Decision time

The kids have been on raw for a year now. They started off really well but Roxy who never particularly suffered from allergies is itchy and has bumps these days and Vinny's poor excema just looks so sore and he doesn't stop scratching I don't want to keep pumping him with cortisone either.

So here's what I've been thinking: chicken can be a big factor in food allergies. Their main staple on raw has been chicken as we simply don't get the variety like you guys in the rest of the world. It saddens me as I know how awesome a raw diet is for them. (I've also recently read about the amount of sodium that is injected into chicken to preserve it and that worries me).

I've spent time doing research this weekend, though and was super excited to find Fish 4 Dogs in a few of our local pet shops. A little more research and I've found a local variety, also fish based, and very similar to F4D. I've been trying them on it and they love it. And the itching is already lessening ever so slightly.

So it looks like it might be back to dry feeding for us. But they'll still get their beefy bones as treats just like they've always done and the odd raw meal when I can find good quality stuff. I won't stop including things like honey, coconut oil, apple cider etc either.

I just hope all the itchies and allergies clear up as much as possible - it's so sad when we see our furbabies suffering!

Did you do a google search for raw distributors locally? I did find this http://www.dogmatters.co.za/changing-to-raw/our-products/ and the have other things other than chicken
Maybe contact the guy from Joberg http://www.dogmatters.co.za/distribution/agents/

I can understand the chicken allergy as a couple of our dogs were allergic to it as well. If you're going to switch to dry food, ours always did well with the grain free type (taste of the wild bison and canidae pure land) with human grade meat ingredients without fillers and other crap.

Hopefully you can find a local distributor of raw products so you don't have to stop. Another thought I had was maybe contacting some of the game & hunting reserves and asking what they do with the animals killed.

Aww that's such a shame after the initial chicken weeks I don't really feed Darcy it now, more because she doesn't like it the only chicken she will eat is carcass. It's rally sad Hun, I'm not sure how the pups will react but Darcy had terrible allergies even on the fish based grain free kibble. Xx

Thanks for that Diane - I had looked into that link a while ago and contacted them - seems most of their products are the minced variety which my two aren't fans of. They're also heavily chicken based (not all the products though). I tried them on something like that when we were first going into raw and they wouldn't touch it. It also worked out very pricey.

I must admit I'm not familiar with game reserves where we are, but great idea

Yes, I agree totally with grain-free should we go completely the dry route. I've done extensive research and even been lucky enough to write a lot of material on dry and raw (shop assistants don't normally like when I start speaking to them   )

Thanks so much for the advise.

_Hayley_ wrote:Aww that's such a shame :(after the initial chicken weeks I don't really feed Darcy it now, more because she doesn't like it :(the only chicken she will eat is carcass. It's rally sad Hun, I'm not sure how the pups will react but Darcy had terrible allergies even on the fish based  grain free kibble. Xx

Aw poor Darc I'm also trying out the grain-free fish kibble so will see how it goes. It's been really frustrating as I'm finding less and less variety (I wonder if it's just too expensive for shops to stock) and we don' t have a great deal of proper old fashioned butchers. So I can get beefy bones, occasionally lamb bones, often pork bones and then there's chicken, chicken and more chicken in all shapes and forms    I'm not too keen on pet minces that shops chuck together as I don't know what goes into it. Game meat is incredibly expensive as is beef and chicken has even gone up. We only get turkey at christmas time. And even when chicken was ok, I'd be met with looks of complete disbelief asking for carcasses or backs They do love tripe but it's pretty pricey too so it's an occassional treat.

Very sad, but let's hope they thrive moving over. I have to try my best for them.

Have Darcy's allergies settled a bit now?

Yes Hun your doing your best and that's what's important here it's such a shame you can't source meats like we can and hopefully they settle on the kibble well and as you say they can still have the occasional raw treat tbh Hun up and down! It's only ever really been her paws and even on raw they swing from really good for weeks to really bad for weeks and IMO if they have allergies they have them! we just have to manage it as best we can xx

_Hayley_ wrote:tbh Hun up and down! It's only ever really been her paws and even on raw they swing from really good for weeks to really bad for weeks and IMO if they have allergies they have them! we just have to manage it as best we can xx

  for Darcy. I agree - wiping down every time they've been outside; antihistamines, etc all do their bit to help them manage the scratchies!

