# Is my dog allergic...suggestions?



## Rottlover (Dec 23, 2010)

Did some research when we adopted our new Rott (turns 2yrs this week) and settled on Chicken Soup (Large Breed) food. She has been on this for a couple months and I think she may be allergic. She tends to scratch a lot and has a dry (dandruffy) skin, she is gassy, her stomach makes some obscenely loud grumbling sounds, and her stool is soft (but formed...perphaps a 75 on the poop chart). I don't think she is overfed either. She is maintaining he 75 lbs. and is by no means overweight.

Am I correct in assuming it is the chicken that she is having a reaction to? I have just switched to a fish based kibble. I'd say it's too soon to tell much of a difference (been less than a week).

In doing my research I tried to find the best food that I could afford. The Chicken Soup brand seemed to be of better quality at under $1 per pound ($30 for 35lbs). Budget is definitely a concern at the moment as I am unemployed. Is it possible that she is reacting to the large dog formula (supposedly has additives for joints, etc) or should I just stay away from this brand and/or chicken based foods all together?

Other budget options I am considering are the Kirkland foods (also made by Diamond). I was considering switching to a fish or lamb based kibble.

The food she is currently on is Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach Formula. It was recommended at the feed store...and yes they do carry higher grade foods so I'm not sure why they suggested this one...I believe it was the owner I was speaking with. He said it was what he uses and said he "could choose any food I like". The "Sensitive Skin and Stomach" designation it what got me I guess...I have since done research on this food and realized the quality is sub par so this will be the final bag which is why I am looking for advice before my next purchase.

Thanks in advance for any help diagnosing my problems with the first food and recommending my next.


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

There's no way to tell what your dog could be allergic to honestly. Could be the grains, chicken, or something else. Probably not the joint supplements, but it's a slim possibility.

If you are looking at Costco foods, I'd recommend either the Pelican Bay or Nature's Domain (depends on what part of the country you're in on what they call it). It's grain free and is salmon based. That may be a good place to start. It's 30 pounds for $30 so it's reasonable price wise as well.

If that doesn't work out I'd recommend either Natural Balance's limited ingredient line or Taste of the Wild.

You may also want to add a fish oil supplement as well (human capsules are fine). But also keep in mind your pup could have an issue with something in your home or yard too.

Good luck.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Rottlover said:


> She tends to scratch a lot and has a dry (dandruffy) skin, she is gassy, her stomach makes some obscenely loud grumbling sounds, and her stool is soft (but formed...perphaps a 75 on the poop chart).


Stomach noises, gas, and soft stools are generally not symptoms of allergies. Dry skin could be a seasonal thing if she is inside a lot and the air inside the house is dry.



> Am I correct in assuming it is the chicken that she is having a reaction to?


No, IF she is allergic to any food it is most likely not animal based food.



> I have just switched to a fish based kibble. I'd say it's too soon to tell much of a difference (been less than a week).


Yes, it generally takes a couple of months after the allergen food is stopped before the symptoms disappear.



> In doing my research I tried to find the best food that I could afford.


I'm not familiar with different brands of kibbles like I used to be but generally you want a food with the fewest ingredients, most meat, less carbs that you can afford IF your dog has a food based allergy.


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

Diarrhea can be a symptom of allergies (as can vomiting, rashes, itching, welts, swelling, among others). My dog gets EXPLOSIVE diarrhea if he is given gluten...he's allergic to/intollerant to gluten. Also yes, at least through kibble (I cannot speak for raw), dogs can be allergic to meat products. My dog is horribly allergic to beef, lamb, and duck, and I know many that are allergic to chicken (thankfully mine isn't one of them). Give my dog kibble with beef or cooked beef and he breaks out in awful welts that last for days, lamb and duck give him a rash and make him scratch horribly. Have tried both in kibble form and cooked form with no success. Raw meaty beef bones have the same effect as cooked or kibble with beef. 

It may not necessarily be common, but definitely do not rule it out.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Well, I know RFD said that itchiness, gas, and soft poop are not a result of allergies; but in my experience with Khan it was directly related. Khan had all these symptoms while he was eating very high quality kibble. He is allergic to flax, and salmon, and can only tolerate a little bit of dairy/cheese. 
Only after switching from kibble completely did all of these problems go away.
I would suggest looking at all the ingredients in both food and treats, and moving to a kibble that has limited ingredients. She is most likely not having the reaction to the chicken; but it could be a second, third, or 11th ingredient that's causing the trouble. Until you eliminate all those possibilities you will not know. If by chance switching her from the chicken to the salmon based food does the trick. I would check the list of ingredients see what's different from one to the other. Again, always check your treats. People tend to forget about treats. Maybe that has the culprit ingredient...
Just some Food for Thought.


