Help chosing a new food- dog with severe allergies

I suspect one reason we are seeing more allergies is that modern medicine is "cushioning" the effect of natural selection.  People are treating allergies and then allowing those dogs to reproduce, whether randomly or because they choose for some reason to use that dog in a breeding program. 

I've mentioned before that the culture of my favorite breed (BCs) is very close to the original "survival of the fittest" principle.  I can't tell you how many times I've been told that the trouble I've gone through with Ben, in spite of the fact that he's a very useful farm dog, isn't worth the bullet to shoot him with.  That's just the way it used to be with this breed, and I'm not talking 100 years ago, I'm talking just 20 years ago or so.

There's also people who point to the burden imposed on juvenile immune systems with increased vaccinations.  Plus, as someone pointed out, increased exposure to various environmental challenges.

It's probably all of these things, and maybe other factors.  There certainly seems to be more allergies in general - kids inlcuded.

I think the lack of natural selection has something to do with it too. If it were up to natural selection, a lot of the breeds we have would be dramatically different. Some breeds have a VERY hard time with basic functions, like reproducing, without medical science.

I know that Em wouldn't be here, per natural selection. Teenie, being a Dachshund (one of said breeds that have extreme issues, due to unnatural shape), probably wouldn't either.

I think a lot more is recognized, too. 50 years ago, if a dog went lame, you put it to sleep. Now, it gets a FHO and physical therapy, and learns to walk again.

ORIGINAL: Monzie3  Oh Dear, I didn't mean to start anything by mentionaing Abady. I had a awful episode with that food and almost lost my  one dog and the other 2 became extremely ill, and they kept telling me it wasn't the food... well it was... BTW yes, they were all checked for various things, came back salmonella, never ever gave any of them raw, and that's all they ate. Sorry again.  I was just offering that Doc Harvey really cares about animals and is helpful, it was worth a try. 

No need to apologize for anything!  Some folks around get really upset if speak negatively against a product they use, but you won't find that with me.  I don't sell the stuff.  I've been using the granular going of 4 years now with no problems.  I'll never switch back to a kibble unless it is ALLSTAR or NEW FRONTIER.  I never mix the feed or rotate feeds, 100% granular straight-up.

If you don't mind though, would like to hear about more specifics on how the product
almost killed one dog and made the others extremely ill.  What were the problems?  What a feather in the cap for the Abady bashers!  You will be very, very well liked here with this group!

Oh, one last thing concerning the salmonella… Dogs don't suffer from salmonella.  Dogs have strong enough enzymes to fight off the bacteria, along with e-coli.  However, dogs will test positive for salmonella through stool samples.  The only concern there would be if you have small children and their rolling around in the yard and the area is loaded up with poops.  If someone told you your dog is suffering from salmonella because of feeding Abady, I think their jerking you around and hoping you will dig deeper into your wallet.

CC.

ORIGINAL: jessies_mom  CC, where did you get the information that fiber expanded as much as you are saying it does? I know that fiber expands, but I've never seen numbers as high as those. 

 
I'll PM you the info.  If I link it or copy and paste people may think I am trying to push it or sell the stuff when I'm not.  Kinda of shame because people always talk about the feeds they like yet I mentioned it a few times in a recent thread, (the first time probably well over a year), I was accused of shoving it down their throat.  Hey, no problem...last thing I need is people catching on and driving up my costs.  Now all the State Police around here are picking up on it using it in larger numbers, couple those two, higher demand with rising transportation costs....STAY AWAY PLEASE...TRY EVO

If you don't mind though, would like to hear about more specifics on how the product
almost killed one dog and made the others extremely ill. What were the problems? What a feather in the cap for the Abady bashers! You will be very, very well liked here with this group!

Oh, one last thing concerning the salmonella… Dogs don't suffer from salmonella. Dogs have strong enough enzymes to fight off the bacteria, along with e-coli. However, dogs will test positive for salmonella through stool samples. The only concern there would be if you have small children and their rolling around in the yard and the area is loaded up with poops. If someone told you your dog is suffering from salmonella because of feeding Abady, I think their jerking you around and hoping you will dig deeper into your wallet.

ORIGINAL: cc431
 
Well, all of them one by one began (this is not pleasant), severe diarrhea for a few days, along with a jellylike mucus, vomiting and lethargic. There was also some blood.
Because of Dusty's issues in the past, I took him to the vet thinking it was just him at first, then the other 2 had started. Anyhow, the vet did a fecal sent out to a lab, it took over a week to test for salmonella specifically and I was told it came back positive. That was the only thing they ate, none of them got into anything else, outside or inside. The food had a funny smell, but I was told that sometimes it smells that way, but this was way worse than the other boxes I got. Because there's poultry in it, they figured it could've been from that.
Just to really wonder if it was the what I fed, I had tried it again a while later and the same thing began to happen, so I just stopped.  I liked the kibble but, after this experience figured it just wasn't the right food for my dogs.

