Can anyone help with a dog with a possible food allergy?

[Weeg]

Sorting out food ingredient issues will take some time, and there won't be a 'cheap' diet that will work.
It's easiest and fastest to find a medium protein diet that has no ingredients (meats or grains) that he's been eating, from a company that makes 'fixed formula' diets, rather than 'what's least expensive this week' ingredients.
Then, wean him to that new diet, and be rigid about it for three or four months. That means no animal part chewies, or table food or treats that have ingredients he was eating before.
I've had three dogs who had food ingredient problems, and they all took about ten weeks being 'on the wagon' before their problems subsided. And, a couple of treats once monthly would trigger relapses.
Mary

This was our plan, what do you think about the food I posted in the link. It seemed pretty good, the food we feed him now has chicken and whole grains, and the Blue Buffalo has none of that. We do feed him meat scraps though so those could also contribute to the sensitivity issue. We will stop feeding him the table scraps, and nothing but his food as soon as we decide on the brand. Thanks everyone! Avery

 

[TwoCrows]

We had terrible troubles with our little Maltese, I tried every brand of food out there over several years time. He had awful ear infections, chewing and licking, tear stains and worst of all he threw up constantly. The vet ran all kinds of tests and determined he was overly sensitive to all dog foods. So I decided to cook for him... Cooked ground Turkey, veggies, sweet potato, vitamins,... He immediately stopped throwing up, ear infections cleared and he was loaded with energy! It seems to cost about the same to feed him a middle of the road dog food.

My vet did tell me that dogs some dogs are extremely sensitive to Chicken and Beef based foods. The easiest foods to digest are Lamb, Turkey and Salmon.

 

[Weeg]

If you suspect a food sensitivity, the most important thing to do is find a food with as few protein sources as possible (its the body's reaction to proteins that most often causes food sensitivities) and find different proteins than the ones you are currently feeding.

If you are feeding chicken and oats, for example, switch to something like lamb and rice, beef and barley, salmon and peas, etc. Just be aware of the ingredient panel; it's common for foods to have multiple protein sources, and protein doesn't always come from meat. Wheat, barley, corn, peas, potatoes, etc are all common ingredients and can cause sensitivities.

I posted a link for a food above, wondering what you guys think. Right now he is being fed chicken and whole grains, and the one above is turkey and potato. They also have a salmon one in the same brand I can order off chewy. Thanks for all the guidance!

 

[Weeg]

We had terrible troubles with our little Maltese, I tried every brand of food out there over several years time. He had awful ear infections, chewing and licking, tear stains and worst of all he threw up constantly. The vet ran all kinds of tests and determined he was overly sensitive to all dog foods. So I decided to cook for him... Cooked ground Turkey, veggies, sweet potato, vitamins,... He immediately stopped throwing up, ear infections cleared and he was loaded with energy! It seems to cost about the same to feed him a middle of the road dog food.

My vet did tell me that dogs some dogs are extremely sensitive to Chicken and Beef based foods. The easiest foods to digest are Lamb, Turkey and Salmon.

Thank you for this! This may help if we can find a food that works good of him, I am so happy there are so many good BYC'ers here to help!

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you for this! This may help if we can find a food that works good of him, I am so happy there are so many good BYC'ers here to help!

There are all kinds of home made recipes on line that may help. Its definitely a lot more work, but if it keeps them from suffering, then its worth it. We make a 14 day supply and freeze each serving separately in a baggie.

Try other foods first though, I hope you can stumble on that perfect food!

 

[clickchicks]

I posted a link for a food above, wondering what you guys think. Right now he is being fed chicken and whole grains, and the one above is turkey and potato. They also have a salmon one in the same brand I can order off chewy. Thanks for all the guidance!

The food you posted is probably fine. The 3 main protein sources are coming from turkey, potatoes, and pea. Small list, which is good.

As long as the Iams you are feeding doesn't contain these proteins, its as good a place to start as any.

 

[Weeg]

The food you posted is probably fine. The 3 main protein sources are coming from turkey, potatoes, and pea. Small list, which is good.

As long as the Iams you are feeding doesn't contain these proteins, its as good a place to start as any.

Thank you!

 

[Weeg]

There are all kinds of home made recipes on line that may help. Its definitely a lot more work, but if it keeps them from suffering, then its worth it. We make a 14 day supply and freeze each serving separately in a baggie.

Try other foods first though, I hope you can stumble on that perfect food!

Thank you so much! I think I will probably order the Blue Buffalo since it seems to eb the best bet! Any additional advice for weening them on and off foods to find there sensitivity is very helpful! I will keep you posted on his progress!

 

[Folly's place]

The whole ingredient list matters, in your original food, scraps, and the new diet. ALL the meats and grains will matter, unless you want to spend three months at a time testing different ingredients, which could take years.
Also, some individuals who can't eat chicken also can't eat turkey, and beef and bison are too similar too.
And look up the list of 'grain free' diets that have been implicated in heart failure in some dogs, before deciding to use one of them.
It will take you some time to sort all this out, there's no one fix that fits all.
Home made will be way more expensive than store bought, and you don't have a tiny dog to feed!
Mary

 

[KimKat33]

I looked at the Diamond Naturals and it looks good, it does have a few reviews that aren't so convincing though. This is the food I was looking at, it looks idk they JUST dropped the price, to $37 but it is still more expensive then the food we buy. What so you think. Thanks of all the help! Avery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EXDOT...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

That looks like a really good option in my opinion, but I am also not a vet. I would go with what the others said and find a food that has a few ingredients. But once you stick him on a new food, stick with it to avoid any more issues (don't forget to transfer him over slowly with what original food you have left). Dogs have surprisingly sensitive stomachs (which is funny seeing as how they eat whatever they can find)
Your lab seems to be a highly active dog as well, you just wanna make sure he gets enough protein from his food to keep him going.

Everyone else has given really good insight and advice as well. I see you now have a plan of action, let us know if it helps!