What foods do you recommend? trying to avoid specific indgredients: wheat, barley, Potatoe, Carrots, Sunflower Meal & Alfalfa Meal

So far I have come up with two options.
1) Breeders Choice: Pinnacle Trout and Sweet Potatoe
2) Science diet z/d Ultra

The Trout and Sweet Potatoes is less expensive and has more protein (22% vs 14%).

Cooking dog food is just not an option now.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Eagle Pack makes a good one, holistic, Anchovy/Sardine

I have a dog with enviornmental allergies who has never had them as bad as she does this year. I've recently started her on Royal Canin Skin Support SS 21. It's only been about 2 week so far but I think I'm seeing improvement. Definatly a decrease in the itchies! It does not contain any of the ingredients you are trying to avoid so you may want to check it out! Good luck!

Rather than randomly trying things, perhaps you should consult a specialist and find out exactly what she is allergic to.

a Veterinary Dermatologist can help identify your dog's allergies, typically allergies are to protein, if they have food allergies at all, food allergies are very small in dogs, < 10%, typically its environmental allergies for dogs. There are many single source protein diets out there, duck and potatoe, venison and potatoe, fish and potatoe, fish and sweet potatoe, kangaroo and oat. Z/D ultra is microscopic protein supposedly so small that the animal's body cannot react to it, i fed z/d for a few years, and always felt like my dog was my "pasty little friend" not enough nourishment in the food - she's on solid gold now and doing much better, salmon and bison.

A food trial takes 10 weeks of NO MISTAKES, no biscuits, no treats from the UPS guy, no eating things off of the floor. Our Derm specialist, lets them have their kibble, or fresh veggies as treats. But the first 10 weeks are kibble only to see if it works.

barb

I have a dog who cannot eat beef based foods.
Makes him feel sick - took a long while to figure that out!

I have identiifed what she is allergic to, that is why I'm trying to avoid specifc ingredients. Now just trying to determine what the best food is that does not contain wheat, barley, potatoe, carrots, sunflower meal and alfalfa meal.

Thanks for the person who suggested Royal Canin. Although I had a bad experience previously with their Labrador formula, I could not keep any weight or coat on the dog that I fed it to.

thanks for pointing out it takes 10 weeks to trial a food. Although the good thing around here is my dogs don't know what table scraps are.

I have used the Pinnacle trout and sweet potato with very good results for a highly allergic dog. Could you give us more info on what foods you have tried in the past, for how long, and how old the dog is? I did not like the z/d, but that was just my experience with 1 dog.

She is 3, Just determined what she was allergic to via an AlerCheck, Inc. blood test. It has been described by my vet as a good first step to see if her issues can be corrected before going to a specialist for all the picking and proding.

I just started the Trout ans Sweet potatoe a couple of weeks ago. She has just started to blow coat, which could be weather related, but I think changing foods may have something to do with it (previouly on Proplan Chicken and Rice). I think I should stick with it (10 weeks minumum as suggested)and see how she does.

I would consider her allergies minor, but a nusance to her at times to her, occational ear infections, the latest was loss of hair inbetween her toes.

The first ingredient in the SD food is Starch. What type? And it has BHA as a preservative.

I would not feed this food to my dogs. Not enough protein at 19% either or fat for energy. JMO

I would try a grain free food. I feed Nature's Variety Instinct chick. formula but it does have alfalfa meal as 5th ingred. (think that was one of the ingred. you are trying to avoid?)

Look into Evo or Orijen

Good luck. So hard to find the right food for allergy dogs.

Thanks I looked at EVO and Orijen, they both have potatoes. I'll check again to see if there are other forumulas

Natures Variety ? Prairie has no potato or grains - tapioca is the "filler".

It used to be called raw instinct and has a very high meat content.

If I have the name wrong someone correct it please.

I have found Pro Plan Selects Salmon formula is pretty good, as a natural food no corn wheat or other ingredents that make a dog itch, except one thing.....My vet informed me that some dogs are allergic to the different types of rice so sometimes what fixes one problem creates another.
this food has been the best for me and easy for the most part to get.

Gina, you are mistaken.

The NV prairie is not a grain free food.

The Instinct formula is and does not have potato it has tapioca as the only carb source (but not a grain).

