Dog allergies
Dog Allergies and what you can do to make your dog more comfortableArchive for dog allergy
Dogs licking and chewing their paws and feet
Dog licking paws and chewing feet.
I hope to relate to you the type of injuries and thing you should look out for when your dog gets older and begins to have paw problems. Nine times out of ten it’s either a foreign objects stuck in the foot or matted fur, even an allergy will cause so much itching a dog will try to lick it away.
I know I have had more and more problems as I have grown older. Now my two dogs are having paw problems.
Some of the most common problems a dog can have with his paws are;
- Injuries
- Splinters or pieces of glass
- burrs and weeds
- Fungal infections such as yeast
- Nail problems
- Matted hair
- Dog licking paws until they are raw
Check out my site on dog allergies with breeds
This is a Portuguese Water Dog that the Obama's just brought into the White House
Are you allergic to dogs?
If you are one of the many people, just like Michele Obama, who is allergic to dogs there are dogs that do well with human allergies. Also they do not shed and don’t have much dog dander, if al all.
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
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
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.
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
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 Allergies are being treated aggressively with Prednisone!
I have been hearing lately from people that dog allergies are being treated too aggressively with powerful drugs that if taken too long can lead to organ failure or Pacreatitis.
West Highland White Terrier out for a walk
This is exactly what happened tomy dog who has had allergies most of his life. They put him on Prednisone and after year he developed Pancriatitis which they said was because of long term Presnisone use.
I would advise any dog owner to get a second opinion about the use of Prednisone for allergy symptoms.
Dog Food Allergies and the food you should be feeding your pet.
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 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.
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!
