# 18 mth. old allergic to SO MUCH, what food listed would YOU feed?



## swhome247 (Oct 22, 2013)

Chase had a food allergy test done by our vet and have the results. He is allergic to SO MUCH that it even surprised her. We do feel strongly that it is environmental allergies too unfortunately, but we cannot do allergy shots and would take long to kick in anyway. The closest animal dermatologist is three hours away. Although I know they are not completely accurate from everything I've read on this forum, we still wanted to do the testing. So, we are not feeding him anything that is "Borderline Positive" and "Positive". We are also avoiding all the "Borderline" to be on the safe side. That rules out A LOT of food. The highest were chicken, duck, pork, venison and rabbit (thankfully we DO feed lamb), beets, oats, peanut, sweet potato, berry mixes, squash (thus wonderful pumpkin) and Tomato. Yes, that's a lot! 

His borderlines we try not to buy are : Corn, ,potato, rice, turkey, yeast and green beans. 

NEGATIVE to the following and CAN EAT:
Barley, Beef, Carrot, Cow's Milk, egg, Fish mix, lamb (lowest of all), soy beans, wheat, apple, ,banana, Green peas, Salmon, Shellfish mix and spinach. 

There are treats and foods out there too.

So out of the following foods that I know Chase can have and are actually listed on the report, which would YOU choose to feed your dog (or have had experience feeding your dogs this food). I've read too mu

FYI, diet change has helped but has not stopped his itching and gnawing and all to a large degree, thus we know it's environmental. 
Numbers are PROTEIN, FAT and CALORIES

1. Nature's Variety Instinct LID Lamb and Peas (current food but GAS GALORE and all day long...bad). 22% P, 16% F, 418 cal/cup

2. Canine Caviar Holistic Open Meadow (Lamb & Pearl Millet)
(25% P, 15% F, 541 cal/cup)

3. Canine Caviar Holistic Wild Ocean Grain-free (31% P, 17% F, 552 cal/cup)

4. California Natural Grain-Free Lamb Meal (P 21%, F 11% 428 cal)

5. California Natural Grain-Free Salmon Meal and Peas (28% Pm, 11% F, 435 cal/cup)

6. California Natural Lamb Meal and Rice Formula (21% P, 11% F, 439 cal)

7. EVO Herring & Salmon (42% P, 18% F, 462 cal/cup) I worry about the change in protein from his current food. 

THANK YOU ALL. I know this was a LONG post..


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I would have to get the ingredient list nutro lamb and brown rice seems to be good. They also make some grain free formulas.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I am so sorry about all the allergies. Some of the things he is allergic to are the very ones that are not usually allergens, and the ones he is not allergic are! Strange, huh? My one golden girl was allergic to pine and live oak pollen, ,Bermuda grass, fleas, mold spores. Well, we live in a area that is FULL of live oaks and pines. Live oaks come right up to our back fence. We have two pines in our front yard as does our neighbors. They also have a HUGE live oak tree that actually comes right to our pines.

Strange thing, her allergies lessened as she got older. When she was younger...hot spots all the time. By the time cancer claimed just before turning 9, she would only have a hot spot once or twice a year. I would give Benadryl when she got to chewing. Good luck. I know the misery of allergies and you ache for you dog watching him/her itch, scratch, chew so much.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Acana, a Canadian company, make several "singles", including duck/pear, lamb/apple and pork/ butternut squash. We feed Max Acana Wild Prairie and have been very satisfied.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Wow, you are limited in choices. For protein sources, you have only Beef, Fish and Lamb. 

15-20 years ago we fed California Natural, but dog foods were so different back then that I wouldn't count it.

Nature's Variety Instinct, Canine Caviar, and California Natural look ok on paper. I like EVO and Canine Caviar brands best (going by the ingredients; I haven't used them). I would do some searching on the internet to find comments from people who've been using them. 

Zignature also has a limited ingredient food line that includes Lamb, Kangaroo and Whitefish (in addition to Salmon). All fish may be considered the same protein, however. Aunt Lucy also has very expensive freeze-dried food based on Goat.

I hope these diet changes work out for you. I don't know whether the change in protein level will cause problems or not. I've had great results from feeding high-protein Orijen LBP for a year, but it has 3 different protein sources including turkey and chicken.

We're actually about to start using the California Natural Pork & Sweet Potatoes formula, as part of a rotation of our own to avoid developing food allergies. We're switching proteins every 24 hours, with at least three days free of each protein. We're going to try Zignature Lamb, Horizon Pulsar Turkey (contains chicken too), Cal Natural Pork, Acana Duck, Orijen 6 Fish or Acana Pacifica, and Orijen LBP (contains fish, chicken, turkey).

I'm going to think about adding something from Canine Caviar and EVO to my own rotation.

Good luck! Let us know how you make out!


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

I second, Max's Dad on Acana as well. Their singles are great, and I'm using Duck & Pears for my pups right now. They don't have any issues with allergies, but I like feeding them a good range of different proteins other than chicken if I can.

Also, Farmina has a great product with their Wild Boar and Lamb lines. All grain free, and they have some fish options as well.

P.S. Farmina does have chicken in their Wild Boar, and Lamb lines tho. Wild Boar has chicken, and Lamb has chicken fat so it might not be a good option for your dog then


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

Wow that is a lot.
My girl is having some allergy problems. I haven't done any testing to find out what kind yet, but I suspect chicken and dairy.
My vet did say that environmental allergies are more common. She told me to bath her once a week (to wash allergens out of her coat) and wipe her feet/coat down with a wet one daily (I do it right before bed). She said I could try an antihistamine but that they aren't as effective in dogs as in people.


