Dog Won't Eat Anallergenic Diet

[morganellie]

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So my 2yr old Golden Retriever has been put onto an anallergenic diet for the 2nd time.
The first time we did it for 8 weeks, she had the Royal Canin one as she was suspected of having a few allergies or intolerances (we are quite sure she is allergic to beef and turkey but there very well may be others). She did really well on this diet the first time, she accepted the kibble for treats and was always up for eating it. Her coat was so soft and glossy, she had no vomiting or gulping/lip licking episodes which she had before so we were quite sure it was a diet issue causing her problems.

Our vet suggested after the 8 weeks to transition her into a single protein single carb kibble. We settled on Wainright's white fish sensitive range, and again she did really well on it! Unfortunately they have discontinued this food and we tried her on the salmon version, but she did not react well to this at all. So we have tried a few other white fish foods but they have resulted in her burping, throwing up and excessively drinking so we don't think these are right for her at all.

So back to the vets we went and they suggested we put her back on the Royal Canin as this was the food she reacted best to by far. However, after transitioning slowly to this food, 2 weeks in she is not taking them as treats, and is not interested in eating the food at all. I've tried putting water in it, pro-biotics but nothing is working. I can't put a topper on because I cant be sure it won't make her stomach go off again. So I'm a little stuck on what to do. I just want to get her settled on a food she enjoys eating, and that does well for her but I'm at a bit of a loss.

 

[JudyN]

That's a tricky one - how long will she go without eating it? I'm guessing you've tried hypoallergenic foods with no joy? Is it possible for your vet to test her to try to find out what her specific allergies are? It might also be possible to contact Royal Canin and ask if they have any suggestions.

My only other thought is to try adding water to the food as you have done, but then warming it slightly to release the aroma more.

 

[JoanneF]

Or, if she is okay with white fish, just boil or steam some and mix that through?

 

[morganellie]

That's a tricky one - how long will she go without eating it? I'm guessing you've tried hypoallergenic foods with no joy? Is it possible for your vet to test her to try to find out what her specific allergies are? It might also be possible to contact Royal Canin and ask if they have any suggestions.

My only other thought is to try adding water to the food as you have done, but then warming it slightly to release the aroma more.

She will go a few days with only eating 1 little bite or so, I don't think it's stubbornness as we have never added something extra to the food when she's not eaten it.

I haven't tried hypoallergenic foods, as quite a few of them have "poultry fat/derivatives" and i'm not sure if that means turkey or not.
I have asked the vet about tests for specific allergies but they are not very reliable and he said the only truly reliable way to find is the elimination diet, but obviously that won't work if she won't eat the food in the first place (which she used to do when giving her a food with chicken in it, almost like she knew it made her unwell)

We add warm water to try and get the smell out, and she will go over to it and sniff it but then almost decide that no that's no good. But thank you for your suggestions! I will try contacting Royal Canin!

 

[morganellie]

Or, if she is okay with white fish, just boil or steam some and mix that through?

I can definitely try that, I have some left over from when she had a stomach bug a few months ago. I just worry that she'll eat the fish and leave the kibble.

 

[JudyN]

If she's OK with the fish, you could cook it in a small amount of water and use that water to moisten the kibble and make it tastier for her.

 

[JoanneF]

If you mash it right down, hopefully it would cost the kibble and she wouldn't be able to pick it out.

 

[excuseme]

Have you considered a meat and veg diet only, either raw or very gently steamed or poached?
You will know exactly what you are giving her with no hidden chemicals or rubbish fillers!
Unfortunately kibble alone is not very good, although there are a few of better quality that do not use cheap fillers.
Kibbles are very highly processed and the ingredients can be altered by the processing, fresh gently cooked or even raw products are far more beneficial and healthier.

PS.
I would never ask a vet who sells kibbles from his practice for feeding advice. Vets have very little knowledge of our dogs nutritional requirements!

If you are interested; Please read the attachment.

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

 

[Mad Murphy]

Murphy refused food for 3 days when we tried a hypoallegenic kibble diet. He loses weight quickly so we stopped that changed to raw and were very lucky to find his trigger food first time, for him its beef.
I wouldnt go back to dry (or wet) commerical processed food now if you paid me.
Ive got an 8 and an almost 7 year old who are happy, healthy, eager to eat they have never had fleas, dont itch , dont have upset stomachs and the best test ..when I sold my house the estate agent told me he couldnt believe I had two dogs because the house smelled so fresh and clean. He said he can always smell dogs and mine was the first house where no dog smell lingered.