Canidae causing hot spots or other health issues?

[Lorrie]

I've been feeding my kidz (including the fosters) Canidae for about 8 months now. I have also been recommending it to adoptive families and basically anyone else that will listen. From what I can see, the dogs do very well on it.
However my heart dog Boone has had on and off trouble with hotspots on his tail (yes he has one :) )

My girlfriend who has done tons of research into pet nutrition just forwarded me this thread from her nutrition board. Has anyone else experienced anything like what these people are describing while feeding Candiae?

http://acmepet.petsmart.com/club/bbo...ages/1836.html

[KattOK]

Holly has been eating Canidae since August 2001 (what would that be ... 7 months?).

She hasn't had a problem with it and if my store quit selling it, I'd hunt far & wide for another store or go back to ordering it over the internet. I'm that happy with the results ... weight gain, shiney coat, etc.

I read some of the threads on the other site and although I have no doubt that they're true, I'm not changing foods. Hey, just because I am lactose intolerant doesn't mean you should quit drinking milk does it???? :D Find the best food for your dog that your dog enjoys and stick with it. :)

[Soapie&Buddy'sMom]

I'm with KattOK - I think it depends on your dog. Some dogs might be allergic to Canidae, stranger things have happened! But mine all love it and thrive on it. I don't think Canidae is the only food or even the best food out there for ALL dogs - it's just the best I've found for my particular three. And if it ain't broke, I ain't gonna fix it! :)

[Jamie & Odin]

lorri, I have been feeding canidae for about four months now. A couple of weeks ago my rott started chewing on his feet. Now, I don't know for sure if it is the canidae, as he gets lots of treats and has been known to steal if you get up to answer the phone! LOL!

So, I just started an allergy test diet tonight, and we will see. My malt had absolutely no problems on canidae whatsoever. I know many people on this forum feed canidae and love it, which is one of the reasons I switched in the first place. So, my point is, I don't think there is a "magic bullet" food for every dog. By all means, try canidae, if it doesn't work for your dog, try something else, Good luck!

[CarolineS]

Canidae has four proteins in it, chicken, turkey, lamb and fish. For a dog with allergic tendencies, this could be a nightmare. The symptoms being described on the other board were, for the most part, allergic symptoms.

This does not mean that Canidae is a bad food, only that it just may have too many proteins in it for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities. Dogs with allergies do best on a simple food with one protein source and one carb source.

[Barbara Surplus]

Lorrie, it's possible that it's his food but also possible that he's having a reaction to vaccines. When was the last time you vaccinated him? Might that be worth looking into?
Barbara

[Lorrie]

Thanks for the input everyone! I agree . . not every food is for every dog! I really like Canidae .. and so do the dogs. Boone is not a "sensitive" dog (don't tell him that:D ) so I really don't think this attack of hot spots is the food.

I am more inclined to blame his evil foster sister that had a horrible case of tail envy. She would grab, bite and pull his tail any chance she got . . she is now in her forever home .. so Boone should have some "recovery" time.

I split Boone's shot up over a few months last year. (No mombo combos for him). He will not get any more for a couple of years . . and maybe never. (I am VERY interested in titers).

Thanks again everyone!