[jella]

Finally had my 4 1/2 year old chocolate lab blood allergy tested. He just started having allergies the last two years of his life. I have been frying him hamburger until I can find a dry and canned dog food that doesn’t contain any of his food items. Food items are: Pork, milk, cheese, corn, rice, flax seed, barley, white potatoes. I just had purchased Annamaet Salmon but read it has white potatoes on the bag also. So now I have to give it to another dogs. I would like to have him eat gluten free so no wheat also because he is a larger lab. 105 pounds. I also am gluten intolerant so we try not to eat anything with gluten either. I prefer dry for each day but will add a can every now and then. I am new to this site and love it but so far cannot find anything that doesn’t contain either a white potato or rice. Maybe this is used to get it harder texture either rice or white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are fine. Everyone’s help will really be appreciated!!! Thanks from Sheryl and Big Hoss. I think he is tired of 3 eggs a day, hamburger and sweet potatoes. I know he is missing out on other vitamins. P.S. I can’t get him to eat fresh blueberries. I crush them put them in with his food or try to hand feed him. He just spits them out or gets them and spits them out with his food also. I will also take the names of the dog foods even if they have wheat, but can you let me know if they have wheat. But would like wheat barley rye free because of gluten. ###big Hoss wants some new foods to eat!

[L T]

Have you looked at Orijen Tundra. I feed my lab Orijen or Acana both by the same company with no complaints.

[jella]

Not yet. I somehow missed reading about those dog foods. I will go look up Orijen Tundra or Acana. Thank you I was hoping someone would respond. Big Hoss thanks you.! He likes to snack a little during the day so I need something for him between breakfast and dinner.

[jella]

The vet says he is not overweight just a little taller and muscled up. He has the head of the English labs but I guess is a little taller. I have been scrambling him eggs in a paper bowl in the microwave to mix in with his puppy food since the lady gave us him at 5 weeks. She said he was the biggest eater and wasn’t letting any of the puppies eat so she wanted me to take him early. Right now he is on three scrambled eggs a day in the morning. I don’t have to use oils with the paper bowl method. But he likes a little snack during the day before he gets his fried hamburger.

[L T]

They make freeze dried also. The Tundra is new and it didn’t seem to have anything on his allergy list. I feed Origin Regional Red or Acana Ranchlands. They don’t need nearly as much I generally feed Declan 1c am and pm. He is 87lbs and has maintained that weight. In deciding his serving size I took into account his snack routine. I hope Big Hoss finds some new food!

[zcRiley]

You said no “pork, milk, cheese, corn, rice, flax seed, barley, white potatoes…”

TRY ZiwiPeak Daily-Dog Lamb Cuisine Air-Dried Dog Food

Ingredients: Lamb – Meat (includes up to 3% finely ground bone), Lamb – Liver, Lung, Tripe, Heart and Kidney, New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel, Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Dried Kelp, Parsley, Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E),

Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Chelated Minerals: Iron amino acid complex, Copper amino acid complex, Manganese amino acid complex, Zinc amino acid complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate

[jella]

Dear LT,
I just checked the Acana and it had white potatoes. So that is out. But it looked like Orijen Tundra didn’t have any of his bad foods but aren’t you scared of alfalfa? That is for horses and grown in fields with high pesticides. I might consider this one if I have to do so but years ago started getting a little arthritis so they tested me for gluten intolerance and I tested positive. Doctor said then that human and our pets should not have foods with gluten in them. Causes constant inflammation and visits to the doctor. I think Alfalfa has gluten. My vet asked me to strictly abide by her rules for 3 months with only what he is allowed to eat. She found out he also had environment allergies to oak trees, Bahia grass, and palm trees. She wants to avoid allergy shots so she wants to see for three months how he does with the food test. So far so good. Hardly any thick eye discharge in the mornings when he first wakes up. No scratching, itching or red spots so far.

But it seems they just pick one of the company brands to write about and I need to check all the offered ones everything on their label. Do you know how to do this?

[jella]

Dear zcRiley,
I will try to look this one up now. The ZiwiPeak Daily. Do you know of anyone that has fed their dog this brand? Ok I will go look and see if it is gluten free. Trying to get gluten free because it causes so many medical issues for humans and dogs. Ok be back in a minute.

[DogFoodie]

Try this: http://dogfoodwizard.com/

It’s still under construction and isn’t foolproof, but definitely a good starting place.

