Dog allergies

Dog Allergies and what you can do to make your dog more comfortable

Archive for dog allergies

Really good dog food that Spooky has tested in our test kitchen!

Spooky is my tester.  He is so sensitive that most kibble will upset him so I trust in his kitchen-laboratory
testing results.
Here are some good hypoallergenic dog foods that you probably will NOT find at Wal Mart.

This hypoallergenic dog food is as good as homemade

Innova Red Meat Kibble

Innova Red Meat

Innova Red Meat is all meat. Spooky loves this food. He will eat it dry. Which is amazing by itself! But I would not advise using it if your dog has any problems with his organs. Spooky has Pancreatitis and although he loves this food, I do not give him much or it just make s the Pancreatitis worse.
Innova Low Fat Adult Dog Food

Innova Low Fat Adult Dog Food. This is Spooky’s main food. It doesn’t taste too good because it’s low fat so I put some homemade gravy (not out of a package – too much salt).  I use organic chicken stock and thicken it up a bit with a little flour and mix it in with the food. Or sometimes I take some of the red meat Innova and mix it in so he has to work at eating it.  Little brat.
California Natural Dog Food

California Natural is also a good dog food.  Spooky didn’t seem to have any problems with it.
EVO The Ancestral Diet

This is what Spooky has tested. EVO The Ancestral Diet.  He gives it 4 paws.
This is Royal Canin diet

This is Royal Canin diet I have heard from many sources that this is a good food also. Spooky hasn’t tried this one yet because if it ain’t broke……..
Canidae dog food

Canidae dog food is excellent. Spooky likes this one too. Innova was chosen because it was low fat.

Great new find for dogs with food allergies

Innova Ancestral Diet for dogs

I found some really good dog food and have been feeding my dog a mixture of all meat kibble, homemade chicken and cottage cheese.  For some reason the cottage cheese calms the stomach and both my dogs love it.

Now my chubby dog is losing weight and my skinny dog is gaining weight.  And all I had to do was stop listening to my vet and stop buying his Hills dog food and instead tried Innova Ancestral Diet.  It has done wonders.

I’m not trying to promote the product, just telling people what I’ve found that works for my dogs.

I found a local pet store and tried about 6 different dog kibble.   I looked at the ingredients and if I found corn or wheat I just put it back.  But then I started trying some highly recommended kibble that had no grains in it.  I also tried Innova meat and vegetables.  I use the canned food more as a backup when I don’t have enough chicken left and the dogs are banging their dog food bowls around the kitchen.  They think it’s funny!

My advice is to try different brands.  All of these brands are guaranteed.  And I would use up 1/2 a small bag and if it didn’t work out I took it back and exchanged it for the next trial.  They even took back an empty can of dog food.

These dog foods cost more but they don’t cost as much as the vet food and I think are far superior to Vet food.

Find out more about dog food allergies at my site.

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Today while I was at the pet store, sampling different dog foods, I met a wonderful dog, the Soft Coated
Wheaten Terrier.

This terriers is very soft of coat with a short upright tail.  A rather large terrier, about 45 pounds and filled with love.  This terrier is very good for people with allergies to dog dander.

This lovely and sweet dog is perfect in every way

This lovely and sweet dog is perfect in every way

But like most terriers, they do get allergies.  Ear infections, yeast infections, itching and scratching.  You have to careful what you feed most terriers.  Like most pure bred dogs, inbreeding has doubled the chances of this dog be susceptable to allergies.

I got down on my knees to meet this wonderful Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.  She was sweet and loving and a wonderful mid size dog for people that are susceptable to allergies or have allergies.

If you don’t like the look or the clip on this terrier you can clip him differently.  I don’t like the way the beard looks in the picture but the terrier I saw today had a more rounded clip around the face and she looked very cute with this cut.  It’s your dog.  Don’t be afraid with clipping your dog a little differently.

Today I visited the Vet & Was Apalled

I went to the Vet to buy some food because my dog has been losing weight and asked about getting a discount on their prescription dog food and asked for a prescription for the dog food so I could buy it on the web and was told that they could not give me a discount and had to purchase it through this particular vet.

They did not care how poor I was.  I’ve spent at least 5K at this place and I know they mark up the dog food by 40% so I listened to him lie in my face saying that they had to sell it at that price.  It was the agreement.  I left.  I then went to a pet shop that sells specialty dog foods (at half the price) and was told that California was the only state that charges $75.00 for a large bag of Hills prescription dog kibble.  Other vets in other states are having a price war.

