Round 4 and hoping it works

[DukeGSD]

I swear I have the most allergic dog out there...

About 70-75% of the year we feed raw. A few local game processors will give us meat and bone scraps from whatever they process. This spring was a bit light and the last month or so, due to the heat wave/draught conditions, our processors haven't had much lately. This means we have to go to kibble or buy meat from the grocer for our dogs and live off Ramen Noodles ourselves.

Our Spring foray into kibble led to the following allergy discoveries for Duke:

Wheat
Rice
Corn

Ended up buying meat at the grocers. I ate a lot of Ramen Noodles until our processor had some scraps. We've been good for awhile until the last month or so.

The last couple of weeks, we found out that Duke is allergic to duck. We were using the Blue Buffalo Wilderness duck formula and his scratching, preening, and shedding has been off the charts. He hasn't gone so far as to seriously break skin, luckily. I went from twice a week brushing to everyday in an effort to keep the shedding under control.

It was a pain getting my husband to realize that the increased itchiness and shedding may be allergies since he believed, "that's what dogs do. My dogs did the same thing growing up. Maybe it's just a growth spurt." The itching and shedding started after coming off raw until hunting season.

Brownie is just a food snob and would pick the kibble out from those little antioxidant pellet things.

With the itchiness and the snobbery, I'm switching them to the Taste of the Wilder High Prairie and crossing my fingers that it it works. We are mixing the last bit of Blue Buffalo just to go through it and should be off it by the end of the week.

I've read all the differing of opinions on food, but I'm limited to what I can get from the local feed store since they are around 10$ cheaper than the big box pet supply stores. The only Solid Gold they had was a lamb & rice formula. Orijen and Acana are out of my budget; plus the feed store doesn't carry them.

Three more weeks until hunting season begins again and my deep freeze can be restocked....

[msvette2u]

Have you tried Natural Balance? They have true allergy formulas including Bison, Venison and Salmon. And no grain at all.

[WVGSD]

You might want to consider that the flaxseed in Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck formula is to blame rather than a novel protein such as duck meat. There are many reports of GSDs not doing well with flaxseed and, since you have a sensitive one, this might be the culprit rather than the duck. Just a thought . . . .



The last couple of weeks, we found out that Duke is allergic to duck. We were using the Blue Buffalo Wilderness duck formula and his scratching, preening, and shedding has been off the charts. He hasn't gone so far as to seriously break skin, luckily. I went from twice a week brushing to everyday in an effort to keep the shedding under control.

[DukeGSD]

If TOTW doesn't work, I'll look into Natural Balance.


I did not even think about the flaxseed. Thanks. That's why I like this board. Always giving me other ideas to consider.