covered in a million fleas. Hi stomach is red and covered in red bumps again. I know the easy thing would be to switch him onto RAW again, but I worry that with RAW I'm not providing him with the proper nutrition he needs (I’m not saying that a RAW diet does not give dogs proper notional value, I'm saying that I worry in the diet I am feeding him, I’m going to miss something).

Does anyone know of some really good doggie vitamins I could buy him to add to his food? Specifically something that might help his skin and coat? Also, does anyone feed hypoallergenic food to there dogs? If so, what kind? I'm going to switch him onto a food made for dogs with allergies soon and I would also like to get him started on some vitamins. Any suggestions welcome, I'm going out to buy his food/vitamins probably this weekend. Hopefully he will be feeling better. If not I will have no choice but to place him back on RAW.

Ashley

[BC_MoM]

There's a brand Barking At The Moon (I think, I'll double check)... I've heard good things about it from friends who have switched to it because of allergies.

Do you know what he's allergic to? What kibble are you feeding him?

[wolf_Q]

I've fed Nebo Natural Balance Venison and Brown rice which is meant for dogs will allergies, and he has done well with that. Good luck.

[Karen]

Try switching to a Lamb and Rice kibble, or Venison and Rice.

As a person with food allergies, I can tell you that there is no vitamin in the world that will have any affect whatsoever. You need to read ingredient labels religiously. Start with a lamb/venison and rice formula, give that a few days. The shorter the ingredient list on the kibble is, the better, because you can "process of elimination" it with him.

Keep in mind, too that if it's skin reactions, you want to be sure it's not some mold or pollen in the environment this time of year that's aggravating him as well. Autumn can be brutal that way.

[Aspen and Misty]

Thanks for the replies so far!

Karen - I'm more looking for vitamins to boost his skin and coat. Ever since his first out break in the beginning of the summer, his skin and coat has never been the same (even when he was on RAW) so I'm looking for something to get him back to where he was and keep him there. I'm also looking for a good, multi vitamin. The thing with him being allergic to the environment is his problems start and stop when he is taken on or off kibble. However, he has never been tested for allergies (although the vet has confirmed and gave me plenty of meds for his allergies) so I can not say for certain what he is allergic to. The next food we were going to try with him is Nature's Variety - Venision and Rice. Or I was considering switching him onto a Duck and Potato food.

BC_MoM - I was feeding him Chicken Soup for the Pet lovers soul. He did great on it in Pennsylvania, but when we moved down to Georgia, it no longer agreed with him. When we switched him onto RAW his skin problems disappeared, which makes me assume it was something in the food (maybe they changed an ingredient?). When he was switched back onto kibble he was switched onto Natures Variety Chicken Meal and Rice.

Wolf Q - Thanks I will look into Natural Balance, does Nebo have allergies or do you just feed him that kind of food?

Ashley

[wolf_Q]

Nebo's never had any sort of skin allergies but when he has been on other (chicken based) food he had an upset stomach a lot more often.

[areias]

I would recommend a duck and potato, or there is a food out there with kangaroo in it? That is supposed to be great for allergies.

I had Zoie on the regular Natural Balance and she was itchy all over, I switched to Chicken Soup and since then it had stopped. It will vary from dog to dog on what works for you.

[Catlady711]

Make sure not to switch foods too often. Relief from food related allergies can take 2-3 months to show up after you switch food. If you aren't waiting at least this long, you aren't giving time for any change to take effect, and are possibly exposing your dog to even more allergens each time. Tracking down food allergies is a trial and error process. It's best to restrict anything but the food you're feeding (no treats/snacks) and wait at least 2 months, if no change, then you can try a different food. Takes patience.

If the itching continues in the meantime or if your dog gets raw areas from scratching/chewing see your vet.

[Rachel]

there is a food out there with kangaroo



That is what we feed Tucker and it does seem to help, especially with the allergies which affect his eyes. We get it from our Vet and of course it is more expensive than ordinary kibble. It's called Eukanuba Response KO. You have to be careful not to feed anything else but that. No treats or raw hide bones, etc. That part is a pain because every time I want to give the dogs a treat, I have to pour out a bit of Tucker's food for him while Hannah get's a dog cookie. This brand of food does not come in the treat form like some do.

