Dry dog food for 3yr old Great Dane with allergies/sensitive skin and bad hips? Experts only, please.?

Question

I have adopted a 3yr old Great Dane with really sensitive skin - most likely due to allergies, and rear legs with bad mobility (he tends to drag the bottoms of his feet a bit). He still needs to put on a little bit of weight. Of course I will be taking him to my vet shortly to check for health issues, but what would you recommend as the best food I can get for him that will be very healthy, nutritious, and will naturally boost his immune system, while not containing too many additives that might cause allergic reactions, will support healthy skin and coat, and will help strengthen his joints? I don't care much about the cost (let's say as long as it's less than $1.50/lb) and whether it can be found at a major store or has to be special ordered.

Please only answer this if you are a dog food expert or have a lot of experience with giant size breeds. Thank you for your help.

Thank you all very much for the answers. Out of the suggested brands I'm considering Solid Gold K-9 Wolf King (Bison, Salmon Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Millet, Cracked Pearled Barley, Oatmeal, Rice Bran, Canola Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Garlic, Amaranth, Blueberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Carotene, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Pumpkin Meal, Almond Oil, Sesame Oil, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Vitamins and Minerals) and Innova Dog - Large Breed Adult (Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Potatoes, Ground White Rice, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed Meal, Herring Oil, Sunflower Oil, Apples, Carrots, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Egg, Garlic, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Chicory Root Extract, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Rosemary Extract, Choline Chloride, Vitamins/Minerals, viable Naturally Occurring Microorganisms).

I'm leaning towards Innova Large Breed Adult.

Answer 1

There are a lot of good foods out there..you didn't say what he is allergic too, however stay away from foods containing corn, wheat, soy, beet pulp & by products.These are all common allergens plus not good for any dog especially a Dane.Also make sure the protein level is at 24% or less.

Solid Gold, Canidae, Innova, Wellness (just to name a few) have some real good foods suitable for a Dane. I feed the Canidae to my Danes. I love Chicken Soup too, but for a sensative Dane it likely contains too many different protein sources.
Unless you Dane is supper thin don't try to put too much weight on him especially if he has health issues.

When you take him for a vet exam have the vet x-ray him and possibly think about an MRI..the symptoms you mentioned could be an indication of wobblers as opposed to hip issues.If you don't already know for sure you may want to have allergy testing done to find out exactly what he is allergic to..it will be so much easier to treat if you know.
Good luck

Answer 2

Great Dane Skin Allergies

Answer 3

If the dog is weak in the rear you need to keep him on the lean side...not super skinny, but don't put too much weight on him.

I'd contact your local Great Dane Club and talk to some actual Dane people about him. They may have vet recommendations...you may want to find a Vet. Dermatologist...just saying he has allergies isn't enough, you should try to find out what he is allergic to and see if you can reduce his outbreaks.

Dermatologists often recommend single source foods like Duck and Potato rather than multiple protein sources...as allergic dogs sometimes develop allergies and you need to be able to shift him to a food that doesn't have the same protein.

Raw diets are very popular, but you really need to research it and see if it's for you. I'm feeding Innova EVO and some raw.

Answer 4

A natural diet is probably the best thing you could do for your dog, however, Chetco had some good advice with the foods he recommended, especially California Natural, which is an excellent food for dogs with allergies. For allergies and good healthy coats, you might try Canedia or AvoDerm. These are usually available at the larger dog food chain stores or feed stores. Consider adding raw grated vegetables to your dog's food, especially carrots, beets and celery, and giving giving him a joint supplement with glucosamine, chondroitin and msm. I've found a good, though expensive, herbal product formulated by a vet in Australia for joint health is Dog Gone Pain (DGP). My 9 yr old Golden Retriever has hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis in his elbows and DGP really helps.

Answer 5

A home-prepared raw diet is your best option in my opinion. If you don't have the time to feed him that way, then a grain-free kibble is OK. There are companies that make pre-made raw frozen diets that you can buy in patties. That is what I feed my pets. You just move however many patties you need into the fridge the night before and feed him it the next day. Also, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is a excellent addition to a diet for dogs (especially dogs with allergies). For joint issues I would recommend Canine Hydrotherapy (swimming for dogs). You should visit a Holistic Vet instead of a normal vet. A lot of normal vets disagree with a raw diet and usually tell you to put your pet on a commercial diet like Science Diet. They tell you that because that is what they learned in Vet school. Guess you was there teacher in vet school? Someone who's involved with the pet food companies. Whatever you do do not feed him something with anything related to corn (corn meal, corn gluten meal ETC...) Here are some websites you can look at that might help:
http://www.coconutdiet.com/pet_nutrition.htm
http://www.coconut-connections.com/pets_corner.htm
http://www.k9hydrotherapy.co.uk/main.html
http://www.valehydrotherapy.co.uk/4613.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*
http://www.ahvma.org/
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
http://azmira.com/ProductSupplements.htm

I hope that helps.
Sloane

Answer 6

An amazing hypoallergenic food that you should try is IVD Whitefish and Potato (they also have Duck and Potato and a bunch of other flavors dogs LOVE) you can purchase this food at your veterinarian, it is somewhat expensive but is completely worth it. Then, to help with the large breed issues such as bad hips, joints, you should supplement your dogs food with glucosamine chondroitin. You can purchase huge bottles of this stuff at Costco, or Walmart. You really need to always have your large breed dog on a joint supplement, the earlier the better. At our veterinary office, we also offer a joint supplement called Synovi-Chews which we have found to make a great difference in our dogs, and we also offer 3-V Omega capsules, which contain good supplements not only for your dogs joints but also will help your dog's skin tremendously, they contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which i really recommend you get for your doggy. Talk to your vet and see what they have available.

Answer 7

The best expert/breeder I know (wrote for the GD club) recommended Eagle Natural. I have lived with Danes for many years and have used mainly Nutro. Blue Buffaloe is O.K. I like to add canola oil to the dry food. I swear by acupuncture/chiropracture for joint problems.
Good Luck!

Answer 8

Depending on what his allergies are, Wellness, Innova, Solid Gold, and California Natural all have excellent formulas for dogs with allergies. You will find them at most local pet supply shops, but not always at the large chains.
You will find this lady very helpful ( Great Dane breeder and canine nutritionist) > http://www.greatdanelady.com/
and her site is wonderful for all Dane lovers. She answer emails quickly..

Answer 9

most major brands of dog food have a sensitive skin formula. you may not find it at grocery stores, so i would advise checking your local pet store or buy it from the vet. as far as help with the hips, you may be wiser to get a suppliment rather than just the food that says "good for joints". my 11 yr old german shepherd has allergies and he benefits from frequent baths to get the allergens/pollen off his skin before they soak in too much. ask the vet if he would benefit from a calcium suppliment. i have a shepherd puppy who is 6 months old today and bigger than my elderly dog who i give calcium suppliments to as well as feed high-calcium "human food" like cottage cheese occassionally.

congrats on the adoption!!

Answer 10

Science diet and Hill's both offer foods that cater to dogs with allergies. Your vet can also write you a perscription for specific dogfood.