Quote:
Originally Posted by stasiagurl91
Before I got my second dog, I was feeding reuben meat. but duke didn't seem to like it so I switched to blue buffalo. Since I don't have anymoney i've been buying them different brands of dog food which i truly truly truly hate to do, but i have no choice. blue buffalo is very good. they seem to itch more with other brands and reubens has dandruff since hes been off of blue buffalo. im not sure if its the dog food or not, but it could very well be.
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I work for a vet. I haven't heard of all the foods mentioned, although the Blue Buffalo does seem popular. We market Science Diet, exclusively. That said, as far as the itching, try feeding your dog a 1/4 of a can of tuna in oil daily. The omega fatty acids, are lacking in most foods for dogs. It may take several months to see a difference. One other thing coat wise we recommend, is once a week, fry a slice or 2 of bacon and pour the drippings on the food. This only needs to be a tablespoon or 2 , but the fat does help.
Also, are you using lots of scented cleaners? Washing their beds in TIDE, bad! Scented air fresheners? Febreeze on their beds? Cleaning with over scented, over processed stuff? Simple vinegar and water are good options.
So many things can affect the itching.
What we find most of is a diet lacking in omega 3 fatty acids, cheap dog food, and the worst is drug manufacturing. Unfortunately, (not accusing anyone here, or you wouldn't be asking) but the worst skin cases we see, are in pit bulls, who live in meth houses and are living on Ole Roy dog food and whatever anyone throws at them. We do report them.
For a decent, yet inexpensive, food option, Purina, Lamb and Rice Healthy formula is a good option, add a little tuna in oil a couple of times a week, and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the food on a daily basis.
Purina is a good stable brand. The Lamb and Rice formula, will agree with most dogs. The tuna and olive oil are a good addition that will help with itchyness, and flaky skin.
Stay away from Pedigree. We see so many dogs with seizures, that are fed Pedigree, must be some crappy food.
The only saving grace for Ole Roy, is, it's so full of sand, the dogs that eat that have HOLLYWOOD smiles, it grinds all the tarter off of their teeth. We can spot an Ole Roy dog a mile away, fat, crappy coat, greasy, etc., but teeth that would make a model jealous.
Just my opinion, from what I see after 6 years working for a vet.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, I'll do my best to help out!