# Other options please



## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

I've been feeding our puppy Wellness. He seems to have developed a food allergy (itchy dry skin) that has gradually gotten worse. Is there a dog food that is comparable in price/goodness? Thank you. Looking for real experiences. Or could I just try switching from chicken flavor to lamb? Would that help?

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

What's the weather like by you?


----------



## DobbyDad (Jan 28, 2014)

Are you adding salmon oil? With the heater on it dries out the air. Salmon oil helped with my puppy.


----------



## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Wellness has a separate line of kibble called CORE that my boys were one when the budget allowed. If you're wanting to stay in the same ballpark of price and quality maybe start by looking at ingredients in that particular line of their food if you haven't already.

Otherwise I'm with DobbyDad, my boys get fish oil and coconut oil to help with dry/itchy skin issues.


----------



## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

IME, it is far more likely to be environmental than food related. Food allergies are FAR less likely than environmental. It could just be the weather combined with the climate control in the house.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Coconut oil apparently has stopped Sage's incessant itchies. I tried eliminating chicken, adding salmon oil, etc. Nothing worked at all. Coconut oil seems to have done the trick.


----------



## e.rigby (May 28, 2011)

Like the others have mentioned, try supplementing with some type of oil (fish, salmon, coconut, etc) and see if that helps. 

My dogs sometimes get dry skin in the winter, I just load them up on salmon oil and it general resolves in a month or so!


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

take your pup to the Vet and get an allergy test.
i don't like the idea of blindly treating an ailment.

give your pup a bath. use a medicated shampoo.


----------



## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

It helped with my dogs itchiness, soft stools and gas (horrible smell) to use another flavor. Chicken is one of the main allergies. I went to a limited ingredient food then slowly tried different flavors. Its alot of work. Whats weird is he can eat fresh chicken once in a while with no issues. If you try it and it doesnt work it might be worth a look into environmental or another trigger. It took us about 3 weeks to see a difference. Good luck with your guy


----------



## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

dogfaeries said:


> Coconut oil apparently has stopped Sage's incessant itchies. I tried eliminating chicken, adding salmon oil, etc. Nothing worked at all. Coconut oil seems to have done the trick.


Same here. Once Hans was on coconut oil for about 2 weeks, he stopped scratching and no longer has a rash on his belly. I call it a treat and he eagerly eats it right off of the spoon. He couldn't tolerate fish oil, so I am thankful that coconut oil works so well.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Sage loves it too. I put a glob of it on her food and it's the first thing she eats. Seriously the dog has stopped scratching. Totally. 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

Coconut oil is soo yummy. I add it ti my white rice. Smells good to


----------



## Mocha (Dec 3, 2013)

SummerGSDLover said:


> I've been feeding our puppy Wellness. He seems to have developed a food allergy (itchy dry skin) that has gradually gotten worse. Is there a dog food that is comparable in price/goodness? Thank you. Looking for real experiences. Or could I just try switching from chicken flavor to lamb? Would that help?
> 
> *-*Summer*-*


What flea/tick etc preventative are you using? I thought the same thing of my puppy, he was on Frontline. Before doing allergy testing, my vet had me switch to Revolution because it has a higher level of skin care to it. Worked perfectly! 




Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

The weather here is mostly rain with overcast sky but cold. I turned the thermostat down from 70° to 60° last night and have only seen him scratching once. I think I'm going to keep the temperature down. The heat must be causing the dry skin. Weird. 

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## mydogs (May 4, 2012)

Itchies here too. I believe weather so I'm adding fish oil seems to really help 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

4 things you may want to try:
*
The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Grain Free Embark:*Embark - Grain Free, High Protein Dog Food | The Honest Kitchen 

*Krill Oil *- some people find krill more helpful than salmon oil for a particular dog:_“Krill oil has a unique biomolecular profile that distinguishes it from other fish oils. While EPA and DHA in fish oils comes in the form of triglycerides, the EPA and DHA is already incorporated into phospholipids, which facilitates the passage of the fatty acids through the intestinal wall. This increases the bioavailability of the EPA and DHA and improves absorption and assimilation.”_ "Krill Oil contains Astaxanthin which is a powerful antioxidant and is also an anti-inflammatory. _“Astaxanthin is a carotenoid-type of antioxidant that is even more powerfu than beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, lycopene and lutien.”_ Krill Oil capsules (180 per bottle): 1 bottle - Mercola.com 

