I am not currently feeding raw, sad I know. I am feeding the Wellness Core line and have been adding cooked chicken, beef or turkey to spice it up.
Because the vet had mentioned to my girlfriend that chicken or beef could be causing her skin irritations she wants to eliminate that as a cause for a couple months. I don't think it is but I will go along and hopefully prove it wrong.
We were told that lamb and turkey would not cause skin allergies is this true?
Does anyone think feeding turkey meat on a daily basis would be any problem?

Is there a reason you are cooking it?

I will leave that topic for later, but I am wondering what the skin issues are? It would be highly unlikely that beef, turkey or lamb would be the cause of the issues, but with out knowing what the issues are, and what you have done, there is little that we can help you with.

The reason that many think that lamb specifically and turkey to a lesser degree is "safer" is that at one time they were fairly novel to most dogs. They were helpful in elimination diets to figure out what the trigger actually was with food issues. Today, almost every dog has had both and neither are novel any more.

Connie is much more knowledgeable in the food and skin department, so I will stop here and let her help you. But, personally and without knowing the problems, The meat would be the least of my concern...

 Quote: joe waddington

I am not currently feeding raw, sad I know. I am feeding the Wellness Core line and have been adding cooked chicken, beef or turkey to spice it up.
Because the vet had mentioned to my girlfriend that chicken or beef could be causing her skin irritations she wants to eliminate that as a cause for a couple months. I don't think it is but I will go along and hopefully prove it wrong.
We were told that lamb and turkey would not cause skin allergies is this true?
Does anyone think feeding turkey meat on a daily basis would be any problem?

Joe, have you read any of the allergy threads here?

Here's a good start:

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=134&Number=260422&Searchpage=1&Main=24978&Words=+Lori+Hall&topic=0&Search=true#Post260422

By "irritations" do you mean itching?

 Quote: joe waddington

We were told that lamb and turkey would not cause skin allergies is this true?

No protein could possibly be totally non-allergenic. It's technically possible for a dog to be allergic to lamb, turkey, bullfrog, strawberries, or anything else.

The only way to know is to do a strict elimination diet introducing only one--only one--new item at a time and see what happens. If the dog has never had turkey, that would be a "novel protein" for that dog and a good protein with which to start such a trial.

If turkey causes no reactions, then you could (for instance) try adding chicken. Slowly. Not a whole meal of chicken. Just a bite. Then a little more. If you get a reaction, then you know. If not...then add beef...and continue in this fashion adding only one item at a time and noting any reaction. The kinds of reactions you're looking for: ear crud, eye crud, itching anywhere including feet, vomiting, or runny poop. (any of these symptoms *could* be caused by something else too, but you know your dog better than we do. If you slowly introduce beef and 12 hours later the dog has diarrhea, that's something to note.)

This kind of trial would also require you to eliminate all treats, supplements, etc. Each of those potential "foods" would be added to the diet one at a time just like anything else.

And as for feeding turkey meat "on a daily basis"---I don't see a problem feeding it for a week or so as part of an elimination trial. But a nutritionally complete raw diet cannot be made up of a single protein source. You couldn't just feed turkey forever.

All that said...my totally unscientific opinion is that environmental allergens are the first thing to consider (versus food). And among foods, a dog is probably more likely to react to a carb source than a meat source.

I cook the meat because I don't want to mix raw with the kibble. I also feel food allergies are low on the list but without a intradermal test I won't know for sure.
I also have to go with the grain sometimes (girlfriend)
She is a firm believer in the vet said it type of thing. I hope to change that type of thinking and switch to raw at some point soon.

Can you get a couple of the inexpensive raw books LB sells (for your GF)? I can point you to a couple. Also, please read this thread, which just today addressed food testing:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=261230#Post261230

 Quote: Tracy Collins

... All that said...my totally unscientific opinion is that environmental allergens are the first thing to consider (versus food).

Good point.

 Quote: Joe Waddington

She is a firm believer in the vet said it type of thing.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Can you get a couple of the inexpensive raw books LB sells (for your GF)?

One of which is also written by.....a vet.:wink:

Reading your post, I don't think your idea of checking out each food seperately is "unscientific" at all. In dealing with many horses and people owning horses, this is exactly what I do when a horse has a skin problem. I take the normal feed, like alfalfa and grain away from them and feed them simply good grass. Once they are on grass hay for about a week or two, I start introducing a little alfalfa and see how they react. After I see that there is no reaction, I start introducing the grain again. A little at a time until they are at the full amount again. If I am mixing different grain types, I will introduce one type at a time. Usually you will find out what they are reacting to. If not, I have some skin baths that I can use that work quite well. I think you are right on.

 Quote: ron cole

Reading your post, I don't think your idea of checking out each food seperately is "unscientific" at all. In dealing with many horses and people owning horses, this is exactly what I do when a horse has a skin problem. I take the normal feed, like alfalfa and grain away from them and feed them simply good grass. Once they are on grass hay for about a week or two, I start introducing a little alfalfa and see how they react. After I see that there is no reaction, I start introducing the grain again. A little at a time until they are at the full amount again. If I am mixing different grain types, I will introduce one type at a time. Usually you will find out what they are reacting to. If not, I have some skin baths that I can use that work quite well. I think you are right on.

I think from your post that you have a solid understanding of the fact that the allergy develops on repeated exposure. I posted in another thread today:

Allergies develop on repeated exposure. Feeding it once does not tell you that the dog is not allergic to it. The dog has to eat it once for his system to form the antibody called immunoglobulin E that would, next time the food is eaten, interact with the food's protein on mast cells and trigger the release of chemicals like histamine that produce the symptoms of the allergic reaction.

You are doing provocative testing after clearing the animal's system of everything but a food that causes no problem. This is indeed the way the second part of a true elimination diet goes.

First, of course, are weeks of giving only a limited-ingredient novel (completely novel, to that dog) diet in order to clarify that the allergy symptoms do indeed recede and that food is therefore the (or "a") culprit.