<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#330033">
Oh, where to begin. I guess with the visit to the dermatologist, who
said that allergy tests are accurate when testing for environmental
irritants: dust, mites, pollen, etc., but not reliable for food. The
only way to accertain food allergies, he said, is an elimination diet.
He also said that the most common food allergy is to chicken - because
it's the most common ingredient in dog foods.<br>
<br>
I went to a very simple dog food: one source of protein, one source of
carbs. I also wanted to go grain free and chose Natural Balance Duck
and Potato. To that I added 1 ounce of sardines canned in tomato sauce,
because it helped with skin issues in another dog I have. Skin isn't
100%, but it improved a lot. I've since switched to Taste of the Wild
Pacific Stream and the skin off my most affected girl is looking pretty
good.<br>
<br>
Given that dogs differ and your dog appears to be allergic to fish, my
approach might not work for you. But the principle of finding simple
foods, so that you're testing just a few substances at a time, seems
sound. My girl, I think, is allergic to brewers yeast, something that's
in a lot of dog foods, though not as a main ingredient.<br>
<br>
Alternatively, you could cook your own food. Then you know for certain
what is in the food. I do that for another dog who can't digest kibble.
The side benefit of home cooking for him is that his skin improved a
great deal. I cook from Donald Strombeck's Home-Prepared Dog and Cat
Diets. Strombeck is professor emeritus of nutrition and
gastroenterology from the UC Davis vet school. Write me if you'd like a
couple of basic recipes from the book.<br>
<br>
Rosemary<br>
</body>
</html>