May 24, 2011
Our dog starting shedding a lot last spring after 2-3 months on a raw diet. Our vet said it was from feeding her raw food and wanted us to switch her to a kibble. Could her shedding be because she’s allergic to chicken?
Full Question:
Hi Cindy,About a year ago we adopted a 1 year old Plott/Sheppard mix. We decided at the time to raw feed and bought an assortment of books. Since we raise our own poultry, chicken was the natural choice for protein. We would grind the chicken along with the bones, and add some carrot or other vegetable, a touch of molasses and a little vinegar. After 2 or 3 months (it was March) on the diet we noticed Zoe shedding a lot. Since she was new to us we weren't sure if the shedding was natural for her breed(s) or if she was having an allergic reaction to her new diet. Our vet at the time said he believed it was because of the diet and recommended that we change her over to a natural kibble, one with very little grain and one that does not use chicken. He was a holistic vet, but was not real found of the raw diet. He was worried about Salmonella and E coli. Zoe's shedding did get a little better, but I'm not sure it was because of the diet. Is it possible that my luck is so bad that I adopted the only dog on the planet that is allergic to chicken?
Cindy's Answer:
Dogs do a full shedding twice a year, usually once in the spring and once again in fall. This is normal. Vets that are not well educated on raw feeding usually try to talk their clients out of it.
I hate to tell him but there is salmonella and ecoli just about everywhere, including in kibble. If you watch your dog, I’m sure you’ve seen her eat chicken, rabbit or deer poop (my dogs do) or lick her own behind. The bacteria scare tactic makes me really annoyed with some vets.
I don’t know which books you have, but The 2 best books for learning about the raw diet are Raw Dog Food and Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats. We give both these books to our puppy customers and rarely have questions about the diet.
I’d also cut out the veggies for now and get rid of the molasses.
Usually dogs that are sensitive to chicken do a lot of itching and have seeping eyes or they will have digestive upsets. If you raise your own, that’s awesome! I have found that my dogs only react to store bought chicken that has the “added solution.”
If she is shedding more than seasonally, I’d add salmon oil and Vitamin E. I actually supplement all my dogs with this regardless.
Personally, I’d find a new vet. I hope this helps.
Cindy Rhodes
I hate to tell him but there is salmonella and ecoli just about everywhere, including in kibble. If you watch your dog, I’m sure you’ve seen her eat chicken, rabbit or deer poop (my dogs do) or lick her own behind. The bacteria scare tactic makes me really annoyed with some vets.
I don’t know which books you have, but The 2 best books for learning about the raw diet are Raw Dog Food and Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats. We give both these books to our puppy customers and rarely have questions about the diet.
I’d also cut out the veggies for now and get rid of the molasses.
Usually dogs that are sensitive to chicken do a lot of itching and have seeping eyes or they will have digestive upsets. If you raise your own, that’s awesome! I have found that my dogs only react to store bought chicken that has the “added solution.”
If she is shedding more than seasonally, I’d add salmon oil and Vitamin E. I actually supplement all my dogs with this regardless.
Personally, I’d find a new vet. I hope this helps.
Cindy Rhodes
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