A Good Enough Reason Not To Feed Dogs A Commercial Diet ?

[Gayle.]

I tried a completely raw diet with my Aussies, and while I loved feeding it, one of them developed a sensitivity to it and she'd vomit up every single meal, shortly after eating it. So, reluctantly I switched them to kibble.....I started off with Pro Plan, but my current budget won't sustain that, so I went back to Uncle Albers for Benson as I'd had success with this before, and Supercoat for Dusty and Isaak. They all like the Supercoat, and it comes in a puppy variety for baby Isaak, so that's a plus but I'm waiting on a sample of Black Hawk Holistic to arrive so I can try that.

One thing I noticed was that within a month of changing back to kibble, the dogs skin and coats have improved out of sight. While on raw, their coats were dry, harsh and dull and Benson had dry, flaky skin. They now have soft, shiny coats and clear healthy looking skin.

While raw is supposed to be the ideal diet, for some dogs it simply doesn't work. I tried very hard to feed a variety of meats and bone, as well as raw veges, oils, fish, eggs etc and I couldn't get it right.

They now have a piece of raw chicken for their breakfast, and kibble with sardines, table scraps or on it's own for dinner. And they look fantastic, and that's the best result for me.

[KitKat]

Sorry - i tried barf/raw on my two GSD's - and i will never ever ever do it again - it proved to be very expensive as i was having to feed huge amounts of food to keep any kind of weight on them - in the end we were going through several kgs each per day and the dogs were nearly skin and bone. If it wasn't for the fact i was watching them i would have thought something was stealing their food. Certain kibble also does the same for them - in that they have to eat huge amounts to keep any kind of condition.

They are now on a mix of certain kibbles and butcher bones, eggs, anything else i come across that i think they will like, or that i want to try them on. One is in perfect condition (tho i have to shed his little extra winter weight), the other is recovering from allergies - but he is now recovering and looking better every week.

I used to have in my sig something along the lines of "The best food for your dog is what your dog does best on - packaged or unpackaged". Perhaps i need to put that back in my sig.

Edited August 13, 2010 by KitKat

[Staranais]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

[stormie]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

+1

Orbit has only ever had his puppy vaccines and minimal flea treatments etc and is on a raw diet. Yet he's still very allergic. Yes, he gets cortisone and other immune drugs, but only because they are the only thing that bring him relief. To say this is an absolute 'no no'?! How can you say this about a drug which provides comfort and quality of life for an animal?

The RAW vs Kibble will always be an ongoing argument, but I think the subject is like religion - do your own research and make your own decision, but don't preach to other people.

Not all dogs will do well on raw. Those who improved on raw were not 'cured' of their allergy, but merely relieved of their symptoms when the culprit allergen was no longer being fed in the dry food, eg a grain, storage mites etc.

I know of one particular dog who was fed a raw diet all her life, only puppy vacc'd, never given oral treatments/chemicals/drugs, yet died at 2yo from cancer. My own family Golden Retriever was fed supermarket dry most of her life, had cortisone for flea allergy dermatitis here and there, vaccinated at times yet lived till till she was 16yo and was only pts because of joint disease.

Dogs are all different - like people. Their digestive systems function the same but are not all the same, as with their bodies. If one dog thrives being fed a raw diet, then that's great, but I don't think it's fair to tell people something what they're doing is 'not the best' for their dog.

[OSoSwift]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

+1

Orbit has only ever had his puppy vaccines and minimal flea treatments etc and is on a raw diet. Yet he's still very allergic. Yes, he gets cortisone and other immune drugs, but only because they are the only thing that bring him relief. To say this is an absolute 'no no'?! How can you say this about a drug which provides comfort and quality of life for an animal?

The RAW vs Kibble will always be an ongoing argument, but I think the subject is like religion - do your own research and make your own decision, but don't preach to other people.

Not all dogs will do well on raw. Those who improved on raw were not 'cured' of their allergy, but merely relieved of their symptoms when the culprit allergen was no longer being fed in the dry food, eg a grain, storage mites etc.

