* Dogtor J.'s Recommended Pet Foods- Once again, this area is in a dynamic state for the same reasons as above. Thankfully, there are still some pet foods at the grocery store and pet shops that will meet the budget-minded pet owner's needs while helping many of the chronic conditions from which their pet suffers. None of these are "ideal", but the elimination of wheat, barley, dairy, and soy can produce miraculous results in many pets (and people). I strongly urge owners to add fresh vegetables, fruits, and a source of natural protein (meats, eggs) to these commercial diets to  make them more nutritionally complete.

Dogtor J.s  Recommended Pet Foods

Note: This is only a partial list of foods that I routinely recommend to my clients in the exam room based on availability, price, and ingredient content. Which foods I suggest depends somewhat on what condition(s) I am trying to improve. Again, please keep in mind that these recommendations are based on what the average veterinary client is willing to do, not on those who are to do whatever it takes to feed their pet the ideal diet. For the latter, there is no doubt that home-cooked and/or raw diets would be more ideal.

For allergies, I always eliminate the "big four"...gluten (wheat, barley, rye), dairy, soy, and corn.  The next is rice. If we have to remove rice, then that leaves only the "cure in a bag"...duck and potato...and The Eukanuba Response KO (Kangaroo and oats).

For epilepsy, I follow the same progression as above if the seizures are mild or far apart and if the owner is reluctant to go straight to the potato-based diet. For severe seizures, the first choice is the IVD Duck and Potato (or their venison, fish or rabbit formulas). However, at this time, I have a number of dogs on th Nutro Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice, a number of the Nutro Lamb and Rice, and the rest on the IVD Duck and Potato. I have them avoid ALL commercial treats and give fruits and veggies as snacks.

Here are the most readily available foods again:

* Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice Adult formula (available at pet shops)-  One of the most readily available "clean" (free of gluten, dairy, soy and corn)kibbled dog foods at the pet shop as of this writing. Comes in regular, growth, and reduced calorie. Not all lines of Nutro are "clean", however. Read all labels.

* Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Duck and Potato dog food- Like the I.V.D. above, this potato-based diet is ideal for allergic, epileptic, and chronically painful dogs because of it being hypoallergenic and low in the neuroactive amino acids glutamate and asparate. It is now available at select pet shops. Here is their site, where you can find the distributor nearest you- http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/.

*Lamaderm by NaturaLife- This is one of the original pure lamb and rice diets formulated back in the 1980's. It is now available at WalMart. But, don't let that fool you. I spoke at length to the CEO of this company and they know what's what when it comes to making this formula. I have now had many clients feed this food with great success.

*Canidae and Felidae Pet Foods- Once again, these are only available at select pet shops as of this writing and that is too bad. They have none of the "big 4" and have performed miracles in some of my patients, including my own cat. They do have a number of different proteins present to which cats and dogs could have become sensitized while on the diets with the big 4 in them. But, for those without significant allergies, this food is my new first choice for a commercially available cat food.

*Diamond Naturals- The Naturals Senior 8+ formula and the Naturals Active Cat formula of Diamond Pet Foods meet my criteria. I was pleasantly surprised to see that these were available at our local feed and seed store.

*Wellness- The new CORE grain-free cat food is now available at pet shops and meets these strict criteria. Their fish and fowl is for kittens and adult cats. They also have a new CORE dog formula.

* I.V.D. and Nutro RICE-based Treats- Available here and at pet shops.These are here if you must feel compelled to give your dog a cookie of some kind. I prefer that people think outside the box and give fruits and veggies are treats. 

"Clean" Pet Foods

* Here is a more complete list of "clean" foods (those without gluten, dairy, soy, and corn) that I have been working on. Keep in mind that for epileptic dogs, the potato-based diets are still the best as they are the lowest in glutamate. The grain alternatives (including rice) are much higher in this non-essential, neurostimulating amino acid that we are limiting to help seizures and pain in pets as well those plus insomnia, headaches, ADHD and more in people.

Here is the ever-expanding list:

Note: If allergy symptoms persist after 3-6 weeks of starting these diets, then blood testing is available to identify other food allergies. These can be varied and numerous, especially in aged pets.If seizures persist for more than a few days, then further restriction of glutamate-containing foods should be accomplished immediately.

Above all, BE STRICT. Food allergies can be very sensitive conditions and the least amount of the offending substance can trigger reactions that can last for days. Remember: When the immune system decides that it doesn't like something, it wants no more of it, not just less of it. Be creative in finding safe treats for your pets- those that MATCH the diet. This will be a lot harder on you than your pet.I now encourage people to think outside the box, incorporating fruits and vegetables as treats for their dogs. Mine love baby carrots, blueberries, apples, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes, especially with a little peanut butter on them.