Food Question

[Steelerfan]

Izzy is a seven year old spayed female, we adopted her 16 months ago. We are her third (and final) home, I suspect that she's the product of byb. The woman who surrendered her kept her on a diet of cheap store-brand food and didn't take Izzy to the vet's office for regular visits.

Izzy is a big, sensitive girl, she's prone to bouts of compulsive floor licking and grass eating. She's been diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid, and is on medication. She also suffers from constant ear infections.

We've been feeding her Hills Prescription I/D dry and wet (only about 1/5th a cup of wet per day) for over a year now. It has reduced, but not eliminated her licking fits. But the ear infections are still constant.

Our vet knows Izzy well, but hasn't made a connection between these symptoms. The more I read here the more I think that there may be a connection. I sure would appreciate any feedback.

[bessy-senior]

My girl Bessy was put on Prescription I/D when she was having digestion problems and IBS. So as far as I know, Prescription I/D is for IBS and digestive problems.

It sounds like your girl has an allergy problem (in my inexperienced opinion)... not too sure if Prescription I/D is necessary for her. Maybe an allergy formula food or a food with a single source protein like California Natural would work better?

You could check on this with your vet

[fbkeays]

I did a search and came up with these ingredients for that food.
Ingredients:
Ground Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice, Dried Egg Product, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Soy Fiber, Dicalcium Phosphate, Chicken Liver Flavor, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Soybean Oil, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Ethoxyquin (a preservative).

The first and 5th ingredient is corn. Corn is terrible for dogs. It is hard to digest and is often the source of allergies in dogs. Ethoxyguin is a known cancer causing chemical. I am sure you are paying top dollar for a food that based on the ingredients should be a fraction of the price. The quality of all of the ingredients are very poor. Please try a grain free food. There are a number of manufactures of grain free kibbles out there. Perhaps the best is Orijen. Other very good ones are Evo, Instinct, Wellness Core and Barking At the Moon.

[Steelerfan]

Great advice, thank you. My vet put Izzy on I/D in response to the compulsive floor licking and grass eating, and it is very expensive. I wouldn't mind the cost if Izzy were healthier.

I'll talk to my vet, I like and trust my vet. But I'm also paying her a lot of money for I/D and regular visits to treat ear infections.

Any tips on how to introduce her to a new brand of food? Especially given her sensitive stomach.

[fbkeays]

Originally Posted by Steelerfan

Great advice, thank you. My vet put Izzy on I/D in response to the compulsive floor licking and grass eating, and it is very expensive. I wouldn't mind the cost if Izzy were healthier.

I'll talk to my vet, I like and trust my vet. But I'm also paying her a lot of money for I/D and regular visits to treat ear infections.

Any tips on how to introduce her to a new brand of food? Especially given her sensitive stomach.

Do you do obedience or other training that you use a food reward? If so, I would use the new food as the "treats" for a week. If your dog likes the food, then I would do 1/4 new and 3/4 old for a week. Week 2, 1/2 new and 1/2 old. If all is well, then 3/4 new and 1/4 old. Followed by 100% new. It takes each change a week to do. If after a week there is GI upset, then back off half as much of a change. IE if 1/4 new/3/4 old worked but not the 50-50 mix, then do 37% new- 63% old for a week before going back to the 50-50.

Most vets don't know much about food and certainly not about all of the options there are out there now. They depend on the SD/Hills reps and what is on the front of the bag.
A friend called me the other day and told me that she had to educate the SD/Hills reg in her local food store. He had no idea how to read dog food ingredients and what peanut hulls were. Peanut hulls is a major ingredient in many SD/Hills diets. Peanut hulls are peanut shells. According to her, this guy is rethinking his career as a rep for SD/Hills because he didn't realize just how crappy the SD/Hills food was.

[Kandi]

I use and really like the Innova. Have not had any problems with that, my girls love it. But if I ever changed, it would be to Orijen, should it become available in my area.