My dog got sick on raw diet with red ears. Is it a chicken allergy?

It is certainly possible that the food is the problem. I couldn't say what it is about that brand that is problematic, but some dogs simply do better with certain brands than others. If she has a chicken allergy, I would make sure that whatever brand of food you choose you check extremely carefully for ingredients, and may go as far as calling up the company. Sometimes they can sneak something like "poultry by product" in at the very end of the ingredient list and it is very easy to miss. There are also prescription diets available that are very low ingredient and generally safer for pets with dietary issues. Other issues that can cause gastrointestinal issues in dogs would include inflammatory or infectious diseases, immune-mediated diseases (such as IBD), certain cancers, liver disease, and a few other less common possibilities. If she hasn't already, it might be a good idea to obtain some blood work just to see if everything is checking out OK. Ultrasound and abdominal radiographs are also possibilities if you want to explore the problem in more detail.

It's very possible there is a food allergy, such as chicken, if you notice a reaction after he eats it. A food trial with your vet may be a good idea so that you can gradually reintroduce ingredients under direct supervision and note which cause a response. Checking treats and people food is also a good idea as the ingredients in those can cause reactions even if the daily diet does not. Food trials can take 6-8 weeks to see results, so you may need to have Buddy on a limited diet for a while to see if anything helps. Another option would be to seek out an allergy specialist that could test Buddy, or try out alternative allergy treatments to the steroid shot to see if anything has positive results for him.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lila. If she is turning red and itchy after a meal, an allergy or food hypersensitivity is possible. Typically the dog will also have skin lesions as well as vomiting and diarrhea if this is the case. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to discuss her symptoms in greater detail. A prescription diet trial may be necessary. While chicken could be to blame, it could be any ingredient in her diet or another problem all together. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Azrael! Yes, it very likely is the food. A lot of dogs tolerate raw diets but there is a higher risk of food borne pathogens like Salmonella. But regardless of raw vs commercial dog food if he has a food allergy to the protein source (chicken, etc) he will vomit, have diarrhea, lose weight. He may also have inflammatory bowel disease which is usually treated with a special diet as well as steroids. Another possibility is pancreatic conditions like Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency. EPI is common in German Shepherds and it is when the pancreas doesn't produce the appropriate digestive enzyme and it needs to be supplemented. I would deworm him, do general blood work, do a B12/folate/TLI/PLI test, change his to a prescription hydrolyzed diet like Royal Canin HP or Ultimino or Hill's Z/d or Purina HA. Give him 2 months on that diet to see if his issues resolve. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would just transition to the new food that is not chicken based right away. There is no need to transition slowly to prevent vomiting since he already vomits on the original diet. I would start a new diet with a different meat protein such as salmon, venison, rabbit, etc. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Roxi may have a food sensitivity issue. Raw diets are nor encouraged by most veterinarians because of the risk of bacterial contamination, & it is very difficult to provide a completely balanced diet this way. I have some clients whose pets have done horrible on raw diets. I would suggest switching Roxi to a limited, but complete diet. One of the best ones out there is Science Diets Salmon formula. This requires a script from your veterinarian, but it is well worth at least a 2-4 week trial to see if this clears up her problems. Take care.

It could potentially be an ear infection. I would recommend taking Diesel to the veterinarian to have them evaluate his whole ear canal to make sure an infection isn't deep in the ear canal. If you wanted to switch dog foods I would go to a salmon based formula to get some omega 3s in his diet. It is not a hypoallergenic food but it may help a little. Make sure you get the puppy version of the food and do a gradual transition to the new diet. I hope Diesel feels better and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.