Can you recommend Dog food for a dog with allergies?

Question

My dog has allergies, ie; dry flaky skin, ear problems yeast, lots of scratching at himself. What is a good brand and type of food I could give him that is not rediculously expensive. He is a 55 lb dog. Thank you

Answer 1

My Samoyed girl had terrible problems with yeast infections in her ears because of food allergies. Her coat was also terrible. I've been feeding her Canidae for over 7 years now, and haven't had any more ear infections. It's made from all human grade ingredients.

I highly recommend it. My girl is going on 17 years this year. I attribute much of her longevity to the quality of the Canidae food.

It's not incredibly cheap, but when you factor in what you're paying in vet bills for the ear infections, it's much cheaper in the long run. Another advantage to higher quality foods is the dog doesn't need to eat as much because it's higher in nutritional value and is more filling for the dog. Bags last longer.

Answer 2

A problem with Royal Canin foods is that they often contain wheat and corn, sometimes soy, and often beef. These are BIG BIG BIG allergens in dogs. So, avoid Royal Canin foods, it's better that way. Avoid Nutro foods as well. They sometimes contain wheat. MAX uses corn gluten and wheat products. Blue Buffalo has a Fish and Sweet Potato formula that would be good for a dog with allergies. Blue Buffalo is found at Petsmart. They dont use corn, wheat, soy, no by-products, no artificial anythings. Wellness has what they call Simple Solutions, which are made for dogs with allergies. It is one protein and one carbohydrate. You can find in with duck and rice, or venison and rice. Wellness is a really good food and comes highly recommended, I have found. Merrick has a Wilderness Blend, which is Buffalo, Venison and Salmon with varied grains like oatmeal and rice. This food you can add warm water to and it makes it's own [thick] gravy. The bites are pretty small. The food is an all-life stages for all sizes food. Meaning, any dog, regardless of age or size can eat the food. It is a VERY good food. You could do an allergy panel on the dog to find out everything the dog is allergic to. If you are unsure about what your vet tells you, you could see a hollistic vet and they will be more likely to give you answers you could use.

Answer 3

Sometimes a meat and rice recipe will work, but some of the problems that you're having will respond better to a high-quality grain-free diet. All kibble, which is cheaper than canned or raw, must have grain, potato, or tapioca in it to hold it together. Potato would be cheaper than tapioca, and potato is better than grain.

HIgh-quality means that most of the ingredients are of HUMAN-GRADE quality. None of the recall products were human-grade. If it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for my dogs.

The first ingredient should be a meat. It shouldn't be a meat by-product or a meal. Neither of these are human grade, nor can they be measured for there nutritional content. That's because the company cooks down a bunch of different animal parts that's different each time.

Don't get anything with wheat, corn, soy (or soybean oil), BHA, BHT, ethoxoquin, artificial flavors and colors, salt, sugars (including sucrose and fructose).

A lot of these poor-quality ingredients are cheap fillers, flavor enhancers, and preservatives. They offer a low source of nutrition, and weaken the immune system. That's what causes allergies. The only reason they're in the recipe is because they serve a purpose for the company, not to keep your dog healthy.

I suggest you read dog food labels carefully. Look at foods like Evo (made by Innova), Timberwolf Wild & Natural or Ocean Blue, Barking At The Moon (made by Solid Gold). They're more expensive, but they would seriously cut down on the allergies, which would mean less trips to the vet. I also suggest adding a cold-water fish oil, like salmon, krill, anchovy or sardine. This will help a lot with the ear problem and the yeast. You could also add probiotics and dygestive enzymes.
One product that has salmon oil, pre- and probiotcs, and digestive enzymes is Positive Health by Great Life. They also make an excellent food, but is expensive. Their website is http://www.greatlife4pets.com

An informative article about pet food is:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

Good luck

Answer 4

You could try Nature's Recipe Venison and Rice blend or Wellness Duck and Sweet Potato. Otherwise, you might consider feeding your dog either a raw diet:
http://www.rawdogranch.com
The above site is one I used when I fed my three dogs a raw diet and they did great on it.
OR consider a home cooked diet- google Dr. Pitcairn for balanced canine meals.
With the two latter, you know the quality and complete content of what is in the dog food. A dog can be allergic to dog food with chicken or with lamb but when fed these meats from fresh human grade, they do fine.
If considering a home cooked diet, some supplements to consider are Norwegian Cod Liver Oil and Brewer's Yeast with yogurt for snacks a few times a week.
If you want oils formulated for dogs which are designed for skin and coat health, you could get 3V Caps Skin Formulation for dogs.
You might want to check with your Vet for the ear problems because that can get more serious if not adequately treated.

Answer 5

My dogs have allergies and they get Science Diet F&P (fish & potato). That is a prescription pet food and so it is more expensive. Another alternative is to feed the dog actual fish and potatos but I think you'll find that this is just as expensive.

If you find something better, let me know because I could stand to save some money.

Answer 6

Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Nature's Recipe, Natural Choice.

Answer 7

My dog has allergies too, and we have to give him special food, but talk to your vet. They will be very clear on what your dog needs, what they recommend and prices.

Answer 8

My dogs are fed raw so this is not an issue for us, but my kids momma has a cocker spaniel that had bad skin allergies and she feeds him Beniful. Not sure of the nutrition value or anything but it worked wonders on him when she switched him from Purina to Beniful.

Answer 9

in order to rule out food allergies, you need to feed a quality hypoallergenic diet such as venison, duck, rabbit, bison, or kangaroo. proteins that the dog has not had before. no chicken, beef, fish, lamb, or pork. feed the diet for at least 8 weeks. if the dogs symptoms improve or vanish completely then it is a food allergy.

good foods to feed that are hypoallergenic include: wellness venison or duck, innova evo canned venison, duck, or rabbit, natural balance duck or vegetarian.

Answer 10

my dog also has allergies. i give my dog Science Diet d/d. its dogs just for allergies. it's not too expensive. you can also try Purina foods that have Lamb and rice in it. this will help with the skin. to help the flakyness, get your dog a good oatmeal shampoo for dogs. i have some for my dog and now he doesnt have any flakes on his skin. i got this shampoo at the vets office where i work. its called: Relief Shampoo. this same brand also has a Bath Oil. i usually spray it on him between bathes to make him smell REALLY good and to also help the flakes.