Question about feeding...not a debate :)

[krist]

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Ok first I want to say I do NOT want this to turn into an angry debate as many other threads have...and second, I'm a tech at a SA hospital and have consulted many veterinarians about this but I am curious on other people's perspectives.

I have two very picky eating dogs and they have been very tough to feed, and now I am looking into different feeding options and I was hoping to find other people's fact based opinions, vet students or other people who have done research on feeding dogs and cats.

At my clinic we stock Hill's products, so I have always fed science diet but my 5 month old golden doesn't like so I only fed him that for a month or so, and my 1.5 yo lab x is also very picky, although both are overall healthy dogs. I then have tried my golden on pro plan (which I got him to eat ok for a little while) and eukanuba both puppy formulas. But now I am curious about the more "natural" diets out there, but I am hoping to find better advice than the people at the pet stores who don't know any more about nutrition than I do. So far my only training on nutrition has come from Hill's so it has obviously been pretty biased, although I do have a high respect for the amount of research that goes into their products, and I would gladly feed my dogs SD if they would eat it. But I am trying to find out if the natural diets are actually better for dogs, but there is sooo much conflicting evidence out there and even more anecdotal evidence from laypeople (which means nothing to me) but it is hard to muddle through so I would love to find out other people's opinions on dog food and which diets are the best because there are too many options and I don't know what is best to feed my dog. Of course the vets I work with that I have talked to suggest Hill's, Purina, RC and those types which are great and I have tried, but are those the best? I recently bought a small bag of Acana to try, but the large bag of food is $80 at my local store, and if their food isn't really any better than Hill's or Purina than I would definitely prefer to go with that! Sorry for the marathon post, and thanks for your input 😀

 

[that redhead]

This always turns into an argument. So to spare that, here's the link for the same question: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=694923&highlight=dog+food

 

[LetItSnow]

Ok first I want to say I do NOT want this to turn into an angry debate as many other threads have...

[and]

Of course the vets I work with that I have talked to suggest Hill's, Purina, RC and those types which are great and I have tried, but are those the best?

Four comments.

1. If you want to have a discussion without angry debate, might I suggest that statements like the cynicism-laced one about vets is probably not the way to go about it? If multiple vets are giving you a recommendation, why do you presume it's a bad one?

2. If you didn't like your MD's opinion, would you go ask a med student? You're opting to substitute less-informed opinions for (hopefully) better-informed opinions, which strikes me as an odd choice.

3. There are veterinary nutritionists; if you want solid advice about feeding your animals, I think going to a nutritionist would be the smart move.

4. There isn't really "conflicting" evidence about the so-called natural diets (which, by the way, aren't actually all that natural (at least for dogs)), because there isn't any good evidence to suggest that those diets improve canine health. That said, see point 2.

 

[Minnerbelle]

2. If you didn't like your MD's opinion, would you go ask a med student? You're opting to substitute less-informed opinions for (hopefully) better-informed opinions, which strikes me as an odd choice.

Why wouldn't you? Like with every other thing in life, the best opinions are the ones you want to hear! A-L-W-A-Y-S. That's why every time someone tells me something I don't agree with, I go to google and search until I feel better about my opinions. I learned this little trick from the clients at the GP practice I'm shadowing at. And my boyfriend's breeder stepmom who always swears by all her other breeder friends' wisdom.

 

[LetItSnow]

Why wouldn't you? Like with every other thing in life, the best opinions are the ones you want to hear! A-L-W-A-Y-S.

Right. Except that your attitude - which I applaud - only works when you actually are open to hearing them. I guess I wasn't clear, but my point about asking students really was meant to go hand in hand with my first point, which was in response to the poster's cynical comment about vets.

Opinions from anyone are great - if you weigh them appropriately. But it's dumb to go opinion-shopping just because you want to find the one you 'like'. At that point you're only justifying a decision that you really already made - and using a bad justification to do it. And that's the impression I got from the initial post.

 

[bunnity]

Isn't this considered medical advice anyway?

 

[StartingoverVet]

Right. Except that your attitude - which I applaud - only works when you actually are open to hearing them. I guess I wasn't clear, but my point about asking students really was meant to go hand in hand with my first point, which was in response to the poster's cynical comment about vets.

Opinions from anyone are great - if you weigh them appropriately. But it's dumb to go opinion-shopping just because you want to find the one you 'like'. At that point you're only justifying a decision that you really already made - and using a bad justification to do it. And that's the impression I got from the initial post.

