Thoughts on feeding? Raw vs kibble. Skin problems, both human and dog.

What do you feed your dog?

I posted here about my new GSD. Since that post I have had several concerns and problems develop. One problem is to decide to go raw or stay with the dog food.

My GSD has been eating Solid Gold's wolf cub from the time I've had her. Recently I tried a raw menu. Man, the stool went from solid to soup.
Maybe, I went to fast and it was to soon to offer a variety of raw foods.

I've never had allergies before but about a month after having her I started to develop welts and rashes where the dog touched me. Then I started having trouble breathing if I stayed in the same room with her. I would have never imagined I would have a allergic reaction to a dog. I was miserable for a couple of weeks. I wasn't going to give her up and was trying many suggestions.

I looked into zyrtec which was been advertised a lot on television lately. This stuff really works, within 48 hours I was back to normal. I hate the fact that I have to take a pill everyday. I'm not much into medication and don't like to take pills, aspirin or anything else. It works though so that is where I am.

My GSD has also had some skin irritations of her on. I think she has developed a couple of hot spots. I read about what to avoid ahead of time and thought that the wolf cub with bison and salmon would help avoid them from developing.

Dennis,

My dogs get good quality kibble and raw a couple times a week. The food you feed, Solid Gold, has an outstanding reputation as one of the best foods out there.
I'm not sure, however, that any food change you make for your dog will affect your allergies. People do develop allergies to critters where they have not had them before and some people go for allergy testing when this happens to try to pin down the precise allergen and make sure it is the critter itself tht is causing the reaction. Do you use a particular medicated shampoo on your dog? How about flea preparations like Advantage? Do all dogs/cats cause the allergy reactions for you?
Do you have a HEPA filter in your home?

Dennis-

One of our dogs, Max, used to get really bad hot spots and we've used a couple of different things with him. First, we bathe him with an oatmeal shampoo, and always, always use conditioner afterwards. We use the human conditioner, Tresemme (however it's spelled) which is not only inexpensive, but also works very, very well. It's got a very light scent to it, which is also good so that won't upset her allergies or yours.

The other thing we do is use Vionate multivitamin powder on the dogs' food. We do feed dry food, and the multivitamin powder sticks nicely to it. That's the only two things we've done, and his hot spots are gone. As for your allergies to her, I wish I had some advice, but I don't.

Other than hot spots, how is she doing now? I bet she's growing like a weed!

Originally Posted by lucille

Dennis,
Do you use a particular medicated shampoo on your dog? How about flea preparations like Advantage? Do all dogs/cats cause the allergy reactions for you?
Do you have a HEPA filter in your home?

No, Yes, No, and No.
As far as I know, I have never been allergic to anything.

Tere, It's amazing how fast they change. She no longer looks like a fur ball but a miniature version of her mom. She has her last shot scheduled this afternoon. I will be talking to the VET about the spots.

Originally Posted by Dennis Hultman

No, Yes, No, and No.
As far as I know, I have never been allergic to anything.

Tere, It's amazing how fast they change. She no longer looks like a fur ball but a miniature version of her mom. She has her last shot scheduled this afternoon. I will be talking to the VET about the spots.

Oooh...oooh...she's changed...and that means it's time for some new pics of her!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dennis Hultman

No, Yes, No, and No.
As far as I know, I have never been allergic to anything.

Tere, It's amazing how fast they change. She no longer looks like a fur ball but a miniature version of her mom. She has her last shot scheduled this afternoon. I will be talking to the VET about the spots.

Dennis, It worries me that you've had problems breathing just walking into a room where she is. Talk to Doc Owens (or your own doc) about the differences between allergies and asthma and various triggers for the both of them, and if you notice that the symptoms are increasing go see your doc in person.

Post puppy pix please?

ok, so you are allergic to her.. nothing you feed her will change that.

There are a few things that can help A LITTLE

yes, you need a HEPA. if you cant breathe being in the room with her, then the dander and fur are bad for you too.. so that would help clear the air of that.

Natures Miracle sells bath wipes that help with allergies.. that would help a little.

The raw vs kibble is all about the dog, nothing to do with you..

it is very beneficial to do raw, but it is a VERY slow weaning process.. takes a couple weeks at least.

Raw is more natural to the dog, helps with good bacteria their teeth their coat etc etc.

Solid gold is a great food, and they do also have different meats.. you may want to flip around.. the millennium is a beef and barley, the holistiqe is fish and veggies.
and the barking at the moon is a grain free.. cant remember the main meat in that though

it does sound like she has some allergies of some sort,.. now you gotta find out if it is like.. hay fever? or food? or what.. Heck, some dogs are actually allergic to human dander. HA HA HA HA

Originally Posted by Miss Tuniwha

ok, so you are allergic to her.. nothing you feed her will change that.

The raw vs kibble is all about the dog, nothing to do with you..

Thanks, I know. I meant them as separate topics.

Thoughts on feeding? Raw vs kibble.

And then,

Skin problems, both Human and Dog.

Just thought I would post them in one thread.

The zyrtec is working great but my understanding is that it just masks the symptoms and allows me to function around her. It does nothing for the underlined problems. I've been looking into dander controlling products but its hard to choose when the dog also has sensitive skin. I will look at some of the product suggestions here and HEPA.

I asked my vet about feeding my dog a raw food diet and she said absolutley do not feed your dog a raw diet.

I didn't ask why not I just kept on feeding him his kibble. So I would say talk to your vet about the raw food and if they would recommend it.

More than likely, the reason your vet did not recommend the raw diet is because it takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication to get it exactly right....and the average person just isn't able to do it properly to maintain the health of the dog. And, just like all of the fad diets out there for humans, there's a lot of BAD information out there on how to do it....

Personally, I make the main part of my dogs' diet a good kibble (we've settled on the Nutro Natural Choice Chicken, brown rice, and oatmeal), but include small portions of good raw foods as well. It seems to help maintain a healthy balance all around, and works well with the oddball combination of dogs I have.

You've probably considered the possibility that it could be something such as the Advantage that may be causing some of the problems?

And my Bloodhound used to get a hot spot or two every spring...never figured out why...but we would bathe him in a gentle oatmeal shampoo, and use a topical anti-itch/astringent spray on the spots a couple of times a day for a week or so, and they'd always heal right up.