Question:
I have a Jack Russell terrier who has had severe allergies all his life, or so I thought.
Chester had a bad rash when he was about 2 years old. I took him to Banfield Veterinary Clinic, and I admit I do not like all of the drugs and shots they gave him. Ten years later, I've decided that Chester had developed a flea allergy. Banfield put Chester on a specialty diet and said he can never come off it or eat any other foods.
He always loved my home-cooked foods mixed with his dog food before the strict diet was imposed. He went nuts for your chicken and rice formula, but for the past decade he has not had it.
Can you explain what no other vet has been able to and tell me why he can't have treats such as your formula?
Chester doesn't have the appetite he usually has, and I would like to offer more of a selection -- at least something mixed with his regular food (Hill's Prescription Diet z/d Canine ULTRA Allergen-Free).
M.C., Chesapeake, Va Jan 23, 2012
Answer:
I do not like questioning the decisions of other veterinarians who have actually seen the animals, while I must rely only on what the owners have written. That said, I have learned much from readers over the past several decades writing this column. As I emphasize in my new book, "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health
" (CreateSpace), some veterinarians are only too eager to sell manufactured pet foods and special therapeutic or prescription diets to pet owners. These foods are usually made by the same manufacturers, using ingredients that can cause other health problems -- and they are expensive, therefore highly profitable, and often unpalatable for many animals.
I would advise you to read the basic ingredients in the prescription diet you have been feeding your dog. Over a seven- to 10-day period, transition to a home-prepared diet that is based on the same primary animal protein -- either lamb, fish or turkey -- and brown rice. Add the other basic ingredients as detailed in my recipe. Another source for free recipes is www.dogcathomeprepareddiet.com, which was created by Dr. D.K. Strombeck. I also advise giving animals some probiotics with their food when they are being transitioned to a new diet to help with the digestive and adaptive processes.
Let me know how things turn out. You were probably right that your dog simply had a fleabite allergy, which good nutrition, including fish oil and brewer's yeast, can help prevent.
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