My dog has a grain allergy. Is Pedigree dog food safe to feed her?

It's going to be hard to notice symptoms before it's too late - but signs that would be concerning are panting at odd times, decreased exercise capacity, rapid breathing while resting, and coughing. There are prescription diets that are hydrolyzed - which means the food is mechanically or chemically broken up in to such small pieces that the immune system no longer recognizes it as chicken or pork (etc). I would recommending asking your vet if one of those diets would be appropriate. If you can't find another diet that works for Padfoot, it's important to know that the risk of heart disease is low, even though it's higher for grain-free or boutique diets than others, so you have to weigh controlling allergies that cause immediate harm with the possibility of heart disease.

Wow - Ryder certainly has many food allergies! It is surprising that he's allergic to many of the grain sources because as Dr. Leigh mentioned, the vast majority of dogs are allergic to proteins rather than grains. The prescription diets that Dr. Leigh mentioned, including Hill's z/d, Royal Canin HP, Royal Canin Ultamino and Purina HA, are all hydrolyzed diets. This means that the ingredients supply necessary nutrition, but are broken down to the point where the immune system cannot react to them. An immune system response is what occurs with an allergy. I strongly recommend discussing one of these diets with your veterinarian, as it has the greatest chance of helping Ryder. As far as your question about millet goes, it's certainly worth a shot. There is no way of knowing if he's allergic to it without exposing him to it. I don't know of any commercially available diets that does not contain one or more of the ingredients you'd mentioned. If you're really against using a prescription diet, cooking your own food (as long as you're using the proper vitamin/mineral supplement!) is an option. The website www.balanceit.com has recipes formulated by boarded-veterinary nutritionists. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

First of all this information regarding peas, potatoes and lentils is not true whatsoever. you can feed him any brand of food that is grain free and chicken free, many companies have at least one product that will fit this description- Orijen for example have a food called "six fish", it's grain free and there is no chicken in it either.

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!

Pedigree is a decent average diet. Higher quality foods such as Iams, Royal Canin or Science diet are a bit more expensive but the health benefits are worth it in the long run if you can feed it. Make sure to change any food gradually and once you pick a diet keep her on that food without table scraps or other foods.

No. Most dogs handle grains very well. In fact most food allergies are to a protein source such as beef or chicken. If you dog does a food allergy if some kind, it typically shows up with itching and hair loss. A small percentage can have GI symptoms but that is the minority

What food is appropriate will depend on how sensitive your dog's GI tract is to these ingredients. There are some over the counter foods without these ingredients in them. A low cost version available at Tractor Supply is the 4Health Salmon and Potato formula: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-salmon-potato-formula-for-adult-dogs-5-lb-bag?cm_vc=-10005 Another option available at most pet stores would be Purina Proplan grain free formula such as the Savor Turkey and Chicken formula https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/savor-grain-free-adult-shredded-blend-turkey-chicken-formula#ingredientsandguaranteedanalysis However, over the counter foods are made in facilities that produce many different foods so contamination of a food with an ingredient not on the label is a possibility. If the food allergy is severe, then a prescription diet available from your vet may be necessary (these special foods are made in a facility where contamination doesn't occur). These foods are unfortunately much more pricey. Another option is cooking for your dog. You can use the website Balanceit.com to find a properly formulated homemade diet for your dog.