Best Diets for Dogs With Allergies

One of the most important factors in your dog’s wellness is diet. To diagnose and treat true food allergies, a hypoallergenic elimination diet is recommended. Working with your veterinarians, you may be able to determine if a specific element in your dog’s food is causing an allergic response.

If your pet is eating a processed food containing by products and chemical additives, switching to a more natural diet or, even better, a homemade diet made with fresh ingredients is advisable.

FOODS THAT REDUCE INFLAMMATION & ITCHING
Most holistic doctors have experience allergic pets show noticeable mild to significant improvement on natural diets. Since pets may be suffering from multiple sensitivities, switching to a improved diet will reduce your pet's allergic threshold and improve his itching and scratching by reducing the number of allergens the dog has to deal with.

Homemade diets are also recommended. By doing so, you can completely eliminate the toxic by products that commercial manufacturers may be including in your dogs diet.

This is the only way to ensure your complete control over the type and to some extent the quality of ingredients. If making a homemade diet is not practical, provide your dog a natural style processed diet.

If you suspect or have a diagnosis that your dog has food allergies, your doctor should prescribe a hypoallergenic diet with a novel protein source such as rabbit or venison (see chapter 2, page 43). I do not recommend feeding these unique protein sources to pets without food allergies. Not only are most of them quite expensive and difficult to obtain, if your dog develops foods allergies to ant of these unusual protein sources, your choices of what to feed at that point are severely limited.

Questions Are you feeding your dog a healthy diet, with natural nutritional supplements?

Are you instead feeding whatever food was on sale at your local pet store or grocery store?

Is there any difference between the various diets on the market?

Are premium diets really worth their cost?

It is important to consider how diet can affect the dog with atopic dermatitis. While most veterinarians and pet owners neglect the contribution diet makes to a pet’s health, holistic doctors and holistic-minded owners know that proper diet and nutritional supplements can have a positive effect on the dog with atopic-dermatitis. In fact, proper diet is the foundation of every holistic health plan.

A PROPER DIET

JUST WHAT CONSTITUTES the “best” or most appropriate diet for a dog is quite a controversial topic, and there are just as many opinions as there are veterinarians. Many pet owners and doctors express very firm views when asked these questions. Often their opinions are based more on emotion than on any objective medical facts. Part of the problem is that, even if someone goes looking for those facts, they can be difficult to find.

Most prepared genetic and premium pet foods contain way too much sodium. This is another area to control in your pets diet. Natural foods do not have this problem, but check the label of the product to be sure. Like their human counterparts, pets with allergies would probably do well to eat a homemade low-sodium diet or natural-style prepared food without added salt.

I’m going to ask you to put aside for a moment any preconceived ideas you might have when it comes to this subject. In choosing the most holistic option, keeping as open mind is essential. When you have learned about the various approaches to diet, you can form your own opinion, based upon your circumstances.

As a rule, you need to be concerned about the amount of food your dog eats as well as the general quality and specific nutritional content of that food. All dogs is not the same. You have a choice about the type of food you give your pet. Your choices fall into the general categories of processed food or natural-style food. Natural-style foods can be packaged or homemade. If you decide to prepare your dog’s food at home, as many holistic pet owners do you will need to decide if it should be raw or cooked. No matter what type of diet you choose, it must meet these five requirements:

The diet must include the proper amount and balance of essential nutrients required by your dog.

The ingredients must be of high nutritional quality so that your dog can effectively digest, absorb, and utilize the dietary nutrients.

