<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I had 8 people respond to my request for gf treats/food for dogs. 2
other people admitted they had never thought about handling treats
before, 1 said she always washed in antibacterial soap afterward, as
her cats would often lick her hands, and another suggested handling
the treats with plastic gloves or small plastic bags over the hands.
2 responders were veterinarians with advice on foods, one pet-owner
had suggestions for home-made dog food, and one pet-owner recommended
commercially available dogfood:
________________________________
Bobbi, there are several companies that make dog foods for dogs with
allergies. I am using Iams Eukanuba F/P (fish and potato) for allergy
dogs. It has very few other ingredients other than vitamins to make
it a balanced and complete diet. I am pleased with how it is working
in the dogs eating it. Another company is Innovative Diets. They
make several foods with minimal ingredients - such as rabbit,
venison, fish...for our allergy pets. Any of these are far superior
to any homemade diet. Worth the price to get a balanced diet
complete with the essential fatty acids, amino acids, etc. that they
need. And ease of feeding and being able to feed a dry food. These
are prescription foods carried by some veterinarians. I am sure you
could find one that carries them in your area. Some of my customers
are clients at other clinics here in our small city in Montana.
The foods I am familiar with do come in smaller bags, it is more a
matter if the DVM carries that size. I can get 6 lb. bags of the
Eukanuba F/P, or larger. I have clients that freeze the food and it
does not seem to lose anything. If you have freezer space.
f/p is prescription and is most likely not available at pet supply
stores and only at clinics (that carry Iams). This does not mean you
need a prescription to get it, but just that only DVM can carry the
product. Iams/Eukanuba lamb and rice is a good product, a lot of
dogs don't like lamb and lamb is not a better protein source than
chicken (probably lower quality, but they compensate with other
ingredients) it got unduly popular as a unique protein source for
possible food allergy dogs and cats. Now it is in everything and has
"everything" else in the food formula so most are not
"hypoallergenic", unless you go to a prescription type food. Pet
foods are just as complex to figure as our GF and etc. allergy diets!
Although, I've threatened to eat the F/P and be done with the
guessing games.
Beth Hill, DVM
________________________________
Bobbi- a suggestion-many of my former patients were on restricted diets.
Some of their owners had success making "slice and bake" treats from the
canned food (slide it out of the can whole, slice and then 1/4 the slices,
bake at 350F for 15 minutes or so (adjust to your oven and for teh food
type). That way you cn give treats without breaking her diet (or
yours!)-Marne Platt, VMD
________________________________
Hi! My dog was diagnosed as being "nutritionally insane" by the vet, after
he decided that he'd rather be a cat than a dog (he was eating cat food and
cat poop instead of his dog food so he was getting too much protein and his
little neurotransmitters were all getting crossed). My vet suggested that I
start feeding him whole foods and since I was gluten free, it wouldn't hurt
him either. What a difference it has made in his behaviour! <snip>
Hi! That cookbook I was talking about is called "The Dog Lover's Cookbook:
Dr. Tonken's Book of Practical Canine Cuisine" by Bernard Tonken, DVM. The
ISBN number is 1-55562-034-5(pbk.) The printing I have is from 1987. I have
seen other books around, but I haven't read them. Some general tips to get
you started: Use not more than 50% meat in the diet for prolonged periods.
Use not more than 70% carbohydrates over long periods. It is suggested to
feed about 1.25 oz per pound of body weight per day - I find my dog (who is
about the size of a Westie) tends to eat about 2 cups a day and is neither
gaining nor losing weight - but he also sits around all day and sleeps during
the winter. I suspect I will have to increase the amount in the summer.
Sometimes he doesn't even finish the amount I give him. Vegetables like
lettuce, potatoes, and carrots are good, but apparently stay away from peas
and beans - I don't know, my dog loves peas and seems to do just fine on
them. Any recipe which calls for bread can be substituted with rice. Stay
away from sauces - they aren't good for you and they aren't good for your dog
either - use them in moderation. Dairy products are okay if your dog can
tolerate them. If you have the Bette Hagman cookbooks, try the Singapore
Rice Pot for an idea of how to make dog food which humans like too. My dog
also likes a mixture of hamburger, rice, and rutabegas. Potatoes and carrots
are also a favourite. Raw carrots are a good treat. The other thing my vet
recommended was that you switch to knuckle bones - they will take all the
tarter off the back teeth - it really works, but they are a little messy, so
either trim off all the meat and wash it, or make sure the dog takes it
outside for a while or is limited to linoleum. They smell for a few days,
then they're okay to take around the house.
For cookies, try mixing rice flour and buckwheat flour with a little sugar, a
little oil, and enough water to make a dough that you can drop from a spoon
which is a little runny. Bake at 350F until crisp. Add boullion cubes for
flavour or beef scraps (then you need to refrigerate). My dog loves these.
Most times, you can take a dog biscuit recipe and straight substitute rice
flour - Skeets doesn't seem to care. Becky and Skeets (the gluten-free
yorkie)
________________________________
Just something to look into regarding your pet's food.
Look at some of the 'pricer' pet foods, such as Iams Lamb and Rice or
Science Diet also makes a lamb and rice. I can't remember which is
wheat
free<snip>
Cynthia
________________________________
End of suggestions. Thanks again to you all!
I purchased *Iams* Lamb and Rice dogfood to try, and also *Iams*
wheat-free dogbiscuits, which are marked right on the box as
wheat-,soy-, and (I think) egg-free. (Science Diet was not gf,
unfortunately, as it contained wheat, oats, and barley.) Although
suspicious at first, Chloe took quickly to the biscuits, and actually
refused one of her old favorites, Meaty Bones, that my husband offered
her before he knew about the switch! (I gave away the rest of the
unused ones to a friend.) She's still not keen on the dog kibble,
being spoiled by rice & meat meals. Her coat is coming in glossier
already. (But I'm still washing my hands after each treat.) I'll also
try some of the other ideas and get that cookbook!
Good luck and good health!
Bobbi in Baltimore
|