I think you misunderstand Minnerbelle here. She agrees with you. She is saying the reason OP seeks a 2nd opinion is perhaps to hear what they want to hear but didn't. A little bit of sarcasm. You should know sarcasm LIS. Or has vet school sucked the edge out of you already?

 

[krist]

My statement about vets was hardly supposed to be laced with cynisism...the vets I work with are my some of my best friends, I was just curious about people's opinions other than theirs. I don't presume its a bad one at all, but their advice has been to try the brands that they know best (which I have) and they have admitted they don't know about many other brands of food. I have tried to do the research on my own but have found it very difficult to discern what is valid and what is not, because if you google dog food there are MILLIONS of results and most of what comes up on the first pages seem to be mostly laypeople saying how great blue buffalo (or some other company) is.

Your #4 point is what I was looking for though, if there is evidence that the "natural" diets are actually better, which, according to you, there is not. Question answered 🙂

I am not looking for a certain answer I am open to anyone's opinions...I am admitting I honestly don't know much about feeding except what Hill's lecturers and materials tell us at work, which is only one company (granted, a major one). I know that people on this forum have all different opinions about what they feed their dogs, and I was just curious as to why people think certain foods are the best.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Right. Except that your attitude - which I applaud - only works when you actually are open to hearing them.

I meant that you should ignore all other opinions until you hear one you like. poops, obviously my sarcasm got lost on the interwebs.

Isn't this considered medical advice anyway?

huh, totally flew over my head. Wasn't sure if this one would be considered medical advice since we're not talking about veterinary diets or diets for any particular condition. Though I guess there was a general "what should I feed my dogs?" question in the post, this is teetering general husbandry recommendations category which has been allowed in the past as far as I can tell. I'll check on that.

However, there's been a ton of toeing the line these past few days on multiple threads, so maybe it is something that needs to be dealt with. If anyone ever find something objectionable, there's that report button on the left of every post.

 

[jmo1012]

2. If you didn't like your MD's opinion, would you go ask a med student? You're opting to substitute less-informed opinions for (hopefully) better-informed opinions, which strikes me as an odd choice.

two quick points 🙂

if you're a vet student that recently took a nutrition class, you probably know more about clinical nutrition that the average vet because its fresh in the student's mind, students are required to know every nook and cranny, and were likely just presented the most up to date info.
not at all saying that dvm's aren't qualified, just that IF you've taken clinical nutrition, then you probably can hold a reasonable discussion about it with someone.

also, multiple doctors have told me that enjoy it while you can, because you will be the smartest you'll ever be in vet school because you are required to know it all, all the time. it seemed silly at the time, but it makes sense now that i'm in school!

 

[Minnerbelle]

but their advice has been to try the brands that they know best (which I have) and they have admitted they don't know about many other brands of food. I have tried to do the research on my own but have found it very difficult to discern what is valid and what is not,

I think that's exactly why certain brands are recommended. A lot of pet food companies are very secretive about what's actually in their food, and exactly what about it is better than other brands (and their quality control). It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to figure this out for most of the smaller brands. And even if the product seems to be really good, it's a little bit harder to trust the quality control protocols of a smaller manufacturer. If you really want to, you can spend the money to try out some of these "natural" foods and send them out to an independent nutritional analysis lab. Buy a few different packages over the course of a year and see not only the analysis, but also how consistent the formulation is. Might be quite the expensive little research project for yourself.

 

[jmo1012]

I think that's exactly why certain brands are recommended. A lot of pet food companies are very secretive about what's actually in their food, and exactly what about it is better than other brands (and their quality control). It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to figure this out for most of the smaller brands. And even if the product seems to be really good, it's a little bit harder to trust the quality control protocols of a smaller manufacturer. If you really want to, you can spend the money to try out some of these "natural" foods and send them out to an independent nutritional analysis lab. Buy a few different packages over the course of a year and see not only the analysis, but also how consistent the formulation is. Might be quite the expensive little research project for yourself.

OO our clinical nutritionist professor said www.consumerlabs.com is an excellent resource if you're looking to find out everything you want to know about foods. there is a yearly subscription fee though

 

[Minnerbelle]

OO our clinical nutritionist professor said www.consumerlabs.com is an excellent resource if you're looking to find out everything you want to know about foods. there is a yearly subscription fee though

Maybe I'm not looking at the right place (just perused it really quick between studying), but I'm not seeing information on specific brands of food. Like... "Taste of the Wild" for instance.

It does look like a great resource for choosing the right brands for specific supplements though.