[jella]

Dear zcRiley,
I am guessing that the ZiwiPeak Daily doesn’t have any grains because it isn’t listed on your list. I could not find a review of the lamb selection that you mention here on this site. Did you get the information off the internet somewhere else?

[L T]

Champion foods is the manufacturer and it is all locally sourced. Call the company and talk with them in the source. Since they are local and never outsourced I feel better about their food. I didn’t know alfalfa was not gluten free. Let me know how it works out.

[jella]

Thanks DogFoodie,
I will look there also.

[L T]

The freeze dried Tundra does not have alfalfa as an FYI…

[zcRiley]

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes gluten, a protein composite found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye. ZiwiPeak doesn’t contain those. Only meat/organs/bones/mussels.

Their website, http://www.ziwipeak.com/, is very informative. Customer service is great, I’ve emailed with the founder of the family owned company.

I now feed my two pups on it and all chronic or sudden allergy symptoms disappeared in 3 days. If I didn’t see it, I swear, I wouldn’t have believed it.

[jella]

Dear LT,
Thanks for telling me about Orijen Tundra. Well I might be wrong then about alfalfa. Maybe it is gluten free. Why do you think they would want to put alfalfa in their receipe? I am just curious. Everything else seemed great so I was wondering why they needed it. I didn’t know dogs liked alfalfa. I guess I can call the company. You said your labs liked it and haven’t ever had any problems so far. Sounds good.

[zcRiley]

/dog-food-reviews/ziwipeak-dog-food-dehydrated/

[jella]

Dear LT,
it seems that alfalfa is not gluten but it does trigger autoimmune disorders in humans and animals. So I guess the Orijen Tundra is maybe out. But thanks for helping I might have to use it after all. But I will go on and google the other suggestions also. I am afraid since he is so allergic the alfalfa might trigger some autoimmune disorders for him. But thanks.

[jella]

Oh LT,

thanks while I was reading articles on alfalfa I see you posted that the freeze dried tundra doesn’t have alfalfa. YIPPEE, YIPPEE, SO IT MIGHT WORK AFTER ALL.

[L T]

No worries. Keep us posted on your baby. This site is for sharing sources and experiences. It is a great resource for brands I would have never known about. 🙂

[jella]

Oh thanks also zcRiley,

Well thanks for the website information and telling me about your pups doing better on this brand. This might be a good one also for him. Sounds like you have done your research also like L.T. has. Nice the owner emailed you back. Big Hoss is laying beside me as I type and I think I might have good news for him because of you and L.T. so far! I am assuming you both probably order these through Amazon.com.

[zcRiley]

http://www.chewy.com has the most competitive prices. And they deliver FAST!

[jella]

Hoss says thanks to everyone so far. I was hoping that he wouldn’t have to start on those allergy shots because he isn’t out all the time. Mainly stays in the house except to play, when we are outside and potty. So the vet hoping the food test might stop his having to take shots. Does anyone have to give their dogs benedryl? She said I could give him 25mg. only twice a day because he is a big dog. She said they can take benedry every day of their life. But so far only in the evening I give it because I am trying to find out with his food. I hope nobody thinks bad of me but I started giving him a few of my French fries when I had them because I knew he loved them. He would shake for more fries but I am glad I finally found out it was the white potato as one of his foods not to eat.

[jella]

oh great to hear about chewy.com didn’t know about that one.

[pugmomsandy]

If someone hasn’t mentioned it, you might check out Canidae Pure, dry and canned.

[G C]

Have you checked ACANA Pacifica Regional Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food? It does not have the ingredients you’re trying to avoid. I had a golden with diet and skin issues. After switching to Origin and Arcana her problems resolved and her coat became thicker and longer.

[jella]

Dear LT, I emailed Orijen this morning asking for them to tell me where to go to find all the ingredients in both their dog foods and treats. I haven’t heard back yet but it has just been a day. Is it the freeze dried Orijen Tundra that you said doesn’t contain anything on his allergy list and also no barley so I guess this is grain free then and gluten free right? Did you say a cup of freeze dried twice a day? I was trying to get a copy of all the ingredients so I could email to his vet but couldn’t find ingredients listed for all their products on their website. Also I suspect you know what you can substitute for (milk) ice cream that I used to give him in the summer a lot. I got fooled by his blood test results. The vet said he guessed it was ok for Hoss to have milk unless it gave him messy stools. It didn’t so I assumed ice cream and cheese were ok for him. He can’t have any of his Baconology treats anymore. They contain corn and corn gluten. I guess Pup-Peroni is ok didn’t look like any of his allergies. But not sure what they meant by meat by products. ??