ORIGINAL: Monzie3  Oh Dear, I didn't mean to start anything by mentionaing Abady. I had a awful episode with that food and almost lost my  one dog and the other 2 became extremely ill, and they kept telling me it wasn't the food... well it was... BTW yes, they were all checked for various things, came back salmonella, never ever gave any of them raw, and that's all they ate. Sorry again.  I was just offering that Doc Harvey really cares about animals and is helpful, it was worth a try. 

No need to apologize for anything!  Some folks around get really upset if speak negatively against a product they use, but you won't find that with me.  I don't sell the stuff.  I've been using the granular going of 4 years now with no problems.  I'll never switch back to a kibble unless it is ALLSTAR or NEW FRONTIER.  I never mix the feed or rotate feeds, 100% granular straight-up.

If you don't mind though, would like to hear about more specifics on how the product
almost killed one dog and made the others extremely ill.  What were the problems?  What a feather in the cap for the Abady bashers!  You will be very, very well liked here with this group!

Oh, one last thing concerning the salmonella… Dogs don't suffer from salmonella.  Dogs have strong enough enzymes to fight off the bacteria, along with e-coli.  However, dogs will test positive for salmonella through stool samples.  The only concern there would be if you have small children and their rolling around in the yard and the area is loaded up with poops.  If someone told you your dog is suffering from salmonella because of feeding Abady, I think their jerking you around and hoping you will dig deeper into your wallet.

CC.

I also think too many vax is  causing problems. I remember when dogs got the rabies vax once a year, and if lucky did get distemper vax once a year.  many did not vax against that even.  Now, we have a list an arm long of vax  for our dogs.  Since I "thought" it was the right thing to do, I did get them all for my dogs until 4 yeras ago when KayCee had that reaction to her annuals the 2ed time around.
 
I have about come to the conclusion our dogs are not as healthy today as 40 years ago. Today they pumped full of stuff,  breath air that is more polluted, and they seem to h ave more problems.   They say  dogs live--(just made up figures as I do not know the numbers)  on average 2 years longer today.  But what does it take to have them live 2 years longer?  Many are on meds for all kinds of ailments.  As stated above, they are getting knee surgeris (like my KayCee), hip replacement, etc.  Some that are paralized have special chairs.  There are specialist for heart conditions, for bone problems, etc.    Many are on special diets for one problem or another.
 
I honestly believe if dogs today did not have all the meds, surgeries, treatments, foods, etc, they would not live as long as dogs --on average--did 40 years ago.....before so much pollution, so many vax.
 

I'll PM you the info. 

Thanks CC, I appreciate it. I'll check the link this evening and read the information.
 
" Oh, one last thing concerning the salmonella… Dogs don't suffer from salmonella."
      
     Actually, they can be affected by it; 

            Robinson says dogs on the diet have been hospitalized with bacterial infections from E. coli and salmonella, which can be in raw food. from; [linkhttp://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=340159]http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=340159[/link]

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I suspect one reason we are seeing more allergies is that modern medicine is "cushioning" the effect of natural selection
 
"I think the lack of natural selection has something to do with it too. If it were up to natural selection, a lot of the
breeds we have would be dramatically different. Some breeds have a VERY hard time with basic functions, like reproducing, without medical science. "
 
   I agree with both of you; my daughter and I were discussing this topic a few weeks ago. We have interfered with the natural process that selects the smartest and healthiest animals to survive and pass their genes to future generations. Some would argue that dogs are living longer , and that's true, but it's because of better nutrition and better veterinary care.

You know a lot of dogs that are alive today at 10-13 years of age would have been shot or put to sleep 40 years ago.  Heck, many that are 2 and 3 years old would have been put down then.  You take all the dogs on this board with severe allergy problems, hip and knee problems,  digestive problems, back problems, etc, etc.  Forty-fifty years ago the biggest majority of the people would have had them put to sleep instead of spending $$$$$ on them.  My KayCee probably would have been shot or put to sleep at age 16 months when we found her patella luxation problems.  If not then, then soon after her other knee went bad a little over a year later.  She would have been to crippled up.  But we had the operations done and have her on joint sups, something not done all those years ago. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Why don't you try Natural Life Pet Food.  the Lamaderm type.  You can actually get it at wal-mart and they have a website with the ingredient information.  [linkhttp://www.nlpp.com]www.nlpp.com[/link].  Try that!