Raw Diet - Page 1

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by GSD12 on 07 November 2003 - 04:11

Hi all, I am pretty sure this topic has been discussed before, but if anyone could give me some help it would be greatly appreciated. My bitch has been suffering from allergies all her life. She is now 5 years old. After changing the diets to the all natural brands of dog food, it worked only for a little while. Recently, her skin has gotten very inflammed again and is red and black. It's a horrible site to look at because I know that it must by really uncomfortable. I recently shaved her hoping that the medicated shampoo would get to her skin, not just her fur. I have tried every pill my vet has prescribed, but since it has been going on for 5 years now, we think the drugs have no effect on her, and I hate to pump drugs into her that are useless. I have read that raw diets cut down on allergies and skin conditions. My vet doesn't believe in raw or all natural diets, so it is hard to get information from him. My dad used to breed dogs and at the kennel, they only feed their dogs real food. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good books to read about the raw diet, or any suggestions on what I should feed my dog. Although I encourage all suggestions, because at this point I am willing to try anything, I am hoping that some of you will have some first hand experience with feeding the dogs raw or natural diets. Thanks in advance to any information you can provide me with. Thanks, Elizabeth.

by Kerry on 07 November 2003 - 04:11

Did you ever find out exactly what your dog is allergic to?

by GSD12 on 07 November 2003 - 04:11

We think she is allergic to the preservatives in the commercial dog food. She seems to do best w/ Lamb and rice, but her skin is still terrible. I read somewhere that carbohydrates and starchy substances lead to allergies. A lot of the commercial dog food contains mostly starches and carbohydrates. Also, we think she is allergic to the something in the environment, and although we can't do anything about that, we can do something about the food allergy. Hopefully this helps.

by Kerry on 07 November 2003 - 05:11

GSD12, have you read Ian Billinghurst's book, Give Your Dog A Bone? It's not as well organized as the Grow Your Pups With Bones, which gives more of a percentage idea of how much to feed of raw, meaty bones, flesh, fruits and vegetables, and supplements. There was a discussion on Oct 28 Dog Food or Meat. You might want to go back and look at that. Here's what Louise says in one post: I feed my dogs a raw, natural diet with a small amount of a natural multi-vitamin/mineral supplement (Happy Dog). They get raw chicken (from free-ranging chickens) backs, leg quarters, and necks; turkey necks and drumsticks; raw whole sardines (including ingesta and viscera); lamb ribs/necks when available; and organ meat (beef heart, liver, kidney) once a week. This constitutes 70-80% of their diet. The balance is is a pureed blend of fresh raw fruits and vegetables (which may vary from meal to meal): zucchini, summer and winter squash, yams/sweet potatoes, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, parsley, kale, chard, apples, bananas, pears, papaya, pumpkin (including seeds and skin), melons, red grapes, raisins, mango, flax seeds, garlic, blackstrap molasses, green beans, apple cider vinegar, flax oil, vitamin E, raw whole eggs with shells, etc. I blend a big pot of this stuff that lasts in the refrigerator for several days. You may freeze smaller portions if you like. I flavor the mix with a small amounts raw Grandad's frozen pet food and some canned Friskies turkey and giblets cat food (to encourage consumption in those dogs requiring greater intake). The adult dogs also have the supplement Peak Performance 2 mixed in with the vegetable/fruit mix. Larger amounts of Peak2 help in maintaining weight on active dogs with high metabolic rates. With this diet, my dogs produce a small fecal volume. They don't have internal or external parasites. Their coats are in gorgeous condition and have rich pigment. The tops of their heads sparkle in the sunlight as if they have been lightly misted with water. People always comment on this. Louise M. Penery riesenblut@sbcglobal.net

by AnnaVA on 07 November 2003 - 05:11

Have you try Canidae? Have you tried any "humane grade " food? I beleive in raw food but it is hard to balance it. I heard about some dogs who had allergy even on meat.. Here is website:http://www.barfworld.com/ I have dog who getting allergy on everything include most "humane grade" food except Canidae. So I basically keep him on Canidae and mix it with ground meat. Here is a link:http://www.canidae.com Of course the best if you find another vet who will help you with this problem. Have your vet test your dog on anything( I mean other skin conditions)? There many skin conditions that can appear as allergy . Did your vet rule out mange? If you done all tests and you for 100% sure this is an allergy then you have to feed your dog food that have a minimum incredients. Let's say you tried chiken & rice nad it is didn't work. You tried lamb and rice and this is also didn't work. There also fish& potato by "Solid Gold". I know it is also work for many dogs that have history of allergy but it didn't work for mine.. Here is a link :http://solidgoldhealth.com/products/

