Desperate for advice: starting to think there is nothing Walter can eat

[WaltsMom]

Hey guys.

I'm frustrated. My 1.5 year old bully has had food allergies since I got him as a puppy. Most recently he was on Natural Balance sweet potato and fish and he was "ok" on it but had yeast, severe tear stains and just was not 100% not to mention he lost interest in the food and began to get an ear infection. So we switched him to TOTW bison and venison, and halfway through the bag his ear infection got worse. Took him to the vet for antibiotics and ear goo to clear it up and it didnt completely clear the infection and itching and licking, so before his first large TOTW bag ran out I went to the food ratings page on here and got a 6 star food to transistion him to and started just yesterday. I got Natures Variety Lid Lamb and Pea. I know it is only the 1st day of transistioning the lamb in his diet, but im starting to take note of any reactions. He peed in the house twice which he hasnt done in months and he has a bump on his face about twi inches above his eye about 1" in diameter. Plus on his back and sides a few bumps popping up. We only did one feeding 1 cup of natures variety lamb with the 1 cup totw.

I should wait this out right? To see how he really does on the lamb? Can someone help me understand if lamb is a good option for allergies? We are feeling like potatoes, chicken, fish, are just not good for him and i was trying to find him something unrelated and it specifically says on the rating section that the NV rabbit isn't recommended by english bulldog news because it is sourced from china.

The breeder had him on purina proplan!!!

Here are foods I've tried since getting him at 3 mos all grain free
Wellness Puppy (loose stools)
Fromm Surf and Turf (allergic reaction requiring antibiotics)
Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish (allergic/ears, yeast, itch, licking, same as above)
Taste of the Wild bison and venison (did not improve allergy issue)
Natures Variety lid lamb and pea(1st day peed in house twice, large bump on face and few popping up on body)

Please post if you have experience with this!!!

 

[Hankster]

boy how frustrating this has to be... so hard on us when they are not feeling right,and its sure not from you not trying !! So far we don't have those issues but, I know a lot here do like the Fromm pork and peas, and then theres Acana which we really like, (and we, being in the usa can only get the Kentucky one and it's been great) and then theres the Honest Kitchen which you can get the base mix (other brands as well..... sojo's, Gramma lucy etc) and add your own protein or if you find the complete mix with ingredients you think he may do well with that already has the meat that makes it even that much easier. It's hard when you don't know if it's the protein or other stuff in it. Theres a few here who can help you narrow it down, and I wish you the best...

 

[WaltsMom]

Thank you for your reply. Im hoping i get more replies in but i am thinking since i just did one feeding i am just going to return the lamb. I havent ever seen a reaction like this from just one feeding so i may just consider it a treat and move on letting him stay on TOTW for a while.... i may do an allergy test or something. I dont know what to do!!!

 

[harveyspecter]

i just went to the vet because Harvey has been licking his paws and pads very aggressively. The allergy test is something to consider.

You are already giving him good quality food. Let's not focus on the food at this time but on the allergies. Go to the vet and request prescription for apoquel and cytopoint injection. That will relieve him of the itches. This has been helping my dog significantly.

 

[RiiSi]

Have you considered home cooking for him?

 

[oscarmayer]

get him allergy tested...blood test.
FWIW in the future...yeast infection thrives on a diet with potato, especially sweet potato
Consider a raw diet until you can get the allergy test done and decide based upon the results
Riisi mentioned home cooking, some have awesome results with this...done right, gives you complete control

 

[TyTysmom]

We went through this exact issues for MONTHS. I'm sure that we've tried just about every 5 & 6 star kibble on the market in every flavor. None, zero worked for us. The Honest Kitchen was our saving grace.... we opted for their base formula (Kindly) bc it has no sweet potato... and we added in the protein ourselves (extra lean ground beef) this was the only way we could control 100% when it came to protein. It was amazing, the change in a matter of just 1 week and a half.

