Dog Food & Allergies

Maddie at eight weeks.

When we first brought Madison home in 2006, I'm ashamed to admit I wasn't the most educated pet owner. We were prepared for her arrival and had the necessities: bedding, food, bowls....but what we didn't know was the importance of BRAND when it comes to your dogs daily meals. I went out and bought the familiar Beneful that you can purchase at almost any convenience store and supermarket out there. That's what Maddie ate for her first two years of life.

From a very early age, Madison started having skin allergies and common bouts of vomiting. After doing research on West Highland White Terriers and common ailments they suffer from, I figured Maddie's allergies were just a product of her DNA. It never occured to me that what I was feeding her may be producing and contributing to her symptoms. I started doing research on dog food brands and what ingredients they use. I soon realized that Beneful was one of the worst foods to feed a dog with allergies. The first ingredient = CORN! One of the worst things you can feed your dog, I learned, (especially one with allergies and stomach sensitivity) is corn gluten.

After researching various brands, I settled on Blue Buffalo. BLUE uses real meat, whole grains and healthy fruit and vegetables, while many leading dog food brands use chicken or poultry by-product meals, corn gluten and artificial preservatives. I slowly weaned Maddie off of Beneful and onto Blue Buffalo (Note: never just switch a dog's food. Slowly ease them into it by mixing the brands together initially. If you switch them cold turkey, it could cause stomach upset, diahhrea and increased vomiting).

While BLUE is a little pricier, it has definitely saved me money in vet bills. Prior to putting Maddie on BLUE, I took her to the vet almost quarterly and we tried various allergy and stomach relief medications, none of which seemed to solve the problem. Since switching her food, Madison has extremely reduced allergy symptoms. It would be unfair to say they are completely gone, but it her "breakouts" are few and far between these days.

If your dogs exhibit any of these symptoms, I would strongly encourage you to examine the ingredients of your current pet foods. BLUE has a great Dog Food Comparison on its Web site. Check it out here.

All for the love of our pampered pets!
M.J.