# Anyone Using California Natural Lamb & Rice



## TLV (May 15, 2009)

dry puppy food, even though your dog is an adult?

Am still investigating different foods, and it appears that my 14 month old English Setter may have some allergy issues (might be allergic to chicken/turkey), so was looking at some quality lamb and rice foods. This looks to have a bit more protein/fat content (26/16%) than even the regular California Natural Adult Lamb & Rice.

What are your thoughts?

An alternative would be Wellness Super5Mix Lamb & Rice -- anyone think this is a better alternative than the California Natural?

Thanks for any thoughts anyone has to share.

Tom


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Well, the Wellness "lamb" and rice seems to be more of a fish and rice formula, I think you'd be better off trying California Natural first since it's a more limited ingredient diet and a more true lamb and rice formula. 

It's also very rare for a dog to truly be allergic to meat protein sources, to quote a fellow forum member, Rawfeddogs, this would be like a cow being allergic to grass. 

However, in some very rare instances, a dog can develop an allergy to certain meat protein sources, even in their raw form. 

What are your dog's allergy symptoms?


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## TLV (May 15, 2009)

Thanks Rannmiller.

In answer to your question, I started her out as a puppy on Science Diet's large breed puppy food. This of course was before I knew anything about dog food and was under the mistaken belief that Science Diet was one of the best out there. At that time, I noticed that she kept biting along her flanks, hindquarters, and legs. I checked with the vet, and he could find no skin problems, although his wife, also a vet (they have a veterinary partnership), said it would bear watching, as it might be allergies.

So when Lily turned a year old, I decided to wean her from the puppy food, and in discussing matters with our Mrs. Vet, she thought it might be a good time to try a lamb and rice diet, and advised me that I needed to make certain that the food was truely lamb and rice; no corn, wheat, beef, eggs, etc. At that point I found Nature's Recipe Lamb & Rice and started Lily on it. I noticed that she did very well on it -- no biting, itching, etc., and as an added benefit, better stools and no flatulence.

However, it was about that time that I also started doing research on dog foods, and discovered this site and dogfoodanalysis.com. In doing so, I saw that Nature's Recipe was criticized for having low meat content, beet pulp (if I remember correctly) and the synthetic vitamin k that everyone says causes long term problems. And of course I started seeing other, better brands, including Innova Adult Large Breed, which our local pet store carries.

This looked like (and I think still is) a very good dog food. I started Lily out on it, and after about two weeks noticed that while her stools were very good, she was excessively shedding and actually losing hair, particularly on her chest and belly. I live in central Illinois and it was extremely hot at the time, so I thought she was just shedding some because of the heat.

However, the shedding continued, particularly on her underside, to the point where I was starting to see bare skin, and it was spreading to her lower sides, where again, sadly, you could see bare skin. So, we went back to the vet and had her tested for thyroid problems. Those tests came back negative, and the Mr. Vet asked me about any changes in her food or environment. I told him about the food, and he asked that we allow him to look over the ingredients. I gave him a copy of the Innova ingredients (chicken, turkey, rice), and he thought it was a very low allergenic food. He prescribed an antihistamine and skin supplement.

Nonetheless, her shedding and hair loss continued, and when I most recently spoke to Mrs. Vet, she wanted me to go back to a lamb and rice diet. She said that one of her personal dogs had the same problem that only was corrected with a dietary change. She said that while it is unusual, given the history she thought Lily could be allergic to chicken or turkey, or a fowl type bird, and that the symptoms could be more severe now because there was a higher concentration of these meats in the Innova rather than the Science Diet.

So, that's where I am. The antihistamines have helped, as Lily is no longer scratching and biting, but I don't want to keep her on those forever. And, we need to get her off those so that we can do allergy testing.

Sorry this has been so long-winded. If you or anyone has any other thoughts on the hair loss or dog food I would sure appreciate hearing them.

Tom


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

I would like to suggest that maybe you try putting her on a raw for a short time (starting with chicken) and see if she is alergic to the chicken itself, or if she is alergic to the chicken ingredient in dog food. depending on how much she weighs, my 55 pound bull terrier gets one chicken leg quarter a day ( actually 2 for other reasons) so it won't cost but about $10 at walmart to get a 10 pound bag of leg quarters and try it for a few weeks. If she still has problems, then definantly go with a food that is based on other meats with NO chicken product in it. I have found in reading and questioning others that most of the time, they are alergic to the by-products that are in the kibble rather then the actual meat product. 
I don't know a lot about kibble as I feed raw to my English Bull Terriers, but with my Neo Mastiff pitt mix, I feed wellness core and add a ground meat in for morning meals. This helps garentee a suficient amount of protien and it helps the kibble last longer. (don't have to buy it as often! )
Good luck and I hope that everything works out!


