# Can dogs outgrow food allergies?



## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

When Patrick was four months old he began to have soft stools which didn’t improve in spite of trying several low allergen foods and running many tests to rule out illness. By eight months he was also vomiting and was seriously ill. Finally our vet suggested feeding Hill’s z/d Ultra which has chemically shortened molecules of carbohydrates and proteins so his body doesn’t recognize them as allergens but he still gets the nutrition. This solved the problem almost overnight and he’s been on this food successfully now for 11 months.

The downside is the cost. The kibble is almost $4/lb and it costs nearly $100 a month to feed a 44 lb dog. I’ve recently let him have a few tablespoons a day of bits of Mother’s dog biscuits and he shows no negative symptoms. I would like to just try a bit of other food to see if perhaps he could tolerate it but our vet thinks I should stick strictly with z/d. I surely don’t want to make him sick but I hate to think this is the only thing he can ever eat without even trying an alternate again. Any thoughts?


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Ugh, you shouldn't be feeding any sort of 'Hills' brand, this includes Science Diet. Their food is filled with corn, by product, and downright bad quality items.

I would suggest feeding a high quality grain free food.

This is what you're feeding
Hill's Prescription Diet Z/D Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating
_"Judging by its ingredients alone, Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D appears to be a below-average dry dog food."_

Hills is expensive because vet's promote it so well, not expecting customers to or even know how to read the ingredient list.

I would suggest feeding a food on either the 5 star list
Five Star Dry Dog Foods | Dog Food Advisor

or 4 star list
Four Star Dry Dog Foods | Dog Food Advisor

I work at PETCO, and if you came in asking about food, an employee will pretty much NEVER suggest Hills brand, especially if they've gone through the nutrition training. Feeding a high quality dog food isn't really more expensive, the bag may seem so, but you're feeding 'more' for less, meaning your dog is getting more from the kibble compared to something filled with filler or corn that your dog is just going to poop out.

What previous brands have you fed?


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## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks for the input FluffySpoo. All the foods Patrick had prior to z/d were grain free and used protein ingredients of venison or fish that normally don't cause allergies. Brands tried were Natural Balance, Wellness, and Orijen. The bottom line is he was sick on all of them and then immediately well on Hills Science Diet z/d ultra. Regardless of ingredients, the main difference is that in hydrolyzed food like z/d, the carbohydrates and proteins are chemically cammoflaged from the immune system. But I'm wondering if he could have outgrown his allergy. 

I'm pleased to have your food list though and I'll keep it to reference if I decide to try an alternative. Thanks so much.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Try other dog food again. Dr. Andrew Weil feeds his dogs Acana by Orijen. It's less expensive and mine are doing well on it. Is your vet selling you the Hill's?


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## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks. I may cautiously try the new food. Yes, the Hill's Science Diet z/d food comes from the vet although this same vet recommended an over-the-counter food (Natural Balance) for my previous dog who had IBD, instead of the prescription food I had been getting from her, so I'm not really suspicious of her motives.


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## catsaqqara (May 20, 2011)

I don't see anything wrong with trying different foods like you said, you'll be able to tell if he can or can't eat something.
I don't think its right to suggest that your dog can only eat one prescription food for the rest of his life when hes so young, especially since you've only tried a few different kinds.

Bambi had/has the same issue with food and soft stool, she was also ill but Im not sure if it was the food. She came to me on a low quality and I tried different brands to resolve it. As I switched her and tried higher quality kibble she got better, and then I found the brand and protein she does well on and it was an over night better too. She cant handle the same brand but different protein. 

After about a yr on the food she could tolerate a variety of small treats. 2yrs later she has had large amount of treats and additional foods in her diet. There are a few things she still can't tolerate and I would guess those are the foods shes allergic to.

Also, I had discussed this with the vet but Bambi had more pressing issues to deal with so this experimentation was on my own.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

As we speak, I am listening to a radio program by a holistic veternarian. He just said that 90% of illnesses are caused by some sort of starvation of the animal. So good food and information are very important.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

If Patrick does okay with venison and/or fish, how about Ziwipeak air dried Venison? Natural Range Of Premium Pet-food Products - Ziwipeak - Natural New Zealand Pet Nutrition They have a Venison and Fish formula too. It's air-dried raw. It's grain free.

I see that you are in SoCal. I'm not sure if there's a Pet Food Express near you. Their return policy covers food too so in case it doesn't work for Patrick, you can take the open bag back for return/exchange. 

My boy had a terrible allergic reaction to chicken and he pulled out his hair from one of his thighs till bald! Then I switched him to ZP and all the scratching stopped. He's now on raw but I still give him ZP once or twice a week so that we have a backup raw food that's easy when we are on the go.

Good luck! Food allergies can be so frustrating.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

I see some posts mentioning allergies to chicken. Is this from possible hormones in the chicken or all chicken, even hormone-free?


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## zyrcona (Jan 9, 2011)

While it's correct that the Science Diet food is made out of rubbish and priced like it's made from caviar and fillet steaks, it is formulated to treat the conditions it's sold for. If this food works for your dog, don't beat yourself up over it. 

That said, there's nothing wrong with trying other foods and seeing if your dog can cope with them. Even if he still can't manage another brand of food all the time, you might be able to get away with giving your dog some of his meals as the vet food and others as a cheaper food made from quality ingredients. Have you tried tinned and frozen foods as well as dry ones?

If this fails, it might also be worth looking online and seeing if you can find a cheaper source of the Science Diet food. They're called 'prescription' diets, but you don't need a vet's prescription to buy them and you can get them from other places than your vet.


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## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks for the many suggestions and comments. I appreciate the encouragement to give something else a try (very slowly). I'll post again in the future to report results.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I really think you should reconsider finding a better food to suit your dog.

Pet food giant Science Diet receives FDA warning - National American Pit Bull | Examiner.com


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## catsaqqara (May 20, 2011)

If while he is on the prescription food you can find a protein(meat from the grocery store) he can handle, you can narrow your search of alternate dog foods to try.


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## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

I AM going to try introducing a new food. You have given me some good suggestions for getting started. Thank you all very much.


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