Bulldog has severe food allergies, wanting to Change to raw diet

BrittanyStrange

New member
Sep 19, 2014
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Memphis, Tennessee, United States
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United states
Bulldog(s) Names
Dozer
Advise needed: My bulldog (Dozer) has very bad food allergies. His allergies causes his skin to become so dry and produce an awful odor. I know it is allergies and been to several different vets (which all want to put him on prescription hill z/d.) Now, my vet suggestion steroids as a fix. I do not want my dog on steroids the remainder of his life. I've tried several different varieties of dog food: prescription hill z/d (for a long time,) taste of the wild, earthborn, gold brand (I can't remember the name but bought from Petco,) a gluten free costco brand. The list of different dog foods goes on and on.


I'm seriously considering changing him to a raw diet so I know exactly what he's consuming. Does anyone have their bulldog on a raw diet that has bad food allergies? How do you know your Bully is consuming the nutrients he/she needs?


I've been to my vet and others many times. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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Welcome.... I tagged a few members that feed raw and can give some advice

best of luck to you and hope you find the right food for your sweet baby
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
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Oct 8, 2012
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Burlington, ON Canada
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Bulldozer and Blossom
:welcome4:Hi Brittany. Welcome to EBN. You will love it on this site, and will learn a lot. There is lots of great information and lots of really great people always willing to answer your questions, give advice, and share their experiences. Please post some pictures of your Dozer. I also have a Bulldozer, we call him Dozer for short. Im sorry i dont have any experience with raw feeding, but many members on here do, and someone should be along shirtly to give you some suggestions. My female Blossom has many allergies as well, she is allergic to chicken, salmon, beef, corn and grains. We switched her foods 4 times before we found one that she tolerated. She had the most sensitivity and reactions to chicken based foods, and that's when I started switching her proteins. We found Fromm's Dog Food by reading the Dog Fiod Ratings, and reading about other members experiences with Fromm's. we fed Fromm's Beef Fritatta, for the past 2 years, but then she started showing a few signs of allergies again, not as bad as before, but she was licking her paws, and scratching, and then Dozer, who had never shown any allergy symptoms started licking excessively, so bad that his paws were soggy, and they changed colour. I suspected yeast because, he smelled a little sour, and his paws turned a reddish colour. He also had goopy eyes. I switched them to Fromm's Lamb and Lentil about 2 months ago, and they are both doing really well on this food. Do you know what his allergies are? It can be a very frustrating process trying to figure out their allergies and finding a food that is both a good quality and one that they tolerate. It's just trial and error until you find the right one.
I give my guys some natural supplements that help with allergy symptoms. I give them 2 Tbsp's of plain unsweetened yogurt on their morning kibble everyday. This is a great source of Probiotics which is beneficial for digestion and it boosts the immune system. ( allergies are caused by an abnormal response to the immune system), so by boosting the Immune system they can fight infections, parasites and allergies better. I also add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar to their drinking water everyday. ACV has many health benefits. It is a natural anti inflammatory ( 99% of all diseases including Arthritis are caused by inflammation in the body), it kills the bad bacteria in the body, so again boosts the immune system, and it balances the Ph levels of the blood. I also add 1 Tbsp. of Coconut Oil to their evening kibble, this is an excellent source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which is good for the skin, coat, bones and joints, as well as the brain. Once you find a food that she tolerates, you can add one or all of these if you like, but if you decide to do so, add one new supplement at a time and for a whole week, before adding a new one, that way if she has a reaction or doesn't tolerate one of them, you will know exactly which one it was that caused the reaction, and you won't have to guess. Good luck, I hope you find a food for her soon, and her symptoms go away.
 

RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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In my opinion elimination diet is the way to go, raw or home cooked. In the beginning you don't have to worry about all the nutrients, that will come later, but you need to find out what foods he is not allergic to. If you decide to feed raw you should choose one source of protein (preferably something he hasn't had before) and feed only that until you see improvement. You can choose one veggie as well and zucchini is very mild. Steam it or freeze it or both and mix it with the meat. If you don't see any improvement in 2-3 weeks switch to different protein source and if you see improvement add another. But remember to always give or take one ingredient at the time so you will know what causes the possible reaction. Early on you can try giving him some multivitamins, but again, introduce one new thing at the time.
 

