I have an american pitbull terrier and he is allergic to some dog foods I would like to know if anyone know how to fix this problem other than switching the food cause I mean he only eats that type of food and no other so does anyone know what should I do besides taking him to the vet and switch his dog food

Do you know what it is in the dog food that he is allergic too? That seems to me like a good starting point. At least that way you will know what variety and the such he can have.

I agree Myth. The statistic of the 4 top common food allergies in dogs are: 1.Corn, 2. Beef 3. Chicken 4. Dairy I think, I can't remember (lol I paid close attention at that seminar; to the food j/k) A lot of dogs are allergic to corn. And unfortunately (which isn't a good main ingredient) majority of dog food is made with corn or corn starch. The best thing you really can do is try a diet from a vet. They have numerous ones specifically made for food allergies. Have a good talk about food allergies w/ your vet he should know. I went to a Hills seminar about food which they had a lengthy topic about food allergies. There are many many factors that play in pinpointing allergies in a dog. First try a plain script diet and see how that works. There's no way around it you have to get your dog to try different foods. You can try different foods that don't have the 4 main food allergies and switch out and see which he is allergic to. The risk in that is switching food too often can lead to an upset stomach. Which can lead to diarrhea.

OK thank you guys for your help and I already found out what he is allergic to is corn as the first ingredient and I already switched his food to Authority I was feeding him purina indoor formula but I think that's not good food cause it causes him skin irritation so thank you another question though which is the best dog food in the market I mean beef dog food that's what my dog likes

Well, I'm glad that you found out what his allergy is. Only thing I can say is that try to find a better quality food then Authority. Their ingredients and percentages arnt very good. Especially if you have a pit bull, which is a working breed, with a high metabolism. I feed my pit bulls Purina One. Used to feed them Purina Pro Plan, they did fine on both but I looked at the ingredients and same they were nearly the same and Purina One is cheaper. My dogs seemed to do better on Purina One. I like purina because their first ingredient is either Beef or chicken. I feed the adults regular adult chicken or beef, and the puppies puppy formula of course. You don't HAVE to switch, it's optional, I mean if he does well on the food then stick with it. Just in the next few months watch his health. As in, his weight, his energy level, his gums, his teeth and coat. There is a big controversy on dog food on which is the best. A vet will of course push Science diet because they are in close ties with the company. Granted there is nothing wrong w/ some of the science diet food products. If a dog has a health issue that can be treated by simply switching food majority of the time it works. PERSONALLY speaking, I know dogs need certain things in their diet. For a healthy dog I don't see the point in feeding a "prescription" diet. So if your looking for a good high quality food the main things you need to look for in the ingredients are: lists the first 2 ingredients as an animal protein, high in carbs, high in amino acids, and fats. If you are unsure about the food you are feeding supplement with natural foods, you can feed raw meat, mixing raw eggs in the diet, mixing yogurt in, and raw vegetables are all great natural supplements, plus they love it! Hopefully that helps and your guy does well. I've done tons of research on proper dog diets just for the fact that I breed dogs, so if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Yeah I was thinking purina hi pro do you think that's a good dog food ? Cause I was reading the ingredients and they go as what you described

Well I rambled on and then just now realized that purina has an ingredient of corn. If he is allergic to corn, I'm not sure how well he will do with it. Although, seeing as how its not a main ingredient it's percentage will probably not effect him like other foods you have tried. I've heard Wellness brand food is pretty good also, good ingredients. Can be a bit pricy though. Just remebered fish oil tablets work great also. You can try the hi pro and see how he does. :)

Yeah cause I used to feed him pedigree and he did good on it but then he got sick and I took him to the vet and after he came back he didn't want pedigree so I switch to indoor formula cause since he is an inside pitbull I thought it would be OK he is only allergic whenever corn is the first ingredient and that's it but do you think hi-pro is a good food ?