Another interesting fact was that some of the first Hills dog food kibble that was sold had as it’s main ingredient, peanut hulls, not peanuts but the hulls.  And we wonder why our dogs are having more and more health problems and allergy symptoms.

This week we are trying Wellness dog food

After having problems with the cost and the quality of Hills Prescription dog food we (I) decided to try some speciality dog food kibbles found only in the smaller private pet shops.

We tried Innova dog food which I thought was quite good except both dogs wouldn’t eat it unless it was disguised as chicken or beef.

I remember holding some of Hills dog food in my hand and later my hand was reaking of funky grease smell.  I had to wash my hands but my dogs seemed to like the taste.  Obviously Hill’s was coating the dog food with some cool dog smells.   Remember dogs don’t taste then decide it’s good.  They smell their food and taste it with their nostrals.

I decided to taste the Hills food. YUK!  It was bitter and nasty.  I just knew I was tasting chicken guts and cow lips.

Then I tasted Innova dog food.  What a difference.  It tasted fine.  I looked at the ingredients.  I couldn’t find any meat or chicken meal in the list.

Innova is a good food.     They even have a kibble that has no grains in it what so ever.  They also have a low fat diet for porkers like my female Westy’s.  She was OK with eating the kibble.  My male dog (who is incredibly picky and skinny) wouldn’t eat it.

Next we tried Wellness for allergies.  It is an excellent dry kibble.  I mix it with chicken or turkey and my picky dogs have had no bad reactions.  The price isn’t too bad.  Around $10.00 compared with $25.00 for Hills.

So far so good!

Save Money on Dog Food and Receive a Healthy Pet

All of us are worried about the economy and the cost of dog food for allergic pets.

One of the essentials for me is feeding my dogs. I cut back on everything I can but going to the vet is very expensive and the food for allergies are typically around $56.00 per large bag and around $24.00 per case of canned hypoallergenic dog food.

This is a healthy dog

This is a healthy dog

That is too much for me to pay right now. It is too much to pay when you have to pay the electric bills and the rent and the bare necessities. So I cook for myself and at the same time cook for my dogs.

Here is what I cook for me and my dogs. It’s really quite simple. I go to Costco and get those giant bags of broccoli. I hope you don’t hate broccoli because it has some of the most powerful anti cancer properties of all the vegetables.

I steam broccoli and cauliflower in a big batch, chop it and put into containers. I buy some peeled carrots and steam them and chop.

I buy chicken breasts without bones because you are not paying for skin, bones, fat and it’s fast and easy to prepare. I can poach it or boil it. Don’t cook too long or it will get dry. Remember it doesn’t have very much fat at all.

After the chicken has cooled, I chop it up. I put part of it into containers for myself and the rest for my dogs.

Now I have a good mixture of cancer fighting vegetables and good low fat protein.

For my dinner I make a salad of chopped apples, shredded carrots, sliced celery and some of the chicken breasts.

For the dogs dinner I mix together the chicken, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower together and add a tiny bit of dry kibble if you can afford it. Kibble is mostly corn or wheat so it’s not essential for a dogs diet but it will stretch the food you prepare for them.

Something interesting has happened since I started cooking for my dogs. They seem to love what I cook and their coats are shinier and their eyes are sparkling and ears pricked. And most importantly, their bouts with allergies has lessened.

You will have to experiment with the vegetables because your dog just might have an allergy to one of them so try them out and see what works.

Good luck in these hard times.


Dog Skin Allergies symptoms often show up in the first two years

Skin Allergies Symptoms

Skin Allergies often shows itself in the first two years. Skin allergy symptoms include rashes, very itchy skin, scratching constantly, rubbing the face often, chewing on their legs and/or frequently chewing on their paws Others will have red, inflamed ears, and/or frequent ear, bacterial and yeast infections may occur.

I hate skin allergies

I hate skin allergies

What has happened to our meet food supply that most of the allergies come from meat that dogs have eaten for hundreds of years? There is a long list of causes of skin allergies in dogs. First we must look at the diet of your dog. According to veterinary allergists, animal protein can be an allergen. Since when?!!!

Some of our pets are allergic to beef, some to chicken, turkey. The animal protein most seem to do well on is duck, rabbit and salmon. If you wonder why they are not as allergic to these three meat sources can be easily explained. I was talking to my vet yesterday and we were discussing how very much better my dog was doing on a new kibble I had tried.