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## swhome247 (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks so much everyone. Chase has to be bathed with a medicated shampoo each week as well. We have even tried Microtek. No, we have not done the environmental just yet because we know it's something outside that we can't "fix" anyway. We think he may be allergic to the mesquite trees or even our grass! We just moved to Texas from NC. So, he ends up with a staph infection even though we use Bentagen spray, etc.

He is going back to the vet today because he's miserable, and we are miserable watching him. He has no hair on his belly, chest and bottom! And, we keep him from eating his paws which he doesn't do much, but he has done it upon arriving in Texas. It was bad and so so sad.

So today, I'm taking him back in to discuss Atopica that they have mentioned may be something we need to look into. 

Other than everything we have done (and it is a lot), we may have to do medication. He is on Hydroxyzine three times a day and has been since he was around 8 months old (no joke) and Benadryl too. But they no longer seem to help at all! I guess they help a little bit, but his symptoms remain the same, even after baths. So, his skin is blackened again and so raw that we are going back to the vet. My baby needs help. 

He's the best dog EVER!!! I mean he's the only one we've allowed in our bed because he LOVES to be WITH us, period. He cuddles my husband in bed. ha ha ha ha ha. My husband EATS IT UP yet you would never believe he would be like that. Our other two (one has passed) mutts are not like Chase. We love Emmi, but she's more a dog. LMBO IF that makes ANY sense. Chase is a lover and attached yet knows how to keep himself occupied (plays soccer with his balls). He hits it around the house with a towel, even his dog bed sometimes. ha ha ha. It is HILARIOUS).

I will ALWAYS own a golden retriever even though Chase has cost us a fortune in medicine and vet bills because he's had issues since he was 10 weeks old that started with coccodia (spelling) and parasites. He is not from a breeder, but a man who had two goldens and wanted the female to have one litter and his male to help with that (LOL)( before he was 18 months when he was going to have him neutered. Anyway...I love this dog!!!

Thanks everyone for your concern!

OH, and I have used probiotics too. Right now, we are using Fortiflora because the food he is on gives him the WORSE gas ever...all day long.....bad stinky stuff. LOL 

I need to find a picture and share with you here!


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## swhome247 (Oct 22, 2013)

Max's Dad. OH I want to feed Chase Acana Lamb and Apple so bad, but I THINK they have cranberries or blueberries which he cannot have. 

Although, food allergy testing that is not skin testing is not 100% reliable, we are treating it as though it is because he's just too bad for us not to do so . 

Thank you all!!


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

One other thing that is often recommended for people with bad allergies is to get rid of all carpet in the house. It's an expensive solution but is supposed to be helpful.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Here is a link to the Acana Lamb/Apple information sheet.

http://www.acana.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ACA-DOG-WEB-PDF-2014-LA-Lo1.pdf?8d7e2f


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Acana Lamb & Apple does NOT have any cranberries or blueberries in it.

Lamb meal, deboned lamb*, green lentils, red lentils, lamb liver* apples*, lamb fat, green peas, yellow peas, canola oil, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin*, carrots*, lamb tripe*, lamb kidney*, freeze-dried lamb liver*, kelp*, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.


I take back what I said about liking EVO's ingredients. The formulas all seem to include cottage cheese, and I wouldn't want to feed cheese with every meal, because it blocks antioxidants.


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## SableHart (Dec 4, 2014)

We just switched our Sable to California Natural limited ingredient fished based food for a 3 month trial, and she already seems to be doing better on that. Friends of ours have also had success using California Natural on allergy prone pets. Have you tried using coconut oil? Our dog loves it, and we have noticed a difference in her coat and she doesn't scratch like she used to. We just melt 1 TBL morning and night with her food, but start with a smaller dose if you do decide to try coconut oil. Our vet has also commented that her coat and skin look great. Best of luck!


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

I'd be afraid to feed just one food all the time because your boy is prone to food allergies, and that's a good way to develop a new one. It's usually what we eat a lot of that we become allergic to.

I wonder whether any of the supplements in the food could also be a problem.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Zignature is the company that puts Cranberries and Blueberries in all their products, not Acana

Edited to add: It's not clear how much benefit there is from adding Blueberries and Cranberries to foods. The antioxidants in the berries may be partially or fully blocked by the proteins in the foods, the same way that they're at least partially blocked by dairy products. Right now, there's no way to know what the final answer will be. It's thought that the best way to get all the benefits from these berries is to eat them on an empty stomach, but some of their benefits may not be blocked by other foods.

For humans, the best advice is usually to eat a wide variety of foods. Don't add dairy to absolutely everything, in case it does indeed block some of the benefits from fruit and vegetables. But dairy also has its benefits, for some people at least.

That's my opinion, anyway.


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## jrr (May 26, 2012)

Given the amount of allergies, you might want to consider Royal Canin new Anallergenic Dry. It nicknamed the "feather" diet. It is meant to stabilize and then to be added to, to include or exclude foods in systematic way. My vet said its new and its an alternative to the skin tests.
It is not inexpensive but given your distance and situation, may be worth talking to your vet or calling Royal Canin. Good luck


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

What did your vet recommend in the way of food?


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

Based on the fact this dog has an allergy to fruits, confirms it has environmental allergies as well.

You should try one of Hypo diets for a few months and see if there is an improvement.

Farmina was mentioned above, so the Cod formula might work. I don't see anything in there that would cause a problem.


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

If you feed raw or home cooked then you are in complete control of all the ingredients.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Allergy testing, especially for proteins (as opposed to environmental allergens) is notoriously unreliable. Also, determing allergens for a dog younger than 2 is not reliable at all. I would not over react to the results. Pick a simple food with one protein and one starch and stick with it for at least several months. Food allergies are actually rare.


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## swhome247 (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks everyone! I will update soon. Yes, I know he has environmental without having the allergy test done. My husband and I have said that as soon as we are able, we will travel to get that particular test done just to know.


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