A great article on peanut butter- betcha didn't know!
 

I got this in an email from Layla's nutritionist- also great info!

Peanut Butter and Food Allergies in Pets
By Susan Blake Davis, Certified Clinical Nutritionist

Many people commonly give their pets peanut butter because it is a food that they personally enjoy and want to share it with their beloved pet. There really is no upside to doing this and we can't emphasize enough the downsides. The recent peanut butter and peanut butter product recall, just like last year's pet food recall, calls attention to the fact that there is already an existing problem, especially for pets. Peanut butter commonly contains mold which can fuel yeast growth in people and pets. Where do problems typically show up on your pet? Ear and skin infections. Many clients report their pets have excessive scratching, itching, redness, allergic reactions, ear infections, hot spots, all from giving them just a small amount of peanut butter. Moreover, there are many pet owners whose pets already have chronic allergies and skin problems who carefully watch their diets using hypoallergenic foods and yet their pets continue to scratch and itch because they are coating the pet's pills with peanut butter to administer them. Their pets continue to have chronic yeast infections in the ears and scratch and itch. It only takes a small amount (e.g. a teaspoon) to result in a week-long allergic episode.

Peanut butter is also very high in fat, and many times, contains sugar, again--neither is good for your pet's health. If you have been using peanut butter or peanut butter-flavored biscuits (wheat is also a potential allergen and should be avoided) in your pet's diet, we urge you to discontinue and use lower fat, hypoallergenic treats such as Wildside Salmon Treats Wildside Salmon treats (if no kidney issues are present), baby carrots or sliced apples. If your dog has chronic skin and coat problems, itching, scratching, hair loss, most likely it is due to the food you are feeding and poor digestion. A high carbohydrate diet, paired with specific allergies to various proteins, can result in a very allergic pet.

If your pet has allergies, it is important for them to eat a hypoallergenic diet—A list of potential foods to be avoided can be seen below. There is no “one” allergy diet that works for everyone. Each pet is different. You will need to try a few diets and/or learn how to prepare a homemade diet. We offer Holistic Pet Health Telephone Consultations and also in-person office visits at VCA Arroyo in Lake Forest, CA to assist you with this.

Common Allergens in Pet Food:

Corn

Soy

Gluten (found in wheat, barley, spelt and other grains)

Milk Products

Casein (found in cheese)

Beef (problem for some dogs)

Chicken (problem for some cats and dogs)

Fish (cats can often be allergic)

Peanut Butter (big allergen!)

i just got it from susan also..she told me to cut the peanut butter out of my girls diet as soon as possible. I havent given them peanut butter for a while now. its sucha great info..we love susan!

Wow, that's very interesting, thanks Marci for posting it.:thumbup:

i had no idea either- Before Layla was diagnosed we used to make her peanut butter treats- clearly we have stopped that but you see peanut butter treats everywhere and just assume it is good!

mine like peanut butter treats -- perhaps if i am going to give them any in the future, it will be treats I make with homemade peanut butter. I have a Vita-Mix and my daughter absolutely loves when I use the Vita-Mix to make homemade peanut butter - & all it is is peanuts! I usually do small batches because it has to be refrigerated

I give mine all natural orgainic peanut butter. I only give it to them with their petzlife gel ( only a dab to change the flavor) because they wont take it any other way:rolleyes: I guess they are not allergic , they never seem to have any issues with it.

I've been giving peanut butter to dogs for many, many years and have had no problems at all with any type of allergies. I have been giving the all natural old fashion peanut butter for a few years now. No sugar in it either. I'm sure like most foods, there will be a few with an allergy to the peanut butter, but if you have not had any problems with it, I don't see not giving it once in awhile. I know a lot of dogs can't eat wheat or soy products, but there are many more dogs who have no problem with those. I think each dog should be given what works for him or her and is the very reason I strongly suggest giving your dog only one item at a time for three or four days (real food) to see if there will be an allergy. Simple. ;)

I just had to resurrect this thread. I've been working with Cooper and his vet for about 2 months to figure out his odd licking behavior. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...hes-doing.html The only thing that I think it comes down to is peanut butter. He's been on an allergy diet for 2 months. I have to admit that i may have given him a peanut butter treat or 2 during that period. He seemed a little better but still showed symptoms of some kind of irritation.

He's back on regular food and he's been fine. To test, I gave him a treat that contains peanut butter this evening. He's doing the licking again.

I really don't know if it is the peanut butter, but at this point I have no other answers.

Thank you for the info in htis thread.

Thank you for resurrecting this thread. I just gave Zoey her 1st taste of peanut butter last night!! 1st time and last time for sure. Sorry Zoey - she liked it and she doesn't like a lot of things :)

Peanut butter is very popular amongst dog owners. Maybe it would be ok for her? I know a lot of people put it in Kong toys and the dogs just love it.

I never thought of a connection. Bear had his first hot spot, we had been giving him peanut butter along with the girls as they love it. He'd never really had it plain before. Just occasional pb flavored treats. Never realized that could have caused the problem. I hadn't seen this, thank you so much for the bump!