 

[jmo1012]

Maybe I'm not looking at the right place (just perused it really quick between studying), but I'm not seeing information on specific brands of food. Like... "Taste of the Wild" for instance.

It does look like a great resource for choosing the right brands for specific supplements though.

i think you potentially have to be a member to access any of it. idk, i'm seeing what you're seeing but he swears by it and said he looks up stuff and has things analyzed multiple times a year in practice.

 

[Minnerbelle]

i think you potentially have to be a member to access any of it. idk, i'm seeing what you're seeing but he swears by it and said he looks up stuff and has things analyzed multiple times a year in practice.

i dunno... i have a feeling it's not on there because if you search anything else, the results pop up but you just don't have access to any of it without a subscription. I typed in Blue Buffalo and there was like 0 results. I even looked up "dog food," and it said there was 0 review articles on it. And there were a few encyclopedia articles, but it says very clearly "[FONT=arial,verdana,verdanna,helvetica][SIZE=+1]Articles do not mention brands"[/SIZE].

i mean, i'm not knocking the site or anything because it sounds like they really do have great resources on supplements and such, which is VERY important because most of the supplements in the health isles of drug stores don't actually contain what the labels say they contain. especially for the peeps who want to make home cooked meals or something, this would be hugely helpful. but it may not be the end all be all for everything diet related.

 

[bbeventer]

I think I am going to add the banana dancing man because it both seems appropriate and timely.

Carry on.

 

[LetItSnow]

I think you misunderstand Minnerbelle here. She agrees with you. She is saying the reason OP seeks a 2nd opinion is perhaps to hear what they want to hear but didn't. A little bit of sarcasm. You should know sarcasm LIS. Or has vet school sucked the edge out of you already?

Weird. Now that I re-read MB's post it's clear you are right. I think I was just reading too fast. Trying to mostly study but throw in a smidge of SDN as a break, I guess. 🙂

Vet school is definitely sucking SOMETHING out of me. 🙂

 

[LetItSnow]

My statement about vets was hardly supposed to be laced with cynisism...the vets I work with are my some of my best friends, I was just curious about people's opinions other than theirs.

In that case, I apologize for the snark. Though I stand by my assessment of the major 'natural' diets.

I meant that you should ignore all other opinions until you hear one you like. poops, obviously my sarcasm got lost on the interwebs.

You were clear; I was a dolt.

if you're a vet student that recently took a nutrition class, you probably know more about clinical nutrition that the average vet...

Fair enough, and probably accurate. I am, in fact, two weeks from my nutrition final.

also, multiple doctors have told me that enjoy it while you can, because you will be the smartest you'll ever be in vet school

We'll be book smart, but that's such a small part of being a good clinician that there is no point where I'm going to start feeling like I'm even close to having as good of judgment as someone who has been in practice 20 years. 🙂

 

[jmo1012]

Fair enough, and probably accurate. I am, in fact, two weeks from my nutrition final.

We'll be book smart, but that's such a small part of being a good clinician that there is no point where I'm going to start feeling like I'm even close to having as good of judgment as someone who has been in practice 20 years. 🙂

just had mine monday 😀 i aced small animal and equine nutrition and learned NOTHING about ruminant nutrition (i blame SGU's use of the Grenadian Minister of Agriculture as our professor-boring AND impossible to understand a word he said!). i'll admit i was excited to see this thread because my reaction was OOO!!! i KNOW that material!!!

and yeah, book smart definitely! not so much in the experience department. but the doctors that told me that were either interns, residents, or the teaching faculty, so a certain amount of book smarts were necessary (how else do you survive rounds?! haha)

 

[Bisbee]

I think the O.P. really has two different issues she's trying to resolve: 1) Trying to get a food that tastes good so her picky dogs will eat it. And 2) Trying to find the most healthy food for her dogs. Sometimes the healthiest ones aren't the tastiest to dogs. One of my dogs will eat anything, while the other is more picky. I have a B.S. in Human Nutrition, so I tend to approach feeding my dogs from a more human point of view. I add a little tasty stuff (maybe some soup that I'm cooking for our dinner) into the kibble to make it more appetizing for the picky/skinny one. You can feed the most healthful dog food (whatever that may be), but if the dogs won't eat it, well then what's the point? I think, as with humans, every dog is a little different and may need his diet "tweaked" to fit his individual needs. This is really not advice; it's just the way I do things with my dogs and a starting point.