I know of one particular dog who was fed a raw diet all her life, only puppy vacc'd, never given oral treatments/chemicals/drugs, yet died at 2yo from cancer. My own family Golden Retriever was fed supermarket dry most of her life, had cortisone for flea allergy dermatitis here and there, vaccinated at times yet lived till till she was 16yo and was only pts because of joint disease.

Here, here

Dogs are all different - like people. Their digestive systems function the same but are not all the same, as with their bodies. If one dog thrives being fed a raw diet, then that's great, but I don't think it's fair to tell people something what they're doing is 'not the best' for their dog.

Here, here!

Edited August 14, 2010 by Rommi n Lewis

[Sheridan]

I fed my last wheaten raw and he died a month short of his sixth birthday of kidney disease.

I feed my current wheaten, Woollies sardines, mackerel, and EP anchovy and salmon. He's the healthiest 14.5 year old dog I've ever come across.

I suggest that each individual dog is different and a lot of the people pushing one way of feeding wouldn't notice any discernible difference in their dog's condition if they fed them Chum.

[Moselle]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

IMO cortisone is a NO NO. Putting a dog on cortisone may relieve the dog of itchy skin but it is only a short cut as it relieves the dog of its itching whilst it is on this drug but will not resolve the underlying reason why it is scratching and will

introduce far more serious health problems and given that dogs with itchy skin need to be on cortisone for a long period of time you can be assured that side effects will be imminent. The long-term side effects of Prednisone use are not the symptoms you've been seeing, they are:

kidney damage, GI disturbance, diarrhea, vomiting, weight gain, GI ulceration, pancreatitis, lipidemia, elevated liver enzymes, diabetes mellitus, muscle wasting, and possible behavioral changes and Cushings disease. I would sooner play the eradication game and try to get to the underlying problem, the reason why a dog is scratching incessantly. Not all skin issues are due to overvaccinations or drugs. They could be due to hormonal disorders, bacteria, yeast, underactive thyroid, allergies brought on by a myriad of causes.

Why take a short cut when one's best bet is to carry out skin and blood tests for allergies or bacteria or yeast or a biobsy for cellular changes to the skin amongst other things?

[Moselle]

I fed my last wheaten raw and he died a month short of his sixth birthday of kidney disease.

I feed my current wheaten, Woollies sardines, mackerel, and EP anchovy and salmon. He's the healthiest 14.5 year old dog I've ever come across.

I suggest that each individual dog is different and a lot of the people pushing one way of feeding wouldn't notice any discernible difference in their dog's condition if they fed them Chum.

Can you be 100% certain that your wheaten passed away at 6 years of age because he was fed a raw diet? Perhaps if he had been fed a commercial diet he could have passed away sooner than he did....he may very well have had kidney issues from the time he was born.

[Crazy Daisy]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

+1

Orbit has only ever had his puppy vaccines and minimal flea treatments etc and is on a raw diet. Yet he's still very allergic. Yes, he gets cortisone and other immune drugs, but only because they are the only thing that bring him relief. To say this is an absolute 'no no'?! How can you say this about a drug which provides comfort and quality of life for an animal?

The RAW vs Kibble will always be an ongoing argument, but I think the subject is like religion - do your own research and make your own decision, but don't preach to other people.

Not all dogs will do well on raw. Those who improved on raw were not 'cured' of their allergy, but merely relieved of their symptoms when the culprit allergen was no longer being fed in the dry food, eg a grain, storage mites etc.

I know of one particular dog who was fed a raw diet all her life, only puppy vacc'd, never given oral treatments/chemicals/drugs, yet died at 2yo from cancer. My own family Golden Retriever was fed supermarket dry most of her life, had cortisone for flea allergy dermatitis here and there, vaccinated at times yet lived till till she was 16yo and was only pts because of joint disease.

Dogs are all different - like people. Their digestive systems function the same but are not all the same, as with their bodies. If one dog thrives being fed a raw diet, then that's great, but I don't think it's fair to tell people something what they're doing is 'not the best' for their dog.

x2

I've done it all with an allergy prone dog and really you have to do what's best for your individual dog, what you can afford financially and what you have the time for.