The food should be palatable so your dog will eat it.
The food should contain no “fillers,” such as animal or plant by-products. If by-products are included, as in the case of some prescription-type diets for sick pets, the food should contain the least amount of by-products.
There should be no artificial colors, flavors, chemical preservatives, or additives in your dog’s diet, if possible

PACKAGED DOG FOOD

PROCESSED DOG FOODS have been around for 40 to 50 years. Prior to the introduction of processed dog food, our pets ate what we ate (or ate the leftovers of what we ate). Many holistic pet owners feel that pets fared much better then. I have heard some go so far as to claim that atopic dermatitis is a disease of processed food, meaning that pets fed natural diets do not suffer from allergies. While I disagree, since I see pets who are eating good diets but are afflicted with allergies, I do agree that diseases including allergies would be less common if we fed our pets better diets.
            Manufacturers developed processed dog food for the convenience of pet owners. Just as processed foods for humans save people a lot of time in food preparation, so too do processed pet foods make feeding your dog simple, easy, and quick. There is no question that it takes at least some time to properly prepare homemade food. On the other hand, it is quite convenient and fast to simply open a can or scoop cup of food from a bag and feed the pet.
            Manufacturers also introduced processed dog food to address the concern of the pet owners that their dogs get a nutritious diet. Pet owners began to see that
simply tossing their dogs some scraps wasn’t going to give them a complete, balanced diet.
            Prior to our scientific understanding of nutrition, both people and pets suffered from diseases resulting from dietary imbalances. For example, people who didn’t eat fruits or vegetable got scurvy as a result of vitamin C deficiency. Pets fed mainly meat developed nutritional osteodystrophy (nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism) as a result of calcium deficiency. Cats fed only fish developed thiamine deficiency and steatites, an inflammation of body fat.
            By learning about the nutritional needs of pets and formulating balanced diets, these nutritional problems can be avoided. While many of the nutritional diseases seen prior to the introduction of processed food have all but been eliminated, there is no question that processed foods, specifically those of low nutritional quality and loaded with by-products and chemicals, may actually be contributing to a whole new set of problems.
            When I think of packaged dog food, I think of three categories: the least expensive generic processed dog food, the more expensive premium dog food, and the most expensive natural-style dog food.

Generic dog food is the least expensive, but also the least healthy for your pet. Manufacturers use the cheapest ingredients possible. These are the foods that contain ingredients such as animal and plant by-products. Generic food is also more likely to contain numerous preservatives and additives. By reading the label, you can easily discern how unhealthy these foods are for your dog. Most generic foods are not tested on pets in feeding trials, but instead meet arbitrary nutritional “standards.” Do not feed your dog generic dog food, as health problems due to nutritional deficiencies can result.

Premium dog foods are available at many pet stores and veterinary hospitals. They usually have higher quality ingredients than the generic foods. You must read the label on these foods, however. Many contain products from plants sprayed with pesticides and animals given hormones and chemical aden feed. While some premium dog food can be an acceptable choice when properly combined with natural supplements, this type of food is not my first choice if he more natural-style diets are available. With many other brands, however, the only thing premium about them is the price. Reading the label can help you identify which foods to avoid.
The price of pet food is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible. It would be impossible for a company that sells a generic

READ THE LABEL!!!

Reading and understanding pet food labels is critical when choosing a packaged food. The label can help you determine the difference between the classes of packaged food and what’s really behind the ingredients as they are listed. Many pet owners tell me that the label on their brand says the food is nutritionally complete, so therefore it must be good. This is not necessarily true. Here are a few tips on reading the labels on pet food.

Ingredient list: Ingredients are usually listed on packaged food labels in descending order from highest concentration to lowest. The first ingredient makes up the largest amount by weight of the ingredients in the food.

Guaranteed analysis: this taste the minimum levels of nutrients in the food. A food with a minimum of 5 percent protein means that the food has at least 5 percent protein: it may have a lot more, possibly even too much! Also, there is no guarantee that this protein is a good quality protein. Chicken feathers have at least 5 percent protein, but I promise you that your pet won’t get any nutrients from this protein source!

Digestibility: Poultry meal is a common protein source in pet food, but the digestibility of poultry meal varies from poor to excellent. Reputable manufacturers use higher ingredients; the quality of the ingredient is reflected in the cost of the food. Stay away from cheaper generic brands with low digestibility.

