My dog has allergies and severe hair loss. Best affordable food?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A very good diet that is also accessible and not expensive is the Purina pro Plan shredded diets. You can get them at your local pet store. While it may not be an emergency, it is still ideal to have him checked for the bites and the itchiness. It is also very important to start a flea and tick preventative like Frontline plus. He may be itching due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

For an ideal diet trial for a suspected food allergy, it is typically recommended to feed a hydrolyzed protein diet (proteins are broken down to the point where they can't trigger the immune system) exclusively for 6-8 weeks. After that point, some dogs are rechallenged with their original diet to see if signs recur or started on a novel protein diet (one protein source/one carbohydrate source). If signs of a food allergy are still present, some dogs need to remain on the hydrolyzed diet indefinitely. The hydrolyzed diets are prescription based and include Royal Canin Ultimano, Royal Canin HP, Science Diet Z/D ultra, and Purina HA. There are many pet food companies online that can also dispense these diets with a prescription from your vet (chewy.com is one example). If the cost of a hydrolyzed diet is still not feasible for a diet trial, talk to your vet about starting Rico on a novel protein diet. Many of these are still prescription based, but I have also been impressed by the Dick van Patten Natural Balance limited ingredient line, which is available over the counter. With any diet trial, it can take 2-3 months to determine if it is effective and you need to be strict in that Rico would only receive his dog food with no other treats or table foods. I hope this helps! :-)

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Kimmie's skin issues, but your veterinarian is correct in recommending this diet trial. You may be able to order the food through Chewy.com for cheaper than other places. They often have discounts for your first order, which can be really great. I would not change the diet your veterinarian prescribed, as this will defeat the purpose of the diet trial! I hope this is helpful!

To the best of my knowledge, PetCoach does not employ a nutritionist and mainly employs general practitioners. I will try to help however! The food I recommend is Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Puppy: https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/retail-products/yorkshire-terrier-puppy-dry-dog-food I agree that her eye does look irritated. See what happens when you switch the food. If she continues to have the problem, or if it remains chronic instead of going away, discuss a food trial with a hydrolyzed protein with your veterinarian. That's the best way to rule out a food allergy. I hope this helps.

If Charlie has that bad of allergies I would recommend a hydrolyzed protein diet. This is a prescription diet that has the protein broken down to where the body can't recognize it. Otherwise you can try Salmon flavored food although, it is not hypoallergenic it has fish oil in it to help with his skin. I would eliminate all treats and human food to help with weight loss. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There are a lot of prescription brand foods to try. We tend to stick to prescription brands because we know they don't have any contamination of other products in the food. However, there is one food that I have seen some success with, called California Natural by Natura. You can also visit your local organic pet food store to see if there are other options available in your area, like Fromm, WIld Frontier, etc. I hope that you find something that is affordable for Harper to continue on, as you complete your evaluations during his food trial. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952600 Best wishes and take care.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Allergens are small proteins that cause the immune system in animals/mammals to 'over-react'. What constitutes an allergen will vary from animal to animal and depends on what their specific immune system 'doesn't like'. Therefore, there is no way to say any food has 'No allergens'. For example, peanuts are an allergen to a person with a peanut allergy, but not to a person without peanut allergies. In general, most animals don't have allergies to food, and unless you are seeing signs of food allergies (diarrhea, vomiting, itchy skin/feet/bum/ears)) then any food protein or carbohydrate is ok. I generally recommend a good quality large breed food with low fat and high fiber. If you want the best for Luns, talk with your vet about Hill's T/D which helps prevent dental disease and also has some efficacy at helping prevent joint disease. It is also an AAFCO supported food so you know it is well balanced and scientific studies have been done to ensure it is a good quality food. Other good food companies are Royal Canine, Science Diet, Eukanuba, etc. Find a food that Luns likes to eat, and has a good quality hair coat and normal poops. Best of luck with Luns!