Thinking of quitting Chicken Soup....?

[Shakira's Ma]

If Dexter is allergic to chicken it could very well be possible that he will be allergic to turkey and duck as well, my ShaKira is allergic to all poultry meats. I have always used Wellness Venison Simple Solutions and she has done great on it, but got the idea to switch her for a rotation and chose Solid Gold Lamb and she seemed to itch on that as well, so I switched to Fromm Salmon and she did great on it, I have tried California Natural fish and she doesn't really like it much, so, needless to say, we are going back to Wellness Venison Simple Solutions, I am beginning to think that ShaKira is one of those dogs that you can't rotate food with. Good Luck with the Wellness food it is a great food.

 

[Gin&Dex]

That's kinda what I was thinking.... if it is chicken, it is probably any kind of poultry too. So I wanted something with NO poultry at all (and totally different), and I think I've found it. I just hope he tolerates it well.

Tonight I mixed about 3/4 cup of CS with 1/4 cup of Wellness, and he seems to be fine so far. No upset tummy. In fact, after he ate, he was searching around for something he may have dropped on the floor, and kept going back to his bowl! So I think that's a good sign! At least I think he likes it! He's been outside to poop, and it looked good too. (How goofy is that?? Nice looking poop!!)

I'm still going back and forth on whether or not I should have chosen the Venison or the Lamb, but I'll stick with the decision I made... the wellness has fruits and veges in it, and I like that, and everything "seems" pure and unprocessed. Not too many of the "big" words that you "don't know what the heck they are" in it. And it also has an "expiration date" on it, which I also kinda like (or a "best used by" date [and I didn't notice that on CS]). I guess I'll wait to make a final opinion on it, but I'm really pleased so far. I wish I had looked at Wellness a little closer before I switched Dex to CS.

Don't get me wrong, I love Chicken Soup... it's a great food! I even tried to get my mom to feed it to her Schnauzer, but he didn't like it (he likes Beneful). I may try to stear her towards this one....

We'll see how it goes with Dex...

 

[purpleboxers]

RAST Test

It costs about $200 - $250 but a RAST test can ~help~ find out what kind of allergy your baby has. They draw blood and it takes up to two weeks to find out, but the lab will not only tell you what items he's allergic to, but will suggest foods and treats that do not contain those products. It is not a perfect test, but it may shed some light on the problem and help you narrow down your choices.

Rex is allergic to wheat, flax, carrots, eggs, and brewers yeast, all common ingredients in commercial dog food and flax is often found in allergic formulas.

So now I have a long list of foods to sort through and find out what he can eat. He did better on Chicken Soup for seniors than he did any other food so far.

Also, this may raise a few hackles, but I learned, and have tried it with Rex, that fasting switching is better than gradual switching. Withhold food for 24 hours, then go straight for the new food. He has a very sensitive stomach, but has had no problems with this method at all. You just have to give the new food time to show whether it helps or not.

Good luck!

 

[Gin&Dex]

Thanks for your input!

I've never heard of that test, but I may look into it if things dont go well with switching foods.

As for the fasting switch.... I don't necessarily disagree, but Dexter is OLD... and I don't want to upset his systems too much. I try to keep things as easy as possible for him, but he seems to LOVE the Wellness, and I think I could just drop it on him and he'd be fine, but I'll do it slowly...

Interesting thought, though!

Thanks!!

 

[robinette]

I know what your going through. Its like pulling your hair out. Vegas is really allergic to many, many things.

We tried the elimation diet and it was so fustrating because when ever we switched to somthing new it wouldn't change or it would get worse but nothing ever got better.

I can honestly tell you that the allergy testing saved my sanity and Vegas's I am sure. Sometimes when tested they have a really high allergic value to a few certain things. This is great because ther is a clear line on what NOT to feed. Vegas's came back with about 50 low values that ranged from food allergies, to air born (dust mites, etc.) and a range of grasses and trees.

It was nice to see some common things they tested had a zero value so we know that its ok to feed them. Vegas can have Chicken but no Duck or Turkey, seems strange to me. We now pull our hair out looking for a kibble & treats that suits his needs, which is very difficult but companies are now making foods grainless so I am sure it won't be long until there is more options.

Its not a cheap route to go but it does help in the long run. I can't protect him fully from the dust mites and grasses but atleast we now know what can keep him comfortable and keep the hair from being scratched out

Hang in there, I know your fustration.