Well if it turns out that the chicken in the food is what was upsetting his stomach...

 Quote: phaedra rieff

Well if it turns out that the chicken in the food is what was upsetting his stomach...

I'm certainly not going to say that can't happen. But I would almost bet $$ that the chicken in the food was not the problem. Or at least that chicken in general was/is not the problem.

Out of many dozens of dogs on raw (in fact, I guess it's in the hundreds now, counting PSDs and a few active 'net sites), I have run into very few dogs with true poultry allergies. (Remember, I am saying raw, not kibble!) And I have read about several with sensitivities to certain "enhanced" raw chicken brands. That's the extent of the real chicken problems (raw chicken) I have seen/read/heard that actually panned out to BE the chicken. (Remember, again, I mean raw chicken. I have other stories about kibbles, for various reasons.)

The reason I am going into such tedious detail is because I think you might not have that worry at all. If you actually do, however, yes, raw diets can still be done, although for financial reasons the RMBs may have to make up only part of the calcium needed and supplementation may be required. (I could help you through this.) I think it may not be the case, though.

Don't misunderstand me: Dogs can definitely be allergic to chicken. Chicken is so ubiquitous in dog food that of course it has joined the Big Four for allergies.

But most important is that your dog has shown much more of a sensitivity problem, IMO (no itchy skin, and remember that dogs' histamine receptors are in their skin), than an allergy problem. And a sensitivity problem with fresh raw chicken is not at all common. (If one presented, I would check the label for crap injected into the bird.)

All JMO. I'm not a health professional. A lot of nutrition and allergy experience and research, though.

PS

For clarity: true dog allergies may present with some bowel symptoms, but the primary symptom is itchy skin.

When the allergen is a food (more specifically, a protein in it), the itching is focused on the face, feet, ears, front shins, armpits, and sometimes the anal area.

There is a ton of overlap, and food allergy can be difficult to distinguish from environmental/inhalant, but my point is that itching is the number one symptom of most allergies in dogs, from flea hypersensitivity to atopy to food.

Thanks Connie. I kind of feel like it is something just about that specific manufacturer (even though it saddens me, because so many dogs do so well on Orijen!), and not the chicken. I suppose at some point in the future, when he is all settled and bit older, I can test out that theory and see.
I'm also wondering how much the combo of the metronodazole followed by the bio-k has impacted this improvement... I have a feeling a fair bit.
As for kibble can I pick your brain briefly on tomato pummace vs. beet root? (Wellness uses one, Holistic Select the other)

Do you mean beet pulp? I didn't look up the ingredient list, but it's beet pulp that's the common filler/fiber. Beet pulp is a sugar-industry by-product.

Both beet pulp and tomato pomace are sources of fiber, both with moderate levels of fermentability. Tomato pomace actually has some food value in addition (a little), such as lycopene. This difference is not valuable enough, IMO, to make me choose a food because of it.


eta "Moderate fermentability" wasn't meant to be a bad thing.


Edited by Connie Sutherland (11/25/2010 02:32 PM)
Edit reason: eta

I was just out in town and found a place that carries TOTW, so from what I've heard, I'm going to try their lamb formula.