Yeah, I don't have any personal experience with it though. Like I said I feed either purina one or purina pro plan. I looked up the ingredients for that food and the first ingredients are bone meal. I would try something w/ the first 2-3 ingredients being and animal protein i.e beef, chicken etc.

Well yeah I know but I'm going for something that could fit my budget you know that's why I'm going with the most inexpensive products and I thought hi-pro could be it cause I was feeding him nutro max but then he started having some loose stool problems that's why I tried indoor and I found out that he was allergic to that food and now I'm with authority but I don't know which one is the best for my dog cause me and him go running and he pull weights and I do a little of spring pole so he is a very active dog that's why I mention hi-pro cause its supposebly for active dogs so what do you think ?

p.s. thank you for spending time helping me I appreciate it

If you are concerned about quality and price then Purina one is good. The 40# bag is like $25. I think Hi Pro is more expensive. Since you said you work him, try the natural foods I listed also. Sometimes all it takes is some yogurt and raw eggs, mixed in the kibble which is inexpensive! Good luck with everything, and of course if you have any other questions ask.

Hey Mega!

I have a 8 month old pit myself and she is highly allergic to her food as well, I've tried many types of food but when all was said in done she was still breaking out... so I actually made a list of each food and it's ingredients, which can be found on each food brands website, and compared them, sure enough there were a few usual ingredients, but the 2 found in each food were eggs and barley, now I am starting my pit on Natural Balance's Duck and Potato Allergy Formula it contains NO CORN, NO WHEAT, NO SOY, (all 3 are the main cause of food allergies in dogs and hard to digest making your dog become overweight easier and faster) NO EGGS, OR DAIRY PRODUCTS!

For Everyone else concerned with their DOG'S health(NO MATTER WHAT BREED):

:) THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

CORN WHEAT AND SOY: SEE ABOVE

BY-PRODUCTS: THESE ARE FEATHERS, BEAKS, SUPERMARKET REFUSED, UNSPECIFIED ANIMAL ORGINS

BHT/BHA AND ETHOXYQUIN: THESE ARE CHEMICAL PERSERVATIVES FOUND IN SCIENCE DIET THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO CAUSE CANCER IN DOGS AS WELL AS HUMANS.:eek:

CORN GLUTEN,WHEAT GLUTEN, RICE GLUTEN:GLUTEN IS A STICKY SUBSTANCE THAT MANUFACTURERS USE TO STICK THE POWDERY COMPOSITE OF FOOD INTO KIBBLES, THIS STICKYNESS STICKS TO YOUR DOGS INTESTINES AND STOMACH MOST LIKELY COLON LATER ON CAUSING COLON BLOCKAGE THEN COLON CANCER IN SOME DOGS.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR BUT THESE ARE THE MAIN ONES TO LOOK OUT FOR.

ALSO PLEASE DO NOT TRUST SCIENCE DIET IF YOU LOOK INTO SCIENCE DIETS INGREDIENTS AND PEDIGREE'S INGREDIENTS THEY ARE EXZACTLY THE SAME. AND THEY USE BHA BHT AND ETHOXYQUIN! THE VETS JUST WANT YOUR MONEY!

REMEMBER THE VET MAKES MONEY Every time YOUR DOG GETS SICK! :mad:

Good Luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IheartPitbulls

THE VETS JUST WANT YOUR MONEY!
REMEMBER THE VET MAKES MONEY EVERYTIME YOUR DOG GETS SICK! :mad:

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Well, yes of course they do! They provide a service for those of us that have not been trained in veterinary medicine. There's an exchange of money for services rendered. There is nothing nefarious or sneaky about that!

Seriously. Do you really think veterinarians are only interested in making money? I'm relatively certain that most of them are not devising ways to make bank at the expense of your pet's health.