However it has the alfalfa meal as #5 on the list which OP is trying to avoid.

But not for nothing your dog may do okay on it without the other ingred. in the food that you are trying to avoid. You may want to give it a try.

OP I know how hard this is but please stay away from SD - its crap - including the prescription diets you get from the vet - too many pesticides for preservatives for my liking. I don't want any of that for my dogs.

Do a search for grain free foods as there are others coming out on the market.

Problem is most will most likely use potato in lieu of grain. NV Instinct also has a duck and turkey formula and a rabbit (the rabbit is skeptical right now as to who their source is US or what?) but one of these may not have the alfalfa. I haven't checked.

www.naturesvariety.com (check out the instinct formulas).

Let us know what you come up with please and how your dog does. It helps to share this info.

Though not grain free, might give HEALTHWISE a look. Made by Natura.

When people recommend Natures Variety they should also inform others of the risks involved with this high protein food. I have spent hundreds of dollars trying to get one of my cats unconstipated from the cat food and one of my Labs also became severely constipated from it, not as bad as my cat but severe straining none the less.

I have used Instinct on all of my 9 dogs here - never had a problem with constipation. Stools are smaller to be sure. It's too expensive for me to use for long periods or with all of the dogs, but I do mix it half and half or switch a dog over to it for a while if I need to beef up coat. Then they go back to ProPlan performance. I don't feed any supplements and they get plenty of water...

My animals also had plenty of water. people just need to be aware of the affects of giving this food continuously.

I have had no problems with the Instinct either - been feeding it since May and so have my buyers (5 dogs on it - 1 on Evo). I do feed much less per the cal/cup content and my dogs stools are firm with no constipation.

I do feed it with water added as it aids in digestion with a hi protein food.

One of the other controversies I have read is the preservative citric acid - feeding with water can cause bloat.

I just emailed the company and they tell me they are going to remove the citric acid from their formulas. I am waiting to hear as to when they plan to do this.

As to high protein: please see this link

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=protein_myth

I have been feeding Pinnacle (started with the trout, now using the duck, will rotate them)
for several months now to my two.
They love it, and are doing beautifully on it - coats are great, stools small and firm, and no itchies.
I like it for them because it is a simple food. I feel for you - it is nearly impossible to find foods
without all the ingredients you mention. It seems that pet food companies think cramming every ingredient
they can into food will make it better.

I do not have personal experience with Flint River, or Go!Natural brands, but FR has a Lamb & Millet formula
and the GN has a Salmon & Oatmeal that look like they could meet your dog's needs if the Pinnacle doesn't work out, or if you were looking for variety.

Best of luck to you and your girl!

I was mistaken: NV is not planning to remove the citric acid. (I misread their email)

Here is their response to my email.


There seems to be a considerable amount of arguments for and against the research with the Citric Acid. With that being the current situation, and with our formulations continually reviewed by our team to optimize the nutritional value, among other thing, as the research becomes more solidified, we will certainly evaluate it and how it affects our diets.

We have many consumers that add water to our diets to feed them and we have never had a problem with bloat caused from that.

The Dog Food Project is a great resource. If you read through the dog forum topics,
the woman who runs the site (an animal biologist and nutritionist)
doesn't recommend Nature's Variety for dogs with sensitivities.
Their formulas tend to have several different protein sources within one food, so if problems arise,
it becomes harder to pinpoint which ingredient is causing the issue.

Just to clarify - she doesn't think Nature's Variety formulas are bad foods. In fact, she thinks they are very good foods!
She just suggests not using them for dogs with known allergies/food sensitivities, such as the OP's dog.

In my opinion, if the food has even one of the ingredients the dog is allergic to,
even if it is 5th or further down on the list, it should be avoided altogether.

I have a couple who seem to have an allergy to some food ingredients.
I have found my guys do really well on the Pro Plan sensitive stomach and skin formula.
After a couple months, no skin issues, no ear gunk.
Annie

You might want to try Evo...have heard great things about it for dogs with allergies. My dogs don't have allergies thank goodness, and they are on it and doing great.
A

I have an older bitch who was diagnosed at 7 with mild inflammed bowel disease. She was put on Hills Science Prescription Diet Z/D low allergen and has not had a problem since. She is twelve now.