Dog health allergies and dog food-an update

I’ve mentioned before that we were feeding Vance Canidae dog food because it was high quality and one of the less expensive premium foods. Unfortunately, they changed the formula about 6 months or so ago and the new formula exacerbated the dog allergies (itchy skin, especially) that Vance suffers from.

It was a difficult decision to decide to switch to a new food because we’d been really happy with the way that Canidae alleviated ear infections related to dog food allergies that Vance had been suffering from.

So, what are we feeding him now? And how’s he doing on it? We tried California Naturals, but that had something in it that still bothered him as he kept rubbing his face on things which made his eyes red and irritated.

Now we’re trying him on Evo which is really, really expensive, so I don’t want to recommend it until he’s been eating it for a while longer.

If you suspect your dog’s food is exacerbating allergies, talk to your vet about your other options. I like foods with as few ingredients as possible, but there’s not a lot of evidence that that’s necessarily healthier–lots of healthy ingredients would be healthier than a handful of bad-for-you stuff–so go with your vet’s recommendations, and your own instincts on this one.

I’ll post an update when Vance has been eating the Evo for a while longer–I’m hopeful so far and though I’d definitely prefer something cheaper, am willing to spend more to keep him healthy.

**Just a heads-up–Evo, Canidae, and all the rest have never heard of me and certainly didn’t sponsor this post. These opinions are my own. I know online it can be hard to tell the paid reviews from the genuine ones and want to reassure you that this is 100% about our experience and not swayed or influenced by any monetary benefit. If you do buy dog food using the link in the sidebar (which also gets you a nice discount), we may receive a small referral percentage. They’re the lovely folks we get dog food from, and I’m happy to recommend them, the affiliate commissions make a nice bonus for me.**

Dog food holistic: Is it worth the money?

You might be wondering about dog food holistic and whether or not its worth the money. Ever since Vance developed more allergies to his dog food, I’ve been searching for the perfect diet for him. It’s not always been easy.

But, recently, I’ve been exploring pre-packaged alternatives to the BARF diet and I’ve discovered that there are a lot of new foods that have recently come on the market that promise many big benefits. For instance, Canidae has a new grain-free line and many other dog food companies are following suit. From my research so far, I’m finding the big concern with any premium food is the protein levels–if you have a puppy, particularly a large breed puppy, it’s important that your dog food not have too much protein. Aside from that, though, it looks like the only other serious consideration is price.

That’s because these premium dog foods are very, very expensive, especially if you have a large dog. Of the premium, holistic foods, Canidae is definitely the best price I’ve found (especially through PetFoodDirect–see their link in the right-hand sidebar for their latest special offers). Because it’s done wonders for Vance’s dog allergies, I highly recommend it.

What’s your dog food brand of choice? And do you think feeding a holistic food is important?

Free dog treats

Today, I thought I’d tell you about our next Good Dog Health giveaway. We’ll be giving away my dog, Vance’s, favorite treats: Zuke’s Jerky. Don’t enter just yet, but make sure to stop by often to catch me when I first announce the giveaway–our first entrant will get a prize, too. (The other prize will be awarded randomly.) To be ready to score extra entries, sign up for a free Twitter account if you don’t already have one and start accumulating followers.

Zukes are delicious (I’m assuming–I’ve never actually tasted them myself ) and soft so they’re perfect for stuffing into Kongs and sterilized beef bones. Vance will do just about anything for one and they’re easily breakable so that I can give him just a bit during training.

Now, tell me, what’s your pooch’s favorite treat?