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Weird Symptoms: Pet Food Allergies

September 1st, 2010

After the dog food I had been feeding my two dogs scored an F on K9Cuisine.com’s Dog Food Rating Tool, I found another / new line of food from the same maker that scored an A+. As I mentioned in the post Dog Food Rating Tool – Explained, everything seemed terrific … until it wasn’t.

Dog Days of Summer: A Whole New Meaning

July was a rough month at my house with veterinary bills totaling more than all our other monthly bills combined. Ginko’s third knee surgery in 10 years cost us FOUR times the initial estimate.

He is mostly recovered now, after two major rounds of antibiotics to deal with the massive infection they found tunneling its way through his right knee.

Ginko was none to happy to wear the collar that kept him from licking his surgery leg, after last month's knee surgery.

But, in the process of healing, Ginko suddenly developed an unquenchable thirst, which of course led to lots of peeing and very little sleep for anyone at our house.

He would literally stand at the empty water bowl and CRY, after having just slurped down the entire thing.

Weird Symptoms: Pet Food Allergies

During one of his post-op appointments, where they drew blood samples and did some urinalysis (and found nothing of concern), our veterinarian concluded that the change in dog food was to blame.

How’d she know?

Oddly enough, she had recently switched her dogs to the exact same food, and they too had become “water mongers.”

Other Possible Causes

Now, with Ginko having just come through a tough 2+-hour surgery, and with the massive antibiotics he was taking, it was easy to think that perhaps those things had something to do with his sudden water issues.

Dog Food Switch: Take 2

But, just to be sure, we switched him from the salmon and sweet potato formula to the turkey and sweet potato formula.

My worried, skeptical husband really wanted to switch Ginko back to the old food … F grade or not, but I convinced him to that we’d just try another protein source in the A+ line instead.

He begrudgingly agreed, saying, “Let’s hope it isn’t the sweet potato that’s the problem.”

Problem Solved

After just one week, Ginko’s thirst issues vanished. He is completely normal again.

I’m not saying that Ginko is “allergic” to the salmon, but I believe there is some dog food intolerance or dog food sensitivity there. I cannot imagine that all that thirst and drinking and peeing doesn’t wear a dog down, so I’m glad we switched, and I’m glad he is doing better.

While we could have just returned what was left of the salmon food, I’ve continued to feed it to Lilly (my border collie, the canine heroine of our blog Champion of My Heart) … because she is doing great on the new food. I’ll just switch her over to the turkey when we run out of salmon.

This experience makes me VERY leery of moving them to a dog food rotation schedule … because, frankly, my budget can’t take many more expensive veterinary scares right now.

Trading Ills

Alas, the salmon-based food virtually made Ginko’s “gas” problem disappear, so now that he is back on the turkey (grain-free, gluten-free) formula … the gas has returned.

I’m also a bit stumped that we haven’t seen a great reduction in stool quantity from either dog.

Because Ginko was on strict house rest during his recovery, I supervised every trip to the dog pen for him to potty for several weeks, and I’ve got to say … what’s coming out the other end is NOT less than it was on the old food.

So, either the old food wasn’t all that bad, in terms of fillers, or there is a goodly amount of sweet potatoes, peas and such in the new food.

It’s been a long, long time since I fed so-called “grocery store” brands. Perhaps I just don’t remember stool quantities from the old days.

What Weird Symptoms?

So, beyond the typical symptoms veterinarians see in dogs with food allergies, what crazy things have you seen when a food didn’t agree with your pet?

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Tags: allergy symptoms, animal protein, dog, dog allergies, dog food, dog food allergies, Dog Food Dish, food sensitivity, hydrolysate, K9Cuisine.com, novel protein
Posted in Dog Allergies, K9 Nutrition | 14 Comments »

Are Gourmet Dog Food and Treats Hampering Dog Allergies?

June 30th, 2010

Last week, we talked about the usefulness of “novel” proteins in the diagnosis and management of dog food allergies. Today, I’m going to ask a potentially loaded question: Are gourmet dog food and treats hampering our dog allergy efforts?

I ask because once upon a time LAMB was considered a novel protein that veterinarians could use to test dogs with dog food sensitivities. If Fido ate a beef- or chicken-based dog food at home, then lamb (which he’d never eaten before) would be a good option.

Then, lamb ended up in more mainstream dog foods and dog treats, and it could no longer be used in that way.

I’m no ogre. I’m no naysayer. Personally, I LOVE buying my dogs fancy dog treats made from pumpkin, cranberry, blueberry, and other ooh-la-la ingredients. I like giving them some variety in their diet.

Whole oats here. Sweet potatoes there. A little rabbit nibble today. A dried duck treat tomorrow.