Yes, its a little more work involved, I pre-prep his Honest Kitchen, and have to cook his meat weekly, but boy.... it was so amazingly worth it. He's been on THK now for over 2 yrs, and he wonderful on it, perfect poops too! I'd be leaning that way if I were you, its the closest to home cooking. Here's the link for you see the ingredients, etc. Again, you pick your own protein and cook at home then add to each meal with THK.

https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/kindly

 

[WaltsMom]

I just dont have time for a home cooked diet. I have 4 kids, hard enough to cook for them every night you know? Not to mention expensive...

 

[WaltsMom]

We went through this exact issues for MONTHS. I'm sure that we've tried just about every 5 & 6 star kibble on the market in every flavor. None, zero worked for us. The Honest Kitchen was our saving grace.... we opted for their base formula (Kindly) bc it has no sweet potato... and we added in the protein ourselves (extra lean ground beef) this was the only way we could control 100% when it came to protein. It was amazing, the change in a matter of just 1 week and a half.


Yes, its a little more work involved, I pre-prep his Honest Kitchen, and have to cook his meat weekly, but boy.... it was so amazingly worth it. He's been on THK now for over 2 yrs, and he wonderful on it, perfect poops too! I'd be leaning that way if I were you, its the closest to home cooking. Here's the link for you see the ingredients, etc. Again, you pick your own protein and cook at home then add to each meal with THK.

https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/kindly

What would you say your cost is with the ground meat?

 

[WaltsMom]

i just went to the vet because Harvey has been licking his paws and pads very aggressively. The allergy test is something to consider.

You are already giving him good quality food. Let's not focus on the food at this time but on the allergies. Go to the vet and request prescription for apoquel and cytopoint injection. That will relieve him of the itches. This has been helping my dog significantly.

Yeah.. he just finished the apoquel, but no injection. Maybe we will have to go back for that.

 

[2BullyMama]

Thank you for your reply. Im hoping i get more replies in but i am thinking since i just did one feeding i am just going to return the lamb. I havent ever seen a reaction like this from just one feeding so i may just consider it a treat and move on letting him stay on TOTW for a while.... i may do an allergy test or something. I dont know what to do!!!

If The Honest Kitchen is not an option... try Fromm Pork and Peas... grain free, no potatoes (white or sweet).

I did the blood allergy test for three of my bullies... it is amazing what they can be allergic to. if you decide to do the test, be sure your baby is off any type of immune suppression drug (prednisone, apaquel) for at least 30 days so you do not get false results.

 

[2BullyMama]

Yeah.. he just finished the apoquel, but no injection. Maybe we will have to go back for that.

if you have a choice of the apoquel or the CADI (cytopoint) shots.... go with the shots, there are no side effects from them at all. Lambeau is on them and he is doing great, but his allergies are mostly environmental. He is allergic to lamb, soy and potatoes, but I avoid those items in his diet so I know all his itching is from grass, tress, pollen and weeds.

 

[TyTysmom]

What would you say your cost is with the ground meat?

I buy the big rolls at the grocery store. (Lean)... it comes in 3lb rolls - $12 each. I buy 4 at a time generally.

 

[cefe13]

Poor Walt! Raw meat might be a good option. Castor's skin has been very good on raw lamb (meat and organ) but he was always hungry although he ate a lot so now he's on Orijen Adult and that works too. We soak the kibble in a little hot water (boiled water and then the kibble rests for half an hour when we're out) and then we add some dried carrots for his tummy before serving. For Castor the trick seems to be to avoid grain, beef, potato and (possibly) peas. With food that doesn't agree with him, Castor gets yeasty, itchy (ears) and loose stools.

Feeding raw doesn't take time, just some planning as you need to remember to thaw the meat if you buy frozen. For us it was about the same price as high quality kibble. I would try raw if you have only tried kibble so far.

 

[Cbrugs]

If you can, I suggest switching to raw. You probably want to avoid any kind of potatoes and maybe even peas (which can be hard). But starch turns to sugar and yeast feeds off of sugar.

There is a kibble that has no potatoes or peas in it that I was giving Jax before I switched him to raw. I can't remember the name right now but I will try to figure it out and let you know. Have you tried novel proteins (kangaroo, rabbit, etc.)?