[marvin]

Been to the dermatologist, he hasn't figured out what is causing Marvin's allergies ($300.00) I changed his food to Nutro Rice & Lamb 2 weeks ago and that doesn't seem to be helping. So am gonna try making his own food. Does anyone have any recipes for food and or treats???? Marvin thanks you

 

[Barbara Winters]

Concocting a nutritionally balanced homemade diet for long-term feeding requires the aid of a veterinary nutritionist, a lot of time and expense, and the addition of nutritional supplements that may themselves contain allergy-provoking proteins. Thus, many veterinarians recommend starting with a commercial elimination diet and resorting to a home-cooked approach only if your pet doesn’t respond favorably to the commercial food.

Check out Food Allergies in Dogs & Cats.

Lamb and Brown Rice was an elimination diet prescribed about 15 years ago by a dermatologist at Tufts. It was interesting to read in this article that this diet is no longer used to diagnose food allergies because

Unfortunately in an attempt to capitalize on the use of lamb as a health food, food manufacturers and retailers sold a bill of goods to caring dog owners. It really is no more nutritious than any other form of meat or poultry. This particular product was used purely as an \"elimination\" diet by veterinary dermatologists to diagnose food allergies. As a result, we as a profession lost a readily available source of food for allergy testing. Now we are using rabbits, and venison (deer) as a source of hypoallergenic foods.

[ October 27, 2003, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: Barbara Winters ]

 

[Betsy Iole]

Consultation with a veterinary nutritionist would probably be helpful.

From PetDiets.com

A veterinary nutritionist on our staff can provide customized nutritional recommendations. We will guide you in the best method of feeding and recommend products or recipes individualized for your dog or cat, particularly if your pet has a medical condition. Our veterinary staff will work in concert with your primary care veterinarian to provide your pet with the best possible feeding program.

[ October 27, 2003, 10:22 PM: Message edited by: Betsy Iole ]

 

[Anonymous]

If you are looking for information about BARF, try this site
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

It has a lot of good information and links and recommended books to read. IF you decide to go that route, you need to make sure your dog(s) get all the minerals and vitamins (including bone meal) that they would normally get in commercial food.

I BARF my lab-shar pei, the allergy king. It has really helped him in relieving his allergies. However, I did a TON of research for a while before making the leap. Working with a nutritionist is great, if you have one available, and if they are flexible and can work with a variety of viewpoints, holistic and otherwise.

My basset is OK with a quality commercial food (Wellness, made by Mother Hubbard, I believe).

Good luck in whatever route you take.