Thinking of quitting Chicken Soup....?

[Gin&Dex]

Hi guys, I need your advice. gmacleod, I really hope you read this!!!

Dexter has been eating Chicken Soup for the last couple of months. He has allergies, and I thought switching to CS might help, but it hasn't. He has been to the vet and diagnosed with yeast infections in his ears and feet and skin...... I don't know what to do?? I have shampoos, sprays, and ointments and they aren't helping much. I honestly do NOT think it is an environmental allergy, I think it is food. Could he be allergic to the chicken?? He was eating Purina Dog Chow (I know...) before the switch and the only common factor is chicken (or poultry by product [purina]).

I've also been giving him yogurt. So I'm not sure if it's a dairy allergy or a chicken allergy??? I'm thinking of switching him to a lamb/rice type of food (it's the only thing I can think of that is different??). I think the oils in the lamb might help his skin, and the rice might be bland enough.

He will be 12 years old in May, and it breaks my heart to watch him scratch and gnaw at his feet all the time. I want him to feel good.

Should I try a switch like this??? I've withheld the yogurt for a week or so and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Any advice?? I'm about half way through a bag of CS, so now is the time to make a decision....

Thanks for your help!!

 

[hanley]

I would try a venison food, my daughters dog has bad allergies & that is what the vet suggested for her. Talk to your Vet about the Venison food, I'm not sure what brand, but I do know its not Hills. Hanley

 

[gmacleod]

Yes, it could be the chicken (or turkey, for that matter).

The most common allergens in dog food are wheat, soy, corn, beet pulp and molasses. And dairy products, actually. But just because those are the most common things for dogs to be allergic to doesn't mean that they can't be allergic to anything else. They certainly can - and to absolutely anything at all.

In terms of meat proteins, the one that most commonly causes allergy problems is beef. But you know, I wouldn't be surprised to see that overtaken one day by chicken - simply because chicken is so incredibly common in dog food. And the more frequently a dog (or person, for that matter) consumes a particular thing, the more likely it is that they'll develop an allergy to it.

Anyway, if Dexter was eating purina for a long time, it's quite possible that he's developed a sensitivity to one or more of it's ingredients. And it is perfectly possible that chicken is one of them. And if that is the case, a change to Chicken Soup will not help at all.

Since you're currently also giving him yoghurt (a dairy product) and that is a second possible cause, I would suggest ceasing the yoghurt and switching to a different food that does not contain any chicken. In fact, preferably a food that has different ingredients to anything he has had before. If it is a food allergy he is suffering from, all the symptoms should disappear once the allergen(s) is removed. It might take several weeks for the symptoms to completely be gone, but you should see improvement very quickly...

You could then try the yoghurt again, so that you know whether or not it was a cause. If it produces symptoms, then it was at least part of the problem. And if you really want to give a probiotic, you would then need to choose capsules instead (just make sure they're not dairy origin).

As for possible foods to choose, a lamb/rice formula could certainly be a good choice. There are plenty of good ones to choose from, some of which are aimed at allergic dogs (few ingredients) and some just standard foods. There are also a range of other meats - ranging from elk through to fish, that could work well. Some possibilities for you:
Blue Buffalo lamb: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=358&cat=4
California Natural lamb (an allergy formula): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=437&cat=4
Merrick (several non-chicken formulas): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=162&cat=4
Natural Balance (also several non-chicken formulas and allergy formulas): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=173&cat=4
Performatrin Ultra (several non-chicken formulas): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=508&cat=4
Solid Gold (lamb or beef): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=302&cat=4
Wellness (fish, or the simple solutions range of allergy formulas): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=324&cat=4
Timberwolf Organics (several non-chicken formulas): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=488&cat=3
Fromms Four Star (quasi-allergy formula, several non-chicken formulas): http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=12&cat=3

 

[Gin&Dex]

Thanks Hanley,

The only problem here is availability of foods... For a medium sized city, it is so hard to find good dog foods here. And that concerns me....

I hate to admit it, but I've considered trying Science Diet... the very bland one... even though I know it isn't quality dog food, but I can't stand watching him scratch and gnaw himself to death.. I feel so bad for Dexter!

 

[Jill's boxer]

If its any help, I use the California Natural Lamb & Rice, and Gracie's coat has never looked better! And as Gmac mentioned, it is an allergy formula. If you go to their website, you can do a search for retailers in your area. good luck with whatever food you choose. (I would avoid the SD if at all possible! It has both soy and, I believe corn, in it; which are both yucky in my opinion!)

 

[Gin&Dex]

Thanks gmacleod! I knew I could count on you.....

Yes, he ate Purina for a long time, and I was suspecting corn or chicken, but CS doesn't contain any corn, or by products for that matter, so I'm leaning towards the chicken.

So I guess I'm off to the pet store to see what they stock. I think they carry Wellness and another one that I can't remember, but I want to try something totally different. Thanks for the links and the advice!

 

[Gin&Dex]

Thanks Jill....

 

[browbury]

I recently went through the same thing with Chico. He ate CS for about 2 months and started itching and scratching like crazy. He even broke out in hives that he chewed at very badly. I thought it was probably the chicken and I was right. I switched him to Natural balance Venison and Brown rice. He started to improve in about 3 days then it just got better from there. They have a website and will sent you samples and coupons if you e-mail them. I have found it takes much less food to fill him up with this brand and he looks great. He loves the food. Petco carries this and they can ship to you through their website. They also offer 1 free bag after you buy 10 using the petco card. Hope this helps. We are driving about 45 minutes (one way)to get his food. Well worth it. They also have a few other flavors that don't have chicken. Hope this helps some!

Amber
Chico 9/30/2005

 

[bayleighmom]

Thanks Hanley,

The only problem here is availability of foods... For a medium sized city, it is so hard to find good dog foods here. And that concerns me....

I hate to admit it, but I've considered trying Science Diet... the very bland one... even though I know it isn't quality dog food, but I can't stand watching him scratch and gnaw himself to death.. I feel so bad for Dexter!

Try going on their websites and emailing the company and asking for a sample of their food. Explain his allergies. I sent emails to a lot of different companies and was amazed at the response.

 

[Gin&Dex]

Big THANKS!!

First of all, a big thanks to everyone for your input!

I went shopping this afternoon, and surprisingly, the store I buy from carries Wellness and Natural Balance. I must have stood there forever staring at the bags, because this young girl came up and asked if I needed help (like I was in a coma or something!!).

Long story short, I was agonizing over the Wellness Lamb and Rice and the Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice.... I ended up choosing the Wellness. We'll find out soon enough, but I think I made a pretty good choice. The ingredients in it are like nothing he's ever had before, and that's what I was looking for. It looks like a great food, we'll just see how Dexter does with it. I gave him about 6 or 7 pieces of the kibble when I got home and he seemed to like it.

I'll start mixing it with the CS tonight. If the Wellness doesn't help Dexter's problems, I'll then try the Venison, then the Fish, and lastly Duck and Sweet Potato. (I just have a hard time thinking of feeding fish to a dog or duck and potato??? but if it helps, I'll do it!)

So again, thanks for all the input... and we'll keep you posted on how we progress!