[angelbow20]

The allergies come from the starches is the food prolly, like any food that has grains, corn etc. my dog had allergies really bad and i had to take him to the vets to get him on steriods for them and i think if you give him vitamin C it should help improve somewhat. i put special lotions on the spots where he gets them and it helped so much more better! you can buy spray also. or feed him pure cooked chicken and possibly rice tho it might cause the allergies to start again..

[angelbow20]

Also if even if theres pollen in the air or any form or pollen he could react to it. if you take him to the vets they can do skin tests to see whats bothering him.

[Aspen and Misty]

If you aren't waiting at least this long, you aren't giving time for any change to take effect, and are possibly exposing your dog to even more allergens each time.

He was on his Nature's Best for 5 weeks, it took 2 weeks for him to start itching like crazy and his stomach to break out in red bumps. So I decided to switch him after only a month since he had an out break (before this he was on RAW so he was absolutely fine). However, this food wasn't Hypoallergenic so I did decide to switch him before he was on it for very long and got worse.

Angelbow- While I'm willing to get Allergy testing and I'm willing to get it done; I am hoping I can find him a temporary solution before I go this route. I will want to know what he is allergic to though so that I can avoid it in the future just right now I'm trying to get back on my feet after the last vet emergency with the puppies.

Rachel - For some reason while on RAW and when we lived in PA I was able to feed him anything and everything and he never had a problem. I'm hopeing that if his main food is made for dog's with allergies he will be able to go back to having some treats and such.

I bought him Pinnacle Duck and Potato, I'm hoping that this will help him. He is still in transition from his old food to his new food and will be for probably another week or two. So hopefully we will see results in maybe two months or so. Cross your fingers and I will post if anything happens!

Ashley

[dragondawg]

Your approach of changing or trying a different meat in the dog food is a sound approach. Between the usual chicken, lamb, or duck, fish, turkey you should be able to find something.

If the allergies tend to be more severe in a given season, then you have a contact allergy involved such as leaf mold in the Fall. It was a problem for my previous dog once she hit 7 yrs of age.

In order to relieve any continued itching the common dosage numbers published for benedryl 1-2 mg/lb. The clear gel caps smeared with a little peanut butter or wrapped in cheese are yummy. My prior dog of 74 lbs received 25 mg of Benedryl at night, and 12.5 in the morning. It usually took 3-5 days for the itching to completely stop. If the skin is irritated or red in appearance then there is a good chance you have a staph skin infection, where a short course of Cephalexin should help clear it up.

[iamgobsmacked]

First of all changing to a food with less overall ingredients is essential. Foods like Natural Balance, Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. Try alternating them from time to time in insure greater nutrition.

Also try offering some organic live bacterial culture yogurt daily. Two tbsp daily. Also purchase some whole organic flax seed and start with 1 tbsp daily for one week then increase up to 2 tbsp. The omega fatty acids along with the lignans help to support the immune system, joints, bones, skin, heart. Alternate from time to time with a good quality cod liver oil. I usually do three weeks in rotation.

500 mg natural source vitamin c daily broken down into 2 250 mg servings. Helps to support the urinary tract and assists with the absorption of other nutrients. The best way to deal with skin conditions is from the inside out.

Also look to the drinking water, many animals with skin conditions have a low tolerance to the inorganic minerals in tap and bottled water. Offer distilled water instead. Also simple flea allergy cannot be ruled out. With some unfortunate animals, a single flea bite can create a systemic disturbance and severe allergic reaction. If you think it is possible your pet could be exposed to even a single flea bite in this situation it is imperative that monthly flea control be instituted with a control such as frontline.

There is nothing more distressful to a pet owner than watching our beloved pet suffer with itching burning skin. Frequently we head to the vet for that injection of steroids which unfortunately undermine our pets immune system further and create a revolving door to chronic illness.