[~JoLu~]

My dogs have been on natural diets for pretty much their entire lives - except for the 2 pounds dogs and my first westie who was fed a commercial diet during puppyhood (to 10 weeks). My second westie came from a raw feeding breeder. So it's about 10 years of raw feeding now and they are very healthy.

Mind you my naughty dad used to drop in with schmakos ..... I used to let him give them one and then tossed the rest of the packet out when he left I have now asked him not to give them schmakos and now he brings liver treats

That said, I have read somewhere that a dog's digestive system can accomodate whatever diet a dog is being fed. So dogs on commercial diet can certainly do well based on that.

It's when you throw the other stuff in like annual vaccinations, cortisone based drugs and bad genes that you start getting problems.

The natural diet needs to be looked at with a wholistic view. It's not just the diet - it's the vaccinations, the prescribed drugs for whatever condition the dog might have and the breeding. It all comes into play.

It is very true that annual vaccinations, cortisone based drugs, etc are a definite NO NO.

I wonder who is responsible for writing an article stipulating that a dog's digestive system can accommodate whatever they are being fed? lol. I am also left wondering if they have any monetary incentive in saying this? perhaps a link to the pet food industry, lol.

I am compelled to ask if you and other posters have actually read what is being used in pet food and the noxious ingredients such as preservatives and additives that are thrown in?

And the person who wrote the article you posted doesn't? She is a distributor for a "Premium Pet Food" called Flint River Ranch www.naturalexpressions.com

[Moselle]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

+1

Orbit has only ever had his puppy vaccines and minimal flea treatments etc and is on a raw diet. Yet he's still very allergic. Yes, he gets cortisone and other immune drugs, but only because they are the only thing that bring him relief. To say this is an absolute 'no no'?! How can you say this about a drug which provides comfort and quality of life for an animal?

The RAW vs Kibble will always be an ongoing argument, but I think the subject is like religion - do your own research and make your own decision, but don't preach to other people.

Not all dogs will do well on raw. Those who improved on raw were not 'cured' of their allergy, but merely relieved of their symptoms when the culprit allergen was no longer being fed in the dry food, eg a grain, storage mites etc.

I know of one particular dog who was fed a raw diet all her life, only puppy vacc'd, never given oral treatments/chemicals/drugs, yet died at 2yo from cancer. My own family Golden Retriever was fed supermarket dry most of her life, had cortisone for flea allergy dermatitis here and there, vaccinated at times yet lived till till she was 16yo and was only pts because of joint disease.

Dogs are all different - like people. Their digestive systems function the same but are not all the same, as with their bodies. If one dog thrives being fed a raw diet, then that's great, but I don't think it's fair to tell people something what they're doing is 'not the best' for their dog.

x2

I've done it all with an allergy prone dog and really you have to do what's best for your individual dog, what you can afford financially and what you have the time for.

Have you tried to get to the underlying problem? did you actually find out what was causing the allergies in the first place?

I must say that I am often disturbed when people say that they can only afford minimal financial care for a dog and don't have the time that a dog requires. In that case, maybe goldfish would be a cheaper option. I do appreciate it that not everyone is made of money but if people cannot afford even minimal veterinary care then I think they should not consider owning a dog/cat/horse....

Edited August 14, 2010 by Moselle

[Red Fox]

I think that if all commercial food is REALLY that bad then there needs to be simple, easy guidelines for newbies to do with what to feed. When to feed it, how much to feed per kilo of dog, how to prepare this food.

It's really hard to find non-bias information with all the advertising that is out there. :D

There is Do a search on raw food or BARF and you will come up with plenty of info. The Ian Billinghurst books are widely available, well known and explain it clear and simple, as do a few others..

It's not a matter of the info not being available or difficult to understand anyhow, it's just an issue of people not being aware of that option.

At the end of the day feed whatever you can afford, what is available to you and what works - whether thats raw, commercial or a combo of both.