*Digestive Enzymes/ProBiotics *combination (to support and heal the gut): The Wholistic Pet 

*SeaVive: *Myself and a few friends have seen amazing results using this product for fungus and allergies for our dogs! My husband and I also take it everyday to keep our immune system up during the winter months!  *SeaVive Information: *
*IMMUNE SYSTEM MISSION: Prevent disease and infection*
Mucous membranes that line body cavities open to the environment, such as those found in the nose and gut, house antibodies called immunoglobulins that ensnare pathogens and potential antigens encountered in daily life. Thus, mucous membranes function as the first step in the mission of the immune system to prevent disease and infection.
Toxic invaders that sneak by the mucosal barrier are met by white blood cells called macrophages, which by a process called phagocytosis literally digest and destroy invaders in the blood. Thus, macrophages become the body's inside line of defense responsible for seeking and indiscriminately destroying viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria.
Two new supplements aid and assist these defenses against disease and infection. They are Colostrum, which supplies critical immunoglobulins to block invaders at the level of the mucosal barrier, and Beta glucan, which stimulates the action of the macrophages to phagocytize invaders in the blood stream. A third supplement *Seacure*® aids the immune system indirectly by correcting pathogenic bowel permeability to prevent hazards from passing through the gut membrane to infect internal organs. Finally, Vitamin C is well recognized for its immune-supportive properties. All four of these components are combined to produce the one-of-a-kind immune-booster ... *SeaVive*®. About SeaVive

Quote: SeaVire® is a 100% natural, pre-digested fish protein concentrate combined with Colostrum 80/40 which is critical for good immune function. This combination is the only product on the market like it in the world. It is now available in the nutraceutical industry today. SeaVive® naturally contains a total of 18 amino acids including the 11 essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the dog/cat's body and must be supplied to the body in their daily diet. But when a system is compromised due to disease or a debilitating condition SeaVive is the ideal supplement because of the benefits of a quickly absorbed and fully assimilated protein source- one of which is fast repair and recovery from illness, surgery, and wound healing.

Because SeaVive® is already pre-digested it is 100% usable by the body, and it does not require effort on the part of the dog's digestive system to process the protein. This makes it readily available for nourishment, boosting immune function and accelerated healing. This product is perfect for fading puppy syndrome, the systemic yeast removal detoxification process, dog's whose systems are depleted from IBD, IBS, Coccidia and Giardia. It is a terrific supplement *for dog's with allergies* due to its immune boosting properties and an answer to nourishment for the stages of early renal failure because it's a protein the body does not have to process, so it is usable and not hard on the compromised kidneys.

During the manufacturing process of SeaVive they employ a proprietary technology that permits them to, naturally, breakdown the fresh raw material, Pacific Whiting (a member of the Cod family) making SeaVive
almost 100% absorbable and assimilated by the body. 

Due to this technological process, the body does not have to further digest SeaVive® which makes it very easy on the body, permitting the naturally occurring minerals, nutrients, amino acids and peptides of the fish to be utilized immediately assisting the body with the natural healing process. 
*Some Examples of Use: *
*Detoxification During Yeast Removal*
*Boosting Immune Function*
*Allergies*
*IBD and IBS*
*Digestive Issues*
*Malabsorption Issues*
*Giardia*
*Coccidia*
*Parasites*
*Malnutrition*
*Rescue & Repair*
*Lactating Bitches*
*Fading Puppy Syndrome*
*Wound Healing - Topically*
*Repair After Surgery*
*Wound Healing - Internally*
*HOD (when off feed)*
*Nourishment Post Surgery*
*Renal Failure*




About SeaVive
Or here: SeaVive 90 Capsules by Proper Nutrition


Always add new foods or supplements slowly.



Hope your baby finds some relief!
Moms


----------



## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

I changed his food from Wellness Puppy with chicken (orange bag) to Wellness with Lamb (adult large breed core, green bag) and his itchiness has gotten so much better. Amazing. Allergic to chicken? I changed his treats also to peanut butter flavored ones with beef instead of the chicken I was using also and even his coat looks shinier! Yay!

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

And I did discuss this issue at the vet today. He said that the change in food is fine and if he starts getting itchy again we'd do an allergy test for environmental and foods.

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## mydogs (May 4, 2012)

Glad the switch in proteins helped 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I have a dog who's allergic to chicken as well.


----------



## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

I love this group. So supportive. Thank you!

*-*Summer*-*


----------