Start with the supplements and one new simple ingredients food like Wellness. No other foods should be offered. That includes raw hide bones that are chemically treated with toxic chemicals to remove the hair etc. No box treats. Just basic simple food. Watch out for the common allergens in food. Corn, Wheat, brewers yeast. white potatoes (sweet potatoes are fine)

I recently consulted with a woman who's pet has suffered for years with itchy skin conditions. In just weeks she has noticed marked improvement. Oh, and also, keeping the skin free of moisture that contains bacteria is essential in the first few weeks.

A good oatmeal shampoo from a health food store or general nutrition outlet would be helpful. It does not need to specifically to be a pet shampoo. There is one ingredient you want to see listed however, colloidal oatmeal. There is one ingredient you do not want to see. Sodium Laurel Sulfate, added as a lathering agent in most commercial soaps and toothpaste.

And finally, purchase some essential oil of Lavender and a spritzer bottle. Add approximately 300 ml of warm water and 5 drops (drops) to the bottle and shake well. Mist the skin several times daily. The oil is antibacterial, and will greatly soothe the itching in the interim. (never ever however, use any essential oil in any dilution on a cat) they are unable to metabolize and a single drop can be fatal. The more dilute hydro sols can be used for felines.

There is a company in Canada that has essential oils in much larger volume for far less expense that what you can purchase retail. Even with shipping you will get 3-4 times the amount for less than a single little bottle at the store.
http://www.canwax.com/page/page/251748.htm

[lwds]

^ Earthbath and Buddy Wash are two great shampoos.

I know bee pollen has helped dogs that have inhalant allergies and dogs with weak immune systems. My dogs get it daily along with me, I swear by it. :) Fish oil (+ vitamin E) is another good supplement for skin/coat (among other health benefits).

If Pinnacle doesn't work out, I would give an elimination diet a go. But have you considered a prepackaged raw diet such as Nature's Variety (love the stuff and it's easy to feed)? I haven't been here that long, but have you talked with experienced raw feeders for information on an appropriate raw diet? If that was what helped him, you might want to seriously reconsider going back on it. I see the best results with dogs who have allergies (both food and inhalant) on a raw diet VS a simple kibble.

You also might want to address any potential environmental allergens... washing bedding weekly (and not using strong scented detergents or any fabric softener + running the rinse cycle twice), vacuuming on a regular basis and rinsing/washing his paws/legs (depending on how tall he is) after he goes outside are a few ideas.

[lwds]

First of all changing to a food with less overall ingredients is essential. Foods like Natural Balance, Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. Try alternating them from time to time in insure greater nutrition.

With a dog with allergies, I would be very careful with rotating. Not that I think it's bad, I do it for one of my older dogs that does best on 50% kibble (and 25% canned + 25% water), but only with foods I know my dog can handle. The trick is to see what your dog can handle and can't, and it can be more trickier with a dog with allergies as the progress can go down hill quickly.

btw, I know a lot of dogs that have had issues with Wellness since they changed (LOTS of poop problems).


Alternate from time to time with a good quality cod liver oil. I usually do three weeks in rotation.

I would not suggest cod liver oil if someone feeds kibble, the vitamin A + D can build up to toxic levels.


Offer distilled water instead.

I don't think I would want to offer distilled water all of the time (instead every once in awhile and rotated with filtered).

[wolfsoul]

What foods did you feed him on raw? Atleast you know he's not allergic to those foods. :)

I recommend trying California Natural. It has very few ingredients. Chicken Soup has ALOT of ingredients so it's no surprise he is allergic to something in there -- not only are some of the formulas 3-4 meat sources but there are milk products in there as well. There is a chicken as well as a lamb formula of California Natural.

Usually the more exotic the meat, the better. Beef is generally the most common meat allergen, followed by chicken and then lamb, as these are the three most common meats used in pet foods. Beef is definatly one to stay away from but use your judgement on chicken and lamb as these aren't nearly as common of allergens. Rice is the easiest grain to digest and usually dogs won't be allergic to it but stay away from everything else, especially wheat and corn. Also keep away from by-products, colours/dyes, etc. That's one reason California Natural is nice, all it basically has is chicken and rice (even if it has way too much rice in my opinion).