Nutritional adequacy: Many products state that the food was been “formulated to meet nutrition levels established by the AAFCO.” (AAFCO is the American Association of Feed Control Officials.) Unfortunately, this just guaranteed that the food meets a mathematical minimum. Your pet may not be able to digest or absorb anything in it, because the food never had to go through feeding trials to assess palatability and digestibility, and show if the animals in the trials grew or showed signs of malnutrition. The statement “animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that this food was fed to at least some pets for extended periods of time without detection of nutritional problems. The better, more expensive brands use this designation after conducting costly feeding trials. Read these labels carefully too, however. Just because the food passed feeding trials does not mean it does not contain chemical, additives, and fillers. There are many good, natural foods that have not undergone feeding trials. Work with your doctor to determine which food is best for your allergic dog.

brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40 pound bag to use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing quality ingredients would be much higher than the selling price.

Natural-Style Packaged Dog Food
Natural-style dog foods are the top of the line in packaged dog foods. They contain no artificial colors or flavors, and use natural rather than chemical preservatives. Instead by products, they use more expensive ingredients, depending upon the brand, these ingredients are from animals and plants raised organically without hormones or chemicals. Die to this insistence on quality and natural health, these foods are the best ones (and many would argue the only prepared foods) to feed your pet if you choose not to prepare a homemade diet.
Usually, because of the high quality of their ingredients, they are the most expensive packaged dog food. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to dog food. In my opinion, the health benefits of decreased disease and the resulting savings in veterinary care more than compensate for the increased price of the dog. Dog food brands in this category include Wysong, Solid Gold, and Innova. The natural-style dog foods differ from most other packaged dog foods in the following ways:

Natural-style dog food uses only human-grade, high-quality ingredients. other prepared dog food may use by-products of foods processed for humans, but the by-products have been declared “unfit” for human consumption.
Natural-style dog food uses foods, especially grains, in their whole state rather than only including a part. For example, this type of food contains whole rice rather than rice flour.
Natural-style dog food uses no artificial colors, additives, chemicals, or preservatives.
Natural-style dog food is formulated for optimum nutrition.

HOMEMADE DIETS

IF YOU WILLING to prepare food for your pet at home, know that most holistic doctors feel that a homemade diet is simply the best food for your pet. This section will teach you know to do just that.
Raw or cooked? As a pet owner, you may have heard a lot of arguments for or against feeding your dog raw food versus cooked food. Many owners feel that feeding a raw diet is the only way to offer a truly healthy diet, and that cooking destroys the nutritional value of the food.
Since this topic is so controversial, with little science to back up either side, I would like to address the key arguments made for and against feeding row foods.

The BARF Diet
The argument over raw versus cooked pet food really concerns what has become known as the BARF diet (also called the Billinghurst diet, after Dr. Ian Billinghurst, the doctor who came up with this concept). BARF is a humorous acronym for Bones And Raw Food. In this diet, the pet is fed raw bones, raw meat, raw vegetables, and a carbohydrate source such as rice. The concept is simple: since the wild relatives of our pets eat raw meat, that is what our pets should eat. Let’s take an objective look at the main claims by proponents of this diet.

Claim: Pets should eat what their wild relatives eat.
Consideration: While it is true that their wild relatives eat raw, freshly killed foods, our dogs are not wild animals, but domestic ones. That doesn’t mean we can’t feed them a similar diet, only that we need to keep in mind that these are totally different groups of animals with different lifestyles, exercise patterns, and health concerns.

Claim: Raw meat is safe for our pets; wild animals suffer no ill effects from raw meat.
Consideration: Whether or not raw meat is safe is debatable, although most pet owners report no obvious health problems in pets fed raw meat. Conversely, many owners report healthier looking coats and skin, less itching, less arthritis, and general overall health improvement once pets are fed raw homemade diets. There are health concerns, such as parasites and bacterial contamination, when feeding raw meat. These are discussed at length further along in this discussion.

