The Great food debate!

[blazeman]

I know there have been SO MANY threads asking for food sugestions... but I think I needed to start another one.

Jake is just about 10 months old and is getting tired of his puppy food. I thought now woul dbe a good time to start moving him to adult food.

I had planned on moving him to the Lamb & Rice version of Nutro Natural Choice. But... there seems to be a small problem. Jake is getting a few bald patches under his belly, on his back legs (by his butt) and by his neck. So... I think he is having a little reaction to that food. He has only been on the mix (nutro puppy and nutro lab & rice) for a week.

Could it be the combo of the two or should I just go ahead and look into changing food anyway? If your reply is change foods... give your suggestions! I want to stay with dry foods since he really doesn't have any problem eating them.

Jake and I thank you!

[juliette]

Is he biting/scratching those areas excessively? If so, then he is having an allergic reaction to something new in his environment (and it seems the new food is the only new thing in his environment unless you count skunky :D )

If it is an allergy, then you don't want to continue moving into the new food. My recommendation (IMHO only) would be to phase back to puppy food and compare the ingredient list between his old food and new food. Wheat and corn are the two biggies with food allergies. (We've become the resident experts on canine allergies compliments of Otto).

If you find that it is an allergy, there are tons of other great foods out there - especially the Wellness Fish and Sweet Potato which is complex protiens without the wheat/corn which are in some other products.

[blazeman]

I noticed the balding before Skunky :) So... I don't think he is the problem.... hehe

He isn't itching at all. Just looks like his hudaddy... getting some dachie pattern baldness ;)

[Juneysmom]

Juney was getting bald patches in different parts of her body when she was on Nutro Natural Choice. I switched her over to the blue bag of dry Natural Balance and the Natural Balance lamb food roll (food roll in morning, dry at night), and not only does she no longer have bald patches, but her coat is so very shiny.

It says on the back of the bag:

"No corn, soy, wheat, eggs, dairy or sunflower oil: These items, suspected of causing allergic reactions such as hair loss, scratching, hives, tail biting, chewing feet, and ear infections, are not used."

It also contains Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids.


Good luck in your food choices.

[blazeman]

Which blue? The lighter or darker blue? :)

[Juneysmom]

The one that I use has a dark blue on the top, but the rest seems light and dark blue. Here is the website.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/products/home.html

The one I use is in the back, behind the other two bags.

Just as a side note, my cat used to cry and cry after eating. I tried all kinds of food. When I changed my dogs over to Natural Balance Dog food, I decide to change my cat over to Natural Balance Cat food. She has never cried again after eating and her fur is nicer, too.

[blazeman]

Sorry... I misread your post... I though you changed to a different version of Nuto... :) Time to go read about the other stuff :)