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Member
 
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Last Login: 7/23/2009 11:09:49 AM
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| Thank you very much for the info!!! The missing link.. i have seen an ad for that in my dog fancy magazine many many times, and wondered about that. I will look into it. Thank you!!!
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Member
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Last Login: 7/5/2009 5:34:20 PM
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I have heard SO MANY people say they had dogs with alelrgies and they switched them to natural balance and there problems were solved!!! So hopefully it will work for you. But we tried it and it didn't work for my dog, so we tryed the raw diet, that worked!!
"Raw food is the best food, for your dog!" ~ me
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Member
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 5:42:43 PM
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My GSD gets Missing Link added to her food. Except, it's to help keep her at the right weight in my case.
~Tiffany, breeder-in-training
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I'm the God-fearing, gun toting, flag waving conservative that the liberals warned you about.
Truth enlightens the mind, but won't always bring happiness to your heart.
colliequest.deviantart.com
My website is an introduction to the world of responsible dog breeding:
cookiemiller.tripod.com
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 4/6/2009 5:41:05 PM
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| As someone said, it's best to know what kind of allergies you're dealing with. The only way to know is to do allergy testing but alot of vets, mine included, don't believe they give a true indication. I have a now 3yr old dog who, from the time he was about 14 weeks old, started with ear infections, itchiness, paw licking. I kept trying different foods, got advice from an online nutritionist. Finally, an online friend gave me a list of ingredients to avoid, she got the list from Tufts: chicken, soy, wheat, corn, rice and flax. The foods that I know of offhand that don't have these ingredients are California Natural herring & sweet potato, Solid Gold's Holistique Blendz, Timberwolf Ocean Blue, Taste of the Wild's Pacific stream and I *think* Wellness Core's fish and Orijen's fish (but you'd need to check their ingredient list). I went with the Calif Natural and the only ear infection he had was when he got a supplement containing brewers yeast so I now keep that away from him. You need to be very careful when looking at foods. Some of them may not have chicken as a protein but may have chicken flavoring, fat, eggs...your dog may or may not be sensitive to that. The same goes for treats, be aware of what you buy for treats. Would it be better for me to know what my dog is allergic to? Probably but he's done fine on the Cal Nat so I won't bother. I have transitioned him to Orijen adult, which is chicken based. He's been on that alone for 11 days and knock on wood, his ears are clear! Marie
Marie Katie & Tucker the shelties Boone the pbgv
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 6/12/2009 6:44:56 AM
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| I think it is EVO Derm. and wellness makes a large variety of allergy foods. Of course, when you go for really good dogfood there is alot of money involved. If you dog is sensitive to grains, there is alot of grain free dogfoods as well.
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 7/4/2009 7:34:18 AM
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Hello Everyone,
Just became a member of Dog Channel community. Glad to be here. Ive been on the fence about joining groups like this because I was not sure if I would be welcome.
Why? Because I've been a rep for Natural Balance for years as well as a rep for another product called k9 KlearUp. So, I did not know if what I had to share would be seen as honest information or a sales pitch.
Anyway, as a rep for Natural Balance, I have the "allergies" conversation several times a day and 5 days a week. I've seen and heard it all over the years. So here is what I will say.
Its a process. Easy for some, difficult for others. But it's your process and your pet. You know your dog better than anyone.
At the beginning, I would agree with Turbo k9. You have to go through the process to determine what the allergen or allergens for your dog are.
Thats the real purpose of a formulation like our Duck&Potatoe. Its a "Limited Ingredient" formula. That's all. Its meant to allow you to eliminate all food items from your dogs diet (including treats) that your dog may have been exposed to in the past. Remember...we're just talking food here. There may be several seasonal or environmental causes as well.
By going with a limited ingredient diet you are starting from a blank slate.
If and when you see improvements, you can begin to introduce food items into your dogs diet until you see conditions return as before. I would suggest that you make it a point to avoid products that contain corn, wheat, soy, egg and dairy. These are just to common a source of allergies and can be ruled out pretty fast.
You may have a protein based allergy. Ive seen chicken as a problem protein several times. That brings me to another point. If you the the term "Animal" anything. Rule that out as well if you have a dog with a protein sensitivity simply because when an ingredient is labeled "animal"...its a pot luck.
Switching foods. If your dog is having problems switching foods. Its not the dog, its the foods. Remember, left to hunt for them self, their protein and diet would change almost daily. If your dog is having problems with a food change...it may be the quality of the food your choosing. Keep an eye out for BHA or BHT or artificial colors. These chemicals can be a problem.
I will say that several people have mentioned some great products. Im happy to be with Natural Balance but I like several other brands as well. Solid Gold is great. Missing link is a great item as well as a host of others.
Omega 3 is very important to allergies. This is very true with skin/coat based problems because Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory and inflammation is a source of skin discomfort. Address the inflammation and that will help a lot.
Regardless of the better type of products you use. You must first try to identify the source allergen. On a side note. Our duck formula was the first grain-free we put out. Duck is a pretty rich protein. Gas is not uncommon, that's why we also offer venison and fish. I saw mention of kangaroo. I think you might be seeing that being used more often. Duck, lamb and venison sources are getting harder to find and companies will keep looking for alternate protein sources.
If all else fails, I do have an alternate holistic topical that is starting to show up in the states and many not be in your local market yet. I did a blog post about it and you can find my personal blog in my sig file.
Let me know if you have any questions. I wish you luck in this process.
Dale
All Natural Pet Products for a Happier, Healthier Pet and Home.
blog PetFoodInsider
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 10/15/2009 6:42:33 AM
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| My parents switch their Golden to Raw food diet, even the "healthiest" dry kibble still has a lot of crap in it that a dog with allergies will have issues with it. I would start with Lamb or chicken for meats, On my web group I am part of there are a lot of people who have had dogs with allergies and as soon as they switch over within a month or two the dogs where not having hotspots, or any other allgery issues. If you are new to the diet try finding a group online to join they are very helpful for infomation as well as books about the diet
Goldens for life
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Senior Member
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sweetsug (1/19/2009)
Yeah, thats what i want to do is figure out what exactly they are allergic to. ANd so we have to try this food for 12 weeks i read and according to my vet. And then we can introduce one thing at a time to see what brings itchy skin back. I just really hope this food works. Because they are really really really itchy. It drives them and me crazy. One has bad ears along with it. ANd the other licks until he causes sores on his toes. I work at a veterinary clinic, and they have put them on ears meds and anti biotics before , which clears things up a little but i don't want to do antibiotics anymore because then as soon as they finish all the symptoms come back again. So i would love to find out exactly what is causing their problems. I just wonder if maybe it isn;t food at all. What if its dust allergens, or the carpet or anything really. Hopefully the food fixes it.I feed homeade, which actually is GREAT for allegies! You try feeding them one things, if no allergic reaction they aren't allergic to it! If there is a reaction avoid it!
Christi T 
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