Science Diet/Prescription Diet

[raingirl]

I was looking at the website for these and from looking at the ingredients and from what people have said here, these aren't the best foods right?

I mean, not all of them, but some of them. I notice they make foods with "alternate proteins and carbs" so you can pinpoint allergies in an elimination diet, but you could do that with any food the dog hasn't had before right?

I'm just curious becuase we haven't been able to figure out what Odin is allergic to. In regards to how much he itches and how much he licks/chews his paws, it doesn't get better or worse when we add anything new.

We are suspect of dairy being a problem, because his poop was a little softer after giving yogurt for the first time in a few weeks yesterday, but cheese doesn't do that??

Is poop a good way to gage allergies/sensitivities? We switched him from eagle pack fish and oatmeal food to the kirkland lamb and rice food, and his poop is way firmer on the new food, so can we assume something in the old food was a problem? We want to find out what causes problems with him so that we can find a super premium food that he will be ok with, instead of just trying new food after new food.

[Prin]

No it's not a good way. The only reason the stool is firmer on the kirkland is because it probably has stool hardeners in it. Eagle Pack is more natural food and they say if you're feeding too much the stool is softer.

Allergies are best told by itching, gnawing at the feet, loos of hair, ear infections and so on. When you find a food that doesn't have the allergen, the itching and stuff gradually disappears. I would first try a food with no beef, no chicken, no wheat and no corn. (These are the usual suspects). Leave him on the food for around 3 months and see if it gets better or worse or stays the same, and then you switch or continue depending on what happens.

[raingirl]

We've had him for three months and he is already only been on foods that are no beef, chicken, wheat, or corn, and he still itches the same as the first day we got him. He doesn't have ear infections, and it's hard to tell about the hairloss as bulldogs are considered moderate to high shedders, so he sheds a lot anyway. He still has a good soft thick coat though. But he does scratch a bit, and licks his feet at lot and chews his pads and nails a lot.

Are wheat and oatmeal the same? I always thought that they came from the same plant, but maybe I'm wrong, because I assumed that wheat has the germ, the oat, and the part where you get white flower.

Right now he is on lamb and rice (brown rice), and he likes it much better. Should I stick with this for three months and see what happens?

I suspect he could have bad environmental allergies as well, as the paw licking has got worse since the weather got nice and he walks on the grass more.

Maybe I should do allergy testing?

[Prin]

If your "puzzler is puzzed" then I would get the allergy tests, but they're expensive. There are more tree pollens these days than grass pollens (at least in montreal), so it could be that or it could be a lot of different things on top of each other...

Does he get a rash from the itching? Are you sure it's allergies and not a nervous habit?

[Beaglemom]

Raingirl, are you sure Odin is allergic to a food item? I'm thinking that with his symptoms, he might be allergic to something else.

Like Prin said, if you can afford it, the allergy tests might be the way to go.

[raingirl]

I don't think it's a nervous habbit as he does it randomly. The vet also said it was allergies after looking at his feet. He doesn't have any rash that I can see though. In between the toes his fur is all red, just like between his wrinkles. It has to do with allergies the vet said, as it's like a discharge or something (not blood, but irritation). We wash his feet daily so unfortunatley they are very dry. I tired Bag Balm on them, but it didn't help the dryness. I wonder if he is chewing/licking just because they are dry and itchy more than from allergies?

I dunno. I just feel bad for him sometimes. He licks his paws daily, usually after going out for a walk for a bit, and only chews a few times a week, only one paw though. He has some bits on the backs of his legs where he chewed the fur off. I'll see if I can get a pic....

[Prin]

Go here: Claritin Pollen Report and select your closest city and you can see the levels of different pollens. If Odinhas a really bad day, you can maybe see what is higher that day than other days...

Jemma's ragweed allergy shows up only in her feet. She gnaws them until they are raw.

You're right though, it does all sound like allergies more than anything else- I was just wondering.