Welness Simple Solutions...any good?

[Barneys mom]

Barney my 15 month boxer is allergic to EVERYTHING. Currently we are home cooking for him and it is working wonderfully, but it's starting to become a hassle every 2 weeks when we have to make his food. I came across Wellness Simple Solutions Salmon and Rice (Salmon and very small amounts of red meat are the only things he can handle) and was wondering if anyone has tried this food. Did it seem to help your boxer's allergies or did you not really notice a change? I noticed it doesn't have a very high protein content but it is higher than TOTW allergy blend and Blue Buffalo Basics. What are your thoughts?

Also an FYI, I wouldn't be feeding him just the wellness, but I would be supplementing it along with his home cooked food.

 

[sriley]

I don't have any experience with Wellness, but after reading the article posted below earlier this week, I wouldn't consider feeding Wellness to any of my animals.

Pet Owner Finds Blue Plastic in Wellness Cat Food

Have you ever looked into Petcurean's products? They are a Canadian based company and make Now! (grain-free) and Go! formulas. I've been feeding my boys Go! and it's the only food I've purchased that actually smells fit for human consumption. I tried so many other formulas (TOTW, Orijen, Fromm) and Go! is the only formula that the dogs go crazy for and doesn't cause loose stools. If you're interested, you can read testimonials and learn more about their formulas here:

Petcurean Pet Nutrition

Good luck! Finding a food that will agree with your pup is such an ordeal. It's wonderful when you finally discover something that will work. Keep us posted.

 

[Barneys mom]

Sriley-Thanks for the information, that's good to know about the Wellness cat food.

I have seen the GO! products in some specialty shops near me. I may have to try it. The only thing I am worried about is the turkey in it. When I say Barney is allergic to everything, I mean everything. I feel so bad for him- he scratches himself until he bleeds if he has something that doesn't agree with him! I will look into the Petcurean products more though because the food looks great.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

I tried the Wellness Simple with my allergy boy and it didn't work for him. Personally TOTW's Pacific Stream variety works for him as well as Natural balance's Sweet Potato and Bison, Sweet Potato and Fish, and Sweet Potato and Venison and those are the only foods on the market he can eat. I was very happy for years with the NB foods but they got really expensive so I tried the TOTW and have been very happy with them too. Yes the NB formulas are lower in protein but if you're adding protein (ie home cooked) to the meals then that's not really an issue.

Blue Buffalo's basics are not made for true allergy suffering dogs WAY too many ingredients IMO.

 

[Caney Creek]

The only thing I am worried about is the turkey in it. When I say Barney is allergic to everything, I mean everything.

If you know he's allergic to turkey then I wouldn't even try that food.

What else is he allergic to?

 

[sriley]

Is he allergic to duck, chicken, or salmon? Go! has duck, chicken, and salmon formulas that do not include any turkey. My guys really like the duck and chicken. I haven't tried the salmon only because my guys don't seem to care for fishy foods. I've tried other fish formulas (TOTW Pacific Stream, First Mate, Wholesome Blend) and my guys would inspect the food and give me this look like, "Really, mom? Why are you feeding this to us?" They would reluctantly eat it, but I could tell they weren't particularly fond of it.

 

[Barneys mom]

He can't have grain, wheat, peanut butter, cheese, duck, turkey, chicken, beef, milk bones, venison,etc. Basically anything in most dog foods he is highly allergic too. To the point where he will scratch himself so much/hard that he will bleed. He also gets puss filled sores between the pads on his feet and he also gets ear infections from it.

We've been home cooking for him. He gets 2.5% of his body weight in food a day and is broken down by 80%Salmon and white fish, 2% liver, 10% sweet potatoes and a mix of 8% veggies and fruit. We add in cottage cheese (the only cheese he can eat), Missing Link, salmon oil, and Vit E. For about 8 months now we have done this based on trial and error of what he can and can't eat, and his allergies have virtually disappeared. He is super healthy and looooves it. The only problem is it's a hassle to make every 2 weeks. I was trying to find a dog food that I could mix in with his home cooked food so I can cook like 1x a month and freeze everything.

I'm now looking into TOTW Pacific Stream grain free and the Orijin salmon grain free. I'm hoping one of those work!!

Thanks for all the input and I really appreciate any other info you all may have