# Food Allergy



## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

Is there a good 'home cooking' recipe for Food allergies? Chico is still itching with those sores I previously posted about.... VET gave 2 week prescription of a steriod and bath meds and they did GREAT for the first week but the sores and itching are coming back. the only thing I did different was took him to the groomer, in which he had to go outside and car trip there .... I don't know if he is allergic to something the Groomer is using or the trip outside and walking in grass did it.... or maybe his food is the culprit.... I have been slipping badly lately and feeding both boys table scraps... mostly cooked Chicken but occasionally beef...

is there a home remedy for food that I can produce at home that might help with a food allergy??

he goes back to the VET on Weds.... I am so lost at what this could be... and I think she is also..


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## elaina (Jul 1, 2008)

2 of my 4 girls have allergies. it is very frustrating trying to figure out what it is they're allergic to. it may not be food, it could be environmental. 

so, are you saying that Chico never had any itchies before he went to the groomers? hmmm. 
you could try an elimination diet. have you tried that yet? 
where you stick with only one type of protein with not much else in it. and no other food. see how that goes for at least 3 to 4 weeks and how the itchies are. a lot of dogs are allergic to chicken. 

but it is very frustrating for me. and Tootsie has had allergies for years now. 

the vet gave me the pred pills too. the ones i got actually were called Temeral P . they have a cortisone in the pill. and they always worked great at clearing up her itchies. but its really bad to keep a dog on steroids long term. i mean , if theres no other alternative and the quality of the dogs life is so bad that they really need the pred, then i would go for the pred. but if at all possible, i would try not to give it long term

also it makes them have a ravenous appetite. and i don't want tootsie gaining any weight. 

so, i keep her on the best diet i can... she's on Ziwipeak Lamb. 
and i usually keep a shirt on her to protect her skin so she doesn't irritate so bad. right now she's going thru a very itchy period. sometimes its not as bad. 

there's no one easy answer. its very individual.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I don't see where the liver cleanse diet Lulu was on would hurt him, and to be honest sometimes I still make up a batch of this for Lulu just because she loves it. Also, fish is one of the foods that dogs tend not to be allergic to--hence, LS always fed Acana Pacifica to her rescues. Here goes:

3 cups sweet potatoes (or you can do 1 1/2 white potato and 1 1/2 sweet potato--I just don't like white potato)
1 1/2 cups zucchini
1 1/2 cups either summer squash, celery, string beans (I always alternate)
2 cups whitefish--Pollack, cod, or any or whitefish fillet (I buy the individually packaged whitefish at walmart in the freezer section in the 4LB bag and cook the whole bag)

I always peel and boil the potatoes, so when they were cooked I could pour the water off and mush them up, but if you want to microwave and peel and mush I guess you can (although some believe the microwave kills the nutrients.)
I cut the vegetables in small chunks and steam to keep all the nutrients, them mush them.
I then poach the fish. 
Put it all in a big bowl together and mix it all up and feed 2X a day. I usually feed 1/2 cup per meal and it will last several days. At least 5 or 6 depending on how many dogs you are feeding.

**Please note: If he is used to kibble this diet could cause him to lose weight. Lulu was already on raw/home cooking combo. He may need more than 1/2 cup.

