Should I choose grain-free or wheat gluten pill pockets for my dog?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Both Dasuquin and Glycoflex come in treat form. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=34362 http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.com/search?view=grid&w=glycoflex%20chews&visitorID=&cartcount=0&wishcount=0&division=dogs I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chloe. It sounds like you are giving her a small amount of the almond butter. The two concerns that I have is that it is high in calories and can lead to weight gain in such a small dog. Secondly, the high fat content can predispose dogs to gastrointestinal upset. If she has vomiting, diarrhea or weight gain, then I would stop feeding it. If she is tolerating it well, then the small amount is likey fine. You can also try Pill Pockets as an alternative. I hope this information helps!

Good question! Wheat is actually a pretty uncommon allergen for dogs. Dogs with food allergies are more often sensitive to the protein source than the grains. The new grain free market is more based on diet concerns in people. So unless your vet has had reason to limit the wheat in Chloe's diet, I think those treats should be just fine. Hope this helps!

Even though you are concerned about Barni having a food allergy you can still put the pills in little bit of peanut butter or even try a marshmallow. The most typical type of allergies are to proteins like beef or chicken. You could most likely get Barni to take the pills with these. I hope that helps

Medicating pets can be very frustrating - particularly since Mattie is so picky! I never recommend dissolving medications in water to give via a syringe because in most cases, the medication falls out of the mouth so there is no way of knowing how much was actually ingested. Personally, my favorite way to medicate animals is simply to push the pills down the back of the throat, provided that Mattie is agreeable and unlikely to bite you. As you mention, hiding pills in peanut butter is often successful, but if you choose to continue using this, make sure your peanut butter does not contain xylitol, as it is highly toxic to dogs. I don't know if they are available in the UK, but Greenies makes a product called pill pockets which are basically highly palatable, doughy, pliable treats in which you can hide medications for pets.

The key to doing treats while a dog is on an elimination diet is to use treats that have the same ingredients as the food you are trying. Sometimes the easiest way to do this is to use canned food of the variety and flavor that you are using to put in a Kong or bake into treats. Other options would be to use sweet potato chews if the food you are feeding has sweet potatoes in it (which Zignature kangaroo does not) or giving dehydrated chews that are the same meat source that you are feeding (which will be a challenge for a kangaroo food). So, for the food you are feeding right now, the best option may be to use canned Zignature kangaroo to create treats for Lucy. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.