To put it simply: commercial food will NOT poison your dog and raw food and bones will not kill your dog or give it salmonella. I choose raw for my dog as he does well on it, it's affordable, available (more so then premium commercial for me), I can buy in bulk and I feel comfortable feeding him this. My cat gets premium commercial and scraps because it's affordable, I can order it in bulk (lasts ages for 1 cat), he does well on it, and I feel comfortable in feeding him this. Feed what you want

[Dogsfevr]

[

Have you tried to get to the underlying problem? did you actually find out what was causing the allergies in the first place?

I must say that I am often disturbed when people say that they can only afford minimal financial care for a dog and don't have the time that a dog requires. In that case, maybe goldfish would be a cheaper option. I do appreciate it that not everyone is made of money but if people cannot afford even minimal veterinary care then I think they should not consider owning a dog/cat/horse....

I think if you read orbit other post's you would be well aware that the dog has had all the care under world given & vet treatment BUT there comes a time where you can pay $1000 each year with no result from vet /holistic etc etc.

People then go down the path of what best maintains that animal condition at it's worst time.

We see people who bring there dogs here who have spent a fortune on there dogs care with no end result except simply being ask to put there hands in there pocket & spend more & more.

I too am not a believer of "easy option " of pills but also appreciate for some dogs it is a must & like the food debate the same applies .

If these people choice to neglect the meds that brought/bring comfort to there animals after many avenues had failed then they would be accused of not given the right care.

If the answer was so simple there would't be a need for pills & hands in the pocket

[Sheridan]

I fed my last wheaten raw and he died a month short of his sixth birthday of kidney disease.

I feed my current wheaten, Woollies sardines, mackerel, and EP anchovy and salmon. He's the healthiest 14.5 year old dog I've ever come across.

I suggest that each individual dog is different and a lot of the people pushing one way of feeding wouldn't notice any discernible difference in their dog's condition if they fed them Chum.

Can you be 100% certain that your wheaten passed away at 6 years of age because he was fed a raw diet? Perhaps if he had been fed a commercial diet he could have passed away sooner than he did....he may very well have had kidney issues from the time he was born.

He didn't pass away because of his diet. He would have passed away no matter what he was fed, hence my view that each dog is different.

It's just that the BARF people tend to push it as the be all and end all and that isn't necessarily the best thing for the dog. That may be because of an underlying illness, as my dog had, or it may be that the dog doesn't do well on raw. People need to make up their own minds about what is best for their dog without proponents of one food method or another shoving it down their throats, no intended pun.

Edited August 14, 2010 by Sheridan

[stormie]

[

Have you tried to get to the underlying problem? did you actually find out what was causing the allergies in the first place?

I must say that I am often disturbed when people say that they can only afford minimal financial care for a dog and don't have the time that a dog requires. In that case, maybe goldfish would be a cheaper option. I do appreciate it that not everyone is made of money but if people cannot afford even minimal veterinary care then I think they should not consider owning a dog/cat/horse....

I think if you read orbit other post's you would be well aware that the dog has had all the care under world given & vet treatment BUT there comes a time where you can pay $1000 each year with no result from vet /holistic etc etc.

People then go down the path of what best maintains that animal condition at it's worst time.

We see people who bring there dogs here who have spent a fortune on there dogs care with no end result except simply being ask to put there hands in there pocket & spend more & more.

I too am not a believer of "easy option " of pills but also appreciate for some dogs it is a must & like the food debate the same applies .

If these people choice to neglect the meds that brought/bring comfort to there animals after many avenues had failed then they would be accused of not given the right care.

If the answer was so simple there would't be a need for pills & hands in the pocket

Thank you showdog

Moselle, I take extreme offence to you inferring that by giving my dog cortisone for relief, I am taking a short cut.

Orbit was itchy from the day he came home to me at 10wks of age. I tried diet changes, supplements, oils, shampoos, homeopathics, herbs, lotions, detox's etc. I consulted with Dermatologists to eliminate the possibility of scabies, FAD, fungal and bacterial infections.

I have done thyroid testing and skin biopsies. I had two separate allergy blood tests done, because intra dermal tests were not possible for us because of the withholding period required.

