Dog allergies

[Spankenstyne]

Yep be careful with dogs more prone to weight issues. I found our dogs do much better with the higher protein as they carry substantial muscle mass for their size (15" tall and 40+ lbs with visible ribs) but other dogs can easily have problems. Rice I have no problems with, the rare times our dogs have ever been sick we've used rice and/or pumpkin, it's those corn based Hills diets that I have no time for. They brainwash the Vets & Vet techs into believing they're high quality diets when they're barely passable at best. My sister is a longtime Vet tech & I've had some big disagreements over food with her, particularly over the Hills Science Diet junk.
Some dogs do ok on it but to prove my point I put my money where my mouth was and put my dogs on it for several months to show her. They looked like crap, had terrible muscle tone, energy levels were lower and their coats were very thin & dull. Nutrition isn't a big part of their training unless they actively seek it out themselves & some recent courses she has taken have had her seeing more of my side on some foods.

[Hyokenseisou]

I still have a feeling that she's allergic to fish.... so trying fish oil/pills worry me greatly....

[Spankenstyne]

Could be something seasonal or environmental as well. I'd hold off on the fish pills for now to be safe though if that's what you suspect.

[Faltang1090]

I have been told a raw food diet which was mostly elk and deer. For the overly sensitive canines could be fed this everyday of their lives. BUT I am not a dog owner or plan on it, nor an expert on canines by any means. It came from a local(Calgary area) elk farmer, it was sold in a tube the same diameter as a large hamburger that you could keep in the fridge and slice off as much as needed per meal. All this info was second hand info though... So relative your dogs needs I have no other idea besides the rash is a very hardy bacteria. As my last roommates had a Great Dane that constantly had been given it by another one of their dog park friends. But your other dogs might or might not show signs. Their dog had thinning hair in splotches and red rash areas spread head to tail literally. But I would stay working on finding the food allergy first.

[archea]

I remember when I was looking for some food for my crew the woman suggested Duck as lots of dogs had allergies to specific protein types.

I use the Wilderness Duck for my pups (grain free...) Ive noticed Sasha (Shephard X) occasionally gets little sores on her inner rear legs from chaffing...but it usually heals within a few days so it hasnt been an issue yet.

[joeysgreen]

Using Hills z/d ultra is what I recommend. It's expensive, but if the symptoms go away while on it, (with additional medical treatment if necessary), then you have been dealing with food allergies. Then you can experiment with other hypoallergenic diets until you find one that agrees with your dog, or ideally, a certain ingredient that you need to avoid.

Ian

[RyanGSP]

On horizon here, was Blue Buffalo but stopped after a major price jump and no extra benifets.

i prefer feeding something with corn in it for my dogs or any other sporting/high energy breeds.

[Kronicka]

My Dalmatian doesn't have any food allergies but as a breed dalmatians are prone to kidney issues, usually due to purines in their diet. Organ meats, game meats, most fish, and gravies are high in purines, and most meats used in dogfood have an above average level as is. So I put her on Natural Balance Vegan kibble, supplemented by lean, cooked beef or chicken at supper time. This way, by eliminating the cause of the problem from her store-bought diet, I get to moderate her protein intake. I told my vet this and she said that she actually recommends this method for dogs with allergies, not necessarily the vegan route I used, but find what doesn't work, remove it from the dogs diet, supplement with something that does work.

Dave.

[joeysgreen]

Yes, dalmations are often recommended a vegetarian diet as they often have problems with uric acid crystals from their purine metabolism. Because most allergies are to the more complex meat proteins, a vegetarian diet is an excellent hypoallergenic diet. I had recommended the Hill's z/d ultra because all the protein has been hydrolized or broken down far where essentially there is nothing left large enough to be an allergen. All in all, the suggestion is the same. Start with an ultra bland diet and build up from there, stepping back if clinical signs return.

Ian