 

[FutureDVM2016]

two quick points 🙂

if you're a vet student that recently took a nutrition class, you probably know more about clinical nutrition that the average vet because its fresh in the student's mind, students are required to know every nook and cranny, and were likely just presented the most up to date info.
not at all saying that dvm's aren't qualified, just that IF you've taken clinical nutrition, then you probably can hold a reasonable discussion about it with someone.

also, multiple doctors have told me that enjoy it while you can, because you will be the smartest you'll ever be in vet school because you are required to know it all, all the time. it seemed silly at the time, but it makes sense now that i'm in school!

Took the words right outta my mouth 🙂

 

[Minnerbelle]

You were clear; I was a dolt.

ok, let's try this again.

Fair enough, and probably accurate. I am, in fact, two weeks from my nutrition final.

We'll be book smart, but that's such a small part of being a good clinician that there is no point where I'm going to start feeling like I'm even close to having as good of judgment as someone who has been in practice 20 years. 🙂

Maybe you're just jelly that you're not learning as much as others, because clearly if you were a good vet student, you'd be at the peak of your knowledge on the subject matter of every class you take and your fresh understanding is likely to be more helpful than the opinion of an old fart vet.

Though I gotta say, if I needed a partner for a trivia contest of anatomy and basic sciences, I'll hands down take someone who's recently aced all their first year finals over a vet or PhD.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Maybe you're just jelly that you're not learning as much as others, because clearly if you were a good vet student, you'd be at the peak of your knowledge on the subject matter of every class you take and your fresh understanding is likely to be more helpful than the opinion of an old fart vet.
.

I think we need a "sarcastic" font, because too many people are still going to take you at face value. I think this is why phones were invented . Ah progress.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I think we need a "sarcastic" font, because too many people are still going to take you at face value. I think this is why phones were invented . Ah progress.

phones came after internet???

lol, i vote italicized comic sans ms as sarcastic font.

 

[StartingoverVet]

lol, i vote italicized comic sans ms as sarcastic font.

Well, duh. How could you use an internet phone without the internet. and I'm so old, I remember when they didn't have SKYPE! Can you believe that? I mean, how did people keep up those long distance relationships in the dark ages?

 

[Minnerbelle]

Well, duh. How could you use an internet phone without the internet. and I'm so old, I remember when they didn't have SKYPE! Can you believe that? I mean, how did people keep up those long distance relationships in the dark ages?

🤣I'm feeling kinda loopy from studying for finals. This just made my day for some reason.

 

[StartingoverVet]

🤣I'm feeling kinda loopy from studying for finals. This just made my day for some reason.

Happy to be of service.

Good luck to you and the rest of the SDN finals taking crews! 🙂

 

[kaydubs]

Well, duh. How could you use an internet phone without the internet. and I'm so old, I remember when they didn't have SKYPE! Can you believe that? I mean, how did people keep up those long distance relationships in the dark ages?

Giggly giggles - I was around when sarcasm was invented. I take full credit😀

 

[PetPony]

The italicized version gives me a headache. lol Otherwise approved. 😉

 

[LetItSnow]

Though I gotta say, if I needed a partner for a trivia contest of anatomy and basic sciences, I'll hands down take someone who's recently aced all their first year finals over a vet or PhD.

So there I was, sitting at a red light on the first snowy day of winter in December, cars waltzing sideways through the intersection in front me in an elaborate parody of a Nutcracker dance, when on the radio the announcer ... announces ... an anatomy contest for vet students!

As the only person in the greater Twin Cities area in a position to use his cell phone while driving, I deftly voice dialed <insert smartphone advertisement here> the radio station, ready to blow their minds away with the detailed knowledge carried in the grey matter underneath my ... er ... whatsitcalled. Right. Calvarium.

"Sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis," I shouted! "Trabecula septomarginalis - MODERATOR BAND," I wheezed. "Hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus," I wondered?

.... and then the alarm went off.

 

[StartingoverVet]

[redacting because I realized it violates my school's social media policy]

Well that is quite a tease if I ever saw one. 😛

 

[jmo1012]

Though I gotta say, if I needed a partner for a trivia contest of anatomy and basic sciences, I'll hands down take someone who's recently aced all their first year finals over a vet or PhD.

the fancy name for trivia contest is "vet school"-particularly come test day! 😉

 

[Minnerbelle]

the fancy name for trivia contest is "vet school"-particularly come test day! 😉

lol, especially on the first day of classes in the fall at CSU, where everyone has to sit and take a whole days worth of tests covering EVERYTHING from the last year. talk about a trivia contest...