For the skin, try getting a soothing shampoo. If his skin is moist and he has hot spots (or welts, anything with moisture) I recommend a coal tar shampoo. Nova pearls has an awesome formula because it takes the moisture out and basically adds it's own "good" moisture in. As far as I know it is the only shampoo that does this. Don't use Coal Tar unless the moist -- typically tar is quite a harsh treatment and should only be used in very bad skin conditions. Sulphur ans salicylic acid is better for dry skin, don't try it for moisture. Lavendar, aloe vera, wheat grass, calendula, etc are all things that are good for the skin and are added to alot of different shampoos. Oatmeal is typically for soothing dry skin and I don't think this is his problem. Avoid any and all chemicals -- just look for nice, soothing, natural shampoos. :) Nature's Specialties, Cain and Able, Wags, and Ikaria all have some very good all-natural skin-healing formulas. :)

My vet sells a spray called Allergex that you spray a few times into the dog's mouth a half hour before it eats -- it's all herbal and quite safe. I believe it's only $20. I can try to find a website for you, but if you can't find it in your area I'd be willing to send you some.

[Aspen and Misty]

Jordan - It tends to take him 2 weeks to devlop an allergy. I'm assuming that while on RAW he was fed so many diffrent meats and nevr had one for to many days in a row if it made it so he did not have allergies. I fed him beef, chicken, turkey many other kinds of meats. Basically anything and everything the grocery store sold he ate.

Right now Konnor is on 3 pills a day, twice a day along with a spray for his tummy to clear up his bumps. There have been significant improvments, however I do not want to medicate him for the rest of his life. So I will take him off his meds once he is fully on his new Duck and Potato food. If he does not have a reaction while off his meds then I will consider the food a success. If he does have a reaction then I will continue to do more research and try feeding him RAW again.

Thank you everyone for your help! I really apreciate it. I know I havn't responded to all of your post, but I am reading them all and learning from them all. I greatly apreciate the help you guys are providing for me and Konnor.


Ashley

[iamgobsmacked]

With a dog with allergies, I would be very careful with rotating. Not that I think it's bad, I do it for one of my older dogs that does best on 50% kibble (and 25% canned + 25% water), but only with foods I know my dog can handle. The trick is to see what your dog can handle and can't, and it can be more trickier with a dog with allergies as the progress can go down hill quickly.

btw, I know a lot of dogs that have had issues with Wellness since they changed (LOTS of poop problems).

And I have five dogs, have treated hundreds of others who do very well on Wellness. And in fact the excretion becomes much less than prior. However, not all foods work for all animals. Overall, however, Wellness is one of the best foods for allergy prone animals primarily because it only contains five ingredients. Which makes elimination diets more doable. It is also good to have a few choices of foods that allergenic animals can thrive on because tolerance thresholds can and do occur frequently. By periodic rotation this is less likely to occur.

I would not suggest cod liver oil if someone feeds kibble, the vitamin A + D can build up to toxic levels.

Alternating on three weeks of ground flax seed, then switching to cod liver oil will insure that plenty of the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to support the skin are available. It has been shown that animals with frequent skin eruptions, hot spots etcetera benefit greatly from extra supplementation from these important fatty acids. Since these are insoluble they do not metabolize out of the body as readily as other vitamins. ( a good thing for pets with allergies and skin disorders) Although toxic overloads can and do occur, the amount of oil present in a single capsule on a rotated basis will not cause toxic overload even if these supplements, are present in pet food. And of course the three week rotation will help to flush and assure that over build up does not occur. Toxic overloads frequently occur when a diet primarily containing vitamins A & D are adopted and supplementation is excessive. Distilled water also facilitates the removal of any unused vitamins and minerals that collect outside the cells. The cell absorb what they need to function, the balance circulate as waste.

I don't think I would want to offer distilled water all of the time (instead every once in awhile and rotated with filtered).

Filtered water still contains many of the inorganic minerals that are harmful to the body, since inorganic minerals cannot be absorbed they circulate outside the cells and remain in the system as free radicals. Of the total minerals in water only 1% are of any limited value to the body. The trace minerals are easily replaced with food. One single glass of orange juice for instance contains more minerals than gallons of drinking water. And in order to consume these from water you are also consuming minerals that are not useful and in fact toxic to the body. The minerals in water in fact only become bio-available to the body when they have passed over the soil and into plants that we consume.

