<<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