Fish-free food? - Page 1

I'm in need--well technically my girl's in need--of an affordable fish-free dog food.  We're fairly certain that she's not allergic to grains, as we'd previously thought, but the fish and fish by-products (Salmon oil for Omega 3's) in 99% of dog food were what was causing her terrible itchiness and loss of coat.  Right now we're spending $50 for a 30/lb bag of Natural Balance's LID Venison & Sweet Potato, because it's the only one we could find that had no fish crap in it. 

We can't afford to feed raw, we both lost our jobs! 

Take a look at Canidae Chicken and Rice Formula.

It is odd though that the salmon oil is causing this problem. It is usually what cures the problems your dog is having.

What was the food that she was previously on?
Did your vet actually perform an allergy test?

She's been on several, including Canidae Grain-Free.

Ever since we got her, she was an itchy pup.  At about 8 months, we changed her over to NB's Venison & Sweet Potato, and her itchiness went away.  Since their grain-free line has 2 other flavors, we gave her the Duck & Potato to try next.  She loved it, but the itchiness was coming back (it had salmon oil).  I was thinking what you did--that she needed more fish oils for her coat and itchy skin.  NB makes a Fish & Sweet Potato, and when we gave her that, her itchies increased 10 fold, her coat turned into a disaster, and she had these raw red patches under her arm pits from scratching.  Her belly and chest were soooooo red, and she was constantly scratching scratching scratching and reaching behind her and chewing where it itched.  So I tried a bag of Canidae Grain-Free, and her itchies decreased, but still didn't go away entirely.  She still had the redness on her belly.  And we had bought her new beds for both her crate and pen at work, given her oatmeal shampoos, all that stuff!  So we deduced that it was the fish and salmon oils that had caused it, and switched her back to the Venison formula.  Her itchies went away within a couple of days, and her coat back back better than ever.

At this point I'm considering buying a bag of chicken quarters and some potatoes and veggies, cooking it all up and freezing it, because for the life of me I can't find another food that has no fish! *sigh* At least she isn't a fussy eater, lol.

This is crazy people!. Do not try to figure out what crap Purina or who ever puts in you dog.  Cook your own food. It is cheaper and better for dog and you know what is in it. Somewhere else here I have written this recipe. Just eliminate the fish stuff if your dog has problem with fish (usually not the problem of your dogs condition) and you get great food where your dog is going to strive on it and clear it of all problems. Nice coat, clear eyes and not sour smelling shit. Keep in mind that your dog may have problem with some other products in commercial dog food which are probably made by Chevron. Get your dog allergies tested to be sure.  Here is my recipe (Skip the fish as I said):
Meat chunks (not hamburger); like chicken with flat bones and all the gristle. Organ like hearts ,gizzards, chicken feet(Best source of glucosomine and chondroitine and HA = Hyluronic acd.) Deer meat is great. Salmon(or not), Beef, Beef heart. Easy on liver(Diarrhea), pig tails, turkey necks.....Chinese supermarket is the source of many ingredients which I like in my dog's food.Cook the meat VERY lightly so that you do not kill enzymes.
Mix it with cooked pasta.
Add blended RAW carrot and or apple, and parsley.(Vitamins, enzymes, minerals)
Pinch of sea salt (naturally balanced minerals) you can ad 1/2 tea spoon of fish oil per dog(or not if it 's a problem).
I use turkey cooker. Then you can take the hot(!!!) food  divide  it into daily portions, put it into Tupperware and put it into refrigerator. It should last there about a week.
 Fine tune the mixture to your dogs benefit. Always give it a 14 days chance.
Prager(Hans)
http://www.alpinek9.com

I don't think there is any fish in a bag of Ole Roy...
I think I'm going to eat at Han's tonight.

Prager--

When you lightly cook the food, do you boil it or sear it in a pan?

Those Asian markets are the best place to get cheap meats from, I agree--as long as it's not all written in Chinese or Vietnamese characters--then you might not know what the heck is in the meat case! LOL Discount supermarkets like Save A Lot has good prices on their chicken organs like gizzards and hearts--I used to make my cat's food with those and he loved it!

How big are the portions you give your dog? My girl's just under 60, naturally on the small side but I'd like to see her with 5 more pounds.

Also, what is your meat>carb>veggie ratio for the week's supply?

Gotcha, thanks! I think I'll cook some up for the hell of it and see how she likes it.

This will be her reaction

I guess I should not try so hard to be invited out for diner, thanks for the offer Hans.
I personally would never feed Ole Roy to any creature.   I have had experience with fish based dog foods and a dog with allergies to it, this was a Purina product by the way.   I don't use it anymore and with a few extras my pups do fine on a cheap chicken and corn based dry dog food. 

Mum of Zoe,
I would suggest a gradual change, and take great care in handling raw meats to avoid cross contamination.
Then give it some time to see what the results will be.
Best of luck with it.

Moons.

Thanks Moons. I'll start out with some lightly cooked chicken organs and mix them in with her kibble. I figure that as her dry food gets lower, I'll start adding more of the prepared food.  Did your fish-allergic dog have similar problems as mine? All the itching and icky coat issues?

I bought a bag of the NB Venison this past weekend, so she should be set for the next month. I'm just thinking ahead!