Kevikell

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Jun 9, 2014
241
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Atlanta, Georgia
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I am making the switch to Raw myself. I was worried about nutrients too so I decided to buy a commercial version called Answers Straight Pork. It only has meat, organs and bone in it which is why I decided to try it. My girl is allergic to chicken but now I am wondering if she has developed an allergy to fish or if she's possibly reacting to the additives in the processed kibble. I don't know how this will work for us but many people say it makes a huge difference in their pets. If you're afraid of getting the science of the nutrients down maybe you can try something like I am that has very limited ingredients until you find what works best for your baby.
 

Dexter21

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Nov 17, 2013
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USA
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Dexter
Went through the same with Dexter. You are not alone. He has had 4 steroid shots in the past 6 months which help a lot and make his skin clear up and his eyes are bright white not the usual red and watery. Just made the switch to NVI RAW. The rabbit one is supposed to be the best for him but VERY expensive ($65/ 12 patties). He is on the beef one for now and so far so good. It's too early to tell if it's the answer to his skin issues. He absolutely loves it but my wallet is not. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411336523.664572.jpg
 

yulia

New member
Oct 20, 2014
143
5
Boulder, CO
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Boulder, Colorado, USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Kira
Advise needed: My bulldog (Dozer) has very bad food allergies. His allergies causes his skin to become so dry and produce an awful odor. I know it is allergies and been to several different vets (which all want to put him on prescription hill z/d.) Now, my vet suggestion steroids as a fix. I do not want my dog on steroids the remainder of his life. I've tried several different varieties of dog food: prescription hill z/d (for a long time,) taste of the wild, earthborn, gold brand (I can't remember the name but bought from Petco,) a gluten free costco brand. The list of different dog foods goes on and on.


I'm seriously considering changing him to a raw diet so I know exactly what he's consuming. Does anyone have their bulldog on a raw diet that has bad food allergies? How do you know your Bully is consuming the nutrients he/she needs?


I've been to my vet and others many times. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

As a nutritional consultant (for humans, however :)), I take what I call "silent" food allergies very seriously. In my opinion, this is the leading cause of chronic health conditions, including many auto-immune conditions in people. So I would assume the same applies to dogs. I strongly believe in what I call 'species-specific' diet--be it a mammal, reptile, bird or fish--which means eating what a particular species is anthropologically and evolutionally designed to eat. Sometimes, when I give my nutritional talks I draw an analogy by asking people to imagine walking in a zoo and seeing that a deer is being fed meat. Then, as they keep walking, they see a tiger being fed a meal of yummy broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, cauliflower, strawberries, blueberries and kale. I mean, what's wrong with kale, it is good for you, right? Well, it is good for YOU, but it is not a part of tiger's species-specific diet. So even if meat fed to a deer is organic & grassfed and the produce fed to a tiger is organic locally grown, after a while on such diet we will have one sick deer and one sick tiger. It is the same with every species. Some species--like humans or perhaps even dogs--can tolerate acceptable substitute foods better than other species, but their body will always have to work harder to compensate for the non-optimal diet and sooner or later it will reach the tipping point (and that's when things usually start to get ugly health-wise). So I would strongly suggest stitching a dog with allergies (or any other dog, for that matter) to their species specific diet: a diet of raw meat, raw organ meat, raw bone (especially soft bones that can be consumed entirely), bone free salt water (or previously frozen salmon) fish. Be sure that all meat you buy is minimum free of artificial hormones, antibiotics, pink slime and preservatives (something that cheap conventional stores may spray meats so it stays fresh longer). Since your dog has many allergies, I would feed with one kind of meat for about a week or two (beef and buffalo, for instance), them another kind of meat for another two weeks (like chicken and turkey) and another two weeks with another kind (like lamb). This will give you enough time to see if any particular kind of meat is an issue for your dog (though normally it shouldn't be, but once immune system has gone wacky due to years of incorrect diet it might be more reactive than usual). Be sure to 100% exclude all grain, especially any gluten containing grains and foods. Good luck!
 

minibull

Member
Sep 4, 2014
165
12
Midwestern USA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Buttercup
Advise needed: My bulldog (Dozer) has very bad food allergies. His allergies causes his skin to become so dry and produce an awful odor. I know it is allergies and been to several different vets (which all want to put him on prescription hill z/d.) Now, my vet suggestion steroids as a fix. I do not want my dog on steroids the remainder of his life. I've tried several different varieties of dog food: prescription hill z/d (for a long time,) taste of the wild, earthborn, gold brand (I can't remember the name but bought from Petco,) a gluten free costco brand. The list of different dog foods goes on and on.