You know the drill because you do the same thing. Right?

So, I ask this question in part because I wonder if in all our attempts to improve our dogs’ lives we might be sensitizing them to more and more things.

And, dogs with allergies must first be SENSITIZED before an allergy develops. That’s how the process goes:

• Exposure
• Sensitize
• Immune Reaction

But, I also ask in the wake of a New York Times article (The Truth About Dog and Cat Food) published earlier this month that essentially panned premium foods as expensive gimmicks. (Personally, I think otherwise, but …)

Think about it. As we broaden our dog’s food horizons, we greatly shorten the list of truly novel proteins that can be used to diagnose and treat dog food allergies.

And, if whatever has caused allergies, in general, to increase significantly in the last 60 years (in both people and pets) continues, then might we someday face a situation where dogs with allergies have fewer and fewer viable food options.

What next? Turtle meat, rattlesnake meat, emu?

I’m not going to change my shopping or feeding habits, but I thought I should pause and ask a bigger question.

Flawed logic? Slippery slope paranoia? Think so? Let me know.

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Tags: dog food, dog food allergies, Dog Food Dish, dog treats, gourmet dog food, gourmet pet treats, K9Cuisine, lamb, novel proteins
Posted in Dog Allergies, Dog Food Debates, Dog Food News, K9 Nutrition | 9 Comments »

Dog Allergy Basics: Dog Food Allergies

June 23rd, 2010

Once upon a time, I felt terrible about my eldest dog needing surgery on both his knees at age 3. He just had another knee surgery earlier this month, after nearly 7 years relatively pain-free. That’s my orthopedic sob story.

Yet, I once spent a weekend in Palm Springs, California, with the top veterinary dermatologists and veterinary allergists from the around world. The things they shared about their work snapped me right out of it because I learned:

• How hard dog allergies are to diagnose
• How hard certain dog allergies can be to treat
• What role LIFE-LONG management plays in canine comfort

Suddenly, those surgeries, even with recovery periods stretching many months, didn’t seem so bad.

So, let me say this … If your pet suffers from any kind of allergy, you have my unequivocal sympathy. Really.

The Proteins Do It

It’s the proteins, kids. The proteins that usually lead to dog food sensitivity or dog food allergies in our canine pals. This includes proteins that come from plant sources and even things we think of as carbohydrates.

In very simple terms, it takes a BIG molecule to trigger a dog’s immune system to overreact. That’s all an allergy is really.  It’s a normally helpful body system that goes overboard.

And, proteins are big enough to get the Let’s-Make-the-Immune-System-Freakout job done.

Most Common Allergy-Causing Proteins

• Beef
• Dairy products, like milk
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Corn
• Wheat
• Soybean

Dog Food Allergy Symptoms

Remember, since these allergens get absorbed in digestion, symptoms include:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Itchy paws, skin, ears

Some in the dog training world also believe that dog food allergies or sensitivities can lead to fear and aggression issues in certain dogs.

Food Elimination Trials

If veterinarians suspect a food allergy, they’ll likely recommend food elimination trials or a bigger food switch — lasting at least 8 weeks — that cuts out all of the most common dog food allergens.

Everyone in the family or in your dog circle needs to be on board with this. No sneaking Fido forbidden snacks. No cheating.

Often this means using a food with a “novel” protein. In other words, a protein your dog has never been exposed to before. Things like rabbit, duck, and kangaroo are used as novel proteins.

Lamb actually was once used as a novel protein until it made it’s way into mainstream dog foods.

You can make novel protein food at home, or you can buy it from places like K9Cuisine.com (this blog’s sponsor) or through veterinary channels.

There is another option, though. Veterinarians can prescribe diets that use “hydrolysate” proteins, which are essentially common sources of protein (like chicken), but the protein has been broken up into such tiny pieces that the dog’s body no longer sees it as an allergen.

Proving Feeding Trial Results

If a dog does NOT improve on the new strict diet, then doctors rule out food allergies.

If a dog does improve, then veterinarians will usually recommend “challenging” the patient with the previously fed diet to see if symptoms return.

Adding Foods Back In

Because it’s usually more than one protein causing the issue, it can be hard to figure out which ones might be OK.

BUT, once a dog is doing well on a new diet, you can carefully reintroduce certain kinds of food or treats in two- or three-week intervals to see how well the dog tolerates them.

You may find that your dog isn’t as stuck in food and treat choices as I’m sure it first feels when the dog food allergy diagnosis is first made.

What Worked For You?

Have you been through this dog food allergy process? What foods or treats ended up working well for your dog? We’d love to know.

Shout Out Any Cautions Too!