 

[Minnerbelle]

[redacting because I realized it violates my school's social media policy]

thanks for the really awesome story! 😡

 

[StartingoverVet]

thanks for the really awesome story! 😡

👍

 

[jmo1012]

lol, especially on the first day of classes in the fall at CSU, where everyone has to sit and take a whole days worth of tests covering EVERYTHING from the last year. talk about a trivia contest...

wow. now that's just cruel.😱

 

[LetItSnow]

👍

Geez you people are heartless. If I could just outright delete my post, I would have, but I didn't have that option (I think?). I figured just erasing it and leaving a blank post would be weird without an explanation, but I can do that the next time I make a mistake. 🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

Geez you people are heartless.

Must disagree with you. I have just checked with my stethoscope and I do indeed have a functioning heart.

By the way, if you become a SDN donor you can delete threads.

 

[LetItSnow]

Must disagree with you. I have just checked with my stethoscope and I do indeed have a functioning heart.

By the way, if you become a SDN donor you can delete threads.

I don't know what you heard in there, but it damn well wasn't a heart. 🙂

But seriously, thx for that tip. I didn't realize that.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I figured just erasing it and leaving a blank post would be weird without an explanation, but I can do that the next time I make a mistake. 🙂

Or you can be sneaky and creative and write something else instead semi-relevant to the discussion on hand, and no one would ever notice 😉.

 

[LetItSnow]

Or you can be sneaky and creative and write something else instead semi-relevant to the discussion on hand, and no one would ever notice 😉.

Are you saying my posts are always only semi-relevant? Brat. 😉

But just for you, I edited my redaction. And no, it has nothing to do with nutrition.

 

[GellaBella]

wow minnerbelle - that's rough about the first day exams!! I can't remember the info I took in an exam last week...seriously...parasitology...it's all gone, let alone material from first year. yipes

As for going back on topic...I do wish we could get some of these smaller companies to come and talk to us about their food though. I realize they can't provide us with free food like the major companies, but I'd still like to hear about their products, why they think their product is better than big company brands, and what kind of nutritional research they're doing to support their product.

As an anecdote, my little love bug (Jagr, a 1 year old english bulldog) has had yeasty ears all his life. I clean them and the next day they're full of yeast again. I feel so bad! But i have to say, I tried him on a grain-free, higher protein diet from a smaller dog food company and at the recommendation of a 'non-vet'. well holy-crap. would you believe his ears and nose-fold are spotless? i have tried many different "large company' brands without results and now to see such an immediate result, well I'm pretty psyched. I think he's pretty psyched that I'm not chasing him around with the ear cleaner solution too.

It's certainly more expensive than getting free Purina/Hills/etc. but if it works for him, then I'm happy. and if it stops working then I'll continue my search for a food that's right.

 

[Moonstruckmuse]

Same experience as GellaBella. I can't say much on the actual nutritional side, but I can tell you my dog is severely allergic to something in even the highest quality, oven fresh, organic whole grain bread. She will literally be itching herself for the next 3 days, develop bleeding sores, get an ear infection, and have pus dripping out of her UPRIGHT ears. We hadn't realized that when she was younger, she started getting really bad itchiness at about age 6, had been on SD quite healthily and happily all along. After age 4, we were at the vet's place without fail every 2 months, switching her on and off different steroids, topical meds, ear cleaning fluids, etc. She'd be bleeding on her back, her armpits, had a terrible black fungal infection that took over a good part of her abdomen, etc. The vets honestly suggested just keeping her on benadryl all the time, which did work... but effectively was like not having any dog at all (except, we had to medicate her all the time). It was heartbreaking. She puked all the time, would refuse to eat her food, and gnawed on her feet until the fur was all gone and only crusty scabs were left behind.

We had tried many, MANY different types of food, and still try new brands, but I must say that her condition right now is near perfect. She's nearly 12, the vet even asked US what we did, her condition is that different. We've tried most of the vet recommended big brands, and a lot of the more "natural" ones. The cost of the natural foods is much cheaper than drugging her out every day, and everyone's happier.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with feeding SD or any of those brands, but I can say that Ivory's diet now has led to a huge improvement in her health. I can provide a list of specific lines that work for her for anyone who's curious, but I can also say that you can't just generalize and say that all of any natural line would work for her (we've tried). The things that seem to set her off strongly/as rapidly as the next hour or so include: wheat, chicken, anything like animal meal/animal products (maybe because of any chicken mixed in?), and most fillers. We try to treat her as if she's got a ton of food allergies, and therefore also rotate her foods fairly frequently, which seems to have helped as well.

