Help Needed! I can't seem to find the right food! Vomiting/hives

[Millistroni]

I've become increasingly frustrated with my four-year old bulldog's food allergies and now I feel like I'm just blindly picking a new dog food. I'm hoping that someone here can point me in a better direction. I was feeding Millie Nature's Choice Lamb for about a year. No issues until about six months ago. Millie started vomiting almost everyday for about 2 weeks. It was typically hours after eating and came with full hives. It was typically bile and once she got going it could happen 4-6 times in a row. I kept her off food for a day and then started boiling chicken and rice (suggested by a vet) and feeding her benadry.

Then she started vomiting the chicken and rice. The vet suggested a more limited "hypoallergenic food". Petfood warehouse suggested a brand named Zignature limited ingredient and suggested I stick with lamb. The food has:


"Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Chickpeas, Natural Flavors, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Salt, Chorine Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Poteinate, Cobalt Proteinate), Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Blueberries, Carrots, Cranberries, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols".

After swapping to this food the vomiting stopped and no signs of allergy. 2 30 lb bags later and BOOM vomiting and hives all over again. Went back to my pet food warehouse and they suggest switching to the salmon/trout version of zignature limited ingredient.


"Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Chickpeas, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Natural Flavors, Salmon Oil, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Salt, Chorine Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Poteinate, Cobalt Proteinate), Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Blueberries, Carrots, Cranberries, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols."


1 day later and I woke up again to vomiting/lipsmacking the salmon/trout (4 hours after feeding).


Has anyone had any similar experiences? What should I try next?
Does anyone know a good way to clean vomit from a mattress haha

 

[ddnene]

to EBN!!! I'm so sorry about your food troubles, I'm going to tag some food experts on this… I will say that if your baby can NOT tolerate chicken you could use sirloin, most bullies do tolerate beef. I hope that you can get this resolved soon… Have you ever considered raw food?!! I'm going to tag our raw experts too…

 

[TyTysmom]

@Millistroni - Hi & Welcome

Few questions for you:
-I know you said she vomits bile, does she ever regurgitate her kibble as well?
-Have you ever had her palate checked?
-Has the vet examined her for any possible obstruction?
-How do you currently feed her? Regular bowl on floor? Does she inhale her food?
-Does she show any signs of lethargy? How is her poop? Water intake?

With their pallates - elongated soft pallate has symptoms like coughing, gagging, vomiting. If you are currently feeding her in a regular bowl, on the floor - I would try a slow feeder bowl - raised. The slow feeder bowl will force her to eat slowly, and the bowl being raised will help with digestion.

(just for example)

Obstruction - did the vet check her belly to to make sure there were no foreign objects? Our Tyson had eaten socks - we had no clue - Until he starting vomiting non stop. He held the socks in his stomach for nearly a month before he started showing signs. Is there anyway possible she could have eaten anything?

I know this reply is long, just trying to get a few more details. Personally, for us, after Tyson had surgery his stomach was never the same. We went through multiple foods in hopes of finding one that was best for allergies, but more importantly his stomach. His stomach was so messed up from the socks, that he had bad bad reflux, would lip smack ALL THE TIME, couldn't sleep well, his belly made noises constantly, and he would vomit bile alot. We finally kicked the kibble, and went raw. I would say that about 3 days into raw, alot of his symptoms disappeared. We also put him on a very good probiotic to help with his digestion, and to settle his belly. It was amazing. Now, I know raw is not the cheapest, esp compared to kibble, but for us, it was so worth it. The benefits far exceeded buying new kibble every other month, vet visits, and more than anything a dog who didn't feel well

 

[nycbullymama]

How fast did you switch out the lamb with the salmon? For a very sensitive dog, I'd do a very slow switch - at least 2 weeks before fully going salmon.
[MENTION=9370]brutus77[/MENTION] has a bulldog with similar issues. He's on Honest Kitchen now and it's one of the few foods that he doesn't vomit from. She can give you more info.

 

[Millistroni]

thanks for the detailed reply.

Millie does suck down all her food pretty quickly. She throws up mostly yellow bile but sometimes a little of whole kibble. I've been feeding her in a regular bowl just directly on the ground around 7am and 8pm . I've never had the vet check her palate because we both associated the hives with food allergy. A long time ago they checked for an obstruction but found nothing. This seems so recurrent and long term to me. Her stool and water-intake are normal in my mind.

I'm worried raw is slowly becoming the best option although without chicken I fear the cost/time involved.

 

[Millistroni]

I was told that I could switch immediately if swapping between the same brand ... if the difference was simply the protein?

It almost seems like suddenly she can't tolerate the food so slowly switching is only dragging out the problem.

 

[nycbullymama]

I was told that I could switch immediately if swapping between the same brand ... if the difference was simply the protein?

It almost seems like suddenly she can't tolerate the food so slowly switching is only dragging out the problem.

I know some dog foods, like Fromms Grain Free line allows it but they say so on their site. I just checked Zignatures and this is what is says:

"How long is the transition period?

While it’s perfectly safe to stop feeding your dog’s food one day and introduce Zignature® the next day; a gradual introduction from your dog’s previous food is recommended. Especially if your dog has previously been fed a high grain, corn, wheat or soy diet for years. A gradual introduction, while continuing to feed some of your dog's previous diet makes it easier for your companion’s digestive system to acclimate and not cause stomach upsets. The full transition period should take no longer than 14 days. "

So while it says it's especially important if switching from a high grain etc. brand, it would also apply to it's own food line.