I'm seriously considering changing him to a raw diet so I know exactly what he's consuming. Does anyone have their bulldog on a raw diet that has bad food allergies? How do you know your Bully is consuming the nutrients he/she needs?


I've been to my vet and others many times. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I hope you have found a solution by now. If not, I wonder if a trial of removing all animal protein might help calm Dozer's allergies. Or a prescription hydrolyzed animal protein diet (I think the only two brands that make this are Science Diet and Royal Canine). Then you could more accurately test which animal protein(s) he can tolerate once he is back at baseline. Right now his immune system may be so sensitized that it overreacts to proteins he might otherwise tolerate.

It may sound extreme, but after less than a week on V-dog vegetarian dog food, Buttercup's allergy symptoms have dramatically improved. Her awful odor is gone and she is shedding ~80% less. No more pink face, nasal congestion, and watery bloodshot eyes after she eats. And no more smelly toots...so far.

She had a severe allergic reaction so we were desperate to find the cause, and now it seems her salmon food likely at least contributed. The V-dog food has taurine and L-carnitine. She adores the taste and gets so excited at kibble time, then begs for more after she finishes. I also add 1.25 tsp apple cider vinegar to her kibble but I did this with her old limited ingredient food, too.

We considered a raw diet, but I wasn't sure what to feed her that she would tolerate and also get everything she needs. If this food doesn't work out for her we may go raw next time after a round of allergy testing.
 
Last edited:

dieMuttivonBifi

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May 25, 2013
1,817
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Germany
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from the Philippines but residing in Germany
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I hope you have found a solution by now. If not, I wonder if a trial of removing all animal protein might help calm Dozer's allergies. Or a prescription hydrolyzed animal protein diet (I think the only two brands that make this are Science Diet and Royal Canine). Then you could more accurately test which animal protein(s) he can tolerate once he is back at baseline. Right now his immune system may be so sensitized that it overreacts to proteins he might otherwise tolerate.

It may sound extreme, but after less than a week on V-dog vegetarian dog food, Buttercup's allergy symptoms have dramatically improved. Her awful odor is gone and she is shedding ~80% less. No more pink face, nasal congestion, and watery bloodshot eyes after she eats. And no more smelly toots...so far.

She had a severe allergic reaction so we were desperate to find the cause, and now it seems her salmon food likely at least contributed. The V-dog food has taurine and L-carnitine. She adores the taste and gets so excited at kibble time, then begs for more after she finishes. I also add 1.25 tsp apple cider vinegar to her kibble but I did this with her old limited ingredient food, too.

We considered a raw diet, but I wasn't sure what to feed her that she would tolerate and also get everything she needs. If this food doesn't work out for her we may go raw next time after a round of allergy testing.


One has to know that if a dog is allergic to a protein in kibble it won't be necessarily be the same in raw. Dogs can't really digest veggies therefore can't absorb nutrients from them. Well they can but then you have to cook or puree the vegetables but by then the natural vitamins you want your dog to have would be already gone. I agree with [MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION]. Protein elimination would be the way to go, but unlike her i don't give vegetables (there are alot of ways to feed raw). Stick to one protein for atleast two weeks to three weeks if there's no reaction then you're good to go. Dogs can produce they're own Taurine so Taurine in their food is just redundant and excessive. Also if your dog has allergy, i would just give plain white vinegar than AVC because of ACV's sugar content.
 

Marine91

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May 15, 2013
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One has to know that if a dog is allergic to a protein in kibble it won't be necessarily be the same in raw. Dogs can't really digest veggies therefore can't absorb nutrients from them. Well they can but then you have to cook or puree the vegetables but by then the natural vitamins you want your dog to have would be already gone. I agree with [MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION]. Protein elimination would be the way to go, but unlike her i don't give vegetables (there are alot of ways to feed raw). Stick to one protein for atleast two weeks to three weeks if there's no reaction then you're good to go. Dogs can produce they're own Taurine so Taurine in their food is just redundant and excessive. Also if your dog has allergy, i would just give plain white vinegar than AVC because of ACV's sugar content.
I couldn't agree with you more. Harlea is allergic to processed chicken, duck, salmon and lamb. When we switched to cooked for her she has been fine will everything but the lamb.
 

yulia

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Oct 20, 2014
143
5
Boulder, CO
Country
Boulder, Colorado, USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Kira
One has to know that if a dog is allergic to a protein in kibble it won't be necessarily be the same in raw.