To say that wild animals suffer no ill effects from eating raw meat is ignorant and presupposes we know everything that happens to every wild animal. While most wild animals thrive on their diets (as would be expected), we also know that wild prey carry parasites, which are transmitted to wild animal predator relatives
of our pets, and what any infected meat could certainly cause illness in a wild animal. Unfortunately, so studies that I am aware of have pursued this topic.

Claim: animals are more “acidic” compared to people. That is why they don’t get sick eating raw meat.
Consideration: I’m not sure what this statement means, or hoe somehow could even measure a pet’s “acidity”. I assume that those who make this statement believe that the “acid” in the pet’s body can detoxify anything bad in the diet. While it is true that wild animals have adapted to their diets, this in no way means that they are immune to problems associated with the diet. For example, if a wild animal were only able to eat the muscle meat on the prey, that animal would develop calcium deficiency as meat is low in calcium. If the meat were rancid and infected with bacteria, the animal could certainly develop food poisoning (as often happens with pet’s that get into and eat garbage). If an animal eats meats infected with parasites, the animal gets infected with the parasite. So this statement concerning acidity just doesn’t hold up.

Claim: Raw meat is safe for our pets. Their systems are designed to handle ant problems with meat.
Consideration: This all depends what is mean by “safe.” Certainly raw meat from animal free of chemicals and hormones, and that isn’t infected with bacteria or parasites, is safe. Owners who choose to feed raw meat must do all they can ensure that this meat is “safe” and free from pesticides, chemicals, and hormonal residues as well as parasite ova (eggs.) Proper handling of the meat is needed to ensure that it stays “safe” at home (most food poisoning results from improper handling at home rather than a problem with the actual source of the meat itself).

When pet owners say that animals can handle problems with raw meat, I assume they mean that the digestive tract and immune system of a pet (and of a wild animal) can eliminate any infections or parasites before they cause of problems for the animal. While it is true that a healthy pet is likely to succumb to an infection or develop disease when infected with parasites (although this depends upon the type of parasite and the number infecting the animal), raw meat can still make an animal sick, following the guidelines in the next section for the safe use of raw meat will make this highly unlikely, however, and you may feel a raw diet is worth the risk.

What I find interesting is the recommendation that it is acceptable to feed raw meat, except for raw pork or raw wild game (venison, rabbit, etc.), to pets. The reason for this warning, which I agree with, by the way, is that these meats are more likely to harbor parasites than beef or lamb. However, this warning seems contradictory. If our pets “can handle” raw meat because of their “acidity” and their immune system, why can’t they handle the parasites present in any raw meat? In the wild, animals eat raw pork, venison, and a whole host of other meats that proponents of raw diets caution against us feeding to our pets. To me, this is an obvious discrepancy that discredits their argument about raw meat being totally safe for pets.

Claim: Feeding dogs bones is safe.
Consideration: Once again, we need to define “safe.” Most pets eating raw bones do not die, develop impaction of the digestive tract, or experience any health problems. Still, some do, as most veterinarians can attest. Some proponents state that only cooked boned, which are softer than raw uncooked bones, are likely to splinter and cause problems. Once again the choice about feeding bones is up to your discretion.

While it may seem that the evidence presented so far in this discussion suggest dogs should not eat raw meat or bones that is not necessarily the case. We have no good studies comparing the health of pets eating raw versus cooked foods, nor do we have any studies comparing the safety of either diet. I can say that many of my clients feed raw meat and bones to their dogs and have not reported ant problems. In fact, many of these pet owners feel that their pets are healthier, have shinier coast, shed less, and have fewer health problems such as itching and arthritis. Some proponents of a raw diet suggest that problems such as arthritis are due to processed foods and are not seen in animals fed raw food. While I do not totally agree with this assessment, I do agree that pets eating the best diet, combined with highly-quality supplements, can maintain a healthier lifestyle than those eating highly processed foods containing by products and chemical preservatives.

