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02-14-2010, 09:41 AM | #1 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 5,748
| Winter Allergies or Food Allergies I need a little advice from all you yorkie owners that are NOT swayed by everything that a vet tells them about dog food and allergies. Sadie is on Nature's Variety Raw diet, right now she's eating chicken, but i switch meats every bag usually. She's doing so great weight wise on this and I'm very happy with the variety of protiens in the meat and eggs in this product. My concern is that every morning she's very itchy. It seems that it's only mornings though. She's not itchy all day long, but she's scratching when she wakes up in the morning. Could this be just winter skin and a routine of waking up a bit dry? Or is she possibly having some food allergies to something. Her food is 100% grain free now, so i don't know what she'd be that allergic to unless it's a meat protien. The vet's claim that meats are often more of an allergy than grains and to put her on a mostly grain aka SOY diet.... but i'm totally against her eating primarily SOY due to my research about raw diets and meat heavy diets. What do you guys think about all this? Should I just keep feeding her what works well and use coat conditioners, benedryl, and more fish oil with her? |
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02-14-2010, 04:59 PM | #2 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2005 Location: Chicagoland Area
Posts: 272
| I too would be interested in responses on this topic. My vet thinks little Emee might have a food allergy. I am at a loss on what to feed. My vet placed her on IAMS Veterinarian Response KO...kangeroo meat but the very first ingredient is oat flour...a grain. Needless to say, Emee won't touch it. I am sure many of you here on YT have experienced with allergy. Any help would be appreciated.
__________________ CJ - mom to Teddy and Emee RIP Bitsy |
02-14-2010, 05:24 PM | #3 |
My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca.
Posts: 12,228
| This is what I always say to these questions: Here is some information for you about commercial pet food. Dead Cats And Dogs Used To Make Pet Food http://www.felineinstincts.com/succe...ringplant.html The Dark Side of Recycling Thought this may help you: First you have to start with one type of food at a time to see what works and what doesn't. Dogs are like people, some may have an allergy to one thing while others do not. I'm totally against commercial raw meat for the dogs due to all the hormones and chemicles that are added and the unsanitary conditions at the slaughter houses where salmonella and other bacteria's breed that go on the meat, and is why we are told to "throughly" cook our meat. No matter what anyone says, dogs can and do get sick and die from salmonella poisons. Ask any Vet. So, I'd suggest if you want to feed raw, then go with the wild game animals like deer, elk, bison, moose and fowl. Otherwise cook the meats. Vegetables are another important ingredient in the dogs diet. These can be fed raw: Chopped parsley, alfalfa sprouts, grated carrots (cook for cats) and grated zucchini. These should be cooked before feeding: Corn, peas, green beans, broccoli & sweet potatoes. Dairy is good for them if they can tolerate it and these include Powdered milk, eggs, plain non-fat yogurt, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese (non-fat). Grains include: Oats, millet brown rice, bulgur barley, whole wheat couscous, cornmeal buckwheat & wheat berries. Fruits: apples, berries of all types & bananas. Dried fruits include, prunes, figs, dates and apricots. Fruits and vegetables are great storehouses of vitamins, minerals and vital energy. Dried fruits are especially good natural sources of potassium, an important mineral that can sometimes be in short supply; other good sources are peanuts, potatoes and tomato sauce. Dates are extremely rich in folic acid, an important B vitamin. Now, you need to take one type of meat (raw or cooked) and feed only that (no other food sources at all, no snacks either, nothing) for three days to see it this type of meat is agreeable. Next feed a different meat source for three days (if you fed the red meat first, then feed poultry now or the other way around) like poultry for three days and nothing else. If these work out ok, then add one veggie only to one of the meat sources for an additional three days. Then a different veggie and so on. This method will rule out what they can't eat and add what they can eat. Whenever you add a new food, do just one at a time for three days, but it can be added to something you have already tried that worked out. Meats, veggies and fruits should be the main staple. As for vitamins, I make up the HEALTHY POWDER. I find it's much better than any commercial vitamin, and it too is made up of human grade ingredients that are sold in health food and vitamin stores. HEALTHY POWDER: 2 cups nutritional (torula) yeast 1 cup lecithin granules 1/4 cup kelp powder 1/4 cup bonemeal 1,000 milligrams vitamin C (ground) Mix all ingredients together in a 1 quart container and refrigerate. 