[Lynn S]

I have done endless of hours researching so called grain free and starch free dog food. Since my one heeler as a yeast overgrowth. I came across one brand that said they had starch free dog food. I sent them an email after seeing it had potato protein in it. Potato protein is still a starch. A lot of grain free dog food as brown rice. Rice and brown rice is a grain. Just like oats and barely so its very important to read the ingredients. The same company puts Titanium dioxide in the canned dog food. Titanium dioxide (not metal titanium) is an inactive, insoluble material that makes things look whiter – it’s in many products, including food, paper, paint products. Why would I want to feed that to my dogs?

[anonymous]

It may be cost effective in the long run if you just make an appointment with a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Get intradermal skin testing, or whatever the specialist recommends, an accurate diagnosis and hopefully, effective treatment.

I doubt that the minute amounts of chemicals present in all processed foods are causing your dog’s problems.

The only potato free, grain free dog foods I am aware of are Nutrisca and Zignature.

If you are receptive to science based veterinary medicine go here. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

[Lynn S]

Skin scraping came back positive for yeast overgrowth. That’s why I have spent endless of hours researching the ingredients in both grain free and non grain free dog food. Since both carbs and starch are in both they suggested putting her on a raw food diet. By doing so she has improved a lot. Her fur and whiskers have grown back and no more non stop scratching. The smell from her ears and paws is gone

[Lynn S]

Wysong has what they call starch free. In the ingredients potato protein is listed. I researched potato protein and its a starch.

[kathleen p]

I have been looking for grain free, starch free and low carb food for my dog as well. There is a food that I have been using for about 8 months and it has worked wonders for my dog. It’s Sport Dog Food. Unfortunately they have recently changed the recipe because they moved to a larger facility but upped the quality/ingredients of their foods…now I have to try one of the newer ones and transition him gradually. Honestly they do have some awesome formulas that I plan on switching to. At the moment they only have large bags and it is expensive but I decided to go for the Tracking Dog formula…it’s closest to what I used before. Loki had teary eyes, loose stools, itchy skin, bad breath, etc. Switching to Sport Dog Food took care of all those issues! You really might want to look into it. The best way to do it is to type: sportdogfood.com…..all in one word. Hope you find something that works! Some of their foods do include potatoes/starch but not all of them, just check the ingredient list on all of them to see if one meets your needs. Good luck!

[sharon t]

Where did you find info that potato protein isolates are a starch?

[sharon l]

my dog and i both have autoimmune disease and our immune systems react to most foods and food additives … titanium dioxide being one of the worst.

Titanium dioxide, a common food additive found in candy, gum, bread, sunscreens, cosmetics and medications, has been shown in new research to alter digestive cell structure and function due to the damage it causes to the gut lining. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452074816301185

dog food, and human food, has been so adulterated with chemicals that our food is destroying our digestive systems and causing autoimmune disease.

raw food or low carb / no starch does best for my dogs … and myself.

[I love Dogs 2]

Hi Lynn,

*MYTH: Carbohydrates or sugar in your dog’s diet will “feed” the yeast and cause infections! “Anti-Yeast Diets, Anti-inflammatory Diets, Species Appropriate Diets”. Sugar and Carbohydrates (honey, corn syrup, tapioca, grains) must be avoided in the diet since they will perpetuate or cause a yeast imbalance on the skin.

*FACT: This is the biggest falsehood perpetuated by internet voices. Unfortunately, the loudest voice is a veterinarian. This statement has become viral among dog owners and these pet parents are adamant in their false belief.

The Facts & Myths about Yeast Dermatitis.. by Karen Helton Rhodes, DVM, DACVD
Terri Bonenberger, DVM, DACVD
Veterinary Dermatologists
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[sharon l]

Fact: carnivores did not evolve to eat grains, starches, and sugars … especially man made chemicals, and adulterated, versions of grains, starches, and sugars. Commercial dog food is nothing but carbs, sugars, chemicals and by products (beet pulp and tomato pomace). Human bodies can’t survive on that diet and neither can dogs. It doesn’t cause yeast, but is not healthy in anyway shape or form. Regardless of what someone wants to believe, or what dogma you adhere to, … illness is illness and unhealthy adulterated food is still unhealthy adulterated food. Give me the good old days when they made dog food with horse meat and beaks and feet … at least it was protein sources that could sustain a dog’s body … now it’s all junk food and it’s killing our dogs.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by sharon l.

