Food Allergies...

[pippinsmommy]

My One yearold Pippin is allergic to chicken and beef. He's currently eating a Lamb and Rice formula which he loves but it's got a chicken by product in it so therefore it makes him scratch like crazy. We've tried him on a couple different hypoallergenic foods recommended by his vet but one he wouldn't eat and the other one made him constipated, he won't even eat the canned stuff. I'm running out of options, I really don't want him to be on medication the rest of his life. Is there any possibility that he'll out grow this allergy by continuing to eat the food??

-Kelly

[marcerella02]

He really shouldn't be eating ANYTHING that has animal bi-prodcut. It will only make things worse. He needs to be on a HIGH Quality allergy food... Try Natural Balance. They have a GREAT allergy formula with NO bi products.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by pippinsmommy

Is there any possibility that he'll out grow this allergy by continuing to eat the food??

If you go this route, the entire system becomes so chronically irritated that you're setting your guy up for additional health problems. Anecdotally, many dogs with unchecked allergies start to develop local yeast infections, then systemic yeast, ear infections, skin problems and on and on. So, no - I wouldn't go this route at all.

I would suggest you try a fish based kibble. Fish is very hypoallergenic for dogs and can be a miracle for some dogs (it was for my baby - homecooking, that is). I'd recommend Wellness Core Ocean - it's a nice option bc they were able to make an "allergy food" without going unacceptably low in protein (like most allergy foods). So, it can easily be long term - if you're going to feed kibble long-term.

[pippinsmommy]

I know he shouldn't be eating anything with a bi-product in it but it's the only food I can get him to eat. He won't touch anything else and like I said this one food that his vet recommended made him constipated after just 2 days of eating it. The food that he is eating now has small kibbles and a few foods that we've tried have these huge kibbles and he hates them, their too hard for him to chew so he refuses to eat it and I have tried crushing them up to make them smaller but he still refuses to eat it. He's never tried anything fish based before and I'm actually almost afraid to go out and buy it because if he doesn't eat it then thats just more money wasted. He refuses to eat a can food, the first time I gave it to him he sniffed it and then flipped his dish over on the floor, he just doesn't like it.

I called my vet about a week or so ago and asked about allergy testing and sadly my city doesn't do it but she said it was really expensive and that she'd have to refer me to Edmonton which is 5 hours from where I live. She also said there was no point because allergy tests in dogs are not conclusive enough to determine what type of allergy it is.

-Kelly

[Wylie's Mom]

Since you're in Canada - Orijen 6-Fish kibble should be easy to find - and I think they may have samples. Even if they don't, I think a regular bag is only around $10-12 and could make all the difference for your baby. Orijen is known as being one of the most appetizing kibbles around - dogs go crazy for it. Sounds like a bargain compared to the $300+ allergy testing.

[pippinsmommy]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Since you're in Canada - Orijen 6-Fish kibble should be easy to find - and I think they may have samples. Even if they don't, I think a regular bag is only around $10-12 and could make all the difference for your baby. Orijen is known as being one of the most appetizing kibbles around - dogs go crazy for it. Sounds like a bargain compared to the $300+ allergy testing.

Pippin is one of those dogs that does not go crazy for Orijen. He's already tried a few of their foods and he eats them good for a few days and then he refuses to touch them and wants his old food back. The food he is on now is food number 5 (he's picky and we've been changing his food since we weened him off the breeder food a year ago) and he really likes this one, he's almost on his 3rd bag of it already and it's been a good 6 months or so since he started eating this new stuff, which I know is bad for him but he won't eat anything else. I know that if I put new food down he won't starve himself but I actually think he would because he just refuses to eat it.

-Kelly

[Wylie's Mom]

Have you tried the fish kibble or just the regular Orijen? It may be worth a try if it could help the allergies to chicken. If you're not really willing to switch foods, then I'm not really sure what to tell you.

Are you willing to go raw?

[pippinsmommy]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Have you tried the fish kibble or just the regular Orijen? It may be worth a try if it could help the allergies to chicken. If you're not really willing to switch foods, then I'm not really sure what to tell you.

Are you willing to go raw?

No I haven't tried the Orijen fish kibble, not yet anyways. Our one and only petstore sells them in sample food and we can always return it if he doesn't like it. I am willing to switch foods if he's going to eat it, I'm just scared that he's not going to eat it and then I'm back at square one. Raw as in like raw meat? That's not an option for me, Pippin got his jaws on a tiny piece of raw steak once, didn't sit well with him. I think I'm going to head to the pet store on Monday and pick up a sample bag of the Orijen Fish Kibble.

-Kelly

[megansmomma]

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...e-samples.html

How about this stcky 4 free samples?

[YorkieMother]

I would have a look at the dog food out of Morinville Alberta.. Champion food.
Their lamb and rice is just Lamb and they are very proud of that. That line be Acana. Purple bag.

Also thier next line up was an safe food as well out of fish and nothing else.
Champion Petfoods

JL

[pippinsmommy]

Pippin tried the Acana, he hated it cause the kibbles were too big. Haven't tried getting anything off the internet yet. I've been so stressed with him lately but he honestly doesn't seem to be scratching that much at all anymore.

-Kelly

[Ellie May]

If you can get Natural Balance, that would be my first choice to try. Maybe they will send you a sample. I like their allergy formulas because instead of using grains like rice, they use sweet potato.

Your pup does need to come off of the current food immediately if he is scratching that bad. He will not grow out of it but continuing to eat it.

Fish based kibble would be a good choice but because I would be very careful about feeding super high protein and I don't feed garlic in dog food, some of those would be out for me. Have you tried Evangers canned food? Considered home cooking if you don't want to do raw?

[pookiebear]

Just going to put my two cents worth in here on feeding raw. I know you said you gave Pippin a piece of raw steak on time. Maybe it was just the steak, maybe he doesn't get along with beef. Getting my Bernie on something he liked and could tolerate was a nightmare. Then at Wylie'sMom's suggestion I tried the raw. I don't feed him beef because it doesn't set well with him either. Nature's Variety not only has beef, they also have, Venison, Lamb, Organic Chicken, Chicken, and Rabbit. I think that's all of them. Nature's Variety will send you a coupon for $15 if you e-mail them. Mine are raw and kibble fed. It's worth a try.

[spydergurl]

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[spydergurl]

Hi...I tried writing a message from my Blackberry but it didn't come out right....anyhow....I have a 9 yr old girl, Chewy, that has had allergies all her life. My vet just stated the fact and really didn't tell me what to do about it. I changed vets recently, and this one put her on a special non-allergenic dry soy-based food. She didn't want to eat it at all. But I insisted, and wouldn't give in. He said no treats, nothing except this one food. She finally ate after 2 days....I added some water to it and made a big deal about it, hand feeding her with a spoon and my hand. Now she eats it ok. She's not crazy about it, but she knows I won't give in. The reason I am being so strict about it, is due to the fact that she has had numerous ear infections this past year. It just kept getting worse and each time we went to the vet, it was more pain and lots of money put out. He kept telling me about the diet, but I kept saying, how could I do that to her? She's so spoiled and I give her the best of foods and treats. But he made me realize that I was doing harm to her. So now, here we are with the special food. She's been on it for about a month. He said she has to be on it for 4 mos to tell if it's working or not. Poor kid. We have a puppy and I have to give her puppy food for her growth, so it is very hard watching her eat that "good" food. But I am doing it.
As long as it helps her, I will do it and know it's for her own good.