 

[Chinola]

Same experience as GellaBella. I can't say much on the actual nutritional side, but I can tell you my dog is severely allergic to something in even the highest quality, oven fresh, organic whole grain bread. She will literally be itching herself for the next 3 days, develop bleeding sores, get an ear infection, and have pus dripping out of her UPRIGHT ears. We hadn't realized that when she was younger, she started getting really bad itchiness at about age 6, had been on SD quite healthily and happily all along. After age 4, we were at the vet's place without fail every 2 months, switching her on and off different steroids, topical meds, ear cleaning fluids, etc. She'd be bleeding on her back, her armpits, had a terrible black fungal infection that took over a good part of her abdomen, etc. The vets honestly suggested just keeping her on benadryl all the time, which did work... but effectively was like not having any dog at all (except, we had to medicate her all the time). It was heartbreaking. She puked all the time, would refuse to eat her food, and gnawed on her feet until the fur was all gone and only crusty scabs were left behind.

We had tried many, MANY different types of food, and still try new brands, but I must say that her condition right now is near perfect. She's nearly 12, the vet even asked US what we did, her condition is that different. We've tried most of the vet recommended big brands, and a lot of the more "natural" ones. The cost of the natural foods is much cheaper than drugging her out every day, and everyone's happier.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with feeding SD or any of those brands, but I can say that Ivory's diet now has led to a huge improvement in her health. I can provide a list of specific lines that work for her for anyone who's curious, but I can also say that you can't just generalize and say that all of any natural line would work for her (we've tried). The things that seem to set her off strongly/as rapidly as the next hour or so include: wheat, chicken, anything like animal meal/animal products (maybe because of any chicken mixed in?), and most fillers. We try to treat her as if she's got a ton of food allergies, and therefore also rotate her foods fairly frequently, which seems to have helped as well.

Had you tried Z/D? My dog is very allergic to wheat (even a crumb and she's tearing at her feet!). I'm just curious with everything you said you tried if you had tried that.

 

[sunshinevet]

Same experience as GellaBella. I can't say much on the actual nutritional side, but I can tell you my dog is severely allergic to something in even the highest quality, oven fresh, organic whole grain bread.

Why does it strike you as weird that your dog would be allergic to bread? Wheat is one of the most common food allergies in dogs.

Just wondering why you used this for comparasion, lol, i may have expected "oven fresh organic novel protein" or "oven fresh, organic (?) hills z/d" but just interested about the bread thing lol.

And I mean, if he cant eat the good bread... just more for you 😀

On a side note, the clinic I am at now regularly recommends elimination diets for any animals we see with ongoing skin, ear, or bowel issues. We sell so many different diets (hills z/d, rc hypo, eukanuba fish and potato, other novel protein ones such as kangaroo and sweet potato) and most of our clients rave about the results. We have a wide variety of diets for owners to experiment with, which works well for everyone, and I'm wondering how many clinics suggest elimination diet as heavily? I know a lot of other clinics I've worked for don't. Just tend to think that food allergy is something we're underdiagnosing, and what other people have found.

My other favourite under-diagnosises: HypoT in dogs, cushings in dogs, hyperT in cats, DJD in everything and obviously seperation anxiety!!! 😉

 

[sunshinevet]

Why does it strike you as weird that your dog would be allergic to bread? Wheat is one of the most common food allergies in dogs.

Just wondering why you used this for comparasion, lol, i may have expected "oven fresh organic novel protein" or "oven fresh, organic (?) hills z/d" but just interested about the bread thing lol.

And I mean, if he cant eat the good bread... just more for you 😀

On a side note, the clinic I am at now regularly recommends elimination diets for any animals we see with ongoing skin, ear, or bowel issues. We sell so many different diets (hills z/d, rc hypo, eukanuba fish and potato, other novel protein ones such as kangaroo and sweet potato) and most of our clients rave about the results. We have a wide variety of diets for owners to experiment with, which works well for everyone, and I'm wondering how many clinics suggest elimination diet as heavily? I know a lot of other clinics I've worked for don't. Just tend to think that food allergy is something we're underdiagnosing, and what other people have found.

My other favourite under-diagnosises: HypoT in dogs, cushings in dogs, hyperT in cats, DJD in everything and obviously seperation anxiety!!! 😉

Also wanted to add that to compliment our elimination diets, we also offer a range of novel protein treats, ie kangaroo necks, fish treats (dried fish - its disgusting lol!) emu sticks, veal tendons etc. So we can really really encourage owners to stick with it!!!