For example, Karen from the OPDogBlog posted a comment to Dog Allergy Basics: 3 Common Triggers that explained how a dog food formula change  threw her dog for a loop that’s taken months to unravel. Her advice? Check every label, every time.

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Tags: allergy symptoms, animal protein, dog, dog allergies, dog food, dog food allergies, Dog Food Dish, food sensitivity, hydrolysate, K9Cuisine.com, novel protein, plant protein
Posted in Dog Allergies, Dog Health, K9 Health, K9 Nutrition | 2 Comments »

Dog Food Action Day

April 14th, 2010

Let’s declare today Dog Food Action Day. Imagine the good we could do, the worry we could relieve, and the impact we could have … if everyone reading this Dog Food Dish post donated dog food or cat food to their local community action center or food bank.

You see, I spent the weekend at the first-ever BlogPaws conference. A whole slew of pet bloggers and social media addicts converged in Columbus, Ohio, to learn, share, and spur each other onto greatness. (It was great to see Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby and Anthony & Kate Holloway there too.)

I was one of two lucky winners of an all-expenses-paid trip to the event. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity granted by my fairy blogmothers from Romeo The Cat and Scratchings and Sniffings. They founded the whole BlogPaws movement, which now challenges us all to Be The Change.

BlogPaws: Be The Change

Lynn Haigh (famous for @frugaldougal and the Twitter PawPawty), Dr V from PawCurious (famous for eating pet food to raise money for charity), and Dorian Wagner from YourDailyCute (famous for bringing the awww-factor to daily life) teamed up under moderator Jane Harrell from Petfinder to inspire others into action on behalf of the pets around the world who need our help.

This video, which pretty much made everyone cry, says it all:

So, in answer to the question… What will you do to be the change?

I came up with this idea to help families in need, who already share their lives with pets.

Certainly, any shelter, humane society, or animal rescue could use food donations year round, but what about those pets who are already in homes and whose families could use our help?

Local Help Rocks!

For example, in my community in Jefferson County, Colorado, there is a service group called the Jeffco Action Center. Staff and volunteers there do many things for people in need, including distributing food each week. People often ask about dog and cat food when they arrive.

So, that’s where my Dog Food Action Day donation will go.

To find a similar organization in your community, try using the search function on the Community Action Partnership site. You could also call your local human services agency or local food bank.

I double checked with Dog Food Dish sponsor Anthony Holloway, CEO of K9Cuisine.com, and he confirms that his team can drop-ship food to any address in the U.S. lower 48 states. So, if you’re short on time, why not buy food online and have it shipped.

Pet Bloggers in Action

The entire pet blogger community is gearing up for their own Be the Change efforts. BlogPaws declared this Friday, April 16, an official Be the Change blog post day.

The Be the Change BlogPawty is also set for  is April 21-22, 7 pm-1 am EST.

If, like me, you’ve never attended an online party, check out this how to info. I hear it takes some getting used to.

Report Your Action

Please post here and let us know how you’re taking part in Dog Food Action Day so that we can measure our impact and celebrate.

If it goes well, maybe we could repeat the donations once a month. (She said, optimistically.)

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Tags: Be the Change, BlogPaws, Dog Food Action Day, Dog Food Dish, pet bloggers
Posted in Dog Food News, K9 Nutrition | 20 Comments »

K9Cuisine Dog Food Dish Blog Launches

February 3rd, 2010

Welcome to the new K9Cuisine Dog Food Dish Blog. Look for new posts each Wednesday, as we explore, decode and discuss all things about canine nutrition.

My name is Roxanne Hawn, and I’m a professional writer/blogger/journalist. You can check out my full bio, but … in brief … I’m a full-blown dog lover that has written oodles of pet articles in both trade and consumer magazines for about 15 years.

I could not be happier about collaborating with K9Cuisine to provide accurate and usable information about dog food, dog nutrition and related health matters. (We’ll talk cats sometimes too.)

Our goals include creating an open and friendly venue for a growing community of dog-loving families, who seek more than hype, rumor or marketing spin in the dog food space. We welcome your comments, questions and insights as we move forward.

At this early stage, we plan to cover various topics, like:

• Dog Food Basics
• Dog Food News
• Dog Allergies
• Dog Health

We’ll take time down the road for Dog Food Debates and (we hope) some real-life nutritional case studies, but in the early days of the K9Cuisine Dog Food Dish, we plan to lay a foundation with some Dog Food Basics.

In other words, what do dogs need nutritionally and why?

Stay tuned.

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Tags: blog launch, dog blog, dog food, Dog Food Dish, dog nutrition, K9Cuisine, K9Cuisine Dog Food Dish Blog
Posted in Dog Food Basics, K9 Nutrition | Comments Off