Dog food question

[golfgal]

Our dog has bad allergies and has been HORRIBLE this spring. She is currently on an antibiotic for a skin infection from scratching so much they spring. After all of this showed up we decided to try a different food. A friend with a dog with bad allergies has been using Solid Gold with great success so we are trying that. Our dog appears to LOVE this food. She has been eating very well. She hasn't been on it long enough to see if it helps with the allergies yet. My question is, could her eating more be that the food isn't giving her as much nutrients thus making her more hungry? The ratings are pretty good for the food and I just don't know enough about dog food to know the difference.

 

[damo]

Here is a website that rates all the dogfoods. Solid Gold gets 4 stars out of a possible 6. There are better dogfoods out there but there are also a lot worse.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

 

[pumba]

Our dalmatian had the skin allergies too ....we changed her to Wellness which they said is another type like the Solid Gold....we couldnt get the Solid Gold and opted for Wellness........the food was fantastic and she loves it....We still only give her 3/4's of a cup in the morning and same at night......otherwise she would be a chunky monkey...no sores from the itching and her fur is so nice and soft again....waiting to see if the hair grows back on her tail this time.....She lost the hair when she was on a prescription dog food for losing weight from the vets.
Wellness has no additives, no food coloring, no preservatives ....all real food that a person would eat....fruits and veggies too..deboned chicken ..no chicken by products....
Solid Gold and Wellness and another brand that begins with a C are all top notch dog foods.......good luck

 

[Sleepy]

My dog has a terrible skin allergy that causes his cheeks to break out itchy and he scratches it bloody. I have never seen anything spread so fast. Within 2 days of symptoms, it goes from the size of a dime to covering most of his face. Just nasty.

We had no idea what was wrong with him. Seemed antibiotics would clear it up, then he would break out again. The skin would become very hard and black between breakouts and he would be hairless for months. Vet finally put him on Hills Prescription diet Salmon and Potato and he has not had a breakout in almost a year. We had a problem with delivery (it has to be shipped through the vet office from somewhere else). He ran out over a month ago. We had to try something, so while it may not be the best food, Newman's brand of organic dog food has not caused a breakout yet. I probably shouldn't have even written this because now he will probably have a breakout.

I am currently watching a dog and the owner says the itchy bumps inside his ear is an allergy. I wonder if changing foods would make him better.

 

[damo]

Our dalmatian had the skin allergies too ....we changed her to Wellness which they said is another type like the Solid Gold....we couldnt get the Solid Gold and opted for Wellness........the food was fantastic and she loves it....We still only give her 3/4's of a cup in the morning and same at night......otherwise she would be a chunky monkey...no sores from the itching and her fur is so nice and soft again....waiting to see if the hair grows back on her tail this time.....She lost the hair when she was on a prescription dog food for losing weight from the vets.
Wellness has no additives, no food coloring, no preservatives ....all real food that a person would eat....fruits and veggies too..deboned chicken ..no chicken by products....
Solid Gold and Wellness and another brand that begins with a C are all top notch dog foods.......good luck

We give our dogs Wellness Core. It is grain free.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[doxdogy]

We feed our dogs Wellness too. We buy one made for senior dogs. It contains Glucosamine (spelling) and the difference was amazing. We have one doxie that is about 14 years old and she prances around like a baby. It also helps out tremendously for the one with skin allergies.

 

[Disney Doll]

Ted had a wheat aleergy which took us a long time to figure out. Same story as some of you...skin rashes, breakdown, oozing. Off to the vet for antibiotics, it would clear up, the course of antibiotics would end, it would come back.

We started him on California Natural and he never had another problem. It was expensive, but worth it.

 

[LindaR]

I recently switched my senior dogs fro Purina Proplan to Fromm. My big guy has bad allergies and lots of aches and pains! Its difficult for him to do stairs. Holy cow!!!!! What a difference the food is making already! His coat has gone from "flat" black to a "glossy" black. He is licking/chewing his feet SO much less (and I think that will completely stop in the next few weeks) and he is bouncing around now. I haven't seen THAT in quite some time!!!

I do give them treats that are made by Wellness.

This food (its the Four Star) is for all life stages. Expensive but I feed less (we actually count calories now) because their caloric needs are met with less food now. And since there are not fillers (corn) what comes out the other end....is way smaller too.

 

[TashaRVT]

Hi there, just wanted to throw my two cents worth in!