The choice is ultimately yours. Regardless of what you decide to feed your dog, it is important to properly supplement his diet to prevent deficiencies and ensure maximum health. For a complete discussion of nutritional and other supplements, see chapter 5.

Making Homemade Dog Food
To prepare natural, chemical –free food for your dog, begin by selecting, the freshest ingredients. Ideally the vegetables and meats should be from plants and animals raised without chemicals, hormones, or pesticides. Most homemade diets use beef or poultry as the main protein source. You can use lamb, venison, or rabbit, but I prepare to reserve these protein sources for pets that have medically confirmed food allergies. In terms of preparation, my approach is to cook any meat and the grains; vegetables can be raw or lightly cooked.

If you have decided to feed your dog raw food, there are certain measures you should take to minimize the risk to your dog. When veterinarians who are holistic purist often recommend feeding a dog raw food, while many of these doctors have not had problems with food poisoning as a result of their recommendations, you would be wise to be concerned about the possibility of infection from raw meat. The bacteria of immediate concern are E. coli and salmonella. The media regularly carry stories about human illness and death from death from both of organism. E. coli seems to be the most concern from beef, whereas salmonella seems to occur mostly as a result of ingestion of poultry products (raw chicken, turkey, and eggs).

The following guidelines can seduce the likelihood of your dog getting a bacterial or parasitic infection from eating raw meat, but they are not foolproof.

1. Only feed chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef raw, it is best to cook rabbit, venison, wild game, and pork,
2. Cook grounds meats (unless you grind them at home) to prevent cross-contamination with other foods at the local grocery or butcher shop.
3. Freeze all meats for at least one week prior to feeding.
4. Thoroughly wash all meat in clean water prior to feeding. Only prepare the amount that will be fed at that meal, and keep the remaining meat frozen.
5. At any sign of illness (as a result of feeding raw meat), take your dog to your veterinarian at once for elevation.

Dietary deficiency (mainly vitamins and minerals) are more common with a homemade diet. Careful attention to proper preparation is critical to prevent both nutritional deficiencies and excesses. You should add multivitamin/mineral preparations designed for puppies or adult dogs to the food you make. Some holistic practitioners also recommend the addition of colloidal minerals, which purportedly are a better vehicle for delivery of minerals to the pet, although this claim is unsubstantiated. Calcium can be added in the form of bonemeal or calcium tablet (gluconate, carbonate, or the lactate forms are acceptable); natural calcium supplements (such as those made by standard Process) are preferable to synthetic substitutes.

A Tip on Switching Diets
There is a secret to switching your pet to a new, healthier diet. Switching to the new food overnight may cause vomiting or diarrhea in a few dogs. Other pets are finicky and may not eat a new food that is suddenly introduced. The best way to offer your pet a new diet is by introducing it gradually. When you have about week’s worth of the old food remaining, purchase or prepare the new, healthier diet. Begin by adding about 10 percent of the new food to the previous food, and gradually increase the percentage until you run out of the old food and the pet is eating only the new diet. This trick usually prevents digestive problems and eases the transition to the new food.

A HOMEMADE DIET
FOR ADULT DOGS

Before feeding your pet a homemade diet, check with your doctor to make sure the diet does not compromise your pet’s care. This recipe is a guideline only. You should determine the exact ingredients and amounts to feed in consultation with your veterinarian. The nutrient composition will vary depending upon the ingredients used. In general, this recipe supplies the daily nutritional and calorie needs for a 25 to 35 pound dog. The actual amount to feed will vary based upon the pet’s weight. If the dog weight more, feed more, if the dog weight lees, feed less.

            3 large hard-boiled eggs or 1 cup of 2% fat cottage cheese or 1/3 pound lean beef, poultry, lamb, venison or rabbit or 2/3 cup of tofu or 1 cup of cooked soybeans (your doctor may adapt the specific protein source depending upon the severity of your dog’s allergies.)
            2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice or cooked noodles or 2/3 cup potatoes cooked with the skin
            4 bonemeal tablets
            1 multivitamin supplement
            2 tablespoons canola oil
            ¼ teaspoon potassium chloride (salt substitute)
            ½ to 1 cup raw or steamed vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, etc.

