Canned foods

[Suelin]

What canned foods are deemed the best option for a picky spaniel with an itchy skin. He is 9 years old and neutered. Regularly clipped and bathed (which I feel is too much and this is going to be done less often) There is no possibility of feeding raw food. My mother just wouldn't. (she's 82 with attitude) So has to be tinned with a good biscuit type mixer maybe.

All suggestions welcome

Many thanks.

 

[twiggy2]

would depend on why his skin is itchy

if the itching is caused by an allergy the best food would be one without whatever it is the dog is allergic to in it.

tinned chappie is probably the best one to try whilst waiting for results for allergy testing or consulting with vet for best move forward (the dry food is not good though so avoid that).

have the dog/house been treated for fleas?

 

[s4sugar]

Easiest thing is to replace the wheat based mixer with a low protein, wheat free complete and feed less meat with it. Often just removing wheat form a dog's diet can clear up itchy skin.

Skinners duck & rice fed with half a pack of naturediet would be a good place to start. Butchers tripe - the original tripe loaf has no cereals.

Unless he a bathed more than once a week there is no need to cut down but make sure he is well rinsed and shampooed with a mild, low residue shampoo.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Chappie is worthless rubbish, sorry.

Would your mum feed the trays from Pets at Home? They're like cans but decent quality! Also unlikely to provoke skin issues.

 

[Suelin]

Many thanks for your input people. Not a sign of fleas. Mother is far too particular and would have the dog, the house, father and herself fumigated at the mere mention of the word "flea"!!! I checked as well and he is clear.

I did suggest the Butchers tripe loaf sort and she did say that she would give that a try with him. So will progress with that.

CT, what exactly are the Pets at Home Trays? Is this raw or cooked or what?

Thankyou so much for the help here. This dog is another child to my folks and is ruined frankly, although we have managed to get them to stop titbits (cake, biscuits etc!!!! Almost had to have a turn here) He has lost weight as a result and looks really well except for his itches

Should just add here that dog has been seen by the vet who has nothing much to offer except some steroids which he has finished now but is still itching.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

The Pets at Home trays are called Wainwrights. You can buy individual trays, plastic white tray with plastic on top or boxes of 12. They are good quality wet food, cooked quite solid, like a firm pâté with rice. There's no rubbish in them and you can get the lower calorie ones for older or very eight dogs. Sell the idea to your mum by telling her it's the best wet food around (Nature Diet, similar tray, is probably even better but more expensive). Fishmongers dry food, also Pets at Home, is high protein, good quality too.

Good dry food list here, green is best, red means avoid.
http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/255727-updated-dry-dog-food-index.html

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Chappie ingredients

Cereals (minimum 4% wholegrain); Derivitives of vegetable origin; meat and animal derivitives (minimum 4% chicken); oils and fats; minerals. With antioxidants butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). With preservative potassium sorbate.

It's full of grain and grain derivatives and no real meat content at all As said about, dogs with sensitive tums do well on Chappie because it doesn't contain a lot of anything at all.

BHA/BHT are carcinogens. Horrific.

From another site re cereals in dog food, particularly wheat:
'Wheat has been shown to inhibit serotonin release in several animals including dogs and from a behavioural pov probably the single most beneficial to eradicate from the diet.
I also avoid barley & oats also as the gluten levels are quite high in these too and imo potentially very damaging to the gut wall.
Maize is not particularly harmful imo but some dogs can be intolerant..... is why some people say avoid and not others..... but it just depends on the dog.'

 

[Suelin]

Thankyou CT. You're a star. Now then should we add any kind of biscuit with that and which one?

 

[MurphysMinder]

I think it was the tinned Chappie which was being referred to which does have a good reputation for dogs with allergy problems, even though it does contain wheat. However I would agree that Wainwrights or Nature Diet would be preferable and worth a try.

 

[s4sugar]

The senoir/light naturediet or wainrights are complete meals but it will probably please your mother to mix either with cooked rice. Avoid mixers as most are wheat based. Burns do a wheat free mixer but I would feed Skinners duck and rice complete with half a tray of naturediet/wainwrights instead.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Thankyou CT. You're a star. Now then should we add any kind of biscuit with that and which one?

Fishmongers is a biscuit-also Pets at Home. Look at the link I posted too.

 

[Suelin]

Thankyou ladies. Extremely helpful. Now for the sales pitch to mother!!!! This is the hard bit LOL. Will let you know how Harry Spaniel goes on.

 

[twiggy2]

I cannot see tinned chappie on that list-I am aware (as I posted) that dry skinners is not a good food.

chappie tinned food is often suggested as a starting point by vets for dogs with allergies

but I agree wainwrights and natures diet are good too

 

[s4sugar]

I cannot see tinned chappie on that list-I am aware (as I posted) that dry skinners is not a good food.

chappie tinned food is often suggested as a starting point by vets for dogs with allergies

but I agree wainwrights and natures diet are good too

Some of the Skinners range are excellent - the F&T duck & rice, salmon & rice and the vatable turkey and rice are all good. Some of their products are less so but still better than dry chappie. Tinned chappie is recommended for iffy tummies or for pancreatitis ( with meds) but not for allergies.

Few vets have much clue about dog food brands.

Manys the time I've had client with dogs with skin problems that veterinatry treatment hasn't sorted.When asked what they feed the usual answer are chicken & rice or lamb and rice and it is only by asking brands I discover that the food is in fact chicken/ lamb flavored with numerous other ingredients. The vets had never asked and just kept taking the money - for six years in the case of one westie - six weeks off wheat & he had clear skin.

 

[twiggy2]

Some of the Skinners range are excellent - the F&T duck & rice, salmon & rice and the vatable turkey and rice are all good. Some of their products are less so but still better than dry chappie. Tinned chappie is recommended for iffy tummies or for pancreatitis ( with meds) but not for allergies.

Few vets have much clue about dog food brands.

Manys the time I've had client with dogs with skin problems that veterinatry treatment hasn't sorted.When asked what they feed the usual answer are chicken & rice or lamb and rice and it is only by asking brands I discover that the food is in fact chicken/ lamb flavored with numerous other ingredients. The vets had never asked and just kept taking the money - for six years in the case of one westie - six weeks off wheat & he had clear skin.

sorry my heads allover the place, not been a good day I meant chappie not skinners.

your right many vets have no idea about food, we have one that specialises in food and allergies at work though and the biggest problem we have is owner compliance with sticking to feeding the reccemended food and nothing else

 

[stencilface]

I feed the wainwrights trays and biscuits and my dog looks amazing on it, really good coat and he's always full of beans and has loads of energy, and he always wolfs it down (kind you he scoffs anything!) I get the boxes of mixed trays (turkey, lamb and duck) as I think it must be nice to have variety, he probably doesn't care. At the moment I have the salmon and potato biscuits, but vary those too for variety.

 

[Suelin]

Thankyou all for the comments and advice. Have dispatched Mother to get the Wainwrights. Amazed that she was so compliant actually!!! Not at all usual for her. However, it would seem that the right decisions are being made so will keep you posted on the results. Let's just hope it does the trick for Harry spaniel.

 

[lori ann]

I agree with the Wainwrights and Nature Diet both good if feeding wet. With regard to his itches try bathing in Camrosa shampoo this helped a friends very itchy westie who was being pumped full of steroids by the vet !