Help with food please.

[ItStillLooksLikeRainDear]

My 3 year old dog has just had allergy tests done. It turns out he’s highly allergic to all common meats present in most dog foods, fish, soy and most carbs. The only thing he wasn’t allergic to was eggs, cow’s milk and he can tolerate wheat. I have been suggested an insect protein diet or perhaps to try kangaroo. Anything I find seems to have potato or rice in, which he can’t have. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Raw food? Kangaroo is out of stock at the moment but maybe they can tell you when it will be Available
www.rawdogfoodcompany.co.uk/product/daf-kangaroo-chunks-500g/

www.frescodog.co.uk/products/superfood-wet-kangaroo-jerusalem-artichoke?currency=GBP&variant=34521558646943&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping

The above one seems to be in stock

Thank you! I’ll take a look.

How is your dog reacting to foods?

Those allergy tests are notoriously unreliable. If you suspect he has food allergies, an elimination diet might be a better way to determine what sets him off. This might be easier to do with a raw diet as you can feed one single protein at a time (make sure you follow the 80-10-10) and add new proteins, one at a time, after a few weeks of no reactions/

You might also want to just to a test with another company to see if you get the same response

Thanks KillingEvenings. He has very sensitive ears with repeated ear infections. He scratches, sneezes & chews his paws.

Lol looking at your name but there is a brand called carnilove that does reindeer and ostrich grain free mixes- might be worth a try?

Thanks FamilyChallenge

You need to read the full ingredients - the carnilove reindeer kibble also includes wild boar, chicken fat and liver, salmon oil and duck fat (as well as various vegetables and herbs)

If you are going to do exclusion tests, then you will need to be very careful with full ingredient lists, and raw might be easier.

You may well find your dog has only a single allergy - no doubt the most inconvenient one! but then you'll know what to avoid rather better.

And it's always worth trying Chappie (cheap, digestible)

www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk has a great search function

Thank Wetotter. That’s the trouble I’m finding. Even in a raw insect protein one I found, it has beef liver.

Thanks LadyWhistledownsQuill. When I tried the search function, eliminating all his allergens it had no food to suggest.

I'd definitely try raw with him.
What about venison?

Have you tried looking on ZooPlus?

There are lots of wet foods on there with unusual proteins - goat, kangaroo etc.

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/wet_dog_food/wolf_of_wilderness/wet/480836

This has an option to buy a food with goat in, for example?

Allergy tests for food allergies are really unreliable (sorry!).

The only way to determine a food allergy reliably is by an elimination diet - which is a very slow, controlled process.

I don't blame you for hoping for a short cut and so if you're sure you want to risk it and hope you get it right with kangeroo based foods:

Akela does a kangeroo wet food. As does Skinners and Fresco.

Fresco also do a dry kangeroo food.

Stock control is a pita at the moment as many kangeroo foods are made abroad (or require meat from abroad) and supplies are a bit messed up with Brexit and the pandemic. So, if you find a food your dog is definately OK with - stock up

Akela: Ingredients: Freshly Prepared Kangaroo 70%, Cranberries, Blueberries, Coconut, Asparagus, Carrots, Green Beans, Minerals, Seaweed, Valerian, Camomile, Marjoram, Stinging Nettle, Watercress, Basil, Sage, Dill, Green Tea, Aloe Vera, Rosehips, Borage Oil, Prebiotic FOS, Joint Support [Glucosamine (100mg/Kg), Chondroitin Sulphate (100mg/Kg)].

www.wholeprey.com/canine/akela-70-30-wet-working-dog-food/akela-grain-free-complete-wet-working-dog-food-70-kangaroo-400g-vat-free.html

Skinners:

Sorry it's Simpsons (not Skinners) and now I look, has potato :(

Fresco:

60% Kangaroo Meat, 40% Jerusalem Artichoke.

www.frescodog.co.uk/products/superfood-wet-kangaroo-jerusalem-artichoke?variant=34521558646943

In dry form...

www.frescodog.co.uk/products/kangaroo-test

My dog is on hypoallergenic dog food from Purina, not sure if she has the same issues as your dog, but has completely transformed her health. She had constant bloody diarrhoea, occasional vomiting and even the plainest foods upset her stomach. Might be worth checking out. Not cheap but has made all our lives better!

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/purina-pro-plan-vet-diet-canine-ha-hypoallergenic-dog-food-11kg