[Dailydrool] What's in the Cookin Pot? and food allergies

[dpmcquade at verizon.net]

Be aware, for those of you who have dogs who are allergic to grains, you can also feed dogs potatoes. Holly is allergic to just about every grain out there. So when her kidneys got to be on the borderline of having trouble, the vet suggested that I add rice into her diet, to reduce the protein level. He thought a second, realized that would make her itch, and suggested potato instead. She loves 'taters and heads for the kitchen as soon as she smells me baking them in the microwave.

For Morse, you may have to do an elimination diet, Becky, to see what is causing the trouble. Over here in the USA there are some brands of food that have a limited number of ingredients. If you can find one in your country that Morse will eat, you may be able to go from there. If the allergies ease up, you will know it's something that's not in that list of ingredients. But only buy a small amount of the food you want to try, since Morse may refuse it or turn out to be allergic to something in the food.

 
You can also watch out and see what Morse is eating that makes it worse. Though a vet will tell you not to feed anything that causes an allergy, I discovered Belvedere's allergy by mistake after I gave him some corn chips. I did not know that he was allergic to anything, but the day after I gave them to him, his armpits were all red, adn I quickly figured it out. So if you give Morse some nice chickie, and the next day you see itchies, that will let you know. Unhappily, some dogs are allergic to numerous things. Holly has trouble with poultry, grains, and I know not what else, but it's a lot. She does well on a plain kibble diet of fish, with no rice, just potatoes and so on. You may have to try a few foods to find one Morse does not have a problem with.

That being said, if Morse was good all winter with his allergies, you may be dealing with an inhaled or contact allergy. Again, it's possible he could have a food allergy and one of these. The best thing you can do is notice when he has a problem and what he's been eating or has been in contact with. Perhaps you'll want to keep a list of the times he has trouble and what he's been doing or eating.
 


If all this fails, you need to go to the vet, preferably an allergist. But what I'm telling you would be the starting place for an allergist anyway.
 
Of course if he has trouble breathing or seems otherwise in trouble, you need to see a vet immediately. Allergies are not something to fool around with.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets