asking for thoughts on dog food.
so, my bully dog is losing hair on her sides. weird pattern, same on both sides. no sign of skin irritation, just hair loss. took her to the vet. nothing wrong they cd find. recommended a fish oil supplement, but i’m a bit skeptical. vets seem to rec a lot of supplements/alt treatments that have not been proven, or in some cases disproven. like chondroitin supplements which have never been proven to repair cartilage.
i’m thinking i cd afford a higher quality dog food for her. maybe a fish based 1. i dont think the whole hog ppl food is worth the money. but curious is anyone has thoughts on what brands r worth the money.
i’ve fed purina to most of my dogs on the rec of my long time vet. many vets rec them, as they do have the strongest research arm. my dogs have always lived to a ripe old age.
currently feeding a brand called optim, which is what the breeder fed.
so, just wondering what folks here think.
= new reply since forum marked as read
We give our Lab fish oil supplements as recommended by our vet. She does very well with it and has a nice thick, soft, coat.
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fish-oil-for-dogs/
“Fish oil is one of the best supplements to add to your dog’s diet. Fish oil supports your dog’s heart health, promotes a silky coat, reduces itchy and flaky skin, and can help relieve allergies and joint pain. It can even help strengthen a dog’s immune system and could help them fight canine cancer.
All of this is because fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, an essential “good” type of fat that helps your dog’s body and brain. Like humans, dogs can’t produce omega-3 fatty acids on their own and must get them from their diet. If you’re considering including fish oil as a part of your dog’s nutritional routine, here’s what you need to know “. See more at link.
***** our vet does not think much of Purina foods. Unfortunately my dog has Lyme disease but we are managing it and she is doing well. We have to give her Hill Science Diet for kidney support dog food.
Good luck with your precious Bully! 
1990s for this purpose. Vets usually do not carry this drug because small animal practices don't have a call for it because it's primarily used for cattle, so you might have to buy the whole vial.
Have had 2 dogs successfully treated with this drug. There is a single or double-shot protocol, allergic reaction is much less likely with one-shot method, which is what I opted for.
Good luck to you!
Lyme will absolutely wreak havoc on their organs if not eradicated.
Will PM you.
Did the trick for all 3!
I've tried: salmon, turkey, chicken and rice, bison and beef. Most of them "no grain" formulas. No change whatsoever. At the rec of vet, changing the protein is the most effective for these skin allergies.
Thank goddess for Chewy's refund policy.
Chewy rep told me her Pittie has severe skin allergies. Said she tried all kinds of different foods and the only thing that made a difference was to "break off a teeny piece of Benedryl" and give it to him daily.
She also began buying large bags of chicken thighs, cooking them well, mixing in frozen veggies and tossing a couple of eggs into the mixture.
I've not yet tried the Benedryl.
I don't really think there is a good pet food because pet food is made from scraps by the same 5 human food producers.
Read this:
Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food, by Ann Martin.
I've reordered the Blue Buffalo turkey kibble, as at least he will eat it. He would not touch the $80 / bag bison and beef food. Even with a bit of kitty kibble sprinkled on top.
Around and around we go...
Good luck to you.
included is too difficult.
I had a dober snot make it to 18.5 yrs. And she ate wal hell generic food, decades ago.
Good luck.
but it has black fly larvae in it.
From Chewy:
Ingredients
Pollock Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Sorghum, Corn Starch, Chicken Fat, Pea Protein, Soybean Oil, Dried Beet Pulp, Hydrolyzed Chicken Flavor, Corn Protein Meal, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Fish Flavor, Choline Chloride, Flaxseed, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Iodized Salt, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Oat Fiber, Natural Flavors, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.
https://www.chewy.com/hills-science-diet-adult-sensitive/dp/851662
In holistic circles, Hill's is called "Death Diet." Just FYI.
The latter is a novel protein source that dogs will not have had contact with in food prior so it makes for a likely tolerated protein source for those with severe food allergies. Highly sustainable too--a positive with all the issues around beef, lamb, poultry production, and climate change--as well as all the controversies around the feeding of steroids and antibiotics in animal production. Granted, the very idea of "dried black soldier fly larvae" is pretty repulsive. But, the alternate "novel" proteins used previously--like ostrich and other exotic animals is clearly not sustainable, not to mention ungodly expensive. Ditto the future in lab-produced proteins and meat, which can offer potential benefits but at untold cost for the indefinite future.
Expect to see this source, like mealworms and other insects used in other foods for a variety of birds, mammals, and yes, humans, in the coming decades as conventional food production methods face untold stresses. Not as a contaminant, but a very desirable broad-spectrum protein source that likewise provides pre- and probiotic benefits. But, for specialty dietary dog and cat foods, the current use--to reduce dietary allergens-- is not a cost-saving measure for Hill's Science diets, but rather a means of addressing a serious health problem in some animals.
Yuck. Gross.
I don't even eat shrimp or lobster anymore since a pharmacist once told me whst they're related to. Yuck.
