Change of food?

[Jjohnd]

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Our Lab (a rescue) has frequent attention from us due to a build up of wax in her ears causing her to scratch them.
Does anyone hold the view that certain foods can cause an increase in wax in the ears?
I look forward to the replies.

 

[Tinytom]

What are you feeding her now ....i know some kibble can cause problems. ...do you let her swim alot .....has your vet said why they think she is producing alot of wax ....

 

[Jjohnd]

What are you feeding her now ....i know some kibble can cause problems. ...do you let her swim alot .....has your vet said why they think she is producing alot of wax ....

Thanks for the reply. She is eating Royal Canin Satiety weight management.
She does like a paddle but we have cut down her swimming to almost zilch. The vet is seeing her on Tuesday.
Her ears have constantly dirtied/waxed up since we have had her

 

[Tinytom]

I used the same food for my jrt for his weight but when i read what goes into it i stopped and just cut down on his raw food ...would you consider giving her a raw diet ...

 

[excuseme]

As mentioned by Tinytom, have you considered feeding a raw diet?
Do have a look @JudyN s informational post about Raw Feeding in the "Dog Food and Diet" section, Raw Feeding.
Royal Canin is not a very good product ! It is full of cheap fillers and grains.
Unfortunately our vets are not the best to give advice about our dogs dietary needs.
I hope to have attached a "Myth" about our vets and our dogs nutritional needs.

Myths About Raw: Is my vet really qualified to be giving nutritional advice?

A change of diet can be a huge decision to make.
I would thoroughly recommend a trial on the raw product, it is quiet safe and not bloody or messy.
.

 

[Jjohnd]

I note your replies with great interest.
I was in conversation with a mate today who also mentioned grain being a problem. Can anybody recommend a specific raw food for a lab please. We have just paid for and received a couple of big bags of Canin but Will have to bite the bullet and get something else. I suppose we can occasionally give her the odd bowl of Canin without affecting her ears.

 

[JudyN]

Here's the thread on raw feeding: Raw feeding

I haven't any experience of feeding for waxy ears, but my approach would be to start off feeding nothing but chicken for a week or two before introducing other protein sources or supplements. Then gradually add in other protein sources, offal, whatever, and seeing what happens. It's absolutely fine for a diet not to be 'properly balanced' for a week or two. Personally I think that's a safer approach than going straight in with a 'ready-made complete' (even if you want to use them in the future).

You could also ask raw food companies for advice directly - they will have experience of providing for dogs with a range of problems. I'd recommend Nurturing by Nature, and Honey's.

 

[Tinytom]

I would send the canin food back and ask for a refund. ...

 

[RGC]

JudyN quoting from your guide re RAW. - “Gradually introduce offal, e.g. liver, kidney, heart, lungs... Only add tiny amounts at first, particularly with liver, as too much too soon can result in a very runny bum!”

I gave Mabel pieces of dried beef liver the other day as a treat. That was the only change in her intake. She was somewhat ’quiet’ the following day and was ‘squitty’ on her walk. Could dehydrated offal have caused the disorder?

 

[JudyN]

JCould dehydrated offal have caused the disorder?

It's possible, RGC, particularly if her normal diet doesn't include any liver. Maybe wait till she's been back to normal for a few days, then add a tiny bit of liver (smaller than the treat) to her usual food.

Of course, it could be just coincidence.

 

[Hemlock]

If the raw diet agrees with your dog, you could always donate the RC to a dog rescue place. Then you can shine with virtue as well as having a healthy dog. But no need to rush - these things can take a while.