Dog Food Advice?

alison_q

Anyone have any advice on what to feed my dog?

He seems to have sensitive skin / stomach.

I originally fed him Hills Science Plan but he scatched so much (even crying when he was scratching - and no, he does not have fleas)
the vet recommended me to put cod liver oil in his food but that only gave him diahorrea.
I then tried the james wellbeloved thinking that it could be an allergic reaction to something in the food but to no avail.
He eventually completely went off his food so i tried mixing it with with pedigree chum which he seemed to enjoy more. i noticed then that the less dry dog food i put in, the less he was scratching so i got rid of the dry stuff completely.

ive always had slight concerns about this as i know that stuff like pedigree chum isnt ideal and hasnt gotten rid of the scratching / dry skin problem completely and also when we bring him for a walk he goes to the toilet twice or three times. the first time is always fine but then the second or third time is almost completely liquid (im sorry for the amount of info here but im wondering if anyones had a similiar experience)

now he's gone off his pedigree chum and this morning he got sick -it might be that just he's not well but i just want to get him onto some healthier food if anyone has any suggestions...? He's a 1 year old cross somewhere between a cavalier and a pug (i'll attach a pic )

hadook

A quick couple of suggestions - Orijin (an excellent food for most dogs as it's pretty high quality unfortunately doesn't suit all), Arden Grange (the sensitive food is very good), Burns (they have a variety of different protein sources) or James WellBeloved Ocean White Fish & Rice. Then there's Robbies & Luaths which are both very good for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Try to find foods with 'unusual' sources of protein like fish, duck, pork etc and look for ones that have no eggs, dairy etc as these are common causes of food allergies in dogs. Keep a list of foods that he's done well on v foods he's done badly on and see if you can identify a trend eg higher grains = bad, pork = good, chicken = explodes etc.

There's nothing wrong with feeding tinned food if it suits your dog btw - Arden Grange & James WellBeloved both do a range if you're looking for something other than standard supermarket fair and then there's Nature Diet, Applaws etc. Obviously the Pedigree isn't so it's time to shop around.

Have you considered a raw diet?

Cherry Blossom

The protein levels in dog food seems to affect my dogs sensitivity as much as the ingredients. I'm currently changing on to Burns high energy lamb as an intermediate step to feeding her Burns Adult lamb and rice after advice from Burns nutritionalist. (Too big a jump in the protein level straight off would make her very hungry). From what I've read lamb and rice based dry food seems to have the best results for food intollerant dogs. I have been feeding her Hills previously. If this doesn't work I'll be switching to a raw diet for her.

alison_q

whats involved in a raw diet?

Im due to move away for a couple of months which isnt a problem for my dog as i live in my family home so he'll be perfectly happy here without me (lots of other ppl to keep him company) whereas i wouldnt mind - i cant expect anyone else to spend ages preparing food for him....

Toulouse

I feed my girl Robbies and she's doing fantastic on it. She was getting a bit itchy and since I've changed I've noticed a real improvement in her generally. Her coat is shinier, her poos look better, she's not itchy anymore and she's happier in herself in general. She also lost a couple of pounds which was a bonus as she was a bit pudgy.

It's a holistic food http://www.landofholisticpets.co.uk/Brown_Rice__Chicken_for_Dogs.htm

You can get it online from Dog Training Ireland or from any of the other places here. http://www.landofholisticpets.co.uk/Pet_Shops_in_Rep_Of_Ireland.html

Cherry Blossom

alison_q wrote: »

whats involved in a raw diet?

Im due to move away for a couple of months which isnt a problem for my dog as i live in my family home so he'll be perfectly happy here without me (lots of other ppl to keep him company) whereas i wouldnt mind - i cant expect anyone else to spend ages preparing food for him....

You have to do a lot of reseach on it tbh to make sure your dog is still geting the right nutrients and portions etc. so maybe wouldn't suit while your away, you could try one the foods recommeded by posters and if it isn't working out try the raw when you get back.