1 to 2 teaspoons per day for cats or small dogs; 2 to 3 teaspoons per day for medium-size dogs; 1 to 2 tablespoons per day for large dogs. I give all three of my girls a teaspoon each twice daily over their food, and this batch last them 40 days. If you have any questions I'll do my best to give you the right information. There are two books that are the best on the market, and believe me, I've bought tons over the years. MORE SHOCKING FACTS by Ann N. Martin and her first one, FOOD PETS DIE FOR. http://www.thepowermall.com/thecente...ann_martin.htm Keep in mind that commercial pet foods, commercial pet treats, flea and tick repellents and over inoculating (yearly) are killing our companion animals in record numbers. Sadly, we are learning this on our own because most Vets. are in it for the money. Here is some information on what "really" goes into the making of animal food: Rendering: the "Invisible Industry" Gets a Green Facelift | Center for Media and Democracy Food Pets Die For; a Book Excerpt http://drjackie.freeservers.com/arti...ven_a_dog.html http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79 http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/03.html Please read up, do your homework, "then" decide if you want to feed your baby things you know will cause serious health problems. I've been home cooking for 50 years. It's the best!! __________________ __________________
__________________ AZRAEL RAZAEL JILLI ANN |
02-14-2010, 05:52 PM | #4 |
Donating YT 30K Club Member | My Cali has bad allergies and after all the testing we never could find out what she is allergic to. I feed her California Natural Lamb and rice as chicken can be more of am allergy causer. I finally had to put her on medicine to get her to stop scratching. I would try switching to a novel protein like lamb or a fish and see if it helps or it may just be the dryness. Hope she stops scratching soon.
__________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html |
02-14-2010, 05:52 PM | #5 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Weymouth, Ma
Posts: 2,584
| I know we are alot smarter and wiser but does anyone ever wonder how on earth old Spot and Rover ever survived years ago... they ate what ever was left over on the table... just scraps or a can of good ole kenerations, people never went to the vet, and dogs LIVED FOR 20 years.. I am not debating good nutrition for dogs believe me I buy the best.. but every time my mother is here she always puts that bug in my ear.. and I have to say it does make me wonder...
__________________ I Support http://www.yorkiesinc.com/ |
02-14-2010, 06:08 PM | #6 |
I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member | I have heard of dogs being allergic to meats, but usually the vet recommends different meat. If she's having trouble on chicken, I would try lamb or fish. I personally wouldn't want a no meat diet, unless I'd had proof the dog was allergic to meat. Keeping a food diary and writing symptoms can help. Sometimes the actual dog food isn't the problem, it's treats or table scraps, someone has given them, and you don't even know about it. So first thing is ask if anyone has been giving snacks. Hopefully, they will tell the truth. What's the weather like, does she get in snow, and does the snow get salted? Are you sure the itching is excessive, you say it's just in the morning; could she be allergic to the detergent you use to wash the bedding? Some people find an extra rinse helpful. Most people use far too much detergent and it doesn't get rinsed out, also those dryer sheets can cause problems for some people. It odd that she experiences this only in the morning, any snacks right before bedtime? I know when you are looking for allergies in children you keep a food diary, and feed one thing the first day, and if no symptoms, you slowly add new food.
__________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals |
02-14-2010, 08:47 PM | #7 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 5,748
| thank you all very much. i suspect chicken, so after this batch i'm going to pay really close attention as she goes through the beef batch and see if we get some itchies or not. i'll let you know what i find out. i might check detergents as well and possibly just buy the hypoallergenic kinds anyways because i'm suspecting that I have eczema from the dry dry winter we're having....i have circular spots, i thought they were ringworm last winter, but they only come to me in winter time when my skin is dry and it seems antifungal creams do nothing and they spread even more....i think it's nummular eczema instead. going to the Doc tomorrow for me...as for Sadie, i still believe in raw and i still believe NV is a good brand to buy, but i might pay more attention to what's in it and try to pinpoint the itching. Thanks all |
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