I have a list of everything in the environment he is allergic to. I have done desensitising injections.

I feed him raw and struggle at times to find novel protein sources so I can repeat food elimination diets with him.

He cannot have contact with grass or plants without becoming extremely itchy hours later. I have to put towels down on the back lawn for him to lay on when he eats his bones.

He is still itchy. And with most atopic dogs, he will get worse as he gets older. He is itchy all the time. And on top of being chronically itchy, he then has the 'bad itchies' after laying on grass, carpet, brushing past plants etc.

Perhaps you'd like to spend some time with a dog as allergic as mine and tell me how you'd cope? After a roll in the grass, that night, he doesn't sleep. He's too itchy to sleep. If you pat him or touch him, his skin quivers because it's so itchy. If he makes it to sleep, he wakes up as soon as he moves, because the motion of his skin moving makes him itchy. He chews himself till he bleeds.

So yes, I give him cortisone because it takes away his misery. I also give him cyclosporin, at $550 for a 100ml, which lasts a dog his size about 2 months.

So please, don't tell me I'm taking a short cut because I have spent the last 3 years living and breathing atopy and spending a good part of every single day, doing what I can to relieve his itching as best I can, to try and keep his medication rates down.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

Are cortisone based drugs a "definite no no"? That depends what they're being used for!

It's all very well to decide that you would never use cortisone, until you have a dog that's in misery & steroids are the only thing that helps.

Some dogs have skin issues even with minimal vaccination, no drugs, and a "pure" (whatever that means) diet. It's not as simple as saying that if only the owner can get it right, the dog's skin will be fixed. Some owners do a great job on diet and lifestyle, and their dogs still need drugs to help their skin. Genetics plays a huge role in allergies and immune based skin disease.

+1

Orbit has only ever had his puppy vaccines and minimal flea treatments etc and is on a raw diet. Yet he's still very allergic. Yes, he gets cortisone and other immune drugs, but only because they are the only thing that bring him relief. To say this is an absolute 'no no'?! How can you say this about a drug which provides comfort and quality of life for an animal?

The RAW vs Kibble will always be an ongoing argument, but I think the subject is like religion - do your own research and make your own decision, but don't preach to other people.

Not all dogs will do well on raw. Those who improved on raw were not 'cured' of their allergy, but merely relieved of their symptoms when the culprit allergen was no longer being fed in the dry food, eg a grain, storage mites etc.

I know of one particular dog who was fed a raw diet all her life, only puppy vacc'd, never given oral treatments/chemicals/drugs, yet died at 2yo from cancer. My own family Golden Retriever was fed supermarket dry most of her life, had cortisone for flea allergy dermatitis here and there, vaccinated at times yet lived till till she was 16yo and was only pts because of joint disease.

Dogs are all different - like people. Their digestive systems function the same but are not all the same, as with their bodies. If one dog thrives being fed a raw diet, then that's great, but I don't think it's fair to tell people something what they're doing is 'not the best' for their dog.

x2

I've done it all with an allergy prone dog and really you have to do what's best for your individual dog, what you can afford financially and what you have the time for.

Have you tried to get to the underlying problem? did you actually find out what was causing the allergies in the first place?

I must say that I am often disturbed when people say that they can only afford minimal financial care for a dog and don't have the time that a dog requires. In that case, maybe goldfish would be a cheaper option. I do appreciate it that not everyone is made of money but if people cannot afford even minimal veterinary care then I think they should not consider owning a dog/cat/horse....

how rude

[PRADA68]

I personally believe that what works for others may not work for you so I just stick to what works best for my dogs whether that is commercial dog food, raw, meaty bones etc. My dogs look great on the diet they are on and currently that is commercially prepared food their poos are good. So at this stage I am sticking to it. I have done the raw thing and found it time consuming and expensive. I do not mind paying for good quality dog food. So at this stage the diet mine are on they are staying on.

[Moselle]

[

Have you tried to get to the underlying problem? did you actually find out what was causing the allergies in the first place?