Unfortunately the allergies seem to be hitting earlier this year; I've seen alot of pups coming into my office with nasty flare-ups already! The Dick Van Patten diets are actually really quite good, as are the Fromm and the Wellness. The Science Diet d/d foods can be very effective, and really aren't much more (and in some cases even less) than the diets I mentioned.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

We use the Dick Van Patten Natural Balance, Lamb and brown Rice. My dogs have the softest coats. We sometimes use the fish and sweet potato formula also, which the dogs LOVE but dang that stuff smells bad! lol

I agree with one of the other posters...Corn is bad for your dogs...it is just a filler and lots of times causes allergies in dogs...my vet told us that dogs are not cows and don't need it. He also taught us to check the ingredients on the bag...the first ingredient is the main ingredient.

 

[KristiKelly]

We use Canidae. Annabelle LOVES it! We ran out & the store was closed so we had to buy *GASP* grocery store food. DH bought Rachel Ray's food - she wouldn't touch it. She raced for the bag when we brought her Canidae in the next day.

 

[golfgal]

We use the Dick Van Patten Natural Balance, Lamb and brown Rice. My dogs have the softest coats. We sometimes use the fish and sweet potato formula also, which the dogs LOVE but dang that stuff smells bad! lol

I agree with one of the other posters...Corn is bad for your dogs...it is just a filler and lots of times causes allergies in dogs...my vet told us that dogs are not cows and don't need it. He also taught us to check the ingredients on the bag...the first ingredient is the main ingredient.

We have never used a food with corn since her breed tends to have corn allergies. Part of the problem is I can only buy so many brands of food here too. I don't think I have ever seen the Dick Van Patten food in the stores around here. We have the options of the grocery store (no), PetSmart/PetCo (no) and our local feed store/nursery. They are carry the better brands of pet foods and our choices are limited.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Our dog has bad allergies and has been HORRIBLE this spring. She is currently on an antibiotic for a skin infection from scratching so much they spring. After all of this showed up we decided to try a different food. A friend with a dog with bad allergies has been using Solid Gold with great success so we are trying that. Our dog appears to LOVE this food. She has been eating very well. She hasn't been on it long enough to see if it helps with the allergies yet. My question is, could her eating more be that the food isn't giving her as much nutrients thus making her more hungry? The ratings are pretty good for the food and I just don't know enough about dog food to know the difference.

She could be eating more simply because she likes the food. Dogs don't always know to stop eating when they are full - that's why we have so many overweight dogs in this country.

I'm not sure what you fed previously but if it was a lower quality, you likely need less of this food to give her enough calories for her lifestyle.

If she seems famished, up the food a little and watch her waistline. The bag is just a guideline; every dog's energy level is different. My dogs, even the two that are the same weight, need different amts because one is lazy and one is a crazy woman. It's trial and error, really, to make sure you are giving her enough.

If it's not the food amt that is the problem, and she still seems hungry, throw some fresh veggies in her bowl. Green beans, esp, are so low calorie that it won't make a difference in her weight but it'll make her feel fuller and give her more in the bowl to scarf down.

Solid Gold is good food

 

[golfgal]

She could be eating more simply because she likes the food. Dogs don't always know to stop eating when they are full - that's why we have so many overweight dogs in this country.

I'm not sure what you fed previously but if it was a lower quality, you likely need less of this food to give her enough calories for her lifestyle.

If she seems famished, up the food a little and watch her waistline. The bag is just a guideline; every dog's energy level is different. My dogs, even the two that are the same weight, need different amts because one is lazy and one is a crazy woman. It's trial and error, really, to make sure you are giving her enough.

If it's not the food amt that is the problem, and she still seems hungry, throw some fresh veggies in her bowl. Green beans, esp, are so low calorie that it won't make a difference in her weight but it'll make her feel fuller and give her more in the bowl to scarf down.

Solid Gold is good food

She has always been on good quality food. She started out on Nutra but we have also tried Canidid (sp?) and a few others. Recently she was on Chicken Soup for the Dog lovers and was doing well on that until this spring. I don't know if it is her food that is causing her allergies to be so bad this year or not which is part of the problem. She has never been a dog to over eat. She always has food in her bowl and only eats when she is hungry, usually only once/day. Her weight is pretty constant, within a couple ounces depending on the time of the year. One thing the ratings said is that the protein count in this food is lower and we may want to supplement with real meat. She is only 12 lbs so I don't think we need to worry about that too much.

