Do you tend to buy dog food products that say “Natural” on the label?

This little dog has dog food allergies

The FDA has long refused to define the word “natural” but this may be as close as they are going to get and this is the reason for this article.

You just might be buying the same crummy dog food you’ve always bought except you think it’s better because you associate the word natural as being something that has been naturally grown without pesticides.  The FDA will not define the word “natural” except to say that “A natural flavor is defined as a substance extracted, distilled or otherwise derived from plant or animal matter, either directly from the matter itself or after it has been roasted, heated or fermented”.

Oh yummy, animal matter!  For all intents and purposes that could mean whatever is is the intestines is also “natural” but I wouldn’t want to eat it!

If you read the first sentence it is telling you that “natural” means just about anything.  What is Animal Matter?  That could mean any animal matter.   And it includes chicken feathers, chicken guts, and any part of an animal that no one wants to eat.

When a dog food product says “It’s completely natural”, the advertiser wants you to believe that it is something special.  “It’s all natural and good for your dog.”  Which basically says nothing except we’re trying to get you to believe it’s organic and healthy.

So if you see “natural” on the label remember that means nothing and it’s your cue to look at the ingredients.

Dog food companies have long used this word to describe their food so that you think it’s better than all the rest.  Out of the hundreds of dog foods out there, there are very few that are actually good for your dog.  And I’ve found at least 6 of them and I list them on my website.

Spooky’s list of dog food kibble that has been tested in his quality assurance labs (my kitchen).

My dog Spooky is the most allergic dog in the world.  He hasn’t thrown up any of these dog foods!  And that’s a good thing!

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

My dog has always had dog food allergies.

I tried 7 different brands, using their money back guarantee and finally hit upon this reat food called Innova.

This is not a plug for Innova but it did do my dog lots of good and ranks very highly among dog kibble producers.  I also tried the wet food but I’ll reserve judgement on that for a later day.

Pet Portraits by Lorri

HOW TO NOT GET BITTEN BY A DOG

If you’ve never had a dog or dislike dogs here is some information you need to know so that if you encounter a dog you don’t create an environment where the dog will bite you and it will be your fault.

Don’t approach an unknown dog that is alone without its owner.
Never pet a dog without asking the owner if you can touch his dog.
If you see an injured dog be very careful how you approach it.  Wear gloves and heavy clothing.  Usually dog in pain will bite.

Don’t go near a dog that is eating or sleeping or has it’s favorite toy.  If he does not know you he will want to guard the toy.

Never tease a dog.  Don’t yell at dogs.  Don’t run at them.  Don’t skateboard or ride bikes near dogs.  If you have to, then be prepared for some barking.

If you see a dog running at you, stand perfectly still and do not look at him at all.  Do not make eye contact.  If you are attacked then fall to the ground and roll up into a fetal postion.  If you can mimic the cry of a baby dog do this.

If you want to make friends with a dog talk in a very high voice, like a baby dogs sound.  99% of dogs will not hurt puppies.

Don’t put your self into a situation where you might get bitten by a dog.  Walk the other way,  cross the street, do something and do it quietly.

I found some great new kibble for dog allergies at the local pet shop.

My web site for dog allergies gives a rundown on what my dog has gone through with his dog allergies.

The first kibble we tried was Innova dog food.  We tried both dry and wet and no body got sick after they ate it!  Take that you vets who overcharge us for crappy food from Hill’s.

I also make some rice or potatoes to mix in with the new food so that it prevents your dog from getting the runs.  So introduce it gradually and see what a difference it makes.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!