Allergic to Natural Balance? Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Prescription Food

[Jordy]

It seems like Oscar is not doing well on the Natural Balance Duck and Potato now. He has been eating it for a week, and although his stools are very good, he has now began constantly scratching his ears and face, and licking his feet. His ears are also hot and red. I can't believe that he would be allergic to this food, but it seems that he is.

I guess my next and perhaps only avenue is to try veterinary prescribed hypoallergenic diets.

I have been introduced to three different food, the Science Diet, the Purina, and now the Royal Canin hypoallergenic formulas.

Does anyone have any ideas. It seems very odd that Oscar is allergic to the Natural Balance. There really is very little in it to cause a reaction.

I am wary of the prescription diets as they contain soy protein. As I've read on several sites, this protein while easy to digest, can cause other problems.

I am also trying to determine if there is an allergy to something else other than the food.

This is getting ridiculous. If anyone can suggest anything or comment on these foods, please do so.

Thanks.

[franp]

There is NO such thing as truly "hypo allergic" IMO. We, as our dogs are all individuals..And what one is ok with, another is allergic to..

First, have you changed ANYTHING in the house recently?Detergent? carpeting? Anything?

Second; if it were my dog , I would do a true elimination diet. That means either cooking or doing my own raw diet.
This is allot of work initially, but it is the ONLY way you are going to find out what Oscar is allergic to..And it is really not that difficult..

There is a butcher near you?You can get chicken? Or Lamb?Do you have a grinder? or I am sure you can get one?If not can you go to a health food store to get bone meal so he gets his calcium?

Many people that I know do thier own raw and tell me it is easy once they find a "pattern"..

I am sorry that your dog is not well. I hope you find the culprit soon.
fran

[Chris&Eti]

Could it be seasonal allergies? Has Oscar had more activities outside recently? Eti loves to roll around in the grass but the first few times he did it his ears and belly were slightly irritated for a day or so.

[gmacleod]

One relatively likely culprit, if it is indeed the food that is the problem, is the duck. Some dogs, like some people, can have allergies to the whole range of poultry products. In that instance, trying a fish/sweet potato or venison/potato formula might be a better bet.

The alternative to that really is either raw or homecooked diets - where you can feed him one single thing at a time to determine which individual items are a problem and which aren't.

Finally - have you considered allergy testing? I think the cost is somewhere in the region of about $300. But that would at least be able to tell you which food items (if any) are a problem, and what sort of environmental allergies (if any) he has. Once you know specifically what the problems are, you can work on eliminating them.

[paulabeans]

Hi Jordy,

Molly also suffers from both inhalant and food allergies. She has the same symptoms as Oscar. Right now I am doing a food trial - I am homecooking and giving her only ground Venison and baked potato. If you decide to do a homecooked diet, check first with your Vet as you will need to supplement the food.

Pollen is a huge problem for Molly. I am trying to keep her inside the air-conditioned house as much as possible lately.

Seeing Molly suffer with her itchiness is unbearable - and I'm sure you must be feeling the same. Good luck with Oscar - please keep us posted as to how things are going.

Paula

[Jordy]

Thanks for the insight. I'll look into raw, but honestly having house pets is a relatively new concept in Korea, so the pet industry is just starting to explode. I'm sure that I could find the required items, we'll see what happens. I'm still not sure whether it's the food or not.

For the time being, we're feeding him only his food and using carrots for treats (no commercial, filler-laden dog treats). We'll see. I suspect it may be a reaction to some of his treats.

Alternatively, there is a Vegetarian formulation that Natural Balance carries. I have heard of several dogs doing well on this. This is rather surprising to me as dogs aren't vegetarians, and the formula contains several grains (albeit brown rice, barley, and oatmeal...not wheat). Otherwise, it seems alright.

Has anyone tried their dog on a vegetarian food before. As I said, it seems odd, but if Oscar has a sensitivity to animal protein, that may be an option. I am trying to avoid using the vet prescribed diets, as they contain some strange ingredients and some things that I have never heard of. Also, most have soy protein and grains, so I want to avoid that.

Let me know if you have any experience with the vegetarian foods.

Thanks

[Jordy]

Here is the link to the Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula.
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/allergy/Vegetarian.html

[Jordy]

Having not a lot of experience with dog food allergies, it seems odd to me that a dog would develop an allergy in such a delayed manner.

This has happened with our last food as well. It seems to me that the allergy would present itself upon first exposure to the antigen. If not immediate, I would think that it should occur faster than one week.

Am I completely wrong here, or is it common to have a delayed allergic reaction to dog foods.

This is one of the reasons why I suspect Oscar's problem may be due to another product, as it's been over a week that we have been feeding only this food to him.

[franp]

Jordy,
Allergic reactions are reactions to repeated exposure..The first time the body "meets" something it is allergic to the reaction is small. Each time the "enemy" comes back the reaction is worse and worse..
Rarely is an allergic reaction the first time an ingredient (read enemy) is introduced. The body has to produce the antibodies first. So your dog's reaction after a week is a normal allergy response.
Similarly , the reason it takes a while to see if the body is responding to a new food is that it take time to make sure that the body is not producing new antibodies..
All this takes Patience..Which we know you have.

fran

[gmacleod]

It seems to me that the allergy would present itself upon first exposure to the antigen. If not immediate, I would think that it should occur faster than one week.
No, most allergies are things that develop over time. In some extremely allergic individuals, you get an instant response, and you can also get an instant reponse to something you've eaten before and have developed an allergy to. But if it is a new food item, in most cases it takes time for the allergic response (actually antibodies) to develop. It's the same with people too ;)

An allergy is, after all, an abnormal response of the immune system to some substance. And in most cases, it takes some time for antibodies to be produced in large enough quantities for you to see a reaction. Just like it takes a week or two for antibodies to be produced against disease when you get a vaccination.

That is one reason that feeding a wide range of different food items from an early age is generally recommended. That's recommended for people as well as for dogs. If you have constant exposure to the same thing day in and day out, the chances of developing an allergy to it may be higher.

[angec]

Rocco has both seasonal and food allergies. He was tested for food allergies (blood test) and among other foods, he is allergic to beef and DUCK. He is not allergic to chicken or turkey. Please don't assume that because you are giving your dog a novel protein that he couldn't be allergic to it. I strongly recommend having your dog tested for food allergies. Although they say that allergy testing with a blood test in not 100% accurate, it has helped me tremendously with Rocco's current raw diet. He is also allergic to peas, brewer's yeast and a long list of other foods. Remember that allergies cannot be cured, the goal is to make your pet as comfortable and possible. Good luck.