How much longer??!!

    • Gold Top Dog

    How much longer??!!

    Jetta has been on hills z/d for about 3 weeks now. The vet said that she needs to be on it for at least two months to determine a food allergy, but that seems like an awful long time to me. Why does it take so long??
     
    Well, the thing is she is not any less itchy. I hate keeping her on a strict diet of z/d for such a long time-- i know its a crap food. Also, since she doesn't get any treats she mopes around the house like she is being punished[:(]
     
    So, next week she will have been on it for a month. If she is not any better, can i stop? I don't see what another month of this diet will do for her besides make her upset, since it is not helping at all.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Hey Melissa - I really do feel your pain [;)] but please do stick with it for the full 8 weeks.  You've come this far and if you don't ride it out, these last 4 weeks will have been for nothing.  I don't know the scientific reasons for why it takes so long, but every single bit of info I've read, says that 8 weeks is the minimum.  For Sassy, they told me 12 weeks and I'd read that labs can take up to that long, so I wasn't surprised.  Although the food might not be that great, 8 weeks won't hurt.  The worst is the "no treats" issue.  I know how you feel.  I was able to make some doggie biscuits from the pork & buckwheat and Sassy seems to like them just fine, but I also give her ice cubes to munch on. Fortunately, she thinks they're a treat. 
    Hang in there - and in the end you will know for certain whether Jetta does or does not have a food allergy.  If she doesn't, you can cross that off the list and look at other things.  I've got about 4 more weeks to go too - and although I don't notice any difference, I'm going to ride it out. Hang in there!!
    • Gold Top Dog
        I think it takes awhile to get the effects of the food they were allergic to out of their system. It's best to follow the advice of the vet you're working with. They didn't come to the conclusion that a dog needs to be on the elimination diet for three months by accident. They must have come to that decision based on research. It sounds like Jetta was , well ,spoiled.[;)] Jessie was too, but luckily she would except the kibble as a treat.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yeah, I guess i will have to stick with it. I just know she isn't liking it very much at all. But at least it will let me know if she has an allergy.
     
    The thing i don't understand is that the food she is on has soybean oil and corn starch. How can that be allergy free?
    • Gold Top Dog
    I think that the ingredients are so microscopic that they don't trigger the allergic reaction.  You could probably do a google search on the food and get tons of info though.  Hang in there - Jetta will be thrilled when it's all over [;)]