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

My dog is also allergic to grains. He gets explosive on them I also think flaxseed should not be in dog food. Too many dogs have allergies to it. I think the costco food is great, if your on a budget. It's pretty much the same thing as TOTW pacific, but much cheaper:biggrin: I'm guessing they only have a 30 lb. bag, but if they offer a 15 lb. bag that would be better. I would try to buy 15 lb. bags, until you figure out which food to use. Maybe by the 15 lb. TOTW pacific and see how that goes. Than if it works out, goto costco's 30 lb bag. If your dogs stool becomes firm and he has no more gas rumbiling issues by the end of a 15 lb. bag, that's a good sign she's doing well on it. If it turns out to be grains, you could buy the costco fish formula and the TOTW sierra, wetland, and praire formulas. I have an 85 lb. dog and it's costing me around $35 a month. For you it would be $20-$30 a month depending what your using. And I agree to definitely check anything else your dogs get like treats. Hope it works out for you.


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

cast71 said:


> My dog is also allergic to grains. He gets explosive on them I also think flaxseed should not be in dog food. Too many dogs have allergies to it. I think the costco food is great, if your on a budget. It's pretty much the same thing as TOTW pacific, but much cheaper:biggrin: I'm guessing they only have a 30 lb. bag, but if they offer a 15 lb. bag that would be better. I would try to buy 15 lb. bags, until you figure out which food to use. Maybe by the 15 lb. TOTW pacific and see how that goes. Than if it works out, goto costco's 30 lb bag. If your dogs stool becomes firm and he has no more gas rumbiling issues by the end of a 15 lb. bag, that's a good sign she's doing well on it. If it turns out to be grains, you could buy the costco fish formula and the TOTW sierra, wetland, and praire formulas. I have an 85 lb. dog and it's costing me around $35 a month. For you it would be $20-$30 a month depending what your using. And I agree to definitely check anything else your dogs get like treats. Hope it works out for you.


Yes Costco only has 30 pound bags, however if you or your dog are not 100% satisfied with it you can return it in the original bag for a full refund even if some of it is gone. So no risk to buyer. Same goes for TOTW and other premium brands.


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

I buy online, so that's one of the drawbacks. I got a bag of instinct and evo that I'll be using soon. Hopefully I have no problems I guess if I did, I could contact the manufacture and probably trade it in locally. In the future I'm sticking to TOTW and Acana, because, I'm not to sure about the higher protein foods. I'm also not worried about the 2 lower protein TOTW formulas. In a rotation things will average out, plus I always give extra protein:wink:


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## Rottlover (Dec 23, 2010)

Just wanted to stop back and thank everyone for the helpful posts.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

BoxerMommie said:


> Diarrhea can be a symptom of allergies (as can vomiting, rashes, itching, welts, swelling, among others).


Diarrhea and vomiting are symptoms of intollerance. They are digestive problems.

Rashes, itching, welts, and swelling are symptoms of allergies of differing kinds. Those are immune system problems.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Hi. I had my dogs on Chicken Soup Lite for a while. My male lab mix always had loose stools on it. I honestly thought my dogs' coats lost their shine on this. If you're looking for some quality budget kibble, Diamond Naturals is pretty affordable at Tractor Supply, especially if you use the coupon from their website. Their 4Health brand seems decent and affordable as well. I am currently using Costco's Kirkland Healthy Weight ($20 and change for 40 lbs.;the chicken & lamb formulas are only about $22 to $24 for 40 lbs.). My dogs seem to love the taste, and I think they do great on it--no gas/stomach issues, no itching, good stools, etc. I feed them real meat or canned food in addition to this too. If you want grain-free, Costco's Nature's Domain is pretty affordable too. The turkey formula was about $27 for 35 lbs., and the fish formula was about $30 for 35 lbs. I would eventually like to buy it for my dogs to try.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

This is crazy seeing some of these post's!! RIDICULOUS in some cases. Fish and chicken are two ingredients some dogs can't tolerate. Try a lamb formula, TOTW-Wild Sierra or First Mate's Australian Lamb. 1st Mate is what I recommend and some well say it doesn't have enough meat, true, but you well get your answer very quickly!!! Then just add a little meat !! Or try another Lamb formula!! If you wanna go fast, make sure you add some canned dog food pumpkin(check directions). I do not recommend changing fast but in some case's you have no choice.


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