Loyalville

by Loyalville on 07 November 2003 - 06:11

There is a VERY user friendly book out now "Raw Dog Food; Make It Easy For You and Your Dog". You can get it from dogwise.com. I dabbled with raw for years, then switched to ALL raw diet exclusively almost a year ago and I'm ecstatic with the results. I am on my fourth raw-raised litter.It is WELL WORTH a try if your bitch is suffering. It can't hurt, and it might help. You can look at a dog's teeth and see that they were never meant to eat kibble or goop from a can! Lisa

by Laris on 07 November 2003 - 14:11

Attached an article on Food allergy by Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. Food allergies account for about 10% of all the allergies seen in dogs and cats. It is the third most common cause after flea bite allergies and atopy (inhalant allergies). With the advent of lamb and rice diets many people feel that they are preventing or treating food allergies. The fact is that nothing could be farther from the truth. The entire process of a pet being sensitized to a particular agent in food and the complicated antibody response that occurs in the intestinal tract in pets with food allergies are not very well understood. Despite our lack of understanding of the actual disease process, there are many things that we do know including the symptoms, how to diagnose food allergies, and also how to treat them. Food allergies affect both dogs and cats. Unlike atopy, there is no strong link between specific breeds and food allergies. Food allergies affect both males and females and neutered and intact animals equally. They can show up as early as five months and as late as 12 years of age, though the vast majority of cases occur between 2 and 6 years. Many animals with food allergies also have concurrent inhalant or contact allergies. to be continued

by Laris on 07 November 2003 - 14:11

Con't Food allergy or intolerance? There is a distinction that needs to be made between food allergies and food intolerances. Food allergies are true allergies and show the characteristic symptoms of itching and skin problems associated with canine and feline allergies. Food intolerances can result in diarrhea or vomiting and do not create a typical allergic response. Food intolerances in pets would be similar to people that get diarrhea or an upset stomach from eating spicy or fried foods. Fortunately, both food intolerances and allergies can be eliminated with a diet free from offending agents. Common food culprits Several studies have shown that some ingredients are more likely to cause food allergies than others. In order of the most common offenders in dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn, and soy. As you may have noticed, the most common offenders are the most common ingredients in dog foods. This correlation is not a coincidence. While some proteins might be slightly more antigenic than others, many proteins are similar in form and the incidence of allergic reactions are probably associated with the amount of exposure. For example, pet foods have historically been made up of beef, chicken, corn, and wheat. In an effort to combat food allergies, several companies produced a diet made of lamb and rice. There was nothing special about lamb and rice diets except those two ingredients were normally not present in pet foods. Animals had not eaten lamb or rice before, and therefore, had not developed an allergy to it yet. If the main ingredients in pet food become lamb and rice, then it would stand to reason that the most common problem foods could become lamb and rice. The determinant of whether a food is likely to cause a food allergy or not is based on the structure and size of the glycoprotein in the food. In addition, many lamb and rice-based foods contain many other ingredients, and if the animal has a food allergy to any of them, this lamb and rice food will do nothing to treat the food allergy. In addition, while many people criticized and blamed preservatives and flavorings as a source of food allergies, studies have shown that they are not the causes, and while we may not have justifiable health concerns about preservatives, food allergies is not one of them. To be continued

by Laris on 07 November 2003 - 14:11

Con't Symptoms The symptoms of food allergies are similar to those of most allergies seen in dogs and cats. The primary symptom is itchy skin. Symptoms may also include chronic or recurrent ear infections, hair loss, excessive scratching, hot spots, and skin infections that respond to antibiotics but reoccur after antibiotics are discontinued. There is evidence that dogs with food allergies may sometimes have an increased incidence of bowel movements. One study showed that non-allergic dogs have around 1.5 bowel movements per day where some dogs with food allergies may have 3 or more per day. It is difficult to distinguish an animal suffering from food allergies from an animal suffering from atopy or other allergies based on physical signs. However, there are a few signs that always make me suspect food allergies. One of these, is a dog with recurrent ear problems, particularly yeast infections. Another, is a very young dog with moderate or severe skin problems. A third tip off, is if a dog suffers from allergies year-round or if the symptoms begin in the winter. And the final clue, is a dog that has very itchy skin but does not respond to antihistamines or steroid treatment. To be continued

by Laris on 07 November 2003 - 14:11

con't Diagnosis The diagnosis for food allergies is very straightforward. But due to the fact that many other problems can cause similar symptoms and that many times animals are suffering from more problems than just food allergies, it is very important that all other problems are properly identified and treated prior to undergoing diagnosis for food allergies. Atopy, flea bite allergies, intestinal parasite hypersensitivities, sarcoptic mange, and yeast or bacterial infections can all cause similar symptoms as food allergies. Once all other causes have been ruled out or treated, then it is time to perform a food trial. Elimination diets and provocative testing: A food trial consists of feeding an animal a novel food source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks. A novel food source would be a protein and carbohydrate that the animal had never eaten before. An example would be rabbit and rice, or venison and potato, or duck and rutabagas. These are homemade diets but there are several commercial diets available on the market. Special Foods produced by Hill's and Purina, and a food named EXclude are used by many dermatologists. Regardless of the diet used, it must be the only thing the animal eats for 12 weeks. This means no treats; absolutely nothing but the special food and water. Young growing pets have special dietary needs and a homemade diet that only contains one protein and one carbohydrate with no multivitamin or fatty acid may not be suitable even for only twelve weeks. For puppies undergoing a food trial, a balanced commercial diet like the ones listed above is recommended. To be continued





 


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