I'm not saying all vets are evil.. I'm saying if your so cheap that you don't want to bother with what your dog is eating.. #1 why did you get a dog? #2 you MIGHT have to spend that money later on in vet bills... that is if you care enough about your dog... and here are some links to pages I have googled about some of the ingredients I talked about

Page about bha/bht/ethoxyquin(found in science diets & hills perscription made by the same company):
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-...ogy_of_bha.htm


Article about all the above that I listed:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

It seems you are awful quick with your accusations of cheap. I didn't waste my time looking at your links. I have looked at dozens of others, and found them full of emotional ranting and raving and devoid of any real proof from controlled studies. So how do I know you aren't selling the expensive diets you suggest?

With my own eyes, I have seen thousands of dogs thriving on the common, relatively inexpensive chows.

First of all labman.. I was not speaking of you when I said "cheap" I was directing that towards some of the other answers stating "purina is $25 for 40 lbs" which is telling me that cost is a factor in deciding what to feed your dog. In that case Diamond is a good food brand that also has an all natural line for 25 bucks for a 40lb bag of food. As for you saying dozens articles about the ingredients and perservative are "full of emotional ranting and raving and devoid of any real proof from controlled studies" my question is why shouldn't they be.. shouldn't you be passionate about the health of your pet, shouldn't a pet owner feel "emotional" about the well being of their animal? I don't see why all of a sudden you take my opinion as a personal attack on you and your training...



Toxicology of BHA, BHT and

Ethoxyquin in dog food

Ethoxyquin
Promoted kidney carcinogenesis.
Significantly increased incidence of stomach tumors.
Enhanced bladder carcinogenesis.

BHA
Enhanced stomach and urinary bladder carcinogenesis.
Causes squamous-cell carcinomas in stomachs.
(Cancers of this type are among the most lethal and fastest acting, the swiftest effects being seen among animals with light colored fur.)

BHT
Promoted urinary bladder carcinogenesis.
Could be a promoter of thyroid carcinogenesis.
Studies have noted that BHA and other antioxidants, particularly Propyl Gallate and ethoxyquin, showed additional effects in inducing stomach hyperplasia and cytotoxicity.

According to Dr. Wendell Belfield, DVM, practicing veterinarian for some 26 years, both BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries. He adds that ethoxyquin is suspected of causing cancer and that propylene glycol (a pet food ingredient closely related to anti-freeze) causes destruction of red blood cells.




Ethoxyquin is listed and identified as a hazardous chemical by OSHA. It has a rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being super toxic requiring less than 7 drops to cause death. When manufactured by Monsanto, the containers are marked with the word POISON. Monsanto makes no representations and will not be responsible for damages of any nature whatsoever. The Department of Agriculture lists and controls Ethoxyquin as a pesticide.

There are millions of dogs thriving on chows containing those ''dangerous'' ingredients.

My labx is allergic to corn, I started her on performatrin lamb and rice, it's a great food, not too expensive, her coat is gorgeous, she barely sheds at all and I'm forever getting compliments on her. And best yet, I only pay $34. For a 14 pound bag, it lasts her a month, she eats less on it and is never hungry.

I work for a vet and we do NOT sell the foods I would recommend to EVERY pet owner. First, there are lots of dogs that live on commercial (crap) foods. However, there are lots of people who live on McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell, but that doesn't mean they are "Thriving" or should continue to eat that way. The better foods are more expensive, but the dogs/cats eat less and you would be spending less if you are having to go to the vet's office often. Many problems in our pets today can be easily fixed by placing them on a natural fit for human consumption food. A good place to start is this website http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1. I feed my dogs and cats Natural Balance. Make sure you don't forget to include natural treats as well.
Also, there is no problem with cooking for your pet. Try finding a holistic vet in your area.
Hope this helps, D

Be glad to give you any links you would like. Which parts of my post would you like to have links to?
D

This is from a great website
The nutritional quality of meat and poultry by-products, meals, and digests can vary from batch to batch. James Morris and Quinton Rogers, two professors with the Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California at Davis Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that, “There is virtually no information on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are generally by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for a wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient allowances (‘profiles’) do not give assurances of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated.”2

Actually all your questions can be answered here... http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1