[lwds]

And I have five dogs, have treated hundreds of others who do very well on Wellness. And in fact the excretion becomes much less than prior. However, not all foods work for all animals. Overall, however, Wellness is one of the best foods for allergy prone animals primarily because it only contains five ingredients. Which makes elimination diets more doable. It is also good to have a few choices of foods that allergenic animals can thrive on because tolerance thresholds can and do occur frequently. By periodic rotation this is less likely to occur.

That's fine - but I also would like to put it out there for people to know.

When all of my dogs were on kibble (still do for one of my dogs), I rotated for the reason you stated (didn't want to overuse ingredients and protein sources), but with allergies, it's a whole other ball game. I have seen dogs go down hill and have to recover all over again because their owner thought food blank would be OK to try. Am I against rotating? No, all I'm saying is the owners need to be careful.


Alternating on three weeks of ground flax seed, then switching to cod liver oil will insure that plenty of the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to support the skin are available. It has been shown that animals with frequent skin eruptions, hot spots etcetera benefit greatly from extra supplementation from these important fatty acids. Since these are insoluble they do not metabolize out of the body as readily as other vitamins. ( a good thing for pets with allergies and skin disorders) Although toxic overloads can and do occur, the amount of oil present in a single capsule on a rotated basis will not cause toxic overload even if these supplements, are present in pet food. And of course the three week rotation will help to flush and assure that over build up does not occur. Toxic overloads frequently occur when a diet primarily containing vitamins A & D are adopted and supplementation is excessive.

Working with terriers who are notorious for allergies, I know how helpful EFAs are. That said, I still do not recommend anyone who feeds a commercial diet supplement with cod liver oil, I gave my reason. Flax seed and fish oil I do recommend and use.


Filtered water still contains many of the inorganic minerals that are harmful to the body, since inorganic minerals cannot be absorbed they circulate outside the cells and remain in the system as free radicals. Of the total minerals in water only 1% are of any limited value to the body. The trace minerals are easily replaced with food. One single glass of orange juice for instance contains more minerals than gallons of drinking water. And in order to consume these from water you are also consuming minerals that are not useful and in fact toxic to the body. The minerals in water in fact only become bio-available to the body when they have passed over the soil and into plants that we consume.

I don't buy into the whole filtered water is bad or is of lesser quality than distilled except in some cases (I think where you live and how cheap you go on a filter needs to be taken into consideration).

[borzoimom]

Konnor has terrible allergies to something in Dog food. Before we fed him RAW his whole stomach was red and covered in ichy bumps. We switched him on to RAW and his allergies went away. He has since been switched back onto kibble (a different brand then before) and he is having worse reactions to it then before. He is always itching, all over like he is covered in a million fleas. Hi stomach is red and covered in red bumps again. I know the easy thing would be to switch him onto RAW again, but I worry that with RAW I'm not providing him with the proper nutrition he needs (I’m not saying that a RAW diet does not give dogs proper notional value, I'm saying that I worry in the diet I am feeding him, I’m going to miss something).

Does anyone know of some really good doggie vitamins I could buy him to add to his food? Specifically something that might help his skin and coat? Also, does anyone feed hypoallergenic food to there dogs? If so, what kind? I'm going to switch him onto a food made for dogs with allergies soon and I would also like to get him started on some vitamins. Any suggestions welcome, I'm going out to buy his food/vitamins probably this weekend. Hopefully he will be feeling better. If not I will have no choice but to place him back on RAW.

Ashley
I have fed raw for 19 years. Honestly my opinion is that no kibble can compare to raw diet. It doesnt have the perservatives, more natural what a dog as a conavoire would eat, and better for them.
As far as vitamins, i like Missing Link as its a granular. If you having skin Problems try Hair of the dog by Doc blend. One of my dogs is rescue with severe thyroid and had bald spots they said would occur from the medication. Yea well- in 3 weeks she was fine. See my website on my dogs and it gives you more information. www.beckonridgeborzoi.com