How to Determine if Your Pet Food is All-Natural

It's no secret Sawyer has allergies. It can often be difficult to determine what is causing those allergies. Through trial and error, Sawyer's vet here in Houston, recommended I switch his dog food. To backtrack a little- I have always been told that switching the food should be the last resort, because it can be rough on the animal. I was hesitant at first, but finally came to terms with it. Dogs demonstrate allergies a bit differently than humans- the allergies can often appear as hot spots- or skin allergies as the body tries to rid itself of the irritant. He was not able to kick those skin allergies, so I finally made the decision to switch his food.

Sawyer before the food switch. Look at how thin his fur is!

 

Sawyer today. This is two years after switching over his food. Look at the difference in his coat.

Choosing a food can be overwhelming. The pet food industry is alive and well. In 2013, sales for dog and cat food alone totaled approximately $20 billion.

"As you might know, there is no requirement that pet food products have pre-market approval by the FDA."

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), however, does "require that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled."

So what does this all mean to the average consumer? It means finding a quality pet food might be pretty confusing. Luckily, there are more and more people who have a desire to provide quality, healthy, natural products for our pets.  Here are some tips I've learned along the way to determine whether or not your pet food is all-natural.

1. By-Products

If the term "by-product" appears on the ingredient label, the food is not really all natural. "By-product," translates into the "leftover" parts of the animal. The leftover ingredients are the parts of the animals not even consumed by humans.

2. Wheat, corn and soy

These are common ingredients, often found in pet foods that can certainly lead to allergies in your animals.

3. Read the ingredient list

As you might know, the ingredients are listed in order by what appears in the food the most. You want those very first listed ingredients to be the whole product (i.e. fish, chicken, beef, vegetables) - or things you recognize.   


These natural foods help aid in digestion, since they have to do less breaking down of the processed ingredients, as well as consuming the natural, healthy part of the product. This can lead to improved skin, healthier coat and the overall longevity of your pet.

 

And again, my go-to product has been Taste of the Wild for several years now, but I've been seeing more and more natural products to choose from!

Did it Work?

As I mentioned in my previous post I decided to switch Sawyer over to Taste of the Wild (reluctantly). I don't ever like to switch a dog's food unless absolutely necessary, but I was getting desperate to get to the root of his itching. I slowly weaned him off the Eukanuba. Now, if you have never switched a dog's food, the idea is to do it gradually in order to eliminate upset stomach and all of the other fabulous happenings that occur when you switch.

Sawyer seemed to enjoy the new food- even prefer it over the Eukanuba. Once he had been switched over completely, I did start to notice a change in his coat- annnnd his weight (but more on that little big situation later). I also noticed that his ears were less waxy than usual. Unfortunately, the itching remained. Now, this whole switch occurred in January. So he has been on this new food for about three months now.

Around mid-February, the itching got worse- way worse. He was rubbing his body on all of my furniture (you people out there who have dog allergies know what I'm talking about?), and stopping every ten seconds on our walks to scratch. He was miserable. I upped his Zyrtec usage to twice a day to no avail. Then, I made the connection. Obviously, my animal does not suffer from a grain allergy- more like seasonal allergies. To be more specific- pollen. Now, I'm no medical professional, even though I work for a surgeon- I handle his PR and marketing. For people. Much different than animals. However, it doesn't take rocket science to make the connection between all of the pollen on the ground and the "extreme allergy counts" I've been reading about to Sawyer's allergies.

I switched him back over to Claritin twice a day, because it worked better than Zyrtec, and purchased some hypoallergenic wipes to clean his coat and paws after our walks outside. I'll do a separate post on that later to share some of the brands I've tried and what seems to be working- or not. I'm also keeping him on Taste of the Wild, because I feel as if it provides better nutrition than some of the other products out there (but more on that later also). So while I've found a way to control his allergies, it remains on ongoing project. Any of you out there who have dogs that suffer from allergies? I'd be interested to know what you are trying. Send me an email, or leave a comment- I'd love to hear from you!

Dog Allergies

Sawyer has suffered from allergies (and hotspots) since I got him last January. I first noticed it around February when I got home from work, and he had developed a massive hotspot on his hindquarters. After a quick trip to the vet, he was shaved and had a nice little regimen of steroids and antibiotics to fight infection and control the itch. Several hotspots later, and he had a nice stockpile of steroids, sprays, gels, wipes and herbs all claiming to "stop the itch." Nothing was working. I hated the idea of keeping him on steroids for the long haul, and luckily, my vet agreed. So, I started him on Claritin (loratadine). At first, it made him sleepy, but once he became accustomed to the daily dose, his itchiness began to fade. He made it through the summer without another hot spot. He was a happy boy!

Since Austin is notorious for its allergies, I though the move to Houston would also help. We managed to make it all the way to this past November before he got another hotspot. This time, it appeared on his neck by his collar. Another round of antibiotics and some Genesis topical spray (more on this later), and he was all better. I had to see a new vet here in Houston, and after going through his medical history, she decided that maybe he had a food allergy. Possibly a grain allergy, one of the most common food allergies found in dogs.

I was reluctant to try a food switch. He was on Eukanuba, which is known for providing excellent nutrition to animals. I didn't think it was a food allergy, and I didn't want to stress him out by making the switch. I held out for about a month. She also told me to switch him over to Zyrtec (10 mg/day) instead of the Claritin. I made that switch, and it did not seem as effective.

One day in December as I noticed Sawyer's itching getting worse, I decided to visit an all natural dog food store (Natural Paws) in Houston. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask a few questions. The woman I spoke with was completely knowledgeable about the various types of grain free foods out on the market. She went through the list of ingredients with me to show me which items could be potential triggers or problem areas. I finally decided on Taste of the Wild- because of the various types of proteins that were offered, the big 30-lb bag (apparently organic dog food doesn't always come in large quantities) and the relatively decent price. After reading the reviews online, I decided to give it a shot. I decided on the Bison and Venison type, which is grain free and loaded with all-natural nutrients. Did it work on Sawyer's allergies? Read tomorrow's post to find out...