I must say that I am often disturbed when people say that they can only afford minimal financial care for a dog and don't have the time that a dog requires. In that case, maybe goldfish would be a cheaper option. I do appreciate it that not everyone is made of money but if people cannot afford even minimal veterinary care then I think they should not consider owning a dog/cat/horse....

I think if you read orbit other post's you would be well aware that the dog has had all the care under world given & vet treatment BUT there comes a time where you can pay $1000 each year with no result from vet /holistic etc etc.

People then go down the path of what best maintains that animal condition at it's worst time.

We see people who bring there dogs here who have spent a fortune on there dogs care with no end result except simply being ask to put there hands in there pocket & spend more & more.

I too am not a believer of "easy option " of pills but also appreciate for some dogs it is a must & like the food debate the same applies .

If these people choice to neglect the meds that brought/bring comfort to there animals after many avenues had failed then they would be accused of not given the right care.

If the answer was so simple there would't be a need for pills & hands in the pocket

Thank you showdog

Moselle, I take extreme offence to you inferring that by giving my dog cortisone for relief, I am taking a short cut.

Orbit was itchy from the day he came home to me at 10wks of age. I tried diet changes, supplements, oils, shampoos, homeopathics, herbs, lotions, detox's etc. I consulted with Dermatologists to eliminate the possibility of scabies, FAD, fungal and bacterial infections.

I have done thyroid testing and skin biopsies. I had two separate allergy blood tests done, because intra dermal tests were not possible for us because of the withholding period required.

I have a list of everything in the environment he is allergic to. I have done desensitising injections.

I feed him raw and struggle at times to find novel protein sources so I can repeat food elimination diets with him.

He cannot have contact with grass or plants without becoming extremely itchy hours later. I have to put towels down on the back lawn for him to lay on when he eats his bones.

He is still itchy. And with most atopic dogs, he will get worse as he gets older. He is itchy all the time. And on top of being chronically itchy, he then has the 'bad itchies' after laying on grass, carpet, brushing past plants etc.

Perhaps you'd like to spend some time with a dog as allergic as mine and tell me how you'd cope? After a roll in the grass, that night, he doesn't sleep. He's too itchy to sleep. If you pat him or touch him, his skin quivers because it's so itchy. If he makes it to sleep, he wakes up as soon as he moves, because the motion of his skin moving makes him itchy. He chews himself till he bleeds.

So yes, I give him cortisone because it takes away his misery. I also give him cyclosporin, at $550 for a 100ml, which lasts a dog his size about 2 months.

So please, don't tell me I'm taking a short cut because I have spent the last 3 years living and breathing atopy and spending a good part of every single day, doing what I can to relieve his itching as best I can, to try and keep his medication rates down.

So sorry for jumping to conclusions; I was just basing my opinion on posts written in other forums where it was made very clear that the itchy dog was taken to the vet and placed on cortisone right from the word go without trying to find the underlying reasons for the incessant scratching and even some vets themselves are guilty of not advising people of the available tests that can, oftentimes, be of great help. Once again...sorry.

May I ask what breed Orbit is?

Edited August 14, 2010 by Moselle

[KitKat]

Geeze Moselle - did i actually read that you suggested those of us who don't have wads of money to throw around should own only a goldfish??

ETA - one of my guys is allergic to something in which he comes in contact to and or eats, we've changed diets, got him off certain meats - i've had him on Polaramine (and not it doesn't make him drowsy...which is a pity!) on a semi regular basis, i've changed his diet again - oddly enough right at the moment he is getting less raw then usual and an average kibble - but he is looking better then he has in a long time - perhaps it's just the change in season Normally they'd have nights when they gets bones, and other nights when they get kibble - or a bit of both.

Edited August 14, 2010 by KitKat

[Danois]

IMO cortisone is a NO NO.

Yeah and without cortisone my dog would have been utterly miserable and I would have had to have him put to sleep at 9 months of age as his quality of life would have been crap. At least cortisone let him have some semblance of normality during his time here.

Quite frankly, your suggestion that people who use cortisone as a 'short cut' is offensive. Those people who do use it know that like any drug, cortisone has its good and bad sides and have to make that informed decision.