What to feed my allergic dog after a successful hypoallergenic diet?

I am happy you were able to figure out what was causing Zoeys issues. Typically with food allergies we recommend a hypoallergenic diet that is a prescription food. I am not sure the RC diet she is currently taking is over the counter or prescription. Most of the time dogs are allergic to the protein source like beef or chicken. If the RC food is prescription I would recommend talking to your vet about possible Hills or Purina which also has prescription foods. If your RC diet is over the counter you can try and switch foods but I would watch close for the protein source and realize it is possible the new food might cause problems if it was contaminated when made. I hope that helps

Royal canin makes other hypoallergenic diets such as rabbit and potato or Iams makes kangaroo and Oats. Purina and science diet have their share are hypoallergenic diets also it might be worth trying one of these and possibly rotating some so she does not get bored. Food allergy testing through blood is it very accurate, typically trial and error with food is more reliable

I would try hills z/d ultra or royal canin anallergenic (an even more restricted version). Ensure also she is not receiving any additional treats, flavored tablets, bones, table scraps or raiding any garbage bins. She may also require prescription medication to resolve the current flare up. A home prepared diet may be an option but would have to be formulated with the help of an expert nutritionalist and can only comprise of novel ingredients (foods she has never eaten before such as kangaroo/venison/sweet potato etc - these are very difficult to supplement sufficiently and are very expensive to maintain in the long term)

Home prepared diets can be very difficult to balance long term and I strongly recommend a consult with a specialist nutritionist such as through tuft clinical nutrition unit in order to ensure he is receiving all of the trace elements, vitamins, minerals and energy he requires. In food sensitivities, a hydrolyzed diet such as royal canin hypoallergenic can be very effective also. Chicken and rice is a very bland and effective diet in the short to medium term but would need supplemental feeding in the long term

This diet is excellent for skin. The main energy source in this diet is fat which may effect dogs who already have high triglyceride or cholesterol levels. Most dogs who have those levels, will still do well on the diet. A good course of action would be to have another blood work run on Moka to look at the levels now that she is on the diet. A comparison with the blood work 6 months ago will let you know if the diet is causing a further increase in the values. Then you can make a decision on the benefits vs risks of the diet. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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! :-)

I'm not Dr. David, but I'm still happy to help recommend a few options for hypoallergenic diets for Jasper. :-) All truly hypoallergenic diets are prescription based and would need to be prescribed by Jasper's vet. Some of these options include Royal Canin Ultimano ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32052 ), Royal Canin HP ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32078 ), Purina HA, or Hill's Z/D ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31574 ). It can take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to determine if a diet change is effective and these diets must be fed exclusively (i.e. no other treats or table foods). Novel protein diets (one protein source/one carbohydrate source) can be helpful for some cases of food allergies and are available over the counter. Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited ingredient diet is one example ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=30717 ). I hope this helps and that all goes well!