Hi,

My kid in a fur coat has allergies to Alfalfa - I have taken him off all pet foods and he is now on brown rice, fish and sweet potato and his morning meal includes cottage cheese.

Lately I have seen an allergic reaction - it could be a number of things but I have removed and reduced those the best I can. The only last one is: Could he be allergic to Cottage Cheese if the cow that produces it eats Alfalfa Grass or Grain?? It seems like an almost possible quest but I really need to know. I called Kraft Foods that supplies Breakstone and they said it's proprietary - ha! I can only assume that it does contain Alfalfa.

Another question is: Does anyone know of a supplier that provides Organic Cottage Cheese and would know if Alfalfa is ingested by the cow..?

I hid his medicine in the cottage cheese and have to force him to eat - sad but the little guy went through several months of Hyperthyroid. I managed to get his levels back down to normal through the use of Sea Kelp (for natural iodine) and other natural supplements. The vet told me to take him off the thyroid tabs.

I'm going to have his T4 levels checked again for Thyroid but really want to cross my T's and dot my I's so to speak.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I can't have kids (unless we adopt) so he's my little boy in furry pajamas. I love him and am trying to find answers.

Thanks for any help.

It may also be possible that your baby is allergic to the fish, brown rice or sweet potatoes. My poor dog has suffered with allergies for most of her life. We finally decided to do an allergy test and found out that she is allergic to all sorts of things that we would have never guessed. She is highly allergic to sweet potatoes, fish, green beans, peas, oats, tomatoes, beets and peanuts. Unfortunately many of these things are found in most pet foods and some used in allergy elimination diets-go figure! She is also allergic to many things in her environment such as all grasses, trees, cotton, black ants, bees, mosquitos. My dad's dog also took the test and he is actually allergic to humans... yes, humans. Just thought that I would share that with you as maybe it isn't the cottage cheese that's the problem. Also how did you know that your dog was allergic to alfalfa?

It may also be possible that your baby is allergic to the fish, brown rice or sweet potatoes. My poor dog has suffered with allergies for most of her life. We finally decided to do an allergy test and found out that she is allergic to all sorts of things that we would have never guessed. She is highly allergic to sweet potatoes, fish, green beans, peas, oats, tomatoes, beets and peanuts. Unfortunately many of these things are found in most pet foods and some used in allergy elimination diets-go figure! She is also allergic to many things in her environment such as all grasses, trees, cotton, black ants, bees, mosquitos. My dad's dog also took the test and he is actually allergic to humans... yes, humans. Just thought that I would share that with you as maybe it isn't the cottage cheese that's the problem. Also how did you know that your dog was allergic to alfalfa?

It may also be possible that your baby is allergic to the fish, brown rice or sweet potatoes. My poor dog has suffered with allergies for most of her life. We finally decided to do an allergy test and found out that she is allergic to all sorts of things that we would have never guessed. She is highly allergic to sweet potatoes, fish, green beans, peas, oats, tomatoes, beets and peanuts. Unfortunately many of these things are found in most pet foods and some used in allergy elimination diets-go figure! She is also allergic to many things in her environment such as all grasses, trees, cotton, black ants, bees, mosquitos. My dad's dog also took the test and he is actually allergic to humans... yes, humans. Just thought that I would share that with you as maybe it isn't the cottage cheese that's the problem. Also how did you know that your dog was allergic to alfalfa?

It may also be possible that your baby is allergic to the fish, brown rice or sweet potatoes. My poor dog has suffered with allergies for most of her life. We finally decided to do an allergy test and found out that she is allergic to all sorts of things that we would have never guessed. She is highly allergic to sweet potatoes, fish, green beans, peas, oats, tomatoes, beets and peanuts. Unfortunately many of these things are found in most pet foods and some used in allergy elimination diets-go figure! She is also allergic to many things in her environment such as all grasses, trees, cotton, black ants, bees, mosquitos. My dad's dog also took the test and he is actually allergic to humans... yes, humans. Just thought that I would share that with you as maybe it isn't the cottage cheese that's the problem. Also how did you know that your dog was allergic to alfalfa?

I agree she may be allergic to other things as well.
Try giving her some omega fatty acid and cut out the cottage cheese for awhile.

There are a lot of dog food recipes and tips on the links on these sites.
Dog food Allergies and their causes, symptoms & recipes to help your dog get back to his normal healthy self

All-natural-dog-treat recipes, natural dogs and natural dog health

I believe your doggiekid is allergic to fish. Stop giving your doggiekid fish and never do that again. Investigate further if he is also allergic to cheese or other dairy foods. But for sure, fish is a no-no.

When baking, here are some ingredients you may also want to take note and avoid. They are not good for dogs.

#1 Cornmeal

You may find cornmeal in many recipes. While not really harmful in moderation, chances are your dog is getting plenty of corn filler in his food already. By adding more corn to his diet, you could be contributing to a weight problem (starchy) or in developing an allergy to corn.

#2 Onions

Onions in large quantities can be toxic to dogs. Their systems are not equipped to handle them. Onions and onion powder can damage pets' red blood cells causing anemia and breathing difficulties. Be aware if you feed baby food to your dog that many of them are high in salt content and onion flavor. Skip it or use organic.

#3 Bouillon cubes

While not harmful per se, bouillon cubes are loaded with salt and chemicals, neither of which your dogs don't need more of in their diets.

#4 Baby Food

Unless it's organic, a lot of baby food has extra sugars and salts in it that your pet really doesn't need.

#5 Chocolate

You won't find dog treat recipes with this ingredient because it can be toxic to dogs. Chocolate contains chemicals called methylxanthine alkaloids which can an increased heart rate and constriction of the arteries. Large doses can be toxic! And even small doses can cause sickness.

Use melted carob if you want to dip your dog's treats into something chocolaty looking and give them that “bakery”look.

#6 Dairy Products (some pets)

Just as some people are lactose intolerant, there is a percentage of the pet population also unable to digest the lactose in milk and cheese. (Typically, there can be lots of diarrhea if there's a problem) You can substitute lactose free cheese and other dairy products for your pet.

So bake Fido some healthy, homemade dog treats. Just make sure you know what's going into them and things to avoid.