 

[KristiKelly]

If it's not the food amt that is the problem, and she still seems hungry, throw some fresh veggies in her bowl. Green beans, esp, are so low calorie that it won't make a difference in her weight but it'll make her feel fuller and give her more in the bowl to scarf down.

Our dog loves baby carrots & raw frozen green beans.

 

[LindaR]

Well when I was getting ready to switch foods and had it narrowed down to three brands I went to each individual brand website (i.e. frommfamily.com) and did a search for retail locations.

I TRULY live in the middle of nowhere.......so my closest places are 60 miles away. I just buy several bags when I go. I keep them in the utility room. When I open the last bag, I plan a trip to the store to stock up again.

Some companies may ship directly to you......

 

[Aimeedyan]

She has always been on good quality food. She started out on Nutra but we have also tried Canidid (sp?) and a few others. Recently she was on Chicken Soup for the Dog lovers and was doing well on that until this spring. I don't know if it is her food that is causing her allergies to be so bad this year or not which is part of the problem. She has never been a dog to over eat. She always has food in her bowl and only eats when she is hungry, usually only once/day. Her weight is pretty constant, within a couple ounces depending on the time of the year. One thing the ratings said is that the protein count in this food is lower and we may want to supplement with real meat. She is only 12 lbs so I don't think we need to worry about that too much.

More than likely, it's not the food causing allergy issues. Food allergies account for only 10% of dog allergies. Though some dogs do have allergy issues with food, the vast majority of allergies in dogs are environmental - just like people. Sadly, pinpointing allergies in dogs is pricey and time consuming; it's often easier to just treat for seasonal allergies (Benadryl or something similar) and switch to a low allergen food and hope that does the trick. My (holistic) vet says in dogs that seem to have allergy issues, it's always best to avoid the big 4: corn, wheat, beef, and soy.

Environmental allergens can change at any time; meaning, they can be 6 years old, living in the same house with the same people and all of a sudden develop an allergy to something in their environment. Same goes for food.

There are things you can do at home if your pup is still suffering. If they are itchy, you could try a bath with oatmeal, epsom salt, or medicated shampoo. That has helped my Shih Tzu a lot - even though it's just a temporary solution it helps his skin feel better.

I'm not sure why they would give her antibiotics unless she scratched herself into an infection

Also, if you see her improving on a new food, be sure and stick to treats that have ingredients found in that food, too, just in case she really is allergic to something found in other foods.

 

[golfgal]

More than likely, it's not the food causing allergy issues. Food allergies account for only 10% of dog allergies. Though some dogs do have allergy issues with food, the vast majority of allergies in dogs are environmental - just like people. Sadly, pinpointing allergies in dogs is pricey and time consuming; it's often easier to just treat for seasonal allergies (Benadryl or something similar) and switch to a low allergen food and hope that does the trick. My (holistic) vet says in dogs that seem to have allergy issues, it's always best to avoid the big 4: corn, wheat, beef, and soy.

Environmental allergens can change at any time; meaning, they can be 6 years old, living in the same house with the same people and all of a sudden develop an allergy to something in their environment. Same goes for food.

There are things you can do at home if your pup is still suffering. If they are itchy, you could try a bath with oatmeal, epsom salt, or medicated shampoo. That has helped my Shih Tzu a lot - even though it's just a temporary solution it helps his skin feel better.

I'm not sure why they would give her antibiotics unless she scratched herself into an infection

Also, if you see her improving on a new food, be sure and stick to treats that have ingredients found in that food, too, just in case she really is allergic to something found in other foods.

Yes. she has an infection from scratching so much. This is the worst she has ever been. Poor thing. She is on allergy medication but this spring is REALLY bad for her. We did get some medicated shampoo and conditioner and that seems to give her some temporary help. Off to bathe her now as a matter of fact.

 

[AnnR]

My cat has the same problem. I put her on Halo for sensitive stomach and skin and she is doing well. She also takes Atopica which is actually for dogs. I bought her a natural shampoo with oatmeal and tree tea oil. She hates baths but purrs (and growls!) when I rub it in. She doesn't scratch as much for a couple of days after. I was giving her a bath once a week or so, but with the Halo I haven't had to give her a bath in about 6 weeks.