# Allergy Testing



## jiujitsuchick (Sep 29, 2008)

I have a 1 year old female German Shepherd and I've been having some diet issues with her. Let me summarize her history:

Ages 0-12 Weeks- On whatever crap food the breeder was feeding (good breeder, bad food choices)

Ages 12 Weeks- 9 Months- Raw Diet

Around the nine month mark we ran into a major problem with loose stools, skin allergies and ultimately giardia; vet recommended elimination (kibble) diet to allow her system to return to normal. I agreed, switched, and things cleared up to some degree...

9 Months - 1 Year (now)- Origin Kibble (Large Puppy)

Now that she is going to be a year old I want to get her back on the raw diet. I have seen a tremendous difference (coat, skin, shedding) since she came off the raw diet. The vet agrees (to an extent) and recommends and allergy panel (about $250!) before starting.

My question is: Should I pay for this panel or should I add protein sources back one at a time to see if I can find the allergy on my own? I'm just worried the panel will come back inconclusive and that will cost me $250. 

Thoughts on these allergy panels, getting her started back up on the raw diet, and allergy advice in general would be appreciated.


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## kbella999 (Jan 6, 2012)

If it was me, I would go back to raw and try to find the allergy by adding just one food at a time. If that doesn't work, then you might try the allergy panel. I hear that allergies with raw diets are rare and it is all the chemicals and stuff they put in the kibble that is realy the offender.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I also would switch to raw and start with a SINGLE food item. No supplements, no veggies, no fruit, no thing but that single item.

Chicken is the easiest to start with so I would start there. Any chicken parts with bones for RMBs and then chicken breasts for MM. You can either skip the OM for a bit or give small amounts of chicken livers.

After at LEAST 2-3 weeks on only chicken I would evaluate and then add a second protein source.


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## jiujitsuchick (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks for the advice-
I will skip the panel for now... I can buy a lot of chicken for $250.
She didn't seem to have any problems with chicken before; if I had to guess I would say it was either the pork or the lamb.

My only concern is that the kibble I have her on now has only two protein sources: fish and chicken. The skin irritation seems to have gone down but I still see some low-level irritation around her lips. How frequently is a dog actually allergic to chicken??


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

What else is in the kibble besides the fish and chicken?


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## Clyde (Feb 13, 2011)

I would never bother with the allergy blood panel. Much easier and more accurate to do food trials. Also dogs often react better to raw chicken than chicken processed in kibble.


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

I found that things I thought my dog was allergic to in kibble form she has had no issues on in the raw form. I'm guessing that it was more what else was in the kibble than the actual protein source.


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## jiujitsuchick (Sep 29, 2008)

Here are the ingredients in the dog food I am currently feeding:


INGREDIENTS
Fresh boneless chicken*, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon*, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, fresh boneless turkey*, chicken fat, (preserved with mixed tocopherols), fresh whole eggs*, fresh chicken liver*, fresh boneless lake whitefish* fresh boneless walleye*, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, fresh boneless herring*, organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium. 
* DELIVERED FRESH, preservative-free and never frozen.


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## jiujitsuchick (Sep 29, 2008)

TimberGSD2 said:


> I found that things I thought my dog was allergic to in kibble form she has had no issues on in the raw form. I'm guessing that it was more what else was in the kibble than the actual protein source.


What was your pup ultimately allergic to and how could you tell?


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

In kibble form she had issues with chicken, lamb, beef, and pork. I feed a lot of beef, pork and chicken in raw form and she has not had any issues. 

The only things in kibble that I found she did well on were LI bison, venison, and fish

ETA: Kya is almost 12 and we have dealt with these issues since she was a puppy. I did literally years of food trials, allergy testing, medications, you name it I tried it. I truly wish I would have done the raw diet a long time ago.


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