 

[TyTysmom]

thanks for the detailed reply.

Millie does suck down all her food pretty quickly. She throws up mostly yellow bile but sometimes a little of whole kibble. I've been feeding her in a regular bowl just directly on the ground around 7am and 8pm . I've never had the vet check her palate because we both associated the hives with food allergy. A long time ago they checked for an obstruction but found nothing. This seems so recurrent and long term to me. Her stool and water-intake are normal in my mind.

I'm worried raw is slowly becoming the best option although without chicken I fear the cost/time involved.

Please try a slow feeder & raised - they sell them at Petco or Petsmart - I bet that would help alot! Try that and see how she does, also add a little water to her kibble to soften it up a bit.

We do commercial raw - we don't have the time, space, nor tools to do it ourselves. Tyson eats Stella & Chewy patties. We do the beef, and the surf & turf. The Honest Kitchen is also another option, we have a 2 members would feed it and do well on it as well.

Please keep us posted on her progress. Also - how much are you feeding at each meal? What does she weigh?

 

[nycbullymama]

Are you absolutely positive they're all food allergies? Bulldogs generally have a combination of food and environmental. For such a severe reaction to start after a year of feeding the food (Natures Choice), I'm wondering if it could have been something else..

 

[RiiSi]

Could also be an inflamed esophagus. May I suggest that you try feeding her smaller meals 3 or even 4 times a day and giving her some Pepcid or such half an hour after meals and before bed time.

 

[Millistroni]

Are you absolutely positive they're all food allergies? Bulldogs generally have a combination of food and environmental. For such a severe reaction to start after a year of feeding the food (Natures Choice), I'm wondering if it could have been something else..

I'm not sure. She doesn't get itchy eyes or paws so I've always associated the stomach issues/hives with food.

Any other ideas?

- - - Updated - - -

Could also be an inflamed esophagus. May I suggest that you try feeding her smaller meals 3 or even 4 times a day and giving her some Pepcid or such half an hour after meals and before bed time.

Maybe the time between meals is too much for her? I've heard of dogs overproducing bile and this upsetting the stomach. I could try to feed smaller portions and more frequently.

- - - Updated - - -

Please try a slow feeder & raised - they sell them at Petco or Petsmart - I bet that would help alot! Try that and see how she does, also add a little water to her kibble to soften it up a bit.

We do commercial raw - we don't have the time, space, nor tools to do it ourselves. Tyson eats Stella & Chewy patties. We do the beef, and the surf & turf. The Honest Kitchen is also another option, we have a 2 members would feed it and do well on it as well.

Please keep us posted on her progress. Also - how much are you feeding at each meal? What does she weigh?

I'm going to try a slow feeder and will mix water. She eats 1 cup 2x a day and is around 40lbs.

 

[TyTysmom]

@Millistroni

Also, raise the bowl. You really don't need to buy a raised feeder if you have something like a box or stool you could put the bowl on top of. Just make sure the bowl is about even with her neck/chest - you don't want her to struggle eating, but raised could definitely benefit her. -- Its also great long term for her neck/etc because she's not having to bend down to eat. She may hesitate at first, but she'll get the hang of it. Smaller meals are good too - or a small snack in between meals - once she can keep the food down you may not need to do that. She could be hungry if she's vomiting it up, therefore leaving her belly empty. Try one thing at a time. I'd start with slow feeder / raised / and maybe smaller meals 3 or 4 times a day - and see how that goes.

 

[nycbullymama]

It's so hard to say. I tagged Rosalie (brutus77) so she can give you her opinion since her bulldog Brutus had the same issues with food.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, everyone above has given great advice and suggestions. I have two EB's with allergy issues, they are allergic to chicken, salmon, beef, and sensitive to corn and grains. They both showed many symptoms like itch paws, excessive licking, yeasty ears, goopy eyes, diarrhea, and hives, but they never had vomiting. It really is trial and error to find a food that they tolerate. I switched our guys food 4 times before I found one that worked, and even then they became allergic to beef after 2 years of being on it. They were on Fromms Beef Fritatta for 2 years and then started showing allergy symptoms. Dozer was a mess, he started to shed like crazy, had hives, his eyes were very goopy and red, he had yeasty ears, and he licked his paws excessively to the point that they were always soggy, and they changed colour. I switched them to Fromms Lamb and Lentil and they are doing well on this food, it isn't 100% perfect, they will still lick their paws sometimes, but no hives or other allergy symptoms. I may have to switch them again in the future if they become allergic to this food. It is always best to do a slow transition between food changes to avoid upset an upset tummy or diarrhea. it is best to do it over two weeks, start with 2/3 of the old food with 1/3 of the new food for a few days, then 1/2 of the old food with 1/2 of the new food, for a few days, then 1/3 of the old food with 2/3 of the new food, and then finally all new food. I would also find a good probiotic or add a couple of Tbsp's of plain yogurt to the kibble everyday to help boost his immune system and aid with digestion. Have you considered having him allergy tested to see exactly what he is allergic to? This will give you a list of his allergies and eliminate the guess work of trying to find out his allergies. I hope you find a food he can tolerate, and I understand that the process is frustrating. Please keep us updated.

 

[2BullyMama]

This doe sound like Rosalie's boy all over again.... she went Honest Kitchen and he is doing awesome! She is tagged tot he thread and can give some insight when she logs in.

Hope you find the right food soon...