What Is Better To Feed A Dog With Suspect Food Allergies: Lamb Or Venison?
My Westy has always had a problem with loose stools. Recently within last 6 weeks has had a lot of vomiting and diarrhea – some occurrences with blood in both. I have had him to 2 vets – 6 times now! He has had blood work, shots, meds, stool tests, etc. Both vets have said he has nothing life threatening and at the last resort will go the stomach tissue biopsy or endoscopy – which I would hate for him to have to go thru! He acts fine 99% of the time……..plays, always eats, runs, etc. There are times when he does seem a little distressed – which may be when his tummy hurts him.
I am continuing my vet visits – giving him the meds as prescribed and I have cut out all other people foods – other than chicken, rice, veggies.
My trial will be to cut out all chicken now and try to see if he might be allergic to that. I wanted to try and feed him boiled lamb and a lamb/rice dry food concurrent to this.
Has anyone had this trouble with their dog? And can anyone suggest whether lamb or venison is better to lean towards for the trial food period? I am a vegetarian myself so cooking venison will be hard for me to do and I am not 100% of where I can get this meat………….
Has anyone had luck with lamb????
Thanks!
Mary
Tagged with: Allergies • Better • Feed • Food • Lamb • Suspect • Venison • What • With
Filed under: Food Allergies In Dogs
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My sisterinlaw’s dog was eating lamb and still had the allergies..I got her to switch to chicken, brown rice (since white is bad for them) and vegetables..I guess each dog is different and You will just have to test him to see.. I would switch it over slowly though.As for the loose stools and diarrhea I would also add 1 to 2 tsp of yogurt to the meal..My vet had a dog with stomach problems and it was the only thing that helped it..He said to give it to them everyday for 2 weeks..if by that time they are not better then it’s time to look for something else..My dog has had no more stomach problems since we started her on yogurt..Any kind is good, but since yours has allergies I would start with plain.You didn’t say if you add kibble to her food..We do, just to make sure she gets all the vitamins she needs…We use Blue Buffalo since it has no gluten’s, white rice,wheat, corn, dyes or anything else that might bother her tummy or allergies..that would probably also help with loose stools..we give ours 1/2 in kibble and 1/2 in chicken, brown rice and veggies..Hope something helps your poor pup..Also , we only give carrots or green beans as treats as all store stuff is usually full of wheat and flour.
I have a dog that has insane allergies and chicken is the worse one. He will tear his skin up if he eats even chicken I give to him.
I started him on Natural Balance Fish and Sweet Potato and he is doing amazing. He doesnt tear at his skin and his coat looks amazing. I’m not sure if they make a Lamb version, but I do know they make a Venison one you could try that.
I have a friend who raises dog for show and she told me the best for dogs are lamb and rice. Also NO people food what so ever. We started with our dog,he is an older dachshund(weiner dog) and he has perked up and his coat is really soft now, so there must be something to it.
Have you had any luck with Veterinary Diets like Hills z/d??
My dog has allergies and my vet has us feeding him Natures Recipe Venison and Rice!
give your dog a food he has never been on contact with, some kibble have lamb, so not that, if your dog has had venison then not that. Fish and potato is quite good as most dogs have not had that. However, I am supplying some info below, just in case your vet has not gone over allergies properly with you. By the way many vets say it is food related, it is not always, it certainly wasn’t with my dog.
There are 2 common reasons for dogs to be itchy- mite infestation & allergic reactions. Mites are diagnosed by skin scrapings & you need to see your vet. Signs of allergies include chewing at skin, licking, rubbing up, scooting(rubbing bottom along the ground), chewing/licking at feet, chronic ear irritation, chronic watery eyes & sneezing. We can divide skin allergies into 5 general areas:
1) Flea Allergies- usually chewing/scratching around tail base or around neck, but can be itchy anywhere. It takes only 1 flea to cause an allergy, which is why some dogs that have very few fleas can be itchier than a dog with many fleas that isn’t allergic. Often seasonal (Spring/Summer), but can be all year round.
2) Food Allergies- often will be itchy around the face, ears and feet, although can be itchy all over. Most common allergens include wheat products (found in most canned and dry foods), beef, and to a lesser degree chicken. Allergies will occur all year round.
3) Contact Allergies- are quite uncommon, and usually affect areas with no or little fur cover eg. abdomen and feet. Allergens include grasses, plants, clothing/carpet fibres and many others. Often seasonal, but can be all year.
4) Inhaled Allergies- are quite common, and affect all areas ie. skin, feet, ears, face, eye, nose etc.. Most common are grass pollens, plant pollens, dust mites, and moulds (found normally in most environments). Often seasonal, but can be all year.
5)Allergies to the normal bacteria found on the skin- called Staph. These often show slightly different signs to other allergies- need a vet to confirm. Often all year round.
All allergies can cause itchiness anywhere, so it is impossible to tell just on appearances which allergen is causing the problem. Many dogs are allergic to several.
TREATMENT There are 2 main options when trying to deal with allergies:-.
1 Discovering the Cause- 2 allergies can be eliminated easily are flea & food.
* a) If fleas are present, it is worthwhile trying to eliminate them first.
* b) If food allergy is suspected, trial dog on low allergy food diet, must be done for 8 weeks, The diet consists of:- Meat that the dog hasn’t had before eg. fish, kangaroo, rabbit, – 30% of the meal. Rice- boiled -. 50% of meal. Vegetables -. 20% of meal.
After 8 weeks there should be improvement, if not an allergy test is next. This is a test for inhaled allergens, and tests plants, grasses, trees, dust mites and moulds. Done by blood samples. – if all of the above has been performed to no avail, then a contact allergy, or inhaled allergen not included in the allergy test is most likely. try change of bedding, send dog to a relatives place for 3-4 weeks.
2 Other medications -
* (a) Ant-histamines-. these work better with evening primrose oil (1-4 capsules in food) antihistamines to try include:- Phenergan, Benadryl see your vet for dosage
* (b) Anti-allergy shampoos and conditioners- There are many that help, eg. tea tree preparations, eucalyptus rinses, Quit Itch Lotion & Malaseb
I have a Westie who also had skin issues – the problems with food generally is not to do with the meat in it, but more to do with the grains and fillers in the food. Mine is sensitive to wheat and therefore I changed his food to one with NO grains at all in it. He is a bit dodgy with pork so I just avoid that all together but honestly, since he changed to a complete RAW diet, he has had no skin issues what so ever. His fur is whiter, his teeth are sparkly, he has no smelly breath, he is as solid as he can be and also defecates less often and in smaller “portions” as there is less waste to get rid of.
Before everyone jumps on how “unhealthy” it is etc. Check out these common myths surrounding RAW-feeding your dog http://www.rawfed.com/myths/
There are many RAW-feeders on here that are always willing to help. If you are interested in going down this route, there are lots of groups you can join to do some research and get some great advice on it.
It often works out cheaper too, and you can also keep track of EXACTLY what your dog is eating.