**Last note: With any home cooking diet: Personally no matter what home cooking diet you choose, I would buy a bottle of infant's Poly-vi-sol multi vitamin and give it every 2-3 days to be sure they are not losing any vitamins and minerals they should be getting--especially if you are not varying the diet, which would stand to reason since you are trying to combat an allergy.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Jan, this is why I had to put Midgie on a simple food. She has food allergies, but mostly environmental allergies and right now the environmental allergies have been really bad. I keep her itching down but keeping her rubbed down with coconut oil. I feed human grade raw beef. Sometimes I mix organic chicken and cod. I make sure I add ester c to the raw every morning because allergies are caused by an immune deficiency and vit. c helps to build that up. Since I've got a handle on her severe allergies, I aint running her back and forth to the vet (which all they can do is shoot her up with steroid shots which will cause liver damage). I don't have to give much Benedryl and Zirtec, but since pollen is running rampant this time of year, she was scratching a lot lately, so I had to give a little Benedryl and Zirtec. Today has been great without any medication. I also feed Stella & Chewey's absolutely Rabbit (a protein source that Midgie's never had) and Venison ZP. 
It's in your best interest to feed one protein source for a few days and keep him rubbed down with Coconut oil to see if the itching slows down. If it does, then he's not allergic to that protein and you could try a different one. When Midgie first started with the allergies, it was recommended to give her lamb (a protein she's never had). I now know she's allergic to lamb and have a whole bag of S&C she can't eat.
I use HyLyt dog shampoo only when necessary. I would stop taking him to the groomer. They use perfumes and strong shampoos. Midgie is also very allergic to fleas. I don't give her any flea meds. I keep my grass cut low and fleas won't survive in low cut grass cause the sun kills the eggs and my yard is fenced, so other dogs can't get in. Occasionally, she might get a flea or two. I just bath her and give a Benedryl. I also have a rosemary concoction that I spray her with if I think she might have a flea. Fleas don't like rosemary. 
When she first started with the allergies, I thought it was food, unbeknowing it was 80% environmental and 20% food. I was dead-set on making her food so I can control her allergies better. I did tons of research on home-cooked meals for dogs and what I came up with is it's virtually impossible to give them a well-balanced diet with vitamins & minerals unless you're scientifically inclined & I'm not. That's why I opted for the raw because dogs in the wild have been eating raw from the beginning of time (but you know that). When you apply heat to anything, you loose the vitamins & minerals in that food. Since I also feed S&C & ZP, it's because I want her to have a variety because she's so limited to what she can eat.
Another thing I'm very careful about in the house is cleaners, hairsprays, incense, etc. Every day things that we've done for years can effect our little ones immune system. In the morning when I get ready for work, Midgie's on my bed watching me. I have to go in the sunroom and close the door to spray my hair so she doesn't breath the fumes in. I use white distilled vinegar to steam my hardwood floors. I make my own laundry detergent. Wow, I never realized the extent I go to for this little girl, but she's my baby and I love her more than life. Sorry for the story book, but if I can help in any way give your baby or anyone else's some relief--that's my goal. Hope he gets to feeling better soon.
PS. Vets have no idea how to treat allergies, but with steroids and the foods they carry. It's really up to you to be your babies vet and you know him better than any one.


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## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions/advice...... I value your input....

poor little Chico has an itchy tail this morning... and he cant' reach the itch... 
I gave him a bath last evening with the medicated soap liguid the VET give me... seems to help some with the itchy but doesn't last long....

She give me Clavamox drops (1.0ml every 12 hours), are you familiar with this medicine?? it seemed to help greatly the first week and started to clear him up but now the sores are back and itching like crazy....

I think I am going to try the ZP again... they never seemed to like those little hard pieces even with soaking in water...


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Ok I am jumping in with lots of questions:

1. What does he get done at the Groomer? 
2. Do you notice anything that sets off the itches more than others?
3. Is it just his skin?
4. Have you had an allergy test done?

Clavamox is an anibiotic similar to Amoxicillin. Any infection? What kind of medicated shampoo?

Food- I would start very basic with something pretty much 100% protein then start adding small things to try to find the allergen if you decide not to do the allergy test. 

Have you tried coconut oil for bath or Oatmeal Shampoo?

Also read this:
Nature’s Benadryl: Quercetin | Dogs Naturally Magazine

If it presists I suggest you take him to DogGone Natural and let Kim take a look and see if she has some suggestions food skin wise.


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## elaina (Jul 1, 2008)

oh, yes!!! if your anywhere near where Kim is located at doggone natural I would for sure go there and consult with her. I found out about Kim thru Christie and spoke with her over the phone several times.


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