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## Rodney (Jul 28, 2009)

Minimum accpetable meat content.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

Y wood anyone cross a Neo Mastiff wid a pit bull? I ain't got the foggest ideer.

Natural balance has a good limited lamb and rice kibble. My dogs like it.


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

Doc said:


> Y wood anyone cross a Neo Mastiff wid a pit bull? I ain't got the foggest ideer.
> 
> Natural balance has a good limited lamb and rice kibble. My dogs like it.


You cross a Neo Mastiff with a pit by accadent when the pit gets out of your house and doesn't come back till she is pregnant!!  
That was a rescue dog that I liked, but at the same time didn't like! Once she figured out that you wouldn't put her in a bad situation, she was fine, but before then, she was a TURD!! Always hiding behind me, always afraid. Oh well. She found a new home and that chapter of her story ended. Now there is Titus!! :biggrin:


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

EnglishBullTerriers said:


> You cross a Neo Mastiff with a pit by accadent when the pit gets out of your house and doesn't come back till she is pregnant!!
> That was a rescue dog that I liked, but at the same time didn't like! Once she figured out that you wouldn't put her in a bad situation, she was fine, but before then, she was a TURD!! Always hiding behind me, always afraid. Oh well. She found a new home and that chapter of her story ended. Now there is Titus!! :biggrin:


rofl. I bet dat wuz a ugly site. Some things I try not to picture! So what does Titus look like - a pit bull or Neo?


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

Doc said:


> rofl. I bet dat wuz a ugly site. Some things I try not to picture! So what does Titus look like - a pit bull or Neo?


Well... the first dog is Titus and the second is Havoc, Titus' brother. I'll let you decide! 
They had 3 sisters and all three of them looked completely different from each other and from them!


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

Why heck, day is purdy mutts.:redface:


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

Doc said:


> Why heck, day is purdy mutts.:redface:


I do suggest that you don't try to touch them though, they are VERY protective and they will defend anything that they think is theirs! My sister didn't properly keep Titus socialized when she had him and now he wants to eat everyone that comes close to me. Plus, both of them have reciently had problems with other dogs in their territory. Even though I foster all of the time and I always have dogs in and out of my house, Titus will only allow them if he likes them! Otherwise, he has to be seperated from them. He does like Owen though!  Thats a good thing!


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## BabyHusky (Jul 21, 2008)

i would love it if my dog was a bit more protective. shes such a care bear! she loves everyone and all animals haha. thank the lord she at least looks scary (so says other people).


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

BabyHusky said:


> i would love it if my dog was a bit more protective. shes such a care bear! she loves everyone and all animals haha. thank the lord she at least looks scary (so says other people).


Yes, but it gets flusterating when he won't let my friends visit! He gets locked up when I have anyone over and that just upsets him even more! 
Looks are sometimes enough for a dog. I know that just walking down the street with him everyone will move out of our way!  Even the cars move over! 
Other people need to be biten before they get the fact that a dog doesn't like them! I don't really like those people!


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## claybuster (Dec 18, 2008)

TLV said:


> dry puppy food, even though your dog is an adult?
> 
> Am still investigating different foods, and it appears that my 14 month old English Setter may have some allergy issues (might be allergic to chicken/turkey), so was looking at some quality lamb and rice foods. This looks to have a bit more protein/fat content (26/16%) than even the regular California Natural Adult Lamb & Rice.
> 
> ...



Tom,
Best of luck with your English Setter! They're great dogs! We got a saying up around here, IF IT'S NOT AN ENGLISH SETTER IT'S JUST ANOTHER DOG!
I have a field type, Llewellin bred. Check her out here:Zoe


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## claybuster (Dec 18, 2008)

eers on1 fer doc if y ain't no einglsh seter yer jista natta dwwwagg man.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

I likes anglish sitters but day ain't many round here. My frand had one but it rund away one day whilest we wuza bird huntin. My utter frand had a Pointer dat wuz a good dawg. Kood sniff out dem quails all day long.


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