[jella]

Dear GC, Can you tell me where you are finding the ingredients listed? I looked at the one the dogfoodadvisor had picked out and it listed white potatoes. I guess it is gluten free also then?

[jella]

Dear zcRiley, I emailed your company to ask about their treats and dog foods this morning. Haven’t heard anything back yet. Would you tell me where you got the list of ingredients for that KiwiPeak so I can show his vet if I choose this one. I am supposed to take her a copy.

[jella]

Thanks everyone it sounds like I am getting some great advice. But I can’t seem to find out where these ingredients lists are for these brands. My vet would like for me to bring a copy of what I choose along with his treats. Big Hoss does need dog food to help his hair grow back in places. He is a short haired lab so he has a few places where he scratched. I heard give coconut oil with a food or cookie for their hair. I guess it is ok for him. They didn’t mention it on his list. Well he is shredding a paper bowl that I fed him his egg in this morning. I sometimes let him do that for entertainment so I guess I better sign off for now and go pick up the pieces. LOL

[InkedMarie]

Sheryl, not sure why you’re having trouble finding ingredients. I googled Orijen dog food, clicked the first link (Orijen.com.ca I think), I chose dog food, clicked the first one which I think was Tundra. Scroll down til you see “fresh and regional ingredients” and click those words.

[L T]

From the site for Tundra Freeze Dried….
FRESH AND REGIONAL INGREDIENTS

Venison (ground with bone)*, duck (ground with bone) *, Steelhead trout*, bison (ground with bone) *, elk (ground with bone) *, quail (ground with bone) *, duck liver*, duck heart*, spinach greens*, pea fiber, bison tripe*, elk liver*, elk heart*, elk kidney*, ground sunflower seeds, whole pumpkin*, Butternut squash*, Imperator carrots*, cranberries*, blueberries*, blackberries*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, Red Heart plums*, Tilton apricots*, brown kelp*, mixed tocopherols, chicory root*, dandelion root*, summer savory, peppermint leaf*, ginger root*.

* FRESH AND PRESERVATIVE-FREE

SUPPLEMENTS
Iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate.

I haven’t fed the freeze dried just the kibble…it has a feeding guide within the literature…

[jella]

Dear LT, I finally found the list with ingredients. Thank you for your help. I did receive an email back from Orijen an Acana telling me that all their products including the treats contain alfalfa. Fiber for the dogs. What do you think about the alfalfa being in it? With so many pesticides, etc. in grains I am not sure. I didn’t realize that dogs needed extra fiber or that much. Still undecided about this one because of the alfalfa.

[L T]

Sheryl,

I would ask them about pesticides if you are worried. Given the caliber of food, not outsourced and human grade, I suspect they are pretty careful on all their ingredients. As I said, I feed Declan the Orijen Regional Red or Acana Ranchlands dry dog food. I have not used the freeze dried, but may give it a try at some point. To date, I have been very pleased with the food. Lisa

[DogFoodie]

Not all dogs need a lot of fiber. One of mine is fine with high fiber, the other (which is also the one with several food intolerances) would get terrible loose stool with high fiber.

Orijen is far from limited ingredient. Multiple animal proteins, plus all the extras… you’d be hard pressed to figure out what the dog was reacting to if the Orijen didn’t agree with him/her.

[Kathleen C]

I can’t seem to get back to the conversation I was involved in before about best non chicken dog food. So, I went into Merrick after having it recommended and found their grain free salmon/sweet potato. The fat, protein, carbs, and calorie per cup sound really good so I ordered a 4 lb bag which we will get Friday and see how he likes it. He’s still shaking his head and scratching at his ears after being on some meds from the vet so hopefully the change away from chicken will be our salvation.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Kathleen,

If you click on your own screen name, you’ll have an option to click on all of your posts. I think this might be the one you’re looking for: /forums/topic/poultry-free-grain-free-help/

[Kathleen C]

Thank you DogFoodie, but every time I try to get back to that topic the site tells me to sign in. I’ve signed in 3 times with no change. That’s the only topic I can’t get into that I’ve sent an answer to. It must be an internet glitch of some kind. I’m not going to worry about it.

[Judith S]

Hi Sheryl
My dog has allergies and I just switched to merrick. It is limited ingerdeints and grain free
It is highly recommended am also giving her a teaspoon of coconut oil

Hope this is helpful

[DogFoodie]

Sometimes when it asks me to sign in again, I just refresh the page and somehow magically, I’m signed in.

