[Sharon H]

My French Brittany spaniel has a severe allergy to grass. We have been able to control by feeding him food with salmon in it. I am concerned that his current food – purine pro plan would not get stars from advisor? What is a better dry food for Tiller?

[zcRiley]

Zignature Zssentials is great for allergies. Do a full panel allergy testing on foods and environmental triggers. Put some booties on him when on grass. It’s the grass pollen he’s inhaling which is seasonal.

[Susan W]

Give VeRus Cold Water Fish a try. They use Menhaden fish oil to add Omega-3s & the food doesn’t stink. It smells like fresh fish and it doesn’t make their breath stink. (At least it didn’t make my dog’s breath stink.) Here’s their web site:http://www.veruspetfoods.com/canine-coldwaterfishdetail.html
Their website has a lot of good info & there’s a place where you can request a sample.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Susan W. Reason: I wanted to click the notification button

[Jeffrey S]

I honestly think and so does my Vet that it is better to add fresh omega 3 to the diet either with fish capsules, oil, or adding a sardine (low salt in water) daily. I have had excellent results using this with my precious baby toy poodle. Of course your pet has to be willing to eat it, but it probably will like some fish supplement or canned fish. Just watch the salt.

[Susan W]

I used to give my dogs sardines in water. I hated the smell when I opened the can, hated the smell in the kitchen, hated the fishy breath on the dogs, and it didn’t really help with their itching. I tried the VeRus dog food for this reason (among others) and my dogs virtually stopped itching all together. It was GREAT! And they didn’t have fishy breath while I didn’t have to worry about sardine smell everywhere.

[Jeffrey S]

Hi Susan, I love sardines, so does my Vet, and my 4 legged baby. Each to their own. However, my main point is that dried food, which I use, is not the best way to to get omega 3 into our sweet ones. I use fish capsules which I buy from Riteaid and mix it into my babys dinner, which is usually canned. She likes it and Ive had good results. Omega 3 is really essential and should be absorbed in the best form.

[Susan W]

Jeffrey, are you one of those people who likes lutefiske? Just kidding. My dogs liked the sardines but I always managed to get just a little drop of juice on me somewhere then I’d have to smell it all day long. ICK!
Now, as for supplements…
There are certain supplements, such as Glucosamine chondroitin, that is always best as a liquid supplement added to the formula because the temperatures of kibble processing can kill off most of the nutrients. However there are certain ways to preserve the omega 3s and other essential nutrients without having to apply it afterwards. If there isn’t an immune deficiency in the dog, omega 3s can be utilized in the form consumed within the food. The Omega-3 in VeRUS’ Advanced Opticoat is sufficient as a preventative. If there IS an immune deficiency, it is best to apply additional supplementation. For people like me who don’t like the smell of sardines, VeRUS also has an Opticoat 2 supplement featuring Menhaden fish and flaxseed. I looked into purchasing the Opticoat supplement for mine but the VeRUS food I purchased took care of the itchiness my dogs were battling.

[Jeffrey S]

Hi Susan, actually I personally love bluefish {I live near Long Island
Sound). Thanks for the info on the omega 3 options. My Baby had bad ear infections, plus hot spots and the fish capsules really helped. However, you are right that one has to be careful using any supplement. I have a holistic Vet and check with her before I use anything. By the way, my wife hates the smell of sardines, also. I think I will try the VeRUS, but will continue using the fish capsules. Thanks again for your advice.

[Maria K]

I second the Zignature Zssential Formula! I have never used it but have heard good things!

[Author]

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