[kathleen p]

I’m going to stand by my recommendation for Sport Dog Food! Loki has been on it now for months and transitioned well from their old recipe. He had no issues at all and still has no problem with itching, watery eyes, loose stools, bad breath, etc. He got an A+ at his yearly exam. She told me to keep doing whatever it is I’m doing and keep feeding him Sport Dog Food. Her words…”he’s beautiful and perfect”!

[sharon l]

That’s wonderful Kathleen! You must be so glad that Loki is doing so well on that food. What a relief it must be for you to have a food that works.

I am interested in that food, but I have a Great Pyrenees senior who doesn’t do much and it seems all of their formulas are based on working dogs so I wasn’t sure which one to try. My boy, Jack, does have itching, watery eyes, bad breath, and skin thickening around his mouth … I can’t get those symptoms to go away and I’ve tried so many things. Right now I feed him half Canidae Grain Free limited ingredient senior formula and half fresh meat. I have tried lots of different dry foods and the Canidae causes the least problems overall. I would prefer to just feed him all meat, but at a requirement of 1 1/2 lbs of meat a day I can’t process that much … or afford that much. Maybe I’ll email SportDogFood and ask for a suggestion.

[kathleen p]

Sharon on the Sport Dog Food site, if you scroll around you will be able to pick a food you’re interested in and calculate the amount of food you need to feed your dog based on weight and activity level. You would be able to use any of their foods for your dog. It will even let you know how many days the food will last! The best way to get a really quick response from them is on their Facebook page. They will definitely be able to help you make the right choice once you fill them in on all your concerns. Let me know if I can help with anything else! Non-working dogs can use this food as well as any other dog…low activity won’t be a problem.

[sharon l]

Wonderful! Thanks for the info Kathleen … and offer to help!

[kathleen p]

Hi Sharon! I was just wondering if you had any luck with the Sport Dog Food for your babies? Hope you were able to get some help with your concerns from them. Have a good one!

[sharon l]

I’m still looking. I guess I’m going to stick with Canidae Grain Free Senior for now. it’s similar to the sport dog (sled or herding dog), but without the cassava / yucca root, which is goitrogenic, blocks iodine metabolism, and contains lots of saponins which contribute to leaky gut. I have a hard time paying a small fortune for dog food that has the potential to cause more harm than good.

[dane g]

hi everyone. so we have a lab and live in south florida. that means constant ear infections as dogs with floppy ears, like our lab, have trapped moisture in their ears. my vet tells me the top reason dog patients visit centers around said ear infections. i was spending loads of cash and getting little benefit. so i went searching for a grain free and starch free dog food–its also 100% raw so nothing is ever cooked. while i do check in from time to time and see if there are others, to date, ive only found one and its pretty accessible (Amazon, Petco and et al). here is a link: https://www.instinctpetfood.com/raw-starts-here/what-is-raw

switching to this food had a *huge impact on our dogs ear health. while not fully curing the issue we went from two, constantly infected ears needing cleaning in upwards of 2-3 times a day to only one infected ear needing cleaning around 1-2 every week or two.

its not cheap but prices out about the same as any premium food and again, the only one ive ever found to be A) raw B) grain free and C) starch free

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by dane g. Reason: corrections

[InkedMarie]

Instinct is NOT 100% raw….unless I missed something, there is veggies and other ingredients. It’s fine to feed veggies if you want but that is not 100% raw. By the way, there are companies such as Raw Feeding Miami, Hare Today, My Pet Carnivore that are just raw.

[Sanne]

If the vegetables are raw then it is still 100% raw. It may not be 100% meat but it is still raw…

[InkedMarie]

I guess I don’t think of veggies as being in a raw diet whether they’re raw or not. JMO I’m sure not paying for additional veggies in the raw I buy.

[Author]

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