[jella]

Dear LT, Champion did get back with me right away about the alfalfa percentage. It is a very small amount 3 %. So I agree with you about they are probably careful (hopefully) about cleaning it out if it has been sprayed with pesticides. They have been really helpful and answered all the emails. The KiwiPeak company hasn’t even bothered to answer a question I wrote days ago. So I am going to try the 6 fish formula that the company rep suggested to try first. It was a lot cheaper than the freeze dried and my dog probably eats like your dog. I will try to look see what they suggest for his weight. Just ordered it from Chewy.com. So thank you for copying everything for me and getting right back to me so fast. I hope they ship fast, he is getting used to these fried hamburgers and special foods given to him each night. LOL Oh the vet said he wasn’t allergic to virgin coconut oil so maybe I can supplement this with his dry food. At least 1 Tbl. spoon full for his hair to grow back. I read where Virgin Coconut oil kills viruses, bacteria, and fungus infections in humans I am assuming it works the same way for dogs.

[jella]

DogFoodie, I understand what you are saying about it not having limited amount of ingredients. The rep suggested the 6 Fish Formula after I emailed her a list of all his allergies. She emailed that it had low fiber. I ordered a small bag on chewy.com to try this one first. The KiwiPeak company didn’t bother to email me after I emailed asking a question. I will try the other recommendations that the friends on here have suggested if this doesn’t work. He is allergic to Bahia grass and we have some in sections and St. Augustine in sections. He might have to have the allergy shots for grasses, trees, etc. to help his immune system get used to the triggers. He loves to track smells when he goes out to potty and I feel really bad about not letting him do that when he goes.

[L T]

Check your local (not chain) pet stores, they may stock this or get it in for you routinely. Champion has a free bag program after 10 bags your 11th is free. Doesn’t have to be the same kind, but the free will be the smallest size you have on the card. My local one in Virginia deals directly with Champion and manufacturers of other high quality food, in other words they don’t sell food you can find in the chains. Also, as I said before the feeding guide for Declan at 87lbs is 3 1/2 c daily. I feed him roughly 2 1/4 c daily and he has maintained that weight for over 1 1/2 yrs. He goes to doggy day care (play time) 3x week and is considered pretty active. My local pet store rep and I talked about the amount and he recommended factoring in other food/treats and underfeeding the kibble. Declan does not seem hungry, but as a typical Lab he will never turn down the opportunity for a morsel. Good luck. I have tried the 6 fish and it worked out fine (you definitely know it’s fish in the bag), but since Declan doesn’t have any allergies I went back to Regional Red (Orijen) or Ranchlands (Acana). Keep us posted!

[jella]

Hello Friends,
I just ordered the Krill Oil for dogs from Dr. Mercola / Dr. Karen Becker website. I get their newsletters each week. I give him about 10 quick squirts in his mouth or on a dog cookie. He really likes the taste and the Krill Oil seems to help. He seems more energetic and not scratching anymore. Has anyone given this to their dogs?

[jella]

LT, I will check to see if there are some specialty stores nearby. We mostly have chain stores all over Florida. The feed stores like to carry the grain brands. That is so nice that Declan gets to go to doggy day care three times a week to play with other dogs. We had two other labs one lived to 15 (chocolate), 16 (black) and then we rescued a cocker spaniel when he was about 6 yrs. The previous owners didn’t give him heart worm meds so our vet didn’t think he could take the tougher protocol so he just said give him a pill once a month and see how long he lives. He was so sweet and loved to boss Big Hoss around all the time! Hoss was so sweet to him. They played all the time. Big Hoss misses him so much and so do we. He lived just two years after that. I see the vet has built an indoor swimming pool and has dog swim play dates. I am going to take him there this summer. He loves to swim. I have never had a dog with allergies and I have had a lot of rescues and other dogs. So this was stumping me because I waited the longest time thinking it would go away because his first two years no sign of any trouble at all. Ate everything he wanted that was safe for dogs. Declan sounds like mine when it comes to looking for food. When he was only a year old he stood up reached his paws way back to the counter (it was far) and pushed in the floor the whole baked chicken! He had eaten a lot of it when I finally caught him! LOL Well he got reprimanded for doing it. Labs are so much fun. I have had german shepards and other dogs smaller in the past. This was our first time with labs and they have been so much fun! They can’t stand away from you and always want you teaching them new tricks, playing ball, etc.

[InkedMarie]

Sheryl,
If you mean ZiwiPeak, it took them four days to get back to me, but they did.

[Author]

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