Very true!

As a nutritional consultant who has to constantly undo health damage caused by vegan diet (which I consider to be very unhealthy, especially in children and child baring age women) in vegan-overpopulated Boulder, I would always advice against vegan diet for dogs. It is no different than feeding a tiger or a lion broccoli, blueberries and cabbage or feeding meet to a deer. it is not a species specific diet and therefore, will not meet animals nutritional needs for optimal health.
 

RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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535
Sysmä
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Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
I agree. Even if the allergie symptoms go away it is not other wise healthy to feed vegan diet to an animal who is supposed to eat mainly meat.

Very true!

As a nutritional consultant who has to constantly undo health damage caused by vegan diet (which I consider to be very unhealthy, especially in children and child baring age women) in vegan-overpopulated Boulder, I would always advice against vegan diet for dogs. It is no different than feeding a tiger or a lion broccoli, blueberries and cabbage or feeding meet to a deer. it is not a species specific diet and therefore, will not meet animals nutritional needs for optimal health.
 

minibull

Member
Sep 4, 2014
165
12
Midwestern USA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Buttercup
I agree. Even if the allergie symptoms go away it is not other wise healthy to feed vegan diet to an animal who is supposed to eat mainly meat.

Thank you and others here for your advice. It is a relief to know that kibble "meat" may be more allergenic than unadulterated meat. I'm a real food believer so don't think kibble represents an ideal diet for dog or otherwise. However, her allergies were so severe they caused airway swelling in addition to severe facial swelling and whole body hives. So for us this V-dog food is wonderful. Her breathing is much better and she snores so much less now (similar to after her steroid injection) and has much more energy to run and play.

Our vet, who keeps up with the scientific literature and whom we really trust, said the V-dog food can't hurt. Certainly short-term it is the best option for us and I'm ok with being judged negatively here in favor of the benefits I've seen. Allergies are just the tip of an iceberg and reflect high inflammation levels systemically. Again, I thank all here for the information you've shared and will consider a real food protein choice either through elimination diet or based on her allergy testing.
 

nycbullymama

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Dec 22, 2012
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b and w
Thank you and others here for your advice. It is a relief to know that kibble "meat" may be more allergenic than unadulterated meat. I'm a real food believer so don't think kibble represents an ideal diet for dog or otherwise. However, her allergies were so severe they caused airway swelling in addition to severe facial swelling and whole body hives. So for us this V-dog food is wonderful. Her breathing is much better and she snores so much less now (similar to after her steroid injection) and has much more energy to run and play.

Our vet, who keeps up with the scientific literature and whom we really trust, said the V-dog food can't hurt. Certainly short-term it is the best option for us and I'm ok with being judged negatively here in favor of the benefits I've seen. Allergies are just the tip of an iceberg and reflect high inflammation levels systemically. Again, I thank all here for the information you've shared and will consider a real food protein choice either through elimination diet or based on her allergy testing.

One of mine also has very severe allergies.

We did quality kibble, quality commercial raw (for 6 months) and have tried nearly ever protein out there (except for the exotics), nothing worked.

While I do believe that a quality raw diet is best, I've also learned that high quality formulas may not always agree with our bulldogs. So I say, if you found something that works for your dog, stick with it. In fact, buy stock in it to make sure it never goes out of business!!
 

MamalovesChevy

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Nov 4, 2014
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Hello Brittany,
My EB, Chevy, has many many allergies - food and environmental. I had to definitively know 'what' by ordering a blood test. This helped me to know what to avoid in his food as well as environment (bark, cedar beds, cat hair, mold, fleas, house flies) and they also provided a full listing of foods that he could eat based upon the outcome.

Alternately, though, we went raw. Best book I've found to help with this initially-challenging cutover: "Switching to Raw" by Susan K. Johnson.

Additionally, while I got caught up in all the right ingredients for his diet, while still seeing growing itching and excessive licking as well as redness from head to toe, I forgot to recall how easy it is for EBs to get yeast or bacterial types of dermatitis on their skin. There are other great treatments for this - dietarily as well as topically - as seen in videos right on this website. As soon as I tackled yeast issues, things turned around quickly. I'm still going to stick with raw food for now though as I know the longer term benefits with that.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any questions about my experiences on the path to raw.
 

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