TooManyDogs

I feed my dogs raw food and its not half as complicated as it seems to be or as some people will tell you. I was nervous to start because everyone had me scared about achieving a balanced diet but I got this book by Carina Beth McDonald and it was fantastic http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raw-Dog-Food-Making-Work/dp/1929242093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289562701&sr=8-1

The basic theory is you feed them a meal made up of 50% raw meaty bones, 10% organ meat, 20% muscle meat and 20% veggie gloop. This could be ideal for you because if you started off with chicken which very few dogs have any reaction to, you can then start adding veggie gloop and other things one at a time and you can see what doesn't agree with him. I'm feeding 6 dogs on a raw diet and I wouldnt go back now, they're never ill, I compete in agility with them so they're fit and very active, their teeth are fantastic, and even better - their poo is tiny and hard so poo patrol is really easy!

Feel free to PM me if you want more details on raw food diet, don't want to bore everyone else here with tons of details!

lorebringer

OP - so many dogs have sensitive stomachs/skin etc, and both Cavaliers and Pugs are notorious, so you're not alone!

Some foods that are very good for delicate dogs include Burns, Royal Canin Sensitivity Control and James Wellbeloved Grain Free (different from standard JWB). Many allergies caused by food are due grains (particularly wheat) so putting your dog on a grain free diet may be a good option. Another very common source of allergy in foods in protein - chicken being one that comes to mind - trying another protein source (fish, lamb etc.) may also really help. I found Royal Canin Sensitivity Control a miracle food for one of mine with a very sensitive stomach - most vets stock it and I have never had a problem getting it into any dog (even picky buggers!) when I would have had plenty of problems with other dry foods. I always recommend it and it's definately worth a try.

One thing to note - I don't know if your vet mentioned it to you but because your dog is half Cavalier you should be aware that there is a prevalent problem called Syringomyelia (or SM) in the breed. Symptoms include scratching (esp around the head/neck/shoulder area), air scratching (making motions to scratch but not making contact with the body), yelping or showing signs of pain when scratching, touched (esp around the head/neck/shoulder) or picked up and sometimes for no apparent reason.

Is your dog scratching around his head/neck/shoulders or side of his body and thus causing the dry skin?

alison_q

lorebringer wrote: »

OP - so many dogs have sensitive stomachs/skin etc, and both Cavaliers and Pugs are notorious, so you're not alone!

Some foods that are very good for delicate dogs include Burns, Royal Canin Sensitivity Control and James Wellbeloved Grain Free (different from standard JWB). Many allergies caused by food are due grains (particularly wheat) so putting your dog on a grain free diet may be a good option. Another very common source of allergy in foods in protein - chicken being one that comes to mind - trying another protein source (fish, lamb etc.) may also really help. I found Royal Canin Sensitivity Control a miracle food for one of mine with a very sensitive stomach - most vets stock it and I have never had a problem getting it into any dog (even picky buggers!) when I would have had plenty of problems with other dry foods. I always recommend it and it's definately worth a try.

One thing to note - I don't know if your vet mentioned it to you but because your dog is half Cavalier you should be aware that there is a prevalent problem called Syringomyelia (or SM) in the breed. Symptoms include scratching (esp around the head/neck/shoulder area), air scratching (making motions to scratch but not making contact with the body), yelping or showing signs of pain when scratching, touched (esp around the head/neck/shoulder) or picked up and sometimes for no apparent reason.

Is your dog scratching around his head/neck/shoulders or side of his body and thus causing the dry skin?

No they never mentioned it to me, mind you, the last time he was in the vet was months ago when he was there for his vaccinations and they just said that puppies tend to have dry skin and to possibly try switching food. he scratches his head (around the ears) alot, he doesnt air scratch unless u scratch somewhere generally on his back where he cant reach then his leg bounces up and down.
he doesnt yelp when scratching but sometimes he whines a bit and it sounds like its more in annoyance than a pain yelp if u get me.
He's back for his 14months booster next month so i'll get the vet to check it out then.
What is SM and how can it be prevented?

