Re-evaluate food allergies - duck/chicken related ?

 Hi! I had similar experiences with my dog Woobie.  When I was working with the vet to figure things out, he said it is possible to have seasonal allergies like people.  He had terrible ear and anal gland problems until I figured out that he's basically allergic to anything with feathers.  I also introduced daily doses of arabinogalactan powder (which boosts the immune system) and no problems at all!  He's on a homecooked diet now so I can't really recommend a commercial product, but Hill's z/d helped him alot when we were trying to do an elimination diet to figure out what he was reacting to.

Good luck! 

I have had the same problem in regards to NB.  Ben was allergic to chicken, but did beautifully on duck.  Because I raise ducks on the farm, he could get fresh unadulterated duck and so I knew it was the duck he did so great on.  Also duck eggs were fine, though he is violently allergic to chicken eggs.

When we moved here, I wasn't able to raise ducks for food for a while, and I put him on NB duck and potato.  He did fine on it for a while, then around the time of all the recalls, he started having serious issues.  I finally pinpointed the food.  I figured it just was lacking in something, so switched to Instincts duck formula.  That was fine for a while, but I had to go back to NB for one bag, and instantly he had a severe reaction.

After that he could not tolerate poultry of any kind.

If I were you, I'd look in another direction besides the NB if possible.  I believe they started playing fast and loose with their ingredients, with serious consequences for allergy dogs like yours and mine.  A friend of mine who is an immunologist believes that if a dog (or person) is exposed  to a trigger in the presence of a non-trigger, it increases the likelihood greatly, that the non-trigger will generate an immune response by itself, in the future.

  Dogs can develop new food allergies over time. Jessie was allergic to chicken a few years ago; now she's also allergic to salmon, pork, white and sweet potatoes, and brewer's yeast. I highlighted the potatoes to show that dogs can be allergic to ingredients other than protein sources; they can be allergic to any ingredient. It's possible Buster has developed an allergy to potatoes so putting him on the vegetarian formula may not help. He may also have developed an allergy to the salmon oil or flaxseed used in the Natural Balance foods. Instead of the vegetarian formula, it would be better to put him on Hill's z/d or cook one novel protein and one novel carb and feed him that for about 8 weeks. If he improves, you know the itching was related to a food allergy. About the duck; my veterinary dermatologist said that duck and turkey do not cross react with chicken, meaning that being allergic to chicken doesn't mean your dog will be allergic to other poultry.

jessies_mom

  Dogs can develop new food allergies over time. Jessie was allergic to chicken a few years ago; now she's also allergic to salmon, pork, white and sweet potatoes, and brewer's yeast. I highlighted the potatoes to show that dogs can be allergic to ingredients other than protein sources; they can be allergic to any ingredient. It's possible Buster has developed an allergy to potatoes so putting him on the vegetarian formula may not help. He may also have developed an allergy to the salmon oil or flaxseed used in the Natural Balance foods. Instead of the vegetarian formula, it would be better to put him on Hill's z/d or cook one novel protein and one novel carb and feed him that for about 8 weeks. If he improves, you know the itching was related to a food allergy. About the duck; my veterinary dermatologist said that duck and turkey do not cross react with chicken, meaning that being allergic to chicken doesn't mean your dog will be allergic to other poultry.

That's all very true and good advice.  Woobie is allergic to white rice and what I call "sensitive" to brown rice also.  Hill's z/d isn't what would technically be considered an elimination diet, but it worked well for us putting him on it for 8 weeks, seeing a dramatic response and then slowly introducing one ingredient at a time to determine what it was he was reacting to.  He's now doing superb on a homecooked diet of oatmeal, pureed peas and carrots and canned salmon (along with other supplements for various issues, like the arabinogalactan).  

I certainly sympathize, it can be soooo difficult to sort out what will and won't work with your dog when you're trying to do it with commercial kibble.  Reading all those ingredient lists, deciphering what is what, dealing with ingredient shifts, is such a pain!  That's why it was easier for me to just go the homecooked route, so much less hassle and always available, no special orders or shopping at certain stores. 

I just wanted to thank everyone who offered their advice. Two days after my post, Buster's right ear, that reacts worse than his left - was flaming red ! Yikes ! I hate seeing my baby that way. So I put him on NB Venison & Sweet Potato. He's never eaten either food. By the next day, his ears were a nice light pink & he took a nice long nap, very restful since he wasn't so itchy. It is amazing how quickly his body reacts in either direction. The vet had told me 24-48 hrs. to see a reaction, but for Buster 24 hrs. seems to be all it takes.

I hope he stays allergy free on the Venison & sweet potatoes for longer than the 2 yrs. he was on the Duck & potato.  

~ Thanks again, Buster's Mom                     

highlighted the potatoes to show that dogs can be allergic to ingredients other than protein sources;

I know what you mean to say here, but I wanted to clarify something.  It's the protein in anything that triggers an immune response.  Rice, potatoes, grain, and even fruits and veggies have protein in them.

But, I know what you mean is, look beyond the animal-sourced ingredients.  That's definitely something to remember and something vets themselves even overlook.  For years and years I had vets tell me Ben couldn't possibly be allergic to grain.  The reason for that was that the model for immune reactions was completely different back then and precluded the idea that an animal like a dog could have or develop a grain allergy.  Today it's pretty clear that proteins of any kind have the potential to elicit a response.  But there are still vets out there who have gotten in the habit of thinking first of meats when a food allergy is suspected.

 

Thanks for that clarifaction on protiens. We joking call Buster our "Goat Dog" because he will eat anything. Something else to watch out for. We have 2 bunnies, he loves the bunnies, but would rather eat their food if he can get to it. ~ Goat Dog...... with allergies ! 

Thanks again, ~ Buster's Mom

brookcove

I know what you mean to say here, but I wanted to clarify something.  It's the protein in anything that triggers an immune response.  Rice, potatoes, grain, and even fruits and veggies have protein in them.

  Thanks Becca; I'm glad you clarified that.