It must be awful for them mustn't it! Having a constant itch! It'd drive me bonkers   

Luckily Rox isn't as bad and her skin settles really quickly, but poor Vin, his tum and legs are raw at the minute. Sudocream helps a lot to soothe it (thanks to forum advise!). And where he'd scratched his nipple really badly is healing, luckily. But the nights are worse and he can scratch for ages given half the chance. Looking forward to winter now and dry grass, cooler days to make it easier for them x

Aww for poor vin can you get anthisan over there Hun it's an antihistamine cream may do his tummy good. Xx

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=anthisan+cream&tag=hydrukspg-21&index=aps&hvadid=36510691441&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5393747415875979636&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=m&ref=pd_sl_7o53scpgen_b

We do get it - thanks hun - I'll pop out to get some in a bit Used to use it all the time as a kid for mosquito bites, it's great stuff.

When Darcy's had hives in the past I've used it it's fab for calming things down

We were given some sample Fish4Dogs food which we gave to Bane as treats and he loved them Gave him super stinky fish breath though

Hopefully you manage to find something they like and that doesn't make them itchy

I hope it helps hun   xx

Hope the change goes well and sorts the babes out hun. Vin has a major allergy to chicken too xx

Hey, can you get nature diet there? A friend of mine has a very sensitive little terrier who can't tolerate lamb and isn't great with chicken. She gets really sensitive skin and very itchy. She had an allergy test done and she's allergic to SO much stuff! Tried fish4dogs and Fishmongers (P@H's own brand) and still had problems. She researched and researched and the only food that didn't have anything dodgy in it was Nature Diet. I also feed Biscuit on it as she has very sensitive skin and I don't have a freezer big enough to feed raw at the moment and her skin is perfect, coat's so shiny too and keeps the weight on her.

http://www.naturediet.co.uk/naturediet/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ND_FACT_NaturedietVsotherpetfoods.pdf

Have a read I buy in bulk and it costs me about 50p a tray. Don't go by the feeding guidelines, Biscuit eats about half a tray for each meal plus kongs etc throughout the day and is at her perfect weight. I use oatmeal/anti fungal shampoo for calming skin too x

^^^ I feed nature diet too Rach and Vins coat is fab, also has vastly improved his skin conditions   

Ooh which one's do you feed with his chicken intolerance? The fish one stinks  

Rachel33 wrote:Hey, can you get nature diet there? A friend of mine has a very sensitive little terrier who can't tolerate lamb and isn't great with chicken. She gets really sensitive skin and very itchy. She had an allergy test done and she's allergic to SO much stuff! Tried fish4dogs and Fishmongers (P@H's own brand) and still had problems. She researched and researched and the only food that didn't have anything dodgy in it was Nature Diet. I also feed Biscuit on it as she has very sensitive skin and I don't have a freezer big enough to feed raw at the moment and her skin is perfect, coat's so shiny too and keeps the weight on her.

http://www.naturediet.co.uk/naturediet/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ND_FACT_NaturedietVsotherpetfoods.pdf

Have a read :)I buy in bulk and it costs me about 50p a tray. Don't go by the feeding guidelines, Biscuit eats about half a tray for each meal plus kongs etc throughout the day and is at her perfect weight. I use oatmeal/anti fungal shampoo for calming skin too x

Hey Rach, thanks so much for that. Have had a look around and doesn't look like we get it. Compared to the forum people over here seem very ignorant to dog foods! We also use an oatmeal shampoo that works a trick x

Rachel33 wrote:Ooh which one's do you feed with his chicken intolerance? The fish one stinks  

He has the Lamb and the Rabbit and Turkey Rach yes the fish ons are rank!   

The fish kibble I've found now also do a grain-free lamb flavour. Worth a try perhaps