Nasri2010

There is a new food on the market, they are an Irish based company called Glenvalley. All there food is min 26% salmon and 26% potatoe. It has only 23% protein but the protein in it is much more beneficial so the dog doesn't need as much. I got it in Dun Laoghaire and in Wicklow town.

dahat

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I feed my dogs raw food and its not half as complicated as it seems to be or as some people will tell you. I was nervous to start because everyone had me scared about achieving a balanced diet but I got this book by Carina Beth McDonald and it was fantastic http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raw-Dog-Food-Making-Work/dp/1929242093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289562701&sr=8-1

The basic theory is you feed them a meal made up of 50% raw meaty bones, 10% organ meat, 20% muscle meat and 20% veggie gloop. This could be ideal for you because if you started off with chicken which very few dogs have any reaction to, you can then start adding veggie gloop and other things one at a time and you can see what doesn't agree with him. I'm feeding 6 dogs on a raw diet and I wouldnt go back now, they're never ill, I compete in agility with them so they're fit and very active, their teeth are fantastic, and even better - their poo is tiny and hard so poo patrol is really easy!

Feel free to PM me if you want more details on raw food diet, don't want to bore everyone else here with tons of details!

+1 BEST MOVE I EVER MADE GOING RAW

Lizard Queen

sm is not a condition that can be prevented it is a common with many breeds and is usual with over breeding. Sm is were cysts form at the spinal cord with causes pressure on the brain with a build of cerbospinal fluid.

lorebringer

alison_q wrote: »

No they never mentioned it to me, mind you, the last time he was in the vet was months ago when he was there for his vaccinations and they just said that puppies tend to have dry skin and to possibly try switching food. he scratches his head (around the ears) alot, he doesnt air scratch unless u scratch somewhere generally on his back where he cant reach then his leg bounces up and down.
he doesnt yelp when scratching but sometimes he whines a bit and it sounds like its more in annoyance than a pain yelp if u get me.
He's back for his 14months booster next month so i'll get the vet to check it out then.
What is SM and how can it be prevented?

Sm is a malformation of the skull (it is congenital) that forces the back of the brain down the spinal chord preventing proper movement of the spinal fluid. Cavities (called syrinxs) appear because of the abnormal movement of the fluid. It can range from very painful (the dog not even being able to wear a collar) to the dog not showing any symptoms at all. The only way to find out for sure if your dog has it is by getting an MRI (very expensive) but a vet familiar with the illness will be able to tell you the likelihood that your dog does/does not have it by cancelling out everything else it could be and looking at the symptoms carefully. Because it is a bit obscure, quite a few vets aren't too familiar with it (which is fine) but just make sure you educate yourself about it so that you know all the right questions to ask.

Here are a few very good pages about it:
http://www.cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm
http://sm.cavaliertalk.com/
http://sm.cavaliertalk.com/video/videos.html (videos - some might be distressing)

Prevention all has to do with breeding - ethical breeders scan their breeding dogs (ie.get MRIs) to make sure they do not have SM, and therefore don't pass it on the their pups. Breeders who do not do this risk the pups that are produced having SM. This is why it is so important to find a really good breeder who does everything they can to ensure the pups they sell are in tip top shape (and will stay that way). Unfortunately, so many breeders are just in it for the money and not the welfare of the dogs and don't bother health checking and screening. Because your little guy is a mixed breed, his chances of SM are lower than a pure breed Cavalier but it's still something to be aware of.

On another note - scratching around the ears can be a sign of mites or lice, or just general dog behaviour (some dogs are just scratchers!) so having your vet have a good poke at his ears to make sure it's not an ear issue would be a good idea.

Doggielover

Food allergies are so hard to detect- I've been combating them with my dog for years. Try looking on mycanineallergies.com for some help, best of luck!