[mandiah89]

So I looked in the forums and I cant find this anywhere, but I need to know... My girl is 18 weeks old and I think she is allergic to Chicken, or at the very least has sensitivities to it. She has had dry skin since I brought her home (even though I have been giving her coconut oil and Salmon Oil since Ive had her). She has been getting rashes on her belly (which I pointed out to the vet at her first and second appointment and they told me it was probably just puppy pyoderma) , and she has had "conjunctivitis" or so the vet told me with red, swollen eyes with discharge, as well as she has had tummy issues with having loose stools (and diarrhea occasionally, but that has stopped since I have stopped feeding her raw and kibble) but the lose stools and all the other symptoms persist. All of these symptoms are things that I have read that can be associated with chicken allergies. And her kibble is a Chicken & Oatmeal blend.

So my question is... I cannot seem to find a Large breed Puppy kibble that does not have chicken in it! So will it harm her if I switch her to a food that is for large breeds but an adult formula so that I can get her something that does not have chicken in it?

 

[Raintheshepherd]

No she should be fine, only thing with adult biscuits that's different to puppy biscuits is the fat and protein content. I took my GSD off puppy biscuits at 5months old because she didn't want them.
So now she is on large breed adult and gets raw lamb or beef mixed with it, she is super healthy, looks wonderful. I also have her on fish oil and a skin formula, because she has allergies as well. I had somebody suggest local honey on here for allergies, it has to be within a 50km radius. So my girl gets that mixed through her food too, she doesn't hardly scratch anymore and her coat is incredible
Best of luck


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[llombardo]

I couldn't keep mine out of the big dogs food, so I switched at about 6 months with the okay from the vet. It should be a high quality food in order to switch.

 

[JakodaCD OA]

I have never fed any of my puppies "puppy" food.. I always fed adult dog food.

It may not be just the chicken she is allergic to, but other ingredients ..I don't feed anything with corn wheat or soy in it..

 

[mandiah89]

I have never fed any of my puppies "puppy" food.. I always fed adult dog food.

It may not be just the chicken she is allergic to, but other ingredients ..I don't feed anything with corn wheat or soy in it..

the food that I have her on now is Corn and wheat free, not soy free though, it is also by-product free as well... When I brought the issue of food up with my vet(s) (there are two vets at the clinic and I have seen both of them) all they do is instantly push for me to put her on Science Diet, or Eukanuba, or Royal Canin(sp?) all of which I refuse to feed my dog as they are all just corn and byproducts and junk.

So there are a few foods I am looking at feeding her... but most of them still contain "chicken and or turkey fat" but they are far down on the list of ingredients, I hope this wouldnt be a problem...

 

[JakodaCD OA]

I am not a fan of Proplan, however, at one point I fed my 'allergy ridden' aussie Proplan for Sensitive Skin/Sensitive Stomache,,he did fantastic on it, but he got fat as a pig It's salmon based.. I ended up taking him off it, just because of the weight gain.

Maybe try that if it's available

 

[Seer]

(and diarrhea occasionally, but that has stopped since I have stopped feeding her raw and kibble) but the lose stools and all the other symptoms persist.

What was the raw mix you where feeding her? As well as ratio to kibble

I dont like to keep to my puppys on puppy food for very long at all, so 18 is a great checkout time for puppy food anyways. Chicken is always the quick go to allergy food it seems. I have never had a dog be allergic to raw chicken, not that its not within the realm but, Im with JakodaCD OA on the possibility of other causes as well.

I would not fall to far from the raw food since your puppy seems to be having issues right out of the gate with skin and allergies. Once I went mostly or completely raw many of those issues went away with my west GSD.

 

[Bear GSD]

I have never fed any of my pups puppy food. My last girl was sensitive to chicken and grains. I ended up using Natural Balance LID food. It was an All stages food.
My girl had many food issues so it was tough at the time finding something that she would eat and not get sick on.

I think you could switch to an All Stages food, but look to make sure that the Calcium/Phosphorus levels are on the lower level for your growing pup.

 

[GermanShepherdDog]

Yes, it would be fine if you fed her adult dog food. Honestly, I don't think there's a big difference between feeding puppy food vs. feeding adult dog food. Back to Basics and Merrick are two brands I recommend looking into.

 

[mandiah89]

I just put her on GO! Sensitivity + Shine Salmon Formula its for adult dogs, but has no corn, wheat, soy by products or any chicken or poultry products or beef. She loves it and I am more than happy with the Ingredients as the first few ingredients are as followed; Salmon Meal, oatmeal, potatoes, whole oats, deboned salmon, canola oil, apples ect... She has already started to have nice dark firm stools since I switches her. But she is now on antibiotoics for the recurring pyoderma that is now progressed.. so im hoping with the new food, the antibiotics she will start to come around

 

[Linck]

I read in other thread about people doesn't get their dogs off of puppy food until 1 or even 2 years old. So... what is actually in puppy food??? If it is not necessary why some people in the forum keep them on for so long?? My boy doesn't have problem with chicken but if it is not necessary to feed him puppy food then I would love to switch him to all-stage food too! Just because I can't find high quality food that is for large breed puppy in my town. Right now he is on stinky pro plan.

OP - sorry my post is not constructive to you