It had no beef, no chicken, no lamb no corn and no wheat. Why would those proteins cause allergic reactions? All beef, chicken and lamb go to the slaughter house. It is there that the different meats are sorted into groups and then processed. We’ve all heard about the hormones they inject all cattle with and the monstrous conditions in the slaughter houses. Meat is recalled on a regular basis when it is tested and found to have contaminants in them. Health inspectors go to the slaughter houses and randomly test. What about all the meat that does not see the hawk eye of the tester?

I'm helping Mom

I'm helping mom.

Allergic to flea medication, grass and weeds

What about contact allergies due to the flea collar your dog wears, the flea shampoo or dip used on your pet, or the sprays you are using in your garden? All of these and more can cause skin allergies in your pets

I have noticed that every time I give my dog Advantage flea medication, he becomes sick and will not eat. Even the smallest amount I put on his skin causes him to be ill from allergies.

Let me also say that if you have a sick dog the first thing you must do is visit the vet and find out what is wrong. It could be something so serious that a change in diet will not help. Be safe and sure.

Dog Food Allergies a big business for dog food companies

Hills Prescription Diet for dog food allergies costs around $25.00 per case of canned food.

My dog has to eat this dog food. If he doesn’t he will get an upset stomach and stop eating and drinking for anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. The bagged kibble food costs me around $76.00 per month.
I go through about two cases of canned food and 1 large bag of kibble per month.

My little dog napping while I type

My little dog napping while I type

That along with regular vet visits costs me quite a bit of $$$. It’s a good thing I am on a diet because my dogs food costs more than my trip to Trader Joes. I did try Trader Joe’s bagged kibble but this food did not agree with my dog and he was throwing up after two days.

Another option for you is to cook your own food. Try some dog food recipes at www.dog-food-recipes.com

Dog Food Allergies and the food you should be feeding your pet.

Make dog food recipes for you dog with allergies from wholesome ingredients that you can make right at home with ingredients you buy at your local grocery store

Dog Food Allergies can cause a happy dog to lose interest in life. He will look unwell at times and have no energy to play and chase the ball. You might notice that he isn’t as hungry as he use to be.

Dog allergies can be controlled

dog food allergies can strike any dog who is fed commercial dog food – cook for your dog!

You could cook for your pet. What have you got to lose? You just might cure your dog. As long as you give him good healthy ingredients with no sugar or trans fats, you pet should improve. Always get your Vet’s approval before trying out these recipes.

Click here for free kibble diet that I have created with the help of my vet. I have talked extensively to my Vet’s about my dog’s allergies. He has always said it was a food allergy and we have tried many many different commercial dog foods in dry and canned dog food to help him but it remains the same, he kept getting sick and I firmly believe it is the additives in the dog food that are making my dog sick.

Free dog food recipes made for your pets from wholesome ingredients that you can make right at home with ingredients you buy at your local grocery store

We’re here to help your dog avoid allergies with home made dog food. Try my recipes and see if your dog doesn’t feel better with more bounce and a smile on his face. My hypoallergenic dog food recipes are free!

Here is one of my pet food recipes on this page

Dog allergies; your pet doesn’t have to suffer from itching & poor appetite.

If you have a pet with dog allergies you know just how difficult it is to identify and deal with all that scratching and itching.

Dog Allergy and Hypoallergenic foods, Vet prescribed dog food, costly allergy tests, special supplements, dog vitamins and the list goes on and on.

Hypoallergenic dog food

Hypoallergenic dog food

What should you do when and if your vet tells you your pet has an allergy? You must first find out what he’s allergic to. It could be so many different allergens in your home. schipperke with dog allergies that can be caused by diet or surroundingsYour dog may be allergic to food, commercial dog food, shampoos, toxic cleaners, fleas and other pests. Read more about dog food allergy

If your pet has a skin allergy it is usually something in your environment. You should check to see if you have anything toxic in your home, like detergents, floor cleaner (if your dog licks the floor he might be getting toxins on his feet then when he licks his feet it is ingested). Read more about environmental allergy

What about outdoors? Do you spray the grass with weed killers? Do you apply other chemicals to the areas around the house? Read more about poisons your dog can come in contact with

I have found that commercial dog food is often the culprit when it comes to dog allergies.

Dogs in the wild do not eat corn or wheat, yet these two grains are often the main ingredient in commercial pet food. Just take a look at any canned food label and see if corn or wheat doesn’t present itself as the first ingredient (and therefore the biggest percentage of all the ingredients in the commercial pet food your are paying a lot of money for) in the list of what’s in the dog kibble you are buying. Read more about buying pet food and what to look out for.