It may take time to get your dog to accept the new diet. Additionally, it usually takes 4 to 8weeks to see any positive effects, such as decreased itching and inflammation as the healthier diet allows his body to detoxify.

Commercial Diets for Allergic Dogs
There are several commercial dog foods available for dogs with atomic dermatitis or food allergy dermatitis; some dogs have shown improvement when fed these special diets. These foods contain the “proper” ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids or contain some of the novel protein sources discussed above. Since most commercial foods contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, and low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, reversing this situation can increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in cell membranes and decrease itching in dogs.
            Some of these products use a new concept in diet involving “modified” proteins. Proteins can be chemically modified to make them smaller and less likely to cause an immune system reaction. This may be beneficial; however, your dog may be reacting to the by-products, fillers, and chemicals in commercial food as much as to the protein.
            At first glance, these specially designed dog foods may seem like a good choice for the pet with allergies. There are some concerns for the holistic owner, however. While research seems to show that the proper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is between 5:1 and 10:1 these special diets can be still less than healthy for the dog that requires natural foods. Just because the food is designed for an allergic or itchy dog doesn’t mean it does not contain animal by-products, fillers, and various chemicals and artificial flavoring and preservatives.
            Simply changing your dog’s food from one commercially prepared food to another, even these special diet created for pets with allergies, won’t usually resolve scratching. Switching a dog   to a more natural diet (either homemade or natural-style packaged food), using a variety of supplements, shampooing and conditioning frequent, and occasionally employing conventional medical therapy in times of severe itching has proven beneficial for my patients; and the owners have not had to resort to the expensive “allergy” dog foods that are currently being promoted.

Adding Supplements
Adding supplements to homemade dog food can be beneficial to the allergic dog if recommended by your veterinarians. Use only brand-name supplements and discuss all options with your veterinarian prior to giving them to your dog.
            I recommend adding omega-3 fatty acids to homemade dog food, in addition to the canola oil. Follow the recommendations on the label of your omega-3 products, unless noted otherwise in the diet recipe. The omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease inflammation and itchiness.
            Homemade dog food recipes often call for a calcium/phosphorus source, usually bonemeal   as powder or tablets. As an alternative to bonemeal, you can use a natural product from Standard Process called Calcifood Water or 2 Calcium Lactate tablets let each teaspoon of powdered bonemeal or 2 bonemeal ½ tablets recommended in the recipe.
            I also recommend a multivitamin-mineral supplement. You can use a natural raw (not chemically processed) human supplement, But keep in mind that each human supplement is recommended for the “average” 150 pound human. This means you should give a 50 pound dog ½ of the human supplement. A better suggestion is to use a natural product made for dogs such as Canine Plus (VetriScience); follow the dosage instructions on the label. I also like giving Catalyn, a natural vitamin-mineral supplement made by standard Process (one tablet daily for dogs up to 30 pounds, two tablets for dogs from 30 to 60 pounds). I use Catalyn in combination with Canine Plus for a synergistic effect. Your doctor may recommend other products as well.
            Enzymes can help improve your dog’s digestive efficiency with any diet, but especially with processed foods that do not contain natural digestive enzymes. Prozyme and shake-n-Zyme are great plant enzyme products. Follow label directions.
            You can provide additional phytonutrients and antioxidants by adding containing barley grass, spirulina, or other super green foods to your dog’s meal.
            Good diet is important for general good health and preventing the onset of allergies. By feeding your pet a more natural-style packaged food or homemade diet with the supplements I have recommended, you will lay the foundation for a complete program of holistic care for your allergic dog. This foundation along with the allergen avoidance techniques discussed in the next chapter can go along way toward preventing outbreaks of allergic symptoms.