What to Ask the Vet

[StillandSilent]

My mother took her Radar (12 yr old poodle/terrier X) to the vet last week, as his allergies have gotten significatnly worse. He's very itchy and pink, and licks his little feet. Previous testing indicated that he has some sort of food allergy, but they didn't go deep into testing it.
The vet gave her three samples of food in baggies: Lamb, Salmon, and Venison. We're supposed to try each and see if it helps.
I want to call the vet, and ask him a few questions, but what should I ask?
I was planning on asking what brand he gave her (it feels greasy like SD, but I didn't know they made those flavors), where I can find the ingredient list, and whether or not he feels Radar would benefit from a grain free food also.
I bought mom a bag of Natures Variety Oatmeal and Lamb the other week, but I think she's leary of going against what the vet things is best.
Any other questions I should ask him?
Please note that Radar is not my dog (anymore), and I do not live with him, so anything that happens is ultimately up to mom.

 

[dobesgalore]

I would ask what brand he gave her, but first stay with it. It may work fine. Depending on what it is you might could find one like Wellness, with the same ingrediants. A lot of times vets will sell what they endorse just for the money. Look at the ingrediants and then I bet something like Wellness or Natural Balance will have something the same.

 

[Bailey08]

I think that's a fair request. I would at the very least want to know the ingredients.

I would also ask for how long he should be on the foods. I'm not sure that the sample bags would last long enough to give you the info you need.

I, personally, would feel more comfortable with a more traditional allergy elimination test. BUT I also know it's not your dog so I can appreciate that your options may be limited. My mom feeds Beneful and I make my dog's food, lol.

 

[dobesgalore]

I think that's a fair request. I would at the very least want to know the ingredients.

I would also ask for how long he should be on the foods. I'm not sure that the sample bags would last long enough to give you the info you need.

I, personally, would feel more comfortable with a more traditional allergy elimination test. BUT I also know it's not your dog so I can appreciate that your options may be limited. My mom feeds Beneful and I make my dog's food, lol.

You are right, a sample isn't going to be enough to see a differance. It could take several months to see a difference, depending on the severity of the allergies.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Honestly, SD and Purina are actually making "allergy friendly" foods with Venison and such... and it's ridiculous. The foods are still packed with grains, corn, and all of the other common allergens, just with a different (and low amount of/poor quality) meat source. One of my favorite dogs at daycamp, Bunsen the GSP, eats Purina Venison for allergies and he is still incredibly pink and itchy!

For years, my friend had her cat on a lamb-based SD food because the Vet recommended it. Her poor cat suffered through a LIFE of diarrhea, vomiting, and severe dandruff and itchiness. She also lost most of her teeth far too young. They said nothing about grains being a potential culprit, just to switch meat sources, AND on top of it all that food contained chicken products so it's a bad idea even if the problem was an allergy to a meat source. Now, at age 12 she is fed Primal (pre-made raw) and she is happier and healthier than she has ever been. Obviously, an excess of grains was wreacking havoc on her body, but most Vets either don't know that or are too loyal to familiar brands to even consider it.

 

[Lolas Dad]

I'm willing to bet that the food the vet gave you was SD. Seems that's all vet's know because it is pushed on the from Hills. Does the vet have all the SD posters on the walls?

 

[Romy]

When you say sample, are you talking about those little 1 cup sample bags? If so, those aren't even enough to feed to get the dog's stomach adjusted to a new brand, much less find out an allergy.

I'm a big fan of TOTW salmon formula, for allergy dogs. It's as close to a total elimination kibble as I have found that is good on price.

Ingredients
Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

The non bolded stuff is just vitamins and probiotics. Ideally, I would want to supplement with taurine and carnitine because fish doesn't have those, or raw red meat if my dog tolerated it. You can also look into Natural Balance duck and potato, they do add the taurine and carnitine which is especially important for heart health and muscle tone in active dogs.

 

[StillandSilent]

Thank you for your replies, I'm going to call today and get the real scoop.
Romy-We've tried salmon before (mom forgot to mention it to vet) and it gave him room clearing gas. I mean, the sort that made you wonder if Radar was perhaps crossed with skunk somewhere in the family tree. Does TOTW make a non salmon based food that is comperable?

 

[lakotasong]

I would ask if VARL allergy testing is available through that clinic.

 

[johndecker]

i'm not really good at this

what is really the best brand and kind of food that should be feed to dogs? i've got pedegree... what else so i can give her ( Ciara ) the best food she deserves. and how many times should i feed her? tnx...

 

[lizzybeth727]

what is really the best brand and kind of food that should be feed to dogs? i've got pedegree... what else so i can give her ( Ciara ) the best food she deserves. and how many times should i feed her? tnx...

There isn't one food that's "the best," it depends a lot on what your individual dog tolerates, enjoys, and needs.

How many times you should feed her depends on her age and breed, and your schedule.

The best thing to do is to start a new topic to ask your questions. That way more people wil notice it.

 

[grab01]

The allergy test can really help pinpoint things. Food allergies are quite common, but so are environmental allergies. I went through years of allergy issues, food changes, etc with my late Chow, only to discover that he was allergic to most types of grasses, weeds, and the tree that was in my yard. Avoiding those things (we ended up moving not long after..not because of the tree though) and he had a full coat and was itch free for the rest of his days.

 

[Renee750il]

Probably one of the best things she could do to determine what the allergies are/if they are allergies is consult with Mordy! The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?

Mordy made a HUGE difference for Nikki's Buddy and all his allergies.