Dog allergic to corn, what should I feed him...?

Question

..other than the "natural, human food diet"? We had been feeding our 4 month old pug puppy Purina Puppy Chow,ever since we got him at 7.5 weeks, and read somewhere that most pugs are allergic to corn and break out in a rash, we looked at the Purina and the very first ingredient was corn,well sure enough, he started itching like crazy and we thought he had fleas but it turns out it was the food. So today we went and bought some IAMS which does not have corn, but has corn meal as the 5th ingredient in the food. Should we look for a more quality food or wait to see if the IAMS works?

Answer 1

I would highly suggest Natural Balance. It is a very high-quality dog kibble with out corn. Corn is just a filler ingredient which is used by producers like Purina and Iams because it is so CHEAP. None of those brands are anywhere near high-quality.
A lot of dogs cannot tolerate corn because it is not a good source of energy for dogs.
I always advise my clients to stay away form foods such as Iams, Purina, Pedigree, Eukanuba, store brands, and many others simply because the ingredients are crap!

Here are some better kibbles:
Natural Balance
Merrick
Canidae
Eagle Pack
California Naturals
Omega
Solid Gold
Nature's Recipe

Good luck with it.

Answer 2

There are several good high quality foods that do not have corn. Natures Recipe lamb and rice or lamb and barleyand/or Nutro Natural Choice lamb and rice are both good high quality food. I feed my mini schnauzers only a lamb and rice based food. Certain breeds such as pugs are more prone to food and environmental allergies than others. Lamb and rice is good for allergic dogs as they are hypoallergenic. Purina Puppy chow is a rather low level dog food. It has been around for a long time but it is not high quality.
IAMS just isn't what it used to be since they made it available anywhere from grocery stores to Walmart. I just wonder if the quality has suffered.
Also you will notice that lower level feeds will have by-products in them. What that means is that the meat part of the food can contain just about anything that they can possibly use. In other words, anything that would not be of human grade is used in the food.
Good quality food will have things such as lamb meal or something like that listed. Meat should be the main ingredient not the grain or filler. I would certainly think about putting your puppy on a lamb and rice diet.
Since you know that pugs are prone to be sensitive to corn why would you by IAMS if it is listed on the label as having corn as one of the ingredients? An allergy is an allergy. If you were allergic to peanuts would you eat them anyway? Probably not. Buy him something that doesn't have corn listed at all. You will be doing him a favor and he will apprecitate you for it.

Answer 3

I have a female that is allergic to processed beef, even the best of dog foods with beef do not work for her. We started feeding Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice, works great for her. Corn is just a worthless filler so avoid any food with it. If you want to cook for her make a stew, don't use any thickners though, no onion or garlic, all root veggies are OK and when done add some rice or barley to soak yo the broth. She'll love it. Also get her some Brewer's Yeast.

Answer 4

Purina, Iams, Science Diet, ALpo, Pedigree, blah, blah, blah are all CRAP!
If you want the least amount of problems, allergies, less poop, better life, etc please feed your dog the best you can afford. I like
Nature's Variety, Natural Balance, California Natural, Wellness, Wysong, and Merrick. Many of these have a Venison or Bison formula for your Pug.

PUG
Weight Standards: m/f - 14 to 18 lbs.
Height Standards: m/f - 13 inches
Coat: Short, glossy coat, black or fawn
Common Ailments: eye lacerations, respiratory problems, heat prostration

The Pug originated in the lowlands of Tibet, a very mountainous environment. The specific area the Pug can call home has an average elevation of 16,000 feet. This elevation affected the climate, natural vegetation, and wildlife. The Pug was no exception. The only meat sources available for the Pug to eat would have been native species of rodent, goat, deer, boar, horse, or Yak. Principal grain sources from this area would have included barley, rye, and mountain corn. Due to the mountain climate of Tibet, meat sources have a high fat content and the requirement of a high fat-to-protein ratio remains with this breed. T
There are no commercial all-breed dog foods providing the food sources upon which Pugs developed, and most food ingredients don't come close to the amino acid profiles of the breed's original nutrient sources.
Yet this breed has demonstrated it can do well on a commercial base diet that is high in animal fats from beef and horse meat. The protein content of the food should be kept very low. Any grains in the food should come from barley, wheat and rice. I also suggest that you avoid feeding a Pug any foods containing lamb, poultry, ocean fish, avocado, or yellow corn.

Answer 5

If he is allergic to corn Iams, nor Eukanuba not even Science Diet will work. You need a good all-life stages food like Candiae or Wellness or Merrick that is good for dogs with corn allergies, because there is no corn in it.

Corn is the #1 allergy agent in dogs, so dont feel like you are the only one.

Answer 6

Natural Balance has no corn whatsoever. That's what I feed my dogs. It's a very healthy, high quality food so you will pay more. I pay about $41 for a 30lb bag at Petco.

To add, wheat is also a very common allergen for dogs.

I'm trusting Natural Balance...

Answer 7

You should find an appropriate food. Unfortunately most dog foods contain corn or a product of corn. You can keep hunting but I reccomend natural foods that you prepare at home. It is a lot healthier for your dog. Dogs fed on natural diets live on average 50% longer. You should check out these web sites. Maybe they will help you decide.

http://www.outoftheearth.com/petfood.htm

http://www.preciouspets.org/cancer.htm

http://www.critterchat.net/pentobarbital.htm

Answer 8

You could use any good quality food in a Lamb and Rice. formula. Or the best food to use with allergies is Innova Evo. They have no grains at all but it is rather expensive and you can only find it at certain shops. but they eat much less cause it is not full of fillers like corn, which means less clean up too. I just started my boxers on it an its great .

Answer 9

I would suggest Wellness, to be honest. They have a fish and potato one that's good for dogs with corn allergies.

Iams, Eukanuba and Science Diet will have corn in them as well.

Answer 10

Iams is crap. Try Nature's Recipe, it is formulated without corn or other major food allergens for sensitive dogs. The venison formula does wonders for dry itchy coats as well. Good luck!